Memoir of the life of John Law of Lauriston

OF LAURISTON. 81
views of the crown, and to make all Europe
depend on France, or to crush those that stand
in the way.
" I come now to take notice of another thing
to you, which, in my opinion, is very much to
be minded, and that is the spirit, behaviour,
and discourse of the man whom, from hence-
forth, you must look upon as the first minis-
ter, and that is Mr. Law. He in all his dis-
course pretends he will set France much
higher than ever she was before, and put her
in a condition to give the law to all Europe ;
that he can ruin the trade and credit of Eng-
land and Holland whenever he pleases ; that
he can break our bank whenever he has a
mind ; and our East India Company.* He
said publicly the other day at his own table,
when Lord Londonderry was present, that
there was but one great kingdom in Europe,
and one great town, and that was France and
Paris. He told Pitt that he would bring
down our East India stock, and entered into
articles with him to sell him, at twelve months
* The reader will observe the similarity between these
expressions, and the boastings of Bonaparte in the ple-
nitude of his power.