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Essays On Subjects Connected With History And Classical Learning.
ESSAYS ON SUBJECTS CONNECTED WITH HISTORY AND CLASSICAL LEARNING .
No . ir . OX THE CHARACTER OF KINO WILLIAM THE THIRD .
[ CONCLUDED FHOM OUR LAST , ] HPHE motives of William ' s conduct may , in some measure , be in-¦ ^ ferred from the end he had in view ; and the end he had in view be sometimes deduced from the motives by which he was actuated . Nor is this reasoning in that logical circle , in which the sophist will . frequently entangle himself , but reasoning founded upon a strict observation of life and nature : for the motives , we shall inferare from
, ends that are confessed and allowed ; and the ends we shall deduce from motives , are from such as are previously acknowledged . And first , I think that that , which both his friends aud enemies agree to have been the grand object of his life , carries with it a strong presumption of the motives by " which he was actuated . Human nature is incapable of the energies which William displayed against the
restless ambition of Louis , if not prompted to exertion by stronger motives than those cf pique or prejudice . Even influenced by the purest principles of patriotism , anel the most thorough detestation of tyranny , few men could have born with the embarrassments and insults ¦ to which William submitted , or supported the labours and the dangers which he surmounted . A virtuous patriotism , aided by a
powerful sense of the approbation or heaven , coula alone have enabled a man of the greatest fortitude to submit to the distresses to which he subjected himself b y resistance . We infer , therefore , from this fact , and we infer it boldly , that William ' s opposition to the arms of Louis arose chiefly from tlie purest principles of patriotism—front the most fervent attachment to liberty . His speech to the congress at the Hagueis truly characteristic of his geniusand declaratory of
, , the generosity of his mind . ' Remember , ' said he , ' that it is not now a time to deliberate , but to act ; you mustsnatch t ' ic liberties of Europe from the grasp of the monarch of France , or submit for ever to his yoke .- ' And this principle being once discovered , we have ari ght to conclude , that it was at least one of the chief motives for his infyference in the affairs of England . Without a junction with England
, the league of Augsburg )! would have been unable to defeat tlie efforts of France ; and her assistance could never be expected , while ? James claimed the power of indulging his own political prepossessions . * . This , anel no other , is a complete solution of some seeming -improprieties of conduct , and some appearances of incongruity in the subsequent parts of his reign . The generosity of his religious prin-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Essays On Subjects Connected With History And Classical Learning.
ESSAYS ON SUBJECTS CONNECTED WITH HISTORY AND CLASSICAL LEARNING .
No . ir . OX THE CHARACTER OF KINO WILLIAM THE THIRD .
[ CONCLUDED FHOM OUR LAST , ] HPHE motives of William ' s conduct may , in some measure , be in-¦ ^ ferred from the end he had in view ; and the end he had in view be sometimes deduced from the motives by which he was actuated . Nor is this reasoning in that logical circle , in which the sophist will . frequently entangle himself , but reasoning founded upon a strict observation of life and nature : for the motives , we shall inferare from
, ends that are confessed and allowed ; and the ends we shall deduce from motives , are from such as are previously acknowledged . And first , I think that that , which both his friends aud enemies agree to have been the grand object of his life , carries with it a strong presumption of the motives by " which he was actuated . Human nature is incapable of the energies which William displayed against the
restless ambition of Louis , if not prompted to exertion by stronger motives than those cf pique or prejudice . Even influenced by the purest principles of patriotism , anel the most thorough detestation of tyranny , few men could have born with the embarrassments and insults ¦ to which William submitted , or supported the labours and the dangers which he surmounted . A virtuous patriotism , aided by a
powerful sense of the approbation or heaven , coula alone have enabled a man of the greatest fortitude to submit to the distresses to which he subjected himself b y resistance . We infer , therefore , from this fact , and we infer it boldly , that William ' s opposition to the arms of Louis arose chiefly from tlie purest principles of patriotism—front the most fervent attachment to liberty . His speech to the congress at the Hagueis truly characteristic of his geniusand declaratory of
, , the generosity of his mind . ' Remember , ' said he , ' that it is not now a time to deliberate , but to act ; you mustsnatch t ' ic liberties of Europe from the grasp of the monarch of France , or submit for ever to his yoke .- ' And this principle being once discovered , we have ari ght to conclude , that it was at least one of the chief motives for his infyference in the affairs of England . Without a junction with England
, the league of Augsburg )! would have been unable to defeat tlie efforts of France ; and her assistance could never be expected , while ? James claimed the power of indulging his own political prepossessions . * . This , anel no other , is a complete solution of some seeming -improprieties of conduct , and some appearances of incongruity in the subsequent parts of his reign . The generosity of his religious prin-