fjgi. political progrefs of Britain, i6j 



the most rational exultation. We have printed 

 whole libraries in this benevolent style, and we are • 

 amazed when foreigners ridicule and detest us. Dr 



• Smollet closes a summary of the conduct and conse- 

 iquences of this quarrel in these words : " What then 



". were the fruits which Britain reaped from this 

 *' long and desperate war? A dreadful expence of 

 " blood atd treasure, disgrace upon disgrace, an 

 ■*' additional load of grievous impositions, and the 

 *' national debt accumulated to the enormous sum of 

 '• eighty millions sterling." 



From the Revolution it was now sixty years, and 

 ■ of these vve have seen that thirty-three were employ- 



• ed in fighting. Our crusades had cost us, at least, 

 -five hundred thousand lives, and two hundred mil- 

 lions sterling. As the total reward of these mur- 



»therous and convulsive efforts, we had obtained, or 



• confirmed, our title to Gibraltar, Minorca, Nova 



• Scotia, and Hudson's bay. Thus each of these in- 

 estimable pofsefsioos had, at an average, been preser- 

 ved by the lofs of art hundred and twenty-Jive thou- 

 sand lives, and Jifty millions sterling. The reader 

 may believe or not, as he pleases, that they were 

 worth such a price. The political system of Britain 

 may be justly compared with the adventures of a 

 street bully, spending four days of the week on a 

 boxing stage, and the rest cf it in an excise court or 

 a correction house. 



There was, indeed, another advantage obtained in 

 the above period, which merits a paragraph by it- 

 self. " As an inducement that might prevail with 

 " fjuecn Anne to conclude tlie peace of Utrecht, Phi- 



