aken by your
ancestors from a monarch distinguished for his arrogance,--an arrogance
which, even more than his ambition, incensed and combined all Europe
against him. Whatever his inward intentions may have been, did Louis the
Fourteenth ever make a declaration that the true bounds of France were
the ocean, the Mediterranean, and the Rhine? In any overtures for peace,
did he ever declare that he would make no sacrifices to promote it? His
declarations were always directly to the contrary; and at the Peace of
Ryswick his actions were to the contrary. At the close of the war,
almost in every instance victorious, all Europe was astonished, even
those who received them were astonished, at his concessions. Let those
who have a mind to see how little, in comparison, the most powerful and
ambitious of all monarchs is to be dreaded consult the very judicious
critical observations on the politics of that reign, inserted in the
military treatise of the Marquis de Montalembert. Let those who wish to
know what is to be dreaded from an ambitious republic consult no author,
no military critic, no historical critic. Let them open their own eyes,
which degeneracy and pusillanimity have shut from the light that pains
them, and let them not vainly seek their security in a voluntary
ignorance of their danger.

To dispose us towards this peace,--an attempt in which our author has, I
do not know whether to call it the good or ill fortune to agree with
whatever is most seditious, factious, and treasonable in this
country,--we are told by many dealers in speculation, but not so
distinctly by the author himself, (too great distinctness of affirmation
not being his fault,)--but we are told, that the French have lately
obtained a very pretty sort of Constitution, and that it resembles the
British Constitution as if they had been twinned together in the
womb,--_mire sagaces fallere hospites discrimen obscurum_. It may be so:
but I confess I am not yet made to it: nor is the noble author. He finds
the "elements" excellent, but the disposition very inartificial indeed.
Contrary to what we might expect at Paris, the meat is good, the cookery
abominable. I agree with him fully in the last; and if I were forced to
allow the first, I should still think, with our old coarse by-word,
that the same power which furnished all their former _restaurateurs_
sent also their present cooks. I have a great opinion of Thomas Paine,
and of all his productions: I rem