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INTERESTS OF GREAT BRITAIN,of Dresden, Dec. 25, 1745) his objects were attained. Thewar was continued three years longer by the other leadingpowers, with what view it is difficult to say,unless we takeinto account the passions which were excited by eventswhich occurred in the interval. France had as little reason to flatter herself with the prospect of annihilatingtheAustrian monarchy, as of snatching away the imperial crownfrom Francis I. after he had once been elected, and recognised alsoby Frederic. And however brilliant her victoriesin the Netherlands were, experience nevertheless showedthat she could not calculate upon achieving any permanentconquests here. All parties eventually concurred in a peace, 1because all were exhausted. What were the results of thisto England?It is notorious that England gained no increase of territory by the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle. But itwould be great perverseness to seek materials for blame inthis fact. The war was not commenced with a view to conquest, but to support Austria against France. This objectwas attained ;and any peace maywell be termed a goodpeace, by which thB object which has induced a person toundertake a war is attained. It is true that this is not thegeneral opinion, which estimates the advantages solely bythe conquests achieved. The more rare the virtue of independence is, the more frequently do we experience thatschemes of ambitious projectsare first excited during wars;and these, by their prolongation, then become the scourgeof nations. This war, however, had attached to it otherconsequences of greater moment to the policy of England.The first of these was the more intricate complication ofthe colonial interest with the politicalrelations of Europe.No war which England ever carried on, had so extensivelyaffected the colonies as this. The war with Spain naturallymade the "West Indies and the American sea the scene ofher enterprises ;but the East Indies likewise became nowfor the first time the theatre of action for the British andFrench. Two of the most extraordinary men, Labourdonnaisand DupleLv, had already prepared the way for acquiring a dominion there, which, if it had depended upon herselfalone, would probably have secured to France the possessionof India. The jealousy of the British was aroused ;hostili-1At Aix-la-Chapelle, April 30, 1748.2 F 2