Page:Historyoffranc00yong.djvu/184

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f6o HISTORY OF FRANCE. [citap. to treat Madame de Pompadour as a friend. On the other side of his dominions, the King of Prussia was threatened by Elizabeth, Empress of Russia, and by Augustus, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, whose queen was a daughter of the Emperor Joseph. He was thus hemmed in on all sides by an alliance of women, and England was his only ally. This was the time when Frederick showed his great military genius in contending against so many enemies. His great victory over the French was that of Rossbach in 1757. But between Eng- land and France the war was chiefly carried on in distant parts of the world, where, in 1759, Canada was conquered by the English and various successes won by them in other parts. In the latter part of this war the minister of Lewis, or rather of Madame de Pompadour, was the Duke of CJioiseul. In 1761 he formed the Fapi ily Coni- pact between all the branches of the House or"Bourbon,^ those of France, Spain, the Sicilies, and Parma. This treaty was concluded with King Charles III. of Spain, the same who had reigned in the Sicilies. About the same time the ministers of the new King of England, George TIL, were inclined to peace, and a new Emperor of Russia, Peter III, was a special admirer of the King of Prussia, and at once made peace with him. Thus things were gradually tending to peace, and in 1763 peace was made by all the contending powers. By the Treaty of Paris between England and France, P" ranee gave up all claim to Canada, Nova Scotia, and Cape Breton, but kept Louisiana, with the Mississippi for a boundary. But this she engaged by a secret treaty to give up to Spain. France kept nothing else on the North American coast, except a few small islands for the benefit of her fishermen. Thus England became the great power in North America, and room was made for the growth of the United States. In the West Indies France re- ceived again some of the islands which had been taken by the English ; but England kept Grenada, St. Vincent, Domenica, and Tobago. In India France kept only her old commercial settlements, all the conquests made since 1749, when the war began between the two companies were given up. Thus in India as well as in America all hope of the chief power passed away from France. On the continent of Europe also she gained nothing. Lorraine, as we have seen, became finally joined to France in 1766, and in 1769 the island of Corsica was added to the French