George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 4, 15th edition.

[364] who could preserve the privileges of his religion

chap. XVI.} 1760.

from being trampled under foot. ‘How calmly,’ said Bath, ‘the King of Prussia possesses himself under distress! how ably he can extricate himself!’ having ‘amazing resources in his own unbounded genius.’ ‘The warm support of the Protestant nation’ of Great Britain must be called forth, or ‘the war begun to wrest Silesia from him’ would, ‘in the end, be found to be a war’ to ‘overturn the liberties and religion of Germany.’

Peace was, moreover, to be solicited from love to political freedom. The increase of the navy, army, and public debt, and the consequent influence of the crown, was ‘much too great for the independency of the constitution.’¹

The generous and wise sentiments of the Earl of Bath were acceptable to the people of England. But there were not wanting a reflecting few who doubted. Foremost among them, William Burke,² the kinsman and friend, and often the associate, of Edmund Burke, found arguments for retaining Guadaloupe in the opportunity it would afford of profitable investment, the richness of the soil, the number of its slaves, the absence of all rivalry between England and a tropical island. Besides, he added, to alarm his countrymen, ‘if the people of our colonies find no check from Canada, they will extend themselves almost ’