y asserted that the French,
however powerful, are not invincible; that their armies may be
destroyed, and their treasures exhausted; that they may, therefore, be
reduced to narrow limits, and disabled from being any longer the
disturbers of the peace of the universe.

It is well known, my lords, that their wealth is not the product of
their own country; that gold is not dug out of their mountains, or
rolled down their rivers; but that it is gained by an extensive and
successful commerce, carried on in many parts of the world, to the
diminution of our own. It is known, likewise, that trade cannot be
continued in war, without the protection of naval armaments; and that
our fleet is at present superiour in strength to those of the greatest
part of the universe united. It is, therefore, reasonably to be hoped,
that though by assisting the house of Austria we should provoke the
French to declare war against us, their hostilities would produce none
of those calamities which seem to be dreaded by part of this assembly;
and that such a confederacy might be formed as would be able to retort
all the machinations of France upon herself, as would tear her
provinces from her, and annex them to other sovereignties.

It has been urged, that no such success can be expected from the
conduct which we have lately pursued; that we, who are thus daring the
resentment of the most formidable power in the universe, have long
suffered ourselves to be insulted by an enemy of far inferiour force;
that we have been defeated in all our enterprises, and have at present
appeared to desist from any design of hostilities; that the Spaniards
scarcely perceive that they have an enemy, or feel, any of the
calamities or inconveniencies of war; and that they are every day
enriched with the plunder of Britain, without danger, and without
labour.

That the war against Spain has not hitherto been remarkably
successful, must be confessed; and though the Spaniards cannot boast
of any other advantages than the defence of their own dominions, yet
they may, perhaps, be somewhat elated, as they have been able to hold
out against an enemy superiour to themselves. But, my lords, I am far
from believing, that they consider the war against us as an advantage,
or that they do not lament it as one of the heaviest calamities that
could fall upon them. If it be asked, in what part of their dominions
they feel any effects of our hostility, I shall answer with great
confi