Let. 8.

and State of E u R o p E.

205

nor fo powerful, as they have been fince. Themoneyed intereft was not yet a rival able to copewith the landed intereft, either in the nation orin parliament The great corporations that hadbeen ereCted more to ferve the turn of party, thanfor any real national ufe, aimed indeed even thenat the ftrength and influence which they havefince acquired in the legiflature ; but they had notmade the fame progrefs by promoting nationalcorruption, as they and the court have madefince. In Ihort, the other extreme prevailed. Thegenerality of people grew as fond of getting ousof the war, as they had been of entering into it:and thus far perhaps, confidering how it had beenconducted, they were not much to be blamed.But this was not all; for when king Williamhad made the peace , our martial fpirit became atonce fo pacific, that we feemed refolved to meddleno more in the affairs of the continent, at lead toemploy our arms no more in the quarrels thatmight arife there: and accordingly we reduced ourtroops in England to feven thoufand men.

I have fometimes confidered , in reflecting onthefe paffages, what I fihould have done, if I hadfat in parliament at that time ; and have been forcedto own myfelf, that I fhould have voted fordifbanding the army then , as I voted in the follow-ing parliament for cenfuring the partition-treaties.1 am forced to own this, becaufe I remember howimperfeCt my notions were of the fituation ofEurope in that extraordinary crifis , and how muchI faw the true intereft of my own country in a

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