登陆注册
5406800000117

第117章 WAR OF THE SUCCESSION IN SPAIN(20)

The ties of party superseded the ties of neighbourhood and of blood.The members of the hostile factions would scarcely speak to each other, or bow to each other.The women appeared at the theatres bearing the badges of their political sect.The schism extended to the most remote counties of England.Talents, such as had seldom before been displayed in political controversy, were enlisted in the service of the hostile parties.On one side was Steele, gay, lively, drunk with animal spirits and with factious animosity, and Addison, with his polished satire, his inexhaustible fertility of fancy, and his graceful simplicity of style.In the front of the opposite ranks appeared a darker and fiercer spirit, the apostate politician, the ribald priest, the perjured lover, a heart burning with hatred against the whole human race, a mind richly stored with images from the dung-hill and the lazar-house.The ministers triumphed, and the peace was concluded.Then came the reaction.A new sovereign ascended the throne.The Whigs enjoyed the confidence of the King and of the Parliament.The unjust severity with which the Tories had treated Marlborough and Walpole was more than retaliated.Harley and Prior were thrown into prison; Bolingbroke and Ormond were compelled to take refuge in a foreign land.The wounds inflicted in this desperate conflict continued to rankle for many years.It was long before the members of either party could discuss the question of the peace of Utrecht with calmness and impartiality.

That the Whig ministers had sold us to the Dutch; that the Tory ministers had sold us to the French; that the war had been carried on only to fill the pockets of Marlborough; that the peace had been concluded only to facilitate the return of the Pretender; these imputations and many others, utterly ungrounded, or grossly exaggerated, were hurled backward and forward by the political disputants of the last century.In our time the question may be discussed without irritation.We will state, as concisely as possible, the reasons which have led us to the conclusion at which we have arrived.

The dangers which were to be apprehended from the peace were two;first, the danger that Philip might be induced, by feelings of private affection, to act in strict concert with the elder branch of his house, to favour the French trade at the expense of England, and to side with the French Government in future wars;secondly, the danger that the posterity of the Duke of Burgundy might become extinct, that Philip might become heir by blood to the French crown, and that thus two great monarchies might be united under one sovereign.

The first danger appears to us altogether chimerical.Family affection has seldom produced much effect on the policy of princes.The state of Europe at the time of the peace of Utrecht proved that in politics the ties of interest are much stronger than those of consanguinity or affinity.The Elector of Bavaria had been driven from his dominions by his father-in-law; Victor Amadeus was in arms against his sons-in-law; Anne was seated on a throne from which she had assisted to push a most indulgent father.It is true that Philip had been accustomed from childhood to regard his grandfather with profound veneration.It was probable, therefore, that the influence of Lewis at Madrid would be very great.But Lewis was more than seventy years old; he could not live long; his heir was an infant in the cradle.There was surely no reason to think that the policy of the King of Spain would be swayed by his regard for a nephew whom he had never seen.

In fact, soon after the peace, the two branches of the House of Bourbon began to quarrel.A close alliance was formed between Philip and Charles, lately competitors for the Castilian crown.ASpanish princess, betrothed to the King of France, was sent back in the most insulting manner to her native country; and a decree was put forth by the Court of Madrid commanding every Frenchman to leave Spain.It is true that, fifty years after the peace of Utrecht, an alliance of peculiar strictness was formed between the French and Spanish Governments.But both Governments were actuated on that occasion, not by domestic affection, but by common interests and common enmities.Their compact, though called the Family Compact, was as purely a political compact as the league of Cambrai or the league of Pilnitz.

同类推荐
  • 返生香

    返生香

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛心经品亦通大随求陀罗尼

    佛心经品亦通大随求陀罗尼

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 珠江名花小传

    珠江名花小传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 净土生无生论

    净土生无生论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编皇极典帝号部

    明伦汇编皇极典帝号部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 幸好我的青春有你们

    幸好我的青春有你们

    互怼日常,校园趣事……夏赏“你这么有钱,应该啥有了”季亦枫“你确定?”“当然啦”季亦枫“其实,还缺点”夏赏“啥?”“缺点你,得己,此生无撼”
  • 至尊江湖:邪王的白发魔妃

    至尊江湖:邪王的白发魔妃

    白发魔女现江湖,冷情淡漠,一度以为自己只是一具空壳,没有”心“。却没想到温情男子,悉心照料;红袍男子,只为她笑;黑衣男子,誓死效忠;当宝物再现,记忆复苏,当年挚爱一人却惨遭灭门,纵然身怀六甲跳入悬崖,三千青丝为君白,剪不断,理还乱。当爱人变血海仇人,演示当年场景,她果断自虐,他却拼命阻止,“你亦死,杀你最亲之人“。恨如今,她该如何做?他们又能否在一起?雪花飞舞,让我为你弹奏最后一首歌……
  • The Mahatma and the Hare

    The Mahatma and the Hare

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 海贼之妖月共生

    海贼之妖月共生

    ……其实海贼的剧场里潜藏着无限可能,而降临的陆离,就准备在其中窥探一番永生的奥秘。
  • 八卦唐诗宋词:诗词背后的趣事

    八卦唐诗宋词:诗词背后的趣事

    本书以古代诗词创作最为繁荣的唐宋两朝为时代背景,收录当时的数十首名家名作,选取不同的视角进行解读,从而让我们能够更全面地了解诗词背后那些有趣的人和事,感受他们的喜悦与哀愁,进而带给我们更美好的阅读体验。
  • 剑傲苍穹

    剑傲苍穹

    创星之神“蓝印”,穷其数十万年心血创造出“龙极星”,然而~邪餍之魔“暗华”却趁其创造生命、催化万物后力量衰减之际意图夺取龙极星,并在星球上创造出只为血腥破坏的“魔”。两个纵横寰宇的顶级强者,一为心血与创造、一为贪婪与占有,两者间展开了一场大战。最终,蓝印为了保护费尽心血所创造的生命,硬是拼出最后神力将“龙极星”一分为六,各自成了独立的存在。“天寰星”,龙极六分后由蓝印所创造的各族人类发展出来的星球,也是除“天元星”外唯一能正常发展的星球。天元星,那在隔壁,是残留蓝印最多神能之星,亦是“天闪御空”的崛起之星,在此不加多提,详情请见“流氓圣皇”。天寰星,虽然它残留神能的量大不如天元星,在成形时亦是保住了大部份生物,并且也有极适合人生存的环境。
  • 想和你的喜欢撞个满怀

    想和你的喜欢撞个满怀

    【手控系直女癌女主景词x治愈系居家男主白棵】“这道题有谁会解?”“老师,找白棵呀。”“为什么?”“他不是百科吗?让他上去不是名副其实的吗?”景词插科打诨调笑道,台上的老师黑了脸。“景词你给我滚出去!!!站着!”*雨夜交加,白棵把想要逃离的景词圈入怀,直盯着她:“不许跑。”“你明明就喜欢我,还撒谎。”打趣你名字是假,引起你注意是真。-甜文-
  • 华严经行愿品疏钞

    华严经行愿品疏钞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 恋恋如卿

    恋恋如卿

    他心甘情愿被她算计,任由她夺走了顾太太的位置纵容她作天作地没底线,肆无忌惮的欺负他的前任直到她触怒了他,他将她变成了名副其实的顾太太*“先生,太太从楼先生家里衣衫不整的出来,被媒体拍到了。”顾先生冷哼一声,并未作答晚间回到家,她被顾先生拖进了房,好几个小时没有出来“我们说好的,是形婚。”她揉着腰,不满道“男人的鬼话,你也信,你是有多蠢。”顾先生嗤笑了一声*她借刀杀人,把所有人都推进了万丈深渊“孩子有错吗?”他扼着她,眦目欲裂昔日他宠入骨子的女人,为了别人弄没了他的孩子他们从此,两不相欠大名鼎鼎的顾太太自此消失在了顾先生的世界里杳无音信——我好想见你一面,我可以站的很远……
  • 集古今佛道论

    集古今佛道论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。