THE BRITISH EMPIRE. 27 



dread a fuperior, or a controuling power, in every 

 quarter of the globe. We have lately beheld our 

 widely difperfed, and devoted empire; our com- 

 merce, {hipping, and all the avenues and fources of 

 external revenue, at the mercy of the moil potent 

 kingdom on the globe; whofe friendfhip is univer- 

 fally courted by mankind, and whofe influence 

 gives the turn, or caft, to the councils of Europe, 

 .Afia, and America. No longer governed by an 

 oftentatious difplay of military parade in Flanders 

 and Germany, our rival now directs her attention 

 to commerce, the navy, and the humbling of Great 

 Britain. While we are amufing onrfelves with the 

 unceafing fquabbles of ambition, faction, or party, 

 France is concluding a treaty, or meditating a blow 

 againft this infatuated country. Our wars, there- 

 fore, are in future to be confidercd, not as wars of 

 choice, but of unavoidable neceiTity. To whatever 

 hemifphere France directs her fleets and armies, 

 thither the Britifti armaments muft follow, to watch 

 fo vigilant an enemy, and to ward off the impend- 

 ing danger. 



Thus, there remains no alternative between a, 

 total relinquifiiment of our tranfmarine poffefTions, 

 or a continued, expenfive preparation for defenfive 

 war. If we refolve upon the latter, we mufb at the 

 fame time devife new fources of men and revenue, 

 a matter of greater difficulty than fome fpeculative 

 writers feem to allow. The ordinary and extraor- 

 dinary revenues have nearly feen their mmoft limits, 

 beyond which they cannot be carried, without 

 endangering manufactures and population. Nei- 

 ther can we extend the lines of our narrow kingdom, 

 becaufe thefe are fixed, unalterably, by the hand of 

 Nature. But though we cannot enlarge its boun- 

 daries, we may improve its foil, realize millions of 

 acres which are covered at prefent with heath, 

 mofs, or fbgnated waters. We may 



encourage 



