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A Sketch of the History Let. 8.

power of Prance had been alone regarded, and herpretenfions feemed to have been forgot: or towhat purpofe fhould they have been remembered,whilft Europe was fo unhappily conftituted , thatthe ftates, at whofe expenfe fhe increafed herpower, and their friends and allies , thought that,they did enough upon every occafion if they madefome tolerable compofition with her? They whowere not in circumftances to refufe confirmingprefent, were little likely to take effectual meafuresagainft future ufurpations. But now, as the alarmwas greater than ever, by the outrages that Francehad committed, and the intrigues fhe had carriedon; by the little regard fhe had fbown to publicfaith, and by the airs of authority fhe had affumedtwenty years together : fo was the fpirit againfther raifed to a higher pitch , and the means ofreducing her power, or at leaft of checking it,were increafed. The princes and ftates who hadnegletfted or favored the growth of this power,which all of them had done in their turns, fawth eir error ; faw the necefifity of repairing it, andfaw that unlefs they could check the power ofFrance , by uniting with a power ftiperior to her’s, itwould be impoffible to hinder her from fucceedingin her great defigns on the Spanifh fuccefiion. Thecourt of England had fubmitted, not many yearsbefore, to abet her ufurpations, and the king ofEngland had ftooped to be her penfioner. But thecrime was not national. On the contrary, thenation had cried out loudly againft it, even whilftit was committing : and as foon as ever the abdi-