Aquitain and Poictou was immediately after married to Henry Duke of Normandy afterwards King of England the second of that Name who by this Match annexed these fair Countries to the Crown of England In fine having been kept in a continual alarm by his petty Vassals but especially by Henry II. King of England He died in the Year 1180. § 7. His Son Philip II. sirnamed Augustus or the Conquerour was at first engaged in a War against Henry II. King of England from whom he took several considerable places which however he restored afterwards to his Son Richard with whom he enter'd into a League to retake Jerusalem from the Saracens pursuant to which both the Kings went thither in Person with a considerable Force But a Jealousie arising betwixt these two Kings nothing was done worth mentioning for Richard accused Philip that he had an ill design against him in Sicily in their Voyage besides that he had refused to consummate the before intended Match betwixt his Sister and Richard Wherefore as soon as Ptolemais had been taken by their joint Forces Philip under pretence of Sickness returned into France leaving only with Richard Hugh III. Duke of Burgundy with some Troops who envying Richard hinder'd the taking of the City of Jerusalem After his return from that unfortunate Expedition to the Holy Land he undertook a War against Richard which he also carried on against his Brother John wherein Philip had much the better of the English for he took from them Normandy the Counties of Anjou Maine Touraine Berry and Poictou He was very instrumental in deposing the Earl of Tholouse who because he had taken into his Protection the Albigenses was excommunicated by the Pope Philip also obtained a great Victory near Bouvines betwixt Lisle and Tournay against the Emperour Otho IV. who being joined with the Earl of Flanders attack'd him with an Army of 150000 Men whilst the King of England was to fall into France on the side of Aquitain This King was so successfull in his Wars against England that his Son Lewis was very near obtaining the Crown of England And tho' he was chased again out of England yet did he after his Father's Death pursue his Victories against the English in France taking from them among others the City of Rochelle But this Lewis VIII did not reign long for he died in the Year 1226 leaving for Successour his Son Lewis IX sirnamed the Holy during whose Minority his Mother Blanch of Castile had the Supream Administration of Affairs and tho' some of the Nobility raised great Troubles against her she subdued them all by her singular Prudence In the Year 1244 the City of Jerusalem was ransack'd by some Persians who called themselves Chorasmii Lewis being about the same time dangerously ill made a Vow That if he recovered he would undertake an Expedition against those Infidels which he afterwards perform'd But before his departure he issued out his Proclamation throughout the Kingdom intimating that whoever had received any damage by his Souldiers should have Restitution made him which was performed accordingly In this Expedition he took the strong City of Damiata but the overflowing of the River Nile hindered him from taking Grand Cairo After the River was returned to its usual Bounds he vanquish'd the Enemy in two Battels but they having receiv'd new Reinforcements cut off the Provisions from the French who were also extreamly pester'd with the Scurvy The King then resolv'd to retreat towards Damiata but in his March thither they attack'd him gave him a terrible overthrow and took him Prisoner yet released him again for a Ransom of 400000 Livres he being obliged to restore also to them the City of Damiata Thus he marched with the Remainders of his Army which from 30000 Men was moulder'd away to 6000 to Ptolemais where after he had given what Assistance he could to the Christians he at last returned home Under the Reign of this King France got first an Opportunity to intermeddle in the Affairs of Italy from whence yet this Kingdom never reapt any great Benefit Manfred natural Son of the Emperour Frederick II. having first kill'd King Conrad his Brother made himself King of Naples and Sicily But the Pope on whom this Kingdom depended as a Fief being dissatisfy'd with Manfred offer'd the same to Charles Earl of Anjou Brother of Lewis IV. King of France which he having accepted of was crowned at Rome with Conditon that he should pay to the Pope 8000 Ounces of Gold make a yearly Present of a White Horse as an acknowledgment and if he was chosen Emperour that he should not unite that Kingdom with the Empire the Pope being unwilling to have any one more powerfull than himself in Italy Charles thereupon vanquish'd Manfred and having murthered him and his Children took possession of the Kingdom The young Conradin Duke of Swabia came with an Army to recover the Kingdom which was his Inheritance from his Grandfather but having been overthrown in a Battel near the Lake of Celano was made a Prisoner and in the Year next following had his Head cut off at Naples upon the Instigation of the Pope who being ask'd by Charles What he had best to do with his Prisoner answer'd Vita Conradini mors Caroli Mors Conradini vita Caroli i. e. The Life of Conradin is the Death of Charles The Death of Conradin the Life of Charles And as by the Death of this young Prince was extinguish'd the Noble Race of the Dukes of Swabia so this Charles laid the first Pretensions of France to the Kingdom of Naples In the mean while King Lewis being not satisfy'd with his former unfortunate Expedition against the Infidels resolved to try again his Fortune against Tunis either because he found that this place lay very convenient for his Brother's Kingdom of Sicily or because he hoped thereby to open a way for the Conquest of Egypt without which all the Expeditions into the Holy Land were likely to prove ineffectual But in this Siege he lost a great part of his Army by Sickness and he died himself there in the Year 1270. From a younger Son of this Lewis IV. viz. from Robert Earl of Clairmont sprang the Bourbon Family which now sways the Scepter of France § 8. His Son Philip sirnamed the Hardy succeeded him under whose Reign that considerable Earldom of Tholouse was united to the Crown of France Alfonsus Son of Lewis IX who had married the only Heiress of this Country happening to die without Issue in an Expedition into Africa Under the Reign also of this King fell out the so much celebrated Sicilian Vespers whereby all the French were at one blow extirpated out of Sicily The Business was thus Some Frenchmen had ravish'd the Wife of John of Porchyta born at Salerno who enflam'd with Revenge did seek for Aid of Pieter King of Arragon hoping by his Assistance to drive Charles
Catalonians which they would in no ways consent to unanimously agreed to shake off the Castilian Yoak and secretly sounded the Inclinations of the Duke of Braganza As soon as he upon the perswasions of his Lady had reâ—olv'd to accept of the Crown they broke loose and surprising the Garrison in the City Palace and Fort seiz'd the Ships kill'd the Secretary of State Vasconcello who had carried himself very proudly among them and proclaimed the Duke of Braganza King under the Name of John IV. purging the whole Kingdom within eight days of the Castilians and that with the loss only of two or three persons Which may serve as a remarkable instance to convince the World how easily a Kingdom is lost where the Peoples Inclination is averse to the supream Head Thus the Spanish Monarchy received a great blow and its Power being distracted it could not act effectually on all sides They also lost Perpignan tho the French could not go further into Spain for the Prince of Conde besieged Lerida in vain In the Year 1641 the Prince Monaco driving the Spanish Garrisons out of his Territories put himself under the protection of France There also happen'd a most dangerous Rebellion at Naples the Head of which was a poor Fisherman whose Name was Massanello who might have put the whole Kingdom into a flame if the French had been at hand to give him timely assistance but by the prudent management of the Governour the Earl of Ognato the Tumult was appeased Spain then being forc'd to quench the flames on all sides it could not be so mindfull of Holland as the most remote having all hands full to resist the dangers threatning them nearer home And the Spaniards had the good fortune to reduce as we said before Catalonia under their Subjection and to chase the French out of Piombino and Porto Longone but the English took from them the Island of Jamaica in the West Indies At last France being re-established in its former Tranquility the Spaniards thought it most convenient to make Peace with that Crown Which was concluded betwixt the two great Ministers of State the Cardinal Mazarini and Don Lewis de Haro in the Pyrenean Mountains By vertue of which France got Roussilion and several considerable places in the Netherlands Spain having thus concluded a Peace with all the rest of its Neighbours it began in earnest to make War against Portugal The Spaniards therefore enter'd Portugal with a great Force taking from the Portugueses several places but were also at several places soundly beaten The Battel near Entremos where Don Juan and that near Villa Viciosa where Caracena received a fatal Defeat are most famous The obtaining of which two Victories on the Portuguese side is chiefly ascribed to the French General Schomberg Philip IV. died in the Year 1665. § 14. He had for his Successour his Son Charles II. a Child of four years of age who under the Tuition of his Mother negligently prosecuted the War against Portugal and at last by the Mediation of England was forc'd to make Peace with that Crown renouncing his right to the same because the French at that time made a grievous havock in the Netherlands For tho' Mary Teresia Daughter of Philip IV. at the time when she was married to the King of France had renounc'd all her right of Succession to her paternal Inheritance yet the French taking the opportunity of their flourishing condition and the decay'd state of Spain England also and Holland being engaged in a War with one another who would else not have left the Netherlands to be devoured by them they enter'd Flanders with a vast Army using among other things for a pretence that which in Brabant is called Jus devolutionis by which the real Estates of private persons fall to the Children born during the time of the first marriage as soon as the Father marries again The French took in this War without much resistance a great many considerable Cities and Forts viz. Charleroy Tournay Lisle Douay Oudenarde and some others they conquer'd also the whole Franche Compte which hastened the Peace betwixt England and Holland and occasioned the Tripple Alliance as it is called made betwixt England Sweden and Holland for the preservation of the Spanish Netherlands In the following Year France made a Peace with Spain at Aix la Chapelle restoring to Spain the Franche Compte but keeping what places he had taken in Flanders But when Holland in the Year 1672 was attack'd by the French Spain sided with the Dutch knowing that the loss of the Vnited Provinces must draw after it that of the Spanish Netherlands So it came again to an open War wherein at first Spain lost Burgundy The rebellious Messineses threw themselves under the protection of France but were afterwards deserted by them France also got Limburgh Conde Valencienne Cambray Ypres St. Omer Aeth and Ghent But a Peace was concluded at Nimmegen by virtue of which France kept the Franche Compte and most places taken in the Netherlands restoring only to Spain Limburgh Ghent Cortryck Oudenarde Aeth and Charleroy § 15. Having thus given a brief History of the Kingdom of Spain we will also add something concerning the Genius of the Spaniards and the extent of their Territories as also of the Strength and Weakness of this Kingdom and its Condition in reference to its Neighbours The Spanish Nation therefore is commonly esteem'd to be very wise and to take remote prospects throughly weighing a thing before it undertakes it Whereby nevertheless the Spaniards being overcautious and exact in their Counsels do often lose the opportunities of action Besides this the Spaniards are very constant to their Resolutions and tho' they fail once in an Attempt they will try their Fortune again endeavouring to overcome its frowns by their Constancy They are very fit for War and not only brave at the first attack but also will hold out till the last their sober way of living and spare Bodies make them fit to bear Hunger and Thirst and to be very watchfull But this the Spaniards are extreamly blamed for that they maintain their Gravity by high-flown Words and a proud Behaviour Tho' those that converse with them do declare that this Gravity which appears so odious is not so much the effect of their Pride as of a melancholy Constitution and an ill Custom they never being fond to converse much with Foreign Nations They are in general very zealous for the Roman Catholick Religion and abominate all others They are seldom fit for any Trade or Business where any hard labour is required such as Husbandry or any Handycraft Trades wherefore these are chiefly managed among them by Foreigners It is credibly reported That in Madrid alone there are above 40000 Frenchmen being for the most part Merchants Artists Handycrafts-men and Labourers who go under the Name of Burgundians
from thence to Constantinople Francis thought to have met now with a fair Opportunity because Charles had suffered a considerable loss before Algier He therefore attack'd the Emperour with five several Armies at once But the strongest of all which lay before Perpignan did nothing the Second took some Places in the Country of Luxemburgh The Emperour Solyman also made a great Diversion in Hungary taking Gran and some other Places The great Pyrate Barbarossa arriv'd in Prevence with his Fleet but did more mischief than good to France But Charles on the other hand made an Alliance with Henry VIII who was dissatisfy'd with Francis because he had taken part with the Scots and would not renounce his Obedience to the Pope He after he had beat the Duke of Cleves who depended on the French besieged Landrecy with a great Army but to no purpose In the mean time the French had obtain'd a most signal Victory over the Imperial Forces near Cerisolles in Piedmont But the King could not prosecute his Victory being obliged to recall his Troops because the Emperour and Henry King of England had made an Agreement with an Army of 80000 Foot and 22000 Horse to fall into France the first by the Way of Champagne the second by the Way of Picardy to join their Forces near Paris to ransack the City and all the adjacent Countries as far as to the River Loire The Emperour took by the Way Luxemburgh lay six Weeks before Disier got abundance of Provision in Espernay and Chasteau Thierry which put the whole City of Paris into a great Consternation and no small Danger seemed to threaten that City if King Henry had joined his Forces in time according to his Promise But he losing his Time in the Sieges of Boulogne and Monstrevil Charles hearkened to a Peace which was concluded at Crespy By vertue of this Peace all the Places were restored and the Emperour promised to the Duke of Orleans the second Son of the King either his or his Brother's Daughter in Marriage and to give for her Dowry either Milan or the Netherlands which was not performed because the said Duke died in the Year next following Francis also made a Peace with England under Condition that he should have liberty to redeem Boulogne for a certain Summ of Money He died in the Year 1547. § 18. Him succeeded his Son Henry II. to whom fell the Marquisate of Saluzze as a Fief of Dauphine the last Marquiss Gabriel dying without Issue He severely chastiz'd the City of Bourdeaux which had rebelled against him In the Year next following he redeemed Boulogne for a certain Summ of Money from the English In the Year 1551 the Emperour being engaged in a War against the Turks and the German Princes being very jealous of his Greatness Henry thought to have met with a fit Opportunity to break with him He began therefore in the Netherlands and Piedmont and having made an Alliance with Maurice Elector of Saxony he marched with his Army towards the Rhine and surpriz'd by the Way the Cities of Metz Toul and Verdun and would have done the same with Strasbourgh if they had not been upon their Guard there But the Elector of Saxony having made a Peace with the Emperour without including the King and some Princes intreating him not to advance farther into the Empire he marched back into the Country of Luxembourgh where he took some Places The Emperour then besieged Metz with an Army of 100000 Men but the Duke of Guise defended himself so bravely that the Emperour was obliged to raise the Siege with great loss To revenge this Affront he attack'd Terouëne in Artois with great Fury and rased to the Ground this Fortress which had proved hitherto so troublesome to the Netherlands The same he did to Hesdin both the Garrisons being put to the Sword On the other side the French took Siena in Italy and several Places in the Island of Corsica but were again beaten out of Siena after they had been maul'd near Marciano In the Year 1556 a Truce was concluded at Vaucelles near Cambray the Emperour being desirous to leave the Kingdom to his Son to whom he had surrender'd the same in Peace But the Truce was scarce confirm'd by Oath when the French upon the Instigation of Pope Paul IV. broke the same again who having some Differences with Spain persuaded Henry to take his part The Duke of Guise was therefore sent into Italy with an Army but did nothing worth mentioning In the mean time King Philip had gathered an Army of 50000 Men hoping thereby to establish his Reputation in the beginning of his Reign and having also drawn England into the War he besieged St. Quintin into which place the Admiral Gaspar Coligny had thrown himself The Constable Montmorency advanced with an Army to the Relief of the Place but retreating again in sight of the Enemies they fell upon him and gave him a terrible Defeat France had been then in the utmost danger if this Victorious Army had march'd directly towards Paris and if the Enemies Design upon Lyons had not miscarry'd But King Philip feared least the Duke of Savoy who commanded his Army might take this Opportunity to reconcile himself to France upon some advantageous Conditions wherefore he would not let him march on far into the Country but took St. Quintin by Storm and lost his Time in the taking of Han Chastelet and Noyon This gave leisure to the French to recollect themselves and having recall'd the Duke of Guise out of Italy they retook Calais and those few other places which remained under the English thereabouts as likewise Thionville in the Year 1559. In the same Year a Project was set on foot to unite the Kingdom of Scotland with France by a Marriage betwixt Queen Mary and the Dauphine Francis but the same miscarried no Children being born of them The Mareschal de Fermes who made an Inrode into Flanders was soundly beaten near Gravelingen At last a Peace was concluded at Chasteau en Cambresis which prov'd very pernicious for France because for the Castle of Cambray the Cities of Han Chastelet and St. Quintin there were not only 198 Places redeliver'd to Spain and the Duke of Savoy restor'd but also this Peace was partly the Occasion of those intestine Wars which afterwards miserably tore in pieces the Kingdom of France It was also resolv'd in France not to intermeddle any more in the Italian Affairs and to dissolve the Alliance with the Turks After this Peace was concluded Henry was kill'd in a Turnament a Splinter of a broken Lance having got into his Eye for the King had challeng'd the Earl of Montgomery to run against him with an open Vizier and as soon as he was wounded he lost both his Senses and Speech and died within eleven days By this Accident the Wedding which he celebrated for his Sister Margaret which was married to Chilibert
Years and the Church Benefices having been rather bestowed upon Favourites or such as payed well for them than such as deserved them furnished the Pope with a specious Pretence to make a Decree that it was not the Emperour 's right to bestow Bishopricks or other Church Benefices upon any Body but that it did belong to the Pope The Emperour was also summoned to appear at Rome and to give an Account concerning his Mis-behaviour and in case of failure he was threatened with an Excommunication On the other Hand the Emperour having declared the Pope unworthy of his Office would have deposed him So the Pope excommunicated the Emperour discharging all his Subjects from their Allegiance due to him which proved of such Consequence in those Times that all his Authority fell to the Ground at once among most of his Subjects whereby he was reduced to the greatest Extremity For most Princes assembled at Trebes where they deposed Henry which Sentence however was so far mitigated afterwards that the same should be left to the Pope's decision Henry therefore accompanied by a few was obliged to undertake a Journey in the midst of the Winter into Italy and being arrived at Canuâ—io was fain to stay three Days barefooted in a coarse Woollen Habit in the outward Court and in an humble posture to beg the Pope's Absolution which he at last granted him But the Emperour received no great Advantage by it for the Italians were quite disgusted at this Demeanour of his which obliged the Emperour to make use of his former Authority to reduce them to Obedience In the mean while the Princes of Germany by instigation of the Pope did elect Radolph Duke of Swabia their King but the Bavarians Franconians and the Countries next adjacent to the Rhine did remain in obedience of the Emperour Henry Thus a bloody War ensued wherein Radolph and the Saxons were vanquish'd in two battels and in the third he lost his right hand and life Then Henry call'd together an Assembly of the Bishops and having deposed Hildebrand he caused another to be chosen in his room He also return'd home himself and banish'd Hildebrand But the Saxons persisted in their Rebellion against the Emperour who was again Excommunicated by the Pope and having first set up Herman Duke of Luxenburgh and after his death Ecbert Marquess of Saxony for their Kings but to no purpose they at last stirr'd up the Emperors Son against the Father Against him the Emperour raised a great Army whom the Son met and in a deceitful manner begg'd his pardon Upon his perswasions the Father having abandon'd his Forces and being upon his Journey to the Dyet at Mayence accompanied by a few this antient Prince was made a Prisoner and Deposed He died soon after in great misery who in sixty two battels which he had fought in his life time generally obtained the Victory § 5. As soon as Henry V. was made Emperour he followed his Fathers example in maintaining the Imperial Dignity For as soon as he had settled the Affairs of Germany he marched with an Army towards Rome to renew the antient Right of the Emperours in nominating of Bishops and to be Crowned there The Pope Paschal II. having got notice of the Emperours design raised a great Tumult at Rome where the Emperour was so close beset that he was fain to fight in Person for his safety But the Emperour having got the upper hand made the Pope a Prisoner and forced him to give his consent to his demands And this their Agreement was confirmed by solemn Oaths and Execrations yet no sooner had the Emperour turn'd his back but the Pope having declared the Agreement void stirr'd up the Saxons and the Bishops in Germany against the Emperour With these Henry was engag'd in a very tedious War and perceiving at last that there was no other way left to compose these differences he granted the Popes demands by renouncing his Right to nominate Bishops at the Dyet held at Worms which resignation as it greatly diminish'd the Emperour's Authority so on the other hand it strengthened the power of the Pope This Emperour died without Issue Him succeeded Lotharius Duke of Saxony who had for a Rival in the Empire Cunrad Duke of Franconia whom he quickly oblig'd to beg fair Quarters This Emperour having twice undertaken an Expedition into Italy did with great Glory restore Tranquility to that Country and because he used to flatter the Pope he was in great esteem among the Clergy He died in the year 1138. After his death Cunrad III. obtained the Imperial Dignity who was opposed by Henry Duke of Saxony and Bavaria and his Brother Wulff which occasioned bloody Wars against him But peace being restored among them he undertook an Expedition into the Holy Land where he underwent great Calamities for tho he fought his way through the Saracens and arriv'd safely at Jerusalem yet after he had lost the greatest part of his Army without doing any thing of moment he was fain to return home But whilst he was busie in making preparations for another Expedition into Italy he died in the year 1252. § 6. Frederick I. succeeded him who by the Italians was Surnamed Barbarossa Duke of Swabia who immediately at the beginning of his Reign having setled the affairs of Germany did afterwards reduce Italy under his obedience which however was not of long continuance for the Milaneses quickly Rebell'd but were severely chastis'd their City having been laid level with the ground He was also in continual broils with the Pope against whom and his Associates he obtained several Victories yet being at last tired out with so many wars he made peace with him especially since his Son Otto had been taken Prisoner by the Venetians At the concluding of this Peace 't is said that Pope Alexander III. did set his foot upon the Emperours neck which by a great many is taken for a fable This Emperour was the last who maintained the Authority of the German Emperours in Italy Last of all he undertook an Expedition into the Holy Land against Saladin the Sultan of Egypt who had taken the City of Jerusalem He beat the Saracens several times but endeavouring to pass over a River in Cilicia on Horseback or as some will have it intending to wash himself in the River he was drowned And tho his Son Frederic after his Fathers death did take a great many Cities in Syria yet the whole Expedition had a very bad end the greatest part of the Army together with the Duke Frederick having been consumed by the Plague or Famin. Frederick was succeeded by his Son Henry VI. in the Empire who with his Lady Constantia got the Kingdoms of Sicily Calabria and Apuiia This Emperour went to Rome to receive the Crown from Pope Celestin when the Pope sitting in his Chair and the Emperour on his knees put first the Crown upon his head but immediatly struck the
he prosecuted with more patience than vigour He died in the year 1493. Him succeeded his Son Maximilian I. who had the good fortune by his Marriage with Mary the Daughter of Charles the Hardy Duke of Burgundy to annex the Netherlands to the House of Austria As he was very fickle in his undertakings so the success was generally answerable to it and various and his Wars with the Switzers and those in Italy against the Venetians had but a very indifferent end The chiefest thing of moment done by him is that whereas formerly all differences in Germany were decided by the Sword he reestablished the Peace of the Empire He died in the year 1519. § 13. Him succeeded his Grandson Charles V. King of Spain and Sovereign of the Netherlands under whose Reign the face of Affairs in Germany was remarkably changed which was occasioned by the Religious Differences set on foot about that time For the Pope had caused Indulgences to be sold here in so scandalous a manner that the wiser sort began to be asham'd of it Wherefore Martin Luther Doctor of Divinity and Professor in the University of Wittenbergh held a publick Disputation against it wh◠being opposed by others all the neighbouring Countries were alarm'd at it Luther at first did submit himself to the decision of the Pope but finding that he favour'd the Indulgence Merchants and that he was condemn'd by him he appealed to a free General Council and then began to go farther to examine the Popes Authority and having laid open some Errours and Abuses which were crept in among them his Doctrine was so approved of by some of the Princes and free Imperial Cities that they began to banish the Priests and Monks out of several places and to reduce their Revenues And tho the Emperour did declare Luther at the Dyet of Worms an Out-Law and endeavour'd by several Proclamations to put a stop to these Proceedings and Innovations nevertheless the Emperour being then engag'd in a war with France and therefore not in a capacity to apply himself in good earnest to the suppressing of this Division Luthers Party grew daily stronger Perhaps he was afterwards not very sorry to see the wound encrease that he might make the better benefit of the Cure there having been a Proclamation publish'd at the Dyet of Spiers which was in no ways agreeable to the Lutheran Princes they protested against the same from whence they are called Protestants In the year next following they delivered a Confession of their Faith to the Emperour at Augsburgh and entered into a Defensive Alliance at Smalkald which League was renewed in the year 1535. when a great many Princes and Free Imperial Cities were received into it This League made at Smalkald was a great eye-sore to the Emperour who used all means to dissolve the same But the Protestants who now began to trust to their own strength standing by one another the Hostilities began on both sides and the Protestants did bring into the Field an Army of 100000 Men under the Conduct of John Frederick Elector of Saxony and Philip Landgrave of Hesse If they had fal'n immediately upon the Emperour whose Forces were then not joined they might in all probability have worsted him but having lost the first opportunity the Emperour strengthen'd himself that he forced the Protestants to quit the Field and to disband their Forces He also caused a diversion to be given the Elector at home by his Kinsman Maurice which had such influence upon the Free Imperial Cities that they were oblig'd to submit themselves and to pay considerable Fines In the year next following the Emperour fell into Saxony and having defeated the Elector near Michlbergh took him prisoner against whom he pronounced sentence of Death which however he chang'd into an Imprisonment Philip Landgrave of Hesse having also submitted himself was contrary to agreement made a Prisoner whereby the Protestant Religion in Germany was reduc'd to great extremity The Electorat of Saxony was given to Maurice Duke of Saxony who at last being resolved not to permit any longer that both the Religion and Liberty should be quite destroy'd neither that his Wifes Father the Landgrave of Hesse who upon his Parole had surrendred himself to the Emperour should be detain'd a Prisoner fell so suddenly with his Forces upon the Emperour that he was very near having surprised his Person at Inspruck Henry II. King of France having also made an Inroad on the other side of Germany surprized Metz Tullie and Verdun King Ferdinand therefore the Emperours Brother interposing his Authority a Peace was concluded at Passau where their Religion was secured to the Protestants till matters could be better setled at the next ensuing Dyet The Landgrave was released as likewise John Frederick the Elector who was dismissed out of prison a little before by the Emperour At last the Religious Peace in Germany was establish'd at the Dyet at Augsburgh where it was provided that neither Party should annoy one another under the pretext of Religion and that such of the Church Lands and Revenues as the Protestants had been possess'd of before the Peace concluded at Passau should remain in their possession The Boors also in Germany raised a most dangerous Rebellion under the Reign of Charles V of whom there were kill'd above 100000. In the year 1529. the City of Vienna was besieg'd by Solyman the Turkish Emperour but to no purpose he being oblig'd to raise the Siege not without considerable loss And afterwards the Turks who were marching with a great Army into Austria were beaten back again In the year 1534. the Anabaptists were for erecting a new Kingdom in Munster in Westphalia under the Conduct of John a Taylor of Leiden and one Knipperdolling who receiv'd the dire Reward of their madness At last this great Prince Charles V. surrender'd the Imperial Dignity to his Brother Ferdinand I. King of Hungary and Bohemia who united these two Kingdoms to the House of Austria he having Married Anna Sister of Lewis King of Hungary and Bohemia who was slain in the battel fought against the Turks near Mohatz He Reign'd very peaceably in Germany and died in the year 1564. Him succeeded his Son Maximilian II. who also Reign'd in peace except that a Tumult happen'd at that time in Germany raised by one William Grumpach and his Associates who having first murther'd Melchior Zobel the Archbishop of Wartzburgh had plunder'd that City they also endeavour'd to stir up the Nobility and to raise disturbances in other places This man having been declar'd an Outlaw was protected by John Frederick Duke of Saxony who paid dearly for it Gotha one of his best strong Holds having been demolish'd and he himself taken Prisoner Maximilian died in the year 1576. Him succeded his Son Rudolph II. who Reign'd also very peaceably in Germany except that the
Hungarian Wars did now and then keep the Germans a little in exercise and that in the year 1609. the right of Succession in the Country of Juliers was brought in question At last his Brother Mathias Arch-Duke of Austria grew impatient to possess his Brothers Inheritance before his death to him Rudolphus surrender'd Hungary and Bohemia and at his death he left him his other Countries and the Imperial Crown § 14. Under the Reign of Matthias the ill Humours did so encrease by degrees in Germany that towards his latter days they caused violent Convulsions The origin of this war which lasted thirty years was this In the Religious Peace formerly concluded at Passau two Parties were only included viz. the Roman Catholicks and those who adher'd to the Augsburgh Confession the free exercise of Religion being forbidden to all others But some of the States of the Empire among whom the chiefest were the Elector Palatin and the Landgrave of Hesse Cassel having since that time receiv'd the Reform'd Religion commonly call'd the Calvinian the Roman Catholicks were against their enjoying the benefit of the Religious Peace These on the other hand alledged that they did belong as well as the rest to the Augsburgh Confession and that the whole difference did only consist in some few passages But the rest of the Protestants who strictly adher'd to the Words of the Augsburgh Confession were not for receiving them into the same Communion yet it was their opinion that they ought not to be prosecuted for the differences that were betwixt them But afterwards these controverted Articles were by the heat of the Priests explain'd in so different a manner that the name of a Calvinist became as odious to some Protestants as that of a Roman Catholick The Roman Catholicks taking hold of this opportunity caressed the old Protestants especially those in the Electorate of Saxony unto whom they represented the Calvinists as a Generation equally destructive to both Parties whereby they hop'd to disjoyn them from the rest and after they had destroy'd them to make the easier work with the rest of the Protestants These therefore of the Reformed Religion entered into a Confederacy for their common security into which there having been receiv'd a great many other Protestant Princes it was call'd the Evangelical Vnion In opposition to this Confederacy the Roman Catholicks made an Alliance among themselves which they call'd the Catholick League whose Head was the Duke of Bavaria a constant Rival of the Elector Palatin There happened also some other matters which had exasperated both Parties viz. that the Protestants had reduced a great many Church Revenues after the Peace at Passau that the Cities of Aix la Chapelle and Donawerth had been very hardly dealt withal and some other matters which were manifest proofs of the Animosities of both Parties against one another § 15. Both Parties being thus exasperated and prepared for War did administer fuel to that flame which quickly after broke out in the Kingdom of Bohemia The Bohemians pretended that the Emperour Matthias had taken from them their Privileges and having raised a Tumult did throw three Persons of Quality who spoke in the Emperours behalf out of the Castle Windows and immediatly after entered with an Army into Austria In the mean while Matthias dy'd whose Nephew Ferdinand who also succeeded him in the Empire the Bohemians had before his death received for their King but now under pretence that he had broken the Contract made betwixt him and the Estates had renounc'd Ferdinand and offer'd the Crown to Frederick Elector Palatin This young Prince was perswaded by some of his Friends who were of an unsettled Spirit and not diving deep enough into a business of such Consequence to accept of this offer before he had laid a foundation for such an undertaking For the Bohemians themselves were fickle and unfaithful Bethlem Gabor Inconstant England was not for medling in the matter Holland was very backward in giving assistance The Union which they chiefly rely'd upon was a Body with a great many Heads without vigour or any constant Resolution Besides this France did endeavour to dissolve this League as being not willing that the Elector Palatin and the rest of the Reform'd Religion should grow too potent for fear that in time they might afford their assistance to the Hugonots whose destruction was then in agitation at the French Court. In the beginning of this War the Affairs of Ferdinand look'd with an ill Aspect because Bethlem Gabor Duke of Transilvania fell into Hungary in hopes to become Master of that Kingdom and there were also great discontents among his Subjects in Austria but he having recovered himself by the Alliance made with the Duke of Bavaria the Elector Palatin lost with that unfortunate Battel fought on the white Hill near Prague at once all his former advantages For Ferdinand soon after reduc'd Bohemia Moravia and Silesia to obedience Spinola made an inroad into the Lower Palatinat which was deserted by the Forces of the League The Duke of Bavaria got the Vpper Palatinat and the Electoral Dignity The Elector of Saxony who had been very instrumental in reducing of Silesia had for his reward Lusatia in Fief of the Kingdom of Bohemia In the mean time the Marquess of Durlach Christian Duke of Brunswick the Earl of Mansfield and some others who were of the Elector Palatins Party march'd with their Armies up and down the Country and the Emperour under pretence of pursuing them sent his Forces into all parts of the Empire Against these the Circle of the Lower Saxony arm'd itself having made Christian IV. King of Denmark General of that Circle But he having receiv'd a great overthrow near Kings Lutter from Tilly the Imperial General the Emperour over-run all the Lower Saxony and having oblig'd King Christian to make Peace with him at Lubeck he began to get footing near the Coast of the Baltick § 16. The Emperour by this success being arrived to such a pitch of Greatness that he did not question but for the future to be absolute in Germany did publish a Proclamation enjoining the Protestants to restore to the Catholicks all such Church Lands or Revenues as were taken from them since the Peace made at Passau Under this pretence he hop'd quickly to subdue the rest of the Protestant Princes not questoning but that the Catholick Estates would easily be forc'd to submit themselves to his pleasure The Protestants 't is true enter'd into a Defensive Alliance at Leipsick but wiâ—hout any great prospect of success if Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweedland had not come to their assistance This King was induc'd to enter Germany partly because the preservation of his own State seem'd to depend on the Emperours not getting firm footing on the Baltick partly because several of the German Princes had crav'd his assistance partly also because the Emperour had assisted the
Exercise of the Christian Religion throughout his Kingdom His Son Harald was attack'd by the Emperour Otto I. from whom the Sea betwixt Jutland and Holland has got the Name of Otten Sound because the Emperour there threw in his Lance to mark the utmost Limits of his Expedition His Son Suen Otto came to the Crown in the year 980. who being taken Prisoner by the Jutins was redeem'd by the Women who gave their Gold and Silver Ornaments for his Ransom In recompence of which he granted them this Privilege that whereas they used only to have a small Portion in Mony out of their Fathers Inheritance they for the future should have an equal share with the Males He also Conquer'd a part of England and died in the year 1012. His Son Canut or Cnut II. surnamed the Great was King of Denmaâ—k Norway and England having Conquer'd the latter of these three by force of Arms tho England did not remain long under the subjection of the Danes for after his death Harald and only Hardiknut Reign'd in England after whose death the Danes were again chased out of England Besides this Magnus Son of S. Olaus King of Norway made himself Master of Denmark which Kingdom however after his death Sueno II. obtain'd but he was forc'd to fight for it against Harald Hardrode then King of Norway He died in the year 1074. Him succeeded his Sons Harald VII who Reign'd but two years and Canute IV. This King did give great Power to the Bishops in Denmark and granted the Tenths of all the Revenues of the Country to the Clergy At which the Jutes being exasperated slew him at Oden Sea but the Clergy as an acknowledgement of his Favours bestowed upon them placed him in the number of Saints and his memory was afterwards celebrated with full Cups at their Feasts by those who call'd themselves the Knutgylden from him His Brother Olaus IV. succeeded him who died in the year 1095. and after him Reigned his Brother Erick II. who took Jutin at that time a great City in Pomerania He died in the Ille of Cyprus in his Pilgrimage to Jerusalem § 2. After his death the whole Kingdom was in great Confusion especially when three at once fought for the Crown viz. Sueno III Canute VI and Waldemar I. These after they had waged wars together for many years did at last agree to divide the Kingdom into three parts but Canute having been assassinated by Sueno and Sueno again having been slain in a Battel against Waldâ—mar he got the whole Kingdom into his possession He subdued the Rugians and Vandals who had hitherto proved very mischievous to Denmark he also destroyed the City of Julin 'T is related that he laid the first Foundation of the City of Dantzwick and under the Reign of this King Absalom Bishop of Roshild first began to build the City of Copenhagen Waldemar died in the year 1182. Him succeeded his Son Canute VI. who waged great Wars against the Vandals and at last forced their Princes to be his Vassals taking upon himself the Title of King of the Vandals or Slaves He took from Adolf Earl of Holstein among other places the City of Hamburgh which however twenty seven years after did shake off the Danish Yoke He having also conquered Esthonia and Livonia the Christian Faith was established in these Countries by his means He died in the Year 1202. After him reigned his Brother Waldemar II. who at the beginning was a very fortunate and potent Prince and had under his Subjection besides Denmark the Countries of Esthonia Livonia Curland Prussia Pomerania Rugen Meckâ—enburgh Holstein Stormar Ditmarsen and Wagern as also the Cities of Lubeck and Lauenburgh But he lost a great part of them again by the following occasion Henry Earl of Swerin having undertaken a journey to the Holy Land had committed during his absence his Lady and Country to the care of Waldemar but having been informed after his return that the King had lived in Adultery with his Lady he to revenge this Affront took him Prisoner by stratagem and after he had kept him three years in prison dismist him making him pay for his ransom the sum of 45000 marks of fine Silver The Countries of Mecklenburgh and Pomerania and the Cities of Lubeck and Duntzwick taking hold of this opportunity revolted from Waldemar Adolf Earl of Shauenburgh took from him Holstein and Stormar the Knights of the Cross took Esthonia and Livonia And endeavouring to recover these Countries he was vanquished in a Battel fought near Bornhove by the Earl of Shauenburgh Yet he recovered Reval and Esthonia and died in the year 1241. § 13. His Son Erick V. succeeded him in the Kingdom tho he had also given some parts of it to his other Sons viz. to Abel Sleswick to Canute Bleckingâ—n and to Christopher Laland and Falster These were each of them for being Sovereigns in these Countries but Erick pretending that they ought to be his Vassals there were great Commotions in Denmark till Erick was miserably murthered by his Brother Abel and Abel after he had reigned two years was slain by the Friselanders and Ditmarsians Whom succeeded his Brother Christopher I. Aganist this King the Archbishop of Lunden raised abundance of Troubles and the King having imprisoned him he was by the rest of the Bishops and Clergy excommunicated and with him the whole Kingdom And at last the King was by them poisoned as 't is thought with the Host After him reigned his Son Erick VI. who was at Variance with the Bishops and engaged in Wars against Sweden and Norway at last he was taken Prisoner in a Battel by Erick Duke of Holstein and was barbarously murthered by some of the great Men of the Kingdom He left the Crown to his Son Erick VII who immediately in the first year of his Reign had great contests with the King of Norway who had given protection to to the Murtherers of his Father He also had some other Differences with some of the neighbouring States and died in the year 1319. Him succeeded his Brother Christopher II who got his Son crowned in his Life time This King was banished the Kingdom by his Subjects who under pretence of being oppressed with Taxes elected in his stead Waldemar Duke of Sleswick their King But they grew also quickly weary of him and recalled Christopher who afterwards in a battel fought against this Waldemar lost his Son Erick Under the Reign of this King Schonen being sorely oppressed by the Holsteiners who were in Possession of it surrendred itself to Magnus King of Sweden And John Duke of Holstein perceiving that he could not maintain it by force sold all his Right and Title to it for 70000 Marks fine silver Under the Reign of this King Denmark was torn into so many pieces that very few places were left to the King He died in the year 1333.
made at Calmar especially when he sent the most antient Swedish Records into Denmark which at last obliged the Swedes to take desperate Counsels The first Insurrection was made by the Dalekarls who being headed by a certain antient Nobleman in those parts called Engelbrecht Engelbrechtson besieged one of the King's Officers called Josse Erichson who had exercised great Tyranny over them in his Castle neither could they be appealed till he was deposed from his Office and another put in his place But this Calm did not last long for the Boors being again stirred up by Engelbrecht over-run all the neighbouring Country destroying with Fire and Sword all such as would not side with them and being joined by one Erick Pueâ—â— who headed the Northlanders they took a great many strongholds killing all the Foreigners they met withal whose seats they destroyed and at last forced the Senate of the Kingdom assembled at Wadstena to renounce their Allegiance to the King These intestine Commotions obliged King Erick to make Peace with the Holstâ—iâ—â—rs and the Hanse Towns and to turn all his Forces against the Swedes But his Fleet being for a great part destroyed by Storms he arrived with the rest at Stockholm but not being able to cope with so great a multitude as Engelbrocht had raised against him he was fain to make a truce with them for twelve Months In the mean while he retired into Denmark leaving only a Garrison of 600 Men in the Castle of Stockholm After his departure Engelbrocht was declared Generalissiâ—â— over all the Forces of the Kingdom who at last upon the perswasion of the Archbishop Cluf agreed to a Treaty to be set on foot betwixt the King and his Subjects where it was agreed that the Swedes should again acknowledge him for their King provided he would stand to the Union which the King at that time consented to reserving only to his free disposal the three Castles of Stockholm Calmar and Nycoping all the rest being to be committed to the Government of the Natives of Sweedland Thus things seemed to be restored to the antient State but no sooner had the King got the aforesaid Castles into his possession but he began to recede and having left a Garrison of 500 Men in the Castle of Stockholm retired upon a sudden into Denmark King Erick having thus left the Kingdom a second time the Swedish Senators who feared that he might soon return with a greater Force being assembled at Arboka called together the whole Nobility and a Burger-Master out of each City to consult about the present exigency of Affairs but before they could come to any steady resolution Engelbrecht by the assistance of some of the Citizens of Stockholm had made himself Master of that City and besieged the King's Lieutenant in the Castle The Treaty being thus broke of and the flame of Rebellion rekindled the Marshal Charles Cnutson was declared Governour and General of the Kingdom This was like to have occasioned great Disturbances if Engelbrecht who pretended to be injured by this Choice had not been first appeased with great Promises and afterwards murthered by one Benedict Suenson with whom he had an old quarrel But Erick Puâ—ke the chief Companion of Engelbrecht taking up his Friend's Quarrel against his Murtherers that were protected by Charles Cnutson it occasioned great Jealousies betwixt them The Castles of Stockholm and Calmar being also in the King's possession and some of the Chiefest of the Kingdom grown very jealous of the greatness of the Marshal the Treaty was renewed with the King at Calmar who came thither in Person and promised to put into all Offices and Places of Trust Natives of Sweden and having made Benedict Suenson Governour of the Castle of Calmar appointed an Assembly of the Senate and Nobility to be held in September following when he would be ready to surrender all the Strong-holds into the hands of the Native Subjects of Sweden But in the mean time the King in his Voyage from Gothland to Suderkoping was overtaken by a violent Tempest wherein most of his Ships having been lost he narrowly escaped drowing As soon as the Swedes got notice of this Misfortune not knowing whether the King was alive or dead it was resolved that the last Treaty made at Calmar should remain in Force Pursuant to this Decree the Marshal having partly by great Promises partly by Threats got into the possession of all the Castles of the Kingdom seemed to want nothing to accomplish his Designs but the Title of a King whereâ—t Erick Pueke being vexed to the Soul raised a great number of Boors against him who having defeated the Marshal and his Forces would quickly have put an end to his Greatness if he under pretence of reconciliation had not invited Erick Pueke to an interview and notwithstanding his Faith given sent him to Stockholm where he was beheaded In the mean while the Senators of the Kingdom having got notice that the King was alive appointed an Assembly to be held at Calmar where the King was to fulfil the former Treaty but the King not coming at the appointed time Commissioners were sent into Denmark to treat with him about the performance of the Agreement made at Calmar which he refusing to do they made an underhand League with some of the great Men in Denmark against King Erick the effects of which he felt soon after Whilest these things were transacting in Denmark the Marshal had by his cunning got the whole Power of the Kingdom into his hands and obtained from the Senate in Sweden to appoint a certain day for the King to appear in Sweden and put an end to those Differences that were then betwixt him and the Estates and in case of a refusal they renounced their Allegiance to him But the Archbishop Oluf and some of the Chief Men of the Kingdom that were dissatisfied at the Marshal's proceedings did so far prevail by their Authority that a General Assembly of all the Senators of the three Northern Kingdoms should be held at Calmar which in all likelihood might have had better Success than before if the Archbishop had not been poysoned in his Journey thither by the Marshal Notwithstanding this the rest of the Senators appeared at Calmar but the King's Commissioners refusing to acknowledge and to confirm the Treaty made at Calmar which the Swedes insisted upon the whole meeting proved fruitless In the mean time King Erick was retired with all his Treasure out of Denmark into Gothland and the Danish Senators who as well as the Swedes had been dissatisfied with the King for a considerable time before agreed with the Swedes to renounce their Allegiance to him and to choose one in his stead that would maintain the Union betwixt these Kingdoms The Danes therefore sent to Christopher Duke of Bavaria who being King Erick's Sister's Son had for some time lived in Denmark desiring him to accept of that Crown As soon as he arrived
within the space of 200 Years very few were left in whose places new Favourites of the Emperours were created who were willing to submit themselves to their Commands § 19. But this Monarchy being founded upon the Souldiery could not be of a long continuance for as soon as the Souldiers had once learn'd this Secret that they being the Supporters of the Monarchy could dispose of the Empire at pleasure and that the Senate and People were now empty Names the Emperours were not only oblig'd with double Pay and great Presents to purchase their Favour but they also began to kill such Emperours as were not pleasing to them and to fill up their room with such as could obtain their Favour And because one Army did claim the same Prerogative as well as the other not only the Pretorian Bands but also other Armies which were on the Frontiers undertook to do the same Hence came nothing but Misery and Confusion in the Roman Empire the Life of each Emperour depending on the Will of the covetous and unruly Souldiers so that no Emperour was assur'd to leave the Empire to his Posterity Oftentimes the bravest Princes were murther'd and in their room others set up of the meanest Rank and Capacity Oftentimes two or more were declared Emperours who used to make horrid slaughters among the Citizens in deciding their Titles to the Empire And this was the reason why not only very few of the ancient Emperours died a natural death but also the Power of this vast Empire was diminish'd to that degree by these intestine Wars that it did appear no otherwise than a Body without its Nerves Constantine the Great did also hasten its fall when he transferr'd the Imperial Court from Rome to Constantinople and sent away the Veterane Legions which guarded the Frontiers of the Empire along the Danube and the Rhine to the Easterly Parts whereby the Western Provinces destitute of their Guards became a prey to other Nations Besides this Theodosius divided the Empire betwixt his two Sons giving to Arcadius the Eastern to Honorius the Western parts which division did not a little contribute towards the destruction of the Empire The Western Parts became a prey to the Germans and Goths who about that time came in prodigious numbers to change their poor Habitations for the pleasant and rich Provinces of the Romans England the Romans left of their own accord as being not in a capacity to defend it against the Scots and having occasion for their Troops to defend France Spain fell to the share of the West-Goths The Vandals settled themselves in Africa The Goths Burgundians and Francks divided France betwixt them Rhaetia and Noricum was conquer'd by the Suevians and Bavarians A great part of Pannonia and Illyricum was possested by the Huns. The Goths settled a Kingdom in Italy and did not think Rome worthy to make it the place of Residence of the Gothick Kings § 20. Though the Western parts of the Roman Empire tell to the share of Foreign Nations yet the Eastern Provinces whoâ—e Capital City was Constantiâ—â—le remain'd for a great many hundred years after 〈◊〉 â—his Eastern Empire was neither in Power nor Splendour to be compar'd to the Ancient Roman Empire And Agathias the Vth. says That whereas heretofore the Roman Forces consisted of 645000 Men the same did amount in the times of Justinian scarce to 150000. 'T is true under the Reign of this Justinian the Empire began to recover something of its former Power Belisarius having destroyed the Empire of the Vandals in Africa as Narses did that of the Goths in Italy because these Nations were grown Effeminate and overcome with the deliciousness of a plentifull Country Yet did it again decrease by degrees the neighbouring Nations taking away one piece after another the Emperours were partly in fault themselves some of them being sunk in pleasures and grown quite effeminate others in continual Divisions destroying each other One part was subdu'd by the Bulgarians The Saracens conquer'd Syria Palestine Egypt Cilicia and other neighbouring Countries and raâ—aging the rest besieged Constantinople which City was once taken by Count Baldwin of Flanders but his Forces were obliged to quit it not long after The City also of Trebisond with the neighbouring Countries withdrawing from the Obedience of the rest of the Empire set up an Emperour of their own choosing At last the Turks entirely subdu'd this Empire who did not only conquer the Saracens but also afterwards swallow'd up the Remnants of the Eastern Empire of Constantinople Greece having before withdrawn it self from the Obedience of the Emperours was govern'd by its own petty Princes making thereby the Conquest of the Turks over them the easier till at last the City of Constantinople being taken by Storm by the Turks was afterwards made the place of Residence of the Ottoman Emperours CHAP. II. Of the Kingdom of Spain SPain was in ancient Times divided into a great many States independent of one another which was at that time the condition of most other Countries of Europe But by reason of this Division this otherwise War-like Nation was very instrumental to its being conquer'd by foreign Enemies To this may be added That the Spaniards did want good and understanding Generals under whose Conduct they might easily have resisted the Power of their Enemies For not to mention how the Celts pass'd out of Gaul into the next adjacent parts of Spain who being mixt with the Iberians were from thenceforward call'd Celtiberians neither how the Rhodians built Roses the Citizens of Zante Saguntum the Phoenicians Cadiz Malaga and other Cities the Carthaginians above the rest immediately after the first Punick War with the Romans began to conquer a great part of Spain Wherefore in the second Punick War the Romans did at first send their Forces into Spain where they fought so long with the Carthaginians till at last Scipio afterwards sir-nam'd the African made a great part of it a Roman Province the other parts were subdu'd by degrees till Augustus at last entirely subduing the Cantabrians who live next to the Pyrenean Mountains joined all Spain to the Roman Empire under whose Protection it was peaceably govern'd for a considerable time except that the Spaniards now and then were drawn in to take a part in the Civil Wars among the Romans § 2. But the Western parts of the Roman Empire declining the Vandals Suevians Alani and Silingi made an inrode into Spain and after many bloody Battels fought divided it betwixt them which Conquests nevertheless they did not enjoy long for the Vandals passing over into Africa the Alani were quite routed by the Suevians who having also subdu'd the Silingi were in a fair way of becoming Masters of all Spain if they had not been prevented by the West Goths who after they had under the Conduct of their King Alarick ransack'd Italy and Rome it self settled themselves upon the Borders lying betwixt Spain and France making
the Queen afterwards had another Bastard begotten by another person To remove this shame and to exclude Joan from the succession of the Crown the Nobles of Spain enter'd into an Association and putting the Image of Henry upon a Scaffold they there formally accus'd him and afterwards having taken off his Ornaments threw it from the Scaffold at the same time proclaiming Alfonso Brother of Henry their King From hence arose most pernicious intestine Wars which ended in bloudy Battels During these troubles Alfonso died About the same time Ferdinand Son of John II. King of Arragon whom his Father had declar'd King of Sicily props'd a Marriage with Isabella Henry's Sister to whom the rebellious Castilians had offer'd the Crown and forc'd Henry to confirm the right of Isabella to the Crown whereupon the Nuptials were celebrated but privately Yet would Henry by making this Concession void have afterwards set up again the Title of Joan whom he had promis'd in marriage to Charles Duke of Aquitain Brother to Lewis XI King of France but he dying suddenly Henry at last was reconcil'd to Ferdinand and Isabella and died in the Year 1472. § 9. From this match of Ferdinand whom the Castilians call The V. or The Catholick with Isabella sprang the great Fortune and Power of Spain it under his Reign arriving to that pitch of Greatness which ever since has made it both the Terrour and the Envy of Europe This Ferdinand also met with some obstacles at the beginning of his Reign the States of Castile having limited his Power within too narrow Bounds And Joan the late King Henry's suppos'd Daughter having contracted a match with Alfonso King of Portugal who entring Castile with a puissant Army caus'd her to be proclaim'd Queen but the Portugueses being soundly beaten the whole design vanish'd and Joan retiring into a Monastery the civil Commotions were totally suppress'd The next care of Ferdinand was to regulate such Disorders as were crept into the Government in the former Reigns wherefore he caus'd that Law-book to be compil'd which from the City of Toro where it first was publish'd is call'd Leges Tauri In the Year also 1478 the famous Spanish Inquisition was first instituted by him against the Moors and Jews who having once profess'd themselves Christians did afterwards return to their Idolatry and Superstitious Worship This Court of Inquisition is esteemed an inhuman and execrable Tribunal among other Nations and carries the greatest Injustice with it in ordering the Children to bear the Guilt of their Parents nor permitting any body to know his Accusers to clear himself against them But the Spaniards ascribe to this Inquisition the benefit which they enjoy of one Religion the variety of which has brought great Inconveniencies upon other States 'T is true by those means you may make Hypocrites not sincere Christians After he had order'd his Affairs at home and after the death of his Father taken upon him the Government of Arragon he undertook an Expedition against the Moors of Granada which lasted ten Years wherein the Spaniards were routed near Mallaga but quickly reveng'd themselves upon their Enemies taking from them one place after another till they at last besieg'd the City of Granada with 50000 Foot and 12000 Horse and having forc'd the King Boabdiles to a surrender they put an end to the Kingdom of the Moors in Spain after it had stood there for above 700 Years And to prevent the possibility of their ever encreasing again in Spain he banish'd 170000 Families of Jews and Moors out of Spain by which means the Kingdom nevertheless was despoil'd of vast Riches and of a great number of Inhabitants After this he took from them Mazalquivir Oran Pennon de Velez and Mellilla situated upon the Coast of Barbary Ferdinand also made use of this opportunity to teach his Nobles who were grown overpowerfull their due Respect and Obedience to the King and took upon himself the Sovereign Disposal of all the Spanish Orders of Knighthood which were grown to that excess of Riches and Power in Spain that they were formidable to its Kings Much about the same time Christopher Columbus a Genouese discover'd America after his Offers had been refus'd by the Kings of Portugal and England and after he had been seven Years solliciting at the Court of Castile for a supply to undertake the Voyage At last 17000 Ducats were employed in equipping three Vessels out of which Stock such prodigious Conquests and Riches have accru'd to Spain that ever since it has aim'd at the Universal Monarchy of Europe How easily the Spaniards did conquer these vast Countries and with what Barbarity they us'd the Inhabitants is too long to be related here Not long after a War was kindl'd betwixt Spain and France which has been the occasion of inspeakable Miseries in Europe after these two Warlike Nations were freed from that Evil which had hitherto diverted them from medling with Foreign Affairs the French having rid themselves from the English and the Spaniards from the Moors For when Charles VIII King of France undertook an Expedition against the Kingdom of Naples Ferdinand did not judge it for his Interest to let the French by conquering this Kingdom to become Masters of Italy especially since by marrying his Daughters he was in aliance with England Portugal and the Netherlands and besides the then kings of Naples descended from the House of Arragon And tho France lately enter'd with him into a Confederacy by vertue of which the French gave up Roussilion to Spain hoping thereby to bring over Ferdinand to their Party nevertheless when he perceiv'd That by all his Intercessions he could not disswade him from undertaking of this Expedition he enter'd into a Confederacy with the Pope Emperour Venice and Milan against France He also sent to the assistance of the Neapolitans Gonsalvus Ferdinand de Câ—rdua afterwards sirnam'd The Grand Captain under whose Conduct the French were beaten out of the Neapolitan Territories whilst he himself made an inrode into Languedock In the Year 1500 the Moors living in the Mountains near Granada rebell'd and were not without great difficulty appeas'd Afterwards an Agreement was made betwixt Ferdinand and Lewis XII King of France concerning the Kingdom of Naples under pretence to make War from thence against the Turks which being soon conquer'd by their joint Power they divided it according to their Agreement But because each of them would have had this delicious Morsel for himself they fell at variance concerning the Limits and some other matters which interven'd betwixt two Nations that had an animosity against one another Wherefore they came quickly to Blows and Gonsalvus routed the French near Ceriniola took the City of Naples beat them again near the River Liris or Garigliano and taking Cajeta drove the French a second time out of the Kingdom of Naples But Gonsalvus was not rewarded by Ferdinand according to his Deserts
this reason also the Governours are changed every three Years to take away the opportunity of strengthening their Interest too much who after their return into Spain are made Members of the Council for the Indies as being esteemed the most proper to advise concerning the preservation of that Country The third sort are called Metiffs who are born of a Spanish Father and an Indian Mother are in no esteem among them Those who are brought forth of the marriage of a Spaniard with a Metiff or of a Metiff and a Spanish Woman are called Quatralvos as having three parts of a Spaniard and one of an Indian But such as are born of a Metiff and an Indian Woman or of an Indian Man and a Metiffic are called Tresalvos as having three parts of an Indian and one of a Spaniard The fourth sort are the remnants of the ancient Inhabitants of whom a great many are to be met with especially in the Kingdoms of Peru and Mexico who are not so Barbarous as some may imagine there having been found among them such excellent Laws and Constitutions as would make some Europeans blush The fifth sort are the Moores or as the Spaniards call them Negroes who being bought in Africa are sent thither to do all sorts of drudgery These are generally very handy but very perfidious and refractary wherefore they must always be kept under a strict hand Such as are born of a Negro and an Indian Woman are called Mulats Yet is that part of America considering its bigness not very well stock'd with People since the Spaniards did in a most cruel manner root out the most of its ancient Inhabitants And if I remember well Hieronymus Benzonus says That all the Cities in America which are inhabited by the Spaniards joined together were scarce to be compared for number of People with the Suburbs of Milan Yet there are some who talk largely concerning Mexico viz. That it has betwixt 30 and 40000 Spanish Citizens who are most of them very wealthy so that it is reported there are 18000 Coaches kept in that City The Spaniards are not easily to be beaten out of America because most places which are in their possession are hard to come at and it is very difficult to transport such a number of Souldiers out of Europe as can be sufficient to attack any of these places Besides this the great difference of the Climate and Diet could not but occasion mortal sicknesses among them But in Peru especially they are very well settled there being scarce any access by Land and by Sea you are obliged to go round the South and remotest parts of America or else to come from the East Indies both which are such long Sea-voyages which an Army can scarce undergo without running the hazard of being destroy'd by Sickness Concerning the Riches of America 't is true the Spaniards at their first coming thither did find no coined Gold or Silver that being unknown in those days to the Inhabitants but an inconceivable quantity of uncoined Gold and Silver and abundance of Gold and Silver Vessels made without Iron Tools all which the Spaniards carry'd into Spain except what the Seas swallowed up in their Voyages which was very considerable But now-a-days those Rivers which formerly used to carry a Golden Sand are most exhausted and what is found there now is all dug up out of the Mines especially the Silver Mines of Porosi in Peru do afford an incredible quantity of Silver which is yearly together with some other Commodities transported in a Fleet into Spain Nevertheless a great part of this Silver belonging to Italian French English and Dutch Merchants the least part of it remains in Spain so that the Spaniards keep the Cow but others have the Milk Wherefore when the French and Spanish Ambassadours at Rome quarrel'd about Precedency and the latter to represent his Master's Greatness spoke very largely of the vast Riches of America the Frenchman answered That all Europe but especially Spain had been a considerable loser by them The Spaniards having employed themselves in searching after the Treasures of America were thereby become idle and had dispeopled their own Country The King of Spain trusting to his great Riches had begun unnecessary Wars Spain being the fountain from whence vast Riches were derived to other Nations did receive the least benefit of all by them since those Countries that furnish'd Spain with Souldiers and other Commodities did draw those Riches to themselves Formerly there were also Emeraulds in America and Pearls were found but that Stock is long since by the Avarice of the Spaniards quite exhausted There is besides this a great quantity of Commodities in America which are used in Physick and Dying Colours There is also great quantities of Sugars and Hides as appears in that in the Year 1587 the Spainsh Fleet transported 35444 Hides from St. Domingo and 64350 from New Spain For the Oxen and Cows which were first transported from Spain into America are grown so numerous that they shoot them for their Hides sake only throwing away the Flesh which is scarce eatable And as America is the best Appendix of the Spanish Kingdom so the Spaniards take all imaginable care to prevent its being separated from Spain They make among other things use of this Artifice That they will not allow any Manufactory to be set up in America so that the Inhabitants cannot be without the European Commodities which they do not suffer to be transported thither in any other Ships but their own § 18. Besides this the Canary Islands are in the possession of the Spaniards from whence are exported great quantities of Sugar and Wine it is credibly reported That England alone transports above 13000 Pipes of Canary at 20 l. per Pipe The Island of Sardinia also belongs to the Spaniards which Isle is pretty large but not very rich its Inhabitants being for the most part Barbarians The Isle of Sicily is of much greater value from whence great quantities of Corn and Silk are to be exported but the Inhabitants are an ill sort of People who must be kept under according to the old Proverb Insulani quidem mali Siculi autom pessimi Unto Sicily does belong the Isles of Maltha and Goza which was given in Fief from Charles V. to the Order of the Knights of Rhodes Spain also has a great part of Italy in its possession viz. The Kingdom of Naples who 's Capital City is scarce bridled by three Castles The Sovereignty of Siena and a great many strong Sea-ports and the Sea-coasts of Tuscany viz. Orbitello Porto Hercule Telamone Monte Argentario Porto Longone and the Castle of Piombino besides that noble Dukedom of Milan which is the Paradise of Italy as Italy is commonly called the Paradise of Europe They have also the Harbour of Final upon the Genouese Coast In the City of Milan Trade and Manufactory flourishes extreamly and this Dukedom is much valued by
gainer by it since the English have a vast Trade with the Spanish Sea-ports and their Trade in the Levant would suffer extreamly from the Spanish Privateers but also Holland could not look with a good Eye upon these Conquests of the English Portugal by it self cannot much hurt Spain but in conjunction with another Enemy it is capable of making a considerable Diversion at home But the Portugueses could not propose any considerable Advantages to themselves thereby and it might easily happen that Holland siding with Spain might take from hence an opportunity to drive the Portugueses quite out of the East Indies The King of France therefore is the capital and most formidable Enemy to Spain who wanting not Power not only longs to devour the rest of the Netherlands but also aims at the Conquest of other parts of Spain But if the old Maxims of Policy are not grown quite out of date it is to be hoped that all who have any Interest in the preservation of Spain will with all their power endeavour to prevent that the ruin of Spain the Liberty and Possessions of all the States in Europe may not depend on the Pleasure and Will of one single person But what Revolution may happen in Spain if the present Royal Family which has no Heirs yet should fail is beyond Human Understanding to determine or foresee because it is to be feared that upon such an occasion not only France would do its utmost to obtain it but also because several States which were annexed to Spain by the Royal Family might take an opportunity to withdraw themselves from the same CHAP. III. Of Portugal § 1. POrtugal which comprehends the greatest part of that Province which the Romans called Lusitania fell with the rest of Spain under the last Gothick King Roderick into the Hands of the Moors who were in possession of it for a long time but in the Year 1093 Alfonsus VI. King of Castile and Leâ—n arming himself with all his Power to attack the Moors and craving also the Assistance of Foreign Princes among others also came one Henry to signalize himself in this War whose Pedigree is variously related by the Historians For some will have him descended out of the House of Burgundy and have made him a younger Son of Robert Duke of Burgundy whose Father was Robert King of France Son of Hugh Capet Others derive his Pedigree from the House of Loraine alledging That the reason of his being called a Burgundian was because he was born at Besanson To this Henry King Alfonsus VI. gave in marriage his natural Daughter Theresia as a reward of his Valour giving unto him for a Dowry under the Title of an Earldom all that part of Portugal which was then in the possession of the Christians which comprehended that part of the Country where are the Cities of Braga Coimbria Visco Lamego and Porto as also that tract of Ground which is now called Tralos Montes granting to him also a power to conquer the rest of that Country as far as to the River of Guadiana and to keep it under his Jurisdiction yet with these conditions That he should be a Vassal of Spain repair to the Dyets of that Kingdom and in case of a War be obliged to serve with 300 Horse Henry died in the Year 1112 leaving a Son whose name was Alfonsus being then very young His Inheritance was during his Minority usurp'd by Ferdinand Potz Count of Trastamara his Father-in-law he having married his Mother But as soon as he was grown up he took up Arms against his Father-in-law beat him out of Portugal but his Mother he put in Prison who calling to her aid Alfonsus VII he promised to dis-inherit her Son and to give him all Portugal But Alfonsus of Portugal defeated the Castilians in a Battel by which Victory he pretended to have freed himself from the Spanish Subjection This Alfonsus undertook an Expedition against King Ismar who had his Kingdom on the other side of the River Tajo who being joined by the Forces of four other petty Moorish Kings drew out against him Alfonsus was then in his Camp near Cabebas des Reyes proclaimed King thereby to animate his Souldiers and get a most signal Victory taking the five Standards of those Kings whence he put five Shields in the Arms of Portugal and retained ever after the Title of King He took afterwards a great many Cities from the Moors and among the rest with the assistance of the Netherland Fleet the City of Lisbon in the Year 1147. This Alfonsus was taken Prisoner near Badajoz by Ferdinand King of Egypt who gave him his Freedom without any other Ransom than that he was to restore to him some Cities which he had taken from him in Gallicia After he had reigned very gloriously and greatly enlarged the Limits of his Kingdom he died in the 91st Year of his Age. § 2. Him succeeded his Son Sanctius who built a great many Cities and fill'd them with Inhabitants He took from the Moors the City of Selva being assisted in that Expedition by a Fleet sent out of the Netherlands to the Holy Land He was during his whole Reign always in action with the Moors and died in the Year 1212. After him reigned his Son Alfonsus sirnamed Crassus who did nothing worth mentioning but that with the help of the Netherlanders who went to the Holy Land he took from the Moors the City of Alcassar He died in the Year 1223. His Son Sanctius sirnamed Capellus succeeded him who being very careless and ruled by his Wife was excluded from the Administration of the Government by the Portugueses who conferr'd it on Alfonsus his Brother Sanctius died an Exile in Toledo The Portugueses have made this observation concerning him that he was the only Portuguese King who died without leaving either Legitimate Children or Bastards behind him Alfonsus the Brother of Sanctius parted from his Lady Mathildis Countess of Boulogne she being somewhat Ancient and Barren and married Beatrice Daughter to Alfonsus X. King of Castile with whom he had for a Dowry the County of Algarbia but the Pope being dissatisfy'd with this Divorce excommunicated both him and the whole Kingdom He reigned very laudably and united a great many Cities to his Kingdom and died in the Year 1279. The extraordinary Virtues of his Son Dionysius especially Justice Liberality and Constancy are highly extoll'd by the Portugueses He having also adorn'd the Kingdom with a great many publick Buildings among which is the Academy of Conimbria first founded by him There is an old Proverb concerning him used among the Portugueses El Rey D. Denys qui fiz quanto quin King Dionysius who did whatsoever he pleased He died in the Year 1325 his Son Alfonsus IV. sirnamed the Brave was very glorious for his Atchievements both in Peace and War but he banished his Bastard Brother who was
Minister of France who was more intent to maintain his private Interest and Greatness against the Dauphin than to make Head against the English A Congress was proposed to be held betwixt the two Kings but this Design was frustrated by the cunning of the Dauphin who gave the Duke hopes of an entire Reconciliation to be made betwixt them both And Monterau being named for the place where they should meet the Duke of Burgundy was there questionless by instigation of the Dauphin miserably murther'd For this reason his Son Duke Philip being resolved to revenge his Father's death declared openly for the English and by his Mediation obtain'd That King Henry should marry the Princess Catharine and during the life of his Wife's Father administer the Government in his name but after his death should succeed him in the Throne The Nuptials were afterwards celebrated at Troyes in Champaigne After the Treaty had been confirmed by solemn Oaths on both sides which was also ratify'd by the three Estates assembled in Paris where the Dauphin was summon'd to appear to answer concerning the death of the Duke of Burgundy But he not appearing Sentence was given against him That he should for ever be banish'd out of France There were also some who design'd to make him away and he was forced to go from place to place but his common place of Residence was Bourges wherefore they used to call him by way of ridiculing The King of Bourges In the mean time the English took one place after another from him At last King Henry being upon his March to raise the Siege of the City of Cosne on the Loire which was besieged by the Dauphin he fell sick in his Journey thither and being carried to Bois de Vicennes there died in the flower of his Age and Felicity leaving the Administration of France to his Brother the Duke of Bedford and the Administration of England to his second Brother the Duke of Gloucester § 15. Him succeeded his Son Henry VI. a Child of eight Months old who after he was grown up degenerated from his Father's Martial Valour and by his ill management lost what his Father had got eclipsing thereby the English Glory He was after the death of Charles VI. who died not long after Henry V. proclaimed King of France in Paris In opposition to him the Dauphin Charles VII also declared himself King of France with whom sided the Bravest among the French and a great many Scots were sent to his assistance But Philip Duke of Burgundy and John Duke of Britainy held to the Confederacy with the English which was renewed at that time And then they began to fall upon one another with great fury For the French received a great Defeat near Crevant in Burgundy and were soundly beaten near Verneuil In the Year 1425 the French had besieged St. Jaques de Beuveron with Forty thousand Men the Garrison being reduc'd to great extremity prayed with a loud voice to St. George of Salisbury The Besiegers hearing the name of Salisbury very frequently among the Besieged supposed that the Earl of Salisbury was coming to raise the Siege whereat the French were so terrify'd that they run away for fear of his Name This is certain that the English for a while were Masters where-ever they came but before Orleans the carreer of their Fortune was first stopt For tho during that Siege they beat the French who came to cut off their Provisions which Battel is commonly called the Battel of the Flemmings and the City would have surrender'd it self to the Duke of Burgundy which the English would not accept of yet did they not only lose in that Siege the brave Earl of Salisbury but also the French being encouraged by a Maid called Joan that was born in Lorraine beat the English from before Orleans This Maid did several great exploits against the English and led her self in person King Charles to his Coronation in Rheims At last she was taken Prisoner by the English in an Encounter who carried her to Roan where they burnt her for a Witch But because the English perceived that after the Coronation of Charles a great many Cities sided with him they also called over their King Henry out of England and crowned him King of France in Paris About the same time a Truce was concluded by Mediation of the Pope for six Years but it lasted not long for the French during the time of the Truce possess'd themselves of several places which they had brought over to their side by cunning Insinuations pretending That any thing gained without open violence did not violate the Truce And King Charles's Maxim was Not to fight with the English but to strive to get Advantages over them rather by Policy than open force But that which gave a great blow to the English was That the Duke of Burgundy having taken a distaste at the English upon some slight occasion was reconciled to King Charles There were some small Differences arisen betwixt the Duke of Bedford and the Duke of Burgundy to compose which a meeting was appointed at St. Omer But the time being near at hand a Dispute arose which of them should appear there first it being supposed that he who should come first did thereby yield the Precedency to the other wherefore the Duke of Bedford refused to come first alledging That he being Regent of France ought not in that Quality to give preference to a Vassal of France But the Duke of Burgundy stood upon his right of being Sovereign of the place where they were to meet so that the meeting being set aside the Duke of Burgundy broke quite off with the English and afterwards assisted King Charles against them The death of the Duke of Bedford proved another Misfortune to the English For the Duke of Somerset and the Duke of York both pretended to his place and tho' the latter did obtain it yet did the first always oppose his Designs so that before the new Regent arrived Paris which had been seventeen Years in the possession of the English and a great many other Cities did surrender themselves to King Charles Yet did the Duke of Gloucester beat the Duke of Burgundy before Calais making great havock in Flanders Artois and Hainault and the brave Talbot did considerable mischief to the French But when afterwards by a Truce made with France the fury of the War ceased for a little time there was a Foundation laid in England for intestine Commotions The King had promised marriage to the Daughter of the Earl of Armagnac to prevent which the French King had made both the Earl and his Daughter Prisoners The Earl of Suffolk who was then Ambassadour in France did propose thereupon without having received any Instructions to that purpose from the King a Match betwixt the King and Margaret Daughter of Renè Duke of Anjou and King of Naples and Sicily
Forces were extreamly diminish'd in France and the Souldiers for want of Pay had given themselves over to Plunder They wanted good Officers their Places were not well provided and their Subjects weary of the Government England at home was divided within it self and the English weakened by two Overthrows which they had received from the Scots Charles therefore having met with this Opportunity resolv'd to beat the English at once out of France He took for a Pretence of the War that they had broken the Truce in Britainy and with the Scots and attacking them with great Vigour in several places at once he drove them within the space of thirteen Months out of Normandy The next Year after he took from them Aquitain Bayonne being the last which surrender'd it self so that the English had nothing left on the Continent of France but Calais and the County of Guines Bourdeaux soon after revolted from the French and sought for Aid of the English but the brave Talbot having been kill'd in an Engagement it was retaken and re-united to the French Crown after it had been 300 Years in the possession of the English Thus did this King re-unite the mangled Kingdom having expell'd the English out of its Bowels Nevertheless he did not entirely enjoy the Fruits of his good Fortune living at variance with his Son who for the space of thirteen Years came not to Court. And being at last persuaded that a Design was formed against his Life it so disturb'd him that for fear of being poisoned he starved himself § 14. Him succeeded his Son Lewis XI a cunning resolute and malicious Prince who laid the first Foundation of the absolute Power since exercised by the Kings of France whereas formerly the Royal Power was kept under by the Authority of the great Men of the Kingdom He began with reforming his Court and Ministers according to his Pleasure Of which the great Men of the kingdom foreseeing the Consequence they enter'd into a League which they called La Ligue du bien public the League for the publick good wherewith they pretended to defend the Publick against the King's arbitrary Proceedings Among these were the Dukes of Burgundy and Britainy who were willing to keep the King within bounds In the Year 1465 Charles the young Duke of Burgundy enter'd France with an Army and fought a Battel with the King near Montlehery wherein the Advantage was near equal but because the King retreated a little backwards the Night following the Duke of Burgundy pretended to have gained the Victory which put him upon those Enterprizes which afterwards cost him his Life The King extricated himself with a great deal of Cunning out of this danger for he released the Taxes and with great Promises and fine Words appeased the People all which as soon as the danger was pass'd he revok'd at pleasure To dissolve the knot of this Faction he made Divisions betwixt the most powerfull the bravest he brought over to his side by giving them particular Advantages the rest he ruined by his Policy especially by bribing their Friends and Servants And being in great want of Money he borrow'd great Summs of his Servants and such as refused to lend were put out of their Employments Which 't is said gave the first occasion that the Offices were afterwards sold in France But the Duke of Burgundy persisted in his Opposition who had in the Year 1468 hem'd him in at Peronne which danger he however escaped At last Lewis was rid of this his troublesome Enemy who had laid so many Designs against him he being kill'd by the Swiss near Nancy Lewis taking advantage of the great Confusion which was occasioned by the Death of the Duke in that Country took possession of the Dukedom of Burgundy under pretext that the same was an Appanage and brought over to his side the Cities situated on the River Some which had been under the Jurisdiction of Charles It was generally believ'd That Lewis by way of Marriage might easily have annexed the whole Inheritance of this Duke unto France if he had not conceived such an implacable hatred against this House that he was resolved to ruin it Two Years before the Death of the Duke of Burgundy King Edward IV. landed with a great Army in France whom Lewis with Presents and fair Promises persuaded to return home again He united to the Crown Provence Anjou and Muns having obtained the same by the last Will and Testament of Charles d' Anjou Count de Maine who was the last Male Heir of the House of Anjou notwithstanding that Rene Duke of Lorraine Son of Ygland d' Anjou pretended a Right to the same by his Mother's side In his latter days he lived miserably and grew ridiculous being in continual fear of death He died in the Year 1483. § 15. His Son Charles VIII had at the beginning of his Reign his Hands full with the Duke of Britainy and was marching with an Army to unite that Province by main force to the Crown But understanding that Maximilian of Austria had concluded a Match betwixt Anna the only Heiress of this Dukedom and himself the French King did think it no ways adviseable to let such a delicious Morsel fall to the share of the House of Austria but obliged the Bride partly by force partly by fair words to renounce Maximilian and to be married to himself whereby this Country was united to France And tho' Henry VII King of England did not look with a good Eye upon the growing Power of France and therefore with a great Army besieged Boulogne yet in consideration of a good Summ of Money he was prevailed upon to return home again especially since Maximilian who had received a double affront from Charles who had not only taken his Bride from him but also had sent back his Daughter Margaret which was promised to him in Marriage did not join his Forces with him according to Agreement Maximilian took Arras and St. Omer but being not able to go further he consented that his Son Philip Lord of the Netherlands might make a Truce with Charles On the other side Charles gave to Ferdinand the Catholick the Counties of Russilion and Cerdagne some say to engage him thereby not to oppose his intended Expedition against Naples Others say that Ferdinand corrupted Charles's Confessour to persuade him that he should restore that Country to its lawfull Sovereign France being thus by the Union with Britainy become an entire Kingdom it began to contrive how to obtain the Sovereignty over Italy Charles had a Pretension because the Right and Title of the Family of Anjo and Naples was by the Death of the last Duke of Anjou and Earl of Provence devolv'd to Lewis XI and consequently to himself But this young King received the greatest Encouragement from Lewis sirnamed Morus or the Black Duke of Milan who having Tuition of his Nephew
Quarrels wherefore she was very carefull to uphold these Jealousies betwixt them To find an Opportunity to set up the Prince of Conde and his Party thereby to balance those of Guise she pretended to be no Enemy to the Protestant Religion under which Pretence the same was much in request at Court. To suppress the reformed Religion Montmorency the House of Guise and the Mareschaal of St. Andrew join'd in a Confederacy who calling themselves the Triumvirate drew also the King of Navarre in to their Party After this a Conference and Disputation was held betwixt some Divines of both Religions at Poissy after which the Royal Protection was by a publick Edict promis'd to the Protestant Religion which from the Month is call'd the Edict of January This extreamly exasperated the Triumvirate so that in the very same Year the War commenc'd The first occasion of it was given by some belonging to those of Guise who in a small Town call'd Vassy disturb'd the Protestants in the Exercise of their Religion and a Quarrel arising thereupon kill'd near threescore of them Which was the first Blood shed in this Civil War and from this time Things went very strangely in France It is not our purpose to enumerate all the Cities that were taken neither to speak of all the small Skirmishes which are innumerable nor the Cruelties committed on both sides and the Barbarities of the Rabble it will be sufficient for us to touch upon some of the main points In this first War the King of Navarre died of a Wound which he receiv'd in the Siege of Roan Near Dreux a bloody Battel was fought where Conde at first had the Advantage but his Souldiers falling to plundring he was beat back again he himself being made a Prisoner and the Mareschal St. Andrew being kill'd by a Shot 8000 Men were slain upon the Spot and the Loss near equal on both sides the Duke of Guise kept the Field but was afterwards at the Siege of Orleans treacherously murther'd by one Poltrot with a Pistol-shot who was supposed to have committed the Fact by instigation of Coligny Soon after a Peace was made It is related that above 50000 Huguenots were slain in this War on the other side they took the Church-plate and Ornaments which they having turn'd into Money Silver was after this War more currant in France than before But Catharine had persuaded her self that both Parties were reduc'd to that Condition that she could now handle them at pleasure After the Peace was concluded the English were again beaten out of Havre de Grace which the Huguenots had given them as an Acknowledgment for their Assistance This Peace lasted no longer than till the Year 1576 when the Huguenots were persuaded that at the interview betwixt Catharine and the Duke of Alba at Bayonne a League was set on foot for rooting out the Hereticks And in effect they were immediately after more severely dealt with and as it was reported the Prince of Conde and Coligny were to be secur'd The Huguenots therefore began the Second War during which the Constable Annas Montmorency being mortally wounded in an Engagement he told a Monk who at his last Hour was very troublesome to him He should let him be at quiet since during the Time of 80 Years that he had liv'd he had learn'd how to employ one quarter of an Hour in dying The Huguenots got great Reputation for Valour in this Engagement they being much Inferiour to the other in Number About the same time the City of Rochelle declar'd for the Huguenots which afterwards for 60 Years together serv'd them for a secure Retreat Then a second Peace was concluded not with an Intention to keep it but that each Party might find a better Opportunity to take Advantage of one another nor were the Conditions ever fulfill'd The War therefore was renewed in the same Year during which the Prince of Conde was kill'd by a Shot in a Battel near Jarnack After his Death the Huguenots declar'd Henry King of Navarre the Son of Anthony who afterwards was King of France their Head tho in effect Coligny had the chief management of Affairs He in vain besieged Poictiers in the Defence of which Place the young Duke of Guise gave the first proofs of his Valour he was also soundly beaten near Moncontour where he lost 9000 Foot He lost nevertheless nothing of his former Reputation for he quickly recollected his broken Troops and got together a great Army being assisted by Queen Elizabeth with Money and by the Paltzgrave with Souldiers He directed his March towards Paris whereupon a Peace was concluded to the great Advantage of the Huguenots the four strong Cities of Rochelle Montauban Cagnac and Charité being given them for their Security But the main design of this Peace was that the King perceiving that the Huguenots could not be suppress'd by Force hop'd he might win them by Policy therefore endeavour'd by fair Words and great Promises to make them secure The Admiral was caress'd at Court he being consulted withall concerning an Expedition to be undertaken against the Spaniards in the Netherlands A Marriage also was concluded betwixt Henry King of Navarre and Margaret the King's Sister to which Wedding they invited the chief of the Huguenots with a Design to cut their Throats in Paris And first of all the Admiral Coligny as he was going home from Court was by sorne Villains who were suborn'd by the Duke of Guise shot with two Bullets through the Arm. Then it was agreed That in the Year 1571 on the 24th Day of August early in the Morning when the Bells were ringing to Prayers all the Huguenots should be massacred except the King of Navarre and the young Prince of Conde The Execution of this Enterprize the Duke of Guise had taken upon himself The beginning of whose Massacre was made with Coligny who was ill of his Wounds then it fell promiscuously upon the rest the Fury of the Mob not ceasing till after seven Days slaughter A great many other Cities of France follow'd the Example of Paris so that within few Days near 30000 were miserably massacred The King of Navarre and Prince of Conde were forc'd to abjure the Reformed Religion This was the so much celebrated Parisian Wedding which Gabriel Naude would fain represent us a State 's Trick but this is in my Opinion a very gross way of arguing Nevertheless the Huguenots did quickly recollect themselves after the first Consternation was over renewing the War with great Animosity and Revenge During this War the King's Army besieged Rochelle near eight Months together and having lost 12000 Men before it News was brought That the Duke d' Anjou was elected King of Poland Hence an Opportunity was taken to raise the Siege with some Reputation and to make a Peace the fourth time with the Huguenots by vertue of which the Cities of Rochelle Montauban and Nismes were
United Provinces were made entire and secured on this side of the Rhine In the Year 1596 Albert Arch-Duke of Austria arrived as Governour of the Netherlands who began his Regency with the Taking of Hulst And because Philip being oppressed with Debts was fain to shut up his Exchequer Albert for want of Money was not in a capacity to undertake any thing of moment in the Year next following but was soundly beaten near Tougenhout And after the Trade of the Hollanders with Spain and Portugal whither they used to send their Ships under Foreign Flags had been quite cut off whereby the Spaniards hoped the sooner to reduce them to Obedience Necessity and the desire of Lucre taught them another way to obtain vast Riches For by this means the Hollanders were forced to try whether they could Sail themselves into the East-Indies and to attempt to find out a nearer Way thither round about the North. But this Design not succeding they took the common Course about Africa and having with incredible Pains in spite of all the Resistance made by the Portuguese settled a Trade there a great many Merchants and others who knew no better way to employ their Ready-money erected several Societies to Trade into the East-Indies All which were by virtue of a Patent granted by the Estates formed into one Company which did afterwards prodigiously encrease its Power in the East-Indies and has conveyed unconceivable Riches into Holland In the Year 1597 Maurice took Rhinebergh Meurs and all the rest of those Places of Over-Yssel which were as yet in the possession of Spain § 11. In the Year 1598 they found out another Decoy for the Hollanders For because it was generally pretended that they would not live under Spanish subjection Philip found out this artifice He Married his daughter Isabella Clara Eugenia to Albert Arch-Duke of Austria giving unto her as a Dowry Burgundy and the Netherlands yet with this Condition That the same should return to Spain if no Heirs proceeded from this Match which the Spaniards were very well assured of the Princess being pretty well in Age and besides this having been spoiled before by means of some Medicaments administred to her to prevent Conception The Netherlands being then by this means according to outward appearances freed from a Foreign Subjection as having got their own Prince it was hoped the Hollanders would the easier re-unite themselves with the other Provinces because a Peace being lately concluded betwixt France and Spain at Nervin the Hollanders had thereby lost their chief Confederate But the Hollanders remained stedfast in their former Resolution rejecting all Propositions of Peace made by the Emperour and the Arch Duke Albert. In the Year 1600 Maurice fell into Flanders with an intention to besiege Newport but was met by Albert where a bloody Battel ensued and Maurice obtained a most glorious Victory who was otherways always averse to Field-fights and would never have resolved at that time to have ventured the whole Fortune of Holland upon the Issue of a Battel if he had not been forced to it wherefore without attempting any thing farther he returned into Holland Albert then undertook the Siege of Ostend during which both sides did their utmost till Ambrose Spinola forc'd the place the besieg'd having no more room left to make any Retrenchments 'T is said that the Hollanders lost within the Town above 70000 Men and the Spaniards without a great many more But in the mean time the Spanish Fleet under the Command of Frederick Spinola was destroy'd and Rhinebergh Grave and Sluce taken by Maurice In the Year 1605 Spinola retook from the Hollanders Lingen Groll and Rhinebergh and Maurice sustain'd some loss before Antwerp The last glorious Action in this War was that of James Heemskirke who burned the Spanish Fleet in the Harbour of Gibraltar where he himself was kill'd The Spaniards therefore finding it impossible to reduce Holland by force which they found encreas'd in Strength by the War and being besides this jealous of Henry IV. and quite out of breath by this tedious War they resolv'd to make an end of it at any rate How desirous the Spaniards were of the Peace may easily be conjectur'd from hence That Albert himself propos'd the Treaty to be at the Hague and first sent Spinola himself thither as Embassadour whereas the Hollanders carry'd it very high and were very resolute The Business met with great difficulty before it could be brought to the conclusion of a Truce of twelve Years The greatest obstacle was that the Hollanders urg'd it closely That Spain without any Exception should declare them a free People which the Spanish Embassadours refusing to do at last this Medium was found out That Spain and the Archduke Albert did declare they would treat with the Netherlanders As a free Nation And they being not satisfy'd also with this the President Janin who was sent thither in behalf of France answer'd That the word As could not add much to the Strength of Spain nor diminish theirs and that it was their Business to secure themselves and their State by Arms and not by Words Both Parties kept what they were possess'd of and the Hollanders maintain'd their Navigation into the East Indies which the Spaniards would fain have got from them but the chief cause why the Hollanders at that time when their Affairs were in so good a Condition consented to a Truce seems to be that they began to be jealous of France for fear lest that King should snatch Flanders away upon a sudden which must needs have prov'd their Ruin Besides this Maurice being grown very Powerfull during this War was likely to be troublesome to their Liberty And this was the first step which Holland made towards the Establishment of a free Common-wealth § 12. Soon after the Truce was concluded the Hollanders were engaged in the Business concerning the Succession of the Country of Juliers for the Emperour after the death of the last Duke being very desirous to annex these Countries unto his House had sent the Archduke Leopold to make a Sequestration who took the strong City of Juliers but was beaten out again by the Hollanders with the Assistance of the French But a difference arising afterwards betwixt the Elector of Brandenburgh and the Duke of Newburgh who had at first made an Agreement betwixt themselves and the Duke of Newburgh having called to his Assistance Spinola who took the City of Wesel The Hollanders on the other hand sided with the Elector of Brandenburgh and put Garrisons into Rees and Emeric whereby the Country of Cleves was involved in the War of the Netherlands § 13. But there arose a more dangerous intestine Division in Holland betwixt the Arminians or Remonstrants as they are termed and others which Division was partly occasioned by a State-jealousie partly by Disputes among the Divines We have said before that Prince William did
endeavour under-hand to be Soveraign over the United Provinces which was prevented only by a very few Voices Then after his Death his Son Maurice pursued the same Design but was opposed by the chief Men among them who alledged That their Labour was very ill bestowed if in place of a great One they should be brought under subjection to a little Prince Among these one of the chiefest was John of Olden Barneveldt Pensionary of Holland who had been always for upholding the publick Liberty But because the Authority of the Captain-General was more conspicuous during the War Maurice endeavoured to set aside the Treaty with Spain but Barnevelt did as much as he could promote the Truce with Spain knowing that in time of Peace the Authority of the Captain-General would be diminish'd which Maurice kept in good remembrance In the mean time Arminius a professour of Divinity in the University of Leyden had defended several Propositions concerning Predestination and some other Articles relating to the same with less rigour than the rest of the Reform'd Churchs had hitherto generally taught His Opinion was after his death oppos'd by one Francis Gomarus This Dissension being spread abroad most of the Clergy sided with Gomarus but the chief States-men with Arminius But because the generality of the People followed the footsteps of the Clergy Maurice who after the Death of his elder Brother was become Prince of Orange declared himself for the Gomarists And there happening great Tumults in several places viz. at Alckmaer Leyden and Vtrecht the Prince took this opportunity to displace up and down such Magistrates as adhered to the Arminians Barnevelt Hugo Grotius and some others where under the same pretext taken into Custody the first by a Sentence of the States-General lost his Head in the 72d Year of his Age Grotius was condemned to a perpetual Imprisonment out of which he afterwards made his escape by means of his Wife who had enclosed him in a Chest And tho' at the Synod of Dort the Doctrine of Arminius was condemned as erroneous yet this Violence of the Prince against a Man who had deserved so well was very ill resented by a great many And these two Factions have ever since taken so firm root there that it is not improbable but at last they may occasion the ruin or change of the State § 14. But Dangers from abrâ—ad did afterwards appease these inward Dissensions For the time of the Truce being expired the War began a-fresh with Spain In the Year 1622 Spinola took Juliers but was obliged to raise the Siege from before Bergen op Zoom because the Count of Mansfeld and Christian Duke of Brunswick having defeated the Spanish Army near Fleury march'd to the Assistance of the Hollanders To revenge this Affront Spinola besieged Breda and Prince Maurice having in vain endeavour'd to raise the Siege and besides this his Attempt upon the Castle of Antwerp having proved unsuccessfull he fell into a deep Melancholy and died Breda being not long after forc'd by Famine to surrender it self To Prince Maurice succeeded in the Stadtholdership and all other Offices which had been in his possession his Brother Frederick Henry who took Groll In the Year 1628 Pieter Heyn took the Spanish Silver-fleet and in the Year next following the Prince took Bois le Duc. During this Siege the Spaniards made an Inrode into the Velaw hoping thereby to give the Hollanders a diversion who were put into a great Consternation But the Hollanders on that very day surprized the City of Wesel which oblig'd the Spaniards to repass the River Yssel as fast as they could And from that time forwards the Spaniards despair'd of ever reducing Holland under their Obedience In the Year 1630 the Hollanders got first footing in Brasile In the Year 1631 they surprized some Thousands of Spaniards near Bergen op Zoom who were gone out in Shallops upon some secret Enterprize In the Year next following the Prince took Venlo Ruremond Limburgh and Macstricht and Pappenheim endeavouring to relieve the last was soundly beaten In the Year 1638 the Prince took Rhinebergh but in the Year next following the Spaniards Limburgh An Offensive Alliance was made betwixt France and Holland wherein they had shar'd the Netherlands betwixt them But this Alliance prov'd fruitless the Hollanders being very well satisfy'd that this Design did not succeed being glad not to have the French for their Neighbours on the Land-side But the Spaniards surpriz'd Shenkenshantz which the Hollanders retook not without great trouble In the Year 1637 the Prince retook Breda but the Spaniards Venlo and Ruremond In the Year 1638 the Hollanders were bravely beaten near Callo but in the Year 1639 Martin Tromp entirely destroy'd the Spanish Fleet which lay in the Downs and was intended to attack Sweden in conjunction with the Danes In the Year 1644 Ghent and in the Year next following Hulst was taken by William II. who had succeeded his Father It is thought that he might also have taken Antwerp if the Province of Zealand and Amsterdam had not oppos'd it they being grown powerfull out of its Ruins At last a Peace was concluded at Munster betwixt Spain and Holland wherein it was declar'd a free Common-wealth to which Spain should for the future make no Pretensions whatsoever And tho' France and the Prince did oppose this Peace with their utmost Endeavours yet the Hollanders did consider that the Spaniards having granted all that they could desire the Cause of the War ceas'd They fear'd besides this that Spain might be brought too low and France grow too powerfull and the Province of Holland was considerably indebted Thus Holland ended this tedious War with great Reputation but the Spaniards with great Dishonour having besides this quite enervated themselves Tho' this is observable that as long as the Hollanders were engag'd in the War against Spain they were favour'd by every body except the Spanish Party but immediately after the Peace was concluded both France and England by whom they had been hitherto uphâ—ld gave manifest proofs of their Jealousie of them § 15. But the Hollanders could not enjoy Peace very long for soon after Brasile rebell'd against them submitting it self to the Portuguese which prov'd very disadvantageous for the West-India Company but the East-India Company drew great Advantage from it for this having occasion'd a War with Portugal which lasted till the Year 1661 the Hollanders took from the Portuguese almost all the places which they were possess'd of in the East-Indies In the Year 1650 a remarkable Dissension arose in Holland which might have prov'd the cause of great Calamities For the War with Spain being now at an end some of the States and especially the Province of Holland were of Opinion That to ease the Publick their Forces should be diminish'd which the Prince oppos'd under pretence that it would not be adviseable to be without an Army as long
their Defence It serv'd also for a great Encouragement to the Hollanders that the Bishop of Munster was forc'd to go away from before Groningen he having together with the Elector of Collen taken the French side In the Year next following the French took Maestricht from the Hollanders But the Hollanders having behav'd themselves bravely in four Sea Engagements and the Parliament of England being become very jealous of France a separate Peace was by the Mediation of Spain concluded betwixt Holland and England The Emperour and Spain having then declar'd for Holland the French King took his Garrisons out of all the conquer'd Places having first exacted from them great Contributions except Naerden and Grave which were retaken by force Thus the Hollanders got all their places again except Maestricht Rhinebergh which belong'd to the Elector of Collen being restor'd to him and the Country of Cleves to the Elector of Brandenburgh This War also restor'd the Prince of Orange to the same Dignity and that under better Conditions than they had been in the possession of his Ancestors For the Common People which already favour'd the House of Orange being put quite into a Consternation by the prodigious Success of the French and being persuaded that this Misfortune was occasion'd by the Treachery of some who sat at the Helm and that no body but the Prince could restore the decay'd State did raise Tumults in most Cities which the Prince was forc'd to appease by deposing the former Magistrates and putting in their room such as he knew were favourers of himself In one of these Tumults Cornelius and John du Witt two Brothers were miserably murther'd by the Rabble in the Hague though a great many are of Opinion That especially the last of these who had so long sat at the Helm had better deserv'd of his native Country Tho the Prince had been not a little instrumental in appeasing the Commotions whereby Holland was put in a condition to recover it self yet he was not so successfull in his War against France For he receiv'd a considerable loss near Seneffe he was repuls'd before Maestricht and endeavouring to relieve St. Omer he was defeated by the French and the Dutch Fleet which was sent to the Relief of Sicily had no great Success At last their Fear that through long War their Liberty might be endanger'd by the Prince influenc'd them to make a separate Peace with France by virtue of which Maestricht was restor'd to the Hollanders § 19. The Seven Provinces of the Vnited Netherlands are fill'd with a prodigious number of People there being some who have computed that in the Province of Holland the Number amounts to two millions and 500000. And unto this vast Number of People is to be attributed their Industry increase of Trade and great Riches for in a Country which is not the most fruitfull and where every thing is very dear they must else of necessity perish by Famine But most of the Inhabitants were transplanted thither out of other Countries out of France during the times of the Civil Commotions out of England under the Reign of Queen Mary out of Germany during those long Wars there but chiefly out of the other Provinces of the Netherlands at the time of their revolting from Spain These Strangers were invited into this Country by its convenient Situation the Liberty of Religion and the Government by its extraordinary Constitutions and Conveniencies for Trade and Correspondency in all Parts and at last by the great Reputation which the States have gain'd abroad by their wise Management at home and Success of their Arms abroad And because every body who either brings some Means along with him or has learn'd something to maintain himself withall finds a good Reception in Holland even those who are prosecuted in other places find a certain Refuge in this Country The Netherlanders are commonly very open-hearted down-right and honest very free in Words and Conversation not easily to be mov'd or stirr'd up but if once made soundly angry not easily to be appeas'd If you Converse with them without Haughtiness and with Discretion so as to accommodate your self a little to their Inclinations you may do with them what you please Charles V. us'd to say of them That there was not a Nation under the Sun that did detest more the Name of Slavery and yet if you did manage them Mildly and with Discretion did bear it more patiently But the Rabble here is very bad it being a common Custom to speak ill and despicably of their Magistrates as often as things do not answer Expectation The Hollanders are very unfit for Land-service and the Dutch Horse-men are strange Creatures yet those who live in Gueldres and upon the Borders of Westphalia are tolerably good But at Sea they have done such Exploits that they may be compar'd with any Nation in the World And the Zealanders are esteem'd more Hardy and Venturous than the Hollanders They are also generally very parsimonious not much addicted to the Belly it being not the Custom here to spend their yearly Income but to save every Year an overplus This saving way of living upholds their Credit and enables them to bear such heavy Taxes without being ruin'd by them They are very fit for all sorts of Manufactury and very much addicted to Commerce not refusing to undergo any Labour or Danger where something is to be got and those that understand Trade deal very easily with them They are very punctual in every respect pondering and ordering a thing very well before they begin it And there is scarce any Nation in the World so fit for Trade as the Dutch this being very praise-worthy in them that they always choose rather to get somewhat by their own Industry than by Violence or Fraud But especially the greatest Liberty which they enjoy is a great Encouragement for Trade The chiefest Vice among them is Covetousness which however is not so pernicious among them because it produces in them Industry and good Husbandry There is a great many who have been amaz'd at the great Conduct which has appear'd in the management of their Affairs notwithstanding that the Hollanders in general are rarely of extraordinary Wit or Merits Some alledge this for a Reason That a cold Temper and Moderation of Passions are the fundamental Qualifications of such as intend to manage State Affairs § 20. The Seven Vnited Provinces are not very large in Extent they being to be reckon'd but for one Corner of Germany but they are fill'd up with so considerable a Number of beautifull large and populous Cities that no other place of the same bigness is to be compar'd to it Besides the Seven Provinces they are possess'd of some Cities in Flanders and Brabant viz. Hulst Sluce Ardenburgh Bois le Duc Maestricht Breda Bergen op Zoom Grave and some others They also keep a Garrison in Embden thereby to secure the River of Embs.
are seven Common wealths which by the Union at Vtrecht are joined into one Confederacy they have their Deputies constantly residing at the Hague whose business it is to take care of such Affairs as concern the whole Union and if any thing of moment is to be decreed they send to the several Provinces and according to the Approbation of these they make their Decrees these Deputies are called the States-General Nay it seems that each Province is rather a Confederacy than one City or Common-wealth because the several Members of each Province do treat with one another like Confederates and not like one Body where one is superiour to the other or the majority of Votes determines a business For even in the Provincial Assemblies a great many things cannot be determined by the Plurality of Votes but every Member's consent is required Which shows that these Provinces and Cities not united by so strong a Tye as those who are govern'd by one Soveraign except as far as Necessity obliges them to keep together And the great Cities are fill'd with Rabble which if once put in motion uses to make strange work among them It is therefore the great Care of the Magistrates that they are kept in constant Employment to get Bread for Famine would quickly be the occasion of great Tumults here There is also a Jealousie betwixt Holland and the other Provinces the latter pretending to some Prerogative as being the most Powerfull and contributing most to the Publick whereas the others are for maintaining their Liberty and Equality All the rest of the Cities are especially jealous of Amsterdam because this City draws abundance of Trade from the rest and puts them in apprehension as if She were ambitious to domineer over them But the greatest Irregularity happens in their Constitution by means of the Prince of Orange who having the Favour of the Common people of the Land-Souldiers and the Clergy for the Clergy hate the Arminians who being of the Barnefelt Faction are Enemies of the Prince seems to endanger their Liberty Wherefore the chief Men in the Cities to whom belongs the Magistracy there possess their places in continual fear except they will be pliable to the Prince of Orange Whose interest is also inconsistent with that of the State because no Land way can be advantageous for Holland whereas in time of War his Authority is much greater than otherwise And therefore according to this Form of the Government scarce a firm Peace can be establish'd at home It may easily happen that the Prince may aspire to be their Soveraign And when the Province of Gueldres did offer to him the Soveraignty he did give them to understand That if all the rest were of the same Opinion they should have no occasion to look for him behind the Wine-pipes as the Jews did for Saul yet the wiser sort are of opinion that he would reap no great benefit from this Soveraignty since it would be scarce possible to keep so many great Cities in Obedience against their Will For Cittadels and Garrisons would prove the Ruin of Trade which never flourishes where absolute Power controuls the Subject Wherefore it seems more adviseable for the Prince to be satisfied with what Power he has it being certain that if he knows how to manage the Humour of the People he is almost able to do what he pleases It has been a great Dispute whether it be for the advantage of these Netherlands to have a Governour General Those who are for the Affirmative alledge That this Country having been from ancient Time under the Jurisdiction of a limited Soveraignty has been used to that Form of Government That it conduces to the outward Splendour of the Common-wealth and to uphold the Authority of the Magistrates in the Cities That thereby Factions and Tumults are kept under and suppressed That thereby are prevented a great many Inconveniences in executing any designs of moment which were incident to an Aristocratical and Democratical State viz. Slow and divided Counsels in Consultations delays in Executions and the divulging of secret Designs all which we will leave undetermin'd here This is also to be esteemed one of the Weaknesses of this Common-wealth that so great a number of Inhabitants cannot be maintained by the Product of the Land but must get their Bread from abroad and by the help of Foreigners Wherefore the certain Ruin of this Common-wealth is at hand when-ever its Trade and Navigation should be stopt which however is not altogether impossible to happen The difference of Religion is commonly reckoned among the weaknesses of a State But some make this one of the main Pillars of the flourishing Condition of Holland because it contributes greatly to the Strength and Encrease of this State The Reformed Religion is here the Establish'd Religion all the rest being only tolerated The Papists are connived at but also they keep over them a strict Eye for fear the Priests who all depend on the Pope should enter into a Correspondency with Spain Yet it is rarely seen in Holland that one Subject hates the other or prosecutes him upon the Score of Religion It has been the Saying of some that in other Countries Religion doth more good but in Holland less harm It is also very inconvenient for the Inhabitants that all sorts of Victuals are sold at so excessive a Rate The reason of which is That the greatest Revenues of Holland are raised by way of Excise upon these Commodities and it is a common Saying That before you can get a Dish of Fish ready dress'd upon your Table at Amsterdam you have paid above Thirty several Taxes for it And notwithstanding all these heavy Impositions the State is much in debt There are some also who pretend that the Traffick of the Dutch does grow less and less for which they alledge several Reasons viz. That since the Peace concluded at Munster other Nations have also applied themselves to Trade That the Price of the East-India Commodities does fall every Year and yet the Charges of the Company increases daily For whereas formerly five or six East-India Ships coming home yearly were reckon'd very considerable now eighteen or twenty do return which so over-stocks them with these Commodities that they are obliged to lay them up in their Ware-houses for a considerable time before they can vent them without Loss They alledge allso that Corn has been of late years so abundant in France Spain Italy and England that the Hollanders have not sent much of it into these Parts it being their custom to fetch Corn from off the East-Sea where they vent in exchange of it most or their Spices That the great Addition of Fortifications and sumptuous Buildings to the City of Amsterdam have taken up a great quantity of Ready-money which might have been better employed in way of Trade and that Luxury and Debauchery does encrease daily in that City But the Reason why the Hollanders had
But there lived a great many Noblemen among them also who by degrees getting the ascendant over the Common People did oppress their Liberty especially during the diffeâ—ences which were betwixt the Emperors and the Popes when the Nobility us'd to side with the Popes but the Commonalty with the Emperor These divisions betwixt the Nobility and the People grew very high at the time of the great Interregnum which happen'd after the death of the Emperor Frederick the Second which breaking out into an open War the whole Nobility was driven out of the Counrry but by the Emperor Rodolfus's Authority a reconciliation having been made betwixt them the Nobles were restored to their Estates Thus these Countries did enjoy their former Liberty till the Reign of Albert I. who having conceived a hatred against them because they had sided with his Rival Adolph of Nassaw was very desirous to annex them to his Hereditary Countries the Monasteries therefore and a great many of the Nobility having upon his desire submitted themselves to the Jurisdiction of the House of Austria The same was also proposed to the three above-mentioned places who refusing his proposition he set over them Imperial Judges or Vicars who contrary to the antient Custom began to reside in strong Castles and having first try'd by perswasions to bring them over to the House of Austria afterwards when they found their labour lost that way grew very burthensom to the People by their oppressions neither were the Petitions made against them by the Commonalty in any ways regarded by the Emperor nay the Judge of Vnder-Walden who 's name was Geisler was become so extravagant that he set his Hat upon a Pole in the Market-Place of Altorf commanding that every body should pay the same respect to his Hat as to himself thereby to make a tryal of their Obedience And among others one William Tell having often pass'd by without paying his Respect he forced him to shoot with an Arrow through an Apple which was plaâ—ed upon his own Sons Head but this man whilst he was carrying to prison making his escape stirr'd up the hatred of the People against the Judges § 2. There were at that time three Men of great Authority among them viz. Werner Stouffacher born in Switz Walter Furst born in Vry and Arnold of Melchtale born in Vnder-Walden These entred into an Association whereby it was agreed among them to rid themselves of this Tyranny and to restore their antient Liberty A great many more having entred afterwards into this Association an agreement was made betwixt them that in the year 1308. on the first day of January they would surprize these Judges in their strong Castles and drive them out of the Country This Confederacy was made in the year 1307. on the 17. of October and having afterwards been put in execution in the abovementioned year on the first day of January these three places entred into a Confederacy for ten years for the mutual Defence of their antient Liberties In the year 1315. Leopald Arch-Duke of Austria Son of Albert I. marched with an Army of 20000 Men to force them to Obedience against whom they marched out with 1300 men and whilst the Austrian Forces were marching betwixt the Lane and inaccessible mountains some of the Switzers by rowling down upon them and throwing great heaps of stones among them put the Enemy in confusion whilst the rest fell upon them and entirely defeated them near Morgarten Then these three places renewed their Confederacy and having confirmed it by solemn Oaths they agreed it should continue for ever This was done at Brun in the year 1320. on the 7 th of December And this is the first beginning of that Commonwealth whose Confederates us'd to call themselves Edytsgenossen which signifies Ally'd by Oath but strangers call them in general Switzers from that one place called Switz § 3. Nevertheless the first intention of this Confederacy was not to separate themselves from the German Empire but only to maintain their antient Privileges tho by degrees they began to Administer their own Affairs at home without sending their Deputies to the Dyets of the Empire and the Switzers were not till in the year 1648. viz in the Westphalian Peace declared quite Independent from the Roman Empire for the Emperor Lewis IV. had confirmed the former Confederacy and in 1320. had sent them a new Imperial Vicar or Judge unto whom after having received new assurances to be maintained in their Privileges they did Homage in the name of the Emperor But the following Emperors gave them full power to choose Judges among themselves granting them the supreme Jurisdiction both in Civil and Criminal Affairs In the year 1332. Lucern and in the year 1351. Zurick entred into this Confederacy Lucern was formerly under the Jurisdiction of the House of Austria Zurick which is the chiefest of the Confederacy was formerly a free Imperial City Immediately after Glaris and in the year 1352. Zug and Bern were United with the former The Switzers after this time had great Wars with the House of Austria and in 1386 slew Leopold Arch-Duke of Austria with a great many Nobles in the battel near Sempach In the year 1444. the Switzers did give another proof of their Valour for the Dauphin of France afterward call'd Lewis XI marching with a great Army to disturb the Council then held at Basil was attack'd by 1900 Switzers with such fury that tho they all fell in the enterprize yet did they strike such a terror into the French that they quickly retreated homewards § 4. In the year 1476 the Switzers were engaged in a war against Charles Duke of Burgundy who was stirr'd up by Lewis XI who was for setting the Duke at work Against him Rene Duke of Lorain and the Bishops of Strasburgh and Basil made an Alliance with the Switzers The Emperor Frederick III. also being desirous to revenge the quarrel of his House commanded them to fall upon the Duke of Burgundy who then was an Enemy of the Empire And having afterwards made a Peace with the Duke without including the Switzers he hop'd they would be severely chastized by this brave Prince but things happen'd quite contrary to his expectation for the Switzers defeated the Duke in three great Battels the first near Granson afterwards near Murten where the Duke had an Army of one hundred thousand Men and at last near Nancy in Lorain where the Duke himself was killed By these Victories the Switzers gained great Reputation In the year 1481. Fribourgh and Solothurn in the year 1501. Basil and Shafshausen and last of all Appen-Zell were united with this Confederacy The whole body then of the Swisse Confederacy is composed of 13 Common-wealths which they call Places but the Italians and French call them Cantons among these Zuric Bern Lucern Zug Basil Fribourgh Selothum and Shafshausen are Cities Vry Switz Vnderwalden Glariss and Appen-Zell are Countries where are a
And thus the Empire was transferred from the Carolingian Family to the Saxons § 3. Henry Surnamed the Birdcatcher did bridle the Fury of the Hungarians For they having made a great inroad into Germany and demanded the Yearly Tribute from him he sent them a Mungeril-Dog and afterwards Defeated them in a bloody Battle near Merseburgh where he slew 80000 of them Under the Reign of this King the greatest part of the Cities which are situated on the sides of the Rhine were either Built or else Fortified with Walls This Henry also did Conquer the Serbes and Wendes a Sarmatick or Sclavonian Nation who being possessed of a large Tract of Land in Germany on the River Elbe he drove out of Misnia Lusatia and the Marquisate of Brandenburgh After he had re-established the Affairs of Germany he died in the Year 936. After him succeeded his Son Otto Surnamed the Great who at first was engaged in heavy Civil Wars against several Princes but especially against those who pretended to be of the Race of Charles the Great and were extremely dissatisfied that the Royal Dignity was transferred to the Saxons He was also very Fortunate in his Wars against the Danes To the Hungarians who ventured to make another Incursion into Germany he gave a capital overthrow near Augsburgh since which time they never have dared to shew themselves in Germany In Italy there had been great Confusions for a long time the Soveraignty having been usurped sometimes by one sometimes by another till at last Otto being called thither possessed himself both of the Kingdom of Italy and the Imperial Dignity it having been then agreed that both the Imperial and Royal Dignity of Italy should be inseparably annexed without any further Election to the Royal Dignity of Germany and that no Pope should be chosen without the Approbation of the King of the Germans and Otto was Crowned at Rome tho' this Conquest has proved not very beneficial to Germany the succeeding Popes having made it their Business to raise continual Disturbances which was not easy to be prevented because these Places were not kept in awe by strong Castles or Garisons Wherefore as often as the Popes were pleased to raise new Commotions the Germans were obliged to send great Armies thither which continual Alarms consumed great quantities of Men and Money In lieu of which their Kings had scarce any Revenues out of Italy except that they had Free Quarters and Entertainment given them during their stay there This Otto died in the Year 974 leaving for his Successour his Son Otto II. who also at first met with great Disturbances from some of the Princes of Germany Afterwards Lotharius King of France would have made himself Master of Loraine and had very near surprised the Emperour at Aix la Chapelle But Otto marched with an Army through Champaigne to the very Gates of Paris but in his return home received a considerable Loss At last a Peace was concluded at Rheims by Vertue of which Loraine was left to the Emperour He then undertook an Expedition into Italy against the Greeks who had made themselves Masters of that Country these he overthrew at first but received afterwards a grand Defeat because the Romans and those of Benevento immediatly turned their Backs he himself fell into the Hands of the Enemy but found means to make his Escape from them and revenged himself against the former for their Infidelity He died not long after of Vexation His Son Otto III. did employ a great part of his Reign in appeasing these Tumults which were raised in Rome by the Consul Crescentius who aiming at the Sovereignty was hanged for his pains by Order of Otto who was afterwards poysoned by the Widdow of the said Crescentius with a pair of Gloves made up with a certain sort of Poyson Otto having left no Children behind him the Crown was conferred upon Henry II. Surnamed the Lame Duke of Bavaria who sprang from the Saxon Race with whom Ecbart Landgrave of Hesse did contend for the Crown but lost his Life in the Quarrel This Emperour was entangled in continual Troubles in Italy and chastised Boleslaus King of Poland Because he was a great Benefactor to the Clergy he was made a Saint after his Death § 4. Henry II. having left no Children behind him the Princes elected Conrad Sali Duke of Franconia Emperour in his room which occasioned great Jealousie in the Saxons and great Wars in Germany This Emperour met with great Disturbances both in Germany and Italy which were at last all composed Radolf the last King of Burgundy and Arus dying without Issue left him that Kingdom by his last Will which he took Possession of and united the same with Germany having forced Eudo the Earl of Champaigne who made a pretension upon it to resign his Title He was also very Fortunate in his Wars against the Pole◠and Sclavonians and died in the Year 1035. Him succeeded his Son Henry Surnamed the Black who was continually allarm'd by the Hungarians and the Popes Intrigues against whom he maintained the Imperial Dignity with great bravery He died in the Year 1056. His Son Henry IV. his Reign was very long but also very Troublesome and Unfortunate Among other Reasons this may be counted one of the Chiefest that he being but Six Years of Age when his Father died was left to the Tuition of such as had no true Care of his Education and besides this by selling the Church Benefices without having any Regard to Deserts had done considerable Mischief to the Empire Wherefore Henry coming to his riper Years and perceiving how the Ecclesiasticks had got all the best Possessions of the Empire into their Hands he resolved to dispossess them again whereby he drew upon himself the hatred of the Clergy The Saxons were also his great Enemies because he had by Building up of some Fortresses endeavoured to restrain their Insolencies and tho' he often kept his Court in Saxony yet he seldom preferred the Saxons to any Offices Most of the Princes were also dissatisfied with him because he rarely advised with them concerning the publick State of Affairs but either followed the Advice of his Counsellors who were most of them Men of mean Birth or else his own Head These and some other Reasons set the Saxons against him in an open Rebellion with whom he waged long and bloody Wars till he vanquished them at last But Pope Hildebrand or Gregory VII and his Successours did raise a more dreadful Storm against him for the Popes having long since been vexed to the Heart that they and the rest of the Clergy should be subject to the Emperour Hildebrand thought to have now met with a fair Opportunity to set the Clergy at Liberty at a time when the Emperour was entangled in a War with the Saxons and hated by most Princes of the Empire The Emperour had lived somewhat too Free in his younger
at Sea he must needs prove very troublesom to Denmark § 12. As to the Neighbours of Denmark it Borders on one side upon Germany for Holstein which belongs to the present Royal Ramily is a Fief of the Empire And tho the Land Forces of Denmark do not come to any comparison with those of Germany and Jutland lies quite open on that side yet the Islands are very secure from the Germans who are not provided with Shipping except it should happen that the great and lesser Belt should both be frozen which happens very rarely Neither is there any great probability that these two States should differ except the pretensions upon Hamborough which the King of Denmark will not easily let fall should furnish an occasion for War And to speak truly it is so delicious a morsel that it may easily provoke an Appetite But it will be a very difficult task for the King of Denmark to attain his aim by open force except there should happen a very strange juncture of Affairs or that the inward Divisions or else by treachery this City should give an occasion for its Ruin In the mean while it is not easily to be supposed that the Neighbouring German Princes should suffer that a City of so great Consequence should fall into the hands of a Foreign Prince In fine it is of vast Consequence to Denmark to hold a good understanding with Germany since from thence it must draw the greatest part of its Land-Forces wherewith to defend itself against Swedeland With the Swedes Denmark had been in continual Broils for a considerable time and it seems that there is an old grudge and animosity betwixt these two Nations arising chiefly hence that the Danes have formerly always endeavour'd to make themselves Masters of Sweden and to reduce this Kingdom into the same condition as they had done Norway Besides that afterwards they have made it their business by ruining their Shipping and Trade to prevent the growing Greatness of Sweden But Sweden has always vigorously defended itself and in latter times has gain'd great advantages upon Denmark for the Swedes have not only recover'd Schonen and secured West Gothland by the Fortress of Bahus but they have also a way open into Jutland out of their Provinces in Germany On the other hand the Danes have made it their business hitherto by making Alliances with the Enemies of Sweden to get from them these Advantages But if we consider that these two Kingdoms are now divided by their natural Bounds to preserve which France England and Holland seem to be mutually concern'd and that as in human probability Denmark cannot conquer or maintain itself in Swedeland so the other States of Europe are not likely to suffer that Sweden should become Master of Denmark It seems therefore most convenient that these two Kingdoms should maintain a good understanding and be a mutual security to one another against their Enemies From Holland Denmark may expect real assistance in case it should be in danger of being Conquered since the prosperity of Holland depends partly on the free Trade of the Baltic and if one should become Master both of Sweden and Denmark he would questionless keep these Passages closer than they are now But the Danes also are sensible enough that the Hollanders will not engage themselves any further in their behalf than to keep the ballance even for fear they should with an increase of Power attempt hereafter to raise the Toll in the Sound at pleasure But as long as Holland sides with Denmark England will not be fond of the Danish Party but rather declare for the other side for the preservation of Denmark and the Trade in the Baltic is not of so great consequence to England as it is to Holland The Muscovites may prove very serviceable to Denmark against Sweden yet cannot the Danes make any great account upon an Alliance with them because it is very difficult to maintain a Correspondency with them especially if the Poles should declare for Sweden Besides that the Muscovites as soon as they have obtained their aim commonly have but little regard to Alliances or the Interest of their Allies Denmark can have no great reliance upon Poland except that Crown should be engag'd in a War against Sweden France has hitherto shewn no great concern for Denmark because it has always been in Alliance with its Enemies yet France would not willingly see it ruin'd because no State of Europe would desire the two Northern Kingdoms should be under the Subjection of one Prince But I cannot see any reason why an offensive Alliance with Denmark should be profitable to France Spain is more likely to wish well to Denmark than to assist it except it should happen that Swedeland was engaged in a War against the House of Austria or any other Allie of Spain CHAP. X. Of POLAND § 1. THE POLES who anciently were called Samartians and afterwards Slavonians derived their Name from the Nature of the Country which they possess which lies most upon a Plain for Pole signifies in their language a Plain tho some are of opinion that the Word Polacki is as much as to say the Posterity of Lechus This Nation formerly did inhabit nearer to the Country of the Tartars but after vast Numbers out of Germany entred the Roman Provinces their places were supplied by the nations living behind them And it seems that Poland being in the same manner left by its Inhabitants which were then Venedi or Wends they made room for the next that took their Place These then as 't is said having taken possession of this Country about the year 550 did under the Conduct of Lechus lay there the Foundation of a new State Lechus resided at Gnicsen being encouraged thereunto by an Eagles Nest which he found there and taking it as a good Omen put an Eagle into the Arms of the new Commonwealth giving to that City the name of Gnicsen which in the Polish Language signifies a Nest This Nation first setled it self in that part of the Country which now goes by the name of the great and lesser Poland neither did their Limits extend any further tho since that time they are mightily encreased § 2. The first Governours of this Nation did not assume to themselves the Title of Kings but only that of Dukes and the first form of Government was very inconstant for after the Race of Lechus was extinguished tho it is uncertain how many of them and for how long a time they Ruled or what were their Atchievments twelve Governours which in their Language are called Vayvods did administer the Government who having at first regulated and refined this barbarous People by good Laws and Constitutions at last were divided among themselves Wherefore the Poles elected for their Prince one Cracus who having restored the Commonwealth to its former State built the City of Cracovia so called after his
prejudicial to the Christians § 8. In his stead Casimir was made King of Poland A great part of Prussia which was weary of the Government of the Knights of the Cross did surrender it self under his Protection This occasioned a heavy War betwixt them and the Poles which having been carried on a great while with dubious Success a Peace was at last concluded by the mediation of the Pope by Vertue of which the Poles got Pomerellia Culm Marienburgh Stum and Elbing the rest remaining under the jurisdiction of the Knights of the Cross under Condition that the Master of that Order should be a Vassal of Poland and a Duke and Senator of that Kingdom Much about the same time the Duke of Vallachia did submit himself as a Vassal to the Crown of Poland Under the Reign of this King the Deputies of the Provinces first appeared at the Dyets of the Kingdom Vladislaus the Son of this Casimir was made King of Bohemia and afterwards also of Hungary tho' his own Brother John Albert did contend with him for the latter but being soundly beaten was obliged to desist from his Pretensions Casimir died in the Year 1492. Him succeeded his Son John Albert who received a signal overthrow in Vallachia from the Turks and rebellious Vallachians The Turks also fell into Poland but by a sudden great Frost a great many Thousands of them were starved to Death Under the Reign of this King the Dukedom of Plotzk◠in the Country of Masovia was united to Poland He died in the Year 1501. Whom succeeded his Brother Alexander but he did not Reign longer than till the Year 1506. Whom succeeded Sigismund one of the most Famous Princes of his time This King was engaged in three several Wars against the Muscovites wherein the Poles always were Victorious in the Field but the Muscovites who had got Smolensko by Treachery kept the possession of that place The War which he waged with the Knights of the Cross in Prussia at last composed under these Conditions that Albert Marquess of Brandenburgh who was then Master of that Order should receive the Eastern parts of Prussia as a hereditary Fief from the King and should acknowledge himself hereafter a Vassal of the Crown of Poland Under his Reign also the whole Country of Masovia was re-united to the Crown of Poland He also fought very successfully against the Vallachians and died in the Year 1548. leaving for his Successour his Son Sigismundus Augustus Under his Reign Livonia submitted it self to Poland as being not able to defend it self against the Muscovites who already had taken Dorpt Felin and several other places In this publick Consternation Estlad and Reval did surrender themselves to Erick King of Swedeland But the Archbishop of Riga and the Master of the Teutonick Order did seek for Protection of the King of Poland which he would not grant them upon any other terms than that they should submit themselves to the Crown of Poland Whereupon the Master of the Order having abdicated himself surrendred the Castle of Riga and some other places to the Poles And he in recompence of his Loss was made Duke of Curland and Semigall This occasioned a War betwixt the Poles and Muscovites wherein these took from the former Plotzk◠This King died without Children and by his Death the Male Race of the Jagellonick Family was quite extinguished § 9. After his Death there were great Contentions in Poland concerning the Election of a new King and at last by the majority of Votes Henry Duke of Anjou Brother of Charles IX King of France was declared King of Poland who arriving there was crowned in the same Year But he had scarce been four Monthsin Poland when having Notice that his Brother the King of France was dead he in the Night time and in a thick Fog for fear the Poles should detain him relinquished Poland and taking his way through Austria and Italy into France took Possession of that Kingdom The Poles being extreamly vexed at this Affront were for electing a new King A great many were for Maximilian of Austria but Stephen Batori Prince of Transylvania having been declared King by the plurality of Votes quickly came into Poland and excluded Maximilian by marrying Anna the Sister of Sigismundus Augustus This King reduced the City of Dantzick which had sided with Maximilian to obedience Afterwards he fell upon the Muscovites taking from them Plotzko and the neighbouring Countries At last he made Peace with the Muscovites under this Condition that they should resign to him the whole Country of Livonia in lieu of which he would restore to them such places as he had taken from them in Muscovy This King adorned the Kingdom with wholesome Constitutions and established the Militia of Horse which Souldiers being paid out of the fourth part of the Royal Revenues are commonly called the Quartians these he disposed upon the Frontiers to defend the same against the Incursions of the Tartars By this means that Tract of Land which from Bar Bracklavia and Kiovia extends it self betwixt the two Rivers of the Dniester and the Borysthenes as far as to the Black Sea was filled with populous Cities and Towns which is now called the Vkraine it having been formerly a desolate Country He also put into a good Order and Discipline the Cosacks who served for Foot Souldiers giving to them Techtimorovia situated on the River Borysthenes which they made afterwards their Magazine and the place of Residence of their Governours Before this time the Cosacks were only a wild and barbarous sort of Rabble who were gathered out of the Polish Russia and having settled themselves in the Island of the River Borysthenes beneath Kiovia lived upon Robbing and Plunder These Cosacks after they were brought into good Discipline by this King Stephen have been for a considerable time serviceable to the Crown of Poland not only against the Incursions of the Tartars but also by their cruising into the Black Sea have done great Mischief to the Turks For they have had Courage enough to ransack the Cities of Trebisond and Sinope nay even the Suburbs of Constantinople with other places This brave King whilst he was making Preparations against the Turks died in the Year 1586. § 10. After his Death Sigismund Son to John King of Swedeland was made King of Poland who had this Advantage that his Mother Catherine had been Sister of Sigismundus Augustus and so consequently was descended from the Jagellonick Race Some of the Poles proclaimed Maximilian their King but he coming with some Forces to take Possession of the Kingdom was beaten and taken Prisoner and before he obtained his Liberty was obliged to renounce his Title to that Crown After the Death of John King of Sweden Sigismund went in the Year next following into Swedeland where he was Crowned King of Sweden But having afterwards lost that Crown it occasioned a War betwixt Poland and Sweden
an opportunity to possess themselves of of these ample Revenues nevertheless the same kept a great many Prelates under the obedience of the Roman Chair who if they had not been afraid of losing their Rich Benefices would not have been so backward to side with Luther's Party This was manifestly to be seen in France where both the Prelates and Common People had made no great account of the Popes Authority before the Reformation but when they saw that those of the Reformed Religion were for breaking into their Quarters they agreed better afterwards with the Court of Rome and the Commonalty was very Zealous against the Reformed Religion § 28. But besides this the Pope as soon as his adherents had recovered themselves from their first consternation and his Enemies were faln out among themselves has since settled his Affairs in such a manner that the Protestants in all likelyhood will not only not be able to hurt him for the future but he also by degrees gets ground of them For those things wherewith Luther did upbraid them and did the most mischief to them they have either quite abolish'd or at least they are transacted in a more decent manner Si non castè tamen cautè They have also made use of the same Weapons wherewith Luther did attack them For the Popes now a days do not insult with so much haughtiness over Princes but treat them with more Civility and Lenity It is true in the last Age Paul IV. behaved himself very impudently towards Spain and in our Age Paul V. did the same with Venice But by the mediation of wiser Heads these Differences were Composed before they could draw after them any further ill Consequences and the Popes ever since have been sufficiently convinced that these hot-headed proceedings are in no ways suitable to their present condition For Paul V. did quickly give fair words when the French Ambassadour made him believe that the Venetians had sent for some Ministers from Geneva to be instructed in the Principles of the Reformed Religion Neither have of late years sate such Debauchees in the Papal Chair as Alexander VI. or such Martial Popes as Julius II. was but of late they have endeavoured to carry on their Intreagues under hand whilst they in outward appearance pretend to be the Promoters and Mediatours of Peace That most scandalous Trade of Indulgences and that gross sort of Simony they have set aside whilst they make it their business to cajole the People out of their mony in a more handsome manner The Bishops are now of another Stamp and carry it on with much more gravity than before the times of Luther nay there are now among the Prelats eccellent and well qualified Men. The Ordinary Priests and Monks also have been much Reformed in their Manners and been obliged to lay aside their former brutish Ignorance Luther And his adherents did at first gain mightily upon the People by their most excellent and learned Sermons and by their Books which they publish'd thereby to excite the People to Piety Prayers godly Meditations and Exercises Both which the Papists have imitated since for among them now adays are to be found most excellent Preachers and very good Prayer-Books so that the Protestant Clergy has now not much to object against them as to their ability or outward behaviour They have also got a very good insight into all the Controverted Points and have a dosen or more Distinctions at hand against any Objection For example whereas nothing seems more ridiculous than that the Pope should grant his Indulgences for twenty or thirty thousands years to come they know how to give this a fine colour by these Distinctions of Intensive and Extensive Potentialiter and Actualiter which relish strangely with young Students and the ignorant suppose them to be terms full of Mysteries And because the Ignorance of the Clergy and the hatred conceived against Learning and learned Men had proved very prejudicial to the Popish Monarchy the Popish Clergy and especially the Jesuits have since altered their Course and having taken upon them the Education of Youth have pretended to the Monopoly of Learning among the Roman Catholicks so that since that time Learning has not only not been prejudicial but very profitable to them Lastly they now adays do not make use of Fire and Sword to propagate the Roman Catholick Religion but the chief Men among the Protestants are inticed to come over to their Party with fair Words great Promises and actual Recompenses If any one who is well qualified will go over to their Party he may be sure to make his Fortune since the Wealth of their Church furnishes them with sufficient Means to maintain such a Person tho his Merits were not extraordinary Whereas on the contrary if any one goes over from them to the Protestants Religion and either has not wherewithal to live or else is endowed with extraordinary qualifications he must expect nothing but want Last of all those of the House of Austria have greatly promoted the Popish Interest when they drove the Protestants out of the Hereditary Countries in Germany out of the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Countries belonging thereunto and lately have done the same to the Protestants in Hungary except to a very few or else have forced them to profess themselves Roman Catholicks § 29. From what has been said it may easily be understood in what manner this Ecclesiastical Sovereignty has extended her Power over the Western parts of Christendom But throughly to understand the whole Structure and Composure of this Engine and by what means it is sustained it will not be improper to consider the Pope in two different ways first as a Prince in Italy and secondly as the spiritual Monarch over the Western Church As to the first it is to be observed that the Pope may be reckoned a Potent Prince in Italy but is in no ways to be Compared with the other Princes in Europe The Countries under his Jurisdiction are the City of Rome with her Territories situated on both sides of the River Tyber the Dukedom of Benevento in the Kingdom of Naples the Dukedoms of Spoleto Vrbino and Ferrara the Marquisate of Ancona several places in Tuscany Romaniola or Flaminia where are situated Bologna and Ravenna In France the Country of Avignon belongs to him Parma is a Fief of the Church which Paul III. granted to his Son Lewis Farnese But since that time a Constitution has been made that it shall not be in the power of any Pope to Alienate any Fief or to grant any of the Countries belonging to the Church in Fief to any person whatsoever to prevent the ruin of the Ecclesiastick State and that in case the Revenues from abroad should fail the Pope nevertheless might not want means to maintain himself and his Court. The Kingdom of Naples is also a Fief of the Church in acknowledgment of which the King of Spain every
considerable Force and having routed the Vanguard of King Waldemar made him their Prisoner Whereupon Magnus called together the Estates of the Kingdom who being most of them of his Party did assign the whole Kingdom to Duke Magnus except only East and West Gothland Smaland and Daht which the King was to have for his share But this Agreement lasted not long for the Danes who had not received their Subsidies promised by Magnus siding with Waldemar the War was renewed which was carried on with various Success till at last the Danes having received satisfaction for the Money due to them left Waldemar in the lurch who in the presence of the Estates resigned the Kingdom to Magnus § 6. Waldemar having resigned the Kingdom Magnus was crowned at Vpsal who resumed the Title of King of the Swedes and Goths which had not been used by his Predecessors ever since the time of Olaus Skotkanung but is since retained by the Kings of Sweden to this day Under this King's reign the Family of the Tolekungers began to raise new Commotions and being assisted by some of the Nobilty murthered Ingemar Danschkep the King's Favourite and took Gerhard the E. of Holstein and Father-in-law to the K. Prisoner laying also close Siege to the Castle of Joncoring which oblig'd the K. to appeaâ—e them for that time by fair Promises but not long after the E. was released the K. accused them before the Assembly of the Nobility of High Treason and caused them all to be executed at Stockholm except Philip of Runby who was fain to redeem his Life at a very dear Rate And with this Stroke the Greatness of the Family of the Tolekungers was quite laid in the dust Having thus settled his Affairs he got his Lady Hederig crowned at Suderasping and with the advice of the Senators made King Waldemar a Prisoner in the Castle of Nicoping where he died four years after Magnus died in Wisignioc but was buried at Stockholm in the Church of the Grey Friars having left the Tuition of his Son Birger who was but eleven years of age and the Care of the Kingdom to Torckell Câ—utson the RixMarshal Torckell Cnutson was Regent for the space of thirteen years during which time he also imprisoned King Waldemar's Son but after their decease he sent an Army into Carâ—lia and having subdued this Nation and induced them to receive the Christian Faith he built on their Frontiers the Fortress of Wibourg and took from the Russians Kekhelm King Birger being by this time come to his riper Years married Mereta the Daughter of Erick King of Denmark and having sent new forces into Carelia and Ingermania built the Fortress of Norburgh on the Frontiers of Russia which however a few years after was retaken and demolished by the Russians Soon after he declared his Son Magnus who was but three years old his Successor in the Kingdom which was confirmed by the chief Men of the Kingdom and especially by his Brothers But this solemn Transaction was of no long continuance for the Brothers quickly fell into divisions among themselves and the two younger growing mistrustful of the King the Marshal retired first into Denmark and from thence into Norway to make use of that King's Intercession to recover their Inheritance which King Birger had seised upon but all this proving ineffectual they made several Inroads into West-Gothland and killed and dispersed the Swedish Troops that were sent to oppose them The King went at last in person with an Army and was met by his Brothers with some Forces which they had obtained of the King of Norway when by the Intercession of some Senators the Differences betwixt the Brothers were composed and the two younger restored to their Estates in Sweden This Agreement cost the old Torcell his Head who under pretence of having upheld the Ammosities betwixt the Brothers and some other matters laid to his charge was beheaded at Stockhelm But no sooner was this Wise Man dead but the two younger Brothers began to aim again at the Crown and having surprised the K. and Q. at their Country Seat called Hatuna forced him to resign the Kingdom and to surrender the Crown and City of Stockholm to his Brother Erick who made the King a Prisoner in the Castle of Nicoping but his Son Magnus was during this Tumult carried into Denmark The King of Denmark undertook 3 several Expeditions to relieve his Brother-in-law and Sister but to no great purpose only that at last it was agreed that the King Queen and their Children should be set at liberty and the matter decided in the Assembly of the Senate of the Kingdom The Senate therefore having been called together at Arâ—oga it was there concluded That in case King Birger would pardon all past Injuries and be contented with what part of the Kingdom should be assigned to him he should be set at liberty which was performed accordingly the Senate and his Brothers having again sworn fealty to him Thus matters seemed to be composed for the present when not long after a greater Storm broke out Erick the King of Denmark having made an Alliance with Haquin King of Norway came with an Army of 60000 Men into Sweden to assist King Birger in bringing his Brothers under his Subjection their first Success was answerable to their great Preparations having taken Joncoping and forced the Duke's Forces to fly before them but the Danes who began to be in want of Provision being most of them gone home there was a Meeting appointed betwixt the Brothers to be held at Helsinburgh where the former Agreement made at Aâ—bega was renewed by virtue of which Duke Erick was to have West Gothland Daht Halland Wermeland and Smalâ—nd Duke Waldemar was to have for his share Vpland Oeland and part of Finland the rest was to remain under the King and the Dukes to hold their Possessions in Fief from him Thus all Animosities seemed to be laid aside and the three Brothers lived in great splendor striving to out-do one another in Magnificence which occasioning some new Taxes proved also the occasion of some Insurrections in the Kingdom which were nevertheless happily appeased and Peace restored to the whole Kingdom In the mean while Duke Waldemar in his journey from Calmar to Stockholm gave a visit to the King at Nycoping who not only treated him with extraordinary Civility but also desired him to return and bring his Brother along with him by which means he hoped that the very seeds of their former Animosities betwixt them might be rooted out Waldemar being overcome by these fair Promises over-persuaded his Brother Erick who was very averse to it at first but at last consented Being arrived in the Castle where the King was they were kindly received and splendidly entertained at Supper but they had not been long in bed and most of their Servants dispersed into several Quarters of the Town till they were made Prisoners beaten
abused and half naked loaden with Irons thrown into a strong Tower their Servants having been all either killed or taken Prisoners The King marched directly for Stockholm in hopes to surprise the City but the News of this barbarous act having been already carried to Stockholm they not only repulsed him but also pursued him to Nycoping The King perceiving that they intended to besiege Nycoping retired to Stockeburgh but before his departure having caused the Doors of the Prison to be barricado'd up he threw the Keys into the River and commanded upon pain of death not to open the Doors till his return Soon after Nycoping was besieged but before it could be forced both the Brothers died by Famine King Birger having by this Treacherous fact animated the whole Kingdom against him sought for Aid in Denmark and having obtained some Forces shifted with them from place to place till some of them were suprized at Sudercoping and the Danish Horse having also left Nycoping the King destitute of all retired with the Queen into Gethland leaving his Son Magnus in the Castle of Stegeburgh The Swedes having immediately after invested the Place forced it to surrender by Famine and sent Magnus a Prisoner to Stockholm The Senate of the Kingdom made there Matthew 〈◊〉 Regent of Sweden who vigorously prosecuted the Remnants of the King's Party which obliged King Birger to seek for shelter to Christopher King of Denmark § 7. After K. Birger had left Gothland the Estates assembled at Vpsal chose for their King Magnus the Son of D. Erick being then but 3 years old The Year next following Magnus the Son of K. Birger notwithstanding that the Senate and Estates of the Kingdom had sworn Fealty to him as to their future King was villainously sentenced to death and beheaded accordingly and King Birger and his Queen died soon after for Grief But the Swedes who had conceived great hopes of their new King found themselves extreamly deceived in their Expectation after the death of of Ketelmundson who at first managed affairs with great Prudence For the King being now of age married Blanch the Daughter of an Earl of Namur and laying aside the old Counsellors made use of the Advice of his young Favourites among whom one Benedict born in West-Gothland had the chief place The Inhabitants of Schonen being sorely oppressed by the Holsteiners put themselves under his protection which was afterwards confirmed by Waldemar King of Denmark and the Sound by common consent made the common Borders of these two Kingdoms on that side After he had ruled twelve years in peace he undertook an Expedition against the Russians which succeeded very ill being obliged to redeem the peace by the surrender of a part of Carelia His Treasury having by this War been mightily exhausted he not only imposed new and heavy Taxes upon the people but also pawned a great many of the Crown Lands Pope Clement VI. also had excommunicated him because he had applied the Revenues of S. Peter given to the Roman Chair by Olaus Skotkonung to the use of the Russian War The People being extreamly discontented at these Proceedings the Senaâ—e perswaded the King that he should cause his two Sons to be declared Kings viz. Brick of Sweden and Haquin of Norway which was done accordingly The Nobility being now headed by a new King began to withdraw from their obedience to the old King and killed his Favourite Benedict The King who now began to see his Errors sought for Aid from the King of Denmark which so exasperated the Nobility that they obliged the young King to take up Arms against his Father which occasioned a bloody War till at last the Kingdom was divided betwixt them the Father having got Vpland Gothland Wermeland Dabt North-Halland West-Gothland and Ocland But Shâ—â—â—n Bleckingen South-Halland East-Gothland Smaland and Finland fell to the Son's share But notwithstanding this agreement the jealousie continued betwixt the Father and Son and not long after the Father having sent for his Son under pretence of some Business of great moment he was there poysoned by his Mother By his death King Magnus being put again into the possession of the whole Kingdom studied nothing but revenge against the Nobility The better to encompass his design he made an under-hand Alliance with the King of Denmark unto whom he surrendred Shonen again who not only took possession of it but also by connivance of King Magnus fell into Gothland and Oeland where he killed a great many Boors plundered the whole Country and demolished Borgholm The Swedes being thus put to a nonplus submit themselves to the protection of Haquin King of Denmark who made his Father Magnus a Prisoner in the Castle of Calmar The Senate of the Kingdom then perswaded King Haquin to marry the Daughter of Henry Earl of Holstein which he seemingly consented to at that time But the Bride in her Voyage into Sweden having been driven on the Coast of Denmark was detained by Waldemar King of Denamark who intended to marry his Daughter to King Haquin Albert Duke of Meâ—klenburgh and the Earls of Holstein did denounce War against the King of Denmark if he did not release the Bride but King Waldemar had in the mean while so well managed the Affairs with Haquin that he resolved to marry Margaret his Daughter The Bride was then set at Liberty but being arrived in Sweden was so slightly received by King Magnus who in the mean time had obtained his Liberty that she retired into a Nunnery and those Senators who urged the King to perform his Marriage Contract were by Magnus banished the Kingdom who soon after married his Son to Margaret that was then but eleven years old At this Wedding which was held at Copenhagen Waldemar caused the Parents of Haquin to be poysoned which worked so violently upon Blenha that she died immediately but King Magnus was preserved by the skill of his Physicians § 8. Those Swedish Lords that were banished by King Magnus having for some time lived in Gothland did at last agree among themselves to elect Henry Earl of Holstein King of Sweden But he being a Man in years and not willing to entangle himself in those troublesome Affairs recommended to them Albert Duke of Mecklenburgh King Magnus's Sisters Son The banished Lords therefore having chosen his second Son whose name also was Albert their King carried him into Gothland and from thence to Stockholm which they easily took being assisted by a strong party within the City Having then called together such of the Nobility as they knew to be Enemies to King Magnus they proclaimed Albert King in the City of Stockholm Magnus and his Son having thereupon got together considerable Forces both in Sweden and Denmark marched against King Albert into Vpland and were met him near by Encoping where a bloody Battle ensued the Victory inclined to Albert's side King Magnus was taken Prisoner Haquin wounded but escaped the
his mediation for the procuring of a Peace in Germany and represented again to the Estates of Sweden the necessity of meeting the Imperialists with an Army abroad he with all expedition prepared himself for the next Campagne and having sent Alexander Lesley with some Troops before to drive the Imperialists out of the Isle of Rugen which he effected and settled his Affairs at home he embarked with 92 Companies of Foot and 16 of Horse which were however considerably augmented afterwards by some Regiments raised in Prussia and landed the 24 of June at Vsedom Upon his arrival the Imperialists having left their Forts thereabouts and at Wollin he re-embarked his Souldiers with a Train of Artillery in some small Vessels and directly took his course towards Stetin and having obliged the Duke of Pomerania to receive him and his Forces into that City he made a defensive Alliance with him From hence he marched to Stargard Anclam Vckermund and Wolgast all which places he took without much opposition And whilest King Gustave acted with such Success against the Imperialists in Pomerania Christian Withelm administrator of Magdeburgh who had been deposed by the Emperour had got into the possession again of the City and Territories of Magdeburgh whither King Gustave sent Dâ—cterick of Falekenbergh to be assisting to the said Administrator in settling his Affairs that were then in great confusion In the mean while several Regiments of Liflanders and Finlanders were arrived under the Command of Gustave Horn these having been joined by such Troops as were lately come out of Prussia the King left his Camp near Stetin he himself marching with his Army into Mecklenburgh In his absence the Imperialists had endeavoured to force the Swedish Camp near Stetin but were vigorously repulsed and at his return he also beat them out of Greiffenhagen and Gartz nay even out of the furthermost parts of Pomerania and the New Marck The Archbishop of Bremen Duke George of Lunenburgh and William Landgrave of Hesse then entred into an Alliance with the King and the Protestant party in general being encouraged at the Success began to consider of ways and means to rid themselves of the Roman Catholick yoke At the beginning of the next ensuing year King Gustave at last concluded the so long projected Alliance with France by vertue of which he was to receive a yearly Subsidy of 400000 Crowns from the French King Having thus strengthned himself he notwithstanding the Winter Season took Lokenitz Prentzlow New Brâ—ndenburgh Clempenow Craptow and Leitz without much opposition Demmin also where the Duke of Lavelli was in Garrison with two Regiments was surrendred after a Siege of three Days and Colberg surrendred after a Blockade of five Months The Emperour in the mean while perceiving that his Generals were not able to cope with King Gustave Adolph had given to Tilly the Bavarian General the supreme Command over his Forces who being an antient experienced and renowned Captain marched directly to the relief of Demmin but having received intelligence that the place was surrendred before he fell with great fury upon Kniphausen who lay with two Regiments of Swedes at New Brandenburgh which being a place of no defence he forced after a brave resistance killing most of the Common Souldiers But perceiving that King Gustave being strongly entrenched was not to be forced in his Camp he directed his march upwards to Magdeburgh in hopes to draw the King out of his advantageous Post But King Gustave marched directly towards Franckfort upon the Oder where the Earl of Shaumburgh lay with a small Army notwithstanding which he took the place by Storm after a Siege of three Days slew 700 of the Enemies and took 800 among whom were a great many Officers of note From hence he sent a Detachment to Landsbergh to endeavour to drive also the Imperialists from thence About the same time a general meeting of the Protestant German Princes was held at Leipzick where a League was proposed to be made in opposition to the demanded resâ—itution of the Church-Lands Thither King Gustave sent some of his Ministers to exhort them to a mutual Union against the Emperour and to demand some assistance from them of Men and Money But the Elector of Saxony was very backward in declaring himself positively pretending several reasons but in effect intended to make himself head of the Protestant League and in the mean while to take this opportunity of putting the Protestants in a good posture and to keep the ballance betwixt the Emperour and the Swedes King Gustave therefore perceiving that the Protestants in Germany were so very cunning and over-cautious thought it his best not to venture his Army at the discretion of others wherefore tho' he was very willing to have relieved the City of Magdeburgh which was reduced to extremity yet did he not think it advisable to march thither before he had secured his retreat To render therefore his design effectual he marched with his Army strait to Berlin and having obliged the Elector of Brandenburgh partly by fair words partly by threats to put into his hands the Forts of Spandau and Custrin for the security of a retreat over the two Rivers of the Havel and Oder he would have straitways marched to the relief of the City of Magdeburgh if the Elector of Saxony would have joined him but whilest the said Electors made a great many tergiversations the said City was taken by Storm by General Tilly who miserably burnt the City and killed most of the Inhabitants there having been but 400 left of a great many thousands After this Disaster King Gustave having published his Reasons why he could not timely enough relieve that City and having cleared the whole Pomerania of the Imperialists he divided his Army and having sent part of his Forces to the assistance the Dukes of Mecklenburgh he marched with the rest into Marck and encamped at Werben near the River Elbe to observe Tilly who having received Intelligence of the King's arrival near that River was obliged to alter his march which he intended to have directed towards Saxony in hopes to force the King to a Battel But the King surprised his Avaint-Guard near Wolmerstadt where he totally ruin'd three Regiments of Horse Notwithstanding which Tilly approached near the King's Camp at Werben but the King refusing of fight and he not daring to attack him in his Camp he was for want of Forrage obliged to march back to his former Camp at Wolmerstadt In the mean while the Dukes of Mecklenburgh had with the assistance of the Swedish Auxiliaries driven the Imperialists out of their Territories except Domitz Wismar and Rostock which places they also kept block'd up And about the same time James Marquis of Hamilton came with 6000 English and Scots into Pomerania but stood the King in no great stead most of them dying in the same year by several Diseases But Tilly seeing that he could not attack the
Imperialists but these avoiding to come to a Battel the Campagne was most spent in marching up and down the Country But at the beginning of the next ensuing year Banner had very near surprised the City of Ratisbonne where the Emperour and the Estates of the Empire were then assembled if the Ice which was by which was by a sudden Thaw loosned in the River had not hindred them from laying a Bridge of Boats which design having miscarried Banner resolved to carry the War again into Moravia Silesia and Bohemia But the Weimarian Forces under the Command of the French General having left him thereabouts the Imperialists had so closely beset him that there was no way left to retreat but through the Forest of Bohemia which was done with all expedition having left Colonel Slange with three Regiments of Horse behind who after a brave resistance were all made Prisoners of War but saved the Swedish Army which would else have been in great danger if they had not detained the Imperialists the Swedish Army being arrived but half an hour before them at the Pass of Presswitz where they stopt the Enemies march Not long after dyed the famous Swedish General John Banner whose death caused some dissatisfaction in the Army notwithstanding which they beat the Imperialists near Wolffenbuttel at two several times and Torstenson who was made General being arrived in the Camp directed his march into Silesia where he toook Great Glogau with Sword in Hand and a great many other places the chiefest of which was Sweinitz where he defeated the Imperialists that came to its relief under the Command of Francis Albert Duke of Saxon Lauenburgh who was killed himself and 3000 Horse Afterwards he besieged Brieg but was forced to raise that Siege the Imperialists being superiour in number who also prevented him from marching into Bohemia Wherefore having directed his March towards the Elbe and passed that River at Torgaw he straightways went to besiege the City of Leipzick But the Imperialists under the Command of the Arch Duke and General Piccolomini coming to its relief a bloody Battel was fought in the same Plains near Breitenfeld where King Gustave Adolf before had obtained a signal Victory against the Imperialists In this Battel the Left Wing of the Imperialists having been brought into confusion the Left Wing of the Swedes underwent the same fate but the Swedes Left Wing rallying again and falling in the Flank of the Imperialists Right Wing they put them to the rout 5000 being killed upon the spot and 4500 taken Prisoners The Swedes lost 2000 Men and had a great many wounded After the loss of this Battel Leipzick was soon forced to surrender but Freybergh which was soon after besieged by Torstenson defended it self so well that the Swedes upon the approach of the Imperial General Piccolomini were forced to raise the Siege with the loss of 1500 Men. And the Weirmarian Army under the Command of the French General Gebrian was for the most part ruined by the Bavarians In the mean while Torstenson had received Orders to March with his Army into Holstein the Swedes provoked by a great many injuries having resolved to turn their Arms against Denmark which was executed with great secresie so that the Swedes coming unexpectedly upon the Danes took the greatest part of Holstein beat their Troops in Jutland and Shonen and ruined their Fleet made themselves Masters of the whole Bishoprick of Bremen and the Isle of Bernholm which obliged the Danes to make a disadvantageous Peace with them at Bromsebtoo given to the Swedes Jempteland and Herndalen Gothland and Oesel besides other advantages Torstenson having then made a Truce with the Elector of Saxony marched again into Bohemia where another Battel was fought near Janowitz betwixt the Imperialists and Swedes wherein the first were routed with the loss of 8000 Men one half of whom were killed the rest taken Prisoners The Swedes had 2000 Men killed The Swedes then marched through Bohemia into Moravia and from thence into Austria where having been joined by Ragozi they were in a fair way of making greater progresses if Ragoz who had received satisfaction from the Emperour had not left the Swedish Army and marched Home with his Forces The French also under the Command of Turenne having been again routed by the Bavarians Torstenson marched back into Bohemia who having put his Forces into Winter Quarters near the River of Eger and growing very crazy left the Supreme Command of the Army to Wrangel who finding the Enemy too strong for him thereabouts marched further back into Misnia and from thence towards the Weser But having not long after been joined by Turenne near Gieslen they attacked Augsburgh which being reinforced with 500 Men they were forced to quit the Siege upon the approach of the Imperialists who also retook several places in the Hereditary Countries of the Emperour Not long after Wrangel also made a Truce with the Elector of Bavaria which however lasted not long the said Elector having upon the persuasion of the Emperour broke the same a few months after and joined his Forces with the Imperialists But Wrangel marching early out of his Winter Quarters in conjunction with Turenne pressed so hard upon the Bavarians that they were forced to retire to Saltzburgh leaving a great part of the Country to the discretion of the Allies where these burnt a great many Houses because the Inhabitants refused to pay Contribution About the same time Koningsmark had surprised the Suburbs of Prague where he had got a prodigious Booty in the Imperial Palace and other Noble-Mens Houses which are all built on that side of the River but could not take the City which was defended by 12000 Citizens so that having sent his Forces into their Winter Quarters thereabouts whilst Wrangel was marching into the Vpper Palatinate they received the News of a Peace being concluded at Munster This Peace had been long in agitation before it was brought to perfection the Imperialists having endeavoured after they saw the Swedes recover themselves so bravely after the Battel of Nomingen to persuade them to a separate Peace without including the Protestant Estates in Germany But the Swedes having refused these offers as being neither honourable nor secure seven years were spent in the Preliminaries and these having been adjusted the Treaty it self was begun at Osnabrug and Munster where the Emperours Spanish and Dutch Ambassadours as also those of the most Roman Catholick Estates and the Popes Nuncio were Resident but in the first the Imperial Ambassadours also and those of most of the Protestant Estates were assembled where at last a Peace was concluded by vertue of which Sweden got the Dukedoms of Bremen and Veerden the greatest part of Pomerania the Isle of Rugen and the City of Wismar to hold these Countries in Fief of the Empire with all the Priviledges thereunto belonging and five Millions of Crowns towards the
has not a little contributed tho afar off the Barbarity and ignorance which after the decay of the Roman Empire did spread itself over the Western parts For bad Wares are best vented in the dark or at least by a dim light And an ignorant person is sooner prevailed upon to believe ridiculous Stories than a wise Man versed in all sorts of Sciences There were several causes which promoted this barbarity which did degenerate afterwards into the worst sort of pedantry whereas the former Age had been sufficiently instructed with learned Men. One of the principal ones was the Invasion made upon the Western Provinces of the Roman Empire by those Nations who tho sufficiently Brave were ignorant of Learning which occasioned for one or two Ages after great Changes in the Government bloody Wars horrible disorders and all sorts of miseries in the Empire And Learning being the product of Peace and Prosperity it is little regarded in times of War or during the Distractions of a State since then there is but little leisure time given for the use of Books The Schools are commonly destroyed and the Teachers obliged to make shift where best they can a Musquet being at such times of more use than a School Satchel The School-Masters especially are forced to shut up Shop at such times if the victorious Enemy is ignorant of Learning and makes no account of Books There are also some who affirm that the Clergy was accessary to this barbarism For because the Philosophers had under the Reigns of the Pagan Emperours proved very mischievous to them and afterward under the Christian Emperours continued to oppose themselves against the Clergymen especially these had conceived such a hatred against Philosophy and against all such as professed it that they not only infused the same into their Auditors but also removed out of the Schools and took from the young Students who were committed to their care the Pagan Authors under pretence that they might otherwise be again infected with the erroneous Principles of the Pagans and that it could not but be sinful for Christians to read such Books as were filled every where with the names of the Pagan-Idols which they would not have as much as named by Christians They related a Story concerning S. Hierom how that he was whipped in a Vision with Rods because he used frequently to Read the Works of Cicero and about the year 400. after the Birth of our Saviour the Council of Carthage forbid the Bishops the reading of Pagan Authors And Learning being in those miserable times become almost useless except to those who intended to profess Divinity and the remnants of Learning being lodged therefore among the Clergy the main Institution in the Schools was only directed for that Purpose and the rest of the young Disciples were not very forward to dive much into the secrets of Antient Learning And that Ignorance and Barbarism have greatly promoted the establishment of Popery is evident enough to those who will consider that in a learned Age those Decretals which are ascribed to the first Popes could never have passed Muster which nevertheless have been made use of to persuade the People that the Bishops of Rome have exercised an Authority from the very beginning of Christianity to prescribe Laws ot the Christian World But when afterwards the times proved more favourable in Europe and the Popes perceived that some among the most considerable Nations of Europe could not be longer kept in a gross Ignorance they introduced into the Schools over which they had assumed the Supreme Direction the most miserable sort of Pedantry which is also maintained by their Creatures with great earnestness in their Schools to this very day But above all the rest it seems that the ignorance of the true Principles of Policy has had a main stroke in laying the Foundation of Popery for want of which they were not then duely instructed concerning the Foundation Nature and Perfection of the Supreme Civil Power and that no State could be esteemed well Established where the Supreme Civil Power was either divided or diminished And the Grecian and Roman Politicians themselves had divulged most pernicious Doctrines concerning the division and mixture of the Supreme Power whereby they had enamoured the People with an Aristocratical or Democratical sort of Government but infused into them such a hatred against Monarchy that it was a common Maxim among them that the more they could incrâ—â—ch upon the Authority of the Prince the more it must turn to the advantage of the State In this pernicious Opinion a great many were confirmed by the Tyrannical proceedings of the Emperours who were mortally hated by most of their Subjects It was therefore no great wonder that at the time of this general Ignorance the knowledge of true Policy was not taught among the Christian Clergy since it seem'd to them to be repugnant to their Profession From hence it was that when by degrees the Foundation of the Ecclesiastical Sovereignty was laid few did throughly understand of what Consequence this undertaking was and how prejudicial it would prove to the Supreme Civil Power when ever it could be brought to perfection And we see even to this day that in those Schools which are under the care of the Popish Clergy the Principles of true Policy are either neglected or at least so disfigured that they may not be hurtful to the Authority of the Popes but rather serve to support it § 15. But the chief reason why Rome was chosen for the place of Residence of the Ecclesiastical Monarchy seems to be that this City had a particular Prerogative of being the Capital City of the Roman Empire where the Christian Religion at first had its râ—se and increase For what is related concerning S. Peter's Chair is nothing but a vain pretence which may be easily seen from thence that afterwards the Bishop of Constantinople had the next place assigned him after the Bishop of Rome only because that City was then the place of Residence of the Emperour and new Rome And when afterwards the Western Roman Empire was come to decay and the City of Rome had lost its former lustre the Bishop of Constantinople disputed the precedency with the Roman Bishop After the Persecutions which the Christians had endured under the Pagan Emperours were ceased and they afterwards enjoyed their full Liberty the Clergy began under pretence of introducing a wholesome Order in the Church to Establish a particular sort of Government or Hierarchy the Bishops having then begun to claim a great Prerogative above the Priests The Bishops also were made subordinate to one another so that commonly the inspection over the Bishops in a certain Province was committed to the Bishop of the Capital City of the same Province who being then called Metropolitans did afterwards viz. about the Eighth Century most of them assume the name of Archbishops Four of them were most eminent above
all the rest viz. The Archbishops of Rome Constantinople Antioch and Alexandria these being then the four principal Cities of the Roman Empire and the Archbishop of Jerusalem was added to their number because of the Antient Holiness of that City And tho the Emperor Phocas out of a spite against the Patriarch of Constantinople who who would not approve of the Murther committed upon Mauritius did grant the precedency to Boniface III. the then Bishop of Rome who did thereupon take upon him the Title of Oecumenical Bishop yet this Prerogative did not extend any further than to bare Precedency nor did imply any Power or Jurisdiction over the rest which the other Patriarchs never acknowledged And a considerable time before when the Bishop of Rome pretended to put his Commands upon the Bishops of Africa and for that purpose alledged a Canon of the Council of Oliva which was falsified they sent him back a very smart Answer And in the whole business there is no footsteps of a Divine Institution to be met withal the same being purely Human nor can any reason be alledged why the Bishop of Rome possesses the first Rank other than why he of Antioch has the third among them And because one State cannot prescribe Laws to another therefore if any Prerogatives have been granted to the Bishop of Rome by the Roman Emperors or the Antient Councils which were nothing formerly but an Assembly of the Clergy of the Roman Empire the same do not oblige any other State nor can they extend beyond the Bounds and Jurisdiction of the antient Roman Empire But if we put the Case that some Christian Princes or States have afterwards allowed to the Pope a certain power over the Church in their Dominions this was either done because they either understood not the true nature of this Power or because they were deceived by the Popes In the first Case the same is to be deemed nothing else but a Treaty or Alliance with the Pope the better to Administer the Church Affairs with the Pope's Direction Such a Treaty or Alliance as it Originally proceeds from the Consent of that State so the same may be Annulled again in the same manner as other Alliances are whenever it proves prejudicial to the State or the Pope begins to abuse the Authority granted him by the State But if the Pope has either by Fraud or Imposition obtained his Power over other States these so misguided and thus surprised States have a right as soon as they have discovered the Fraud and are convinced of their Error to shake off such an unjust Usurpation and besides may demand satisfaction for the dammages sustained by these impostures § 16. Neither could the Bishops of Rome extend their Power over the Western parts all at once but it was introduced from time to time by degrees and by various Artifices and under several pretences For when they had once fastened their Paws they did not retreat till they had obtained their pretensions tho they were several times denied admittance They did very wisely take hold of that opportunity which presented itself and was the chiefest of all in my jugdment when the Emperors began to choose other places of Residence besides Rome since by their constant presence there they might easily have kept under the ambitious designs of the Bishops For the Bishops of Constantinople who questionless were no less proud and ambitious than those of Rome could never gain this Point The next thing which mainly contributed to this Power was that afterwards the Western Empire was divided into several new Kingdoms erected by barbarous and Pagan Nations and these having been converted to the Christian Faith with the assistance of the Romish Church thought themselves obliged to pay to her a profound respect and to honor her as the most antient and the principal of the Western parts To recite all the particulars here is not for our purpose it will be sufficient to touch upon some of the main Points it is therefore to be remarked that since the Fifth Century the Bishops which lived on this side of the Alpes used to go to Rome to visit the Sepulchres of S. Peter and S. Paul out of a Superstition or a Devotion very common in those days or because they thereby intended to testifie their firm adherency to the Christian Faith This voluntary Devotion was afterwards by degrees changed into a necessity and such as neglected it used to receive severe rebukes From hence it was easie for the Popes afterwards to pretend that the Bishops ought to receive their Confirmation from Rome Some other Bishops and Churches also that were Novices in comparison of the antient Roman Church used to refer themselves to and ask the advice of the Church of Rome concerning some Matters of great Consequence and the true use and interpretation of the Canons And when they once perceived at Rome that their answers were taken as decisions they began to send their Decrees before they were demanded under pretence that Rome being the first Seat of the Christian Bishops it ought to take effectual care that the Canons and Ecclesiastical Laws were duely put in Execution Under the same pretence they made themselves immediate Judges over the Differences arisen betwixt the Bishops and incroaching upon the Right and Jurisdiction of the Metropolitans used to depose such Bishops as according to their Opinion had not a right Ordination or such as were accused of some enormous Crimes they obliged to appear before them at Rome to defend their Cause And if there were some that pretended to a Prerogative or to obtain an Exemption from the Canons they did Travel to Rome where they were kindly received and incouraged in their demands whereby the Staple of Dispensations and Favours to be granted was establish'd at Rome And if any one had lost his Cause before the ordinary Judge he used to Appeal to Rome where he was kindly received and incouraged The French Historians relate that because the Emperor Henry had made the City of Arles the Capital City over seven Provinces the Pope Constituted the Archbishop of the said City his Vicar in France for fear lest the said Archbishop might by degrees attempt to make himself Patriarch of France And this Archbishop chose rather to have the inspection tho precariously over seventeen Provinces into which France was divided at that time than to be the Head only of seven in his own right This Man to add the more Authority to his Commision did as much as in him was endeavour to Establish the Popes Authority there Afterwards in the Eighth Century when great Disorders and Debaucheries were become frequent among the Monks and Clergy an English Frier whose name was Winifred and who afterwards called himself Boniface did out of a particular Zeal take upon himself the Reformation of the Manners and Lives of the Clergy and did endeavour to Establish the Christian Religion in several parts