pian plan traced
by some new-fangled system of political philosophy. Inherently
Protestant and commercial, the Dutch abhorred every yoke but
that of their own laws, of which they were proud even in their
abuse. They held in particular detestation all French customs,
in remembrance of the wretchedness they had suffered from French
tyranny; they had unbounded confidence in the House of Orange,
from long experience of its hereditary virtues. The main strength
of Holland was, in fact, in its recollections; but these, perhaps,
generated a germ of discontent, in leading it to expect a revival
of all the influence it had lost, and was little likely to recover,
in the total change of systems and the variations of trade. There
nevertheless remained sufficient capital in the country, and the
people were sufficiently enlightened, to give just and extensive
hope for the future which now dawned on them. The obstacles offered
by the Dutch character to the proposed union were chiefly to be
found in the dogmatical opinions, consequent on the isolation of
the country from all the principles that actuated other states, and
particularly that with which it was now joined: while long-cherished
sentiments of opposition to the Catholic religion was little
likely to lead to feelings of accommodation and sympathy with
its new fellow-citizens.

The inhabitants of Belgium, accustomed to foreign domination, were
little shocked by the fact of the allied powers having disposed
of their fate with consulting their wishes. But they were not so
indifferent to the double discovery of finding themselves the
subjects of a Dutch and a protestant king. Without entering at
large into any invidious discussion on the causes of the natural
jealousy which they felt toward Holland, it may suffice to state
that such did exist, and in no very moderate degree. The countries
had hitherto had but little community of interests with each
other; and they formed elements so utterly discordant as to afford
but slight hope that they would speedily coalesce. The lower
classes of the Belgian population were ignorant as well as
superstitious (not that these two qualities are to be considered
as inseparable); and if they were averse to the Dutch, they were
perhaps not more favorably disposed to the French and Austrians.
The majority of the nobles may be said to have leaned more, at
this period, to the latter than to either of the other two peoples.
But the great majority of t