r79<l' political progrefs of Britain. 31 1 



u statesman, w^hose maxim it was to keep us, if pof- 

 sible, at peace with all the world. 



In 1662, Dunkirk, then pofsefsed by England, cost 

 an annual expence of a hundred and twenty thousand 

 pounds. At the same period the whole revenues 

 •of the nation did not amount to eleven hundred thou- 

 sand pounds. The retention of the town must have 

 proved a hot bed of future wars with France. 

 Charles 11. at this time sold it to Lewis Xiv. for the 

 sum of four hundred thousand pounds. This was, I 

 believe, the only wise, laudable, or even innocent ac- 

 tion of his reign. It had almost produced a rebel- 

 lion ; and, as Mr Hume observes, " has not had the 

 " good fortune, to be justified by any party." 



Domestic improvement is, in all cases, more ad- 

 vantageous than military acquisition. Yet in the 

 great outlines of their history, the EngWfli nation 

 have incefsantly forsaken the former, to pUrsue the 

 latter. James i. though in private, and even in pub- 

 lic life, universally despised, was one of the best 

 sovereigns that ever sat on the Britilh throne. 

 Without a single quality which couy recommend 

 him to our esteem, he preserved the Englifli nation, 

 though much against their will, in peace, during his 

 entire reign of twenty-two years. Hence both islands 

 naade rapid advances in wealth and prosperity. " Ne- 

 *' ver," says Stowe, " was there any people, lefs con- 

 " siderate and lefs thankful than at this time, being 

 *' not willing to endure the memory of their present hap- 

 *' pitiffs." On the same principles of rapine, which 

 dictated the retention of Dunkirk, James has been 

 severely blamed for delivering back to the Dutch 

 ihrec of their fortified towns, whicli had been put into 



