Let. 7.
i63
arise léss from the temper of the body, and istherefore called courage of the mind. He had themboth most certainly, and I could produce unquef-tionable anecdotes in proof. He was, in one word,much superior to any prince vvith whom he hadto do, when he began to goyern. He was fur-rounded with gréât captains bred in former wars,and vvith gréât ministers bred in the famé fchoolas himfelf. They whohadworked under MaZA.rin,vvorked on the famé plan under him ; and as theyhad the advantage of genius and expérience overmost of the ministers of other countries, so theyhad another advantage over thofe who were equaior superior to them: the advantage of serving amaster vvhose absolute povver was establislied ; andthe advantage of a situation wherein they mightexert tlieir vvhole capacity without contradiction;Over that, for instance, wherein your lordlhip’sgreat-grand-father was placed, at the faîne time,in England, and John dé VVit inHolland. Amongthefe ministers, Colbert must be mentioned par-ticularly upon this occasion ; becaufe it was he whoimproved the wealth, and confequently the powerof France extremely, by the order he put intothe finances, and by the encouragement he gaveto trade and manufactures. The foil, the climate,the situation ofí rance, the ingenuity. theindustry,the vivacity of her inhabitants are fuch; ihe hasfo little want of the product of other countries,and other countries hâve fo many real or imagi-nary wants to be fuplied by her; that w h en fhe;s not at war with ail lier neigbours, vvhen her
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