closing years of George the First's reign
between Great Britain, France, and Prussia, by virtue of which if any
one of the contracting parties were to be attacked, the other two were
pledged to come to the assistance with funds and with arms. All these
arrangements were in the highest degree artificial; some of them might
fairly be described as unnatural. It might be taken for granted that
not one of the States whom they professed to bind to this side or to
that would hold to the engagements one hour longer than would serve her
own interests. No safety was secured by these overlapping treaties; no
one had any faith in them. It was quite true that England did not know
her friends from her enemies about the time at which we have now
arrived.

The dispute between England and Spain concerning the question of the
Campeachy logwood was to involve a controversy as to the interpretation
of certain passages in the Treaty of Utrecht. It was distinctly a
matter for calm consideration, for compromise, and for an amicable
settlement. But each of the two parties mainly concerned showed its
desire to push its own claim to an extreme. English traders have never
been particularly {296} moderate or considerate in pressing their
supposed rights to trade with foreign countries. In this instance they
were strongly backed up, encouraged, and stimulated by the band of
Englishmen who chose to call themselves "The Patriots." Few of the
"Patriots," we venture to think, cared a rush about the question of the
Campeachy logwood, or were very deeply grieved because Spain bore
herself in a high-handed fashion towards certain English merchants and
ship-owners. But the opportunity seemed to the "Patriots" admirably
adapted for worrying and harassing, not the Spaniards, but the
administration of Sir Robert Walpole. They used the opportunity to the
very full. [Sidenote: 1729--Gibraltar] The debates on the conduct of
Spain brought out in the House of Lords the acknowledgment of the fact
that King George I. had at one time actually written to the Government
of Spain, distinctly undertaking to bring about the restitution of
Gibraltar. A copy of the letter in French, with a translation, was
laid before the House. It seemed that on June 1, 1721, George, the
late King, wrote to the King of Spain, "Sir, my brother," a letter
concerning the treaties then in the course of being re-established
between England and Spain. In that letter occurred thes