fidies were conftantly paid him, by my lord Godolphin, for almost four years, without any deduction upon account of those seven regiments; directly contrary to the seventh article of our offenfive alliance with that crown, where it is agreed, that a deduction fhall be made out of thofe fubfidies, in proportion to the number of men wanting in that complement which the king is to maintain. But, whatever might have been the reasons for this proceeding, it seems they are above the understanding of the [i] prefent lord treafurer; who, not entering into those refinements of paying the public money upon private confiderations, hath been fo uncourtly as to ftop it. This disappointment, I fuppofe, hath put the court of Lisbon upon other expedients, of raising the price of forage, fo as to force us either to leffen our number of troops, or be at a double expence in maintaining them; and this at a time, when their own product, as well as the import of corn, was never greater; and of demanding a duty upon the foldiers cloaths we carried over for those troops, which have been their fole defence against an inveterate enemy; and whose example might have infufed courage, as well as taught them difcipline, if their fpirits had been capable of receiving either.

In order to augment our forces every year in the fame proportion as those for whom we fight diminish theirs, we have been obliged to hire troops

VOL. IX.

[i] Earl of Oxfordh

I

from

from several princes of the empire, whofe ministers and refidents here have perpetually importuned the court with unreasonable demands, under which our late minifters thought fit to be paffive. For those demands were always backed with a threat to recall their foldiers; which was a thing not to be heard of, because it might difcontent the Dutch. In the mean time, those princes never fent their contingent to the Emperor, as, by the laws of the empire, they are obliged to do; but gave, for their excuse, that we had already hired all they could poffibly spare.

But if all this be true; if, according to what I have affirmed, we began this war contrary to reafon; if, as the other party themselves, upon all occafions, acknowledge, the fuccefs we have had was more than we could reasonably expect; if, after all our fuccefs, we have not made that use of it, which, in reason, we ought to have done; if we have made weak and foolish bargains with our allies; fuffered them tamely to break every article even in those bargains to our disadvantage, and allowed them to treat us with infolence and contempt at the very instant when we were gaining towns, provinces, and kingdoms for them at the price of our ruin, and without any prospect of interest to ourselves; if we have confumed all our ftrength in attacking the enemy on the strongest fide, where (as the old duke of Schomberg expreffed it) to engage with France was to take a bull by the horns; and left wholly unattempted that part of the

war,

war, which could only enable us to continue or to end it; if all this, I fay, be our cafe, it is a very obvious question to afk, by what motives, or what management, we are thus become the dupes and bubbles of Europe? Sure it cannot be owing to the ftupidity arifing from the coldness of our climate fince those among our allies, who have given us most reason to complain, are as far removed from the fun as ourselves.

If, in laying open the real causes of our prefent mifery, I am forced to speak with some freedom, I think it will require no apology. Reputation is the smallest facrifice thofe can make us, who have been the inftruments of our ruin; because it is that for which, in all probability, they have the leaft value. So that, in expofing the actions of fuch perfons, it cannot be faid, properly fpeaking, to do them an injury. But, as it will be fome fatisfaction to our people to know by whom they have been so long abused, fo it may be of great ufe to us, and our pofterity, not to trust the fafety of their country in the hands of thofe, who act by fuch principles, and from fuch motives.

I have already obferved, that when the counfels of this war were debated in the late king's time, a certain great man was then fo averfe from entering into it, that he rather chofe to give up his employment, and tell the king he could ferve him no longer. Upon that prince's death, although the grounds of our quarrel with France had received no manner of addition, yet this lord thought fit to al

ter his fentiments; for the scene was quite changed; his lordship, and the family with whom he was engaged by fo complicated an alliance, were in the highest credit poffible with the QUEEN. The treasurer's staff was ready for his lordship; the duke was to command the army, and the duchefs, by her employments, and the favour she was poffeffed of, to be always nearest her majefty's perfon; by which the whole power at home and abroad would be devolved upon that family. This was a prospect fo very inviting, that, to confefs the truth, it could not be easily withstood by any, who have fo keen an appetite for wealth or power. By an agreement, fubfequent to the grand alliance, we were to affift the Dutch with forty thousand men, all to be commanded by the duke of Marlborough. So that, whether this war was prudently begun or not, it is plain that the true fpring or motive of it was the aggrandizing a particular family; and, in short, a war of the general and the ministry, and not of the prince or people; fince thofe very perfons were against it, when they knew the power, and confequently the profit, would be in other hands.

With these measures fell in all that fett of people, who are called the monied men; fuch as had raised vaft fums by trading with stocks and funds, and lending upon great intereft and premiums ; whose perpetual harvest is war, and whofe beneficial way of traffick muft very much decline by a peace.

upon

In that whole chain of encroachments made us by the Dutch, which I have above deduced; and under those several grofs impofitions from other princes, if any one should ask, why our general continued so easy to the laft? I know no other way fo probable, or indeed fo charitable, to account for it, as by that unmeasurable love of wealth, which his best friends allow to be his predominant paffion. However, I fhall wave any thing that is personal upon this fubject. I shall say nothing of those great presents made by feveral princes, which the foldiers used to call winter-foraging, and said it was better than that of the fummer; of two and half per cent. fubftracted out of all the fubfidies we pay in those parts, which amounts to no inconfiderable fum; and lastly, of the grand perquifites, in a long successful war, which are so amicably adjusted between him and the States.

But when the war was thus begun, there foon fell in other incidents here at home, which made the continuance of it neceffary for thofe, who were the chief advisers. The whigs were, at that time, out of all credit or confideration. The reigning favourites had always carried what was called the. tory principles, at least as high as our conftitution could bear; and most others, in great employments, were wholly in the church interest. These, laft, among whom were feveral perfons of the greatest merit, quality, and confequence, were not able to endure the many inftances of pride, infolence, avarice, and ambition, which thofe favour