This would indeed have been a very simple course, had the end of all his politics been to effect a revolution in our island and to reign there.

But he had in view an ulterior end which could be attained only by the help of princes sincerely attached to the Church of Rome.

He was desirous to unite the Empire, the Catholic King, and the Holy See, with England and Holland, in a league against the French ascendency.

It was therefore necessary that, while striking the greatest blow ever struck in defence of Protestantism, he should yet contrive not to lose the goodwill of governments which regarded Protestantism as a deadly heresy.
Such were the complicated difficulties of this great undertaking.
Continental statesmen saw a part of those difficulties; British statesmen another part.

One capacious and powerful mind alone took them all in at one view, and determined to surmount them all.