doublytodesolationandruinforthesakeofit。HeleftthefrontieralmostquitedefencelessonthesideoftheRhine，againsttheinroadsandravagesofFrance：andbyshowingnomercytotheHungarians，norkeepinganyfaithwiththem，heforcedthatmiserablepeopleintoallianceswiththeTurks，whoinvadedtheempire，andbesiegedVienna。Eventhiseventhadnoeffectuponhim。Yourlordshipwillfind，thatSobieski，kingofPoland，whohadforcedtheTurkstoraisethesiege，andhadfixedtheimperialcrownthattotteredonhishead，couldnotprevailonhimtotakethosemeasuresbywhichaloneitwaspossibletocovertheempire，tosecurethekingofSpain，andtoreducethatpowerwhowasprobablyonedaytodisputewithhimthisprince’ssuccession。Tekeliandthemalcontentsmadesuchdemandsasnonebutatyrantcouldrefuse，thepreservationoftheirancientprivileges，libertyofconvenience，theconvocationofafreedietorparliament，andothersoflessimportance。Allwasinvain。Thewarcontinuedwiththem，andwiththeTurk，andFrancewasleftatlibertytopushherenterprises，almostwithoutopposition，againstGermanyandtheLowCountries。Thedistressinbothwassogreat，thattheStatesGeneralsawnootherexpedientforstoppingtheprogressoftheFrencharms，thanacessationofhostilities，oratruceoftwentyyears；whichtheynegotiated，andwhichwasacceptedbytheemperorandthekingofSpain，onthetermsthatLouistheFourteenththoughtfittooffer。Bythesetermshewastoremaininfullandquietpossessionofallhehadacquiredsincetheyearsonethousandsixhundredandseventy-eight，andonethousandsixhundredandseventy-nine；amongwhichacquisitionsthatofLuxemburgandthatofStrasburgwerecomprehended。TheconditionsofthistruceweresoadvantageoustoFrance，thatallherintrigueswereemployedtoobtainadefinitivetreatyofpeaceuponthesameconditions。Butthiswasneithertheinterestnortheintentionoftheothercontractingpowers。
　　TheimperialarmshadbeenverysuccessfulagainsttheTurks。Thissuccess，aswellasthetroublesthatfolloweduponitintheOttomanarmies，andatthePorte，gavereasonableexpectationofconcludingapeaceonthatside：
　　and，thispeaceconcluded，theemperor，andtheempire，andthekingofSpainwouldhavebeeninamuchbetterposturetotreatwithFrance。Withtheseviews，thatwerewiseandjust，theleagueofAugsburgwasmadebetweentheemperor，thekingsofSpainandSwedenasprincesoftheempire，andtheothercirclesandprinces。Thisleaguewaspurelydefensive。Anexpressarticledeclaredittobeso：andasithadnootherregard，itwasnotonlyconformabletothelawsandconstitutionsoftheempire，andtothepracticeofallnations，buteventothetermsoftheactoftrucesolatelyconcluded。Thispretence，therefore，forbreakingthetruce，seizingtheelectorateofCologne，invadingthePalatinate，besiegingPhilipsburg，andcarryingunexpectedandundeclaredwarintotheempirecouldnotbesupported：norisitpossibletoreadthereasonspublishedbyFranceatthistime，anddrawnfromherfearsoftheimperialpower，withoutlaughter。Aslittlepretencewastheretocomplain，thattheemperorrefusedtoconvertatoncethetruceintoadefinitivetreaty；
　　sinceifhehaddoneso，hewouldhaveconfirmedinalump，andwithoutanydiscussion，allthearbitrarydecreesofthosechambers，orcourts，thatFrancehaderectedtocoverherusurpation；andwouldhavegivenupalmostasixthpartoftheprovincesoftheempire，thatFranceonewayorotherhadpossessedherselfof。ThepretensionsoftheDuchessofOrleansonthesuccessionofherfather，andherbrother，whichweredisputedbythethenelectorPalatine，andweretobedeterminedbythelawsandcustomsoftheempire，affordedaslittlepretenceforbeginningthiswar，asanyoftheformerallegations。TheexclusionoftheCardinalofFursteilburg，whohadbeenelectedtothearchbishopricofCologne，wascapableofbeingaggravated：
　　buteveninthiscasehismostChristianmajestyopposedhisjudgmentandhisauthorityagainstthejudgmentandauthorityofthatholyfather，whoseeldestsonhewasproudtobecalled。Inshort，thetruereasonwhyLouistheFourteenthbeganthatcruelwarwiththeempiretwoyearsafterhehadconcludedacessationofhostilitiesfortwentywasthis：heresolvedtokeepwhathehadgot；and，therefore，heresolvedtoencouragetheTurkstocontinuethewar。Hedidthiseffectually，byinvadingGermanyattheveryinstantwhentheSultanwassuingforpeace。Notwithstandingthis，theTurkswereintreatyagainthefollowingyear：andgoodpolicyshouldhaveobligedtheemperor，sincehecouldnothopetocarryonthiswarandthatagainstFrance，atthesametime，withvigorandeffect，toconcludeapeacewiththeleastdangerousenemyofthetwo。ThedecisionofhisdisputeswithFrancecouldnotbedeferred，hisdesignsagainsttheHungarianswereinpartaccomplished，forhissonwasdeclaredking，andthesettlementofthatcrowninhisfamilywasmade；andtherestofthese，aswellasthosethatheformedagainsttheTurks，mightbedeferred。ButthecouncilsofViennajudgeddifferently，andinsistedevenatthiscriticalmomentonthemostexorbitantterms；onsomeofsuchanature，thattheTurksshowedmorehumanityandabettersenseofreligioninrefusing，thantheyinaskingthem。ThusthewarwentoninHungary，andprovedaconstantdiversioninfavorofFrance，duringthewholecourseofthatwhichLouistheFourteenthbeganattime；
　　forthetreatyofCarlowitzwasposteriortothatofRyswic。Theempire，Spain，England，andHollandengagedinthewarwithFrance：andonthemtheemperorlefttheburdenofit。Intheshortwarofonethousandsixhundredandsixty-seven，hewasnotsomuchasaparty，andinsteadofassistingthekingofSpain，whichitmustbeowned，hewasinnogoodconditionofdoing，hebargainedfordividingthatprince’ssuccession，asIhaveobservedabove。Inthewarofonethousandsixhundredandseventy-twohemadesomefeebleefforts。Inthisofonethousandsixhundredandeighty-eighthedidstillless：andinthewarwhichbrokeoutatthebeginningofthepresentcenturyhedidnothing，atleastafterthefirstcampaigninItaly，andaftertheengagementsthatEnglandandHollandtookbythegrandalliance。Inaword，fromthetimethatanoppositiontoFrancebecameacommoncauseinEurope，thehouseofAustriahasbeenacloguponitinmanyinstances，andofconsiderableassistancetoitinnone。TheaccessionofEnglandtothiscause，whichwasbroughtaboutbytherevolutionofonethousandsixhundredandeighty-eight，mighthavemadeamends，andmorethanamends，onewouldthink，forthisdefect，andhavethrownsuperiorityofpowerandofsuccessonthesideoftheconfederates，withwhomshetookpartagainstFrance。
　　This，Isay，mightbeimagined，withoutover-ratingthepowerofEngland，orundervaluingthatofFrance；anditwasimaginedatthattime。Howitprovedotherwiseintheevent；howFrancecametriumphantoutofthewarthatendedbythetreatyofRyswic，andthoughshegaveupagreatdeal，yetpreservedthegreatestandthebestpartofherconquestsandacquisitionsmadesincethetreatiesofWestphalia，andthePyrenees；howsheacquired，bythegiftofSpain，thatwholemonarchyforoneofherprinces，thoughshehadnoreasontoexpecttheleastpartofitwithoutawaratonetime，northegreatlotofitevenbyawaratanytime；inshort，howshewoundupadvantageouslytheambitioussystemshehadbeenfiftyyearsinweaving；
　　howsheconcludedawar，inwhichshewasdefeatedoneveryside，andwhollyexhausted，withlittlediminutionoftheprovincesandbarriersacquiredtoFrance，andwiththequietpossessionofSpainandtheIndiestoaprinceofthehouseofBourbon：allthis，mylord，willbethesubjectofyourresearches，whenyoucomedowntothelatterpartofthelastperiodofmodernhistory。
　　TheSameSubjectContinuedfromtheYearOneThousandSixHundredandEighty-EightYourlordshipwillfind，thattheobjectsproposedbytheallianceofonethousandsixhundredandeighty-nine，betweentheemperorandtheStates，towhichEnglandacceded，andwhichwasthefoundationofthewholeconfederacythenformed，werenolessthantorestoreallthingstothetermsoftheWestphalianandPyreneantreaties，bythewar；andtopreservetheminthatstate，afterthewar，byadefensiveallianceandguatantyofthesameconfederatepowersagainstFrance。Theparticularaswellasgeneralmeaningofthisengagementwasplainenough：andifithadnotbeenso，thesenseofitwouldhavebeensufficientlydetermined，bythatseparatearticle，inwhichEnglandandHollandobligedthemselvestoassistthe“houseofAustria，intakingandkeepingpossessionoftheSpanishmonarchy，wheneverthecaseshouldhappenofthedeathofCharlestheSecond，withoutlawfulheirs。“Thisengagementwasdouble，andtherebyrelativetothewholepoliticalsystemofEurope，alikeaffectedbythepowerandpretensionsofFrance。HithertothepowerofFrancehadbeenaloneregarded，andherpretensionsseemedtohavebeenforgot；ortowhatpurposeshouldtheyhavebeenremembered，whilstEuropewassounhappilyconstituted，thatthestatesatwhoseexpensesheincreasedherpower，andtheirfriendsandallies，thoughtthattheydidenoughuponeveryoccasioniftheymadesometolerablecompositionwithher？Theywhowerenotincircumstancesto，refuseconfirmingpresent，werelittlelikelytotakeeffectualmeasuresagainstfutureusurpations。Butnow，asthealarmwasgreaterthanever，bytheoutragesthatFrancehadcommitted，andtheintriguesshehadcarriedon；bythelittleregardshehadshowntopublicfaith。andbytheairsofauthorityshehadassumedtwentyyearstogether：
　　sowasthespiritagainstherraisedtoanhigherpitch，andthemeansofreducingherpower，oratleastofcheckingit，wereincreased。Theprincesandstateswhohadneglectedorfavoredthegrowthofthispower，whichallofthemhaddoneintheirturns，sawtheirerror；sawthenecessityofrepairingit，andsawthatunlesstheycouldcheckthepowerofFrance，byunitingapowersuperiortohers，itwouldbeimpossibletohinderherfromsucceedinginhergreatdesignsontheSpanishsuccession。ThecourtofEnglandhadsubmitted，notmanyyearsbefore，toabetherusurpations，andthekingofEnglandhadstoopedtobeherpensioner。Butthecrimewasnotnational。
　　Onthecontrary，thenationhadcriedoutloudlyagainstit，evenwhilstitwascommitting：andasevertheabdicationofkingJames，andtheelevationoftheprinceofOrangetothethroneofEnglandhappened，thenationengagedwithallimaginablezealinthecommoncauseofEurope，toreducetheexorbitantpowerofFrance，topreventherfutureandtorevengeherpastattempts；
　　forevenaspiritofrevengeprevailed，andthewarwasawarofangeraswellasofinterest。