HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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together, was fully equal to a contest with her whole navy. That navy, despicablein the beginning, received a decisive blow in the action off Syracuse; yet thischastisement on one hand, neither proved sufficient to cause the submission of theSpaniards to their fate, nor, on the other, did the continuance of their insolence seemsufficient to raise the anger of Britain to such an height as to cause her takingthose decided and spirited measures which have would been sufficient to decide theevent at one stroke. To compare the conduct of both countries with more trivialactions, it seemed to resemble that of a powerful animal unwilling to display itsown strength, and pleasing itself with the torments which its prey endures, insteadof closing its miseries at once, by the stroke of death.

During the whole of this very uncomfortable period, as it certainly must haveproved to the Spaniards, little or no exertions seem to have been made by them,either in the augmentation or improvement of their marine. Nor, perhaps, wasit in their powder, how ever great their inclination might be, to effect either;but, the instant the more pressing avocations rendered an attention to those pointspossible, the most immediate advantage was taken of it. The effect seemed in-stantaneous : for, as though they considered that the building a dozen ships onlywas sufficient to place them again in a state to renew their former unquiet con-duct, they immediately began to carp, to cavil, and to dispute on various articles inthe treaty which they had just before concluded. The capture of one of their regis-ter ships appeared, in some measure, to restore them to the temporary use of theirreason, and the'Assicnto contract appeared to forbode a continuance of better un-derstanding. The event proved the opinion had not been lightly taken ; Spainbeing content, for some years, with displaying her pretended consequence, andconfining her threats to countries less capable of making resistance against her.The success which attended the invasion of Sicily at the end of the year 1734, hadthe immediate effect of again rousing the arrogance of her government. A frivolousdispute concerning the servants of the Portugueze minister at Madrid was deemeda sufficient excuse for her immediate invasion of that country with a very power-ful army. Britain stood forth in defence of that impotent, that unoffendingpeople ; and the court of Madrid, though highly offended at an interferencewhich they loudly complained of, thought proper to shun the effects of so un-equal a contest, by acceding to the terms which Brifain, as mediatrix, proposed.The maritime exertions of Spain, had for some years preceding this event beenso unremitted, as to inspire her with some degree of confidence in her own•’ Vol. III. N strength,