[The Prose Works of William Wordsworth by William Wordsworth]@TWC D-Link book
The Prose Works of William Wordsworth

PREFACE
306/1026

Do not deem me presumptuous when I say that it is pitiable to hear Lord Grenville talking as he did in the late debate of the inability of Great Britain to take a commanding station as a military Power, and maintaining that our efforts must be essentially, he means exclusively, naval.

We have destroyed our enemies upon the Sea, and are equally capable of destroying him upon land.

Rich in soldiers and revenues as we are, we are capable, availing ourselves of the present disposition of the Continent, to erect there under our countenance, and by a wise application of our resources, a military Power, which the tyrannical and immoral Government of Buonaparte could not prevail against, and if he could not overthrow it, he must himself perish.

Lord G.grudges two millions in aid of Portugal, which has eighty thousand men in arms, and what they can perform has been proved.
Yet Lord G.does not object to our granting aid to a great Military Power on the Continent if such could he found, nay he begs of us to wait till that fortunate period arrives.

Whence does Lord G., from what quarter does he expect it?
from Austria, from the Prussian monarchy, brought to life again, from Russia, or lastly from the Confederacy of the Rhine turning against their Creator and Fashioner?
Is the expectation of the Jews for their Messiah or of the Portugueze for St.
Sebastian more extravagant?
But Lord G.ought to know that such a military POWER does already exist upon the Peninsula, formless indeed compared with what under our plastic hands it may become, yet which has proved itself capable of its giving employment during the course of three years to at least five hundred thousand of the enemy's best troops.


<<Back  Index  Next>>

D-Link book Top

TWC mobile books