182
A Sketch of the History Let. 7. ft
nor truce with the king of France , till that be
prince confented to reftore to Spain all he had fa’
conquered fmce the Pyrenean treaty. But, far tli
from keeping this promife in any tolerable degree, in
Lewis the fourteenth acquired , by the plan 1m- ta
pofed on Spain at Nimeghen, befide the county it
of Burgundy, fo many other countries and towns see
on the fide of the ten Spanifh provinces, that be
thefe, added to the places he kept of thofe which to
had been yielded to him by the treaty of Aix la in
Chapelle (for fome of little confequence he reftored) foi
put into his hands the principal ftrength of that w
barrier, againft which we goaded ourfelves ahnoft ft
to death in the la ft great war : and made good d
the faying of the maifhal of Schomrekg, that to 01
attack this barrier was to take the beaft by his a
horns. I know very well what may be faid to in
excufe the Dutch. The emperor was more intent w
to tyrannize his fubjedls on one fide, than to n
defend them on the other. He attempted little a
againft France , and the little he did attempt was ft
ill ordered, and worfe executed. The afliftance ft
of the princes of Germany was often uncertain, j
and always expenfive. Spain was already indebted ft
to Holland for great fums ; greater ftill muft be ft
advanced to her if the war continued : and expe- ft