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pies, or of Tunis or Constantinople, and
we shall be fully sensible of this truth. On
the other hand, the superiority which England
has long enjoyed, and still enjoys,
over all despotic European states, is only
owing to the superior degree of freedom
we possess. With these striking facts before
our eyes, it is passing strange that
writers are still to be found in Britain, who
revile with bitterness nations struggling to
be free, and who would make the interests,
the happiness, and the unalienable rights of
the people, yield to the arbitrary claims of
a few imbecile families. I was partly lead
into this train of thinking, by the conversation
we had frequently at the public table
with travellers returning from Italy : the
oppressive and atrocious conduct of the
Austrians to the people was on every
tongue. When the Austrians were on their
march to Naples, they displayed all the
hesitation and fear of felons about to break
into a house ; but when treachery had made
every thing easy to them, their extravagance
of joy knew no bounds. From that
moment the combined despots saw themselves
independent of Britain, or regarded
her only as an humble agent, ready to for-
W'ard their further attacks on the liberties
o f Europe ; and well might they think so,
for we had aided them most essentially in
the subjugation of Naples, and had willingly
thrown away the opportunity of securing
the peace of Europe. At that period,
a single, sincere, and spirited remonstrance
would have kept the Austrians at home.
But the evil genius who then directed our
councils, was too much infatuated by the
smiles of despots, to perceive that the
power of England would be diminished by
extinguishing the free states on the Continent,
who alone would be our sincere
friends. As it is, there is not one of the
great nations in Europe, except Spain and
Portugal, that would not be rejoiced to see
Great Britain sunk into the ocean. We
are hated for our power, but still more for
the freedom of our government. Happily
more enlightened councils are about to prevail,
and I trust th at the government of
Britain will soon cease to be hated by the
people of Europe, if not by the despots
who govern them.
From Interlaken we engaged a char to
take us to Grindelwald, up the valley of
the Lutchenthal. The valley is narrow at
VOL. II. N