grandizement of the nation. There was, in- 

 deed, a poffibility, that, by conftantly keep- 

 ing a very great (landing army in America, 

 the colonies might have been retained in iub- 

 je&ion ; but then, it would have been necef- 

 fary to have kept this force there from the be- 

 ginning of the fettlement with ftridl difcipline ; 

 to have perfevered in it, and to have increafed 

 it as the colonies grew in flrength : Nor can 

 we, from what is paft, calculate the force re- 

 quiiite to have fubdued them at the time of 

 their revolt, at lefs than 100,000 men, fo 

 that, in all probability, the expence would 

 have been greater than all the benefits which 

 could have been derived from our connection 

 with them. 



It mufl be owned, that, if the Americans 

 had been checked when they were but a mob, 

 a lefs number would have ferved the purpofe ; 

 the error was, allowing them to get to fuch a 

 head at firft, and in many in Britain efpoufing 

 their caufe. So that it might be faid, that Ame- 

 rica was loft in Britain ; and this is the more 

 to be believed, as it is certain that their friends 

 told plainly in parliament, what fteps the 

 Americans ought to take, in order to render 



themfelves independent. 



With 



