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INTERESTS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 409political principles,but that his conduct was the result ofcircumstances with the changes of which he changed also.1Charles XII. fell in the trenches jhis minister, his friendand counsellor, was compelled to ascend the scaffold ;andwith them was destroyed the whole fabric of their policy,atthe very time when it was upon the point of completion. Itis known that this was founded upon a reconciliation withRussia, the equivalentof which was to be obtained at theexpense of other enemies, especially of Denmark. The newparty who came into power would not prosecute this plan,because it had been formed by Gorz, whom they hated ;butif Charles XII. with his iron arm and iron determinationwas not able to maintain himself alone, what could be expected from the government which succeeded him ? Nothingtherefore remained upon the rupture with Russia, but toseek assistance from those powers againstwhom it had beenintended to turn their whole forces; and the first of thesewas England. The treaty formed with I.Georgeas electorof Hanover, in which Sweden for a sum of money yieldedup Bremen and Terclen, led the way to this; and wasshortly succeeded by a treaty of alliance 2 with England, expressly directed against Russia, and in which assistance byland as well as by sea was stipulated for, in order to sotbounds to the devastatinginroads of the Czar.If the consequences of their political errors proved sodisastrous to the Swedes, the change in the policy of England admitted perhaps of some palliation,on the groundthat she wished to repressthe fearful aggrandizement ofRussia, and to uphold the balance of power in the North.But if this was her object, she embarked in an undertaking which she could not accomplish, and even at thatearly period exhibited a proof how little she was able at anytime to form a correct estimate of her own power, or to determine the precise sphere of her influence. The only wayin which she could injure Russia was by obstructing for aBut this was surely nottime the navigation of the Baltic.sufficient to retard the growth of its power. And as tomaintaining the political balance in the North, it was now,1Dec. llth, 1718; and as sooa after as Feb. 28, 1719, Gorz was judiciallymurdered.2Peace was concluded with Hanover, Nov. 20, 1719; and on Jan. 21, 1720,followed the alliance with England.