184 DEFECTION OP THE NETHERLANDS 



a prince of the blood at the head of the netherland re- 

 bels ; the operations of the latter were chiefly carried 

 on with the money and troops of France. Elizabeth of 

 England ufed no more than a jirfr. revenge and retalia- 

 tion, in giving protection to the infurgents againft their 

 lawful fovereign ; and if even her parh* monious aflirtance 

 extended no farther than to preferve the republic from 

 total ruin, yet this was of infinite fervice at a moment 

 when hope alone could fupport their expiring courage. 

 With thefe two powers Philip was then in treaty of 

 peace, and both were traitors to him. Between the 

 flrong and the weak, fincerity is oftentimes no virtue ; 

 where one is dreaded, the finer bands which bind like 

 to like are feldom of any avail. Philip himfelf had dif- 

 dained to make ufe of truth in political intercourfes ; he 

 himfelf had expunged morality from the duty of kings 

 in affairs with each other, and had fet up artifice as the 

 deity of the cabinet. So far from being fat i shed and 

 happy in the effects of his own conlideration, his whole 

 life muft have been difhirbed by the jealoufy he excited 

 in others againfl him, Europe brought him to repent- 

 ance for the abufe of an authority, of which in fact he 

 neve: had had the whole ufe. 



In considering the inequality of the contefr, which 

 at firft fight is fo very forking, if we take into account 

 all the accidental occurrences which were inimical to 

 the former, and fo favourable to the latter, all ideas of 

 fup er natural mterpofition vanifh away, but yet the ex- 

 traordinary appearance remains : and we difcover a juft 

 fxandard for determining that the perfonal merit of 

 thefe republicans was fufncient for procuring them 

 their freedom. Yet it is not to -be.. imagined, that an 



exact 



