classes of society, and lent their aid to others who aimed at nothing less than the utter subversion of the Government. But through the energy of our king, and of those who administered his government, God in his infinite mercy preserved us : and we have lived to see the day when almost all who were so deluded have seen their error, and been led to regard the constitution of tin's country as the most perfect of any upon earth.]
2. The mutiny of the fleet —
[Time was, when the dissatisfaction so industriously che- rished and diffused by traitors within our own bosom, and spread, by means of corresponding committees, over the whole land, had reached even that class of men who in all former ages had been the boast and glory of their country, the sailors in our fleet. Many of these broke forth into open mutiny, and threatened to carry our ships, which were the bulwark of the nation, to the ports of our enemies. Such a blow as that would have destroyed us utterly : but the same kind Providence which had watched over us on so many other occasions, inter- posed to rescue us from the impending calamity, and to restore amongst our fleet that union and energy which have rendered it triumphant in every quarter of the globe.]
3. The threatened invasion —
[What immense preparations were made by our enemies to invade us, and what little preparation there was on our part to oppose them, cannot have escaped from our remembrance. True it is, that we were powerful by sea ; and that considera- tion it was which kept the enemy in check : but had not their forces been called off" to other encounters, there can be no doubt but that they would have attempted to invade us ; and, if they had succeeded in landing only two thirds of the forces which they might have brought against us, there can be no doubt but that they would have seized and plundered the metropolis, and spread desolation and misery over the whole country. We all know what destruction they threatened us withb; and, could they have once overrun our country, they would have reduced us to such a state of subjection as Israel experienced, when the Philistines suffered them not even to retain a workman in their land, who should be able to fabricate arms for their defence. Not a dock, or a naval architect, would have been left in our land.]
4. The overthrow of the Russian empire — [Already had the whole of Europe been combined against
us, and we were constrained to array ourselves against their united force. But the insatiable ambition of our great enemy raised up opposition at last from amongst his own allies, and gave us an opportunity of engaging him in a foreign land,
b " Delenda est Carthago !" was their universal cry.
c c 2