are in danger, which the head and majority of the members of that body declare not to be fo; and to affume a right to give law to another country, who would account it unjust to be dictated by that, or by any other, ftate or power upon earth. Therefore, if the Germans fall out amongst themfelves about territory or dominion, they ought to be left to the decifion of their own laws: and if it happens that France will interpofe in favour of either contending party, with a view to widen the breach, and to weaken their union and conftitution; the way to take them off, is not to fend our forces into Germany: for then France will have nothing to fear from the coaft of Britain; but, we ought to waft fuch an army into her own bowels, as fhall oblige the French troops to leave the Rhine, and wait our motion towards their own capital. The want of this attention has been the overthrow of all our councils. The dividing of force is a certain means of weakening it. Any artifice to effect this is a fign of good generalship: and fhall Britain always run into the error to divide our strength, which never failed of fuccefs when united in all its power, and when directed properly againft our enemies; when it has been otherwife, and made fubfervient to a foreign intereft, it has not only failed in every other attempt for the honour of this nation; but given our enemies an opportunity to ftrengthen themselves, and made our

natural

natural friends cold and indifferent towards

us.

HARRY. How then can we effectually ferve our allies.

WILL. As our forefathers have fhewn the way exert the natural strength of the nation properly; and there is no fear of forcing the enemy to a peace. In which it is our duty to take care of the intereft of our allies, and to obtain fatisfaction for the damages they may have fuftained in the common caufe. And when an enemy has once been made to feel the effects of a well appointed and well conducted power, he will take care how he provokes revenge; because there must come a day of reftitution, before he can obtain peace and fecurity for his own dominions.

HARRY. Does Hanover deferve no particular confideration from us?

WILL. This favours of the old leaven, which puffed up all thofe continental systems, that deprived us of proper friends and allies at our greatest need of them.

HARRY. Will not you allow that Hanover's prefent diftrefs is owing to its connection with Great Britain.

WILL. No: it is to the Hanoverians abuse of their connection with Britain, that they ought to impute their misfortunes. Had the electorate been content with its original mediocrity, there would have been no temptation, nor jealousy to expofe her to invafions. But the C 2

pa

parental foible of aggrandizing a darling child; giving it the preference to its co-eftates in all contracts for mercenary troops; increafing its dominion and power, and making it a party in most of the treaties, negociations and tranfactions with Great Britain, placed it in a light too confpicuous to be neglected by its neighbours in time of danger, or to remain unmolefted by the enemies of Great Britain. A circumstance and misfortune not to be charged to the score of Great Britain; which had taken the utmost care in the act of Jettlement to preserve herself entirely feparate from Hanover and its peculiar interefts and quarrels ; and which is greatly injured by the frequent broils, she has been drawn into, upon that electorate's account. However, fuch is the temper of Britons, that they cannot help bewailing the fufferings of the dominions, which are fo dear to their fovereign, and would demur at no measures, which might effectually revenge the caufe of his injured fubjects; fo that they were permitted to keep clear of thofe embarraffments on the continent, which are hatched by the policy of the enemy to defeat their power and good intentions. They are defirous to retaliate the oppreffions and defolation, with which the French over-ran the electoral, dominions, by carrying the feat of war into the heart of the enemy's country; and never to fheath the fword, till the damages they have fuftained on the account of Britain, fhall be

re

repaired by the terms of an honourable peace: Any other method, in my opinion, would fall fhort of its relief; and deprive this island of its advantageous fituation. To go farther than this measure, would be to connect the interest of a foreign state with our own, which is deviating from the true intention of the act of fettlement; and inftead of ferving either, muft be the deftruction of both. Whenever our councils attempted to admit the intereft of Hanover into the British fyftem of politics, they ran into effential faults or measures deftructive to both. This expofed us to our natural enemies; and our natural allies fell off, when they discovered fuch ambiguity in our politics, fubordinating our measures to the interefts of a country, that raised their jealousy, and contracting alliances on the continent, without difcernment and reserve.

Hence this nation has for many years been accused of partiality and perfidy. Her treaties have been fo numerous, and with fo many contending parties, that it has been impoffible to comply with their fpirit and intention. There now remains no other means to purge away this crime, and the errors contracted by long and unfuccessful connections, which invite us to continental wars; and to clear the reputation of Britons, against all imputations of breaking faith with our allies, than to bend the whole power of our arms to one point of action. Let us enter into no treaties, where the British intereft

C 3

intereft is not principally concerned; or, which fhall demand fuch aid of us, as is inconfiftent with our fituation and conftitution. Let us never fail in the execution of our treaties: but never be prevailed upon to exceed our abilities, or endanger our peace and fafety in acts of generofity. And, whenever we are obliged to draw the fword; let it be done with power, and not with fuch a divided force, that only alarms the enemy's coaft; but with a ftrength of men and hips, that fhall be able to convince him, that his country fhall remain the theatre of war, till he fubmits to an equitable peace.

No. 159. SATURDAY, August 5, 1758. The kings favour is towards a wife fervant : but his wrath is against him that caufeth fhame. PROV. xiv. 35.

SIR,

To the MONITOR.

HERE can we go for information

W fo well, when people are divided in

opinion about the abilities and integrity of thofe, who are entrusted with the management of the national affairs, as to a KING,

whofe