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426 RISE OF THE CONTINENTALbetween Austria and France, revived therefore in allits vigour and had the j object which the league had in viewbeen attained, France would have reigned without a rivalover the whole continent of Europe.That the dismemberment of the Austrian monarchy wouldbe in two respects detrimental to England, as neither thedestiny of the Austrian Netherlands nor the balance of poweron the continent could be matters of indifference to her, wasgenerally agreed upon in England. Besides, England hadnot only guaranteed the Pragmatic Sanction in general, buthad also entered into peculiar responsibilities for sendingtwelve thousand auxiliaries against Austria. 1 The honourand interest of England seemed to render it imperative uponher to make a vigorous effort to save Austria. But howthis might be effectually done, was another question.The relations of Austria and the continental relations ingeneral, had been materially changed since the accession ofGeorge I. to the British throne by the growing power ofPrussia, which even now, in a military point of view, stoodin the first rank of powers. England herself had few pointsof contact with Prussia ;but it could not be a matter of indifference to Englandj that Prussia should join her enemies,and besides, so long as the interest of Hanover was not considered altogether detached from that of England, a point ofcontact of more than ordinary importance was here presented.The alliance of Herren-haus seems also to have laid thefoundation for it. But the desertion of this alliance byPrussia, and still more a personal aversion which subsistedbetween GeorgeII. and Frederic Williarri I. notwithstandingtheir near relationship, had frustrated these views, and hadeven neutralized every attempt to re-establish amicable relations ; yet the British cabinet did not lose sight of thismeasure ;and even in the very next year after the death ofCharles VI. it became the favourite project of Walpole toconsummate a grand confederation with Austria, Russia,and Prussia, which should maintain the balance of poweragainst the Bourbon courts. But as this was frustrated andthe Austrian war of succession broke out, hopes were nevertheless at first entertained of realizing this idea in part,since a separate treaty between Austria and Prussia was1By the treaty of 1731.