This his majesty's wisdom easily enabled him to discover, and his
goodness incited him to prevent; he called upon all the powers, who
had promised to preserve the Pragmatick sanction, to have regard to
the faith of nations, and by fulfilling their engagements, to preserve
the liberties of Europe; but the success of his remonstrances only
afforded a new instance of the weakness of justice, when opposed to
interest or fear. All the potentates of the continent were restrained
by the threats, or gained by the promises of France; and the disposal
of the possessions of the Austrian house, seemed, by the general
consent of Europe, to be resigned to the family of Bourbon.

But our sovereign was not yet discouraged from asserting the rights
which he had promised to maintain, nor did he think the neglect or
treachery of others a sufficient reason for refusing that assistance,
which justice and policy equally required. He knew the power of his
own empire, and though he did not omit to cultivate alliances, he was
conscious of his ability to proceed without them; and therefore
showed, by sending his troops into the Austrian territories, that the
measures of the sovereign of Britain were not to be regulated by
either his enemies or his confederates; that this nation is yet able
to support its own claims, and protect those of its allies; and that
while we attack one of the kingdoms of the house of Bourbon, we are
not afraid to set the other at defiance.

The effects of this conduct, my lords, were immediately apparent; the
king of Sardinia engaged to oppose the entrance of the Spaniards into
Italy; the king of Prussia not only made a peace with the queen of
Hungary, by whom he was more to be dreaded than any other enemy, but
entered into an alliance with his majesty, who has made no small
addition to his influence, by another treaty with the most powerful