464 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



Ianc6d the combined efforts of the 

 great powers of Europe by the vast 

 resources of his mighty genius. 

 The other was no less rash in his 

 •promises than defective in their 

 performance ; rendered his real 

 power contemptible by vain me- 

 naces and empty vaunts ; and de- 

 graded his person and office, by 

 needless falsehoods, pitiful evasions, 

 or alternate insolence and mean- 

 ness. Both were equally impe- 

 tuous and irritable ; yet the hopes 

 or apprehensions of Alberoni were 

 never betrayed, even amidst the 

 most violent ebullitions of his tem- 

 per; while Ripperda discovered 

 all the workings of his mind, by 

 his looks and gestures, embarrass- 

 ment and agitation. Finally, one 

 was respected and dreaded in his 



retreat, the other despised even in 

 the height of his authority. 



" But while we place Alberoni 

 in a rank far superior, it would be 

 unjust to withhold from Ripperda 

 the merit of having suggested 

 many useful schemes, which were 

 executed by other ministers. He 

 evidently projected most of the 

 commercial regulations adopted by 

 Alberoni ; and the bare outline of 

 the plans sketched in a preceding 

 chapter, will suffice to prove how 

 greatly his successor Patino pro- 

 fited by his ideas and designs. In- 

 deed Ripperda may be justly re- 

 garded as one of the principal 

 authors of the new Commercial 

 System, established by Spain since 

 the commencement of the last 

 century." 



CUSTOMS 



