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EISE OF THE CONTINENTALthese plans than fell to the lot of Cromwell ;the possessionof Jamaica and the Navigation Act, (Dunkirk being sold tothe French in 1662,) remained the only permanent memorials of his protectorate.However extensive therefore were his views of continentalit ispolicy, clear that but few of them were carried into execution. But when the Stuarts were restored to the throne(1660) the old prejudices of their family came back withthem, and under the existing circumstances became stillmore dangerous to England than they had been in thereigns of James I. and his son. It was at this period thatLewis XIV. raised his power in so sudden and formidable amanner as to disturb the peace and independence of all hisneighbours. In order to carry out his plans, the concurrenceof England was indispensable and ; although at his first attempt England took part in the alliance which broughtabout, or seemed to bring about, the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle,(1668,) it is well known from history that Charles II.and his venal ministers soon became so wound up with theinterests of France, that they even took part in the war forthe subjection of Flanders to France, although that eventwas evidently opposed to the interests of Britain. The hopethat, with the aid of France, he should be able to overturnthe constitution and the established religion, and thus attainunlimited power, was the talisman by which Lewis led this1abandoned monarch to embrace his interests, and inducedhim, as well as his brother and successor, to continue inthem. It would be in vain, during the reign of princeswho were guided only by their passions and their prejudices,to look for fixed principles of policy; a revolution was necessary to establish these upon a new foundation.FOURTH PERIOD.WILLIAM III. AND ANNE (16891714).We now come to the period which is undoubtedly themost important in the history of the modern continentalpolitics of England, namely, the period of William III. Themerit of having laid the foundation of those continental interests which have lasted to our time, belongs undoubtedly1The conditions of the secret alliance with France (1670) as quoted byHume, put this point beyond dispute.