7 
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BISSET’S HISTORY OF THE REIGN OF GEORGE I 
usually seem to win the victory in the 
newspaper, have already, in the parlia- 
mentary register, lost their superiority ; 
and when recorded by the historian have 
faded into very insufficient defences of 
his proceedings. Much irrelevant though 
really active motive was adduced: ac- 
tual conduct was indeed accounted for ; 
but the idea of perfect conduct should 
have been evolved and recommended. 
There is but too much reason to suspect 
that this narrow mode of arguing is not 
merely exoteric; but is in fact the faith- 
ful and honest transcript of Mr. Pitt’s 
mode of deciding business; for he is 
commonly found to modify his mea- 
sures by the criticism of his adversaries, 
as if their observations were new to 
him and had not been anticipated. 
To have skill in men, to be a judge 
of merit, is the most important qualifi- 
cation of a prime minister: like the 
manager of a band of players he should 
know how to cast every part aright ; so 
as to perform, with the given cotempo- 
rary agents, the public business of the 
nation in the best possible manner.— 
Either Mr. Pitt wants this skill, or sa- 
crifices, to the pressure of parliamentary 
solicitation and interest, the pleasure of 
lifting merit, and the duty of preferring 
ability. His subordinate appointments 
have been noforiously injudicious; in 
short, if his return to office could be 
borne without impatience, his retire- 
it may well be seen without 
egretey. 
After conducting his reader to the re- 
signation of Mr. Pitt, our author con- 
tinues his history to the treaty of peace, 
of which, in a concluding paragraph, 
he thus gives his opinion : 
*« In negociating a pacification, three ob- 
jects ought to be kept in view,—honour, ad- 
vantage, and security. _Tinat we succeeded 
in all these desirable points of attainment, 
none will be so hardy as to affirm. After 
the frequent boasts of a full determination of 
acquiring indemnity, the dereliction of the 
259 
far greater part of our conquests, and the 
loss of the effect of a brilliant series of na- 
val triumphs, besides a very oppressive aug- 
mentation of the national debt, present a 
scene remarkably and essentially diflerent 
from the prospect to which we were taught 
to look forward. The honour of a negocia= 
tion does not consist in being dislodged from 
the commanding posts which the conductors 
of the war affected to occuy-y and to secure, 
or in being success vely driven to the last 
yerge of evasion; nor will such a close of 
hostility be considered as a material advan- 
tage by the generality of political specula- 
tors ; and, in point of security, we }ave les; 
reason to boast of cur complete ability of 
self-defence than we had before the war com- 
menced its mischievous career. Yet the 
ministers deserve not the severity of censure. 
They had a difficult task to execute. The 
unfortunate predicament in which the pre- 
ceding leaders of the cabinet had savelvel 
the nation, rendered peace particularly neces- 
sary; and the extraordinary and portentous 
increase of the power of France, with the 
high claims of a nation which accused Great- 
Britain of the guilt of aggression, precluded 
the hope of favourable or beneficial terms, 
Viewed with reference to this state of affairs, 
the treaty of Amiens calls for acquiescence 
and approbation, rather than disgust, objec- 
tion, or complaint ; ard, if it should not, 
be permanent, the fault will be that of the 
rash statesman whose impolicy promoted by 
war the extension of Gallic power, not that 
of the prudent minister whose endeayours 
were exerted for the restoration of peace. 
In the mean time, let us not give way to pu- 
sillanimity.or despondence. Though oug 
security has been diminished, eur resources 
are by no means contemptible. Confining 
our views to insular defence, we may defy 
the threatening storm; and, by the terrors 
of a naval war, we may humble the arro- 
gance of the enemy, and produce a desire of 
continued peace.” 
This convenient volume will, no 
doubt, find many readers, and will in 
nothing detract from the reputation of 
the historian of the union with Ireland. 
To the Lansdowne politics the author 
appears most habitually to incline. 
, » 
Arr. V. History of the Reign of George III. to the Termination of the late War. By 
Rogert Bisser, LL.D. 8vo. 6 vols. 
@ vk. BIsseT appears to have seri- 
ously, though moderately, imbibed those 
precisely inverse notions of the duty of 
allegiance, which Mr. Burke’s paradoxi- 
cal daring thought fit to advance, in 
order by one excess to counteract what 
he considered as another. 
_ Mr. Burke holds out the church as 
entitled to a preference of attachment, 
as first, and last, and midst in our minds, 
He allots the next degree of zeal to 
majesty, considering it as the key-stone 
that binds together the well-constructed 
arch of our constitution. Third in esti- 
mation he ranks the house of lords, the 
chief virtual representative of our aris- 
tocracy, the great ground and pillar of 
security to the landed interest, and that 
