eaking. Enough, the Spanish
War is a most serious and most furious business to those old English;
and, to us, after forced study of it, shines out like far-off
conflagration, with a certain lurid significance in the then night of
things. Night otherwise fallen dark and somniferous to modern mankind.
As Britannic Majesty and his Walpoles have, from the first, been dead
against this Spanish War, the problem is all the more ominous, and the
dreadful corollaries that may hang by it the more distressing to the
royal mind.

For example, there is known, or as good as known, to be virtually some
Family Compact, or covenanted Brotherhood of Bourbonism, French and
Spanish: political people quake to ask themselves, "How will the French
keep out of this War, if it continue any length of time? And in that
case, how will Austria, Europe at large? Jenkins's Ear will have kindled
the Universe, not the Spanish Main only, and we shall be at a fine
pass!" The Britannic Majesty reflects that if France take to fighting
him, the first stab given will probably be in the accessiblest quarter
and the intensely most sensitive,--our own Electoral Dominions where
no Parliament plagues us, our dear native country, Hanover. Extremely
interesting to know what Friedrich of Prussia will do in such
contingency?

Well, truly it might have been King George's best bargain to close
with Friedrich; to guarantee Julich and Berg, and get Fredrich to stand
between the French and Hanover; while George, with an England behind
him, in such humor, went wholly into that Spanish Business, the one
thing needful to them at present. Truly; but then again, there are
considerations: "What is this Friedrich, just come out upon the world?
What real fighting power has he, after all that ridiculous drilling and
recruiting Friedrich Wilhelm made? Will he be faithful in bargain; is
not, perhaps, from of old, his bias always toward France rather? And
the Kaiser, what will the Kaiser say to it?" These are questions for
a Britannic Majesty! Seldom was seen such an insoluble imbroglio of
potentialities; dangerous to touch, dangerous to leave lying;--and his
Britannic Majesty's procedures upon it are of a very slow intricate
sort; and will grow still more so, year after year, in the new
intricacies that are coming, and be a weariness to my readers and me.
For observe the simultaneous fact. All this while, Robinson at Vienna
is dunning the Imperial Majesty to remember old Marlborou