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INTERESTS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 417repeatedly learned by dear-bought experience the cost ofdistant The war in the North had been terminprovinces.ated through the intervention of England and thoughit;was impossible for Englandto re-establish a counter-baSweden was at all eventslancing power in this quarter,maintained in the rank of independent states, from which,without assistance, it would probably have disappeared.It must be allowed that England itself did not acquire anythinknew possessions by its continental relations, (though Iit has been clearly proved that the acquisition of Bremenand Verden were important to it,)but itgained advantagesof another description which were by no means inconsiderable.In the first place it secured the succession of the house ofHanover on the British throne. The voice of the nation hasproclaimed this too loudly and unanimously as the most important feature of its returning prosperity to require anydetailed proof; the only question which can possibly arise,is whether this was a consequence of its continental relations.Itmay perhaps be objected on the other hand, that the attempts to re-establish the pretender on the throne originatedin the interference of England in the affairs of the continent.But as long as the Stuarts had or might have powerfulfriends abroad, could the new dynasty safely dispense withsuch aid ? The throne of the Hanoverian house was by nomeans so secure as to supersedethe necessity of acceptingevery available offer of support. But it was more peculiarlythe good understanding which existed for so long a periodwith France, which was of such infinite service to them inthis emergency. France was the principal, perhaps the onlypower which by supporting the pretender could in any material degree endanger the security of the new dynasty. Andsurely the favourable opportunity which was thus presentedto the new family, of negotiating its private interests bymeans of this connexion without compromising those of thenation at large,was a piece of good fortune not to be neglected. Further than thisBy the active share which England took on this occasion she maintained that high consideration in the political system of Europe, which she hadacquired during the reignof William and Anne. It doesnot requiremuch sagacityto perceive of how much influence