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INTERESTS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 433calling their selfishness patriotism, speak in despite of theirbetter conviction ;who censure every measure of the minister, because it is his measure ;whilst in every instance theirobject is not to promote the interests of the state, but toforce themselves into power. The conduct of the first William Pitt, whom England still regards, with as thejustice,first of her statesmen, while he was in opposition againstWalpole, a circumstance on which he himself afterwardsalways looked back with self-reproach, may be mentionedas an example. The true character of the opposition issaid to be a continual censure of the minister. But a censure.whichonly finds fault, and isalways finding fault, losesitspower, and does not attain its object.This perversespirit of the opposition is mainly instrumental in giving tothe government such excessive and increasing power. Theopposition had often prevailed in England, and forced theminister from his ground, when the evil was already past ;but was seldom or never able to prevent the execution ofperverse measures at the right time,The history of the Austrian war of succession interests ushere only on account of the consequences resulting from itto the British continental policy.As soon as the old enmity between France and Austria revived, not only was theancient connexion between this power and England renewed,but similar connexions were likewise formed on the continent, as in the reign of William and Anne. The king ofSardinia was by the treaty of Worms the of ally England inItaly, on condition of receiving subsidies; the republic ofthe United Netherlands was likewise drawn into the war,and since the peace of Dresden, in 1745, England herselfalso entered into a friendly connexion with Frederic II.The course of the inquiry demands from us somethingmore than a passing notice of the conduct pursued by thatgreat prince in this eventful period. Properly speaking itwas he, who in this war constructed a new political system,since the conquest of Silesia laid the foundation of thaft rivalry which subsisted between Austria and Prussia, andwhich became, subsequently, for more than ten years, thehinge, as it were, on which theof politics Europe turned.The later history of Frederic may perhaps afford more valuable lessons in the arts of war and of government but in;2 P