HISTORY OF EUkOPE. 



IS 



plain the motives that eould induce 

 the British government to pay such 

 a comphment to the good faith of a 

 power, with which it had but a 

 doubtful interest to form intimate 

 connections ; and which at this 

 particular period was viewed with 

 the extremest jealousy by eveiy 

 member of the confederacy. 



This period was not only re- 

 markable for the suspicions enter- 

 tained of Prussia : its rival Austria 

 itself was involved in that mistrust 

 of political candour and sincerity 

 which now began by the scrutini- 

 zing part of the world to be affixed, 

 without distinction or exception, to 

 the conduct of everj^ European 

 court- The source of this duplicity 

 was the deficiency of pecuniary 

 resources, of which iicithv.r Prussia 

 nor Austria possessed a sufficiency 

 "for the great objects they both had 

 in view. The only quarter from 

 whence they could derive the sup- 

 plies of which the) stood so much 

 in need, was Great Britain. But 

 the interest of this latter not re- 

 quiring more than the reasonable 

 aid it was willing to afford for the 

 common cause, Vihich woi, no other 

 tliau the balance of Europe, it 

 became the study of its allies to 

 render it subservient to tlieir own 

 particular designs ; uhich extended 

 much further tljan they were will- 

 ing to avow, and included schemes 

 whichjinstead of promoting, tended 

 materially to injure that balance. 

 Tiie treaty between Great Britain 

 and Prussia not only occasioned its 

 particular application to the parties 

 directly concerned in this treaty, 

 but gave rise to a suspicion that 

 the court of Vienna itself was privy 

 and consenting to the demands of 

 ihatof Berlin on the British minis- 

 try. Doubtless, it wassunnisedthc^e 

 iatriguiHg courts, well accustomed 



to plans of partitioning policy, had 

 agreed to share in the spoils of 

 an ally whom they both contri- 

 buted to make the dupe of their ra- 

 pacity. How far a suggcstioa 

 of so base and odious a nature 

 should be admitted, no unquestion- 

 able authority can decide. Wliat 

 may have given it currency, was a 

 circumstance much insisted on at 

 the time of that remarkable treaty, 

 which was, that it did act take place 

 till it had gone through the hands of 

 Co!. Mack, the well-knowuagcnt of 

 Austria. Through his direct and 

 personal intervention, this treaty 

 was finally concluded and signed at 

 the Hague on the Ipth of April br 

 the ministers of Great Britain ana 

 Holland •, which latter was to supply 

 400,OGOL of the expence. 



Tlie facility with which tl;J 

 treasures of Great Britain had for a. 

 long succession of years been ob- 

 tained by Its allies, had established 

 a sort ot prescription, froin whitU 

 it was not easy to, recede. Bottt 

 Austria and Prussia had, in the days 

 of their respective distress, cxpen- 

 enced largely the utility of an a3- 

 hance with Britain. Europe cart 

 witness that each in their turn 

 owed their preservation to the ge- 

 nerous as well as wise policy of 

 this country, in heading at immexii« 

 expence an opposition to the cara- 

 mon enemy. It was not surpri- 

 zing therefore that, relying on 

 that jealou.^y of the desigus, and 

 that apprehension of the aggran- 

 dizement of France which is na- 

 tural to a British admiiiIstratio;>» 

 they should avail themselves of il» 

 readiness to favour those measure* 

 which apjiear calculated to secitt'c 

 that equilibrium of power amotijf 

 Ei;roj)ea:i stati'S, on which th; 33- 

 dej^eodence of this part of ths 

 v/uijj 'iO j;u;i)ifi.u!v depende. 



