Russia has, during the present age, suffered no reduction of her territory, but has proceeded in a regular course of acquisition. Her power, though less colossal than is vulgarly supposed, has received a substantial addition by the acquisition of Finland and of the chief part of Poland. Two-thirds of what once was Prussian Poland, and a part of Ga licia, were formed in 1815 into a kingdom, the crown of which is worn by the Czar.
Prussia, on the other hand, has exhibited a striking example of the mutability of political greatness. Raised by the talents of Frederick II. to a rank a bove her real strength, but making, after his death, Successive additions to her territory by the dread of her arms, and by diplomatic combinations, she saw the whole overturned by Bonaparte in one fatal cam paign. From 1807 to 1818 her dominions continued circumscribed, and her population hardly exceeded six millions. But the arrangements of 1814 restored to her a third of Russian Poland, and a valuable tract of country on the Lower Rhine; and her po pulation is now, as in 1806, above ten millions.
Of her colonial conquests from France, England retained Tobago, St Lucie, and the Isle of France. The peace confirmed also our possession of Malta and the Cape. Of the other Dutch settlements, Su rinam and Java were restored ; but Demerara, Ber bice, and Essequebo, containing a number of British settlers, were retained ; the merchants of Holland, however, enjoying certain privileges of trade with these colonies. On the Continent of Europe, we ef fected an important and long desired measure, the union of the seven Dutch and ten Belgic provinces into one kingdom. The latter, in their detached state, presented too tempting an object for France, and would have proved the cause of repeated wars, in which England, from her interest in the independ ence of Holland, and her dread of invasion, could hardly fail to participate.
The losses of Denmark rank among the most painful consequences of the wars of the French Re volution. To strip that pacific and inoffensive king.. dom, first of its navy and next of a kindred country, governed by the same sovereign during 400 years, were acts that called for the regret and condemnation of every unprejudiced observer. The transfer of Norway was opposed by the inhabitants, and, we add with regret, that our navy was ordered to take part against them by blockading their ports. At last all
was terminated by a convention pronouncing the union of Sweden and Norway under the same so vereign, the latter retaining her separate constitu tion. Pomerania was transferred from Sweden to Prussia, and Denmark received a small territory to the south of Holstein.
Sweden had enjoyed during many years the ad vantage of neutrality, and, like Denmark, increased gradually her shipping and trade. Deviating from this in 1805, and becoming a party to the coalition against France, she was saved from hostilities by the rapid overthrow of Austria ; and Pomerania was not attacked until 1807, when Gustavus IV. chose to refuse peace at the time when he had not the sup port of a single continental ally. This and other acts of madness led to his deposition in 1809 ; and the year after Europe saw with surprise the nomina tion of Bernadotte as the efficient head of the Swe dish government. This choice, attributed at first to the interference of Bonaparte, was due (Memoirs of Madame de Steel, Vol. III. Chap. iv.) to the personal exertions of Bernadotte himself. The acquisition of Norway, and the introduction into Sweden of va rious improvements by an active minded foreigner, are advantages of magnitude, and calculated to form some counterpoise to the loss of Finland, and the in creased danger from Russia.
Spain and Portugal preserved their territory un altered; both had received rude shocks from the in vader, -but in both the reign of superstition and in dolence seemed so firmly fixed as to bid defiance to political change, whether introduced by mild or harsh means. The events of 1820, however, have shown, that in Spain there exists that sense of the abusive nature of their institutions, and that desire of reform which in France, produced the Revolution.; while in Portugal, results, eventually favourable, may be ex pected from the continued absence of a bigoted court.
Switzerland, without being made a province of France, had been obliged Io furnish a military con tingent in the wars of Bonaparte. The arrangements of 1814 maintained her as a federal state, but with 19 cantons instead of 13 ; an increase derived, not from extended territory, but from the independent form acquired by certain districts (such as the Pays de Vaud) incorporated formerly with the original cantons.