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4 TRAVELS
&
of glory. Had England continued in her views, the king of
Sweden might have been tempted to proceed farther. The rul-
ing paffion, however, of Guftavus, his fecret preference of his
own fame to the well-being of his kingdom, was feen even in the
courfe of a few months after the pacification of Wenfla: for he
then engaged in vigorous preparations for an invafion of Rance!
than which the march of Charles XII. towards Mofcow in order
to dethrone the Czar, was not more romantic. There is not a
doubt but Guftavus III. would have difplayed on the frontier of
France all the courage and firmnefs of Charles XII. at Narva or at
Bender: but how does fuch prowefs, even when moft fuccefsful,
fade and decay when compared with the well-directed and well-
tempered military fkill and bravery of a prince like Henry IV. of
France, who neither continued the war againft Auftria longer
than the fecurity of his crown and kingdom required, nor formed
any new defigns until he was compelled to do fo by the infatiable
ambition and reftlefs intrigues of his powerful antagonifts.* Per-
fonal courage, though refpectable, is no uncommon quality. In the
eye of found moral criticifm this virtue then only receives a bright
luftre when it is employed in a juft and honourable caufe. This
maxim indeed may be thought too obvious to be repeated; but
common as it is in theory, it 1s by no means fo generally adopted
in practice as the good of mankind would require. It cannot
* At the time of his affaffination he had prepared to take the field in perfon
againft the Auftrians, in which his ultimate objeé&, there is every reafon to be-
lieve, was not only to fecure the independency of France, but the rights of all
other Kuropean powers.
Z ry
therefore
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