1792. political progrefs of Britain. 235 
year 1748, the House of Commons voted above an 
hundred thousand men; and of these, forty thou- 
sand would most likely perifh in the course of the 
campaign. To this account may be added the my- 
riads of followers of the forces who must have been 
destroyed ; those who were killed in the service of 
privateering, or in the fhips captured by those of the 
enemy ; and that immense body who lost their lithbs, 
and instead of a service,. became a burden to their 
country. As the war lasted for nine years, we may 
safely presume that, in all the various modes of de- 
struction, three hundred thousand lives were lost ; 
and these, at three hundred pounds. each, present us: - 
with an account of human blood to the extent of 
NINETY MILLIONS STERLING*. Even this sum, ex- 
travagant as it may seem, is yet the smallest part of 
our lofs ; for, had these men continued in this coun- 
try, their posterity would at this day, in the com- © 
mon course of nature, have increased the populatiom 
of Britain by an addition of a million, or fifteen hun- 
dred thousand inhabitants. How much more rational 
and pleasing would such a prospect have been, than 
to sacrifice three hundred thousand victims on the 
altar of absurdity ? I hazard this exprefsion, because 
it has been fairly proved that the war itself was ab- 
solutely without an object. These unfortunate men 
might have been engaged to excellent purpose as 
masons, blacksmiths, and carpenters, in agriculture, 
in cutting canals and turnpike roads, or in catching 
ad As our forces not only suffered, but ixflicted many terrible blows, we 
may state the carnige of our antagonists in an equal proportion. to our 
ow. 
