by her Adversary. Conceffions made with a tolerable Grace in that delicate Conjuncture, might have eafily turn'd a young Enemy into a warm Friend. A different Syftem of Policy was embrac'd; the final Refult of which was, the abfolute Ceffion of the nobleft Part of Silefia, with the County of Glatz, to the King of Pruffia, by the feveral Treaties of Breflau, Drefden, and Aix la Chapelle.

Europe continued arm'd after the Conclufion of the General Peace. It was reasonable to expect that this very Circumstance should affure its Tranquillity for a Length of Time. No State would probably venture upon Hoftilities, when its Rival was prepar'd for a vigorous Refiftance. Yet this Expectation was blafted. Mutual Sufpicion and Jealoufy dictated defenfive Measures, which mutual Animofity and Revenge were ready to turn into offenfive Ones, upon the smallest Alteration of the political Balance. Diffenfions arose between Ruffia and Sweden, which threatened the Repose of the North; the King of Pruffia interfered, with a Spirit and Refolution, which the Emprefs of Ruffia never forgave, Commiffaries met at Paris, on the Part of Great Britain and France, to regulate the difputed Limits of Nova Scotia, and wasted much Time in fruitless Conferences. The Affairs in Germany were, in the mean while, ripening into Confufion. The Minifters of Vienna and Drefden had not been idle; and,

whilst

whilst they projected the Ruin of the King of Pruffia's Greatnefs, they pufh'd the Emprefs of Ruffia's Refentment against that Monarch into an implacable Averfion. The two. Empreffes had concluded at St. Petersburg what they call'd a defenfive Alliance, fo early as May 1746: By a fecret Article, it was refolv'd, that any War made by Pruffia, upon Auftria, Ruffia, or Poland, fhould be confider'd as an Infraction of the Treaty of Dref den; tho' the two latter Powers were not at all concern'd in that Treaty. Thus the Emprefs Queen put in three Claims at once, for the Recovery of Silefia. The Court of Drefden declar'd their Readiness, both in 1747 and 1751, to accede to the Alliance of St. Peterburg; if they might only previously obtain a fufficient Provifion for the Safety of their hereditary Dominions, and be admitted to a Share of the Spoils, in Proportion to the Extent of the Conquefts.-Towards the Close of 1749, the Auftrian Minifters at Petersburg and Berlin endeavour'd, in an artful Manner, to convey remote Hints to the Rufian Minister at Berlin, that a Plot was forming in Sweden against the Life of the Empress of Ruffia, in which the Pruffian Court had a large Share. -The Grand Council of Ruffia was held in October 1755; and it was determin'd in that Affembly, to embrace the first Opportunity of attacking the King of Pruffa, without difcuffing the Point of Aggreffion, and to erect Magazines, for that Purpofe,

pofe, at Riga, Mittau, Liebau, and Windau, capable of fupporting 100, 000 Men. - In April 1756, the Secretary of the Saxon Embaffy at St. Petersburg recommended it to Count Brühl, to take Care that Intelligence might be communicated, through different Channels, to the Ruffian Ministry, of the King of Pruffia's reconnoitring the Ukraine, and stirring up a Rebellion in that Country: The Secretary clos'd his Advice with these remarkable Words; "That the King of Prussia "had given Saxony a Blow, which it would "feel for 50 Years; but he should receive "one himself, which he should feel for an "100." Count Brühl, in his Answer to the Secretary's Letter, promis'd to execute this Commiffion. Thus Fuel was prepar'd in Abundance, on every Side; a little Spark only was wanting, to light it up into a general Flame. The Troubles which arofe in America, united Auftria with France, and Prussia with Great Britain. Nothing more was neceffary, to involve the principal Powers of Europe in the Calamities of War.

In the Course of the Year 1754, the great Designs of the French in America began to appear. These were, to open a Communication between Canada and Louifiana, by Means of Forts erected on the River Obio, which falls into the Miffifippi; and to fecure the fertile Countries, wash'd by that River, to themfelves, by the Establishment of numerous Set

tlements.

tlements. Thus, in Progress of Tìme, the British Colonies would be hemm'd in between those Settlements and the Sea, and the allied Indians would be eafily tempted to forfake their Intereft, and to form Connections with the French. -To accomplish these Defigns, the French attack'd and took one of the fmall Forts belonging to the English, on the Straight of the River Monongahela, obliging Mr. Ward and his little Garrison of 44 Men to capitulate, and retire. They afterwards made themselves Masters of the Fort of Logs-town on the River Ohio, in the Territory of Virginia. On the firft of June, a Party of 35 Soldiers, detach'd to intercept an English Convoy, was routed by 45 Men under Mr. Washington; feven of the French were kill'd, and the reft made Prisoners, together with their commanding Officer M. la Force; three unhappy Perfons fell into the Hands of the Indians, and were maffacred. On the third of July, M. de Villiers obliged Mr. Washington to furrender Fort-Neceffity in the Great Meadows, upon Articles of Capitulation.

The Situation of Great Britain, at this critical Period, with Refpect to America, was beautifully defcrib'd by a General Officer of distinguish'd Abilities, in Part of two Speeches in the Houfe of Commons. "We seem, fays he, to be driving upon the Edge of an high Mountain; on every Side, a dreadful

and

and tremendous Precipice; too much Expence makes us Bankrupts, too little makes us Slaves. Some Years ago, the French were by no means a Match for the five Nations; now, they have a Communication, by a Range of Forts, from the River St. Laurence in Canada, to the Ohio near the Miffifippi. Hence it is, that they hold our Colonies between the two Ends of a Net, which if they tighten by Degrees, they may get all of them into the Body of it, and then drown them in the Sea. When the Ship is finking, the Man at the Helm in vain lays the Blame upon the Labourer at the Oar, or the Labourer at the Oar recriminates upon the Man at the Helm; we are all in one Veffel; it is our Intereft,as well as our Duty, to unite heartily in the common Cause; and, laying afide private Ambition and Animofity, to act with Alacrity and Confidence; and to perform every Thing in our Power, for the Prefervation, Honour, and Happiness of our Country."

This was the fatal Spark, which kindled the Flame of War in every Quarter of the World; and which afterwards raged (particularly in Europe) with a destructive and unrelenting Fury, beyond the Example of former Times. France and Auftria, to whom Francis the first and Charles the fifth had left a Kind of hereditary Antipathy, mutually ran into each other's Arms. Great Britain was put under the difagreeable Neceffity of expending