world and bringing home rich booty. Such feats went far to give
Britain that command of the sea on which her colonial Empire was
to depend.

The issue of the war hung more on events that occurred in Europe
than in America, and France had made gains as well as suffered
losses. It was on the sea that she had sustained her chief
defeats. In India she had gained by taking the English factory at
Madras; and in the Low Countries she was still aggressive.
Indeed, during the war England had been more hostile to Spain
than to France. She had not taken very seriously her support of
the colonies in their attack on Louisbourg and she had failed
them utterly in their designs on Canada. It is true that in
Europe England had grave problems to solve. Austria, with which
she was allied, desired her to fight until Frederick of Prussia
should give up the province of Silesia seized by him in 1740. In
this quarrel England had no vital interest. France had occupied
the Austrian Netherlands and had refused to hand back to Austria
this territory unless she received Cape Breton in return. Britain
might have kept Cape Breton if she would have allowed France to
keep Belgium. This, in loyalty to Austria, she would not do.
Accordingly peace was made at Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748 on the
agreement that each side should restore to the other its
conquests, not merely in Europe but also in America and Asia.
Thus it happened that the British flag went up again at Madras
while it came down at Louisbourg.

Boston was of course angry at the terms of the treaty. What
sacrifices had Massachusetts not made! The least of them was the
great burden of debt which she had piled up. Her sons had borne