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A Sketch of the History Let. 8.

of adion, as our nation is too apt to do, hurriedon by the ruling paffion of the day. I have beentold by feveral , who were on the ftage of theworld at this time, that the generality of ourpeople believed , and were encouraged to believe,the war could not be long, if the king wasvigoroufly fupported : and there is a humdrumfpeech of a fpeaker, of the houfe of commons, Ithink, who humbly deftred his majefty, to takethis opportunity of reconquering his ancient dutchyof Aquitain . We were foon awakened from thefegaudy dreams. In feven or eight years no impreffionhad been made on France , that was befieged as itWere on every fide : and after repeated defeats inthe Low Countries, where king William laidthe principal ftrefs of the war, his foie triumphwas the retaking of Namur , that had been takenby the French a few years before. Unfuftainedby fuccefs abroad , we are not to wonder that thefpirit flagged at home; nor that the difeontents ofthofe who were averfe to the eftabliflied govern-ment , uniting with the far greater number of thofewhodifliked the adminiftration , inflamed the generaldifeontents of the nation, oppreffed with taxes,pillaged by ufurers , plundered at fea , and difap-pointed at land. As we run into extremes always,fome would have continued this war at any rate,even at the fame rate: but it was not pofliblethey fhould prevail in. fuch a fituation of affairs,and fuch a difpofition of minds. They who gotby the war , and made immenfe fortunes by theneceflities of the public, were not fo numerous