like meteors, and whofe palaces rife like exhalations?

These are the men who, without virtue, labour, or hazard, are growing rich as their country is impoverished; they rejoice when obftinacy or ambition adds another year to flaughter and devaftation; and laugh from their defks at bravery and science, while they are adding figure to figure, and cipher to cipher, hoping for a new contract from a new armament, and computing the profits of a fiege or tempest.

Those who fuffer their minds to dwell on these confiderations will think it no great crime in the ministry that they have not fnatched with eagerness the first opportunity of rushing into the field, when they were able to obtain by quiet negociation all the real good that victory could have brought us.

Of victory indeed every nation is confident before the fword is drawn; and this mutual confidence -produces that wantonnefs of bloodfhed that has fo often defolated the world. But it is evident, that of contradictory opinions one must be wrong, and the history of mankind does not want examples that may teach caution to the daring, and moderation to the proud.

Let us not think our laurels blafted by condefcending to inquire, whether we might not poffibly grow rather lefs than greater by attacking Spain? Whether we should have to contend with Spain alone, whatever has been promised by our patriots, may very reafonably be doubted. A war declared for the empty found of an ancient title to a Magellanick rock, would raise the indignation of the earth

againft

against us.

These encroachers on the wafte of nature, fays our ally the Ruffian, if they fucceed in their first effort of ufurpation, will make war upon us for a title to Kamfchatfcha. Thefe univerfal fettlers, fays our ally the Dane, will in a fhort time fettle upon Greenland, and a fleet will batter Copenhagen, till we are willing to confefs that it always was their own.

In a quarrel like this, it is not poffible that any power should favour us, and it is very likely that fome would oppofe us. The French, we are told, are otherwise employed; the contefts between the king of France and his own fubjects are fufficient to withhold him from fupporting Spain. But who does not know that a foreign war has often put a stop to civil difcords? It withdraws the attention of the publick from domeftick grievances, and affords opportunities of difmiffing the turbulent and reftless to distant employments. The Spaniards have always an argument of irresistible perfuafion. If France will not fupport them against England, they will ftrengthen EngLand against France.

But let us indulge a dream of idle fpeculation, and fuppofe that we are to engage with Spain, and with Spain alone; it is not even yet very certain that much advantage will be gained. Spain is not eafily vulnerable; her kingdom, by the lofs or cesfion of many fragments of dominion, is become folid and compact. The Spaniards have indeed no fleet able to oppofe us, but they will not endeavour actual oppofition; they will fhut themselves up in their own territories, and let us exhauft our seamen in a hopeless fiege. They will give commiffions to privateers

privateers of every nation, who will prey upon our merchants without poffibility of reprifal. If they think their plate fleet in danger, they will forbid it to fet fail, and live a while upon the credit of treasure which all Europe knows to be fafe; and which, if our obftinacy should continue till they can no longer be without it, will be conveyed to them with fecrecy and fecurity by our natural enemies the French, or by the Dutch our natural allies.

But the whole continent of Spanish America will lie open to invafion; we fhall have nothing to do but march into these wealthy regions, and make their present masters confefs that they were always ours by ancient right. We fhall throw brass and iron out of our houses, and nothing but filver will be seen among

us.

All this is very defirable, but it is not certain that it can be easily attained. Large tracts of America were added by the last war to the British dominions; but, if the faction credit their own Apollo, they were conquered in Germany. They at best are only the barren parts of the continent, the refuse of the earlier adventurers, which the French, who came laft, had taken only as better than nothing.

Against the Spanish dominions we have never hitherto been able to do much. A few privateers have grown rich at their expence, but no fcheme of conqueft has yet been fuccessful. They are defended not by walls mounted with cannons which by cannons may be battered, but by the storms of the deep and the vapours of the land, by the flames of calenture and blafts of peftilence.

In the reign of Elizabeth, the favourite period of English greatnefs, no enterprises. against America had any other confequence than that of extending English navigation. Here Cavendish perifhed after all his hazards; and here Drake and Hawkins, great as they were in knowledge and in fame, having promised honour to themselves and dominion to the country, funk by defperation and mifery in difhonourable graves.

During the protectorship of Cromwell, a time of which the patriotick tribes ftill more ardently defire the return, the Spanish dominions were again attempted; but here, and only here, the fortune of Cromwell made a paufe. His forces were driven from Hifpaniola, his hopes of poffeffing the West Indies vanished, and Jamaica was taken, only that the whole expedition might not grow ridiculous.

The attack of Carthagena is yet remembered, where the Spaniards from the ramparts faw their invaders deftroyed by the hoftility of the elements; poifoned by the air, and crippled by the dews where every hour swept away battalions; and in the three days that paffed between the descent and reembarkation, half an army perished.

In the last war the Havanna was taken, at what expence is too well remembered. May my country be never curfed with fuch another conqueft!

Thefe inftances of mifcarriage, and thefe arguments of difficulty, may perhaps abate the military ardour of the Publick. Upon the opponents of the government their operation will be different; they wish for war, but not for conqueft; victory would defeat their purposes equally with peace, because profperity

I,

profperity would naturally continue truft in those hands which had ufed it fortunately. The patriots: gratified themselves with expectations that fome finiftrous accident, or erroneous conduct, might diffuse discontent and inflame malignity. Their hope is malevolence, and their good is evil.

Of their zeal for their country we have already had a specimen. While they were terrifying the nation with doubts whether it was any longer to exift; while they reprefented invafive armies as hovering in the clouds, and hostile fleets as emerging from the deeps; they obftructed our levies of feamen, and embarraffed our endeavours of defence. Of fuch men he thinks with unneceffary candour who does not be lieve them likely to have promoted the mifcarriage which they defired, by intimidating our troops or be traying our counfels.

It is confidered as an injury to the Publick by those fanguinary statesmen, that though the fleet has been refitted and manned, yet no hoftilities have followed; and they who fat wifhing for mifery and flaughter are difappointed of their pleasure. But as peace is the end of war, it is the end likewife of preparations for war; and he may be juftly hunted down as the enemy of mankind, that can choofe to fnatch by violence and bloodshed, what gentler means can equally obtain.

The miniftry are reproached as not daring to provoke an enemy, left ill fuccefs fhould difcredit and difplace them. I hope that they had better reafons; that they paid fome regard to equity and humanity; and confidered themselves as entrusted

with the fafety of their fellow-fubjects, and as the

deftroyers