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456 RISE OF THE CONTINENTALerrors,, for which she would have to atone,) the non-performance of engagements for which she had made herselfresponsible certainly exposes her to merited censure. Inthe three great continental wars in which England tookpart, the Spanish, the Austrian war of succession, and theseven years' war, she concluded every time a peace for herself, or only in connexion with Holland, and deserted herprincipal confederates. This conduct did not originate inany refined policy, systematically taken up, nor in a dereliction of publicfaith and confidence ;but in the change ofpolitical principles, which, according to the general spiritof the British constitution, is almost inseparably connectedwith a change of ministry. In none of these cases did theminister who begun the war bringit to a close ;his successor generally belonged to the opposite party, and therefore brought with him the opposite principles. The influence and power of the premier in England does not trenchat allupon the personal character of the regent, as it doesin unlimited monarchies ;but emanates immediately fromthe spiritof the constitution, from the relation between theking and his parliament, between whom the minister is theconnecting link. Without him therefore nothing of importance can be done. Hence arises what is certainly a mostpernicious consequence in respect to foreign powers, thatthe British government cannot guarantee, with the sameassurance as others, the performance of its obligation. Theperiods of Marlborough and Chatham exhibit a proof ofthis. But^then, again, on the part of continental powers,physical impossibilities may occur, from extreme distress ortotal subjugation, to prevent the fulfilment of their engagements, a case which can scarcely be supposed to occur withrespect to England.Notwithstanding this one real defect, which attaches tothe policy of England, her continental influence seems uponthe whole, throughout this period, to have been highly beneficial in a twofold point of view. In the first place, Europewas indebted to it, during a considerable period, for themaintenance of peace.That this was the object of the British policy under George L, and continued to be so, as longas circumstances permitted, under George II., has beenalready shown. It was therefore any thingbut a hostile