HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



41 



nection with Russia. The dis- 

 posable force of France must, 

 therefore, have been since con- 

 siderably increased ; and it was 

 consequently most material for this 

 country, before it adopted any 

 measure whatever, to consider well 

 the propriety of employing her 

 troops in Spain, where there was 

 a likelihood of such immense num- 

 bers being brought against them. 

 Never, I believe, was sympathy so 

 strong, as that evinced in England 

 in favour of the Spanish cause. 

 Yet, though such had been the 

 enthusiasm of the nation at large, 

 and however ardent the people 

 might be in lending assistance to 

 support such a glorious struggle, 

 it was the duty of those, who were 

 intrusted with the management of 

 the national force, to consider in 

 every point of view the propriety 

 or impropriety of complying with 

 the popular feeling. That was 

 perhaps the feeling of the moment, 

 but ministers were bound to con- 

 sult for the permanent interests of 

 the public, and it was therefore 

 their duty to investigate and as- 

 certain by every possible mode, 

 whether they ought to risk an 

 English army at all in Spain, or 

 confine their assistance to the sup- 

 plies I have mentioned. I do not 

 wish to impute blame to them for 

 having sent a British force to 

 I Spain, if the Spaniards themselves 

 applied for it, and if it was the 

 opinion of competent judges, that 

 j there was a probability of enabling 

 I them thereby to keep the field 

 I against their powerful enemy. We 

 ! have instances in our history of 

 I our having bepn before in a simi- 

 I lar situation and under similar cir- 

 1 cumstances. The independence 

 I of the United Provinces was eil'ect- 



ed principally by the assistance 6f 

 England. Queen Elizabeth for 

 her own safety against the designs 

 of Spain, assisted those who re- 

 volted against its tyranny and op- 

 pression ; and I wish that ministers 

 had adverted, in the present in- 

 stance, to the conduct of that wise 

 princess, and her wise administra- 

 tion. None of the present ministry 

 can think themselves disgraced by 

 a comparison with Lord Burleigh ; 

 and yet we find that Queen Eliza- 

 beth, pressed as she was by the 

 power, the rancour, the persever- 

 ing hostility of Spain, did not ha- 

 zard the whole force of her do- 

 minions, nor proceed to send any 

 number of troops abroad, without 

 some assurance of safety in case of 

 disaster. She, by the advice of 

 her ministers, took care to possess 

 what were called cautionary towns, 

 and thereby assured herself of a 

 retreat, and gained a safe point 

 whither to send reinforcements, as 

 well as a security that the United 

 Provinces should not abandon her 

 in the contest in which they were 

 engaged. I know not what has 

 taken place between the English 

 and Spanish governments upoo 

 that subject ; but, I perceive, that 

 in his Majesty's late declaration it 

 is stated, that certain obligations 

 exist which are considered equally 

 binding as the most solemn treaty. 

 From what I yet know of the mat- 

 ter, I cannot agree in the propri- 

 ety of any such sentiment: I should 

 not, however, think of abandoning 

 them in the hour of misfortune ; 

 but I cannot admit, that we should 

 consider our present obligations in 

 the light of a solemn treaty : for 

 what is the nature of such an en- 

 gagement ? It is entered into in a 

 moment of hurry and precipita- 

 tion; 



