HISTORY OF EtfROPE. 



43 



iSreat Britain, and the present by 

 those of the British and Prussian 

 ministries united : he had in fact 

 been no other than the Ueutenant 

 pf both these ppwers in Holland, 

 ever since they h;id by force of arms 

 replaced him in the office from 

 which he had been expelled by the 

 voice of the public and the autho- 

 rity of that state, for his criminal 

 adherence to these powers against 

 the welfare of Iws country. 



These heavy charges had for 

 many years been laid to the House 

 of Orange : ihey had subsisted ever 

 since the war between France and 

 (Great Britain, for the protection 

 of its American colonies : they 

 bad continued during that unhappy 

 war, which terminated in their 

 separation from their parent state 5 

 and they v.-ere now become louder 

 and more rancorous than ever, 

 since the Seven United Slates had, 

 against the consent of the nation, 

 as they beldly asserted, been forced 

 into the war with France in pure 

 eubstrviency to the coalition against 

 that power. 



The enemies of the House of 

 Orange were indefatigable in dis- 

 Kcminatlng these sentiments among 

 the people : and they visibly gained 

 ground among all classes. They 

 were aided by the emissaries of 

 France, who were no less indus- 

 trious in representing the advan- 

 tages that would accrue by casting 

 off the yoke of Great Britain and 

 Prussia, and uiiiling with a repub- 

 lican government, such as their 

 own might have been, after they 

 had divested it of the pernicious as 

 well as expensive funnaiity ot a 

 Stadtholder. 



While the opposition in Holland, 

 •cconded by the secret agents of 

 pit i'rcnch, were labouring to ex- 



tend this inimical spirit to the pre- 

 sent measures, the ruling powers of 

 the state exerted all their efforts to 

 avert the evils which they dreaded 

 from the French nation. This ap- 

 peared an event so replete with 

 miscliief, both public and private, 

 Lliat rhey omitted notliing that re- 

 mained in their power to prevent 

 it. They still' had il.e disposal «f 

 3 numerous and well-disciplined 

 military, which, in conjunction 

 with the British troops, including 

 those in British pay .composed afor- 

 midable strength. As defence alone 

 was the system proposed, the strong 

 towns on the frontiers of the United 

 Provinces were intended to be suf- 

 ficiently garrisoned for a vigorous 

 resistance. The precedents of Sluys 

 and Nieuport had proved, that with 

 bravery and fidelity in the men, 

 and ability in the commanders, the 

 French, notwithstanding their num- 

 bers, might meet with such obsta- 

 cles as would impede their progress, 

 and give time for a further acces- 

 sion of strength to oppose their de- 

 signs upon Holland. 



Breda and Bois-le-Duc were the 

 two places against which it was 

 probable they would direct their 

 lirst .ittacks; their strength was per- 

 fectly competent to a long and ob- 

 stinate defence, and would de- 

 pend on the courage and detennir 

 nation of their garrisons to protract 

 the sieges, as far as courage and skill 

 could eliect such a purpose. His- 

 tory atiorded numerous instances 

 of conquerors being stopped in 

 their career, by the unyielding va- 

 lour of those who had resolved 

 never to submit but in the last ex- 

 trcnrity. Were such resolutions to 

 be taken when it became men tp 

 take them, many more obstructions 

 would be thrown in the M-ay of 



victorious 



