HISTORY: OF .EUROPE. 
possible to prevent her from achiev- 
ing the absolute sovereignty of the 
continent. ; 
On the part of Great Britain 
her victories in India have been cer- 
tainly brilliantjand have added much 
to her territory. In the West 
. Indies she has completely frustrated 
the plans of France; and at home 
has raised a very considerable force 
to enable herto meet the threat- 
ened invasion: her various attacks 
however on the flotilla of France 
have met with slender success, and 
the different bombardments which 
were directed against the towns of 
Granville, Dieppe, Calais and Bou- 
logne, but slightly annoyed the ene- 
my. It appears then to be perfect- 
ly ascertained that France can as- 
semble a flotilla to almost any a~ 
mount on her immense line of coast, 
opposite the shore of England. . The 
experiment therefore which Great 
Britain has to make is, to try whe- 
therinan empire of her population, 
“Resources, and national spirit, such @ 
293 
military organization cannot be esta- 
blished, as to be permanently ade- 
quate to repel any force which 
France may send to invade her, 
This is the grand and awful hour of 
trial which the present generationis 
called upon to witness. If Bona- 
parte bepermitted to break down al- 
together the independence of the 
differentnations of Europe, and col- 
lect the whole disposeable force of 
France and that of her allies in 
her ports upon the channel, the des- 
tiny of this country appears to be 
sealed: and unless heaven shall in 
its mercy bless it with such an ad- 
ministration, as can unite the confi- 
dence and energies ofall parties, all 
persuasions, all ranks and conditions 
of the people, in checking, resisting, 
and controuling so powerful and im- 
placable an enemy; the time may 
shortly‘come, when patriotism itself 
may despair, and say of England 
what Hannibal exclaimed of his 
devoted country, ‘ Agnosco fate 
Carthaginis !” 
CHAP. 
