Let. 7.
177
of France , and even those who were her rivaisfor the famé succession, having eíther affisted her,or engaged to remain neuter, a strange fatalityprevailed, and próduced such a conjuncìure ascan hardly be paralleled in history. Your lordíliipwill observe with astonissiment even in thebeginníng of the year one thousand six hundredand seventy-two, ail the neighbours of f ranceacting as if they had nothing to fear fr o m her,and fome as if they had much to hope, by helpingher to oppress the Dutch and fliaring with herthe spoils of that commonvvealth. “ Delenda est“ Carthago,” was the cry in England, and seemedtoo a maxim on the continent.
In the course of the famé year, you will observethat ail these powers took the alarm, and beganto unité in opposition to France . Even Englandthought it time to interpose in favor of the Dutch,The conséquences of this alarm, of this suddenturn in the policy of Europe , and of that whichhappened by the massacre of the De WiTS, andthe élévation of the prince of Orange, in thegovernment of the seven provinces, saved theseprovinces, and stopped the rapid progress of thearms of France . Lewis the fourteenth indeedsurprifed the seven provinces in this war, as hehad surprifed the te n in that of one thousand sixhundred and sixty-seven, and ravaged defencelesacountries with arrnies sufficient to conquer the m,if they had been prepared to resist. in the warof one thousand six hundred and seventy-two hehad little léss than one hundred and fifty thousand
N