the ambitious attempts of France in the north. But when Spain once more resumes her independence, she will be found a constant and formidable restraint on the aggressions of France on the other powers of Europe, Not only from motives of policy, but from long transmitted antipathies, from ancient rivalry, and from the sense of recent injuries, Spain cannot soon cease to be the enemy of France. But while France has such an enemy in the rear, who can pour troops into the most vulnerable part of her dominions in the south, she must necessarily keep her ambition within bounds, and be taught moderation, if not by the sentiment of public duty, by the pressure of imperious circumstances. When the unnatural alliance, which has, for more than a century, thrown the strength of Spain into the scale of France is totally dissolved, Spain will find a powerful and useful ally in England, and England in Spain; and both England and Spain, united in a firm and rational amity, may controul the turbulent spirit of France, and preserve the tranquillity of the world, France is a power, which from the lively, restless, and am bitious temperament of her people will always want bridling; and can this salutary purpose be better effected than by the power of England in the north and of Spain in the south? In fighting for the liberties and independence of Spain England is in fact contending, though on Spanish ground, for her own liberties and independence. The interests of the two countries are at this moment the same. They are really one and indivisible; and so they must remain, till the present colossal greatness of France is considerably reduced. We have not often had occasion to bestow praise on the present ministers, but our candour tells us that they deserve the highest eulogy for the promptitude with which they have sent succours to Spain; and from the zeal which they have manifested in their endeavours to support the liberty and independence of that country; which are so intimately blended with our own. It is to be devoutly hoped, however, that the present cabinet will learn a lesson of wisdom from the unfortunate issue of their expedition to Portugal, and that by inflicting an exemplary punishment on the guilty, whoever they may be, they will convince the commanders of British armies that they cannot with impunity suffer the victories which they may gain in the field to be lost by their imbecility or their folly in the cabinet. APP. Vol. 14. : Nn It is only one despotism waging war upon another, and humanity must suffer on which ever side the fortune of battle may incline. If Austria be subjugated, the conquest of Turkey, which has been so long meditated, will be seriously begun. In such a project the Emperor Alexander would certainly very cordi ally second the designs of Napoleon. But since the late revolution at Constantinople, that power has assumed a more imposing attitude, and we believe that the natural tendencies to enthusiasm, which there are in the Mahometan religion, when operating on the inherent vigour of the Turkish character, may, if cherished and supported by a wise and efficient administration, render the conquest of Turkey a more difficult atchievement than is commonly imagined. The Turkish institutions oppose such a bar to the progress of civilization, that there are many persons who would, on that account, readily see Turkey overrun by a Christian power; but is the Russian more civilized than the Turk? or are the legends of the koran more unfavourable to morality than the mummery of the Greek church? It is impossible to ascertain what were the secret articles of the treaty of Tilsit; but conjecture is always ready to supply the defects of evidence; and it has been shrewdly suspected that the two emperors agreed to partition Europe between them. The western division was to be the lot of Bonaparte, and the eastern that of Alexander. The sovereigns whom they might suffer still to exercise a vicarious rule were either to minister to their splendour or to alleviate the burden of the administration. The formidable aspect which Spain, so lately considered as one of the brightest jewels of the western crown, has since assumed, must have greatly disarranged this plan if it ever were conceived. The salvation indeed of the west of Europe, from the pressure of an overwhelming despotism is, at this moment, at stake on the triumph of the Spanish patriots over the arms of France. If the Spaniards succeed in establishing a free government; if the political influence of France be totally expunged from the Spanish councils, and both the government and the people recover their antient vigour and independence; if the intellectual and moral and physical culture of the country experience no mischievous impediments in the new institutions which they may adopt, Spain must, from its natural resources, its situation, its climate, its productions, and the varied genius of its people, soon rise to the rank of a first-rate power. She will become as she was of old, the rival rather than the slave, the terror rather than the contempt of France. Since the unfortunate union of the French and the Spanish dynasties, no adequate check has been found in the south to the ambitious attempts of France in the north. But when Spain once more resumes her independence, she will be found a constant and formidable restraint on the aggressions of France on the other powers of Europe, Not only from motives of policy, but from long transmitted antipathies, from ancient rivalry, and from the sense of recent injuries, Spain cannot soon cease to be the enemy of France. But while France has such an enemy in the rear, who can pour troops into the most vul. nerable part of her dominions in the south, she must necessarily keep her ambition within bounds, and be taught moderation, if not by the sentiment of public duty, by the pressure of imperious circumstances. When the unnatural alliance, which has, for more than a century, thrown the strength of Spain into the scale of France is totally dissolved, Spain will find a powerful and useful ally in England, and England in Spain; and both England and Spain, united in a firm and rational amity, may controul the turbulent spirit of France, and preserve the tranquillity of the world, France is a power, which from the lively, restless, and am bitious temperament of her people will always want bridling; and can this salutary purpose be better effected than by the power of England in the north and of Spain in the south? In fighting for the liberties and independence of Spain England is in fact contending, though on Spanish ground, for her own liberties and independence. The interests of the two countries are at this moment the same. They are really one and indivisible; and so they must remain, till the present colossal greatness of France is considerably reduced. We have not often had occasion to bestow praise on the present ministers, but our candour tells us that they deserve the highest eulogy for the promptitude with which they have sent succours to Spain; and from the zeal which they have manifested in their endeavours to support the liberty and independence of that country; which are so intimately blended with our own. It is to be devoutly hoped, however, that the present cabinet will learn a lesson of wisdom from the unfortunate issue of their expedition to Portugal, and that by inflicting an exemplary punishment on the guilty, whoever they may be, they will convince the commanders of British armies that they cannot with impunity suffer the victories which they may gain in the field to be lost by their imbecility or their folly in the cabinet. APP. Vol. 14. : Nn AN ALPHABETICAL INDEX TO THE AUTHORS' NAMES AND TITLES OF BOOKS. ABRADATAS and Panthea, a tragedy, 216 Abraham's answer to Peter Plymley, Esq. 213 Appeal to the landed interest of this Asia and Africa, Parsons's travels in, vide Atmospheric air, Ellis's enquiries into 321 BALLADS, Finlay's Scottish, romantic and historical 255 Barrell's riches and poverty, 108 Annuity fund for the benefit of gover- Barrister on evangelical preaching, Lay- nesses, rules of the, 224 man's reply to a, 101 Bath characters, 222 Antient and modern Nice, Davies's his- Bell's and Mr. Lancaster's plan of edu- cation, comparative view of Dr. |