A Sketch of the Historï Let. ?

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domestic quiet is preserved and any tolerable admi-nistration of government prevails, íhe must growrich at the expense of those who trade, andeven of those who do notopen a trade, with her.Her baubles, her modes, the solfies and extra-vagances of her luxury, cost England, about thetime we are fpeaking of, little léss than eighthundred thoufand pounds sterling a year, and othernations in their proportions. Colbert made them ost of ail thefe advantageous circumstances, andwhilst he filled the national spunge, he taught hisíucceffors how to squeeze it; a secret that herepented having discovered, they say, when heíaw the immense sums that were neceífary tosupply the growing magnificence of his master.

This was the character of Lewis the fourteenth,and this was the state of hiskingdora at the begin-ning of the présent period. if his power was gréât,his pretensions werestill greater He had renounced,and, the Infanta with his consent had renounced,ail right to the succession ofSpain, in the strongestterms that the précaution of the councils of Madrid could contrive. No matter ; he consented to theferenonciations, but your lordihip ( will sind by thesetters of Mazarin, and by other memorials, thathe acted on the contrary principle. from the fiist,which he avowed soon aíterwards. Such a power,and such pretensions, sliould hâve given, onewould think. an immédiate alarm to the rest ofEurope Philip hefonrthwasbrokenanddecayed,like the monarchy he goverued One of his sonsdied, aa í remember, during the négociations thaï