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droit de demander une barrière considérable (a considerable Barrier) défendant son territoire en Europe contre l'Espagne et, quel que soit le dédain avec lequel les ministres fran çais ont cru devoir traiter les Portugais, ils n'en doivent pas moins respecter cette prétention qui a pour base le traité de 1703 et que la reine a faite sienne par les enga gements qu'elle a pris vis-à-vis du Portugal. Le Portugal a renoncé à cette barrière par gain de paix et se conten tera de la promesse de la F r a n c e et de l'Espagne de res pecter sa sécurité ; l'Angleterre veillera à l'exécution de cet engagement. D e fait, aucune attaque ne pourrait en Europe être dirigée contre le Portugal sans que l'Angle terre ne la repoussât immédiatement.
of G r e a t Britain will not be almost as much at hand to oppose, as F r a n c e or Spain can be to c a r r y it on ; but in Brazil the case is not the same. T h e F r e n c h have there slided themselves into the neighbourhood of the Portuguese, they are every day starting new pretensions and making new encroachments upon them ; the Queen is at a distance, and those feeble illgoverned Colonies may be overrun, before the news of their being attacked will arrive in London. Nothing, therefore, can be more just than tor the Queen to expect that, in consideration of what she yields (for that expression may be properly used) in Europe, F r a n c e should yield something in A m e r i c a . F a r t h e r the navigation of the R i v e r of the Amazons cannot but give umbrage even to the Spanyards. W h o e v e r is informed of the freshest accounts which have come from those parts, and of the latest discoverys which have been made, will easily perceive what reasons the Spanyards must have for their appre hensions. In short, my L o r d , the source of the R i v e r must belong to the Spanyards and the mouth of it to the P o r t u g u e s e ; and neither the F r e n c h , nor the English, nor any other Nation, must have an avenue open into that Countrey. I am almost ashamed to have used so many words upon this subject, when I consider that I am arguing against an Advantage purely notional, when I am not proving that the F r e n c h ought to give up what they have had an actual possession of, but am barely desiring them to forego that which they never enjoy'd but in idea », R . B . I I , p. 460—462.