expelled by the Pope The County of Mirandola held by the family of Pici. The Dutchy of Montferrat sometimes the patrimony of the house of the Paleologi is at this time in the hands of the Duke of Mantua There stands Cazal of St. Vaast the so much disputed place The small Common-wealth of Luca in Toscana between the two States of Florence and Genoa Besides these two estates are attributed to Italy though far from it the one is the Common-wealth of Ragousa in Slavonia upon the Golph in old time called Epidaurus It is soveraign yet payeth to the Turk her next neighbour a tribute of fifteen thousand Sequins yearly The other Estate is Malta with the next Iland Goza possest by the Religion of Saint John of Jerusalem But that Prince hath but the shade of a Soveraigne being as for his person a Religious depending of the Pope and punishable by the Pope and the Iland of Malta acknowleding the King of Spain as a dependance of Sicily In all these States of Italy there is no exercise of any Religion but the Roman Although all these Princes will be acknowledged Soveraign there is none properly so but the Pope the Venetians and the Common-wealth of Genoa All the others are either Imperial Lands as Mantua Milan Montferrat Piemont Modena Mirdndula Florence or depend of the Pope as Naples Sicily Parma and Placentia Paragraphe VI. In the end of the Golph of Venice Eastward lyeth Greece possest by the Turk who holds all that was comprehended in the names of Peloponnesus Achaia Epirus Macedo nia Thracia with the great City of Constantinople Nearer to the River of Danubius and above the mountaines of Thracia he hold Bulgaria and Servia which were the ancient Misiae Bossena great part of Hungary as farre as Gran or Strigonium near the Towne of Commorra and part of Slavonia and Dalmatia By those more Occidentall Countries he toucheth the Lands of the Venetians and the the House of Austria Beyond Danubius he is acknowledged by the three Vaivodes or Princes of Transylvania Moldavia and Walachia The Turk holds also all the Ilands of the Mediterranean Sea from Candia to Pontus Euxinus Beyond the mouth of Danubius and the coast of Pont Euxin he holds as farre as the River Tyrus or Niestra And higher in Taurica Chersonesus the Town of Cafa in old time Theodosia His Dominion on that side buts upon the River Tanais where his Frontier is the Town of Assou taken about ten years ago upon the Muscovite In all that Tract though the Turk and the Mahometan Religion govern most part of his People profess the Religion of Christ under the Patriarch of Constantinople Yet there are many of the Roman Religion in Hungary Bossena and Servia Transylvania is Protestant Paragraphe VII Above Pont Euxin towards Meotides Paludes there is a great extent of Countries bordering upon Podolia and Muscovia And within that Sea is that Peninsula sometimes called Taurica Chersonesus now Precops All that Tract is called Tartaria Precopensis or the Crim Tartar or about four hundred years ago a Herd for Army of Yartars invaded that Country It is now one of the considerable States of Europe possest by a Mahumetan Prince named Cantemiro It bordereth upon the Turks towards Pont Euxin and is in league with them Westward it joyns with Poland Northwards with Muscovia and hath War almost continually with these two Nations Paragraphe VIII Beyond the dominions of Poland there is a River called Danambra in old time Borysthenes which severeth Sarmatia now called Poland from the old Scythia Europea which comprehends that large tract of Land between Borysthenes and Tanais and Northward unto the frozen Sea This is that great Estate of Muscovia denominated from the Capitall City Mosko The Prince the great Duke of Moscovia besides that part of Europe stretcheth his Dominion very far into great Asia He that reigned when the Author writ this Book which was in the year 1644. was Michael Fedorowitz who was elected in the year 1612. In the confusion of Civil Wars after the extinction of the antitient Royall Family That People is Christian but of the rudest sort acknowledging the Patriarch of Constantinople Westward they join with Poland Southward with the Crim Tartar and with each of them have alwaies some war Paragraphe IX All the Country from the River of Odera in Germanie or at least from the River of Vistula or Weissell as far as Borysthenes and Northward as far as the point of the Baltique Sea above Livonia All that Country I say called antiently Sarmatia containeth now the Kingdom of Poland consisting of the greater and lesser Poland Russia alba the Country of the Cossacks Podolia and other Provinces with the great Dutchy of Lituania near Borysthenes That State of Poland whose capital City is Cracovia joyneth Southward with the Lands of the Empire and Hungary so much as belongs to the House of Austria and with Transylvania and Moldavia Eastward it joines with the Tartar and Moscovite The Court of Poland hath been of the Roman Religion hitherto What it will be hereafter the successe of the present Warrs will shew That State tolerates all sorts of Religions Livonia or Liefland in the Baltick Sea is accounted as an appurtenance of Poland Yet because three Estates meet there Poland on the South Muscovia on the East and North and Sweden on the West it is alwaies disputed between these three Crowns and is the occasion of great Warrs which were appeased in some part by the peace between Poland and Sweden An. 1635. but newly revived Paragraphe X. By an arm of the great Ocean that Mediterranean Sea of the North is formed which is called the Baltique Sea There the Dominions of Sweden and Denmark are seated two considerable States The Kingdom of Sweden comprehends great part of the antient Gotthia the Town and Dutchy of Stockholm the great Dutchy of Finland and Northward Botnia Scrifinia and other unknown Countries The present King is Carolus Gustavus by the cession of his Cosen German Christina Daughter to the famous Gustavus Adolphus The whole Kingdom of Sweden is Lutheran Yet in the North there is some remnant of the antient Idolatry of Pagans The other State is that of Denmark composed of the Hanse Teutonique called antiently Cimbrica-Chersonesus which is a corner of great Germany containing the Dutchy of Holstein Juitland and Schleswick A second part of that Estate lyeth in Ilands the chiefe of them Zeland where Coppenhagen is seated the Capitall City of the Kingdom The third part is in the Peninsula of the Baltique Sea and herein the Kingdom of Norway and Finmarch To that State also belong the Ilands of Friesland and Island far in the North. They are all Lutherans The strength and wealth of that Kingdom lieth in the passage of the Sund which makes it considerable to all that traffick to or from the Baltique Sea Paragraphe XI From thence sailing Westward one comes to the great Brittanique Ilands of which we that
contention about their right the Citizens changed Religion forced the Bishop to fly and shut their Gates against the Duke of Savoy But indeed that Towne and all the other States were pieces depending from the Empire But the Emperours power being by succession of time confined within Germany onely retain almost nothing out of it but the shade of their ancient authority 4. In the Celtique Gaule Franch County belongs to the King of Spain 5. The City of Besancon inclosed within Franch County is an imperial City 6. Then many little soveraign Princes the chiefe of them the thirteen Cantons of the Suitzers inclosed within the Alpes between Franch County and the Rhine Of them four are Protestants Berne which alone is almost as large as all the others Basel Zurick and Schaffouse which is a Town beyond the Rhine Seven Catholique as they style themselves two greater Friburg and Soleurre and the five little Cantons Uri Switz Underwall Lucerne and Zough and two halfe Catholick half Protestants Glaris and Appenzel All these Common-wealths making one body of State have their Associates the Abbot of Saint Gall the commonalties of Valley and the Bishop of Sion with some other Towns and beyond the Rhine the three Leagues of the Grisons 7. To these adde many pieces about the Rhine which are held to be parts of Germany as the County of Montbeliard which the Kings of France have bought of late years of the Dukes of Wirtinberg Alsatia beyond the Rhine which did belong to the House of Austria and consisteth of imperial Towns and other Towns which the King of France now holds Then the Palatinate on this side of the Rhine which is now partly in the hands of the Spaniards partly in that of the King of France and the Protestants 8. The Dutchy of Lorrain which before acknowledged the Duke is now almost altogether in the King of Frances his hands 9. The principality of Liege is depending from the Bishoprick thereof 10. The Dutchy of Juliers and great part of the Dutchy of Cleves now divided between the Dukes of Newburg and the Marquess of Brandenburg 11. The Arch-bishoprick of Treues on both sides of the River of Mosella 12. The seventeen Provinces of Netherland four of which are Dutchies Brabant Luxembourg Limbourg and Guelderland They belong to the Spaniard part of Guelderland excepted and some Towns of Brabant the Marquisat of the holy Empire which is the Town of Antwerp Seven Counties Namur Hainault Artois Flanders These four are in the hands of the Spaniard excepting that which the French hold in Artois and Hainault and the sluce and other places which the Hollanders hold in Flanders The three other Counties are Zeland Holland and Zutphen There are five Lordships more Mechlen which the Spaniard holds and Utrecht Overissell West-Friesland and Groning which are possest by the Hollanders All these are commonly called the seventeen Provinces of Netherlands and the Belgique Gaule although some of them be out of the extent of Gaule and beyond the Rhine as Overissel Friesland Groning and part of Guelderland All these estates contained within the extent of Gaule are of no great importance neither are they able to resist the French excepting those that are in the hand of the Spaniard or protected by the Empire To these Cambray must be added an Imperial and Archi-episcopal Town held by the Spaniard Paragraphe V. Here let us enumerate all the Princes contained in that great Peninsula called Italy between the golph of Venice the coasts of Genoa Toscana Naples the golph of Tarento the Jonique Sea and the Alpes Within that extent there are many Princes the most considerable are six 1. The King of Spain holds the Kingdome of Naples the Dutchy of Milan with some places upon the Sea coast and the soveraignty of the Town of Siena 2. The Pope with the Church of Rome besides the soveraignty over Naples and Parma holds in proper dominion above three hundred miles in length and a hundred in breadth beginning from Caieta to Ferrara and to the Country of the Venetians He possesseth the whole Latium commonly call'd Campagna di Roma where the City of Rome stands part of Toscana with the Territory of St Peter the Towns of Perousa Viterbo Orvietta the Dutchy of Spoleto where Marca d' Ancona is seated the Dutchy of Urbin lately devolved to the See of Rome by the extinction of the family of the Roveros which held it in fee the Towns of Bolonia and Ravenna the Dutchy of Ferrara returned to the Church under Pope Clement the VIII an 1598. by the extinction of the lawfull males of the family of Est Also in the Kingdom of Naples the Dutchy and Towne of Benevent In these Countries there is above fifty Bishopricks and above a million and a halfe of inhabitants 3. The Common-wealth of Venice possesseth besides the city of Venice seated within the Marshes of the Mediterranean Sea within the continent of Italy Histria a Peninsula the Countries of Friuli called in old time Forum Julii Padua Vicenza Verona Brixia Bergumo and out of Italy from Histria to the Common-wealth of Ragousa almost all that is on that coast of the golph of Venice where the Towns of Zara Sebennico Spalaro Cataro And every were Venice bordereth upon the House of Austria and shareth with it the Countries of Dalmatia and Slavonia In the Mediterranean sea Venice holds the Iles of Corfou Zante Cephalenia Cerigo and the great Iland of Candy now disputed to them by the Turk and even before the Turks invasion Candy called it self a soveraign Common-wealth acknowledging for their head Francisco Erizzo of an ancient family In the year 1470. one of his Ancestors being Governour of the Isle of Negrepont was taken by the Turks and sawed in two contrary to the faith given to him 8. The great Duke of Toscana is possest with the estate of three ancient Commonwealths Pisa Florence and Siena his Territories run along the coasts of the Toscan Sea where he hath also the Isle of Elva The now Duke is Ferdinand II. 9. The Common-wealth of Genoa possesseth almost all that which is comprehended under the name of Riviera di Genoa and Liguria They hold also the Iland of Corsica 6. The Prince of Piemont is the same as the Duke of Savoy He holds in Italy Valdosta Vercellois Piemont the Marquisat of Salluces The now Duke is Charles Emanuel Besides these six considerable Princes there are some of a lower forme The Duke of Mantua whose Country is compast by the Venetians on the one side and the Dutchy of Milan and the River of Po on the other The Duke of Modena and Rhegio which is an imperial Fee held by the remnants of the family of Est or Aâ—estini The Duke of Parma and Placentia who besides that Fee of which he was invested by Pope Paul the III. hath or claimeth as a proper inheritance of the house Farnesi the Dutchy of Castro in Tescana near Rome out of which he was lately
and became Dukes and Earles Likewise the idlenesse of the successors of Charlemagne in the Empire and the confusions risen in Germany after the extinction of that Race gave a beginning to so many Fees both Secular and Ecclesiasticall which are now in Germany the Governours having made themselves Lords and laid the foundation of the great Houses now in being Which neverthelesse have gone through many changes some families being extinct and some Fees sold transported or confiscated Among these families one of the chiefe and indeed the most remarkable at this time is that of Austria 3. The French Kings of the first Race possessing a Kingdom of vast extent which they divided into Ostrick and Westrick Ostrick which by corruption and French termination was called Austrasie was the Eastern part and comprehended the Countries towards the River Msa and beyond the Rhine and as far as Hungarie Westrick which by corruption was called Neustria comprehended the Western part from Mosa towards Britain These names were long preserved even to the age of Charlemagne and being lost by the new partage between the Children of Lewis the meek yet the name of Neustria stuck long to the Western part which is now called Normandie for Brittain was a State by it selfe The name of Ostrick being lost by the same partage remain'd nevertheless to the most Eastern part and the next to Hungary and is that which we call Austria a word corrupted from Ostrick and Ostenrick and is that Province seated upon Danubius where the Capitall City of Vienna stands 4. In that Country Otho the III. about the year 1000 establisht Leopold a Marquis that is a keeper of those Marches against the ordinary excursions of the Hungarians That Leopold is the head of the first House of Marquisses since Dukes of Austria which continued till a certain Friderick who went to the War of Naples against Charles brother of St. Lewis and being taken with Conradin a competitor of that Kingdom was beheaded with him By his death without Children Austria returned to the Empire But Wenceslaus King of Bohemia sought to joyne it to his State and sent thither his Sonne Ottocarus who having conspired against the Empire with the Hungarians was degraded and put to death by the Emperour Rudolphus of whom we are now to speak 5. By the death of the Emperour Friderick the Second the great enemy of Popes which was about the year 1231. the factions were so great about a new election that there was an Anarchy of twenty years and above under these titular Emperours William Earl of Holland Richard of England and Alphonsus of Spain In the end after many assemblies and contentions the Electors gave their Votes to Rudolphus Earl of Habsburg who was acknowledged by the whole Empire That Election was in the year 1255. five years after the death of St. Lewis Philip le Hardy then raigning in France 6. Between Basel and Soleurre Cantons of Switzerland there is Triestein Castle the Lords whereof had the Title of Counts and by the women inherited the County of Habsburg and took the Title of the same Of that House was this Rodolphus before whom there is no certainty of the History of their House who by his virtue was elected Emperour An. 1275. and dyed in the 1291. The Dutchy of Austria being then vacant and Ottocarus the Bohemian having invaded it and made a league with the Hungarians against the Empire Rodolphus divested him of it and slew him and An. 1282. invested his Son Albert in the same In that Albert we must take the birth of the house of Austria And although that Albert was also Emperour from the year 1298. till 1308 yet his descent returned not to that quality but 130. years after and went for Princes of the Empire as other Imperial Families Onely in the time of Pope John 22. there was a great contention for the Empire between Friderick of Austria and Lewis of Bavieres The whole Pedegree of that house is to be seen in the Tables of Bertius from the Creation of Rudolphus of Habsburg An. 1275. to the year 1438. when the Empire entred so into that hause that it did not come out since Paragraphe III. So much is known then that the house of Austria by the death of Albert the first lost the Empire and fell back into the State of a private principality and that lesse considerable then the houses of Saxonie Bavieres and Luxemburg which furnished many Emperours and so it continued till the Emperour Albert the II. Sigismond the Emperour of the house of Luxemburg was Son to Charles the IV. Emperour and Grand-child to John King of Bohemia And that Charles the IV. was he that made the golden Bull and establisht a certain form of Imperial elections This Charles was Grand-child to the Emperour Henry the VII head of the house of Luxemburg Sigismond had no male issue and gave his onely Daughter Elizabeth to Albert of Austria who after the death of his Father in law was elected Emperour An. 1438. and this house hath ever since kept the Empire From that year these Emperours reigned Albert the II. who reigned two years Friderick the III. his Cozin who reigned 53 years Maximilian Son of Friderick who reigned 26 years Charles the V. who reigned 36 years Ferdinand I. brother to Charles who reigned 9 years Maximilian Son of Ferdinand who reigned 12 years Rodolphus II. Son of Maximilian who reigned 36 years Matthias brother to Adolphus who reigned 7 years Ferdinand II. Cozin to the two precedent Emperours who reigned 19 years To him succeeded his Son Ferdinand III. who is the tenth of that house from the year 1438. To which if you adde the Three of antient date there have been thirteen Emperours of the house and name of Austria That house may be considered either in her Patrimonial estate which she held in Germany before her greatnesse Or in her great rising which sprung out of three heads 1. The mariage of Maximilian with Mary the Inheritrix of the seventeen Provinces of Netherlands Franche County and the goods not masculine of the house of Burgundy 2. The mariage of Philip Son of Maximilian and Mary of Burgundy with Jane the Inheritrix of Spain and by consequent of Sicily Naples and the West Indies and soon after of Portugal and the East Indies 3. The mariage of Ferdinand brother to Charles the V. with Anne the Inheritrix of the Kingdomes of Bohemia and Hungaria The great estate of that house being accrewed to them by these waies We will speak here of the Patrimonial Dominions of the house of Austria reserving the rest for the following Paragraphes The Patrimony of the house of Austria wholly seated in Germany and upon the River Danubius hath on the South the Mountains of Tirolis and towards the Rhine Alsatia Bounded Eastward with Hungary and Poland Southward by the Venetians Westward by the Switzers and Northward by many Princes of Germany That Estate is composed with many pieces which were
after repenting of that donation which he saw to be displeasing to the Colledge of Cardinals joyned with the Emperour for the dispossessing of Octavio who put himself in Henry the II his protection and that King powerfully assisted him both against the Pope and the Emperour and was at such odds with the Pope as to prohibit the bringing of any money out of France to Rome At which the Pope amazed desired peace of the King and desisted to oppose Octavio yea and caused the Emperour to restore Placentia to Octavio since which time Octavio and his successours have enjoyed Parma and Placentia At the same time the King protected also the Prince of Mirandola whom the Pope would oppresse Before that time an 1545. the Emperour got a great victory over the Protestant Princes of Germany Their two chiefe men Friderick Elector of Saxony and Philip Lantgrave of Hâ—sse were taken prisoners Whereby the Protestant party was so humbled that in the year 1550. they implored the help of Henry the II of France who past into Germany to relieve them The Constable of Montmorency in his way seized upon the Townes of Metz Toul and Verdun upon the Rights which we have set down in the third Chapter That enterpize of Henry in favour of the Protestants made the Emperour conclude a peace with them in haste So that the King being come to Strasburg was desired by them to return because they were agreed with the Emperour Returning from Germany he took many Towns in Lutzenburg Rochemars Danvilliers Ivoy Bovillon And the Emperour towards the end of the year 1551. besiegeth Metz so well defended by Francis Duke of Guise that the siege was raised the first day of the year 1552 Terrovenne is taken and razed by the Emperour The people of Siena fearing lest that Cosmo de Medicis Duke of Florence should make himself Master of their Commonwealth had put themselves into the Emperours hands hoping that he would bring them in their liberty But seeing that he would bring them under the subjection of Cosmo they called Henry the II to their help who gave them Blaise de Montlue for their Governour who since was Marshal of France in his Commentaries he hath described how that City was besieged But in the end they were forced to submit to the Florentine In the year 1555. the Emperour Charles resigned the Imperial Crown to his brother Ferdinand and all his other Estates to his Son Philip the II. A Treaty of Peace betweene Henry and Philip was moved near Ardres and perfected near Cambray an 1556. for ten yeares and sworne by the two Kings Feb. 6. But presently after the death of Jule the III. and the Pontificat of Marcel the II. which lasted but two and twenty dayes the peace was broken upon the Election of Paul the IV. a Neapolitan of the house of Caraffa allied to that of Melpha which had alwayes been of the French faction and was odious to the Spaniards who used all their power to hinder his election And when in spite of them he was elected they raised two powerfull Families of Rome against him the Columna's and the Vitelli's who revolted against the Pope being assisted by Philip. The King sends help to the Pope so the Truce is broken Many exploits of Arms were done about Rome But Octob. 14. 1557 the Pope and the Spaniard agreed and Henry called his Army back But at the same time Philip having married Queen Mary of England made his wife declare War to Henry by a Heralt of Arms who spoke to the King himself at Reims whence followed many various effects of war in Picardie and Champagne till the memorable battell of Saint Guintin lost by the French an 1557. where the Constable was taken But Francis Duke of Guise newly returned from Italy revived the sad condition of France by the taking of Calais Guines the Land of Oye and the Town of Thionville The two Armies of these two Princes being both in sight one of another in Picardy near the River of Somme the Constable of France and the Marshall Saint Andrew both Prisoners of the Spaniard the Popes Nuntio and Christina Dowagar of Lorrain Cosen-german to Philip manage a peace which was concluded at Chasteau in Cambresis in February 1559. By the first Article of that Treaty the French King was to execute religiously all the Treaties made between Charles the V and Francis the I. whereby they understood the cessions made of Naples Milan Flanders and Artois unlesse the present Treaty did contradict it but that Treaty mentioned onely the restitutions of the Towns taken on both sides and the rendition of the States of Savoy and Piemont to Philibert Emanuel Duke of Savoy Also by that Treaty a marriage was agreed on between Philip then newly a Widower by the death of Queen Mary of England and Elizabeth daughter to Henry the II. which for that reason was called the Queen of Peace In the celebration of that marriage Henry the II was slain Paragraphe V. From the peace of Chasteau in Cambresis 1559. to the death of the Duke of Alenson 1584. There was no open war between the two Crownes all that time which comprehends the reign of Francis the II Charles the IX and great part of that of Henry the III. But by the vertue of that Queen of peace the Union was so great that the troubles of Religion being risen in France Philip assisted the French Kings with his Armes Under Francis the II. In this reign of ninteen months the History observeth two notable things which are much for our purpose 1. The State of France being in trouble at the entry of this reign by the great favour of the Guises Unkles to Queen Mary of Scotland wife to Francis the II and by the Queen-mother Catherine de Medicis who took the Regency of the Kingdome to the prejudice of Antony of Bourbon King of Navarra and first Prince of the blood of France after the Kings brothers who being kept low and all the house of Bourbon with him seemed to threaten France of a Civil War Philip the II considering that State of France sent to Francis the II a letter which was read in the Councell whereby he said that he had heard how some great men of France being ill satisfied of the Government establisht by him his brother in law Francis threatned his State of a Civill War That he Philip was ready to imploy all his Forces and his life to make him obeyed as his good confederate and neighbour remembring the good instructions and the holy education which his Father Charles the V had received from Lewis the XII his Guardian 2. The house of Bourbon being degraded from the rank it ought to have had in the Court Antony King of Navarra retired into Bearn and when the Cardinal of Bourbon and the Prince de la Roche sur Yon conducted the Queen of Spain to her husband he bore them company Now because by the Treaty of marriage that
Princesse was to be delivered to Philip upon the frontiers of Spain the Duke de l' Infantasqua and the Cardinall of Burgos came to receive her in the Abbey of Roncevaux which was in Navarra There King Antony protested that the Queen was not delivered upon the frontires of Spain but in the heart of his own Kingdom that none should believe hereafter that Roncevaux did belong to the King of Spain Under Charles the IX All this reign past among civill confusions about Religion and scarce any dispute was between the two Crowns Yea Philip furnisht Charles many times with Forces to subdue his Protestant subjects Only these things are to be remembred for our purpose 1. After the first peace with the Protestants an 1564 Charles made a progress about his Kingdom and saw his sister Elizabeth Queen of Spain at Bayonne There the Queen-mother had an earnest and secret conference with the Duke of Alba. It is thought they agreed about a mutuall assistance between the two Crowns against the Protestants of France and Netherlands for in that year 1565. they began to stir in those Dominions of the Spaniard Philip assisted Charles with some Troops which kindness Charles could not return the fire being kindled in all the parts of his Kingdom 2. An. 1566. two things were near to have made a breach between the two States Bertrand de Montlue whom his Father in his Commentaries calleth Captaine Peyrot seeing peace in France undertakes to make some conquest upon the Sea comes to the Isle of Madera subject to Portugal and desiring to take water is repulsed with Canon-shot upon which he makes a descent into the Iland with strong hand besiegeth the Town takes it but is slain in that exploit A complaint is made of this to Philip as Uncle to the King of Portugal as an infraction of the Treaty in which Portugal was comprehended Philip incenseth Charles against his own subjects about this but the Admiral appeaseth Charles shewing that it was but a mis-understanding among private persons Another businesse of that nature was that of Gourgues Dominique de Gourgues was a Captain of Gascony who in the Wars of Italy had been taken by the Spaniards and ill used in prison To be avenged of them he went to Florida in the West-Indies besieged the Fort which the Spaniards kept there takes it by force kills or hangs all the Souldiers then returnes into France Of this Philip makes high complaint unto Charles and Gourgues was in great danger of his life but he was protected by the Admirall of Chastillon a Protestant and an enemy to the Spaniards He represented unto the King that it was an Act of private revenge Also that a little before Melander a Spanish Captaine had expelled out of the same Fort in Florida John Rebaut of Diepe with five hundred French-men whom he had killed or hanged every man with this inscription Not as to French-men but as to Lutherans The wisest French Historians affirm and so did Gourgues himselfe That not any private revenge but the desire to punish that horrible treachery and murther upon his Country-men made him undertake and atchieve that high enterprise An. 1570. Charles married Elizabeth daughter to the Emperour Maximilian a vertuous Princess much beloved of her Husband Shortly after Philip married another daughter of the same Emperour This double affinity did confirm the friendship betwixt the two Crowns Under Henry the III. Henry the III. returning out of Poland an 1574. passeth through Vienna where he is wel received by the Emperour Maximilian although one of his Sons had been Henries competitor for the Crown of Poland Yea the Emperour gave him wholsome counsels for settling peace in his State An. 1577. The Protestants of Netherlands being opprest by the Spaniard and little helped by Matthias brother to the Emperour Rodolphus whom both Papists and Protestants had chosen for the expulsion of the Spaniard the States of those Provinces called Francis Duke of Alanson the French Kings brother who in his way thither made himselfe Master of the City of Cambray but being ill used by the Dutch he returned home without doing any thing But in the yeare 1583. he came againe with the title of Duke of Brabant and Count of Flanders but he made no long stay there having made a malicious attempt upon Antwerp and other Towns and returning full of shame he dyed at Chasteau Thierry an 1584. These enterprises of the Duke of Alanson bred great jealousies between the two Crowns and were taken for a breach of the peace Wherfore also Philip assisted the League of France against the Royal house with great eagernesse An. 1579. Sebastian King of Portugal being dead in Africa Philip King of Spain got the Kingdom an 1580. Among his Competitors was Antony bastard of Lewis Prince Constable of Portugal but pretending himselfe a lawfull Son as legitimated by the Pope Antony expelled by Philip retired into England where finding no countenance he passeth into France agreeth with Katherine the Queen-mother who as I shewed in the third Chapter had great pretences to the Crown of Portugal and for some Lands in Portugal which he promiseth her she gives him helpe and raiseth an Army of French-men under Peter Strozzi They go to the Terceras where some Hands held for Antony where they had very ill success That enterprise exasperated Philip very much so that he was one of the first that signed the League Some think it began at the death of the Duke of Alanson when none remained of all the house of Valois but Henry the III who had no Children and was not like to have any and the house of Bourbon saving onely the old Cardinall of Bourbon was Protestant or favourer of Protestants This encouraged the Spaniard to trouble the State of France and the house of Guise to set up for themselves under pretence of zeal of Religion Paragraphe VIII From the death of the Duke d'Alanson 1584. to the Treaty of Vervins 1598. This date comprehends the end of Henry the III. and the beginning of Henry the IV. Under Henry the III. Without examining the severall designes of the League this onely we must know that after the death of the Duke of Alanson the Duke of Guise having formed the League made a Treaty with Philip the II of Spain at Joinville whereby Philip promist him a monthly pension of fifty thousand Crowns to foment the League which being not openly against the King but after the killing of the Guises at Blois and the King himselfe having entred into the League under the title of Holy league against the Heretiques the animosities and designes of the King of Spain against the State of France were not plainly detected under this raigne Under Henry the IV. Here the League did rage and civill War was in all parts of France In these troubles Philip had a great hand and Henry being once acknowledged King was eeven with him and powerfully VVarred against him But these things must be
another about Montferrat the Kings of France and Spain intervened to make them friends And this was done without prejudice to the peace betweene the two States Valteline is a vally seated between Germany the Venetians the Dutchy of Milan the Grisons It was in old time a part of the Dutchy of Milan or at least an appurtenance of the same And was engaged to the Grisons by Lewis the XII for foure hundred thousand pounds arrear due to them for their service in the conquest of Milan since which time it was subject to the Grisons But the differences of Religion intervening and the Grisons being turned Protestants for the most part Valtolina kept for the most part the Religion of Milan Which made them desire to shake the yoke of the Grisons and returne under the subjection of Milan invited to it by the Spaniards So that an 1619. the great revolt began and the Valtolins expell the Grisons their Masters Who had recourse to the protection of France by whom they held that Countrey King Lewis the XIII sends Monsieur de Bassompierre into Spaine to Philip the IV. for Philip the III. was lately dead who granted according to the Treaty of Madrid that all garrisons of strangers should depart out of Valtolina and that order should be taken for the maintaining of the Catholique Religion The Duke of Feria having refused to execute that command and the Valtolins unwilling to returne to the obedience of the Grisons King Lewis exhorted the Switzers and Grisons to maintaine their rights and sent them an Embassadour the Marquis de Coenures whom he made afterwards General of their army and Marshall of France known by the name of Marshall d'Estree Then did the French and the Spaniards fight yet without breaking the Treaty of Vervins because both acted for their confederates Pope Vrban the VIII having made himselfe Depositary of the principal places of Val olina sent his nephew Cardinal Barbarini into France an 1625. who not being able to make an accommodation as pretending to deliver Valtolina from the obedience of the Grisons war began in Italie by the aliance made betweene the French and the Duke of Savoy against Genoa which was assisted by the Spaniard Thus these quarrels upon the by came very neer to an absolute rupture betweene the two Nations For at the same time some Spanish ships passing from Barcetona to Genoa and driven upon the coasts of Marseille were arrested by the Duke of Guise Of which the Genoese complained to the King of Spaine whose Councel irritated with these wars and with the taking of many places about Genoa gave order that all French ships in the havens of Spaine should be arrested and all the goods of the French trafficquing in Spaine seized upon The Councell of France to bee even with them made two Edicts the one to forbid all traffick with Spaine the other to seize upon all ships of Spain Portugal Naples and other places of the Spanish dominions yet onely by right of represalls and for restitution of the goods taken from the French War continued in Piemont all that while till the winter of that yeare 1625 when the armies retired into garrisons That winter Du Fargis the French Emassadour in Spain began a Treaty which was called the Treaty of Monson in Arragon whereby without any Commission from his Master or his principall Minister of State the Cardinal de Richelieu as it was pretended he did greatly derogate to the right of the Grisons over Valtolina making the Valtolins well nigh Soveraines taking from the Grisons all power to refuse the Iudges and that forme of Government which the Valtolins would set up among themselves That Treaty was disavowed by King Lewis and the Cardinal who commanded the Embassadour to reforme it Wherein so much tedious protraction was used that Lewis was in the end constrained to take upon him the protection of the Valtolins and sent them the Duke of Rohan who there continued the war even after the rupture between the two Crownes In the yeare 1628 Vincent the II. Duke of Mantua being dead Charles Duke of Nevers the next heire male succeeded but the Emperour made some difficulty about it because he was borne in France and because he did not come personally to him to render his homage But besides his right of lapse for want of homage he set up the right of Duke Guastullo of the same house of Mantua which yet appeared at the first to be weake and of no force At the same time the Duke of Savoy renewed his rights to Montferrat So the new Duke of Mantua saw himselfe almost swallowed up by the Emperour the Spaniard and the Duke of Savoy Yea Don Gonzales de Cordova besieged Cazal the old apple of discord between the houses of Mantua and Savoy King Lewis resolved to maintaine his subject and confederate sends Bevron and Guron to defend Cazal Himselfe passeth into Italie forceth Le pas de Suze driveth the Spaniard from the siege of Cazal and compelleth the Duke of Savoy to let the Mantuan be in peace The Protestants in France being in armes Rochel besieged and their party brought low some say that the Duke of Rohan sent Clausel from Montpellier to Madrid to put the Protestant party under the protection of the King of Spain The History of Dupleix sets downe the whole Treaty betweene the King of Spain and the Duke of Rohan whereby the Spaniard promiseth to assist Rohan with men and money But Lewis returning victorious out of Italie suddenly overcame the Protestant party and forced them to receive peace The Spaniard thought he might as lawfully assist the Protestants of France as the French assisted those of Holland Whilst Lewis was busy about the pacification of his owne State the Duke of Savoy reneweth his pretence to Montferrat the Emperour sends Colalto against the Duke of Mantua and the Marquesse of Spinola besiegeth Cazal but in vaine being well defended by Toiras since Marshal of France Lewis repasseth into Italie makes himselfe Master of Savoy and Piemont The Imperial Army takes Mantua but all is pacified by the Treaty of Queyras an 1631. and the Duke of Mantua is setled in his Estate In that yeare 1631. Mary the Queene Mother of France retireth into Flanders The next yeare 1632. the Duke of Orleans her sonne doth the like Where getting some Dutch and German troopes he makes an inrode into France and in the yeare 1633. he makes a Treaty with the Spaniard to enter into France with an Army All this without absolute rupture betwixt the two Crownes Onely the Spaniard fomented the divisions of the Royal house of France Gustavus Adolphus King of Sueden after a long war against Poland comes into Germany an 1631. for the restitution of the Dukes of Meckelburg his kinsmen into their Estates out of which the Emperour had expelled them and to restore liberty to the Cities of Germanie Lewis jealous of the greatness of the house of Austria and having causes
enow to ressent the wrongs offered to him by the Emperour made a Covenant with the King of Sueden for the defence of their common friends opprest the safety of the commerce upon the Sea the liberty of the States of the Empire The King of Sueden promist the assistance of his armes and his person and the King of France a million of livers per annum Hence followed the great victories of Gustavus till he was slaine at the battell of Lutzen in Novemb 1632. An. 1634. the Duke of Orleans leaveth Flanders and returnes to the King his brother III. Paragraphe From the Rupture of the peace till now These mutuall offences being accumulated in the end brake into open war It was declared by the French by a Herald in Flanders in May 1635. That declaration was grounded upon that old complaint that the Spaniard aspires to the universal Monarchy of Europe and to devoure all the Princes thereof and because the Spaniard vexed the confederates of France with wars but more particularly by reason of the imprisonment of the Archbishop of Treves who had put himselfe under the protection of King Lewis To all the complaints of the French the Spaniards have their answers and have enough on their part to complaine Howsoever this war hath produced many great exploits on both sides in Germany in Italy in Flanders in Spaine And though the fortune of war have alternative successes yet France had hitherto the advantage of that bloody game having stretcht her dominions beyond the Rhine united Lorraine to the French Crowne got many townes in Flanders and Artois Perpignan and the County of Roussillon and got a good footing in the Dutchy of Milan Besides Catalonia which hath submitted her self to the Soveraignty of France The greatest losse of the Spaniard is that of Portugal by the practices of France whereby the King of Spain hath lost Brasill and the East-Indies AN APPENDIX To the foregoing DISCOURSE Shewing the Dispute about the precedence at the Councell of Trent betweene the Embassadors of France and Spaine IT is certaine that before the formation of that great Colossus of the House of Austria about the year 1520. the Kings of France were acknowledged the first of Christendom next to the Emperours The pieces wherewith the greatnesse of Spain is made up are Provinces most of them feudatary of the Empire or of France or of the Pope all these lately gathered up But France is of an ancient entire and independent greatnesse The Embassadours of Charles the V. had the precedence every where before those of France because he was Emperour But in the year 1555. when he resigned that quality of Emperour to his Brother and his other qualities and states to his Son perceiving that his Son wanting the quality of Emperour could not keep that preheminence he used this artifice A little before his retirement from the world he recalled from Venice his Embassador Francisco de Vargas who being an Embassador of the Empire had a precedence before the French Embassador Then after the resignation of his States he sent the same Vargas to Venice again as Embassadour for himselfe and his Son joyntly although in effect Charles being devested of his dignities Vargas was Embassadour of his Son onely hoping thereby to deceive the Venetians and others by sending the same man Vargas demanded of the Senate of Venice the same precedence which he had before To which Dominique Bishop of Lodeva Embassadour of Henry the II of France made opposition representing to the Senate that Charles was no more considerable in the world that when the Embassadours of the Emperour Ferdinand should appear he would yield to them but that he would not yield to the Embassadour of Philip but in all occasions of audience ceremony visits and the like he would take the first place till the coming of the Imperiall Embassadors The Senate fearing some ill issue of this dispute gave order that the two Embassadours should not present themselves at the ceremonies of the Feast of St Mark and so the matter remained undecided all the year 1557 by the irresolution of that Common-wealth and the simplicity of the French Embassadour But in the year 1558. Francis de Novailles Bishop of Acs having succeeded that of Lodeva renewed the dispute and the Embassadours of the Emperour Ferdinand being come he demanded to be maintained in his Rights and to have the first place after the Emperours Embassadour and couragiously took it before Vargas who seeing that the policy of Charles who dyed at the same time took no effect and that he was confidered onely as Embassadour of Philip began to extoll his Masters greatness and number his States and Soveraignties which he possessed in farre greater number then the King of France Saying that these customs of honour and precedence must alter according to the time That his Master was the greatest King of the world farre more able to assist the Common-wealth with Arms Men and Money then the King of France The Bishop of Acs stoutly resisted him and obtained of the Senate an Order whereby the precedence was adjudged unto him above the Embassadour of Spain About which when the Spaniard expostulated very earnestly it was answered him that the Common-wealth would not undertake to examine the greatnesse of their Majesties but that they found in their Records that in all Acts both publique and private Ceremonies Visits and Audiences the Embassadours of France had preceded those of Spain and to that received custome they would keep This answer offended Philip who upon that called back his Embassadour But Micael Surriano the Venetian Embassadour in his Court defended the decree of the Senate of Venice and in some sort mitigated the displeasure of Philip who yet in all occasions renued that dispute His greatest effort was four years after in the Councill of Trent To understand the right of precedences of Ambassadours we must know that in the Councill there was three sorts of Assemblies particular Congregations generall Congregations and Sessions In the private Congregations the Doctors assisted with some Bishops examined the questions of Faith and Reformation and there no Ceremony of precedence was heeded In the general Congregation all the Prelates assembled the Legats were Presidents every one kept his place of honour It was a publique action where questions were resolved the Legates propounded that which was to be examined in the particular Congregations every Prelate had right to speak and to vote Embassadors of Princes had audience after their Commission was examined and that which was to be promulgated in the following Session was there concluded Embassadors kept their place there according to their rank The Session was the solemne day upon which after a Mass of the Holy Ghost and a Sermon of a Prelate or some eminent man upon the matter in question the Prelate officiating pronounced with a loud voyce the Decrees resolved which the Father 's approved with a Placet In these Sessions Embassadors had