He went with the heretical William
III. England, indeed, has been the bulwark of the German Hapsburgs on
many occasions, and has saved them on more than one occasion from
overthrow; and she did her best to aid even the Spanish branch in its
last years, and then exerted herself to secure that branch's possessions
for its relations at Vienna. It was English military genius that saved
the Emperor Leopold I. from destruction.[30] When most of Continental
Europe showed itself hostile to the Austrian house after the death of
Charles VI., England was the fast friend of Maria Theresa, his daughter,
and aided her to get over difficulties that seemed about to overwhelm
her; and it was the fault rather of Austria than of England that the two
countries did not act together in the Seven Years' War, when England
was, as it were, forced into the Prussian alliance, and helped Frederick
win his astonishing victories. Austria came out of that memorable
contest without having accomplished the purpose for which she entered
it; but she had displayed great power during its course, and in the last
half of the reign of the empress-queen, her reputation stood very high.
Joseph II., though he declared that he had failed in everything,
impressed himself very powerfully on the European mind, and was counted
a great sovereign.
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