A finviA ft?*ce alone conld* give confiftence to the riffng co-
lonics j anderea to thofe which were in the greatefl for-
wardneft. 1^ preferve them from invafion,'. fleets- were,
conftvn&ed' and fitted out. At this remarkable period, the*
frftenr of polities* was entirely altered. The ^arth was iir
fotne meafure fub3c<?yed to- the fea, and the great polit^^cal
flrrolccs were ftricken on- theoceaa.'

France,, lefs accuftomed to ferve as a guide,, that) to fur-
paft its maflfers-, beheld 'Wtth<>ut emulation the rife of- a new
i|)e(iie8of t)o\n'en ; The navy did not even form any part of
Ak to& extenfivej)ro]«6*s of the ambitious lUckdieu; It*

4



S^h Jtnii IN T<«tE^A*t^il«if^£'ST INDIES. 4^9*

Wat refeffcd to the- mbnaf^h^'fbr* ti^Koffi^ jj^irttfAff 'l^lVa*^*
paVtd^the way,'to make his- fld^'Trfpc&cdin^tliq'tw^
fpheres. BUfe thia ^^jj ^''^^ of imill duratiott, LcwifcX I Vi?
by hi8' entiy{>nfes# irritated the whole continent; aiidf in

In'ft^ w»«oblftfed to maliftS?tf'ihnl[r>ftei»iW'^i»rftreV: /H?b^
khigdbm foota Decatiicnbth?»ig'fn6fe tli^h'a cam b • and liiV
froiiticm v^e^c'oijfy a^ftring of fortified pkces. The fprings
of<the Hate- ^^^tc'alwAyft'Kcpt in too high a degree of ten-
fion under tilts' briMftiht refgti. One cnTis was fucceeded by
aDOthen At length' the 6han(*es were in diforder ; and in
thcimpoifibSity of d^frtr'ymg all the expences, the facrificc
of the naval forces W«§ thought, perhaps improperly,* to \\t
indifpen fable.
SiR^e th* efid<>f acettturyjirt which the nation fnftained
itaidifgraceft^ bylhe rem'enihrance at Itaft of its fiicceflcs,
and fliO kept Efiropein awe by forty ycar^ of glory, cher-
iflied a govertirtient • by v*Wch it -had been honoured, and*
b^de defiance to rfvils' v^horti it had hirmb!cd : fihcc th«Tt
period^ Prailcc'bath'lofl'much of its pride, notwithftandlng
the acqta jfitionfl wf?tl^ Whith its terrft6ry,-liath been extended.
