ΟΝ ΤΗΕ STUDY and USE OF HISTORY. By the late RIGHT HONORABLE HENRY ST. JOHN, LORD VISCOUNT BOLINGBROKE. LETTER VIII. The fame fubject continued from the year one thousand fix bundred eighty eight. You OUR lordship will find, that the objects propofed by the alliance of one thousand fix hundred eighty nine between the emperor and the states, to which England acceded, and which was the foundation of the whole confederacy then formed, were no less than to restore all things to the terms of the Westphalian and Pyrenean treaties, by the war; and to preserve them in that state after the war, by a defenfive alliance and guarranty of the fame confederate powers against France. The particular as well as general meaning of this engagement was plain enough: and if it had VOL. II. B not not been fo, the fenfe of it would have been fufficiently determined, by that separate article, in which England and Holland obliged themselves to affift the 'house of Austria, in taking and keeping poffeffion of the Spanish monarchy, ' whenever the case should happen of the ' death of CHARLES the fecond, without lawful heirs.' This engagement was double, and thereby relative to the whole political fyftem of Europe, alike affected by the power and pretenfions of France. Hitherto the power of France had been alone regarded, and her pretenfions feemed to have been forgot: or to what purpofe fhould they have been remembered, whilst Europe was fo unhappily conftituted, that the states at whofe expence she increased her power, and their friends and allies, thought that they did enough upon every occafion if they made fome tolerable compofition with her? They who were not in circumstances to refuse confirming prefent, were little likely to take |