按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
the allies found that they could not trample France under their
feet。 The Treaty of Utrecht； concluded in 1718； shows that each
side was too strong as yet to be crushed。 In dismissing
Marlborough； Great Britain had lost one of her chief assets。 His
name had become a terror to France。 To this day； both in France
and in French Canada； is sung the popular ditty 〃Monsieur
Malbrouck est mort；〃 a song of delight at a report that
Marlborough was dead。 When in place of Marlborough leaders of the
type of General Hill were appointed to high command； France could
not be finally beaten。 The Treaty of Utrecht was the outcome of
war…weariness。 It marks； however； a double check to Louis XIV。 He
could not master Europe and he could not master America。 France
now ceded to Britain her claim to Acadia； Newfoundland； and
Hudson Bay。 She regarded this； however； as only a temporary
setback and was soon planning and plotting great designs far
surpassing the narrower vision of the English colonies。
It was with a wry face； however； that France yielded Acadia。 To
retain it she offered to give up all rights in the Newfoundland
fisheries； the nursery of her marine。 Britain would not yield
Acadia； dreading chiefly perhaps the wrath of New England which
had conquered Port Royal。 Britain； however； compromised on the
question of boundaries in a way so dangerous that the long war
settled finally no great issues in America。 She took Acadia
〃according to its ancient limits；〃but no one knew these limits。
They were to be defined by a joint commission of the two nations
which； after forty years； reached no agreement。 The Island of
Cape Breton and the adjoining Ile St。 Jean； now Prince Edward
Island； remained to France。 Though Britain secured sovereignty
over Newfoundland； France retained extensive rights in the
Newfoundland fisheries。 The treaty left unsettled the boundary
between Canada and the English colonies。 While it yielded Hudson
Bay to Britain； it settled nothing as to frontiers in the
wilderness which stretched beyond the Great Lakes into the Far
West and which had vast wealth in furs。
CHAPTER IV。 Louisbourg And Boston
For thirty years England and France now remained at peace； and
England had many reasons for desiring peace to continue。 Anne；
the last of the Stuart rulers； died in 1714。 The new King； George
I； Elector of Hanover； was a German and a German unchangeable；
for he was already fifty four； with little knowledge of England
and none of the English； and with an undying love for the dear
despotic ways easily followed in a small German principality。 He
and his successor George II were thinking eternally of German
rather than of English problems； and with German interests
chiefly regarded it was well that England should make a friend of
France。 It was well； too； that under a new dynasty； with its
title disputed； England should not encourage France to continue
the friendly policy of Louis XIV towards James； the deposed
Stuart Pretender。 England had just made a new； determined； and
arrogant enemy by forcing upon Spain the deep humiliation of
ceding Gibraltar； which had been taken in 1704 by Admiral Rooke
with allied forces。 The proudest monarchy in Europe was compelled
to see a spot of its own sacred territory held permanently by a
rival nation。 Gibraltar Spain was determined to recover。 Its loss
drove her into the arms of the enemies of England and remains to
this day a grievance which on occasion Spanish politicians know
well how to make useful。
Great Britain was now under the direction of a leader whose
policy was peace。 A nation is happy when a born statesman with a
truly liberal mind and a genuine love of his country comes to the
front in its affairs。 Such a man was Sir Robert Walpole。 He was a
Whig squire； a plain country gentleman； with enough of culture to
love good pictures and the ancient classics； but delighting
chiefly in sports and agriculture； hard drinking and politics。
When only twenty…seven he was already a leader among the Whigs；
at thirty…two he was Secretary for War； and before he was forty
he had become Prime Minister； a post which he really created and
was the first Englishman to hold。 Friendship with France marked a
new phase of British policy。 Walpole's baffled enemies said that
he was bribed by France。 His shrewd insight kept France lukewarm
in its support of the Stuart rising in 1715； which he punished
with great severity。 But it was as a master of finance that he
was strongest。 While continental nations were wasting men and
money Walpole gloried in saving English lives and English gold。
He found new and fruitful modes of taxation； but when urged to
tax the colonies he preferred； as he said； to leave that to a
bolder man。 It is a pity that anyone was ever found bold enough
to do it。
Walpole's policy endured for a quarter of a century。 He abandoned
it only after a bitter struggle in which he was attacked as
sacrificing the national honor for the sake of peace。 Spain was
an easy mark for those who wished to arouse the warlike spirit。
She still persecuted and burned heretics； a great cause of
offense。 in Protestant Britain； and she was rigorous in excluding
foreigners from trading with her colonies。 To be the one
exception in this policy of exclusion was the privilege enjoyed
by Britain。 When the fortunes of Spain were low in 1713； she had
been forced not merely to cede Gibraltar but also to give to the
British the monopoly of supplying the Spanish colonies with negro
slaves and the right to send one ship a year to trade at Porto
Bello in South America。 It seems a sufficiently ignoble bargain
for a great nation to exact： the monopoly of carrying and selling
cargoes of black men and the right to send a single ship yearly
to a Spanish colony。 We can hardly imagine grave diplomats of our
day haggling over such terms。 But the eighteenth century was not
the twentieth。 From the treaty the British expected amazing
results。 The South Sea Company was formed to carry on a vast
trade with South America。 One ship a year could； of course； carry
little； but the ships laden with negroes could smuggle into the
colonies merchandise and the one trading ship could be and was
reloaded fraudulently from lighters so that its cargo was
multiplied manyfold。 Out of the belief in huge profits from this
trade with its exaggerated visions of profit grew in 1720 the
famous South Sea Bubble which inaugurated a period of frantic
speculation in England。 Worthless shares in companies formed for
trade in the South Seas sold at a thousand per cent of their face
value。 It is a form of madness to which human greed is ever
liable。 Walpole's financial insight condemned from the first the
wild outburst； and his common sense during the crisis helped to
stem the tide of disaster。 The South Sea Bubble burst partly
because Spain stood sternly on her own rights and punished
British smugglers。 During many years the tension