xxviii PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 



gave them a manifeft advantage 'over the Scottilh 

 commiilioners, who confifted of lords and gentle- 

 men of no commercial knowledge. 



The latter were careful, however, to preferve all 

 their heritable offices, fuperiorities, jurifdi&ions, 

 and other privileges and trappings of the feudal ari- 

 ftocracy. But on the grand objects, which were to 

 give the turn or caft to national profperity, they were 

 greatly over-matched. 



Had the Englifh commifTioners, feeing the fmaller 

 kingdom thus circumftanced, and its caufe in the 

 hands of men lefs qualified for the talk, made a libe- 

 ral ufe of thofe advantages, their country would have 

 reaped tenfold benefits therefrom ; but it was referved 

 for a later period, to make that important difcovery 

 cc Enrich your cuflomers, and they will enrich 

 you." 



The Englifli commifTioners, in negociating with 

 a ruined kingdom, were influenced by the then 

 narrow, fhort-fighted principle of commercial mo- 

 nopoly ; and the confequences were fuch as might, 

 with a fmall degree of reflection, have been fore- 

 feen. 



Inftead of a folid compact, affording, upon the 

 whole, reciprocal advantages, and which it would 

 have been the inclination as well as intereft of both 

 nations to preferve inviolate, the conceilions on the 

 part of Scotland, and the restrictions to their trade, 

 were fo quickly, and fo feverely felt, that about the 

 fixth year after the ratification of the treaty, the 

 fixteen peers, who firft reprefented Scotland in the 

 upper houfe, though moft of them had been the 

 fupporters of adminiftration in promoting the union, 

 unanimoufly moved for its diffolution. A warm 

 debate followed upon this motion, in which John 

 duke of Argyle bore a confidcrable lhare, but the 

 motion was over-ruled by the Englifh peers, and 

 from thenceforward the Scots fubmitted, reluct- 

 antly, to their fate. 



Of the nobility, a v considerable number facrificed 



their 



