I told you that in William’s reign it was wisely settled by law that the Scotch should do as they chose about their religion; and that wise king saw that it would be better for both nations if they could be so united as to have but one parliament; and if he had lived longer, he meant to make this union. After his death Queen Anne and her friends were wise enough to desire the same thing; but it was several years before the Scotch and English people would agree to it. At last, however, it was settled; and now the Scotch must wonder that they ever thought it a bad thing. Since that time they have been equal in everything with England. They keep their own religion and laws, as well as the English; and when new laws are made, they are contrived to be fit for both countries; or, if they will only suit one, then they are made on purpose for the people in that one. As there are plenty of Scotch lords and gentlemen, as well as English, in the parliament, they are always ready to take care of their own country, which is right. Although Queen Anne and her ministers were busy about this union of Scotland with England, they were obliged to attend to what the French, under their ambitious king, Louis the Fourteenth, were about. They had begun to attack the Protestants again, in so many ways, before King William died, that there was likely to be a war; and now he was dead, Louis thought there was no country in Europe strong enough, or with a good soldier enough, to fight him, or prevent his conquering as many countries as he pleased. But he was mistaken. The English were as much determined in Queen Anne’s time as in King William’s to prevent Louis from forcing upon them a Popish king and from oppressing the Protestants; and Queen Anne possessed in the Great Duke of Marlborough a far more skilful general than William had ever been. Indeed King William in the last year of his life intended to give him the command of the whole army, for he thought he should be too ill to command it himself. The English had a great many fine ships too, and Queen Anne’s husband, Prince George of Denmark, was admiral. So England was quite ready for war against King Louis, and the people and parliament were ready to give the queen all the money she wanted to pay the soldiers and sailors. Besides this, the Dutch were glad to fight on our side, as well as some of the princes in Germany; and another firm ally of the English was Prince Eugene of Savoy, who was Queen Anne’s cousin, and was almost as good a general as the Duke of Marlborough.