Untitled - 24grammata.com

414 RISE OF THE CONTINENTALa rapturewith France,since aespeciallyreconciliation withAustria had not yet been completely effected by the congressat Cambray. Indeed, it was hardly to be expected, fromthe state in which men's minds then were, that such a reconciliation should have been accomplished at a congress.The consequence was, that a resolution was speedily formedin Spain, of establishinga direct connexion with Austria.This attempt was by no means exceptionable in itself; itcould hardlyfail of success, since a clear understanding hadbeen arrived at long before, during the peace, on some ofthe main pointsof difference, namely, the concessions whichwere mutually demanded, and no collision of interest hadoccured in other points;but still, neither in the choice of amediator, nor in the general conduct of the proceeding, wasa sufficient degreeof caution resorted to. Never, since theirdifference with Austria was virtually arranged by the treatyof Vienna, on April 30th, 1725, and the treaty of commerce,which immediately followed it,could it have been more essentially necessary by a provident and careful policy to tranquillize the fears which must have arisen among the foreignpowers in consequence of this unexpected result. But thebusiness of pacificationwas committed to the duke of Ripperda,one of the vainest braggarts that ever existed 1j who,intoxicated by his unexpected good fortune, knew so littlehow to conduct himself in such a change of circumstances,that he very soon brought about his own ruin. The senseless behaviour of this man, who now considered himself thefirst statesman in Europe, his arrogance and haughty bearingtowards the ambassadors of foreign powers, caused a crisisin the affairs of Spain,the issue of which promised muchmore of war than peace.This reconciliation of Spain and Austria roused all thepolitical energies of George I. into activity.Almost theonly provision of specialinterest contained in it was thatwhich it had always been the policy of England to promote,viz. the complete ratification of the peace of Utrecht and adefensive alliance. But the opinion prevailedthat it contained much more than it really did. The public mind wasanxious for information about secret stipulations,which were1He was in fact a native of Holland, whom Alberoni had brought as a manufacturer to Spain. After his fall he wandered about as an adventurer in Turkey.