provided with all Necessaries was lost by the unskilfulness and Cowardice of the Governour so that the whole Kingdom of Tunis to the great prejudice of the Christians fell into the Hands of the Turks At home Philip had a War with the Marans of Granada who rebelling against him were supported by the Algerines and could not be subdu'd but with great difficulty and if the Turks had been quick enough in giving them timely assistance it might have prov'd very dangerous to Spain This Rebellion did not end till the Year 1570 after it had continued for three years There were also some Commotions among the Arragonians who pretended to take part with Anthony Perez who standing upon his privilege against the Process that was made him for having upon the King's Orders murther'd Escovedo an intimate Friend of Don John of Austria Philip by this intended to purge himself of the Infamy of the fact and at once to revenge himself upon Perez who had been unfaithfull to him in some Love Intrigue aiming at that himself which he had undertaken to procure for the King And tho this did not much redound to the honour of Philip yet by this he took an opportunity to retrench the Privileges of the Arragonians In the Year 1568 Philip caus'd his Son Charles to be kill'd under pretence that he had endeavour'd to kill his Father and not long after the Queen Isabella also Charles's Step-mother died not without suspicion of having been poison'd But a great many are of opinion that some Love Intrigues were the occasion of their death which is the more probable because the said Isabella being intended for the Bride of Charles had been taken by the Father in spite of his Son Henry King of Portugal dying there were several pretenders to that Crown among whom was Philip as being born of Isabella Emanuel King of Portugal's Daughter who maintain'd his Right by the Sword and under the Conduct of the Duke of Alva conquer'd the Kingdom forcing Anthony the Bastard who had caus'd himself to be proclaim'd King to fly into England and from thence into France where he died an Exile in Paris Only the Island of Tercera held out for some time longer which the French intending to relieve were totally routed by the Spaniards And thus Philip became Master both of the East and West Indies the two greatest Mines of Riches in the World Nevertheless the French English and Hollanders had found out a way to ease him of these prodigious Revenues For Philip just before his death did confess That the War with the Netherlands only had cost him 564 Millions of Ducats And truly it is very probable that trusting to his vast Riches he was thereby prompted to his ambitious Designs and to undertake more than prov'd beneficial to him He died in the Year 1598. § 12. Philip the IIId's Father had left him the Kingdom in Peace with France but the Dutch War grew every day the heavier upon the Spaniards The Spaniards did hope that after Philip II. in his latter days had married his Daughter Clara Eugenia to Albert Archduke of Austria giving her the Netherlands for a Dowry the Dutch would become more pliable and reunite themselves with the rest of the Provinces in the Netherlands as having now a Prince of their own and not liable to the Spanish Government But because the Hollanders did by no means like this bait and at the Siege of Ostend gave a tast to the Spaniards both of their Strength and firm Resolution that they were resolv'd to stand it out with them the Spaniards resolv'd to make Peace with them especially since the Hollanders had found out the way to the East Indies where they made great progress France also enjoying a peaceable Government under Henry IV. and encreasing in Power it was fear'd That if the French should fall upon Spain with fresh Forces which had been tir'd out by this tedious War it might prove fatal to Spain They were also in hopes that the fear of a foreign Enemy ceasing the Hollanders in time of Peace might fall into Divisions among themselves or at least that Peace and Plenty might abate their Courage The Spaniards did sufficiently shew their eagerness for a Peace with Holland by setting the Treaty on foot in the Hague by sending Ambrosius Spinola himself among others thither as Ambassadour and by granting and allowing them the East India Trade Whereas the Hollanders carried it very high and would not abate an ace of their Proposals At last a Truce for twelve Years was concluded with Holland In the Year next following Philip banish'd 900000 Marans the Off-spring of the ancient Moors who had profess'd themselves Christians only for a shew out of Spain because they intended to raise a Rebellion and had underhand crav'd Assistance from Henry IV. In the same Year the Spaniards took the Fortress of Arache situated on the Coast of Africa as they had likewise possess'd themselves before of the Harbour of Final near Genoua in the Year 1619. Those of the Valtelins did withdraw themselves from the Grisons The Spaniards sided with the former in hopes to unite them with the Dukedom of Milan But France taking part with the Grisons the business was protracted for a great many years till at last matters were restor'd to their former state This difference did rouse up all Italy and the Pope himself took part with the Grisons tho Protestants assisting them in the recovery of the Valtelins The War being broken out in Germany the Spaniards sent Ambrose Spinola out of the Netherlands into the Palatinate part of which was subdu'd by them Philip III. died in the Year 1621. § 13. His Son Philip IV. at the very beginning of his Reign made great alterations in the Court sending away the Creatures of the Duke de Lerma the Favourite of his Father He himself foreseeing what was likely to befall him did timely obtain a Cardinal's Cap fearing the King should aim at his Head With the beginning of the Reign of this King the Truce with Holland being expir'd the War was rekindled in which Spinola was forc'd to raise the Siege of Bergen op Zoom because Christian Duke of Brunswick and General Mansfeld having before routed the Spaniards near Fleury came to the assistance of the Hollanders Pieter Heyn surpris'd the Spanish Silver Fleet with a Booty of 12 Millions of Gilders At the same time the Hollanders did settle themselves in Brasile taking the City of Olinda In the Year 1629 the Spaniards being in hopes to make a considerable Diversion and to put the Dutch hard to it made an Inrode into the Velaw and took Amersfort whilst the Hollanders were busied in the Siege of Hertogenbusk Bois le Duc but the Hollanders taking Wesel by surprise they were oblig'd to retreat with all speed over the River Yssel for fear that their retreat should be cut off by the Dutch In the Year 1639
and Aznar Son of Eudo Duke of Aquitain having taken several Places from the Moors took upon himself with consent of the before-mentioned Garsias the Title of Earl of Arragon Lewis also Son of Charles the Great taking Barcelona constituted a Governour there whose Name was Bernard a Frenchman from whom descended the Earls of Barcelona About the time also of the above-mentioned Kings there were several Earls or Governours of Old Castile who acknowledged the foresaid Kings for their Soveraigns These Earls being once suspected by King Ordonius he call'd them together who appearing were all kill'd by his Order Wherefore the Old Castilians under the Reign of his Son Favila a cruel Tyrant with-drawing themselves from the Kingdom of Leon chose two Governours under the Name of Judges who were to administer all Civil and Military Affairs But this Form of Government did not last long among them § 4. After Favila Alphonso the IVth obtained the Kingdom under whose Reign Ferdinand Gonsalvo Earl of Castile perform'd great things both against the Moors and Sanctius Abareus and his Son Garsias Kings of Navarre whom he vanquish'd But Alfonso himself being unfit to Govern the Kingdom surrendred it to his Brother Ramirus who with the assistance of the before-mentioned Ferdinand beat the Moors in several Places He died in the Year 950 and was succeeded by his Son Ordonius a Valiant Prince but did not Reign long leaving the Kingdom to his Brother Sanctius Crassus He was Banish'd by Ordonius Sir-named the Wicked but soon restored by the help of the Moors It is said that by certain Articles made betwixt Sanctius and Ferdinand Earl of Castile it was agreed that Castile after that time should not be obliged to acknowledge any dependance on the Kings of Leon. He was succeeded by Ramirus who in his Minority was under Womens tuition and when grown up proved very useless to the Publick For under his Reign partly by civil Commotions partly by the In-roads made by the Moors the Kingdom was considerably weakened and in great danger of losing more several Places being taken from the Christians Under Veremund II. also the Moors did considerable mischief in those Parts taking and plundering besides a great many others the City of Leon to which Misfortunes the civil Commotions did greatly contribute But at last Veremund entring into a Confederacy with the King of Navarre and Garsias Earl of Castile forced the Moors out of his Kingdom Him succeeded his Son Alfonso V. under whose Reign there were great Intestine Commotions in Castile whereby the Moors were encouraged to attack it with such vigour that they over-threw Garsias and took him Prisoner whose Son Sanctius revenged himself afterwards upon the Moors After this great Dissentions being arisen among the Moors their Empire was divided into several Parts each Governour of its Province assuming the Name of King Alfonso succeeded his Son Veremund III. under whose Reign there happened a great Revolution in Spain For Garsias Earl of Castile being upon the point of being married to the King's Sister at Leon was there barbarously murthered by some of his Vassals Castile therefore falling to Sanctius King of Navarre who had married the Sister of Garsias he took upon him the Title of King of Castile This Sanctius Sir-named Major also waged War against Veremund who had no Children taking from him by force of Arms a considerable part of the Kingdom Whereupon a Peace was concluded whereby it was agreed that Sanctius should keep what he had taken before but that his Son Ferdinand should Marry Sanctia the Sister of Veremund she being Heiress to her Brother and to succeed him in the Kingdom of Leon. In this manner was Leon Navarre and Castile United in one House But in the mean while that Sanctius Major was in the Field against the Moors a great Misfortune happened at Home He had particularly recommended to the Care of his Queen a very fine Horse which Garsias her Eldest Son had a mind to have and would have obtained it from the Mother if the Master of the Horse had not opposed it telling them that his Father would be greatly displeased at it This denial wrought so upon the Son that he accused his Mother of committing Adultery with the Master of the Horse The Matter being examined the King 's Natural Son Ramirus profered to justifie the Innocency of the Queen in a Duel with Garsias and the King being uncertain what to do a Priest did at last enforce the Confession of the Calumny cast upon the Queen from Garsias whereupon Garsias being declared incapable of succeeding his Father in Castile which did belong to him by his Mother's side and Ramirus obtained the Succession in the Kingdom of Arragon as a recompence of his Fidelity This Sanctius Major died in the Year 1035. § 5. Thus all the Provinces of Spain which were possess'd by the Christians being joined in one House it seem'd an easie matter to root out the Moors divided among themselves and to restore Spain to its former state if the same had remained under one Head But the division made by Sanctius Major occasion'd most bloody and pernicious Wars This before-mentioned Sanctius had four Sons To the Eldest Garsias he left Navarre and Biscay to Ferdinand Castile to Gonsalvo Suprarbe and Ripagorsa and to Ramirus his Natural Son Arragon giving to each of them the Title of King These being all ambitious to be equal in Power and Greatness to their Father and thinking their Bounds too narrow fell quickly together by the Ears For whilest Garsias was gone in Pilgrimage to Rome Ramirus endeavoured to make himself Master of Navarre but the other returning home â—hased him out of Arragon There arose also a War betwixt Ferdinand of Castile and his Brother-in-law Veremund King of Leon wherein the latter being slain in Battle Ferdinand became Master of Leon which did by Right of Succession belong to him He also took from the Moors a great part of Portugal After the Death of Gonsalvo the Third Son of Sanctius Major Ramirus made himself Master of his Territories and endeavoured also to recover by force of Arms Arragon from the King of Navarre Not long after Ferdinand of Castile and Garsias of Navarre waged War together about a certain Tract of Ground wherein Garsias was slain in a Battle By his Death Ramirus got an opportunity of recovering Arragon Ferdinand Sir-named the Great died in the Year 1065 dividing the Empire to the great detriment of Spain among his three Sons The Eldest Sanctius had Castile Alfonso Leon Garsias Gallicia and a part of Portugal with the Titles of Kings Sanctius waged War with Ramirus of Arragon whom he slew in a Battle but was beaten back again by Sanctius Son of Ramirus and the King of Navarre Afterward having driven Alfonso out of his Territories and taken Garsias Prisoner he took
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
who were grown weary of the Swedish Government Under the Reign of these five last Kings there were golden times in Sweden the Christian Faith was then Established and the Subjects lived in Peace and Plenty § 4. After the death of Inge the East Gothes without the consent of the other Provinces made one Ragwald Knaphofde a Man of great bodily Strength but of no great Wisdom their King who was slain by the West Gothes In his stead the East Gothes chose Swercher II. a very good King who nevertheless was murthered by one of his Servants After the death of Swercher the East Gothes chose his Son Charles for their King but the Swâ—des at their General Assembly at Vpsal Elected Erick the Son Josward he having married Christina the Daughter of Ingo surnamed the Pious But both the Swedes and Gothes considering afterwards how necessary it was to keep up the Union betwixt these two Kingdoms made an agreement that Erick should remain King over both Kingdoms but that Charles should succeed him and that afterwards their Heirs should Rule the Kingdom in the same manner in their several turns This Erick having reduced the Finns to their former Obedience obliged them to receive the Christian Doctrine He also ordered the antient Constitutions of the Kingdom to be Collected into one Book which was called after his name St. Erick's Law He was slain in the Meadows near Vpsal by Magnus the King of Denmark's Son who having first defeated his Army was proclaimed King But the Swedes and Gothes under the Conduct of Charles the Son of Swercher fell again with such fury upon the Danes that they kill'd all the Danes with their King and his Son upon the spot and out of the spoil built a Church near Vpsal which they called Denmark Charles therefore the Son of Swercher became King of Denmark who Reigned with a general applause till Cnut the Son of Erick returned out of Norway and under pretence that he had abetted his Father's death surprised and killed him His Lady and Children fled into Denmark where having got some assistance they joined with the Gothes under the Conduct of Kell the Brother of Charles to recover the Kingdom but their General was killed upon the spot and their Forces dispersed by Cnus Erickson After which he Reigned very peaceably for the space of twenty three years After the death of Cnut Swercher the Son of Charles was made King of Swedeland but had for his Rival Erick the Son of the last deceased King At last the difference was thus Composed that Swercher should remain King during his life but should be succeeded by Erick But Swercher who notwithstanding this agreement was for settling the Crown upon his Family did barbarously murther all the Sons of Cnut except Erick who escaped into Norway from whence he returned with some Forces and being assisted by the Swedes vanquished Swercher who fled into West Gothland Having obtained Succours of sixteen thousand Men from Weldemar the King of Denmark he attempted to recover his Kingdom but was miserably beaten by Erick's Army he himself narrowly escaping into Denmark from whence he not long after again fell into West Gothland but was again defeated and slain in the Battel Leaving Erick Cnutson in the quiet possession of the Throne who renewed the former agreement made betwixt those two Families and Constituted John the Son of Swercher his Successour in the Kingdom He married Ricnet the Sister of Waldemar King of Denmark and dyed in Wisingsoe Him succeeded according to agreement John the Son of Swercher who Reigned but three years and dyed also in the Isle of Wisingsoe which was the general place of residence of the Swedish Kings in those days § 5. After the death of John Erick the Son of the former King Erick became King of Sweden who being lame and besides this lisping was surnamed the Lisper There was about that time a very Potent Family in Sweden called the Tolekungers who aimed at the Crown To bring these over to his Party the King had married three of his Sisters to three of the Chiefest among them he himself having married Catharine the Daughter of Sweno Tolekunger But these being grown more Potent by this Alliance Cnut Tolekunger rebelled against the King and having worsted him obliged him to fly into Denmark from whence he soon returned with a strong Army and vanquished Tolekunger and having caused him and Halingar his Son to be slain restored the Peace of the Kingdom Under the Reign of this King it was that Gulielmus Sabinensis the Pope's Legat did first forbid the Priests in Sweden to Marry whereas before that time it had been a common Custom among the Priests there to Marry as well as Laymen This Erick under the Conduct of his Brother in Law Birger Yerl forced the Finnes to return to Obedience and to receive the Christian Faith and built several Fortresses upon their Frontiers He dyed without Issue in Wisingsoe Whilst Birger Yerl was absent in Finland the States made Waldemar the eldest Son of Birger Yerl their King as being the deceased King's Sisters Son Who being Crowned in the year next following the Administration of the Kingdom was committed during his minority to his Father Birger who augmented the antient Law Book and deserved so well of the Publick that upon the request of the Estates he was created a Duke whereas before he had been only an Earl or as it is in their antient Language Yerl He met with great opposition from the Tolekungers who had not quite laid aside their pretensions to the Crown so that their jealousie at last broke out into open War But the Duke under pretence of making an agreement with them after having granted them a safe Conduct persuaded them to give him a meeting where having made them all Prisoners caused them to be Executed except Charles Tolekunger who fled into Prussia and remained there all his life time Things being thus settled he gave to his Son in Marriage Sophia the Daughter of Erick King of Denmark and laid the first foundation of the Castle and City of Stockholm and tho his Son was become of Age yet did he never surrender the Government to him as long as he lived He died after he had been Regent fifteen years leaving four Sons Waldemar King of Sweden Magnus Duke of Sudermanland Erick of Smaland and Benedict of Finland who afterwards raised great Disturbances for Waldemar having during his Pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem left the Administration of the Kingdom to his Brother Magnus at his return accused him of having aimed at the Crown The States of Sweden held an Assembly at Strengness to compose these differences if possible but met with so much difficulty that it was impossible to be effected Wherefore Magnus and Erick being retired into Denmark soon returned from thence with a
in Denmark Ambassadors were sent to the Marshal and the other Senators of Sweden that were then at Calmar to notifie the arrival of the Duke of Bavaria and to treat with them to receive him also for their King as the only means to maintain the Union and Peace betwixt those Kingdoms The Marshal and his Party were not a little surprised at this Proposition but perceiving that at the Dyet held at Arboga most of the Estates were inclined to maintain the Union and receive Christopher for their King they also agreed with the rest of the Estates and Christopher was received by the Marshal and the Senators with great Pomp at Calmar from whence being conducted to Stockholm and from thence to Vpsal he was there crowned King of Sweden and soon after returned into Denmark After he had reigned four years he married Dorothee the Daughter of John Marquis of Brandenburgh and King Erick who was yet in the possession of Gothland doing considerable damage to the Swedish Ships he was prevailed upon by the Senate to undertake an Expedition into Gothland Whilst every body was in great expectation about the success of this Enterprise he upon the sudden clapt up a Peace with King Erick leaving him in the quiet possession of Gothland He died at Helsinburgh in his Journey to Joncoping whither he had called together the Senate and Nobility of Sweden having left great Legacies to several Churches in Sweden but the Danes who had all his Ships Ammunition rich Furniture and ready Money in their hands would not pay one groat of it After the death of K. Christopher the Estates of Sweden that were assembled at Stockholm were divided into two parties some of them being for deferring the Election of a new King till such time as the Senators of the 3 kingdoms could at a general Assembly chuse a King according to the Union agreed upon betwixt them but the Marshal and his Party which was the strongest were without having any respect to the Union for chusing immediately a King of their own this Contest lasted for several days and that with such heats that they were ready to come to blows till at last the Marshal Charles Cnutson's Party prevailed who was chosen King of Sweden But the Danes offered the Crown of Denmark to Adolf Duke of Holstein and he by reason of his old Age having refused to accept of it they made Christian Earl of Oldenburg the Duke's Sister's Son their King Charles at the very beginning of his Reign besieged King Erick in the Castle of Wisby who having deluded the Swedish Generals with a Truce did in the mean while provide himself with all Necessaries and was at last relieved by Christian King of Denmark who sent him into Pomerania where in the City of Rugen he ended his days without making any further pretension to the Crown In the mean while the Norwegians except some of the Nobility had made Charles also their King which occasioned almost a continual War betwixt him and Christian king of Denmark in which King Charles was pretty successful at first but after the death of the brave Thord Bonde his General who was barbarously murthered King Christian with the Assistance of the Archbishop of Sweden and several others of the Swedish Nobility who were Enemies to King Charles proved too hard for him for the Archbishop having surprised the King's Forces at Strengness besieged him in the City of Stockholm so that King Charles finding himself reduced to the utmost Extremity resolved to embarque with all his Treasure for Dantzick where he arrived safely after a Voyage of three days in the tenth year of his Reign No sooner had King Charles left the Kingdom but the Archbishop having got all the Stronholds of the Kingdom into his hands sent to Christian King of Denmark to invite him into Sweden who being arrived with a considerable Fleet at Stockholm was by the Senate and Nobility declared King of Sweden and crowned at Vpsal He reigned at first with a general satisfaction of the Swedes but some years after by his Cruelty and heavy Impositions laid upon the People became odious to them for he not only caused some of the Great men that were falsly accused of holding a Correspondency with King Charles to be tortured to death but also exercised great Cruelty against a great number of Boors that were risen in Arms against him and having conceived a jealousie of the Archbishop he caused him to be carried Prisoner to Copenhagen This so exasperated Katil the Bishop of Lyncoping that he raised an Insurrection against the King and forced him to retire into Denmark and tho the King returned the year next following with a considerable Army yet being defeated by the Bishop's Forces he was forced to leave the Kingdom a second time and the Bishop having laid siege to the City and Castle of Stockholm where King Christian had left a Garrison sent for assistance to King Charles who being glad of this Opportunity came with some Forces which he had gathered in Poland and Prussia into Sweden where he was no sooner arrived but the City of Stockholm was surrendred to him and he again received as King of Sweden But this Joy was of no long continuance for a difference being arisen betwixt him and Bishop Katil about the exchanging the Archbishop that was Prisoner at Copenhagen the said Bishop did underhand agree with King Christian to restore him to the Kingdom of Sweden under condition that he should set the Archbishop at liberty According to this agreement a Reconciliation being made betwixt K Christian and the Archbishop the latter was received very splendidly by the Bishop and was no sooner arrived in Sweden but having raised some Forces against King Charles defeated him in a bloody Battel fought upon the Ice near Stockholm and forced him to abjure his Right and Pretension to the Kingdom After the King's Resignation the Archbishop made himself Master of all the Strong-holds of the Kingdom without any opposition except that one Nils Sture a particular Friend of K. Charles's traversed sometimes his Designs This Nils Sture and one Erick Axelson Governour of Wibourg in Finland having at last made a party against him play'd their Game so well that Erick Axelson who had married King Charles's Daughter was declared Regent of the Kingdom But the A. Bish was obliged to surrender Stockholm and some other Strong holds into the Regent's hands Nevertheless the hatred betwixt the two exasperated Factions headed by Nils Sture and Erick Nilson of which party was also the Archbishop continued with great animosity Erick Nilson and his Party under pretence of protecting the Archbishop against the Power of King Charles and his adherents endeavoured the Restauration of King Christian but Nils Sture and his Party openly declared that they would either have King Charles restored or at least maintain the Regent in his Station These two Parties did not only commit great Insolencies and
1479. John II. A Project of sailing to the East Indies Emanuel Moors and Jews banish'd out of Portugal The first Sea-voyage into the East Indies 1497. The reason why the Venetians opposed the Portugueses settling themselves there The Progress of the Duke â—f Albuquerque in the East Indies The discovery of Brasil in America John III. The Jesuites sent to the Indies Sebastian His fatal Expedition into Africa Henry Portugal united to Spain The Dutch sail to the East Indies 1620. 1630. The Portuguese shake off the Yoak of Spain The Duke of Braganzâ— proclaimed King John IV. 〈◊〉 League between Portugal and Holland A War breaks cut betwixt them A Peace in 1661. Alfonsus VI. 1668 1666. Don Pedro. The Humours of the Portugueses Fruitfulness of Portugal Brasile Africa The East Indies A horrible Persecution raised on the Christians of Japan and the occasion of It. The Strength of Portugal How it stands with regard to Spain To France To Holland The ancient Sate of England The Romans conquer England The Saxons come into Britainy â—450 689. The Saxon Kings in England The Saxon Heptarchy Peter's 〈◊〉 The Kingdom of England 818 Dancs first come into England 1002. The Danes driven out but return again King Edmund treacherously murther'd Canute the Dane King of England 1017. Harald Hardiknut Edward the Consessor 1066. Wâ—lliam the Conquerour Willam conquers England October 14 1066. The Corfew Bell. Edgar Atheling makes an attempt His Son Robert Rebels He acts as a Conquerour Robert Rebels again 1088. William Rufus 1100. Henry I. Robert makes a Lesient in England Normandy annexed to the Crown of England The Norman Race extinct Stephen Maud makes War on him Henty II. Hâ—s Son with the French and Scots join in a War against him 1189. Ireland conquered Richard I. He makes an Expedition into the Holy Land In his return â—e is taken Prisoner 1199. John His Nephew Arthur opposes him The King of France dispossesses him of Normandy The Dauphin invited by the Barons invades England 1216. Henry III. The Dauphin is forced â—ome again A War with the Barons He quits his Pretensions on Normandy for a Summ of Money Edward I. The causes of the Differences betwixt the English and Scots A War with Scotland 1307. With France 1297. He banishes the Jews Edward II. Vnsuccessfull 〈◊〉 his War with Scotland 〈…〉 1327. Edward III. His Pretensions to the French Crown He is successfull against Scotland His Expedition into France 1340. The Battel near Crecy 1346. The Scotch defeated He takes Calais 1356. The Battel near Poictiers A dishonourable Peace to France Another War with France 1377. Richard II. A Peace with France Troubles at home The occasion of his Ruin Henry Duke of Lancaster invades England 1399. Henry IV. of the House of Lancaster He had great Difficulties which he surmounted Henry V. He invades France to prosecute his claim of the Crown The Battel uear Aguicourt 1419. 1420. The Administration of France to be in Henry during Charles's life and after his death the Crown to descend to him 1422. Henry VI. Proclaim'd King of France 1423. 1424. The Maid 〈◊〉 Orleans He was crowned in Paris 1432. The English decline in France 1435. The Duke of Burgundy leaves the English and is reconciled to Charles 1436. The occasion of the Troubles in England 1449. The English driven out of France The occasion of this sudden loss 1460. Edward IV. of the House of York A bloody Battel betwixt Edward and Henry Henry taken out of Prison and set on the Throne Edward returns into England Henry a second time Prisoner 147â— and murther'd by the Duke of Gloucester Edward V. Richard III. 1483. Murthers his Nephews He murther's his Wife Henry Earl of Richmond invades England 1485. Henry VII He united the White and Red Roses Lambert Symnel He makes an Expedition inâ—â— France Perkin Warbeck He marries his Daughter Margaret to the King of Scotland Henry VIII He enters into League with Ferdinand and the Pope 1512. His Expedition against France A second An Invasion of the Scots He makes a second War against France The Divorce of Henry VIII The fallâ— of Woolsey 1532. He marries Anna Bullen He abrogates the Pope's Supremacy Monasteries demolished Protestants and Papists executed War with Scotland He enters into a League with the Emperour against France 1550. Anna Bullen beheaded His other Wives Edward VI. 155â— Lady Jane Grey proclaimed Queen Mary Restores Popery Marries Philip of Spain Lady Jane c. beheaded The reason why Philip interceded for the Lady Elizabeth The Battel of St. Quintin Calais lost 1558. Elizabeth Philip desires her in marriage Papists and Paritaus Poreign Seminaries Mary Queen of Scotland The Queen of Scots married Bothwell who murthered her Husband She was made a Prisoner in England 1572. 1586. Beheaded 1587. Queen Elizabeth assists the Huguenots 1562. 1559. The Sovereignty of the Netherlands twice offered her 1595. The Armado defeated Essex heheaded 1600 She was jealous of her Power at Sea James I. Cobham's Conspiracy 1603. The Powder Plot. 1604. 1626. Foreign Plantations Charles I. 1626. War with Spain War with France A Peace concluded with both Causes of the intestine Commotions in England The different Conduct of Queen Elizabeth and King James as to the State The Occasions that were taken from Religion The Conduct of Charles I. Troubles in Scotland and England 1637. 1567. 1617. 1633. The Scotch Covenant A Letter intercepted wherein the Scots desire Succour from France The Parliament is sactious and favours the Scots The Parliament of England directly oppose the King 1642. The Rebellion begins Their Behaviours The King made a Prisoner The Independents become Masters The King is sentenced to death and executed 1648. Ireland conqâ—er'd Charles II. râ—â—ted The Scots câ—nquered Cromwell made Protectour 1652. 1660. King Charles II's Restauration 1660. War with Holland 1665. 1674. Constitution of the English Nation Constitution of the Scotch Nation Of the Irish The Condition of Great Brittainy The Form of the Government in England The Power and Strength of England With relation to other States To the Northern Crowns To Spain To France To Holland The most ancient Stare of France Gaul subdued by the Romans By the Barbarous Nations That the Franks came out of Germany The origin of the French Language Pharamond the first King Clodion Merovaeus Childerick Clouis I. 496. France is divided Clotarius II 614. Dagobert Charâ—es Martell 714. 732. Pipin proclaim'd King The Merovingian Family loses the Crown 751. Pipin's Expeditions He assists the Pope against the Lombards Charles the Great 774. He is proclaimed Emperour of the Romans Lewis the Pious He divides his Kingdom His Sons Rebell 833. Germany divided from France Charles the Bald. The Normans make an Irruption into France 912. Ludovicus Balbus Ludov. III. and Carolomannus Charles the Simple The decay of the Royal Authority The Excessive Power of the Nobles Eudo Count of Paris crown'd King of France 923. Rudolf of Burgundy crown'd King 929. Lewis Outremer Lotharius Lewis the
as an Instruction to young Men Viz. That this Interest may be divided into an Imaginary and Real Interest By the first I understand when a Prince judges the Welfare of his State to consist in such things as cannot be perform'd without disquieting and being injurious to a great many other States and which these are oblig'd to oppose with all their Power As for Example The Monarchy of Europe or the universal Monopoly this being the Fuel with which the whole World may be put into a Flame Num si vos omnibus imperare vultis sequitur ut omnes servitutem accipiant If you would be the only Masters of the World doth it thence follow that all others should lay their Necks under your Yoke The Real Interest may be subdivided into a Perpetual and Temporary The former depends chiefly on the Situation and Constitution of the Country and the natural Inclinations of the People the latter on the Condition Strength and Weakness of the neighbouring Nations for as those vary the Interest must also vary Whence it often happens that whereas we are for our own Security sometimes oblig'd to assist a neighbouring Nation which is likely to be oppress'd by a more potent Enemy we at another time are forc'd to oppose the Designs of those we before assisted when we find they have recover'd themselves to that degree as that they may prove Formidable and Troublesome to us But seeing this Interest is so manifest to those who are vers'd in State-Affairs that they can't be ignorant of it one might ask How it often times happens that great Errors are committed in this kind against the Interest of the State To this may be answer'd That those who have the Supream Administration of Affairs are oftentimes not sufficiently instructed concerning the Interest both of their own State as also that of their Neighbours and yet being fond of their own Sentiments will not follow the Advice of understanding and faithfull Ministers Sometimes they are misguided by their Passions or by Time-serving Ministers and Favourites But where the Administration of the Government is committed to the Care of Ministers of State it may happen that these are not capable of discerning it or else are led away by a private Interest which is opposite to that of the State or else being divided into Factions they are more concern'd to ruin their Rivals than to follow the Dictates of Reason Therefore some of the most exquisite parts of Modern History consists in this that one knows the Person who is the Sovereign or the Ministers which rule a State their Capacity Inclinations Caprices Private Interests manner of proceeding and the like Since unpon this depends in a great measure the good and ill management of a State For it frequently happens That a State which in it self consider'd is but weak is made to become very considerable by the good Conduct and Valour of its Governours whereas a powerfull State by the iâ—l management of those that sit at the Helm oftentimes suffers considerably But as the Knowledge of these Matters appertains properly to those who are employ'd in the management of Foreign Affairs so it is mutable considering how often the Scene is chang'd at Court Wherefore it is better learn'd from Experience and the Conversation of Men well vers'd in these Matters than from any Books whatsoever And this is what I thought my self oblig'd to touch upon in a few Words in this Preface THE TABLE A. ANcient State of Mankind p. 1 The Assyrian Empire 3 Alexander the Great 9 America discovered 44 Peace made at Aix la Chapelle 244 An Association of the Nobility in the Netherlands 259 The Duke de Alva is sent into the Netherlands 261 He causes the Earls of Egmont and Hoorn to be beheaded 261 Don John de Austria made Governour of the Netherlands 264 The Duke of Alenson constituted Sovereign over the Netherlands 266 Archduke Albert Governour of the Spanish Netherlands 269 Avignon why once the seat of the Popes 410 The House of Austria most zealous for Popery 424 Albert Duke of Meclenburgh King of Sweden 475 B. THE Duke of Braganza proclaimed King of Portugal under the Name of John IV. 65 92 Brasil first discovered in America 90 〈◊〉 near Crecy betwixt the English and French 191 118 Battle near Poictiers betwixt the English and French p. 192 119 The Battle of St. Quintin betwixt the English and French 140 The Battle of Agincourt 198 Brittainy united with France 204 Battle of Pavia betwixt Charles V. Emperor of Germany and Francis I. King of France 212 Mareschal de Biron's Conspiracy against Henry IV. King of France 233 Briel taken by the banish'd Netherlanders 262 Battle near Nieuport betwixt the Spaniards and Dutch 270 The Bohemian Tumults under the Emperour Ferdinand I. 301 The Crown of Bohemia offered to Frederic Elector Palatine 301 Boteslaus Chrobry the first King of Poland 335 The Battle fought near Warsaw in Poland 351 Boris Goudenaw Czar of Muscovy 362 Of making Bishops 383 Battle fought near Leipzick in Germany 520 Battle fought near Lutzen in Germany 524 Battle of Norelingen in Germany 527 A second Battle fought near Leipzick 530 Battle fought in the Island of Fuhnen 534 C. CArthage 12 Constantinople the Imperial Seat of the Eastern Emperors 26 Castile made a Kingdom 33 Castile and Arragon united under Ferdinand and Isabella 42 Charles V. 46 His Wars with France 47 Charles V. takes Rome 48 Charles V. wages Wars against the Protestants in Germany 52 Charles's Abdication 53 His Death 53 Catalonia rebels against Spain 63 Charles II. King of Spain 66 The Canary Islands 73 The Corfew Ball 106 Calais taken by Edward III. King of England 119 Charles I. King of England 148 His Wars with France 149 His Wars with Spain 148 Commotions in England and the true Causes thereof 149 The Conduct of King Charles I. 151 He is made a Prisoner 158 He is sentenced to death and executed 159 Charles II. Son of King Charles I. routed near Worcester 160 Cromwell made Protector of England 161 Charles II. Restauration to the Kingdom 162 His Wars with Holland 163 Charles sirnamed the Great King of France 179 Is proclaimed Emperour of the Romans 179 The Carlinian Family extinguish'd in France 182 Charles VI. King of France 195 Charles VII King of France 199 Charles VIII King of France 204 Conquers Naples 205 Loses Naples 206 Charles IX King of France 221 The first second third fourth and fifth Huguenot Wars under his Reign 221 222 223 224 Charles the Great 282 Charles IV. Emperour of Germany causes the Golden Bull to be compiled 295 Charles V. Emperour of Germany 297 He resigns the Empire 299 Christian I. the first King of Denmark out of the Owen burgh Family 322 Christian II. King of Denmark crowned King of Sweden 323 He is driven thence and afterwards out of his own Kingdom 324 Christian IV. King of Denmark his defeat near Kings-Luttern 325 The Siege of Copenhagen 326 Christian
insinuate himself with every body and as for Money he made no other use of it than to advance his designs He was a most experienced Warriour and had made the Macedonians so excellent Souldiers that the Macedonian Phalanx first invented by him was terrible even to the Romans And because he was always at the Head of his Armies continually exercised his Souldiers and punctually paid them there were no better Souldiers in his days than the Macedonians Being arrived to this Greatness so that he was chosen by the common consent of Greece their General against the Persians and being busie in making preparations for this expedition he was barbarously murthered leaving his Son Alexander the glory of pursuing it § 8. There is scarce in all History to be read of an Expedition more famous than that of Alexander the Great wherein he with thirty odd thousand Men conquer'd so vast and potent Kingdoms and by his victorious Arms extended his Empire from the Hellespont to the Indies If we enquire into the causes of so uncommon and happy progresses it is undeniable that besides the Providence of God Almighty who has put bounds to all Kingdoms upon Earth the incomparable Valour of Alexander himself had a great share in the same who having an Army of chosen Men fell upon his Enemy's Army with such swiftness and vigour that it was impossible for any new levied Forces though never so numerous to resist him Yet Darius committed a grand mistake when he offered Battel to Alexander it being evident that the Persians never were equal to the Greeks in Pitch'd Battels Besides this the Persians having lived for a considerable time in Peace had few experienced Souldiers among them so that the greater the number was of such undisciplined Souldiers the sooner were they brought into disorder at the time of Battel Darius was ignorant of that great Art of protracting the War and by posting himself advantageously and cutting off the Provisions from his Enemies to take off the edge of fierce Alexander And because he had neglected to give him a diversion at home with the assistance of the Greeks who envied his Greatness no other Event could reasonably be expected than what afterwards followed § 9. But the untimely Death of Alexander robb'd both him and his young Children of the fruits of his Victories For these being young lost not only their Father's Kingdom but also the fatal Wars carried on after his Death betwixt his Generals brought the conquer'd Nations under great Calamities who else would have been in hopes to have changed their Kings for a much better and greater Prince But that it seem'd was next to an impossibility that these so suddenly conquered Countries should so soon be united in one Kingdom Since a firm Union betwixt so many Nations could not be established without a singular Prudence of their supream Head and a considerable time We find also that a sudden Greatness is rarely lasting there being no less ability required to maintain than to acquire a thing of this nature The Conquests therefore of Alexander being of so vast an extent that the small number of his Macedonians was by no means sufficient to keep them in awe and to make those Provinces dependent on the Macedonian Empire there was no other way to maintain such vast Conquests than to treat the conquered Nations in the same manner with his native Subjects and not to oblige them to recede from their ancient Laws and Customs or to turn Macedonians but rather for him to turn Persian that the conquered might not be sensible of any other change but what they found in the Person of their King Alexander understood this very well wherefore he not only used himself to the Persian Customs and Habit but also married the deceased King's Daughter and had a Persian Guard about him Those Writers who reprehend Alexander's Conduct in this matter only discover their own indiscretion But to settle a right understanding betwixt the Conquerours and Conquered did require a considerable time to effect which Alexander seemed to be the fittest Man in the World as being endowed with a more than ordinary Valour Magnanimity Liberality and Authority If he had left a Son behind him not unworthy of so great a Father the Persian Throne would questionless have been entailed upon his Family § 10. The Death of Alexander the Great was the occasion of long and bloody Wars For the Army puff'd up with the Glory of its great Actions esteemed no body worthy of the supream Command And the Generals refusing to obey one another were grown too potent to live as private persons 'T is time Arideus had the name of King but this poor Man wanted both Authority and Power to bridle the Ambition of so many proud and great Men. Wherefore all spurr'd on by their hopes some of obtaining the whole Empire some of getting a considerable share they waged a most bloody and long War among themselves till their number was reduced to a few from a great many who first pretended to the Empire Five of them took upon themselves the Title of Kings and the Sovereign Dominion of their Provinces viz. Cassander Lysimachus Antigonus Seleucus and Ptolemy But only the three last transmitted their Kingdoms to their Families There were then no more than three Kingdoms remaining in the power of the Macedonians viz. That of Syria Egypt and Macedon That part of the Persian Empire which lay Easterly beyond the River Euphrates being become a vast new Kingdom under the name of the Parthian Empire The above-mentioned three Kingdoms were afterwards swallowed up by the Romans and the Kingdom of Macedon was the first as lying nearest unto Italy For the Romans after having subdued all Italy began to extend their Conquests beyond the Seas and perceiving that Philip an active King bid fair for the Conquest of all Greece they did not think it advisable to let him grow more Powerfull he being so near to them that in time he might easily prove troublesome to Italy They entring therefore into a League with the same Cities of Greece which were Attack'd by Philip under that pretence made War upon Philip and having driven him back into Macedon restored Liberty to all Greece By which means the Romans at the same time divided their Strength and gain'd their Affections at length they Conquer'd Perseus and with him the Kingdom of Macedon Then they turn'd their Arms against Syria and took from Antiochus the Great all that part of Asia which extends as far as Mount Taurus And though this Kingdom did hold out for a while after yet being miserably torn to pieces by the Dissentions which were risen in the Royal Family it Surrendred it self to Tigranes King of Armenia But he being Conquered by Pompey the Whole was made a Province of the Roman Empire Egypt at last could not escape the Hands of the Romans after the Emperour Augustus had defeated Cleopatra and her Galant Mark Antony §
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
greatly beloved both by his Father and the People and caused D. Agnes de Castro a very beautiful Lady who was without his consent married to his Son Pieter barbarously to be murthered which so exasperated Pieter that he taking up Arms against the Father did considerable mischief till at last the business was composed He died in the Year 1357. His Son Pieter was commonly called the Cruel tho' some will have this rather to have been spoken to his praise as having been an exact observer of Justice never sparing any Offender He died in the Year 1368. His Son Ferdinand contended with Henry the Bastard who had murthered his Brother Pieter sirnamed the Cruel King of Castile about the Kingdom of Castile because his Mother Beatrice had been Daughter of Sanctius IV. King of Castile and a great many of the Nobility and some Cities of that Kingdom declaring for him he waged War against the forementioned Henry But he being too strong for him he could not maintain his Pretensions but was obliged to make Peace However the War broke out afresh again betwixt them because Ferdinand had protected some who were banished out of Castile for High Treason neither would upon demand surrender them To revenge this Henry made an inrode into Portugal and finding no resistance over-ran the greatest part of the Country After the death of Henry Ferdinand made a Peace with his Son John but the same was soon violated again by the Portugueses who encouraged the Duke of Lancaster that married Constantia Daughter of Pieter King of Castile to pretend to the Crown of Castile He came with a good Army into Portugal but the English being quickly grown weary of the War in Spain and living very disorderly in Portugal a Peace was concluded on both sides At last Ferdinand married his Daughter Beatrice to John of Castile under condition that such Children as were born of their Bodies should succeed in the Kingdom of Portugal which was afterwards the occasion of bloody Wars This Ferdinand who by his frequent Wars had proved very pernicious to Portugal died in the Year 1383 being the last of the true Race of the Kings of Portugal § 3. After the death of Ferdinand great Troubles arose in Portugal most of the Portugueses not being able to brook living under the Subjection of the Castilians whom they mortally hated It was 't is true agreed on in the Articles of Marriage made betwixt the King of Castile and Beatrice Daughter of Ferdinand That her Mother Eleonora should have the Administration of the Government in Portugal till such Children as should be born of this Marriage should be of age But this Eleonora leaving all to the management of the Count of Ancira her much suspected Favourite she drew upon her self the hatred of the Portugueses John therefore natural Son of Pieter King of Portugal privately murther'd him whereby he got both the Favour of the People and encreased the hatred against the Queen Dowager But some of the Portugueses being much dissatisfy'd at these proceedings begg'd the King of Castile to take upon him the Crown of Portugal which he might in all likelyhood have obtained if he had been quick enough either by fair means or by force to have put himself into full possession of the same But he being uncertain in his Resolutions gave by his delays time and opportunity to the adverse Party to strengthen it self Wherefore he coming without an Army into Portugal his Mother-in-law resign'd to him the Government but he found but an indifferent Reception among the Portugueses they being very averse to him because he used very rarely to speak or converse with them Nevertheless a great many of the Nobility and some Cities did side with him but most out of a hatred to the Castilians chose for their Leader John the Bastard a wise and brave Man and much belov'd by the People The Castilians thereupon besieged Lisbon but their Army being for the most part destroyed by the Plague they were obliged to leave it without having got any advantage In the Year next following the Portugueses declar'd this John their King who very courageously attack'd those places which had declared for the Castilians and subdued the greatest part of them The Castilians then entred with an Army into Portugal but were entirely routed by this new King near Aliubarotta which Victory is yearly celebrated to this day among the Portugueses After this Battel all the rest of the Cities did without more adoe surrender themselves to the new King The Portugueses also calling unto their aid the Duke of Lancaster unto whom they had promised the Crown of Castile they enter'd into that Kingdom with an Army But the English having suffer'd extreamly by Sickness the Duke of Lancaster thought it most convenient to conclude a Peace with the Castilians whereupon it was agreed That the Son of the King of Castile should marry his only Daughter Catharine which he had by Constantia Daughter to Pieter King of Castile A Truce was also made betwixt Portugal and Castile at that time but the War soon breaking out again at last an everlasting Peace was concluded betwixt both Kingdoms so that John had the good fortune to maintain himself in the possession of the Crown of Portugal and reign'd with great applause After he was quietly settled in the Throne he undertook an Expedition into Africa and took the City Ceuta whose Son also first found out the Isle of Madera This King died in the Year 1433 and left a Memory that is to this day dear to the Portugueses § 4. His Son Edward was a very Virtuous Prince but did not reign long for at that time Portugal being over-run with the Plague he got the Infection by a Letter and died in the Year 1438. During his Reign his Brothers undertook a most unfortunate Expedition into Africa where being themselves taken Prisoners before Tangier they promised to restore to the Moors Ceuta for a Ransom leaving Don Ferdinand as a Hostage behind them But the States of Portugal refusing to stand to the Contract the Hostage was forc'd to end his days in Prison Alfonsus Son to this Edward was but six years old when his Father died whose Tuition was committed by his Father's last Will to his Mother But the States refusing to submit themselves to the Government of a Foreign Woman conferr'd the Administration of the Kingdom on Don Pedro Duke of Conimbria Brother to King Edward but he received a very slender Recompence for his Services for being falsely accused before the new King he was slain as he was going with some Troops to the King to justifie himself Alfonsus V. was else a very good Souldier and a brave Prince under whose Reign the Portugueses took several places on the Coast of Africa viz. Tangier Arcilla Alcassar and some others Good store of Gold was also transported out of Guinea into Portugal which he employ'd
perceived what their Intention was they endeavour'd to drive them out of the Island but these taking up Arms and calling in a great many thousands of their Country-men to their assistance first took from the Britains the Eastern parts of the Island And the Western parts which were yet in the possession of the Britains being afterwards extreamly wasted by Plague and Famine so that the British King Cadwalladar retired into the lesser Britainy The Saxons took hold of this opportunity conquering all the rest of Britainy except the Province of Wales which being surrounded with Mountains they were not able to subdue This abovementioned Cadwalladar was the last King of the ancient British Race who perceiving that he was no ways able any longer to resist the Power of the Saxons retired to Rome into a Convent But Britainy received the Name of Anglia or England from the Angles § 3. These Saxons erected seven Kingdoms which however had not their beginning all at one time but according as they had taken one part after another from the Inhabitants At last they fell together by the ears among themselves till one having swallowed up another all were united into one Kingdom which how it happened we will briefly relate The first Kingdom then was that of Kent which began in the Year 455 and during the Reigns of seventeen Kings lasted till the Year 827 when it was subdued by the West Saxons The second was the Kingdom of Sussex which began in the Year 488 and under five Kings lasted till the Year 601 when it was likewise made a Province by the West Saxons The third was that of the West Saxons which began in the Year 519 and lasted under nineteen Kings 561 Years The Eleventh of these Kings named Ino did order That each Subject that was worth ten Pence should yearly give one Penny to the Pope of Rome which Tax was first called the King's Alms and afterwards Peter's Pence The fourth Kingdom was that of Essex which began in the Year 527 and lasted under fourteen Kings till the Year 808 when it was also conquered by the West Saxons The fifth was that of Northumberland which began in the Year 547 and lasted under three and twenty Kings till the Year 926 when it also was brought under subjection by the West Saxons The sixth Kingdom was that of the Mercians which had its beginning in the Year 522 and lasted under twenty Kings till the Year 724 when it also fell into the Hands of the West Saxons The seventh was that of the East Angles which began in the Year 575 and lasted under fifteen Kings till the Year 928 when under its King Athelstan it was united with the rest But after Egbert King of the West Saxons had either subdued the rest or forced their Kings to acknowledge him for their Supream Head he and his Successours were henceforward called no more Kings of the Saxons but of England Under his Reign the Danes first enter'd England as they continued to do under the following Kings tho' in the beginning they were at several times bravely repuls'd Nevertheless they got footing at last in the Northern parts of England where they lived for a while pretty quietly under the Protection of the Kings of England But in the time of King Ethelred who began his Reign in the Year 979 the Danes made Inrodes into the Southern parts of England forced the English to pay them great Summs of Money ravish'd their Women and committed such outrages that they got the Name of Lord Danes And tho' the English conspir'd against the Danes and cut them all off yet the Danish King return'd the next Year and made prodigious havock among the English their great Preparations which were made against the Danes being by the Craft of the Traitor Edrick notwithstanding Ethelred had made him Duke of Mercia giving him his Daughter for a Wife render'd ineflectual so that Ethelred was obliged to leave his desolate Kingdom and to retire into Normandy Sueno while he was busie in plundering the Nunnery of St. Edmund having been kill'd by a Sword which no body knew from whence it came Ethelred return'd out of Normandy into England and forced Canute Sueno's Son to retire out of England into Denmark but he return'd quickly with a much greater Force and Ethelred making all imaginable Preparations against him died in the Year 1016 whose Son Edmund sirnamed Ironside did defend himself with great Bravery against the Danes and might have obtained several Victories over them if he had not been therein prevented by that Traitor Edrick At last it was agreed That both Kings should make an end of the War by a single Combat in which tho' Edmund had the advantage of giving Canute a dangerous stroke yet was he persuaded to finish the Combat by dividing the Kingdom with the Danes and was afterwards as he retired privately to ease Nature treacherously murther'd by Edrick § 4. After the death of Edmund Canute called together the English Lords and asked them Whether at the time when the Kingdom was divided there was any thing mentioned concerning the right of Succession of the Brothers and Sons of Edmund and the English out of fear answering there was not he received Homage from them and was crowned King of England After he had rid himself of all that were left of the Royal Race he to curry favour with the People married Emma the Widow of King Ethelred sent most of his Danes home and reigned with great applause Some of his Parasites who pretended to attribute to him something above a Humane Power he ridicul'd by causing a Chair to be set near the Sea-side commanding the Seas not to wet his Feet but the Tide rolling on the Waves as usually he told them That from thence they might judge of what extent was the Power of all worldly Kings He died in the Year 1035. His Son Harald succeeded by reason of his nimbleness sirnamed Harefoot He did nothing worth mentioning but that he caused his Stepmother Emma and her Sons whom he had with fair words persuaded to come over out of Normandy to be miserably murther'd He died in the Year 1039 leaving no Children behind him After his death the great Men of the kingdom called out of Denmark Hardiknut his Brother born of Emma and Canute who was famous for nothing but his greedy Appetite he being used to keep Table four times a day His Subjects were so averse to him that when he happened to die at a Feast after he had reign'd but two Years the English made publick Rejoicings in the Streets which they called Hocks-tide the Danes after his death growing so despicable to the English that the Danish Government in England expired after they had ravag'd England for the space of 240 tho' they possessed the Throne but 26 Years After the death of Hardiknut Edward sirnamed the Confessor Son of King Ethelred
and Emma Brother of Hardiknut on the Mother's-side who had sought Sanctuary in Normandy was called in to be king of England He was crowned in the Year 1042 and to gain the Affection of the People he remitted a Tax called Danegeld which had been constantly paid for forty Years last past He reigned very peaceably except that he was now and then pester'd with the Irish and Danish Pirates whom nevertheless he quickly overcame He was the first to whom was attributed that Virtue which even to this day the Kings of England are said to have to heal by touching that Disease which in England is called the King 's Evil. He died without Children He intended to have left the Kingdom to his Cousin Edgar Atheling Grandson of King Edmund Ironside but he being very young Harald Son of Goodwin Earl of Kent who had the Tuition of Edgar put the Crown upon his own Head but did not enjoy it above nine Months being slain in a Battel by William Duke of Normandy whereby the Crown of England was transferr'd to the Norman Family § 5. This William sirnamed the Conquerour was Son of Robert Duke of Normandy who was descended from Rollo a Dane who about the Year 900 with a great number of his Country-men and Norwegians fell into France and ravaging the Country without resistance Charles the Simple the then King of France thought it the best way to set him at quiet by putting him into possession of the Province of Neustria which afterwards was called Normandy and giving to him in Marriage his Daughter Geisa under condition that he should become a Christian Rollo had a Son whose Name was William sirnamed Long-sword whose Son was Richard sirnamed the Hardy who was the Father of Richard II. sirnamed the Good who was succeeded by his son Richard III. as he was by his Son Richard IV. But he dying without Issue after him Robert became Duke of Normandy This Robert was Father to William the Conquerour whom he had by one Arlotte a Furrier's Daughter with whom 't is said he fell in love seeing her dance among other Maids in the Country and afterwards married her And notwithstanding this William was a Bastard yet his Father made him his Successour and got the Nobility to acknowledge him as such when he was but nine Years of Age and died soon after This William met with great Troubles and Dangers in his younger Years which he had the good fortune to overcome by his Valour and acquired thereby great Reputation After the death of Edward the Confessour William understanding that Harald had made himself King resolv'd to demand the Crown of England as belonging to him by virtue of the last Will of King Edward who he pretended had left the same to him as an acknowledgment for the great Favours he had received from his Father Robert There are others who say That Edward did only promise this by word of mouth and that Harald being then in Normandy was forc'd to engage by Oath to help him in obtaining the Crown of England It is possible this was only made use of as a pretence But however it be William landed without resistance with a great Army compos'd of Normans French and Netherlanders whilst the Fleet of Harald was sailed to the Northern Coast of England to oppose his Brother and Harald Harfager King of Norway who were enter'd England on that side and both vanquish'd by him but thereby he left open the Door to William to enter into the Kingdom and brought his Souldiers back much weakened and fatigued by their great Marches Yet having reinforc'd his Army as well as he could he offer'd Battel to William near Hastings in Sussex which Battel was fought on both sides with great obstinacy till Harald being mortally wounded by an Arrow the Victory and Crown of England remain'd to William England without any further resistance acknowledging him for a King The English were at first extreamly well satisfy'd with his Government he leaving each in possession of what was his own and only giving the vacant Lands to his Normans partly also because he was related to the former Kings of England partly because he was greatly recommended to them by the Pope He was also very strenuous in securing himself commanding all the Arms to be taken from the People and to prevent Nocturnal Assemblies and Commotions he ordered That after the Bell had rung at eight in the Evening no Fire nor Candle should be seen in their Houses Besides this he built several Forts in the most commodious places Notwithstanding all this Edgar Atheling being with some of the Nobility retir'd into Scotland and being assisted by the Danish Pirates continually ravag'd the Northern Parts of England burning the City of York it self wherein all the Normans were put to the Sword but he forced them afterwards thence There was also a dangerous Conspiracy set on foot against him which was happily suppress'd by him before the Conspirators could join their Forces His Son Robert also endeavoured to take from him Normandy against whom his Father led a great Army out of England and the Father and Son encountring one another in the Battel the first was dismounted by the latter but he discovering him to be his Father by his voice immediately dismounted embraced him and begg'd his pardon and was reconcil'd to his Father who freely pardon'd all past Injuries This King also forc'd Wales to pay him Tribute and King Malcolm of Scotland to swear Fealty to him But perceiving that this new-conquer'd People would not be govern'd altogether by Mildness he began to act more severely taking away out of the Convents what Gold and Silver he could meet with of which there was great store convey'd thither as into Sanctuaries He also imposed heavy Taxes he appropriated to himself a great part of the Lands of England which he gave unto others reserving to himself out of them a yearly Revenue He took upon him the Administration of the Goods and Possessions of all Minors till they came to the 21st Year of Age allowing them only so much as was requisite for their Maintenance He revised all their Privileges introduced new Laws in the Norman Tongue whereby a great many that did not understand that Language fell under severe Penalties He erected new Courts of Judicature and employed great tracts of Ground for the conveniency of his Hunting This King introduced first the use of the long Bow in England whereby he had chiefly obtained the Victory against Harald and whereby afterwards the English did great mischief to the French and gained many Battels from them At last Philip I. King of France by stirring up his Son Robert against him endeavouring to raise Disturbances in Normandy he went in person over into Normandy where the Son was quickly reconcil'd to the Father But being obliged to keep his Bed at Roan by reason of an Indisposition in his Belly which was very
gross the King of France ridicul'd him asking How long he intended to lie in to whom William sent this Answer That as soon as he could go to Church after his lying in he had vow'd to sacrifice a thousand Candles in France and he was as good as his word for he was no sooner recover'd but he invaded France and burnt all where-ever he came But he having overheated himself he fell ill and died leaving by his last Will to his eldest Son Normandy but to the second called William the Crown of England § 6. William II. sirnamed Rufus met at first with some Disturbances occasioned by his Brother Robert who pretending to the Crown was back'd by a great many of the Nobility but he appeased him by promising to pay him yearly the Summ of 3000 Marks and that he should succeed him after his death But the Nobles who had dispersed themselves up and down in the Country he partly by fair means partly by force reduced to Obedience This Rebellion proved very beneficial to the English the Rebels being most of them Normans wherefore the King afterwards rely'd more upon the English as the most faithfull He waged War twice with Malcolm King of Scotland whom he forced in the first to swear him Fealty but in the last he killed both him and his eldest Son He also subdued the Province of Wales Among other Inventions to get Money one was remarkable for he summon'd together 20000 Men under pretence to go with them into Normandy but when they were just agoing to be shipp'd off he caused Proclamation to be made that every one who was willing to pay ten Shillings should have leave to stay at home unto which every one of them readily consented He was kill'd by a random shot in hunting Him succeeded his younger Brother Henry who being present when the King died seized upon his Treasures whereby he procured himself a great many Friends so that he was preferr'd before Robert his elder Brother who at that time assisted in the taking of Jerusalem which proved no less than the loss of a Crown to him For Henry the better to establish himself in the Throne remitted not only several Taxes which were laid upon the People by the former Kings but also secured unto his Interest the King of Scotland Edgar his most dangerous Neighbour by marrying his Sister Maud. 'T is reported that this Maud had vow'd Castity and that when her Brother forced her to marry she wish'd that such Children as should be born out of this Marriage might never prove fortunate which wish was afterwards sufficiently fulfilled in her Children and a great many of their Posterity Notwithstanding this Robert landed a great Army in England but Henry and Robert by the mediation of some Friends and a Promise of a yearly Pension to be paid to Robert from Henry were reconcil'd which Pension also afterwards Robert remitted to Henry But afterwards repenting of what he had done Henry was so exasperated against him that he made a Descent in Normandy with a great Army and vanquish'd him in a bloody Battel wherein he took him Prisoner He kept him not only a Prisoner all his life time but also at last put his Eyes out uniting Normandy to the Crown of England But King Lewis of France sirnamed Crassus being very jealous of the Greatness of Henry undertook with the assistance of Fulco Earl of Anjou and Baldwin Earl of Flanders to restore unto William Son of Robert the Dukedom of Normandy whereupon a bloody War ensued which was at last composed under this condition That William Son of Henry should swear Fealty to France for this Dukedom of Normandy And it obtained afterwards as a Custom That the King 's eldest Son was called Duke of Normandy as long as this Province was united to England The new Duke of Normandy did also marry the Daughter of the Earl of Anjou And William Son of Robert being then made Earl of Flanders and endeavouring a second time to regain Normandy was slain in that War It is related by some tho' others contradict it That this King was the first who admitted the Commons unto the Grand Council of the Kingdom unto which the Nobility and Bishops only were admitted before it came to be divided into the Higher and Lower House His Son William being by the carelessness of a drunken Master of a Ship drowned at Sea with a great many other persons of Quality of both Sexes as they were coming back from Normandy to England he endeavoured to settle the Crown upon his Daughter Maud and her Heirs she being at first married to the Emperour Henry IV. by whom she had no Children and afterwards to Geoffrey Plantagenet Son to Fulk Earl of Anjou Her Father made the States of England take Oaths of Fealty to her in his life time He died in the Year 1135 and with him ended the Male Race of the Norman Royal Family in England § 7. After the death of Henry Stephen Earl of Boulogne Henry's Sister's Son did by great Promises obtain the Crown of England notwithstanding that both he and the States had taken the Oaths to acknowledge Maud for their Sovereign which they endeavoured by a great many frivolous pretences to prove to be of no force The better to establish himself in the Throne he gained the Affection of the States with Presents and discharged the People of several Taxes giving Authority to the Nobility to build fortify'd Castles which afterwards proved very mischievous to him He also married his Son Eustace to Constantia the Daughter of Ludovicus Crassus King of France This King's Reign was overwhelmed with continual Troubles For the Scots at first and afterwards a great many of his Nobles trusting in their strong Castles raised great Disturbances yet he bridled the Insolence of the Scots giving them a signal overthrow But his greatest Contest was with the Empress Maud for she landing in England was received by a great many and King Stephen in a Battel fought near Chester was taken Prisoner But she refusing to restore to the Londoners King Edward''s Laws they sided with her Enemies and besieged her very closely in the City of Oxford from whence she narrowly escaped and King Stephen also got an opportunity to get out of Prison These Troubles continued till Henry Son of Maud came to the nineteenth Year of his age who being Lord of four large Dominions as having inherited Anjou by his Father's Normandy by his Mother's side Guienne and Poictou by his Wife Eleonora Daughter and Heiress of William the last Duke of Guienne he also endeavoured to obtain the Crown of England for which purpose he landed with an Army in England But he obtained his End without any great opposition for Eustace King Stephen's Son dying suddenly an Agreement was made betwixt them whereby Stephen adopted him and constituted him his Heir and Successour and died not long after in the Year 1124.
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
afterwards lost his Head § 21. Queen Mary caused the Roman Catholick Religion and Mass which were abolished in her Brother's time as also the Pope's Authority to be restor'd in England she used the Protestants very hardly of whom a great many were punished with death Yet was she not able to restore the Church Revenues for fear of exasperating the greatest Families who had them in their possession The Pope did also send Cardinal Poole to re-unite the Kingdom to the holy See of Rome This Queen Mary was married to Philip Son of Charles V. who was afterwards King of Spain yet under these Conditions That she should have the sole disposal of all Offices and Revenues of the Kingdom and if a Son was born he should besides the Crown of England inherit Burgundy and the Netherlands Don Carlos who was born of a former Wife should be Heir of Spain and all the Italian Provinces and in case he died without Issue this should also inherit his part But no Children came of this marriage Mary being pretty well in Years for she was thirty Years before proposed in Marriage And there were some who being dissatisfy'd at this Match raised Tumults among whom was the Duke of Suffolk Father of Jane who had hitherto been a Prisoner in the Tower but she and her Husband Guilford and her Father paid with their Heads for it It was within an ace but that Elizabeth who was afterwards Queen had also undergone the same fate if Philip and the Spaniards had not interceded for her not out of any affection to her person but because they knew that after her the next Heir to the Crown of England was Mary Queen of Scotland who being married to the Dauphin of France they feared lest by this means England and Scotland might be united with France Among other Articles in the Marriage Contract of Queen Mary it was agreed That she should not be obliged to engage her self in the Wars which her Husband Philip should carry on against France Notwithstanding which when Philip afterwards was engaged in a War with France she sent to his assistance some of her best Forces who by their Bravery chiefly obtain'd the Victory near St. Quintin for which reason Philip gave the City to be plundered by the English Henry II. King of France taking hold of this opportunity assaulted the City of Calais under the Command of the Duke de Guise which being not well Garrison'd he took in a few days and obliged all the Inhabitants to quit the City and to leave behind them all their Gold Silver and Jewels He also took afterwards the two Castles of Guisnes and Hammes and thereby drove the English quite out of France Not long after this loss Queen Mary died § 22. Elizabeth who after the death of her Sister was unanimously proclaimed Queen maintain'd her Authority and govern'd with great Prudence and Glory in the midst of a great many threatning dangers to the very end In the beginning Philip endeavoured by all means to keep England on his side for which reason he proposed a Marriage betwixt Elizabeth and himself promising to obtain a Dispensation from the Pope which was nevertheless opposed by the French in the Court of Rome Elizabeth was very unwilling to disoblige so great a Prince who had well deserved of her yet on the other side the same scruple which had caused her Father to be divorced from Catharine of Arragon by a parity of reason did remain with her she considered especially that the said Divorce must needs be esteemed unjust if the Pope's Dispensation was allowed of since it had been alledged as a fundamental reason of the said Divorce that the Pope had no power to dispense in any cases which were contrary to God's Law She resolved therefore not to have any further concerns with the Pope and to give a friendly refusal to Philip. Then she by an Act of Parliament constituted the Protestant Episcopacy yet not at once but by degrees taking away from the Papists the free exercise of their Religion and under several Penalties and Fines obliged every one to frequent the Protestant Churches on Sunday Every body also was obliged by a solemn Oath to acknowledge her the Supream Governour in England even in Spiritual Matters which Oath was among 9400 who were possess'd of Church Benefices taken by all except 189 who refused the same among whom were fourteen Bishops She kept stedfast to the established Episcopal Church Government tho' she met with great opposition from two sorts of people viz. the Papists and Puritans These having conceived a great hatred against Episcopacy and all other Ceremonies which had the least resemblance of Popery were for having every thing regulated according to the way of Geneva Tho' their number increased daily yet the Queen kept them pretty well under But the Papists made several attempts against her Life and Crown for her envious Enemies did erect several Seminaries or Schools for the English Nation in foreign Countries viz. at Douay at Rheims at Rome and Valedolid all which were erected for the Instructing of the English Youth in these Principles viz. That the Pope had the Supream Power over Kings and as soon as a King was declared a Heretick by him the Subjects were thereby absolved from their Allegiance due to him and that it was meritorious work to murther such a King Out of these Schools Emissaries and Priests were sent into England whose business was there to propagate the Roman Catholick Religion but more especially to instruct the People in the abovementioned Doctrines To these associated themselves some Desperado's who after Pope Pius V. had excommunicated the Queen were frequently conspiring against her Life But most of them got no other advantage by it than to make work for the Hang-man and occasioned that the Papists were stricter kept than before Mary also Queen of Scotland raised abundance of troubles against Queen Elizabeth she being the next Heiress to the Crown of England did with the assistance of the Duke of Guise endeavour to have Queen Elizabeth declared by the Pope Illegitimate which the Spaniards underhand opposed and both she and the Dauphin assumed the Arms of England which undertaking proved afterwards fatal to Queen Mary For Elizabeth sided with the Earl of Murray natural Brother of Queen Mary whose main endeavour was to chase the French out of Scotland and to establish there the Protestant Religion both which he effected with the assistance of Queen Elizabeth This Queen Mary being after the death of Francis II. returned into Scotland was married to her Kinsman Henry Darley one of the handsomest Men in England by whom she had James VI. But her Love to him grew quickly cold for a certain Italian Musician whose name was David Ritz was so much in favour with the Queen that a great many persuaded Henry that she kept unlawfull company with him He being thus
animated with the assistance of some Gentlemen pull'd David Ritz out of the Room where he was then waiting upon the Queen at Table and kill'd him immediately From whence King James with whom Queen Mary was then big with Child had this natural infirmity That he could not see a naked Sword his Mother having at that time been frighted with naked Swords This so exasperated the Queen against her Husband that he soon after as was suppos'd was in the Night time murthered by George Bothwell who was afterwards married to the Queen The Earl of Murray with some others did publish That this Murther was committed by the instigation of the Queen and George Buchanan a Creature of the Earl's does boldly affirm the same in his Writings Yet there are some who say That the Calumnies as well concerning David Ritz as also concerning the death of Henry Darley were raised against the Queen by the Artifices of the Earl of Murray thereby to defame and dethrone her But however it be there was an Insurrection made against the Queen and Bothwell whom she had married was forced to fly the Land who died in Denmark some Years after in a miserable condition and she being made a Prisoner made her escape in the Year 1568. But the Forces which she had gathered being routed she retir'd into England where she also was made a Prisoner There she enter'd into a Conspiracy against the Queen Elizabeth with the Duke of Norfolk whom she promised to marry hoping thereby to obtain the Crown of England But the Plot being discover'd the Duke was made a Prisoner but was afterwards released And being again discover'd to have afresh pursued his former design paid for it with his Head Queen Mary was confined to a more close Imprisonment Several Treaties were set on foot to procure her Liberty but no sufficient security could be given to Queen Elizabeth Wherefore Queen Mary growing at last impatient and being overcome by ill Counsellours enter'd into a Conspiracy with Spain the Pope and the Duke of Guise against Elizabeth Which Plot having been long carried on privately did break out at last and some Letters of her own hand writing having been produced among other matters a Commission was granted to try the Queen by vertue of which she received Sentence of Death which being confirm'd by the Parliament great application was made to the Queen for Execution which Queen Elizabeth would not grant for a great while especially because her Son James and France did make great intercessions in her behalf At last the French Ambassadour d' Aubespine having suborned a Ruâ—â—ian to murther Queen Elizabeth her Friends urged vehemently to hasten the Execution which she granted and signed the Warrant commanding nevertheless Secretary Davidson to keep it by him till farther order But he advising thereupon with the Privy Council it was order'd that Execution should be done upon her immediately Queen Elizabeth seemed much concerned there-at and removed Davidson from his place King James also was grievously exasperated and some of his Friends advised him to join with Spain and to revenge his Mother's death But Queen Elizabeth found a way to appease his Anger and there was ever after a very good understanding betwixt them to the very last The Duke of Guise and his party were great Enemies to Queen Elizabeth in France and she on the other hand assisted the Huguenots with Men and Money who surrender'd into her Hands as a pledge Havre de Grace but her Forces were obliged to quit the same in the Year next following Neither could she ever get Calais restored to her tho' in the Peace concluded at Chasteau en Cambresis the same was promised to her With Henry the IVth she lived in a good understanding sending frequently to his assistance both Men and Money But with Spain she was at variance about the Rebellious Netherlanders to whom she not only granted a safe retreat in her Country and Harbours but also assisted them first underhand and afterwards openly both with Men and Money they having surrender'd unto her as a pledge Flushing Brill and Rammeken But she would never accept of the Sovereignty of the Netherlands which being twice offered her she refused as often out of weighty and wise Considerations She sent however the Earl of Leicester her Favourite thither as Governour who did not acquire much Reputation but having put things rather in confusion he was recalled in the second Year She did also great damage to the Spaniards on their Coasts and in the West Indies by Sir Francis Drake and others and the Earl of Essex took from them Cadiz but quitted it immediately after On the other side Spain was continually busie in raising Commotions and Conspiracies against her And because the Spaniards were of Opinion That England might be sooner conquer'd than the Netherlands and that the latter could not be subdued without the other they equipp'd a Fleet which they called the Invincible Armado wherewith they intended to invade England Which Fleet to the Immortal Glory of the English Nation being partly destroy'd by them and many miserably torn to pieces by Tempests did return home in a very miserable condition Spain also supported constantly the Rebels in Ireland who were very troublesome to Queen Elizabeth tho' they were generally beaten by her Forces except in the Year 1596 when they soundly beat the English Wherefore the Queen sent thither the Earl of Essex who did nothing worth mentioning And after his return the Queen giving him a severe Reprimand and ordering him to be kept a Prisoner he was so exasperated at it that tho' he was reconcil'd to the Queen he endeavoured to raise an Insurrection in London which cost him his Head Tho' the Spaniards were twice repulsed and chased out of Ireland with considerable loss yet the Rebellion lasted till the very end of her life Neither could a Peace be concluded betwixt her and the Spaniards as long as she lived For tho' a Treaty was appointed to be held at Boulogne by the Mediation of Henry IV. yet the same was immediately broke off because the English did dispute Precedency with the Spaniards This Queen could never be brought to take a Resolution to marry tho' her Subjects did greatly desire it and she had great Offers made her amongst whom were besides Philip Charles Archduke of Austria Eric King of Sweden the Duke de Anjou and his Brother the Duke de Alenson the Earl of Leicester c. It was her custom not to give a flat denial to such as sued for her in Marriage but she used to amuse them with hopes whereby she made them her Friends For she treated with Charles Archduke of Austria for seven Years together and with the Duke of Alenson she was gone so far as that the Marriage Contract was made yet was it so drawn as that a way was found to annul the same afterwards Under
two Sons Charles and Carolomannus who divided the Kingdom betwixt them But Carolomannus dying quickly after the whole Kingdom fell to Charles This Charles was justly sirnam'd the Great he having carried the French Monarchy to the highest pitch of its Greatness none of his Successours having been able to attain to the like tho' some of 'em have aim'd at it For having routed Desiderius the last King of the Lombards who endeavour'd to recover what was formerly taken from Aistulphus he conquer'd the Kingdom and brought it under his Subjection He also subdu'd Germany having routed Tassilo who had taken upon him the Title of King of Bavaria He also waged War against the Saxons for the space of 32 Years whom he at last brought under his Obedience obliging them to embrace the Christian Faith For which purpose he erected several Episcopal Sees and Monasteries by the help of the Priests to reform the baâ—barous Manners of this Savage People He also beat the Sclavonians Danes and Huns and took from the Saracens a part of Spain as far as to the River Iberus tho' his Forces in their return home were overthrown near Ronceval where was also slain the famous Rowland This Charles was in the Year 800 at Christmas being then at Rome proclaim'd Emperour by the People by the Instigation of the Pope in St. Peter's Church Tho' he gain'd nothing by this Title except it was the Sovereignty or Protection of the Roman Church and the Patrimony of St. Peter if both did not belong to him before for all the rest he enjoy'd before under other Titles He died in the Year 814. § 5. After the death of Charles the Great the French Monarchy began to decline again because his Son Lewis sirnamed the Pious was more fit to be a Priest than a Souldier And it is certain that so vast a Kingdom where the new Conquests were not yet well settled did require a Prince of a Military Spirit And notwithstanding he had the good Fortune to force some of the Rebellious Nations to return to their Duty yet he committed afterwards two fatal Oversights when in his life time he gave to his Sons the Titles of Kings and divided the Kingdom betwixt them The first of which proved pernicious to himself the second to the Monarchy For these impious and ungratefull Sons were not for staying for their Father's Death but Rebelling against him and made him after he was deserted by every body their Prisoner The Bishops who were by him kept under strict Discipline after they had condemn'd him forc'd him to resign the Government But the great Men of the Kingdom quickly repenting restor'd him to his Throne and he also pardon'd his Sons He died in the Year 840 having before his Death made a new Division of the Kingdom betwixt his Sons the Effects of which appear'd soon after to the World when Lotharius the elder Brother who also had the Title of Emperour undertook to take from his Brothers their Portion against whom the two other Brothers Lewis and Charles entring into a Confederacy forced him to divide the Monarchy with them having first obtain'd a bloody Victory near Fountenay unfar Auxerre in which Battel were slain above 100000 Men and among them the Flower of the French Nation In this Division Germany fell to Lewis's share which ever since has continued separate from France and has made a distinct Empire But the younger Brother Charles sirnamed the Bald got for his Portion the greatest part of France viz. all that part which lies betwixt the Western Ocean and the Meuse but the eldest Brother obtain'd Italy Provence and all those Counties which are situated betwixt the Meuse Rhine and the Some Under the Reign of this Charles the Bald the Normans so they call'd the Danes and Norwegians fell with a considerable Force into France making great Havock where-ever they came And the Kingdom was weakned to that degree by the last bloody Battel and its being divided into so many Principalities for the Sons of Lotharius had also shared their Father's Provinces among themselves that it was not strong enough to chase out of its Dominions these Robbers but was oblig'd under Charles sirnamed the Simple to give into their possession the Province of Neustria which they called after their Name Normandy The Sons of Lotharius dying without Issue Charles the Bald and the Sons of Lewis shared their Part betwixt them out of which Charles got Provence At last Charles obtain'd the Title of Emperour and died in the Year 877. His Son Lewis sirnamed Balbus succeeded him who dying soon after left the Kingdom to his two Sons who were very young viz. to Lewis III. and Carolomannus from whom Lewis King of Germany took Lorrain Lewis dying in the Year 882 as did Carolomannus in the Year 884 none was left but a Brother of theirs by the Father's side viz. the Son of Lewis sirnamed Balbus who being then a Child of five Years of Age was afterwards called Charles the Simple For at that time the Authority of the Kings of France was decay'd to that degree that it was a common custom to give them Sirnames according to the several defects of Body or Mind as were obvious in them He was during his Minority committed to the Tuition of his Cousin Carolus Crassus who also had the Title of Emperours who not long after because he was very infirm both in Body and Mind was deposed and died in the Year 888. The Royal Authority being thus decay'd and nothing but Divisions found in the Kingdom the great Men of the Kingdom mightily increased their own Power so that whereas they used formerly to be Governours of their Provinces under the King's Command they now began to claim them as a Propriety belonging to themselves independent of the King It is related by some That the Kings at that time had nothing left but Rheims and Laon which they could really call their own which Evil could not be totally suppress'd by the following Kings till several hundred Years after After the Death of Carolus Crassus Eudo Count of Paris got himself to be crowned King and waged War with Charles the Simple but died in the Year 898 Yet Charles the Simple quickly found another Rival for the Crown For Rudolf King of Burgundy got himself to be crowned King of France making Charles the Simple his Prisoner who died during his Imprisonment After the Death of Rudolf which happen'd in the Year 936 reign'd Lewis IV. sirnam'd Outremer because he had during the Imprisonment of his Father shelter'd himself in England This King's Reign was full of intestine Commotions he died in the Year 954 leaving for his Successour his Son Lotharius who likewise reign'd in continual troubles till the Year 985 leaving behind him his Son Lewis sirnamed the Faint-hearted of whom the French Historians only say this that
he did nothing He had for his Tutor and Administrator of the Kingdom Hugh Capet Earl of Paris After this King's Death his Uncle viz. Lewis sirnamed Outremer's Son laid claim to the Crown but was disappointed in his Pretensions by the great Power of Hugh Capet He afterwards endeavour'd to maintain his Right by force of Arms but was made a Prisoner and dying in Prison put an end to the Carolinian Race or at least to its Inheritance of the Crown of France which had been in its possession for at least 236 Years It is very remarkable that this Family lost the Kingdom through the same Errour which the former lost it For tho' this Family by prodigious Conquests had rais'd the Power of France yet were the Conquests soon after by the Divisions made of the Kingdom again dis-united and even a considerable part quite separated from that Kingdom and annexed to the German Empire Besides this by the Negligence of these Kings and the excessive Power of the great Men in the Kingdom France was reduced to a very low Condition § 6. As Hugh Capet the first Founder of the present Royal Family obtain'd the Crown not so much by right of Succession as by the assistance of the chief Men of the Kingdom who excluded the right Heir so as it is very probable he was obliged to remit a great many of the ancient Royal Prerogatives and to confirm to the great Men of the Kingdom the Power of governing their Provinces with the Titles of Dukes and Earls under condition that they should acknowledge themselves Vassals of the Kingdom yet not be obliged to depend absolutely on the King's Commands so that France at that time was like a mishapen and weak Body Hugh in the mean time re-united to the Crown which at that time had scarce any thing left which could be call'd her own the County of Paris the Dutchy of France wherein was comprehended all that lies betwixt the Rivers of Seine and the Loire and the County of Orleans Among the great Men of the Kingdom the chief were the Dukes of Normandy on whom also depended Britainy of Burgundy Aquitain and Gascoigne the Earls of Flanders Champaign and Tolouse the latter of which was also Duke of Languedock But the Counties of Vienne Provence Savoy and Dauphine belong'd to the Kingdom of Arelat which was a part of the German Empire Yet these Kings had at last the good Fortune to see all these Demi-Sovereign Princes extinguish'd and their Countries re-united to the Crown of France Hugh died in the Year 996 whose Son Robert a good natur'd Prince reign'd very peaceably he having reduc'd the Dukedom of Burgundy to which he after the Death of his Uncle was the next Heir under the entire Jurisdiction of the Crown The Tyranny exercis'd by the Pope against this King ought to be mention'd here For the King having an Intention of marrying Bertha of the House of Burgundy which Match was esteemed very beneficial to his State and the said Bertha standing with him in the fourth degree of Consanguinity besides that he had been Godfather to a Child of hers in her former Husband's time He desir'd and obtain'd the Consent of his Bishops the said Marriage being otherwise against the Canon Law But the Pope took hence an occasion to Excommunicate the King and the whole Kingdom which proved so mischievous that the King was deserted by all his Servants except three or four and no Body would touch the Victuals that came from his Table which was therefore thrown to the Dogs He died in the Year 1033. The Reign of his Son Henry was also not very famous except that he waged some inconsiderable Wars against his Vassals He presented his Brother Robert with the Dukedom of Burgundy from whence comes the Race of the Dukes of Burgundy descended from the Royal Blood He died in the Year 1060. His Son Philip did nothing memorable he was also for his Marriage excommunicated by the Pope but at last obtained a Dispensation Under the Reign of this King Philip William Duke of Normandy conquer'd England which prov'd to be the occasion of unspeakable Miseries to France for these two Kingdoms were ever after in continual Wars till the English were driven out of France About the same time the first Expedition was undertaken into the Holy Land which Extravagancy continued for near 200 Years after The Popes drew the most Benefit from these Expeditions assuming to themselves an Authority not only to command but also to protect all such as had listed themselves under the Cross Under this pretext also frequent Indulgences were sent abroad into the World and what was given towards the use of this War was collected and distributed by their Legates The King of France and other Kings receiv'd thereby this Benefit That these Wars carried off a great many turbulent Spirits And a great many of the Nobility used either to sell or else to mortgage their Estates and if any of them happened to die in the Expedition leaving no Heirs behind them their Estates fell to the King By this means also that prodigious number of People wherewith France was overstock'd at that time was much diminish'd whereby the Kings got an Opportunity to deal more easily with the rest Nevertheless when afterwards the Kings either by Instigation of the Popes or out of their own Inclinations undertook these Expeditions in their own Persons they found the dismal effects of it For by so doing the best of their Subjects were led to the Slaughter and yet it was impossible to maintain these Conquests as long as they were not Masters of Egypt Whereas if this Kingdom had been made the Seat of the intended Empire and the Store-house of the War a Kingdom might have been establish'd which would have been able to support it self by its own Strength This King died in the Year 1108. His Son Lewis sirnamed the Fat was always at variance with Henry I. King of England and in continual Troubles with the petty Lords in France who did considerable Mischiefs from their strong Castles yet he was too hard for them at last and died in the Year 1137. His Son Lewis VII sirnamed the Younger undertook upon the Persuasion of St. Bernhard an Expedition into the Holy Land but this prov'd a fatal Expedition for by the Defeat which he receiv'd at Pamphylia and the Siege of Damascus which he was forc'd to quit and the Fatigues of so great a Journey as well as the perfidiousness of some of the Commanders after he had ruin'd a great Army he returned with the miserable Remainders into France without having done any thing answerable to such an Undertaking But he committed the greatest Error when he divorced himself from his Lady Eleonora whether out of Jealousie or tenderness of Conscience is uncertain she being his Cousin in the third or fourth degree This Eleonora being also the only Heiress of
out of Sicily the Sicilians also being very averse to the French who had committed great Outrages in that Kingdom Pope Nicholus V. lent a helping hand who stood in fear of the Power of Charles as did also Michael Paleologus the Constantinopolitan Emperour because Charles had made some Pretensions to that Empire John therefore disguis'd in a Monks Habit travell'd about from place to place till he had brought his Design to Perfection It was next to a Miracle that the Design was not betray'd in three years time it having been so long a forming in several places At last it was put in Execution it being agreed upon that in the second Holyday in Easter at that very time when the Bells rung in to the Vespers all the French throughout the whole Kingdom of Sicily should be massacred at once which was done accordingly within two Hours time with great Barbarity no person having been spared in the Massacre Which being done Pieter King of Arragon possess'd himself of the Kingdom of Sicily And tho' the Pope order'd the Croisade to be preached up against Pieter and declared Charles the second Son of Philip King of Arragon and this Philip marched with a great Army to put his Son into possession yet it did prove labour in vain and Philip died in the Year 1285. His Son and Successour Philip sirnamed the Handsom upon some frivolous Pretences began a War with the English taking from of them the City of Bourdeaux and the greatest part of Aquitain which however they soon after recover'd by vertue of a Peace concluded betwixt them Not long after he attack'd the Earl of Flanders who by the Instigation of the English had enter'd into a Consederacy with a great many neighbouring Lords against him from whom he took most of his strong Holds But the Flemings being soon tired with the Insolencies committed by the French cut in pieces the French Garrisons whereupon the King sent an Army under the Command of Robert Earl of Artois to reduce them to Obedience but he was defeated near Courtray there being 20000 French slain upon the Spot which happened chiefly by a Misfortune that the Cavalry was misled into a moorish Ground It is related that the Flemings got above 8000 gilt Spurs as a Booty from the French And tho' afterwards there were 25000 killed of the Flemings yet they quickly recollecting themselves raised another Army of 60000 Men and obliged the King by a Peace made betwixt them to restore them to their ancient State This King Philip also with consent of the Pope suppress'd the rich Order of the Knights Templers and died in the Year 1314. Whom succeeded his three Sons each in his turn who all died without Issue and without doing any thing of moment The eldest Lewis X. sirnamed Hutin died in the Year 1316 whose Brother Philip sirnamed the Tall had a Contest for the Crown with his deceased Brother's Daughter Joan she being supported by her Mother's Brother the Duke of Burgundy but it was determined in favour of Philip by vertue of the Salick Law Under this King the Jews were banish'd out of France they having been accused of poisoning the Fountains He died in the Year 1322. Him succeeded the third Brother Charles IV. sirnamed the Handsom under whose Reign all the Italians and Lombards who being Usurers did exact upon the People were banished the Kingdom A War also was begun in Aquitain against the English but these Differences were quickly composed by the Intercession of Queen Isabella Sister of Charles He died in the Year 1328. § 9. After the Death of this King France was for a great many years together torn in pieces by very unfortunate and bloody Wars which had almost prov'd fatal to this Kingdom For a Contest arose about the Succession betwixt Philip of Valois Philip the Handsom's Brother's Son and Edward III. King of England the above-mention'd Philip the Handsom's Daughter 's Son The former pretended a right by vertue of the Salick Law which excludes the Females from the Succession But the latter tho' he did not deny the Salick Law yet did he alledge That this Law did not barr from the Succession the Sons born of the King's Daughters And it was certain that he was nearer a kin to the deceased King than Philip neither could any Precedent be brought where a Son of the King's Daughter had been excluded from the Succession to admit his Brother's Son Yet the Estates of France declared for Philip partly upon the persuasion of Robert Earl of Artois partly because they were unwilling to depend on England And tho' King Edward did dissemble at first this Affront and came in person to do homage to Philip for his Provinces which he was possess'd of in France yet not long after he began to show his Resentment the French having obliged him at the time when he performed the Ceremony of Homage to lay aside his Crown Scepter and Spurs Besides the States of England did persuade him not so easily to let fall his Pretensions and Robert Earl of Artois being fallen out with Philip about some Pretensions concerning the County of Artois did stir up King Edward to undertake a War against France In the mean time while Philip had defeated the Flemings who were risen in Rebellion against that Earl to that degree that of 16000 Men not one escaped the Sword In the Year 1336 the English began to make War against France which was carried on for some Years with equal Advantage on both sides and was interrupted by several Truces till at last Edward landed with an Army in Normandy and outbraving the French approach'd to the very Gates of Paris But Edward making soon after his Retreat through Picardy towards Flanders was overtaken by Philip near Albeville where a bloody Battel was fought betwixt them The French Forces being extreamly tir'd by a long March gave the English an easier Victory Besides this some Genoese Foot retreated immediately their Bows having been render'd useless by the rainy Weather which the Duke d' Alenzon perceiving and thinking it to have been done by Treachery fell with a Body of Horse in among them which caused the first Confusion The English also made use of four or five pieces of great Cannon against the French which being never seen before in France caused a great terrour in the French Army Several French Lords also being not well satisfy'd with the King were glad to see him defeated This Victory is the more remarkable because according to the French Historians the English were not above 24000 strong whereas the French were above 100000. Out of which number 30000 Foot Souldiers were slain and 1200 Horsemen among whom was the King of Bohemia This King tho' he was blind yet charg'd the Enemy on Horseback betwixt two of his Friends who had ty'd his Horse to theirs and they were all three found dead together The next day
there was a great slaughter made among some French Troops who not knowing what had pass'd the day before were on their March to join the French Camp After this Battel the English took Calais Philip having in vain attempted its relief with 15000 Men. This unfortunate King however received this one Comfort That the Dukedom of Dauphine was annexed to the Crown of France by a Gift of Hubert the last Duke with Condition that the eldest Son of the Kings of France should bear the Title of Dauphin This Hubert having conceived a mortal hatred against the then Earl of Savoy had before put himself under the Protection of France but when afterwards by an unfortunate Accident he kill'd his only Son he retir'd into a Monastery giving to the King of France the Possession of his Country This King Philip also bought Roussilion and Montpelier and was the first who imposed that so much abominated Tax in France upon Salt called the Gabell whereby the Subjects are obliged to pay for the Sun and Sea Water at so dear a rate Wherefore King Edward used to call him in jest The Author of the Salick Law He died in the Year 1356. § 10. His Son and Successour John was more unfortunate in his Wars against the English than his Father For the Truce being expir'd the War began afresh wherein Prince Edward made an Inrode with 12000 Men out of Aquitain destroying all roundabout him King John intending to cut off his Retreat overtook him with all his Forces near Maupertuis two Leagues from Poictiers The Prince offered the King Satisfaction for the Damage sustained which he refusing to accept of attack'd Prince Edward in his advantageous Post he being surrounded with Hedges and Vineyards but the English by the help of their Bows soon broke through his Van-guard and afterwards the whole Army which consisted of 50000 Men put them in Disorder killing upon the Spot as it is related by the French Historians 6000 French among whom were 1200 Gentlemen the King and his youngest Son were both made Prisoners The three eldest had the good Fortune to escape During the Father's Imprisonment Charles the Dauphin took upon him the Administration of Affairs but the People which had been sorely oppress'd hitherto being unwilling to obey it caused great Disorders in the Kingdom The Peasants rise up against the Nobility and the Citizens of Paris made heavy Complaints The Souldiers for want of Pay lived at Discretion and made a miserable havock in the Country Charles of Navarre added Fuel to the Fire in hopes to make his own Advantage by these Troublesome times and did not stick to make Pretensions to the Crown yet Matters were composed with him at last And the Estates of France refusing to accept of such Conditions as were proposed by the English the King of England enter'd France with a great Army and over-run the greatest part of it yet could not make himself Master of any fortify'd place Then a Peace was concluded at Bretigny a League from Chartres by vertue of which the French were to surrender to the English besides what they were possess'd of before Poictou Xaintonge Rochelle Pais d'Aulnis Angoumois Perigord Limosin Quercy Agenois and Bigorre with the Sovereignty over them besides this Calais and the Counties d'Oye Guisnes and Ponthieu and three Millions of Livers as a Ransom for the King's person This Peace was very hard for France and continued not long King John forced by Necessity was oblig'd to do another thing little becoming his Grandeur for he sold his Daughter to Galeas Viscount of Milan for 600000 Crowns giving her in Marriage to the said Viscount This King presented his youngest Son Philip sirnamed the Hardy with the Dukedom of Burgundy it being vacant by the Death of the last Duke From this Philip descended the famous Dukes of Burgundy whose Territories at last devolved to the House of Austria This King died in England whither he was gone to make satisfaction for his Son who being a Hostage there had made his escape Some say that he went to see a Lady there with whom he was much in love § 11. King John was succeeded by his Son Charles V. sirnamed the Wise who prudently made amends for the Rashness of his Grandfather and Father never engaging himself in Battels with the English but by protracting the War and secret Intrigues endeavoured to tire out their Courage The disbanded Souldiers had mutineer'd and were become so Insolent that no body durst oppose them These he sent into Spain where Pieter sirnamed the Cruel and Henry I. fought for the Crown of Castile These Forces had put the Pope in such a fear that in their March he presented them with 200000 Livers and a good store of Indulgences to divert them thereby form taking their way near Avignon Prince Edward also engaged himself in this War but got nothing by it but a sickly Body and great want of Money Wherefore he pretendâ—ng to lay a Tax upon his Subjects in Guienne to pay off his Souldiers they complained thereof to the King of France who having well prepared himself and being informed that the Prince languished under a mortal Disease summon'd him to appear in Paris pretending that the Peace made at Bretigny was of no force since the English had not performed the Conditions and had since that time committed Hostilities wherefore he insisted upon his former right of Sovereignty over Aquitain And Prince Edward having sent him a disdainfull Answer King Charles denounced War against the English A great many Fast-days and Processions were kept by the King's Order in France and the Priests made it their business to represent the Justice of the King's Cause and the Injustice of the English to the People By this way he insinuated himself into the Favour of the French that lived under the English Jurisdiction and persuaded his own Subjects to be more free in paying their Taxes The Archbishop of Tholouse alone did by his cunning Persuasions bring over to his Party above fifty Cities and strong Castles The Constable Bertrand du Guesolin did also great mischief to the English with small Parties and worsted them not only in several Rencounters but also beat them out of Perigord and Limosin But in Guienne especially the English Affairs were in a bad condition after the Spanish Fleet which was sent to the Assistance of the French by Henry King of Castile had ruin'd the English near Rochelle After which exploit Poictiers was taken from them and Rochelle upon very advantageous Conditions surrender'd it self to the King of France And King Edward being detained by contrary Winds not being able to bring over timely Relief Xaintonge Angoumois and some other places followed the Example of the former The English not long after with an Army of 30000 Men marched from Calais cross the Country as far as Guienne ravaging and plundering by the way where-ever they
Which so incensed the Queen that she having conceiv'd an implacable Hatred against her Son sided with the Duke of Burgundy whose Party was thereby greatly strengthen'd Thus commenced the intestine Wars wherein both Parties were so exasperated against one another that they had little regard to the great Success of the English who in the mean time conquer'd all Normandy and Roan it self The Dauphin intending at one blow to root out the Evil of these intestine Commotions cunningly invited the Duke of Burgundy to come to an Agreement with him when at their second meeting at Monterau he caused him to be kill'd But this stroke had a quite contrary effect For the generality of the Nation abominated the fact and the Queen took from hence an Opportunity totally to ruin her Son and to exclude him from the Succession Wherefore entring into a League with the murther'd Duke's Son Philip a Peace was concluded with Henry V. King of England by vertue of which he was to marry Catharine the Daughter of Charles VI. and during his Life to be Regent of France and after his Death to be put into the full possession of the Crown of France That both the Crowns of France and England should be united yet that each Kingdom should be ruled according to its own Laws Besides this a Sentence was pronounc'd against the Dauphin in Paris That by reason of the Murther committed by him upon the Duke of Bargundy he was declared incapable of the Crown and that he for ever should be banish'd the Kingdom He appeal'd from this Sentence to God and his Sword and set his Court up at Poictiers so that at that time there was in France two Governments and two Courts But the Affairs of the Dauphin were in a very ill condition very few of the Provinces siding with him those that did were Anjou Poictou Tours Auvergne Berry and Languedock but all of them mightily exhausted of Money But it was happy for him that the brave King Henry V. died in the very Flower of his Age and good Fortune as likewise did not long after Charles VI. whose Life by the Infirmities of his Mind being incapable of governing the Kingdom had greatly obstructed the Welfare of the Kingdom § 13. Charles VII whom we hitherto have call'd the Dauphin caused himself immediately after his Father's Death to be proclaim'd King with the Assistance of the Bravest among the French nevertheless his Affairs at the beginning were under very ill Circumstances For the Duke of Bedford who was constituted Regent in France having caused young Henry VI. of England to be proclaimed King of France in Paris in conjunction with the Dukes of Burgundy and Britainy try'd all ways to expell him quite out of France His Forces were several times miserably beaten by the English the greatest part of the Cities abandon'd him so that the English used to call him in derision the King of Bourges because he used commonly to reside there He was at last become so poor that he rarely could dine in Publick and it was observ'd that one time he had nothing for his Dinner but a piece of roasted Mutton and a couple of Fowls Besides this most of the great Men about him being dissatisfy'd with the ambitious Proceedings of the Constable Richmond had left the Court and were driving on their own Intrigues The only Comfort left to Charles was that there was a misunderstanding betwixt the English and the Duke of Burgundy else if they had with their joint Forces vigorously attack'd Charles he in all probability could not have held out long against them The occasion happen'd thus Jaqueline Countess of Hennegau Holland Zealand and Friesland being divorced from her Husband John Duke of Brabant a Cousin of the Duke of Burgundy was married again to the Duke of Gloucester Brother of Henry V. The Duke of Burgundy taking his Cousin's part it caused great Heart-burning betwixt him and the Duke of Gloucester The Duke of Bedford endeavour'd to appease them yet did the Duke of Burgundy from that time entertain a Grudge against the English which encreased afterwards when the English refused to put the City of Orleans into the Hands of the Duke of Burgundy This City being besieged by the English was reduc'd to the utmost Extremity the French which attack'd a Convoy which was going to the English Camp having been entirely beaten Which Engagement is called la journée des Haranes or the Battel of the Herrings Charles's Affairs were then become so desperate that he had resolv'd to retire into Dauphine when upon a sudden an unlook'd for help was sent him For a Country Maid born in Lorraine whose Name was Joan did pretend that she was sent from God to relieve Orleans and to see the King crowned at Rheims Both which she effected striking thereby great terrour into the English whereas on the other side the French being greatly encouraged by this Success saw their Affairs from henceforward mend every day But this poor Wench following the Wars longer as it seems than she had in Commission was taken Prisoner making a Sally out of Compeigne and being deliver'd to the English was with great dishonour burnt as a Witch at Roan The English perceiving their Affairs not to go so forward as formerly resolv'd to give them new Life and Vigour by bringing over the young King Henry and having him crowned in Paris And to keep fair with the Duke of Burgundy they gave him the Counties of Brie and Champaigne yet all this proved insufficient The War therefore having been thus carried on for several Years only with light Skirmishes both Parties being tir'd out a Treaty was at last propos'd by Mediation of the Pope at Arras but the English rigorously insisting upon their Pretensions which were very hard they were deserted by the Duke of Burgundy who made a separate Peace with Charles upon very advantageous Conditions There befell also the English another Misfortune by the Death of the Duke of Bedford who hitherto had administred the Affairs in France with great Prudence After this the Cities of France surrender'd themselves one after another to Charles among which was Paris which submitted it self to its natural Lord. But because the English had made miserable havock throughout France and the French Souldiers themselves being ill paid had committed great Depredations without any Order or Discipline a great Famine ensu'd and afterwards a great Plague It is related that the Wolves did snatch the Children out of the Streets of the Suburbs of St. Anthony in Paris The War having been thus protracted for a considerable time a Truce was concluded for some Years The King to be rid of the Souldiers sent them into Alsace under pretence to disturb the Council at Basil They killed at once 4000 Swiss but having lost double the number soon after returned home again In the mean time the English were degenerated from their former Valour their
the Year 1510 the Pope Ferdinand Henry VIII and the Swiss Cantons denounced War against Lewis For the Pope could not look with a good Eye upon the growing Power of France in Italy Ferdinand feared lest Lewis might attack Naples and Henry being come lately to the Crown was for making himself famous by so great an Undertaking the Swiss were set against France because Lewis had not paid them their old Arrears and had refused to encrease their Pension not because their Demands were extravagant but because he would not be out-brav'd by them In this War the French General Gasto de Foix behaved himself very gallantly for he relieved Bononia beat the Venetian Army killed 8000 of them in Brescia and obtained a glorious Victory against the Confederate Army near Ravenna in which Battel nevertheless this brave General being too hot in pursuing the Enemy was slain With his death the French Affairs began to decline and they were again forced to leave Italy Maximilian Son of Lewis the Black was restored to his Dutchy of Milan by the help of the Swiss The Genoucse revolted and made sanus Fregosus their Duke Ferdinand the Catholick took from King John the Kingdom of Navarre which the French in vain endeavoured to regain from the Spaniards But Lewis being extreamly desirous to regain Milan enter'd into a League with Venice and retook most places of that Dukedom and the City of Genoua He besieg'd Duke Maximilian in the Castle of Novara but the Swiss coming to the Assistance of the Duke attack'd the French with incredible Fury in their Camp and drove them quite out of the whole Dukedom which was twice taken in one Month. Then Lewis was at one time attack'd by the Emperour England and the Swiss and if the English and the Swiss had join'd France would have run a great Risque But King Henry in lieu of entring into the Heart of France lost his Time at the Siege of Terouâ—ne where he defeated the French that were come to its Relief near Guinegast this Battel was call'd La journée des esperons or The Battel of the Spurs because the French made better use of their Spurs than their Swords and after he had taken Tournay he return'd into England The Swiss who kept the Duke of Tremoville besieg'd were bought off with 600000 Crowns which were promised to them by the Duke without the King's Order as likewise that he should renounce the Council of Pisa and his Pretensions to the Dukedom of Milan Which shamefull Agreement the King refus'd to ratify and if the Swiss had not been more fond of the Ransom offer'd for the Hostages than their Blood they had pay'd with their Lives for it In the Year next following Lewis made a Peace with the King of England who gave him his Sister Mary in Marriage which young Lady 't is thought did hasten the Death of the old King which ensu'd in the beginning of the Year 1515. This King was so well belov'd by his People that he was generally call'd Le Pere du Peuple or The Father of the People § 17. His Nephew Francis I. succeeded him who having made a League with England the Archduke Charles and Venice enter'd upon a sudden into Italy and took Genoua and some other Places without great Opposition but being encamp'd near Marignano within a League of Milan the Swiss unexpectedly fell upon him where a bloody Fight ensu'd The Swiss were at last repuls'd and found that they cou'd be beaten having lost above 10000 but the French also left 4000 of their best Men upon the Spot After this Maximilian surrender'd himself and the whole Country to the King on the Condition of an annual Pension of 30000 Ducats to be paid him Soon after the King agreed with the Swiss whom in Consideration of a good Summ he brought again into an Alliance with France He made also an Agreement with Pope Leo X. by vertue of which the King was to have the Right of naming Bishops and Abbots but the Pope to keep certain Benefits out of the chiefest Church Benefices In the Year 1518 he redeem'd Tournay form the English for a good Summ of Money In the Year next following after the Death of the Emperor Maximilian Francis employ'd all his Engines to be exalted to the Imperial Dignity but the German Princes fearing lest the French should endeavour to humble them and for some other Considerations preferr'd before him Charles V. This proved the Occasision of great Jealousies betwixt these two Princes for Francis being very sensible what great Advantages he had gained by the Imperial Dignity put himself into a good posture to prevent his becoming Master of him and all the rest of the Princes in Europe This Jealousie broke at last out into an open War Francis endeavouring to re-take Navarre from the Spaniards as thinking to have met with a fair Opportunity whilst the Divisions in Spain were on Foot The French conquer'd that Kingdom in a few days time but being not carefull enough to preserve it as easily lost it again Soon after the War was kindled in the Netherlands occasion'd by Robert Van de Marck Lord of Sedan whom Francis took into his Protection This Robert was so puft up with the French Protection that he writ a Letter of Defiance to the Emperour and fell into the Country of Luxemburgh But Charles quickly chastis'd this petty Enemy and being persuaded that Francis had encourag'd him thereunto he took from him St. Amand and Tournay The Business nevertheless might have been compos'd at the beginning if the French had not insisted upon keeping Fonterabia which in the mean time had been surpris'd by them But the hardest task was in Italy both the Emperour and Pope being willing to drive Francis out of Milan and to restore Francis Sforza They effected both with good Success for the French Army was not timely supply'd with Money and being besides this beaten near Bicoque the French were again driven out of Milan and Genoua And on the other side they also lost Fonterabia But what happen'd very ill to Francis was That the Constable Charles of Bourbon went over to the Emperour the Reason of which was That he had been for a while mightily kept under by the Queen Mother the Chancellour Duprat and Admiral Bonnivet The first had commenc'd a Suit at Law against him about the Dukedom of Bourbon which he despair'd to be able to maintain against so strong a Party as believing that the King was underhand concern'd in the Matter 'T is said that the first Cause of this Difference was because the Duke of Bourbon had refus'd to marry her The Duke of Bourbon therefore had agreed with the Emperor and the King of England That they should divide the Kingdom of France betwixt them the Kingdom of Arelat and the Emperour's Sister having been promis'd to the Duke of Bourbon But the Design being discover'd the Duke of Bourbon was
Emanuel Duke of Savoy was very mournfully consummated § 19. Him succeeded his Son Francis II. under whose Reign the French Divisions began to break out with Fury in their own Bowels which continued near 40 Years whereas formerly the violent Heat of this Nation had been quell'd partly by the Wars with the English partly by the several Expeditions undertaken against Italy Concerning the Causes of these Intestine Wars it is to be observ'd That after the House of Valois came to the Crown the next in Blood were those of the House of Bourbon which House was grown so Potent by its Riches Power and Authority of a great many brave Persons which descended from it that the preceding Kings were grown extreamly jealous of it And tho' Francis I. at the beginning of his Reign did constitute the Duke of Bourbon Constable yet being soon convinced afterwards of the Reasons which had induc'd his Ancestors to keep under this House he us'd all his Endeavours to humble the said Charles of Bourbon For this Reason he enter'd into a Conspiracy against Francis which having been discover'd he went over to Charles V. and commanded as General in the Battel near Pavia where Francis was taken Prisoner and was slain in the storming of Rome By his Death the House of Bourbon receiv'd a great blow those who were left being look'd upon with a very ill Eye tho' they kept themselves very quiet to extinguish the Suspicion and Hatred conceiv'd against them The House of Bourbon being thus brought very low the two Houses of Montmorency and Guise held up their Heads under the Reign of Francis I. The first was one of the most ancient in France the latter was a Branch of the House of Lorrain The Head of the first was Annas Montmorency Constable of France of the latter Claude Duke of Guise Both of them were in great Favour and Authority with Francis I. but both fell into Disgrace at the latter end of his Reign being banish'd the Court It is related of Francis I. that just before his Death he advised his Son Henry to consult with neither of them in his Affairs since too great and too able Ministers proved often dangerous Yet notwithstanding this Henry II. did receive both Annas Montmorency and Francis de Guise the Son of Claude into his particular Favour who quickly grew jealous of one another the first taking much upon him because of his Experience in State Affairs and Gravity the latter being puff'd up with the Glory of Martial Exploits and the Applause of the People the Authority of the Duke of Guise was greatly encreas'd after he had repuls'd Charles V. from before Metz and taken Calais whereas the unfortunate Battel fought near St. Quintin and the ensuing dishonourable Peace were very prejudicial to Montmorency But the House of Guise got the greatest Advantage after Francis II. had marry'd Mary Queen of Scotland whose Mother was Sister to the Duke of Guise So that during the Reign of Francis II. the Duke of Guise and the Cardinal his Brother were the Men that bore the greatest Sway in the Kingdom which extreamly exasperated Montmorency and the two Brothers of Bourbon Anthony King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde seeing themselves thus neglected And tho' Anthony was of a very modest Behaviour watching only an Opportunity to regain his Kingdom of Navarre from the Spaniards and having a sufficient Revenue out of his Country of Bearn wherewithal to maintain himself yet the Prince of Conde was Ambitious Poor and of a turbulent Spirit who was not able to maintain his Grandeur without some considerable Employment Besides this he was continually stirr'd up by the Admiral Gaspar Coligny an ambitious cunning and fly Man who as his Enemies will have it was very forward to fish in troubled Waters his Brother d' Andelot also being of a very wild and turbulent Spirit These three only watch'd an Opportunity to raise Commotions in the Kingdom Thus the great Men of the Kingdom were divided into these several Factions at the Time when Francis II. began his Reign a Prince scarce sixteen Years old weak both in Body and Mind and therefore incapable to rule the Kingdom by himself Several therefore pretended to have a right to the Administration of the Government these of Bourbon as being the next Princes of the Blood the House of Guise as being nearly related to the Queen and the Queen Mother Catharine de Medicis the very pattern of an aspiring and cunning Woman hoped That whilst the Princes were in contest about the Administration of the Government it would fall to her share wherefore she always fomented the Divisions by keeping up the Balance betwixt them This Catharine first sided with the House of Guise dividing the Administration of Affairs with them so that she was to have the Supream Administration the Duke of Guise was to manage the Military Affairs and his Brother the Cardinal the Finances This Agreement being made betwixt them the Constable under pretence of his old Age was dismiss'd from Court and the Prince of Conde sent as Ambassadour into Spain These who were thus excluded had a meeting to consider which way they might free themselves from these Oppressions where it was resolv'd that the King of Navarre should intercede for them at Court who being put off with fair words and empty Promiess set himself at rest Conde was resolv'd to try his Fortune by force but having not a sufficient Interest Coligny advised him he should side with the Huguenots for so they callâ—d in France those who profess'd the Protestant Religion who labour'd then under a severe Persecution and wanted a Head under whose Conduct they might obtain the free Exercise of their Religion Besides that they mortally hated those of Guise whom they supposed to be the Authors of their Persecution The Business was thus concerted That the Huguenots should assemble in private and some of them by a humble Petition to request the free Exercise of their Religion at Court which if it should be refus'd the rest should be at hand to kill those of Guise and to force the King to receive the Prince of Conde for his chief Minister of State The Execution of this Design was undertaken by a certain Gentleman call'd Renaudie but the Enterprize being deferr'd for some time because the Court went from Blois to Amboise it was discover'd and thereby render'd inpracticable above twelve hundred that were taken paying with their Lives for it Conde was also sent to Prison and was just upon the point of receiving Sentence of Death when Francis II. after a very short Reign died suddenly of an Ulcer in the Head which caused great Alterations in the Affairs of the Kigdom § 20. Him succeeded his Brother Charles IX then scarce eleven Years old whose Tuition his Mother Catharine took immediately upon her self hoping to enjoy it quietly whilst the Houses of Bourbon and Guise were engag'd in mutual
for the Duke of Guise as their Protector the King was oblig'd to leave Paris by Night But the King perceiving that more Cities sided daily with the League and despairing to overcome them by Force took another Course to obtain his Ends and made an Agreement with the Duke of Guise with great Advantages on his and the Leaguers side He pretended also to have forgotten all past Injuries on purpose to inveigle the Duke of Guise And under these specious pretences he got him to appear at the Assembly of the Estates at Blois In the mean time the Duke of Savoy had taken from the French the Marquisate of Saluzze the only Province left them in Italy But the Estates who were most of them Creatures of the Duke of Guise being very urgent in their Demands to have the King of Navarre declar'd incapable of the Crown and the Duke of Guise to be made Constable the King caus'd the Duke of Guise and his Brother the Cardinal to be murther'd This put those of the League into a Rage and with the Assistance of the Priests the King was in Paris publickly declar'd to have forfeited the Crown Most of the great Cities of France being stirr'd up by the Example of the Parisians did the same declaring the Duke de Maine Brother to the Duke of Guise Lieutenant-General of the State and Crown of France and Supream Head of the League who endeavour'd but in vain to surprize the King in Tours The King then being overpower'd by the League and besides this excommunicated by the Pope was oblig'd to make an Agreement with the King of Navarre and to make use of the Huguenots And having got together a great Army he march'd towards Paris with a Resolution to reduce that City to Obedience by Force of Arms But the day before the general Attack was to be made one James Clement a Jacobin Monk brought a Letter out of the City directed to the King which whilst he deliver'd pretending to whisper the King thrust a Knife into his Bowels of which Wound he died the day following The last of the House of Valois § 22. Henry IV. whom we hitherto have call'd the King of Navarre and who was the first of the House of Bourbon did at the beginning of his Reign meet with no less Difficulties than he had met with before For tho' he was lawfull Heir to the Crown yet the Protestant Religion which he profess'd was no small obstacle for as long as he was addicted to that the League the Pope and Spain would questionless oppose him with all their might But if he chang'd his Religion he was in danger of losing the Assistance of the Huguenots which had been steady to him and so set himself betwixt two Stools And it would have been very unbecoming to have so publickly accommodated his Religion to his Interest Notwithstanding this immediately after the Death of Henry III. all the great Men of the Army assembled together promis'd him Obedience after several Contests under Condition that within six Months he would suffer himself to be instructed in the Catholick Religion But because Henry would not be bound to any certain time but only gave them some Hopes in general terms it was agreed That the Huguenots should enjoy the free Exercise of their Religion yet that the Catholick Religion should be re-establish'd in all Cities and the Revenues restor'd to the Clergy But those of the League because the Duke of Maine at that time durst not take upon him the Title of King proclaim'd the Cardinal of Bourbon an ancient decrepid Man Uncle to King Henry and who was then in Custody their King declaring the Duke de Maine Lieutenant-General of the Crown The Leaguers made the strongest Party having on their side the Common People most of the great Cities all the Parliaments except that of Rennes and Bourdeaux almost all the Clergy Spain the Pope and the rest of the Catholick Princes except Venice and Florence But the Heads were not very unanimous and the Duke de Maine had not Authority enough to keep them in Unity But on the King's side were almost all the Nobility the whole Court of the deceas'd King all the Protestant Princes and States the old Huguenot Troops who had done great Service to Henry and would still have done more if they had not mistrusted him that he would change his Religion Each Party watch'd an Opportunity of surprizing one another The Duke of Maine endeavouring to surprize the King near Diep was bravely repuls'd which seem'd to be ominous to the League On the other Hand the King could not get Paris tho' he had taken the Suburbs But Henry was not only pester'd by the League but also for want of Money was oblig'd to keep up his Party with fair Words and Promises The Spaniards also began to intermeddle publickly in the Affairs of France in hopes in this Juncture either to conquer the Kingdom or to divide it or at least to weaken it But the Duke de Maine did underhand oppose these Designs being unwilling that in case he could not be King himself France should fall under the Subjection of Spain In the Year 1590 Henry obtain'd a glorious Victory over the Duke de Maine who had double the Number near Ivry Then he block'd up Paris which was reduc'd to the greatest Extremity by Famine but reliev'd by the Duke of Parma Governour of the Netherlands In the Year 1591 there arose a third Faction the young Cardinal of Bourbon making Pretensions to the Crown but was very fortunately disappointed in his Aim by the King Then Pope Gregory XIV excommunicated Henry exhorting all his Subjects to withdraw themselves from their Obedience which Difficulty Henry did not surmount without great troubles The Spaniards also declar'd themselves more freely Philip offering his Daughter Isabella Clara Eugenia to be made Queen of France which Proposal was mightily encouraged by the young Duke of Guise he being then just escap'd out of his Custody as 't is suppos'd by connivance of the King who supposed that thereby that Party might be divided since he would certainly endeavour to oppose the Designs of the Duke de Maine his Uncle After the Duke of Parma had rais'd the Siege of Roan the Spaniards urg'd more and more that the French would take a Resolution concerning the setting up of another King And in the Assembling of the Estates in Paris which was held for that purpose it was propos'd That Isabella the Daughter of Philip being born of a French Mother should be declar'd Queen of France and that she should have for her Husband Ernest Arch-Duke of Austria But the French refusing to accept of a Foreigner for their King Charles Duke of Guise was proposed as a Husband to Isabella This Proposition relish'd very ill with the Duke of Maine who thought himself so well deserving that no body ought to be preferr'd before him wherefore if he could not
might not be devoured by the House of Austria he was resolved to prevent with all his Might This is certain that his Preparations were greater than seem'd to be requisite only for the business of Juliers for he and his Allies had got 120000 Men together and prodigious Summs of Money The House of Austria on the other hand did not make the least Preparations just as if it had fore-known the fatal Blow which happened soon after The Army was marching towards the Netherlands and the King ready to follow in a few days having caused the Queen to be Crowned and constituted her Regent during his absence When the King going along the Street in Paris in his Coach which was fain to stop by reason of the great Croud of the People was by a desperate Ruffian whose Name was Francis Ravillac stabb'd with a Knife in his Belly so that he without uttering one word died immediately There are some who make no-question of it but that this Villain was set on to commit this fact and that it was not done without the knowledge of the Spaniards and the Queen her self And so fell this great Hero by the hands of a profligate Wretch after he had surmounted great Difficulties in ascending the Throne and had avoided above fifty several Conspiracies which being most contrived by the Priests against his Life were all timely discovered His Death proved very pernicious to the Kingdom because during the Minority of his Son the Power of the Great Men and also of the Huguenots did extreamly encrease § 23. His Son Lewis XIII succeeded him being scarce nine Years of Age and under the Tuition of his Mother Mary de Medicis she endeavour'd to preserve Peace abroad by Alliance and at home by Clemency and Liberality towards the great Men of the Kingdom who nevertheless several times raised Disturbances whereby they made their own advantage the Queen-Regent being not Powerfull enough to keep them in Obedience by force As soon as the King had taken upon himself the Management of Affairs he caused Concini Marshal d' Ancre who was born a Florentine to be killed he having been in great Power during the Queen's Regency and by his Pride Riches and Power drawn upon himself the Hatred of the Subjects by his Death he hoped to appease the dissatisfied Multitude The Queen-Mother was sent away from Court to Blois from whence she was carried away by the Duke d' Espernon And these Commotions were at last appeased by bestowing liberal Presents among the Great Men. About the same time Richlieu afterwards made a Cardinal began to be in great Esteem in Court who advised the King to establish his Authority and to take up by the Roots the intestine Evils of France He laid this down as a fundamental Principle That he should take from the Huguenots the power of doing him any mischief considering that such as were dissatisfied at any time or that were of a turbulent Spirit took always refuge and were assisted by them The first beginning was made in the King 's Patrimonial Province of Bearn where he caused the Catholick Religion to be re-establish'd The Huguenots being greatly dissatisfied thereat began to break out into Violence whence the King took an opportunity to recover several Places from them but sustained a considerable Loss in the Siege of Montauban till at last Peace was made with the Huguenots under condition that they should demolish all their new Fortifications except those of Montauban and Rochelle In the Year 1625 Cardinal Richlieu was made Chief Minister of France about which time also the second War with the Huguenots was ended But this Peace did not last long because those of Rochelle would not bear that the Fortress called Fort-Lewis should be built just under their Noses Richlieu therefore having taken a resolution at once to put an end to this War by the taking of Rochell besieg'd it so close both by Sea and Land that the English who had had very ill Success in the Isle of Rhée where they Landed could bring no Succours into the place Their Obstinacy was at last over-come by Famine of 18000 Citizens there having been not above 5000 left for they had lived without Bread for thirteen Weeks With this stroke the Strength of the Huguenots was broken Montauban upon the persuasion of the Cardinal having demolished its Works The cunning Duke of Roan also at last made his peace after he had been sufficiently troublesome to the King in Languedoc under condition that the Cities of Nismes and Montpelier should demolish their Fortifications but for the rest enjoy the free Exercise of their Religion And thus the Ulcer which had settled it self in the very Entrails of France was happily healed up It is related by some that these Civil Wars have devoured above a Million of People that 150 Millions were employed in paying of the Souldiers that nine Cities 400 Villages 20000 Churches 2000 Monasteries and 100000 Houses were burnt or laid level with the ground Then France applied all their care towards Foreign Affairs The King assisted the Duke of Nevers in obtaining the Dukedom of Mantua which belonged to him by Right of Succession but whom the Spaniards endeavour'd to exclude from the same as being a French-man In this War the Siege of Casal is most famous in the defence of which place the French gave incredible proofs of their Bravery At last the business was through the wise Management of the Popish Nuncio Mazarini who then laid the first Foundation of his future Greatness in France composed and the Duke of Nevers afterwards by the Treaty made at Chierasco establish'd in the Dukedoms of Mantua and Montferrat The King also bought Pignerol of the Duke of Savoy that so the French might not want a door into Italy France had also before taken part with the Grisons against the Inhabitants of the Valteline who had revolted being assisted by the Spaniards whereby he prevented this Country from falling into the Hands of the Spaniards and so Matters were restored to their former State In the Year 1631 France made an Alliance with Sweden allowing to that King a yearly Pension to assist him in opposing the Greatness of the House of Austria But when King Gustavus Adolphus began to be formidable on the Rhine he took the Elector of Treves into his protection putting a Garrison into Hermanstein which nevertheless in the Year 1636 was forced to a Surrender by Famine In the mean time the Queen-Mother and the Kings Brother the Duke of Orleans envying the Greatness of Richelieu had raised some tumults With them also sided Montmorency who paid for it with his Head and put an inglorious end to his noble Family which boasted to have been the first noble Family that embrac'd the Christian Religion in France And tho' this business was afterwards Composed the Queen Mother being received into Favour again yet was she so
easily have dissolved this Union And because the Affairs of the Netherlands grew worse and worse every day the Spaniards having taken one after another the Cities of Bois le Duc Breda Tournay Valenciennes Malines and Others and a great many of the Great Men being gone over to the Spanish Party The Prince of Orange on the other hand being well assured that the Spaniards one time or another would revenge themselves upon him and his friends and finding himself not in a capacity to maintain the Cause against them he persuaded the Estates of the Netherlands that they should renounce all Obedience to Philip who had violated their Privileges confirmed to them by Oath and make the Duke of Alenson their Soveraign with whom he had underhand made an agreement That the United Provinces should fall to his share And the Estates of Holland Zealand and Vtrecht were then for making him their Soveraign except the Cities of Amsterdam and Gouda and questionless it would have been done afterwards if his unexspected Death had not prevented it § 8. The Duke of Alenson having obtained the Soveraignty raised the Siege of Cambray which was besieged by the Spaniards and in the year next following was at Antwerp proclaimed Duke of Brabant and at Ghent Earl of Flanders But his Power being confined within very narrow Bounds by the Estates he by the advice of his Friends resolved to make himself Absolute He proposed to the Estates That if he should die without Issue these Countries might be United with the Crown of France which being denied him he took a strange Resolution viz. By surprize to make himself absolute Master of Antwerp and some other Cities For this purpose several Thousands of French were already got privately into Antwerp which were beaten out by the Citizens with considerable Loss They made the like Attempts upon several other Places on the same day which every-where miscarried except at Dendermond Dunkirk and Dixmuide And thus the French having lost at once all their credit and the affection of the Netherlanders the Duke of Alenson full of shame and confusion returned into France where he died soon after The French intermedling with the Affairs of the Netherlands had drawn with it another Evil which was That Foreign Souldiers were again brought into the Netherlands which was against the Agreement made with the Walloons Then the Duke of Parma re-took Dunkirk Newport Winoxbergen Menin Alost and some other Places in Flanders Ypres and Bruges did also submit And in the same Year the Affairs of the Estates received a great Blow by the Death of William Prince of Orange who was stabb'd in his Palace at Delft by a Burgundian whose Name was Balthasar Gerhard By whose Death the Netherlands being without a Head were left in great confusion § 9. After the Death of Prince William the Estates did make Maurice Son of the deceased Stadtholder of Holland Zealand and Vtrecht and he being but eighteen Years of Age they constituted the Earl of Hohenloe his Lieutenant But the Soveraignty they proffered to the King of France who being at that time distracted with intestine Wars was not at leisure to accept of it The Duke of Parma in the mean while taking advantage of this juncture of Affairs reduced Antwerp by Famine within a Twelve month's time as also Dendermond Ghent Brussels Malines and Nimeguen by Force After the Loss of Antwerp the Estates who were for submitting Themselves to any body but the Spaniards offered the Soveraignty over them to Queen Elizabeth which she refused to accept of Yet she entred with them into a more strict Alliance by virtue of which she obliged her self to maintain a certain number of Souldiers at her own Charge in the Netherlands which with all the other Forces of the Estates were to be Commanded by an English General And the Estates did Surrender to the Queen as a Security for the Charges she was to be at the Cities of Flushing Briel and Rammakens or Sceburgh upon Walchorn which were afterwards restored to the Estates for the Summ of One Million of Crowns The Queen sent Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester as General into Holland who being arrived there was made by the Estates their Governour-General and that with a greater Power then was acceptable to the Queen but he did no great Feats For the Duke of Parma not only took Grave and Venlo and forced him from before Zutphen but he also administer'd the publick Affairs at a strange rate to the great dissatisfaction of the Estates to whom he had rendred himself suspected Their Discontents were much augmented after William Stanley who was by the Earl of Leicester made Commander in Chief in Deventer had betray'd that City to the Spaniards The Year next following the Earl of Leicester attempted the Relief of Sluce in Flanders but to no purpose and being returned into Holland where he by several suspicious Undertakings augmented the Differences betwixt him and the Estates he returned very ill satisfied into England where by Command of the Queen he resign'd his Office of Governour § 10. Hitherto the Affairs of the United Netherlands whom henceforward we will call Hollanders had been in a very ill Condition but from this time forwards they began to mend a-pace and became more settled This was partly occasioned by the Ruin of the two Provinces of Brabant and Flanders which were reconciled to the King upon condition That such as would not profess themselves Roman Catholicks should leave the Country within a prefixed time A great many of these flocking into Holland made its Cities very populous Especially all the Traffick of Antwerp was transplanted to Amsterdam which rendred that City very Rich and Potent at Sea Besides this Philip like those who will hunt two Hares with one Dog did not only attempt to Invade England with a great Fleet but also sent in the Year next following the Duke of Parma with an Army to the Assistance of the League in France both which proving fruitless the Hollanders had in the mean while leisure given them to put themselves into a good posture Whereas the Duke of Parma had wisely advised the King that he should with all his Power first subdue the Hollanders before he engaged in another War For Maurice whom they had after the Departure of the Earl of Leicester made their Generalissimo both by Sea and Land had restored their lost Reputation His first Attempt was upon Breda which he took by a Stratagem In the Year next following he took Zutphen Deventer Hulst and Nimeguen And in the Year 1592 Steenwyck and Coeverden In the same Year the Death of the brave Duke of Parma proved a great Loss to the Spaniards For the Spanish Souldiers growing Mutinous every-where did not a little advance the Progresses of the Hollanders Gertrudenbergh was taken in the sight of the Spanish Army In the Year next following Groningen was reduced whereby the
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
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
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
Archbishop of Mayence Adolph Earl of Nassau who was his kinsman was chosen Emperour the Archbishop being in hopes to have under him the supreme Management of the Affairs but Adolph not being willing to depend on the Archbishop he conceived a hatred against him Some did think it unbecoming the grandure of the Emperour that he engaged in a League with England against France for a Sum of Mony paid to him by the English but this might admit of a very good excuse since besides this the English had promiss'd the Emperour to assist him in the recovery of the Kingdom of Arclat a great part of which France had during the Troubles in Germany taken into its possession On the other hand France sided with Albert who being advanced near the Rhine the Archbishop of Mayence did assemble some of the Electors who being dissatisfied with Adolph depos'd him and chose Albert Emperour in his stead A bloody Battel was fought betwixt these two near Spires wherein Adolph being slain being slain the Imperial Crown remain'd to Albert But because he aim'd at nothing more than to enrich himself his Reign was both very unglorious and unfortunate His Covetousness was at last the occasion of his death for his Nephew John Duke of Swabia whom he had dispossess'd of his Country murder'd him near Rhinefeld § 10. After his death Philip King of France endeavour'd to obtain the Imperial Crown but was prevented by the Electors who upon the perswasion of the Pope chose Henry VII Earl of Luxemburgh This Emperour after he had setled Germany undertook a Journey into Italy with a resolution to suppress the Civil Commotions there and to reestablish the Imperial Authority The beginning of this undertaking proved so prosperous that every body hoped for great success from it But in the midst of this prosperity he was murther'd by a Monk who had given him a poison'd Host he having been hired by the Florentines the Emperours Enemies to commit this fact In the year 1313. the Electors were again divided in the Election of a new Emperour some having given their Votes for Lewis Duke of Bavaria the rest for Frederick Duke of Austria The first was Crown'd at Aix la Chapelle the latter at Bâ—nn These two carry'd on a War against each other for the Imperial Crown during the space of nine years to the great detriment of the whole Empire At last Frederick being made a Prisoner in a battel fought in the year 1323. Lewis became sole Master of the Empire and restored its Tranquility But he afterwards went into Italy to back the Gibellines who were of his side and tho at first he was very prosperous yet could he not settle his Affairs to any purpose because the Pope had Excommunicated him Wherefore also the Popes Associates in Germany maugre all his resistance were always too hard for him and at last by the perswasions of the Pope stirr'd up the Electors against him who chose Charles IV. Marquess of Moravia Son of John King of Bohemia Emperour in his stead who nevertheless as long as Lewis lived was not much taken notice of He died in the year 1347. It is to be observed that the preceding Emperours used generally to make their Progress thro' the Empire and to maintain their Court out of the Revenues belonging to the Empire But this Lewis IV. was the first who kept his constant Court in his Hereditary Country and maintain'd it out of his own Revenue whose example the succeeding Emperours follow'd the Revenues belonging to the Empire having been by degrees extremely diminish'd § 11. After the death of Lewis there were some who would have made void the former Election of Charles and had chosen in his stead Edward King of England who did not think fit to accept of the Imperial Dignity The same was also refused by Frederick Marquess of Misnia At last Gunther Earl of Swartzburgh was elected whom Charles caused to be poison'd and by his Liberality establish'd himself in the Empire During his Reign he gave away a considerable part of the Dependencies of the Empire and among the rest he granted to France the perpetual Vicarship of the Kingdom of Arclat and in Italy he sold what he could to the fairest bidder But he was not so careless of his Kingdom of Bohemia unto which he annex'd among other Countries that of Silesia He was a great favourer of the Cities which he dignified with such Privileges that they might the better be able to maintain themselves against the Power of the Princes The best thing that ever he did was that he caused first to be compiled the Golden Bull wherein were set down the Rules to be observed in the elections of the ensuing Emperours and Divisions among the Electors prevented for the future He died in the year 1378. having not long before by great Presents made to the Electors prevailed with them to chose his Son Wenceslaus King of the Romans But he being very brutish and careless of the Affairs of the Empire was deposed by the Electors which he little regarded but retired into his Hereditary Kingdom of Bohemia where he lived for a considerable time After Wenceslaus was deposed Jodocus Marquess of Moravia was chosen Emperour but he happening to die within a few months after before he could take possession of the Empire Frederick Duke of Brunswick was elected in his stead who in his Journey to Francfort was by instigation of the Archbishop of Mayence murthered by the Earl of Waldeck At last Rupert Palatin of the Rhine was chosen Emperour who Reigned with great applause in Germany but his Expedition into Italy proved fruitless He died in the year 1410. § 12. After the death of Rupert Sigismund King of Hungary Brother to Wenceslaus was made Emperour a Prince endow'd with great Qualities but very unfortunate in his wars having before he obtained the Imperial Crown received a great defeat from the Turks near Cogrelis which was occasioned by the too much heat and forwardness of the French Auxiliaries He caused John Huss notwithstanding the safe Conduct granted him to be burnt at the Council of Constance whose death his adherents who called themselves Hussites did revenge with great fury upon Bohemia and Germany this War having taken up the greatest part of his Reign He died in the year 1437. After him succeeded his Son-in-Law Albert II. Duke of Austria and King of Hungary and Bohemia who did not Reign a whole year He died in the year 1439. whilst he was very busie in making preparations against the Turks Him succeeded his kinsman Frederick III. Duke of Austria since which time all the succeeding Emperours have been of this House During his Reign several disturbances were raised in Germany which were neglected by the Emperour He also had some differences with Ladislaus Son of Albert II. concerning Austria and was attack'd by Matthias Hunniades King of Hungary which war
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
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.
After his death there was an Interregnum in Denmark during the space of seven years In the mean time the Holsteiners had brought the greatest part of Denmark under their Subjection till the Danes making an Insurrection against them endeavour'd to chase them out of Denmark and for this purpose call'd Waldemar the Son of Christopher II. who had been Educated at the Court of the Emperour Lewis the Bavarian into the Kingdom § 4. Waldemar III. did somwhat restore the decay'd State of the Kingdom having partly forc'd and partly bought the Holsteiners out of Denmark He sold Hisponia and Reval to the Knights of the Cross for 28000 Marks fine silver which sum he bestow'd most upon a Journey which he undertook into the Holy Land But he got Schonen again from Magnus Sameck the then King of Sweden by fair promises and by an agreement made betwixt him and Albert King of Swedeland Gotland was also surrendred to him and some other places belonging at that time to Sweden He was frequently at Wars with the Hanse Towns and died in the year 1375. After him Reign'd his Grandson Olaus VI. born of his Daughter Margaret and Hacquin King of Norway During his Minority the Mother had the supreme Administration of Affairs Having after his Fathers death obtained the Crown of Norway he laid also claim to the Kingdom of Sweden because his Father was Son of Magnus Sameck King of Sweden but he died young In his stead the Danes and Norwegians received for their Queen Margaret his Mother and she having declar'd Erick Pomeran her Sisters Daughters Son her Associate in the Government enter'd into a War against Albert King of Sweden But the Swedes being in general dissatisfied with their King deserted him acknowledging Margaret for their Queen Albert fought a Battel against Margaret but was defeated and taken Prisoner with his Son whom Margaret did not release till after seven years Imprisonment under condition that he should either pay 60000 Marks fine silver for his Ransom or else resign his Pretensions to the Kingdom of Sweden and he having perform'd the last Margaret caused Eric Pomeran to be Crowned King of Sweden In the year next following the Estates of all the three Northern Kingdoms assembled at Calmar where Erick having been declared their King an agreement was made among them that these three Kingdoms for the future should be Rul'd by one King Margaret who had been an extraordinary good Queen to Denmark died in the year 1412. After whose death Erick was sole King over these three Kingdoms but he was in continual broils with the Holsteiners who were assisted by the Hanse Towns concerning the Dutchy of Sleswick which differences were at last composed He surrendred to his Cousins the Dukes of Pomerania the Island of Rugen which had been a considerable time under Danish Subjection In the mean time the Swedes were grown very discontented because Erick did not Govern them according to his Coronation Oath and oppress'd them by his Foreign Officers which oblig'd them to stand up for the Defence of their Liberty The Danes also seeing that he was very careless of the Affairs of the Kingdom and did always live in Gotland did withdraw themselves from his Obedience alledging among other matters that because he had been endeavouring to Establish his Cousin Bogislaus Duke of Pomerania in his Throne in his life time he had thereby violated their Right of a Free Election And having chosen in his stead Christopher Duke of Bavaria Erick's Sisters Son he was Deposed and retired into Pomerania where he ended his life Christopher Reigned till the year 1448. with whose Reign the Danes were very well satisfied § 5. After his Death the Danes made an offer of that Crown to Adolf Duke of Sleswick and Earl of Holstein But he being very antient and infirm refused to accept of it and recommended to them Christian Earl of Oldenburgh his Sisters Son whom both the Danes and Norwegians declared their King and in this Family these two Crowns have remained ever since by a continual succession This King soon after began a War with the Swedes who had made one Charles Cnutson their King because they would have driven the deposed King Erick out of Gotland but King Christian coming to his assistance made himself Master of that Island Besides this some of the Swedish Nobility who were dissatisfied with Charles Cnutson having sided with Christian the War began to be carried on very vigorously betwixt these two Nations In this War the Archbishop of Vpsal did attack Charles with such Success that he obliged him to retire into Prussia and Christian was crowned King of Sweden But the Swedes being again dissatisfied with Christian recalled Charles Cnutson when the War began afresh and notwithstanding Charles Cnutson died in the year 1470 and Christian came with a great Army into Swedeland yet could he not maintain himself in the Throne his Forces having been defeated near Stockholm In the year 1471 the Emperor Frederick III. gave to him in Fief Ditmarsen as also to the Country of Holstein the Title of a Dukedom He married his Daughter Margaret to James III. King of Scotland giving her for a Dowry the Orkney Islands and Hetland which had hitherto been dependent on the Kingdom of Norway He died in the year 1481. In whose stead the Danes and Norwegians chose his Son John their King who divided the Dukedom of Holstein with his Brother Frederick This King John after he had reigned in peace for a conâ—iderable time did at last enter into a War against Sweden and having defeated the Dalekarls forced Steenure the Governour to surrender himself and the City of Stockholm and was crowned King of Sweden But in the year 1501 he was miserably and shamefully beaten by the Ditmarsians whom he would have brought under his Subjection and afterwards Steen Sture also drove him out of Sweden He was in continual broils with him and his Successor Suant Sture who were assisted by the Lubeckers till these Differences were at last composed soon after which he died § 6. Him succeeded his Son Christian II who drew upon him the Hatred of the Danes partly because he entertained a Woman of mean birth in the Netherlands whose name was Duivecke to be his Mistress and was strangely led by the Nose by her Mother Sigibirta a crafty old Woman partly because he had caused Torber Oxe the Governour of the Castle of Copenhagen to be as 't is thought unjustly executed In the mean time great Differences were arisen in Sweden betwixt Steen Sture the younger and Gustave Trolle the Archbishop of Vpsal the first having destroyed the Castle of Steka which belonged to the latter King Christian coming to the Assistance of the Archbishop took him along with him into Denmark where they laid the Design against Swedeland A Decree therefore was obtained from the Pope wherein he having condemned the Swedes to
recompence sent a Hare-skin and Spinning-Wheel which so troubled him that he hanged himself But the King also was so troubled at this Defeat that he died of grief leaving four Sons behind him Among whom Vladislaus II. obtained a great part of the Kingdom with the Name of a Prince yet the other Brothers also shared several great Provinces among themselves according to their Father's last Will. This occasioned great Divisions and Civil Wars betwixt these Brothers and Vladislaus who pretended to dispossess the rest was himself obliged to quit the Country After him Boleslaus Crispus his Brother was made Prince of Poland who was forced to wage War against the Emperour Conrade III. and Frederick I. who would have restored Vladislaus At last a Peace was concluded betwixt them by Vertue of which Poland remained to Boleslaus but he was obliged to surrender Silesia which was then dependent on Poland to Vladislaus which being afterwards divided into a great many Dukedoms at last fell to the Crown of Bohemia This Boleslaus also received a great overthrow from the Prussians his Army having by the treachery of a Guide been misâ—ed into the Moors and Boggs Him succeeded his Brother Miccislaus Senior but he was deposed for Male-administration Him succeeded his Brother Casimir who is only famous for that he chastised the Prussiant He died in the year 1194. His Son Lescus Surnamed the White was fain to contend with the banished Miccislaus for the Kingdom with various Success till Miccislaus died Whose Son Vladislaus also raised some Disturbances against him for a while till at last he was forced to leave him in the quiet possession of Poland Under the Reign of this Lescus the Tartars made the first In-road into Russia and have ever since proved very troublesome and mischievous to Poland This Lescus was forced to wage War with Sventopolek whom he had constituted Governour of Pomerania He having made himself Duke of Pomerania did dismember it from the Kingdom of Poland Conrade also the Brother of Lescus had got the possession of Masovia and Cusavia who being not strong enough to defend himself against the Prussians who were fallen into his Country he called in the Knights of the Cross who were then by the Saracens driven out of Syria Unto these he surrendred the Country of Culm under condition that such places as by their help should be conquered in Prussia should be divided betwixt them which afterwards proved to be the occasion of great Wars betwixt them and Poland To Lescus succeeded his Son Boleslaus Surnamed the Chast under whose Reign the Tartars committed prodigious Barbarities in Poland and from thence made an In-road into Silesia where in a Battel fought near Lignitz they slew so many of the Inhabitants that they filled nine great Sacks with the Ears which they had cut off His Reign was besides this full of intestine Troubles Him succeeded his Cousin Lescus Surnamed the Black who was very Fortunate in his Wars with the Russians and Lithuanians he also quite rooted out the Jazygians which then inhabited Podolia but the Civil Commotions and frequent Incursions of the Tartars occasioned great Disturbances in the Kingdom He died in the year 1289. § 6. After the Death of Lescus there were great Contests in Poland concerning the Regency till at last Premissus Lord of Great Poland got the upper hand who also reassumed the Title of King which the Regents of Poland had not used during the space of 200 years ever since that the Pope after the banishment of Boleslaus the Hardy had forbid them to choose a King of Poland And the succeeding Princes were not very ambitious of that Title because the Country was divided among several Persons But Premislus did think himself powerful enough to make use of it He was murthered by some Brandenburgh Emissaries after he had reigned but seven Months After him was elected Vladislaus Locticus or Cubitalis who did not stile himself King but only Heir of Poland But he having been deposed for Male-administration Wenceslaus King of Bohemia was elected in his stead But after his Death which happened in the Year 1309. Locticus was restored who waged great Wars against the Knights of the Cross whom he at last vanquished in a great Battel Under his Reign the Dukes of Silesia who were Vassals of Poland submitted themselves to the Crown of Bohemia He died in the Year 1333. Him succeeded his Son Casimir the Great who having subdued all Russia united it to the Kingdom of Poland so that it should enjoy the same Laws and Liberties He also first introduced the Magdeburgh Laws and Constitutions into Poland and the Duke of Masuria did then first submit himself as a Vassal to the Crown of Poland He died in the Year 1370. leaving no Issue behind him and by his Death the Male-Race of Piastus lost the Crown of Poland § 7. After Casimir the Crown of Poland was devolved to Lewis King of Hungary the Sister's Son of Casimir The Poles were not well satisfied with him because he favoured the Hungarians too much He died in the Year 1382. Sigismund King of Hungary would fain have succeed him in Poland but the Poles refused him Some proposed Zicmovitus the Duke of Masuria but Hedwig the Daughter of King Lewis for whom the Poles would by all means reserve the Crown of Poland would not accept of him for her Husband At last the Poles Crowned the above-mentioned Hedwig and married her to Jagello Duke of Lithuania under Condition that he and his Subjects should turn Christians and Lithuania should be united to Poland in one body The first Condition was performed immediately for he was baptized and called Vladislaus IV. But the performance of the second Article was delayed by the Kings of Poland for a considerable time after under pretence that the Lithunians were not well satisfied in this Point but in effect because they were unwilling to surrender their right of Succession to the Dukedom of Lithuania till at last this Union was perfected under the Reign of King Sigismundus Augustus This Jagello defeated the Knights of the Cross in a memorable Battel where 50000 Men having been slain he took from them a great many Cities in Prussia but they afterwards recovered themselves He died in the Year 1434. Him succeeded his Son Vladislaus V. who also afterwards was made King of Hungary where he was engaged in a War against the Turks In this War John Humades first defeated the Turks near the River Morava and Vladislaus so beat them upon the Frontiers of Macedonia that they were forced to make a Truce for Ten Years But upon the perswasions of the Pope who sent the Cardinal Julian to absolve the King from his Oath this Truce was broken and not long after that memorable Battel was fought near Varna where the King himself was kill'd This Defeat was very shameful and
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
In the beginning of this War Charles IX King of Sweden took a great many places from the Poles in Livonia which were however most of them afterwards retaken by the Polish General and Chancellour Zamoiski Besides this the King of Sweden was vanquished in a great Battel fought near Kirckholm and Riga where he narrowly escaped himself But some intestine Divisions being arisen betwixt the King and the Nobility of Poland King Charles got an opportunity to recover himself In the mean time there was a War kindled betwixt the Muscovites and Poles by the following occasion There was a certain Person in Poland who pretended that he was Demetrius the Son of John Basilowitz Grand Duke of Muscovy and that he was to have been murthered by the Order of Boris Gudenow who hoped thereby to obtain the Succession in the Empire after the Death of Theodore the eldest Son of the said John Basilowitz but that another had been killed in his stead This Man having found great Encouragement from George Mniszeck the Vayvod of Sendemir promised to marry his Daughter Wherefore this Vayvod with the Assistance of some other Polish Lords having gathered an Army that marched with Demetrius into Muscovy And the Grand Duke Boris Gudenow happening to die suddenly soon after Demetrius was well received by the Russians and having vanquished such as pretended to oppose him he came up to the City of Muscovy where he was proclaimed Grand Duke But he quickly made himself odious to the Muscovites they suspecting him to be an Impostor but did however hide their resentments till the arrival of the Polish Bride In the mean while the Muscovites under the Conduct of those of Suski who were by their Mother's side descended from the Family of the Grand Dukes had under-hand got together about 20000 Men. These at the time when the Nuptials were celebrating with great Pomp raised a Tumult attacked the Castle and cut to pieces Demetrius and a great many Poles who were come along with the Bride tho' some of the chiefest defended themselves bravely and escaped their Fury Then Basilius Suski was proclaimed Great Duke in the publick Market place who caused there the Body of Demetrius to be exposed to publick view but he being extreamly defaced by his Wounds his Face could not be discerned by the multitude Immediatly after a rumor was spread abroad that Demetrius was escaped and another appeared soon after who pretended to be the same Demetrius Whether it was the same or not is not yet determined this is certain that the Poles did acknowledge him as such they being very desirous to revenge the former Affront and the Death of their Friends This Old or New Demetrius did march with a great Army composed of Poles and Cosacks into Muscovy where he several times beat Suski whom he obliged to set at Liberty the captive Bride and to beg the King of Poland to recal his Subjects But the Bride having acknowledged this Demetrius for her Husband he got a great part both in Muscovy and Poland that sided with him and would quickly have ruined Suski if he had not been succoured by the King of Sweden who sent Pontus de la Gardie with some Forces to his Assistance Sigismund also took hold of this Opportunity to try whether he could at least recover Smolensko and Severia from the Muscovites Wherefore he besieged Smolensko in the Year 1609. which however he could not make himself Master of till the Year 1611. when he took it by Storm In the mean time the Poles which had hitherto sided with Demetrius were recalled by Sigismund who did think it not convenient that so considerable a part of his Forces should be under the Command of another By the removal of these Forces Suski had leisure given him to recollect himself and with the Auxilaries sent him out of Swedeland he marched against the Poles who had besieged Smolensko but was defeated by the Poles near Clusin By this overthrow the Affairs of the Muscovites were again put into a very dangerous Condition Wherefore they took this Resolution to avoid the Danger which threatened them from the Polish side They deposed Suski who by his Misfortunes was become odious to them and offered the Crown of Muscovy to Vladislaus the Prince of Poland By this means they hoped at one stroak to ruin Demetrius and to be reconciled to the Poles in hopes that they might easily meet with an Opportunity hereafter when they had once rid themselves of the present Danger to rid themselves also of the Prince of Poland And this Project succeeed very well for the Polish Troops immediatly left the Party of Demetrius Suski was surrendred to the Poles who promised to the Muscovites what had sworn before Allegiance to Vladislaus that he should appear in Person in Muscovy in the Year 1610. But King Sigismund by the perswasions of some of his Friends refused this offer thinking it more for his purpose to Conquer Muscovy by Force of Arms which Opportunity however he missed of since he did not immediatly march towards the City of Muscovy which he might have taken at the first Assault But the Muscovites having discovered the Design of the Poles did unanimously revolt from Vladislaus especially since they had in the mean while been rid of Demetrius who had been murthered by the Tartars that were his Gaurds They therefore attacked the Polish Garrison in the City of Muscovy which consisted of Seven Thousand Men but these defended themselves bravely and besides this set Fire to the whole City which before had 180000 Houses where abundance of People were burned Nevertheless the Muscovites recovered themselves and besieged the Polish Garrison in the Castle of Muscovy If King Sigismund immediatly after the taking of Smolensko had sent them Relief as he easily might have done he questionless might have established his Affairs in Muscovy But he marching back with his Army into Poland and sending to their Relief neither Men nor Money the Garrison who had before plundered the Treasury of the Great Duke to the number of 7000. leaving some to Guard the Castle fought their way through the Muscovites and came to King Sigismund to demand their Pay And tho' Sigismund began to apply himself in good earnest to re-establish his Affairs in Muscovy yet all his Designs were by the jealousie which reigned betwixt the Generals so long delayed till the Poles who had the Gaurd of the Castle of the City of Muscovy were forced by Famine to surrender it Thus all was lost in Muscovy for Sigismund who was the more troubled at it because he had made an account by the Conquest of Muscovy to open his way into Swedeland Besides this the Poles sustained in the same Year a considerable Loss in Moldavia Prince Vladislaus did undertake an Expedition into Muscovy but to no great purpose wherefore he made a Truce with them for fourteen Years wherein it was agreed
And by vertue of a Peace made with Swedeland was obliged to relinquish them all again In the Year 1669. one Stephen Ratzin raised a Rebellion against him and having brought under him Casan and Astracan commited great depredations all over the Country but being taken Prisoner received his due reward and the rest were reduced to their former obedience And because some of the Cosacks had submitted themselves to his Protection he was thereby engaged in a War with the Turks wherein he got but little Advantage He died in the 1675. Him succeeded his Son Theodore Alexowitz a young and sickly Prince of whom we can say nothing as yet § 5. Of the Qualifications of the Muscovites nothing very praise-worthy can be said For among them there is no such Education as among most other European Nations Reading and Writing being the highest Degree of Learning among them and the Learning of their Priests themselves does not go further than to be able to read a Chapter out of the Bible or to read a piece of a Sermon They are also jealous cruel and bloody-minded insupportably proud in prosperity and dejected and cowardly in adversity Nevertheless they have such an Opinion of their own Abilities and Merits that you can scarce ever pay them sufficient Respect They are very fit for and cunning in the Trade of Usury but are of a servile Temper and must be kept under by severity At all sorts of Games and Sports their end is with blows and fighting so Sticks and Whips are the usual Instruments among them They are of a strong Constitution able to undergo all sorts of Fatigues even Famine and Thirst In Field-Fights and Sieges they are worth nothing because they are soon brought into Confusion and are themselves of Opinion that other Nations are their Masters in this Point But they defend a Fortress to the utmost not only because they are very fit to undergo hardships and all sorts of misery but also because they know it is present death to them if they return home after they have surrendred a Fortress by accord Nevertheless they do endeavour to bring their Soldiers under better Discipline for which purpose they make use of a great many Scotch and German Officers who are to instruct them in all manner of Exercises as practised among other European Nations But they do not allow that the Muscovites should serve abroad and learn themselves the perfection of Military Arts and Exercises because the Grand Duke stands in fear that if they should grow too knowing they might be for making Innovations at home § 6. The Territories of the present Grand Duke of Muscovy are of a very large extent yet so that a great many parts are meer Wildernesses scarce inhabited at all The Muscovites have at home great plenty of Corn Cattel all sorts of Game Fish Salt Furrs and all other Necessaries They have a great many Commodities fit for exportation especially Furrs and their precious Sables which are esteemed at a high Rate among their Neighbours Salt-Fish Casiarr Hides Tallow Wax Honey Pot-ashes Soap Hemp and the like But the Commodities which are imported to them are Silk Stuffs Gold Silver and Woollen Cloths Tapestry Pearls and Precious Stones Spices and Wines but the latter not in any great Quantities Tobaco is now a prohibited Commodity there They keep it for a constant Custom in their way of Trade not to buy with ready Money but to exchange Commodities for Commodities and it is against the Constitutions of Muscovy to export any Coin Their greatest Trade is at Archangel which way the English first found out in the Year 1553. But since that time the Hollanders and Hamburgers have followed their Example Before that time this Trade was carried on by the way of Narva and Reval but tho' this was the shorter way yet did the foreign Merchants not care to be so much in subjection to the Swedes and Danes There is also a considerable Trade carried on with the Persians upon the River of Wolga by the way of Astracan § 7. The Form of Government here is an absolute Monarchy the Grand Duke whom they call in their Native Language Ozar being not tied up to any Laws or Rules unto whom his Subjects are obliged to pay Obedience without reserve so that they are no more than Slaves which also sutes best with their natural Constitution And therefore this absolute Power of the Prince is a great addition to his Strength since he cannot only raise some Hundred Thousands of Men at the first Command but also has vast Riches and prodigious Revenues These do accrue to him not only out of the Taxes and income of so vast a Country but also because the Grand Duke himself has the monopoly of Sables and if I am not much mistaken also Farms out all publick Inns Taverns and Ale-houses himself which amounts to a prodigious Revenue in a Country where the Nation is much addicted to drinking He makes also his Presents to Foreign Princes and Ambassadours in Sables but receives in lieu of them Gold and Silver Besides this it is a common Custom with him to set a new Stamp upon Crown Pieces and to oblige his Subjects to take them for double the value From whence it cannot be supposed but that this Prince must lay up vast Treasures Muscovy also enjoys this Advantage before other States that it is not to be attack'd on the backside because its Territories are on the North-East side surrounded by a vast unnavigable Sea and vast Wildernesses § 8. The Neighbours of Muscovy are on the East-side the Persians These two States cannot hurt one another much the Caspian Sea unaccessible Countries and vast Wildernesses being their common Borders wherefore it is not worth their while to extend their Conquests upon one another But they may be serviceable to one another by making a Diversion to the Turks The Tartars are woublesome Neighbours to the Muscovites who make no account of Faith or Alliances but make a Trade of Robbing and Plundering against whom there is no Remedy but to kill them as fast as one can and this is not so easily to be done because they are very nimble The Crim-Tartars are the most mischievous to Poland to hinder their Incursions the Muscovites are obliged to keep a considerable number of Horse upon the Frontiers and they give them sometimes a Diversion with the help of the Donisque Cosacks and the Nagage and Calmuck-Tartars If the Muscovites could maintain themselves in Kiovia and a part of the Vkraine it would serve them at once to bridle these Robbers and for a Bulwark against the Turks For the Turks do not immediately border upon Muscovy but by the Country of the Crim-Tartars who being Vassals of the Turks they make use of them like their hunting Dogs Wherefore it is of great consequence to Muscovy that the Turks do not become Masters of the whole Vkraine since thereby they would be
of Germany but especially in Thuringia and Friezland This Man to acquire the greater Authority to himself had entirely Devoted himself to the Interest of the Roman Chair from whence he received the Episcopal Pall and the Title of Archbishop of Mayence having also been Constituted by Pope Gregory III. his Vicar with full Power to call Councils and to Constitute Bishops in those places which were by his assistance Converted to the Christian Faith and with ample recommendations to those Nations and to Charles Martel the then Grand Master of France that he should take him into his protection which he very willingly did And when afterwards his Son Carlomannus shewed a great forwardness to have the Church Discipline regulated Boniface was very willing to take upon him this Office to the great advantage of the Roman Chair He also at the request of Carlomannus call'd a Council in Germany and at the request of Pepin several Synods in France where Boniface always was President in the quality of Legat of the Roman Chair In the first Council the Clergy signed a certain Confession of Faith whereby they obliged themselves not only to maintain the Catholick Faith but also to remain in constant Union with the Roman Church and to be obedient to the Successours of S. Peter This Boniface also was the first who put it upon the Bishops of Germany to receive the Episcopal Pall from the Pope who sent it to the Bishops of France without their request thereby to unite them with the Roman Chair And when once these Ornaments were become customary amongst them they were put upon them afterwards as of absolute Necessity and the Episcopal Function was forbidden to be exercised by them before they had received these Ornaments Besides this the Popes assumed to themselves an Authority of giving leave to the Bishops to remove from one Episcopal See to another and obliged all the Western Bishops to receive their Confirmation from Rome for which they were obliged to pay a certain Summ of Money as an acknowledgement which was since converted to Annals The Popes also by making void the Decisions of the provincial Synods or Assemblies overthrew their Authority wherefore when every body plainly perceived that the Decrees of these Assemblies could produce no other Effects but to be continually annulled by the Popes without as much as hearkening to any Reasons they were by degrees quite abolished Pope Gregory VII also forced the Bishops to swear an Oath of Fealty to the Pope and by a Decree forbid that none should dare to condemn any one that had appealed to the Pope They were also not forgetful in sending Legates or Nuncios to all places whose business was to exercise in the name of the Pope the same Authority which had formerly belonged to the Bishops Metropolitans and Provincial Assemblies § 17. This growing Ecclesiastical Sovereignty was the more prejudicial to the supreme Civil Power the more the Church daily increased both in Numbers and Riches The first Foundation of the Wealth of the Church was laid by the Liberality and Charity of Princes and other great Men who were of Opinion that they did a very agreeable Service to God Almighty if they were liberal and bounteous towards his Church and the Clergy And after they had once perswaded the People that by doing good Works among which the Gifts and Donations for Pious uses had the first place they could and must deserve Heaven from God Almighty this Liberality was increased to a high degree Yet the voluntary Contributions of the People not being able to satisfy the avarice of the Clergy which increased together with their Riches other ways and artifices were found out to empty the Peoples Purses and a great many unnecessary Institutions introduced which were to be purchased for Money Then it was that the saying of Masses for the living and the dead Purgatory Indulgences Dispensations Pilgrimages Jubilees and the like were introduced without measure They had besides this always a watchful Eye over such as were at the point of death since they knew that Men were commonly not so addicted at that time to their worldly Riches which they were else to leave to their Heirs who often rejoiced at their Death Nay they were not ashamed to make a profession of begging Among other Tricks the Popes did in the Eleventh and the following Century turn the Croisadoes to their great Advantage For in these expeditions after the People had once received the Sign of the Cross to assist in the recovery of the Holy Land the Popes pretended to the supreme Command and Direction they took the Persons and Estates of such as had received the Cross under their particular Protection exempting them thereby from the Civil Jurisdiction both in Civil and criminal Causes and rendring their Dispensations and Indulgences more frequent and flourishing than before the Pope's Legates did dispose of such Alms Collections and Legacies as were given for that purpose and under the same pretext received the Tenths from the Clergy nay even pretended to put their Commands upon Princes to receive the Cross themselves These they imployed afterwards against such as were declared by them Scismaticks or Hereticks whose possessions they used to confiscate and bestow upon those who had proved serviceable to them without asking the Advice of the Sovereign who durst not but invest these with those Countries that were presented to them by so high a Hand § 18. No less did the number of Ecclesiasticks increase proportionably to the increase of the Riches of the Church because there were not wanting such as were willing to have a share of them without taking much pains For it was not thought sufficient to have an ordinary Minister Chaplain and others necessary for the exercising of Divine Service belonging to each Church but also each Cathedral had a Chapter of Canons and there were great numbers of Persons of high and low Quality that were forward in taking upon them these profitable and in no ways but then some Functions because the inconveniency of Celibacy which the Pope in the Eleventh and the following Century forced upon the Ecclesiasticks not without great trouble and reluctancy was sufficiently recompenced by the Honours and Revenues which they enjoyed quietly in their several Stations Besides an innumerable multitude of Fryars and Nuns settled themselves all over Christendom This sort of People began first to appear in the World at the time of the great Persecutions but in the Fourth and following Centuries did multiply their numbers to a prodigious degree In the beginning they lived upon what they could get by their Handy-work a great many used to give their Goods to the Poor tho' voluntarily and lived under the Direction of the Bishops according to a Discipline prescribed in the Canons In the Seventh Century especially Fryars and Nuns were much in vogue in those Western Parts which were every where filled up with Monasteries and Nunneries built by
them to all sorts of People whom he installed before they had taken Holy Orders And when the Emperour resolved to maintain his antient Right and Title he excommunicated him and stirred up the Bishops and the Estates of Germany against him who made him so much work that he was obliged to resign his Right of Constituting of Bishops The Pope under this pretext did not only intend to exempt the Bishops from the Emperour's Jurisdiction but the main point was to make himself Sovereign over Italy and to make all the other Princes submit to the Pope's Authority And some are of Opinion that this Design might have been put in execution considering that Europe was at that time divided into so many Principalities and most of these Princes being not very Potent might either out of a Devotion or to avoid falling under the Jurisdiction of more Potent Princes submit themselves under the Pope's protection and pay him Tribute It is therefore not improbable that if three or four Popes had succeeded one another instructed with sufficient Capacity to cover their Design with the Cloak of Holiness and in the mean while to uphold the Interest of the People against the Oppressions of their Princes the Popes might have made themselves absolute Sovereigns both in Temporal and Spiritual Affairs Neither did the Pope only pretend to free himself from the Emperour's Jurisdiction over him but also endeavoured to make him his Subject for he pretended to be his Judge he summon'd him before him to make answer to the Complaints of his Subjects excommunicated him and declared him to have forfeited his Right and Title to the Empire And tho' his Son the Emperour Henry V. did endeavour to recover what was forcibly taken away from his Father and made Pope Paschal a Prisoner whom he forced to restore to him the right of Constituting of Bishops yet were the whole Clergy in Europe so dissatisfied hereat and raised such Commotions that at last he was obliged to resign the same again into the Pope's hands Much about the same time there were great Disputes concerning this Point in England which were composed in such a manner that the King should not pretend to the Power of investing of Bishops but that these should do Homage to him The last of which the Pope was very unwilling to grant who would fain have had the Bishops to be quite independent of the King which was the reason why he expresly forbid the Bishops in France to follow this Example but King Lewis VI. and his Successours did maintain their Right with so high a Hand that the Popes were never able to establish their pretended Right in France Neither did the Popes think it advisable to fall out at once with the Emperour and France but that it would be more secure to have one at hand to uphold them against the other especially the Popes were not so much for weakening of France because they were not so nearly concerned with that Kingdom as for humbling the Emperours that were Potent in Italy and pretended to the Sovereignty over the City of Rome Neither was Germany so intirely united as France and most Princes of Europe being then very jealous of the Grandeur of the Empire were very willing to joyn with the Pope against the Emperours under pretence of upholding the Authority of the Holy Church and Papal Chair 'T is true the two Emperours Frederick I. and II. did afterwards endeavour to restore the antient Imperial Right but were not able to attain their aim especially since Italy was divided into the two Factions of the Guelfs and Gibellines the first whereof were for the Pope the latter for the Emperour which caused such a Confusion in Italy that the Emperours could never afterwards reduce Italy to an entire Obedience And because after the death of the Emperour Frederick II. the whole Empire was during that long vacancy of the Throne put into great Confusion and Disorders the succeeding Emperours found so much work in Germany that they were not in a Condition to look after Italy whereby the Pope had sufficient leisure given him to make himself Sovereign both as to his own Person and over the Possessions belonging to the Church of Rome § 22. But the Pope not being contended to have attained this degree of Grandeur quickly set on foot another Doctrine which was of far greater consequence viz. That the Pope had an indirect Power over Princes that it belonged to him in his own Right to take Care how they governed and managed their Affairs For tho' they did not expresly pretend in gross terms that Princes did depend on them in Civil Affairs yet they believed that the supreme Ecclesiastical Power did entitle them to an Authority to judge concerning the Actions of Princes whether the same were good or bad to admonish them to correct them and to command what was fitting and to forbid what was unfitting to be done If therefore Princes waged War against one another the Pope pretended to have an Authority to command a Truce to be made betwixt them to bring their Differences before him and refer them to his Decision not without threatnings that he would not only excommunicate them in their Persons but also forbid the exercise of Divine Service and administration of the Sacraments throughout their whole Kingdom They also did believe it belonged to their Office to obviate all publick Scandals to defend such as were oppressed and to see Justice done to all the World It was from this pretension that they received the Complaints of all such as pretended to be oppressed nay they went further for they sometimes took information concerning the Injuries done by Princes to their Subjects and concerning some Impositions laid upon the People whereby the People thought themselves aggrieved which they forbid to be levied upon them under the penalty of Excommunication Sometimes they used to declare the Possessions of such as were excommunicated forfeited exposing their Persons to danger and releasing the Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance under pretence that the Government of a Christian People ought not to be trusted to the management of such as had rebelled against the Church This has been attempted against a great many Crowned Heads and put in execution against some of them This abominable pretension as they perswade the ignorant was founded upon their fictitious Decretals upon which they have built their Canon-Law which grants to the Pope an unlimited Power over Christians by vertue of which he may as the Common Father send out his Commands to all Believers and admonish them concerning all such Matters as belong to Religion and their Salvation and in case of Disobedience lay punishments upon them For that the Predecessours of Gregory VII did not make use of this Power they say was because the preceeding Emperours either kept themselves within their bounds or else the Popes lived an ungodly Life To give specious colours to these pretensions
they made use of the Examples of Ambrose and Theodosius they used to relate how the Spanish Bishops had obliged King Wamba by way of penance to lay down the Crown As also how the Bishops of France had deposed Lewis Surnamed the Pious who afterwards could not recover his Crown without the Consent and Authority of another Assembly of Bishops They alledged for another Example how Fulco then Archbishop of Rheims had threatened Charles Sirnamed the Simple to absolve his Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance if he made an Alliance with the Normans who were then Pagans They supposed that it was without question that the Pope's Power did extend it self beyond that of all other Bishops since it was not limited by any thing except by the express Canons of Councils and Decrees of the Popes wherein nothing was contained against this Power of deposing of Kings and they say it was not to be supposed that they could have been forgetful of this point And because they had assumed a Power to give the Name and Title of a King to some who either prompted by their Ambition or Superstition had begged the same from them they supposed that by the same Right they might take away the Crown from such as they esteemed unworthy of wearing it They also had forbid to marry within the seventh degree of Consanguinity and the fourth of Affinity whereby they often met with an opportunity to be troublesome to Princes For because it seldom happened among those of so high a Rank but that one side or other was within one of these degrees they stood in continual fear lest the Pope should disturb their Negotiations except they humbly begged for a Dispensation and in both cases the Popes knew how to make their advantage of them Lastly the Popes having abundance of Business to dispatch did thereby draw the best and most refined Wits to their Courts who used to go thither to look for Imployment and to perfect themselves in the great School of Europe These were always for promoting the Pope's Interest and Designs from whom they expected their promotion besides that the whole Clergy did adhere to him as to their supreme Head Pope Boniface VIII did clearly give us to understand his meaning at the Jubilee kept in the year 1300. when he appeared sometimes in the Habit of an Emperour sometimes in that of a Pope and caused two Swords to be carried before him as the Ensigns of the Ecclesiastical and Civil Power § 23. But the Popes could not long enjoy this unsufferable Usurpation in quiet for it was so often called in question till they were obliged to draw in their horns and to make their pretensions a little more plausible 'T is true in the Business with the Emperours the Henrys and the Fredericks they got the upper hand nevertheless they met betwixt while often times with very indifferent entertainment and such things were sometimes publish'd against them as were little to their Honour and from whence it might easily be judged by those that were impartial that not the Glory of God but their own Grandeur was the chief aim of their undertaking But when Boniface III. pretended to play the same Game with Philip Surnamed the Handsome King of France he watched his opportunity so well and gave him such a blow that the Pope felt the smart of it And to avoid the Scandal which the common People might take at these so severe proceedings against the Pope use was made of this pretext that what was done against his Person was not intended against the Vicar of Jesus Christ but against a pernicious Person who by unlawful means was got into the Chair and that a general Council ought to be called to free the Church from his Oppressions But the ensuing Schisms have proved the most pernicious to the Popes Authority as also the double Elections which have been made at several times when the Cardinals being divided set up two Popes at once who used by turns to excommunicate and revile one another and to maintain themselves in the Chair were fain to flatter the Kings and acknowledge that they were beholding to them This Division was an evident sign that the Elections of these Popes had not been guided by the Holy Spirit but been influenced by some ill Designs and Intrigues Wherefore it was also the Opinion of the Wiser sort that in such a case neither of them ought to be acknowledged as Pope but that a new one ought to be chosen which was also put in execution at the Council of Constance The first Schism arose according to my Opinion in the year 1134. or as some will have it 1130. when after the death of Honorius II. Innocent II. and Anacletus were both chosen Popes And tho' the first had the greater party on his side yet did the King of Sicily and Duke of Aquitam vigorously uphold the latter and his adherents did after his death choose another in his stead who called himself Victor with whom Innocent made an agreement so that he voluntarily relinquished his pretension and acknowledged him his Superiour But after the death of Adrian IV. two Popes were again elected at one time viz. Alexander III. and Victor IV. To the first adhered France England and Sicily to the latter the Emperour Frederick I. all Germany and the Clergy of Rome And after his death those of his party chosen three successive Popes all whom Alexander out-lived These used to make a common Trade to excommunicate and revile one another and each of them were fain to behave themselves towards their Protectours more like a Client than a Master But much greater was the Schism after the death of Gregory IX when again two Popes were elected at once whereof one resided at Rome the other at Avignon This Schism lasted through several successions near the space of Forty Years during which time both parties excommunicated one another very frequently and committed great Cruelties France Scotland Castile Savoy and Naples were of the side of the Pope that resided at Avignon but all the rest of Christendom declared for the other at Rome Both parties took great pains to set out the great numbers of Saints that were of their party and what Miracles and Revelations were made concerning their approbation And both sides knew how to produce such Reasons that at last there was no other remedy left them but to force both the Anti-Popes to abdicate themselves at the Council of Constance and to choose a new one in their stead The last Schism of all arose when the Council of Basil having deposed Eugenius IV. did in his stead elect Felix V. Pope unto whom the former would not submit And these Dissentions were continued till after the death of Eugenius when Nicholas V. was chosen in his stead unto whom Felix for quiet sake did resign the Chair upon very advantageous terms in the year 1488. It is very easily to be imagined how these Divisions did
able so to influence the next Election as to get one chosen fit for his purpose the whole design of Caesar Borgia came to nothing Tho after the death of Pius III. who Sate but a few Weeks in the Papal Chair Julius III. a most mortal Enemy of Borgia was chosen in his stead who having taken into his Possession all what he had got before banish'd him out of the Country Neither did this Pope rest satisfied till he had recovered all what formerly belonged to the Church except Ferrara which was not reunited with the Papal Chair till about the latter end of the last Age when the Legitimate Race of the Dukes of Esté was extinct This Pope also prevented the French from becoming Masters of Italy § 25. But when the Ecclesiastical Monarchy seem'd to be come to the very Pinacle of its Grandeur when all the Western parts were either in Communion with or in Obedience to the Church of Rome except some few Remnants of the Waldenses in France and of the Hussites in Bohemia and when just the differences arisen betwixt Pope Julius II. and Lewis XII which easily might have occasioned another Schism were after the death of the first happily Composed by Leo X. and all the complaints against the Ambition of the Court of Rome were almost extinguished there was such a Revolt made from the Chair of Rome first raised upon a very indifferent occasion that a great part of Europe withdrew itself from the Obedience of the Pope who was thereby put in danger of losing all We will in this as we have done in all other matters only relate how far human Counsels and helps were concerned therein For the hidden Counsels and Works of God Almighty ought in our judgment rather to be received with admiration and a submission than to be dived into with presumption And what Tacitus says in a certain place may conveniently be applyed here Abdiâ—'s numinis sensus exquirere illicitum anceps nec ideo assequare i. e. To search into the hidden designs of God is unlawful uncertain nor are they to be penetrated by us Pope Leo of the House of de Medicis was an affable and magnificent Man very liberal towards all honest and learned Men who might have made a very good Pope if he had but had an indifferent knowledge of Religion and an inclination to Piety whereas he was very careless of both He having lived very splendidly and by his Liberality and Magnificence exhausted the Apostolical Chamber and not being acquainted with the Arts of acquiring Riches made use of the Cardinal Laurence Puccius who at last when all the other Gold Mines were emptied proposed the way of raising mony by Indulgences These Indulgences were therefore sent abroad all over Christendom both for the dead and the living Eggs Milk and the like were allowed to be eaten on fast days The several sums of mony thereby to be raised were beforehand assigned to certain uses All what was to be Collected in Saxony and thereabout as far as to the Sea side having been granted to Magdalen the Pope's Sister She to make the best of the Pope's Grant had committed the whole management of her share to one Arcimbold a Bishop by his Title and Coat but who was most experienced in all the Genoese Tricks of Merchandising He again employed such as did proffer the most and had no other prospect than the getting of mony It had been formerly a Custom in Saxony that the Hermits of the Order of S. Austin used to proclaim the Indulgences But Arcimbold's Commissioners did not think fit to trust them at this time as knowing them to be expert in that Trade and fearing that they might not deal fairly with them or at least that they might not bring in more mony than used to be gathered at other times They chose therefore the Dominicans to Preach up the Indulgences which the Austin Friers took very ill as being thereby defrauded of their Authority Right and Profit The Dominicans in the mean while to show themselves well qualified for this new Employment did magnifie their Ware to that extravagant degree that their Auditors were extremely scandalized at it especially since the Commissioners lived in continual debaucheries and spent with great infamy what the poor Country Fellows spared out of their Bellies to redeem their sins This obliged Luther a Frier of the Hermits Order of S. Austin to oppose these impudent Merchants of Indulgences and having duely weighed the matter with himself he in the year 1517. did affix 95. Theses concerning this Point at Wittenbergh and John Tezel a Dominican Frier published some other Theses in opposition to those at Franckfort Thus the Dispute having been set on foot each of them began to enlarge himself upon the abovementioned Theses But Luther having upon his side both Reason and Scripture his Adversary had nothing to alledge for himself but the Authority of the Pope and the Church Wherefore Luther was obliged to make an enquiry upon what Foundation the Authority of the Pope was built and in what condition the Church was at that time which led him by degrees unto the discovery of the Errors and Abuses which were crept into the Church and to an invective against the Impostures and scandalous lives of the Monks and Priests and that it was a duty incumbent upon the Magistrates to abolish these Abuses And to this purpose as also to oblige the Magistrates to uphold his Doctrine he spoke very magnificently concerning the Nature and Grandeur of the Civil Power which the Priests hitherto had represented as despicable By which means he at first got a great Party and his Doctrine was spread abroad every where § 26. But that we may the better understand the Reason why a Poor Frier was able to give such a blow to the Chair of Rome we must next to the Supreme Direction of God Almighty consider the circumstances of these times and what disposition there was at that juncture of time in the minds of the People in General First then Luther's Propositions concerning the Indulgences were very good and reasonable and a great many Divines which afterwards opposed his Doctrine were at first of his side as were also some Cardinals and George Duke of Saxony himself His Adversaries were so perverse that every body lamented their folly and perverseness Neither was it at first in the least suspected that things would go so far as they did Luther himself had at first not the least thoughts of falling off from the Pope The Emperor Maximilian had no aversion to the Doctrine of Luther and it is credibly related that when he first heard of him he did say that this Frier ought to be kept safe since good use might be made of him Some Monks only and these Commissioners who were likely to be the losers by it did make such a clamour and raised such tumults by blowing up the Coals that this small Spark broke
Haldan Sivand Erick Haldan Vngrin Regnald About the year 588. Rodolf was King of the Gothes but being vanquished by the English whom he left in the possession of that Kingdom he himself fled into Italy where he sought Sanctuary of Dicterick the King of the Gothes In the mean while Frotho either the Son or else a Kinsman of Regnald was King of Sweden whom succeeded these following Kings Fiolmus Swercher Valander Vislur who was burnt by his own Sons Damalder who was Sacrificed by his own Subjects to their Idol at Vpsal Domar Digner Dager Agnius who was hanged by his own Wife Alrick and Erick who flew one another in a single Combat Ingo Hugler Haco Jerundar Hacquin surnamed Ring under whose Reign that most memorable Battel at Brovalla was fought betwixt the Swedes and Danes where thirty thousand Men were killed on the Danish and twelve thousand on the Swedish side This King Sacrificed nine of his Sons to the Idol at Vpsal and would have done the same with the tenth who was the only Heir left to the Kingdom if he had not been prevented by the Swedes Him succeeded his Son Egillus whom followed in the Kingdom of Sweden Othar Adel Ostan Ingvard Amund Sivard Hirot or Herolt who married his Daughter Thera to Regnerthethen King of Denmark Ingellus the Son of Amund succeeded Hirot in the Kingdom of Sweden who the night after his Coronation caused seven of those petty Princes that were Vassals of the Crown of Sweden to be burnt in their Lodgings and afterwards exercised the same Cruelty against five more of the same Rank His Daughter Asa that was married to Gudrot a Prince of Schonen exceeded her Father in Cruelty for having murthered her Husband and his Brother she betrayed the Country to the Enemies which so exasperated Ivan the Son of Regner King of Denmark that he fell with great fury upon Ingellus who had taken his Daughter into his Protection destroying all with Fire and Sword Ingellus being reduced to the utmost extremity by the advice of his Daughter burnt himself his Daughter and the whole Family in his own Palace except his Son Olaus who sheltered himself in Wermeland After the death of Ingellus a certain Nobleman of an antient Family in Sweden whose name was Charles assumed the Royal Title and Power but Regner King of Denmark who pretended that it belonged to his Son did send a challenge to the said Charles and having killed him in the Combat transferred the Kingdom of Sweden to his Son Bero or Biorn who was Hirots Daughters Son § 3. Under the Reign of this Bero or Biorn Ansgarius a Monk of Corvey and afterwards Bishop of Bremen was sent into Sweden by the Emperour Lewis the Pious to Preach the Gospel in that Kingdom But the King refusing to hearken to his Doctrine was by the Swedes banished the Kingdom together with his Father Regner His Successor Amund did also Rule but a very few years and having raised a most horrible Persecution against the Christians was also banished the Kingdom The Swedes being quite tired out with Amund's tyrannical Government did call in Olaus out of Wermeland to be their King who to establish himself in the Throne married the Daughter of Regner to his Son Ingo and thereby obtained the quiet possession of the two Kingdoms of the Swedes and Gothes Not many years after Ansgarius rerurned into Sweden and Converted Olaus who then resided at Birca a most populous City to the Christian Faith Olaus then marched with a Potent Army into Denmark and having committed the Administration of that Kingdom to his Son Ennigruus returned into Sweden where he was by his Heathen Subjects Sacrificed to their Idol at Vpsal His Son Ingo the better to Establish himself in the Throne married the King of Denmark's Daughter and afterwards was killed in the War against the Russians Him Succeeded his Son Erick surnamed Weatherhat famous for his skill in Witchcraft who was succeeded by his Son Erick surnamed Seghersell who Conquered Finland Curland Livonia and Ehestland From Denmark he retook Halland and Schonen and at last drove the Danish King Swen out of Denmark who could not recover his Kingdom till after his death His Son Stenchill surnamed the Mild was Baptized at Sigtuna a great City at that time and having destroyed the Idol at Vpsal and forbid his Subjects upon pain of death to Sacrifice to the Idols the Pagans were so enraged thereat that they slew and burnt him near Vpsal and with him the two Christian Priests that were sent to him by the Bishop of Hamburgh His Brother Olaus nevertheless obtained from King Etheldred of England several Christain Priests who not only preached the Gospel in Sweden but also the King and a great number of People were Baptized by one of these called Sigfried in a Fountain called Husbye which is called St. Sigfrieds Kalla Wel to this day This Olaus was surnamed Skotkonung because upon the persuasion of the English Priests he granted to the Pope a yearly Tax against the Saracens which was called Romskot This Olaus took from Oluf Tryggeso the Kingdom of Norway which he however recovered afterwards This Olaus Skotkonung was also the first who made a perfect union betwixt the two Kingdoms of the Swedes and Gothes who had hitherto been often at great enmity with one another To Olaus succeeded his Son Amund under whose Reign the Christian Religion increased very succesfully in Sweden after whom Reigned his Brother Amund surnamed Slemme a Man very negligent both in maintaining Religion and Justice He was slain with the greatest part of his Army by Cnut King of Denmark near a Bridge called Strangepelle After his death the Gothes and Swedes disagreed about the Election of a new King the first choosing Haquin surnamed the Red. the latter Stenchill the younger At last it was agreed betwixt them that Haquin being pretty well in years should remain King during his life and should be succeeded by Stenchill After the death of Haquin who Reigned thirteen years Stenchill the younger Olaus Skotkonung's Sisters Son began his Reign who vanquished the Danes in three great Battels Him succeeded Ingo surnamed the Pious This King utterly destroyed the Idol at Vpsal which so enraged his Pagan Subjects that they Banished him the Kingdom and afterwards murthered him in Schonen he was buried in a Convent called Waâ—heiâ—â— in West-Gothland After him reigned with great applause his Brother Halstan whom succeeded his Son Philip Ingo Philip's Son and his Queen Ragoild were also very famous for their Piety and other Vertues she was after her death honoured as a Saint and her Tomb frequently visited at Talge This King left no Sons but two Daughters Christina and Margret the first was married to St. Erick the second to Magntis King of Norway He was poisoned by the East Gothes
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
Murthers making great havock all over the Country but at last also came to an open War wherein the Archbishop's Party being worsted he died for grief and the Common People in hopes to put an end to the miseries of the Kingdom once more restored Charles to the Crown But Erick Nilson Erick Carlson Tâ—olle and some others having again raised some Forces against him and surprised his Army during the time of the Truce again forced him to seek for shelter in the Dalers whither being pursued by Erick Carlson he with an unequal number gave him a signal overthrow forcing him to retire into Denmark King Charles being soon after returned to Stockholm which City and the whole Kingdom he recommended before his death to Steen Scure his Sister's Son he there died in the same year leaving the Kingdom in such a confusion that for a twelve month after there was a meer Anarchy in Sweden some having declared for King Christian some for Steen Sture to be made Regent of the Kingdom At last the Government was committed to Steen Sture who having vanquished King Christian in a memorable Battel fought near Stockholm and forced him to retire with his broken Forces by Sea into Denmark got into the possession of the whole Kingdom of Sweden And tho' King Christian kept the Regent of Sweden in a continual alarm as long as he lived and several meetings were held concerning his Restauration yet there was no open War betwixt the two Kingdoms and Steen Sture reigned for a considerable time with a general applause so that King Christian during his Regency never durst return into Sweden but died in Denmark in the year 1481. After the Death of King Christian the Danes and Norwegians having made John the Son of Christian their King the Swedes also agreed with King John upon certain Articles which the King having confirmed to them under his Seal he was declared King of Sweden But the Regent Steen Sture notwithstanding this solemn Transaction remained in the possession of the Kingdom for fourteen Years after under pretence that the Danes had not fulfilled their Promise according to the Articles of the Treaty during which time the Kingdom was miserably afflicted by intestine Divisions and the Wars which were carried on against Denmark and Russia The Senators therefore of Sweden having in vain endeavoured to perswade Steen Sture to lay down his Office at last deposed him from the Regency and craved Assistance from King John who having defeated Steen Sture and his Party near Stockholm was by the Senate and the Regent himself received as King of Sweden and his Son Christian declared his Successor after his death in that Kingdom This King reigned very peaceably for a while but after some Years by the perswasions of some Courtiers fell into the same Errour which had been the undoing of his Predecessors For under pretence that the Revenues of the Crown were extreamly diminished he obliged Steen Sture and several others to surrender the Fiefs belonging to the Crown which they were in possession of some of which he bestowed upon the Danes and Germans Besides this his Governours had committed great Insolencies in their Provinces which so exasperated the People that as soon as the News of his defeat in Ditmarsen was spread over Sweden the Swedes being headed by Steen Sture assembled at Wadstana where having renounced their Allegiance they bid open defiance to him alledging that he had not fulfilled the Articles of the Treaty made at Calmar The King being surprised at this unexspected News sailed forthwith for Denmark leaving the Queen with a good Carrison at Stockholm which City was thereupon besieged by Sture who being soon after again constituted Regent of the Kingdom forced the Castle of Stockholm to a surrender and got almost all the rest of the Strongholds in Sweden into his possession notwithstanding which the Danes burnt Elfsburgh and Oresteen and committed great Cruelties in West-Gothland under the Conduct of Christian King John's Son who had done the like not long before in Norway where he had rooted out almost all the Noble Families Yet because the Queen was as yet in Sweden the fury of the Danes was for a while appeased by the intercession of the Lubeckers and the Cardinal Raimow who having procured Liberty for her to return into Denmark she was conducted by the Regent to the Frontiers of Swaland But in his return to Ioncoping he died suddenly and his death having been kept secret for a while there was a strong suspition that he had been poysoned by Mereta the Widow of Cnut Alfson thereby to open the way to her Bridegroom Suante Sture to the Regency of the Kingdom As soon as the news of the Regent's death was spread all over the Kingdom the Estates convened at Stockholm where it was disputed for some time whether King John should be recalled or Suante Nilson Sture should be made Regent till the latter having prevailed the said Sture was made Regent of the Kingdom Then the War was renewed with King John which was carried on with various Success both Parties committing great devastations without any other remarkable advantage The Danes having at first stirred up the Emperour the Pope and the Russians against the Swedes did considerable mischief but the Regent having made a Peace with the Russians and set the Lubeckers against Denmark retook Calmar and Bornholm and would in all likelihood have made greater Progresses if he had not soon after died at Westekaos in the eighth year of his Regency After the death of this Regent there were again great Divisions in the Senate about the Election of a new Regent the younger sort were for choosing Steen Sture the deceased Regent's Son But the Archbishop and Bishops and the rest of the antient Senators would have elected Gustavus Trolle an antient Wise and experienced Man After several prorogations and very hot debates at last Steen Sture who was favoured by the common People and had most of the Strongholds of the Kingdom in his hands was declared Regent and King John died in the year next following at Ablburgh in Jutland After his death the Danes and Norwegians had declared Christian his Son their King but the Swedes who had not forgot his cruelties formerly committed in West-Gothland desired time to consider of a thing of such importance King Christian finding himself after four years tergiversation deceived in his hopes and that the Regent would not part with his Power by fair means did not only stir the Pope Leo X. up against him but also brought Gustavus Trolle the new Arbhbishop by great Presents over to his side and perswaded the Russians to make an in-road into Finland Steen Sture being soon convinced of the Archbishop's sinister Intentions had tendered the Oath to him which he refusing to take was besreged by the Regent in his Castle of Stecka Then it was that the Archbishop called King Christian to his
had been given to them since the year 1454. but also several other Church Lands and precious moveables all which he annexed to the Crown In the mean while the Bishops and their party were not idle but were contriving all manner of mischief against the King though with small success For the Dalekerls who had made an Insurrection were frightened by the King to comply with his commands and to send away their Leader the supposititious Sâ—ure and Sigismund King of Poland unto whom the dissatisfied party had proffered the Crown did not think fit to accept of it so that Bishop Brask despairing at last of the Roman Catholick Cause under pretence of a Journey retired to Dantzick The King having surmounted all these difficulties thought convenient not to defer any longer his Coronation which having been solemnized at Vpsal with the usual Solemnity he summoned the Rebellious Dalekerls to appear before him at Thuana threatning them with Fire and Sword if they did not appear at the appointed time The Rebels being throughly frightened by the King's severity appeared without Arms at the appointed place where he caused several of the Ringleaders to be Executed and dismissed the rest after having promised to be obedient for the future In Helsingland he appeased the tumultuous multitude with threats and fined their Leaders and having called together a Synod of the Clergy at Orebro where the King's Chancellour was President the chiefest Points of the Popish Doctrine were there abolished and in their stead the Protestant Religion introduced where it was also ordered that a Protestant Professor of Divinity should be Constituted in each Cathedral This wrought in a manner Miracles among the Inferiour Clergy and Monks who left their Monasteries were married and became Ministers in the Protestant Churches But the Bishops and their party entred into an Association with some of the dissatisfied Lords in West Gothland who accused the King of Heresie and other Crimes renouncing their Allegiance to him These were Headed by Thuro Johanson the Rix Marshal who raised an Insurrection among the Dalekerls and endeavoured also to stir up the West and East Gothes whom he persuaded to make Magnus Brynteson a Man in great Authority among them their King But the King having again appeased this tumult by granting his Pardon to them Magnus the Bishop of Skara and Thuro Johnson fled into Denmark but Magnus Bayteson Nils Olofson and Thuro Erickson having been Convicted of High Treason at the Dyet held at Strâ—ngness the two first were Executed and the third paid a considerable Fine The King then to settle the minds of his Subjects having renewed his Pardon caused the superfluous Bells to be taken out of the Steeples the same being granted to him by the Estates towards the payment of a Debt due to the Lubeckers Which proved a new Subject for an Insurrection for the Dalekerls not only seised upon some of these Bells but also pretended to hold an Assembly at Arboga to consult about the Deposing of King Gustave which obliged the King to call together the Estates at Vpsal whither he came in person with a good Army and meeting with great opposition from the mutinous People ordered his Soldiers to fire among them which so terrified them that upon their Knees they begged his Pardon promising to be more Obedient for the future Things being thus pretty well settled the King married Catharine the Daughter of Magnus Duke of Saxen Lauenburgh and having received intelligence that King Christian was landed in Norway with a considerable Force he sent some Troops under the Command of Lars Sigeson the Rix Marshal to the Frontiers of Norway who having been joined by some Danes forced King Christian to raise the Siege of Banus who at last surrendring himself to the Danes was by Frederick King of Denmark committed to Prison where he died after twenty seven years imprisonment But no sooner was this storm over but the Lubeckers raised another against Sweden For they having demanded from the King to grant them the whole Trade on his Northern Sea Coasts which he refused to consent to peremptorily demanded their Debt and having joyned with a great many Refugies of King Christian's party and made John Earl of Hoya who had married King Gustave's Sister their Head did propose to themselves no less than the Conquest of the Northern Kingdoms having inticed some Citizens of Stockholm under pretext of making that City a free Hanse Town to lay violent hands on the King And after the death of Frederick King of Denmark when that Kingdom was divided into several Factions persuaded the Senate of Copenhagen and Malmoe to enter into the Confederacy of the Hanse Towns Being thus strengthened by a considerable party within that Kingdom they had great success against the Danes till these having declared Christian III. their King and being assisted with Mony Ships and Forces by King Gustave beat the Lubeckers near Heâ—sinburgh and afterwards in a Sea-Fight defeated their whole Fleet and carried a great many of their Ships into Denmark Soon after King Gustave to strengthen himself the better at Home married Margaret the Daughter of Abraham Erickson Governor of West Gothland which Alliance stood afterwards his Son Duke John in great stead against King Erick King Gustave having also conceived a jealousie against the Emperour Charles V. whom he suspected to be for making Palls Grave Frederick Son in Law of the imprisoned King Christian King over the Northern Kingdoms took a resolution to strengthen himself with the Alliance of France To put this design in execution he sent his Secretary into France who having first made a Treaty of Commerce betwixt these two Crowns did also afterwards conclude a defensive Alliance betwixt them Gustave having thus settled his Affairs called a Dyet to be held at Westeraas where the Estates of the Kingdom declared the Succession Hereditary for the future Constituting Erick Gustaveson who was then but eleven years old his Father's Successor At the same Dyet the Popish Religion was quite abolished and the Lutheran Religion Established in Sweden the King and the Estates having obliged themselves by a Solemn Oath to maintain the same with all their power In the year 1551. King Gustave after the death of his Queen Margaret married Catharine the Daughter of Gustave Olufson and ruled the Kingdom of Sweden with great Tranquility except that the Russians had faln into Livonia and Finland with whom having made a Peace and being now grown very old he by his Testament gave to John his second Son the Dukedom of Finland to the third Son Magnus the Dukedom of East Gothland and to Charles the youngest of all the Dukedom of Sudermanland Nericke and Wermeland which Countries they were to hold in Fief from the Crown But his eldest Son Erick who was â—o succeed him in the Kingdom having been persuaded by his Tutor Dionysius Burraeus a Frenchman to make his Addresses to Elizabeth Queen of
England thereby to strengthen his Interest against his Brothers sent the said Dionysius into England who having writ to his Master that nothing was wanting to make up the Match but his presence the Prince would have gone forthwith into England if his Father had not opposed it who sent in his stead his second Son John and Steen Sture These being very civilly entertained by Queen Elizabeth at their return Home told the Prince that they believed nothing to be wanting to compleat the Marriage but his presence which was very joyfully received by the Prince But the old and wise King who soon perceived that they had mistaken Complements for Realities thought it advisable to Communicate the business with the Estates Assembled at Stockholm who after having confirmed the former Hereditary Union and the King's Testament at last gave their consent to this Marriage granting a considerable Supply towards the defraying of the charges of this Marriage But whilst the Prince was preparing for his Voyage part of his Baggage having been sent before he being near ready to follow in person King Gustave dyed at Stockholm and King Erick not thinking it advisable to trust his Brother with the Kingdom was forced to put by his Journey into England § 10. King Erick was twenty seven years of age when he succeeded his Father in the Kingdom His first business was to prescribe certain new Articles to his Brothers thereby to maintain the Royal Authority against them which though sorely against their will they were forced to subscribe at the Dyet held at Arboga At his Coronation he first introduced the Titles of Earls and Barons into Sweden alledging that in an Hereditary Kingdom there ought to be also Hereditary Dignities among the Nobility At his very first Accession to the Crown he was engaged in the Troubles which then sorely afflicted the Liâ—landers For some of them having put themselves under the Protection of Denmark some under the Crown of Poland those of Reval and the Nobility of Esthenland that were nearest to Sweden sought for Protection to King Erick Whereupon the King having sent an Army under the Command of Claes Horn who was joyfully received at Reval took them into his Protection and confirmed to the City and Nobility their former Privileges As soon as the Poles heard of the arrival of the Swedish Army at Reval they sent an Ambassadour to demand Reval from the Swedes who having received no other answer but that the Swedes had at least as good a Title to Reval as the Poles returned Home again and the Swedish Garrison that was besieged by the â—olish Forces in Reval forced them to quit that Enterprise Soon after the King being fully resolved to pursue his intentions concerning the Marriage with Queen Elizabeth of England Embarked at Elshorgth to go thither in person but was by a violent Tempest forced to return As he was very inconstant in his Temper and very Superstitious being much addicted to Astrology so after this misfortune he laid aside the thoughts of this Marriage for a while making his Addresses by his Ambassadours and with great Presents to Mary Queen Scotland and the Princess of Lorain both at one time and not long after to Katharine the Daughter of the Landgrave of Hessen but succeeded in neither In the mean while his Borther John had married Katharine Daughter of Sigismund King of Poland which having been done without Ring Erick's good liking who was both mistrustful of the Poles and his Brother put him into such a rage that he besieged his Brother in the Castle of Aboa which having been taken by Strategem he caused him to be sentenced to death which Sentence he however changed into a perpetual Imprisonment for that time but seemed to repent of it afterwards when the Russians demanded the said Katharine his Brother's Wife in Marriage for their Great Duke The Poles to revenge this Affront stirred up the Danes and Lubeckers against the Swedes and the Danes having affronted the Swedish Ambassadours at Copenhagen preparations were made on all sides which soon broke out into a War wherein the Swedes routed the Danes and Lubeckers in several Sea Engagements but also lost their Admiral which Ship carried two hundred Brass Guns and by Land there was great havock made on both sides with almost equal Fortune except that the Swedes had pretty good success in Livonia But whilst King Erick was engaged in War with all his Neighbours round about him the inward discontents began to increase more and more among his Subjects by the ill management which he had shown both in his Affairs and Amours being surrounded with a Seraglio of Mistrisses among whom one Katharine an ordinary Country Wench had the greatest sway over him whom he also married afterwards whereby he lost his Authority among the Nobility Besides this he was guided in most concerns of moment by one Joran â—erson his Favourite and his former Tutor Dionysius Beuraeus who fomented a continual jealousie betwixt him and the Family of the Stures which at last broke out into a fatal revenge For there having been Witnesses suborned against Suarte Sture and his Son Erick they were with several others of that Family not only committed to Prison and miserably murthered there by the King's command but he also with his own hands stab'd Nils Sture and repenting soon after of so barbarous a Fact caused his former Tutor Dionysius who advised it to be slain by his Guards A great part of the Kingdom having been put into confusion by these enormous cruelties of which the King feared the consequences he thought it his best way to prevent further inconveniencies to set his Brother John at Liberty under certain conditions and to lay the blame of these barbarities upon Joran Peerson his Favourite who having been committed to Prison the Intestine Commotions seem'd to be appeased for the present But the King having not long after been very succesful in several Engagements against the Danes whom he beat quite out of Denmark he soon after released his Favourite and not only declared him free from any imputation but also justified the death of those Lords formerly murthered at Vpsal By his advise also he would have taken from his Brothers those Provinces which were allotted them by their Father's Testament in exchange of which he proffered them some Possessions in Livonia But the Brothers having refused this proffer he again resolved to make away his Brother John at the Nuptials which were to be celebrated at Stockholm betwixt his Mistress Catharine and himself and to give his Widow in Marriage to the Grand Duke of Russia But the Brothers having been advertised of the King 's sinister intentions did not appear at the Wedding and having made an Association with several of the Nobility that were Kindred of the Lords murthered at Vpsal they resolved to dethrone King Erick The better to execute their intentions they had by the intercession of the King of Poland
of which he died in a few days after at Ingolstadt His Army being dismayed at the loss of their General left their advantageous Post and the Swedes having cut 1000 of them in pieces in their retreat marched straightways into the Country of Bavaria where they took possession of Raio and Niewburgh upon the Danube Augsburgh surrendred without much resistance But their design upon Ingolstadt and Ratisbonne miscarried being repulsed at the first where the King's Horse was shot under him and Christopher the Marquis of Baden killed by his side but the latter the Elector of Bavaria had secured by throwing some of his Forces into the place The King therefore returning into Bavaria set that Country under Contribution and the City of Municken opened its Gates to the King In the mean while General Wallenstein having left the Elector of Bavaria a while to shift for himself had driven the Saxons out of Bohemia by the treachery of their General Arnheim who was an utter Enemy of King Gustave and the Imperialists under Lieutenant General Pappenheim had made considerable progresses in the Circle of the Lower Saxony Wallenstein also had taken a resolution to fall with all his Forces upon the King in the Country of Bavaria Pursuant to this resolution the Elector of Bavaria having left a sufficient Garrison at Ingolstadt and Ratisbonne marched towards Egen to join Wallenstein whom the King pursued in hopes to hinder their conjunction but coming too late he encamped near Numbergh till he could be joined by his Forces that were dispersed in several parts of Germany Wallenstein then made a shew as if he would turn his Arms against the Elector of Saxony thereby to draw the King out of his advantageous Post near that City but the King remaining in his Post he marched towards him spreading his Cavalry all round about which occasioned a great scarcity of Forage in the King's Camp but as for Provisions he was sufficiently supplyed withal from Numbergh Whilst the King was reduced to these Straits he received a reinforcement of 15000 Foot and 10000 Horse from several places so that being now superiour in number he attacked Wallenstein in his Camp who being strongly Entrenched repalsed the Swedes with the loss of 2000 Men. In the mean time the Imperial General Pappenheim had beat the Hessians near Volckmarsen had forced the Duke of Lunenburgh to raise the Siege of Callenbergh had beat General Baudist from before Paterborn and Hoxter had relieved Wolffenbuttel and taken Hildesheim from whence he was marched into Thuringia to join Wallenstein On the other hand the Saxons were entred Silesia with an Army of 16000 Men where meeting with no opposition they might have carried all before them if their General Arnheim had not been treacherous to King Gustave whom he hated and was for working a reconciliation betwixt the Emperour and the Elector of Saxony The King therefore not to lose any more time having put a good Garrison into Numbergh resolved to send part of his Army into Franconia and with the main Body to return towards the Danube into Bavaria where he had taken several places on the River of Lech But whilst he was carrying on his victorious Arms among the Roman Catholicks frequent Messengers were sent to him by the Elector of Saxony craving his assistance against Wallenstein who was with all his Forces entred into Misnia The King though he had great reason to be dissatisfied with the Elector yet fearing he might be forced to make a separate Peace with the Emperour if he did not come to his assistance he having left some Forces in Bavaria and Suabia under the Command of Paltsgrave Christian of Berckenfeld and commanded Gustave Horn to remain in Alsatia where he forced Benfelden to surrender as Franckenthal was about the same time forced to surrender by Famine himself marched with the Army towards Misnia Being arrived at Nauenbuâ—gh he received information that the Enemies had raised the Siege of Werssenfels and that they had detached Pappenheim with some Forces upon another design Having therefore resolved not to stay for the Duke of Lunenburgh who being already arrived at Wittenbergh was to have joined him but to fight the Enemy before he could be rejoined by Pappenheim Pursuant to this resolution he marched to the great Plains near Lutzen where a most bloody Battel was fought betwixt them in which the Swedish Infantry fell with such fury upon the Imperial Foot that they routed them and made themselves Masters of their Cannon But the Swedish Horse being stopt by a broad Ditch that was cut cross the Plains for the conveniency of floating of Wood the King put himself at the Head of the Smaland Regiment of Horse encouraging the rest by his example to follow him Thus furiously advancing before the rest and being only accompanyed by Francis Albucret Duke of Saxen Launenburgh and two Grooms he there lost his life Concerning his death there are different opinions but the most probable is that he was shot by the said Duke of Lauenburgh who was set on by the Imperialists that had their only hopes in the King's death The Swedes were so far from being dismayed at the King's death that they fell with great fury again upon the Enemy whom they routed on all sides The Imperialists having been rejoined by Pappenheim would have rallied again but Pappenheim having also been killed they were routed a second time leaving an entire Victory to the Swedes which was nevertheless dearly purchased by the death of so great a King § 15. The death of this great King caused great alterations in Europe for though the Imperialists had lost the Battel and a great many brave Officers yet were they in no small hopes that the Swedish Affairs would now sink under their own weight and therefore made great preparations against them the next Campagne The Protestants in Germany were by his death divided into several Factions not knowing whom they should choose for their Head and the Swedes overwhelmed with troubles his Daughter Christina being then but six years of Age. Nevertheless having settled their Affairs at Home and committed the Administration of the Kingdom to the five chief Officers of the State the chief management of the Affairs in Germany was committed to the care of the Lord Chancellour Oxenstirn who having been sent by the King's order into the higher Germany received this sad News at Hanau The Chancellour did not so much fear the Power of his Enemies as their constancy and unanimous Resolution whereas the Protestants were divided in their Counsels and Opinions and were not likely to follow his directions after the King's death it being not probable that the Electors and Princes of the Empire would be commanded by a Foreign Nobleman nevertheless he thought it not advisable by leaving their Conquests to ruin at once the Protestant Cause and the Interest of Sweden but rather to endeavour by a brave resistance to obtain an honorable Peace Having
therefore sent some Regiments back into Sweden he divided his Army and having sent 14000 Men under the Command of George Duke of Lunenburgh into the Lower Saxony and Westphalia the last were ordered into Franconia and some Forces were also detached towards Silesia These Forces acted with good success agaist the Imperialists especially in Westphalia where the Duke of Lunenburgh took several places defeated the Earl of Mansfeld near Rinteln and besieged the City of Hamelen But in Silesia the Common Cause was not carried on with the same forwardness by reason of the misunderstanding betwixt the Swedish and Saxon Generals the latter of which keeping a secret Correspondency with Wallenstein left the Swedes in the Lurch who were at last miserably beaten by the said Wallenstein But in all other places they had better success where their Generals took several places of note and the Duke of Lunenburgh had also retaken the strong City of Hamelen by accord after having defeated 15000 Imperialists that were coming to its relief whereof 2000 were killed upon the spot and as many taken Prisoners Thus the Swedish Army were every where flourishing but in Silesia nevertheless the burthen of the War grew heavier upon them every day most of their Confederates being grown weary of the War and willing to be rid of the Swedes Whilst they laboured under these difficulties Wallenstein being faln in disgrace and killed by the Emperour's order they hoped to reap some advantage by this Change but the Emperour having made the King of Hungary his Son General of his Army who having taken Ratisbonne and being joined by the Spanish Forces that were marching towards the Netherlands besieged Nordlingen where the Swedish Avantguard intending to possess themselves of a Hill near that City were engaged with the Imperialists which occasioned a Battel betwixt the two Armies and the Swedish Left Wing having been brought into disorder by the Polish Hungarian and Croatian Horse was forced back upon their own Infantry which also were brought iuto Confusion and totally routed 6000 having been slain upon the spot a great number taken Prisoners among whom was Gustave Horn and 130 Colours were lost besides the whole Artillery and Baggage After this Battel the whole Upper Germany being over-run by the Imperialists and the Elector of Saxony having made a separate Peace with the Emperour the Swedish Affairs seem'd to be reduced to a very ill condition especially since the Elector of Brandenburgh also had sided with the Saxons and the Truce with the Poles was near expired about the same time which made the Swedes very desious of a Peace but the same not being to be obtained in Germany they were fain to prolong the Truce with the Poles for twenty six years and to restore to them their so dearly beloved Prussia and to draw France into Germany to their assistance to put them in the Possession of Philipsburgh Thus having in a manner settled their Affairs the War broke out betwixt them and the Elector of Saxony who offered them a recompence of mony for the Archbishoprick of Magdeburgh which the Swedes refusing to accept of there happened a sharp Engagement betwixt them near Allenburgh upon the Elbe where of 7000 Saxons one half were killed and the rest taken Prisoners Notwithstanding this advantage the Swedes had no small obstacles to surmount since the Emperour was in Possession of the whole Upper Germany and had besides this set the Elector of Saxony upon their Back which obliged the Swedes to take new Measures and being now left by all their Confederates they were at liberty at least to act more unanimously though perhaps with less force the effects of which appeared soon after for though the Elector of Saxony had the good fortune to retake Magdeburgh from the Swedes yet they soon after revenged this loss near Perlebergh where they attacked the said Elector with a less number in his fortified Camp and having routed his Army killed 5000 upon the spot besides what were killed in the pursuit 1100 being killed on the Swedish side and 3000 wounded and having soon after droven the Imperialists out of Hessia into Westphalia and regained Erffurt they were again in a fair way to get footing in High Germany They had also in the next ensuing year several Encounters with the Imperialists and Saxons which proved most to their advantage Banner having defeated eight Saxon Regiments near Edlenburgh and soon after 2000 more near Pegau and when the Imperialists thought to have got him with his whole Army into their Clutches near Custrin he got off with great dexterity but could not prevent but that the Imperialists took several places in Pomerania as also near the Rivers of Havel and Elbe George Duke of Lunenburgh having also declared against the Swedes who also began to be extremely jealous of Brandenburgh by reason of his pretension upon Pomerania after the death of Bagislaus XIV the last Duke of Pomerania who dyed this year an Alliance was concluded betwixt them and France for three years The Swedes having been brought the year before somewhat in the straits they now after having received fresh Recruits began to recover what they had lost the year before Banner having driven Gallas the Imperial General back even into the Hereditary Countries of the Emperour And Bernhard Duke of Weimar had the same success on the Rhine where having besieged Rhinefelden he fought twice with the Imperialists that came to its relief and having routed them in the second Engagement took Rhinefelden Kuteln and Fryburgh in Brisgau After this exploit having blocked up Brisack so closely that it was reduced to the utmost by Famine the Imperialists endeavoured to relieve it with 12000 Men which were so received by the said Duke that scarce 2500 escaped And not long after the Duke of Loraine having attempted its relief with 3500 Men the same were also cut in pieces and the place surrendred to the Duke The Imperialists having been thus routed both near the Rhine and in the Lower Saxony the Duke and John Banner had both taken a resolution to carry the War into the Emperour's Hereditary Countries and Banner marched straitways after several Defeats given to the Imperialists and Saxons into Bohemia where he in all likelihood might have had great success if the untimely death of Duke Bernhard who was to join him had not broke his Measures This Duke being sollicited by the French to surrender Brisack into their Hands which he refused was Poisoned by them and his Army with great promises and mony debauched to submit under the French Command The Imperialists then growing too strong for Banner alone in Bohemia he marched back into Misnia and Thuringia and having been joined by the Duke of Longueville who Commanded the Army of the lately deceased Duke of Weimar and by some Hessians and Lunenburghers near Erffurt which made up an Army of 21 Brigades and 2000 Horse he would fain have Fought 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