y foretoken
an expedition against the emperour or his allies.

Yet, my lords, they are not restrained from attacking the emperour, by
so strong objections as may be made to the present design; for they
owe him no obedience as their sovereign, nor have contributed to the
acquisition of his honours; they have not, like his majesty, given
their votes for his exaltation to the imperial seat, nor have
acknowledged his right by granting him an aid. They might, therefore,
without charge of disloyalty or inconsistency, endeavour to dethrone
him; but how his majesty can engage in any such design, after having
zealously promoted his advancement, and confirmed his election by the
usual acknowledgment, I am not able to understand. It is evident, that
the king of Prussia believes himself restrained by his own acts, and
thinks it absurd to fight against an emperour, who obtained the throne
by his choice; he, therefore, has, with his usual wisdom, refused to
engage in the confederacy, nor have either promises or concessions
been able to obtain more from him than a bare neutrality.

Whether, indeed, any more than a neutrality be intended, even by this
pompous armament, for which we are now required to provide, I maybe
allowed to doubt; since the troops that are hired at so high a rate,
are such as cannot act against the enemies of the queen of Hungary,
without breach of the imperial constitutions.

It has been already justly observed in this debate, that when the
emperour has obtained from the diet an aid of fifty months, that act
is considered as an authentick recognition of his title; nor can any
of the German princes afterwards make war against him, without
subjecting his dominions to the imperial interdict, and losing the
privileges of his sovereignty.

That the present emperour has already received this acknowledgment,
and been confessed by his majesty, as elector of Hanover, to be
legally invested with the imperial dignity, is well known; and,
therefore, I cannot by any method of reasoning discover, nor have yet
found any man able to inform me, why the troops of Hanover are chosen
before those of any other nation, for a design which they cannot
execute, without ruining their sovereign if they fail; and infringing
the constitution of the empire, if they should happen to succeed?

I should, therefore, have imagined, that the assistance of the queen
of Hungary was only pretended, and that the forces were only designed
to breat