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A Sketch of the History Let. 8.

hais lighn But, my lord, I own it with somesh-ime ; because in truth nothing could be moreabsurd than the conduct we held. What ! becausewe had not reduced the power of France by thewar, nor excluded the houle of Bourbon from theSpaniíh succession, nor compounded with herupon it by the peace; and because the house ofAustria had not helped her sel f, nor put it intoour power to help her with more ádvantage andbetter prospect of success — were we to leave thatwhole succession op en to the invasions of France ,and to suflcr even the contingency to subsiíf, ofseeing those monarchies United? What! because itwas become extravagant aster the trials fo latelymade to think ourfelves any longer engaged bytreaty, or obliged by good policy, to put thehoule of Austria in possession of the whole Spaniíhmonarchy, and to defend her in this poíleflìonby force of arms, were we to leave the whole atthe mercy of France ? If we were not to do fo,if we were not to do one of the three things thatI said above remained to be doue, and if the emperorput it out of our power to do another of themwith advantage ; were we to put it still more outof our power, and to wait unarmed for the deathof the king of Spain ? In sine if we had not theprospect os disputing with France , fo successfullyas we might hâve had it, the lpanilh succession,whenever it lliould be open ; were we not only10 Ihow by disarming, that we would not disputeit at ail, but to censure likewise the second ofthí three things mentioned above, and vvhich king