This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1797 Excerpt: ...it must happen) on the more or less inclination of that balance. This general balance was regarded in four principal points of view: --the Great Middle Balance, which comprehended Great Britain, France, and Spain; the Balance Of The North; the Balance, external and internal, of Germany; and the Balance Of Italy.. In all those systems of balance, England was the power to whose custody it was thought it might be most safely committed. France, as (he happened to stand, secured the balance, or endangered it. Without question she had been long the security for the balance of Germany, and under her auspices the system, if not formed, had been at least perfeded. She was so in some measure with regard to Italy, more than occasionally. She had a clear, interest in the balance of the North, and had endeavoured to preserve it. But when we began to treat with the present France, or more properly to prostrate ourselves to her, and to try if we should be admitted to ransom our allies, upon a system of mutual conceffioa and compensation, we had not one of the usual facilities. For first, we had not the smallest indication of a desire for peace on the part of the enemy; but rather rather the direct contrary. Men do not make sacrifices to obtain what they do not desire: and as for the.balance of power, it was so far from being admitted by France either on the general system, or with regard to the particular systems that I have mentioned, that in the whole body of their authorized or encouraged reports and discussions upon the theory of the diplomatic system, they constantly rejected the very idea of the balance of power, and treated it as the true cause of all the wars and calamities that had afflicted Europe: and their practice was correspondent to the dogmatick positions th.