188

HISTORY OF ENGLAND,

CHAP.

II.

War withthe

Dutch.

coalition, is to ourselves. The plea of economy might havehad some weight, if it had been urged by an economicalgovernment. But it was notorious that the charges of Dun-kirk fell far short of the sums which were wasted at court invice and folly. It seemed insupportable that a sovereign,profuse beyond example in all that regarded his own plea-sures, should be niggardly in all that regarded the safety andhonour of the state.

The public discontent was heightened, when it was foundthat, while Dunkirk was abandoned on the plea of economy,the fortress of Tangier, which was part of the dower of QueenCatharine, was repaired and kept up at an enormous charge.That place was associated with no recollections gratifying tothe national pride: it could in no way promote the nationalinterests: it involved us in inglorious, unprofitable, and inter-minable wars with tribes of half savage Mussulmans; and itwas situated in a climate singularly unfavourable to the healthand vigour of the English race.

But the murmurs excited by these errors were faint, whencompared with the clamours which soon broke forth. Thegovernment engaged in war with the United Provinces. TheHouse of Commons readily voted sums unexampled in ourhistory, sums exceeding those which had supported the fleetsand armies of Cromwell at the time when his power was theterror of all the world. But such was the extravagance, dis-honesty, and incapacity of those who had succeeded to hisauthority, that this liberality proved worse than useless.The sycophants of the court, ill qualified to contend againstthe great men who then directed the arms of Holland, againstsuch a statesman as De Witt, and such a commander as DeRuyter, made fortunes rapidly, while the sailors mutiniedfrom very hunger, while the dockyards were unguarded,while the ships were leaky and without rigging. It was atlength determined to abandon all schemes of offensive war;