' '^2- political progrefs cf Britain. 239 



like Esau's birthright, an advantage extorted in the 

 hour of distrefs, and to insist upon enforcing it, was 

 unbecoming an independent, an opulent, and a gene- 

 rous nation. We speak with as much fluency of French 

 and Spaniih treachery, as if we kad engrofsed in our 

 own persons the whole integrity of t!ie human spe- 

 cies. Let us think of Hosier's expedition. 



I fhall mention another instance of our treatment 

 -of the Spaniili nation, which is extracted from Dr 

 Campbell's naval history. It is foreign to my pur- 

 ' pose, and far beyond the limits of my plan, to give a 

 detail of the endlefs and fantastical treaties entered 

 .into by Britain during the reign of George i. One 

 .of the most remarkable was, what has been termed 

 •the quadruple alliance, between the emperor, France, 

 Holland, and this country. The object was tojix the 

 ■general tranquillity for ever. Xhe plan adopted for 

 this end was extremely curious. The island of Sici- 

 ly was to be taken from the duke of Savoy, and be- 

 stowed on the emperor, and the island of Sardinia 

 was to be taken from the Spaniards, and bestowed in 

 exchange on the duke of Savoy. As we had former- 

 ly conceived that we had a right not only to give the 

 Spaniards a king, but to partition their dominions, 

 our title to wrest Sardinia from their hands followed 

 ■ as a matter of course. To com^jletc the game of 

 . crofs purposes, the court of Spain had, at this very 

 time, invaded Sicily, — had defeated the forces of the 

 duke of Savoy, and had almost entirely conquered the 

 island. Hence the duke was reduced to a situation, 

 at once the mojt distrefsing and ridiculous. On the 

 ijthof Jun'.' 1718, Sir George Byng, with twenty 



