4] 
Joftiness of their pretensions, dic- 
tated by the pride of their nation, was 
so apparent, that Europe was uot 
surprised that they were only men- 
tioned transiently in their occasional 
‘discourses on that subject. ‘I'he in- 
veteracy of the ruling party of Eng- 
land subsisted almost as violently 
as ever. The French beheld, with 
-that rancour which attends an un- 
successful rivalship, the improba- 
bility of their ever attaining to an 
equality with the English at sea. 
It greatly mortified their pride, that 
all the European nations should una- 
nimously ascribe a decided supe- 
riority in naval tactics to the Eng- 
lish, and represent those as no less 
invincible on the ocean, than the 
French had hitherto been at land ; 
with this difference, howevér, to the 
disadvantage of the latter, that it 
would prove a much easier task to 
overcome them at land than the 
others at sea. 
Other causes of dissatisfaction mi- 
litated against the ruling party in 
France. The royalists, however 
depressed, were not dispirited : their 
numbers, though inferior to those 
of the republicans, were immense ; 
they maintained a close correspon- 
dence with each other, and cement- 
ed their reciprocal connections with 
all those acts of friendship and 
kindness that bind men so strongly 
together, when suffering from the 
same causes, and acting from the 
same motives, 
The vigilance of the republican 
government found constant employ- 
ment in obviating the dangers that 
threatened it from the indefatigable 
activity of those irreconcilable an- 
tagonists, who, though surrounded 
with continual observers of all their 
motions, neglected no opportunity 
4 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 179©. 
to further their designs, and boldly 
encountered every risk of being de- 
tected in their prosecution. 
adnraged at these domestic ene- 
mies, the predominant party was 
perpetually occupied in holding out 
every species of menace and terror 
to repress and discourage them ; 
but neither thTeats nor invitations 
availed. Actuated by hatred and 
resentment the royalists considered 
themselves as equally justified, by 
conscience and interest, in their de- 
termination to seize every occasion 
of resisting the established powers, 
holding them as usurpers, with whom 
no measures ought to be kept, and 
whom they were bound to oppose, ~ 
whenever there appeared the least 
likelihood of doing it to any effect. 
Such was the situation of France 
at this period, deeply convulsed at 
home, and though in possession of 
many extensive countries, yet, fear- 
ful that having acquired, and retain- 
ing them only by the right of the 
sword, they might lose them through 
the same means: an event, which, 
considering the vicissitudes of war, 
was not more improbable than the 
astonishing successes that had at- 
tended their arms against all likeli- 
hood and expectation. 
While the people in France were 
distracted with these internal divi- 
sions, those of England were agitated 
little less with incessant differences 
and disputes on the propriety of con- 
tinuing a war, which had occasior.ed 
such losses of men and expence of 
treasure, without producing those 
effects which had so repeatedly been 
represented as infallible. Nothihg 
had been omitted to procure suc- 
cess: every ministerial demand had 
been granted, every measure ac- 
ceded to; but the object proposed 
remained 
