The first advantage the French gained in Canada, produced a second. The Iroquois nation offered to enter into alliance with the French.
The count D’Argenson shewed me the discourse which the deputies of this savage people addressed to M. Vaudreuil, who commanded the King’s troops.
“May the Great Spirit preserve the captain of the French and his valiant warriors! May the extent of their courage be measured by the number of their wounds! We, whose nations are as ancient as the stars, and the most courageous upon earth, come to offer thee the right arm of our warriors. The black gowns who are amongst us,have taken care to make us acquainted with thy nation, which is the most valiant of any after our own, because they have seen that these warriors might learn from ours what they did not know before. Our nation, who reckon more than ten thousand moons, come then to unite their forces to assist thee, in order to regale our wives and children with the dead bodies of the enemies of the captain of the French. Receive the calumet of peace, and as a mark of joy, give three shouts to the sun, which is risen to enlighten our nations.”
This letter being made public at Versailles, a courtier, who had read it, said to the King: “Sire, we must make an alliance with the Iroquois, for they will eat as many Englishmen as they can find. Those people are so famished with glory, that they devour their conquests.”
A few days after the return of the Brest fleets, the King said to me: “The English parliament desire peace, the people of England want war. I shall take no steps to procure the last; but if it is proposed to me upon honourable terms, I will accept of it.”
M. de Belleisle told me, that no terms would be proposed, and that all the reports that were spread in England, were only designed to amuse France, and surprise the government.
“Marshal, said I to him, we may possibly be surprised, for it is above a year since we were told that we ought to be so.”
Whilst warlike preparations were making on every side, the ministers often received memorials from individuals, pointing out the object of our first attack.
The French have for some time been greatly addicted to politics. It is pretended that we caught the infection from the English, and that it was communicated to France by the way of Calais. A man of great wit said to me one day upon this head, that since this contagion had spread, an infinite number of people, whose labour and industry might have been very beneficial to the state, became idle spectators. In England this rage is not so dangerous; the citizens engage themselves as well with their own private affairs, as with the administration in general. But in France, when a man gives himself up to politics, he passes his life systematically.
The Count D’Argenson shewed me a memorial, which he had received from an unknown hand, bearing this title,Important advice to the government.
“We should not wage war, said the anonymous author, either in Germany or in America; the English navy is superior to ours: the English will in the end have the advantage over us. In opposing ourselves to their forces, we shall only compleatly ruin our own.
“We should take the field with a bold stroke. It should seem for some time past, as if our ministers were paid by the English government, to go into all the snares that were laid for them. It is only necessary that the court of London chalk out a plan, for that of Versailles to follow them. This bold stroke is to enter into alliance with Spain, and invade Portugal provisionally. The Portuguese are allies of the English, and this is a sufficient plea to conquer them: I say this is sufficient, for princes have long since thought they had no occasion for a pretext to makewar: it was only necessary that an invasion favoured their designs.
“That kingdom is easy to invade; Portugal has neither armies nor officers, for we should not consider as soldiers, a few natives badly disciplined, who never saw fire, and commanders that never served. Some months must elapse before the English can send them troops and generals. Lisbon will be taken before the English fleet can set sail to defend it.
“Portugal being once in the hands of the French, the English will attempt nothing; or else at the peace, they will give up every thing.
“To form a judgment of the importance of this invasion, the advantages which Great Britain derives from Portugal should be considered.
“All Europe knows that this kingdom has no manufactures, and that theEnglish furnish the Portuguese not only with every thing which promotes their luxury, but even their physical wants. Forty thousand artizans, in every kind of trade, are constantly at work for them. Portugal maintains forty thousand of King George’s subjects. These contribute to the support of an equal number of other citizens; and as this primitive industry is the source of infinite subordinate species of it, the interruption given to these manufactures would occasion a diminution in the general circulation.
“Eight thousand merchantmen sail every year from the river Thames to enter the Tagus; twenty thousand English sailors are therefore supported by this single branch of commerce.
“The mines of Brazil produce annually fresh riches for England, whichare the more advantageous, as they furnish that nation with the means of purchasing alliances, and paying subsidies. It is partly with the gold of Portugal that Great Britain maintains her fleets, and raises armies.
“It is true that the riches of Portugal are in America, and that the English fleets might possess themselves of the mines; but the English would not derive great advantage from this conquest.
“The extraction of gold is a manufacture that must be rendered profitable, to draw advantages from it: and this capacity is not the lot of every one. The Portuguese, naturally sober, and who have but few wants, can alone derive these advantages from it; the English, with whom labour is much dearer, would be losers by it. Great Britain, instead of being enriched,would be impoverished by the mines.
“It is a general rule, that mines always ruin their proprietors, as Spain and Portugal evince, which are continually impoverished in proportion as their mines become fruitful. The only nations that are thereby enriched, are those who barter their industry for the produce.
“The invasion of Portugal would make a change in all the systems of Europe. It would cause a general revolution in cabinets. The face of affairs in Germany would be entirely altered. The King of Prussia would change his plans. The Belligerant powers, who are preparing for a certain war, would be obliged to carry on another, which would greatly distress many powers.
“France by this first cast would save great armies, and still greater sums.Portugal would be no sooner taken, than the English would set about re-taking it: this war, which would at once entirely occupy them, would divert them from any other.
“The English ministry are prepared for every thing, except the invasion of Portugal. They have planned all their operations for the German war, and that in America; but no steps are taken for the defence of Portugal.
“But this expedition should be equally secret as speedy: these form the soul of success. The greatest part of our operations miscarry, because they are tardy and public. The enemy is almost constantly acquainted with our designs the very instant that they are projected: this is the certain means of rendering them abortive. The English, it is true, are not prepared to oppose this invasion; but if they gaintimely notice of it, they will set aside some other plans to prevent this. Expedition and penetration are, we know, the two characteristic qualities of that government.
“The court of Madrid should be made acquainted with this scheme by an extraordinary courier, and their assistance requested; or, we should rather propose giving up Portugal to them, after the invasion.
“If the court of Madrid has hitherto refused entering into alliance with France, it was because an expensive war was proposed to them, which offered nothing but charges without conquest: but when we propose giving them, as the fruit of their alliance, a kingdom at hand, and to which they pretend having ancient claims, they will not hesitate a moment.
“The troops that are in Rousillon, Languedoc, and Provence, should be forwarded by degrees nearer and nearer; the marching of those that are more distant would discover the project.”
Endof theSecond Volume.
FOOTNOTES:[A]The Thesis of the Abbé Prade.[B]We did not know that the magistrate first brought the Sorbonne back to their duty, and awakened the zeal of the pastors, who slept in tranquility by the side of the wolf.[C]The features of this portrait were certainly drawn for the late Duke of Orleans, to whom, we are assured, the archbishop refused the sacraments. If this be true, who dare think himself worthy of aspiring to this favour?
FOOTNOTES:
[A]The Thesis of the Abbé Prade.
[A]The Thesis of the Abbé Prade.
[B]We did not know that the magistrate first brought the Sorbonne back to their duty, and awakened the zeal of the pastors, who slept in tranquility by the side of the wolf.
[B]We did not know that the magistrate first brought the Sorbonne back to their duty, and awakened the zeal of the pastors, who slept in tranquility by the side of the wolf.
[C]The features of this portrait were certainly drawn for the late Duke of Orleans, to whom, we are assured, the archbishop refused the sacraments. If this be true, who dare think himself worthy of aspiring to this favour?
[C]The features of this portrait were certainly drawn for the late Duke of Orleans, to whom, we are assured, the archbishop refused the sacraments. If this be true, who dare think himself worthy of aspiring to this favour?