Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 3.djvu/386

378 whether this war was prudently begun or not, it is plain that the true spring or motive of it was, the aggrandizing of a particular family; and in short a war of the general and the ministry, and not of the prince or people; since those very persons were against it, when they knew the power, and consequently the profit, would be in other hands.

With these measures fell in all that set of people, who are called the monied men; such as had raised rast sums by trading with stocks and funds, and lending upon great interest and premiums; whose perpetual harvest is war, and whose beneficial way of traffick must very much decline by a peace.

In that whole chain of encroachments made upon us by the Dutch, which I have above deduced; and under those several gross impositions from other princes; if any one should ask, why our general continued so easy to the last? I know no other way so probable, or indeed so charitable to account for it, as by that unmeasurable love of wealth, which his best friends allow to be his predominant passion. However I shall wave any thing that is personal upon this subject. I shall say nothing of those great presents made by several princes, which the soldiers used to call winter foraging, and said it was better than that of the summer; of two and a half per cent subtracted out of all the subsidies we pay in those parts, which amounts to no inconsiderable sum; and lastly, of the grand perquisites in a long successful war, which are so amicably adjusted between him and the States.

But when the war was thus begun, there soon fell in other incidents here at home, which made the continuance of it necessary for those, who were the chief advisers.