lj$ DEFECTION OP THE NETHERLANDS 



perty into a country that was protected by the ocean 

 and made powerful £>y concord. The republican army 

 was full to its complement, without the neceffity of 

 drawing men from the plow. Trade and commerce 

 were feen to flourifh amid the din of arms, and the 

 peaceful citizen enjoyed in foretafte all the fruits of 

 freedom, which was now afTerted and maintained by 

 foreign blood. At the fame time that Holland was 

 ilruggling for its very exiftence, it was extending 

 its borders acrofs the feas, and was fecretly erecting its 

 earl Indian thrones. 



Yet more. Spain carried on this expenfive war by 

 means of hard and barren gold that never came back 

 to hand, which it fquandered away, but which raifed 

 the price of all the articles of life throughout Europe. 

 The exchequer of the republic was induftry and trade. 

 The former diminifhed and the latter increafed with 

 time. In the fame proportion as the means of the go- 

 vernment were exhaurled by the long continuance of 

 the war, the republic was gathering in its harvefL It 

 was a fcanty but a grateful fowing, which tardily made 

 its returns, but returns of an hundred-fold ; the tree 

 from which Philip plucked the fruit, was cut round at 

 the trunk, and never mot forth again. 



It was determined by Philip's adverfe fates, that all 

 the treafures he lavifhed away for crufhing the pro- 

 vinces, fhould be the fource of their proper wealth. 

 The inceffant influx of fpanifli gold had fpread afflu- 

 ence and luxury over every part of Europe ; but Eu- 

 rope was fupplied in mofl of its increaling wants from 

 the hands of the Dutch, who at that time prelided over 

 the commerce of the world, and fixed the price of all 



Com 



