Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/335

 The Ascendency of France tinder Louis XIV 297 but he could not be sure of bringing the nation into a new quarrel, when she was groaning under the weight of the former war and still felt the prejudice it had done to her commerce. Perhaps it would have signified but little to have represented to those who bear the burden of the taxes that Europe was in imminent danger of being oppressed, had not the love of liberty united those princes and states whose interest it was to oppose the king of France's ambitious designs. The old bugbear of universal monarchy had less effect The Preten- upon the minds of the English than the dread of new taxes der# in case of another war. But the death of King James II, and especially his Majesty's [Louis XIV] resolution of acknowledging the prince of Wales as king of Great Britain, altered the disposition which a great part of the people seemed to have towards peace. The different parties united. The whole English nation looked upon it as the greatest indignity that France should pretend to arrogate to itself the right of giving them a king in opposition to a prince of their own inviting, who had reigned over them many years. King William profited by this general resentment of the people, and in the speech which he made to both houses of Parliament he treated the recognition of the prince of Wales not only as the greatest indignity that could be offered to his person and to the nation, but likewise as an act equally important to the Protestant religion, to the present and future tranquillity of Europe, and to the real happiness of England. Neither did he forget to exaggerate the danger to which the commerce of England would be exposed in its principal branches by a union between Spain and France. By thus flattering the temper and disposition of the Eng- lish, King William received from both houses the warmest assurances of indignation against France, of zeal for pre- serving the repose and liberty of England as well as of all Europe, and of an earnest desire to support the rights of the house of Austria, as the only means of establishing the public repose on a solid basis.