people not being willing to sell at his rates He was by some of the Electors chosen Roman Emperour but because his Children were then very young and great Divisions arose among his Nobles he delay'd for a great many Years to go thither and to receive the Imperial Crown till in the Year 1275 a fancy took him all on a sudden to go and take possession of the Empire though Rudolf of Habsburgh was already got into the Imperial Throne But his Journey was ended in Provence he returning from thence home by the persuasion of the Pope who afterwards excommunicated him and obliged him also to renounce the Title of Emperour After the death of Ferdinand his eldest Son Sanctius the younger Brother did aim at the Succession tho Ferdinand had left Children behind him This rais'd a Jealousie betwixt the Father and Son who rose in open Rebellion against his Father being assisted by the major part of the States which Commotion however ceas'd with the death of Alfonso Under the Reign of this King many Battels were fought against the Moors with various success In the Year also 1282 happened the Sicilian Vespers by which means Peter King of Arragon obtain'd the Kingdom of Sicily he having before a pretence to it as having married Constantia the Daughter of Manfred Against this Sanctius the Son of Ferdinand his elder Brother rais'd several disturbances which he overcame all by his Wisdom he dyed in the Year 1295. During the time of the Minority of his Son Ferdinand IV. the Kingdom of Castile was overwhelm'd with trouble After he came to Age he undertook an Expedition against the Moors taking from them Gibraltar and died in the flower of his Age. Under the Reign of this King James King of Arragon was presented with the Kingdom of Sardinia by the Pope who pretended to have a right of disposing of it and those of Pisa being then in possession of the same were afterwards beaten out by the Arragonians The Minority also of Alfonso XI was full of troubles At that time the Moors had again received a great Reinforcement out of Africa the Castilians nevertheless obtain'd a most signal Victory over them in the Year 1340 in which Battel 't is said 200000 were slain on the side of the Moors and but only 25000 Spaniards At that time Alzira was taken and a Peace concluded with the King of Granada under condition that he should be tributary to Castile This King died in the Siege of Gibraltar which he had lost before His Son Pieter sirnamed The Cruel reigned very tyrannically He drew the hatred of most of his Subjects upon himself by parting from his Queen Blanch whom he afterwards tho Innocent for the sake of a Concubine caus'd to be murther'd This occasion'd a Plot against him which he suppress'd with a great deal of Bloudshed In the mean while a War arose betwixt him and Pieter IV. King of Arragon who assisted the Rebels in Castile who had set up for their King Henry the King's Brother begotten on a Concubine call'd Eleonora Gusman With him also join'd a great many French Voluntiers so that falling upon Pieter of Castile he forc'd him to flee into Aquitain But he having rais'd there a considerable Army return'd into Spain defeated Henry and obliged him to flee into France but did not desist from his Tyranny whereby he quite lost the Affection of his Subjects And Henry having gather'd another Army in France return'd into Castile where being assisted by the Castilians he vanquish'd Pieter and in the flight kill'd him with his own Hands § 8. Out of the Race of this Henry II. sirnam'd The Bastard sprang afterwards Princes who prov'd very mischievous to Spain Henry himself did at first labour under great difficulties the neighbouring Nations attacking him every where yet he surmounted them and at last made Peace with them all But the Favour of his Nobles he bought with Money He died in the year 1379. His Son John endeavour'd to obtain the Crown of Portugal of Ferdinand its King whose Daughter he had married But the Portugueses out of a hatred against the Castilians set up for their King John natural Son to Pieter King of Portugal who maintained himself against the Castilians routing them near to Aliunbaret which Victory the Portugueses mightily boast of in their Histories Castile was at that time in great danger the English siding with the Portugueses under the Duke of Lancaster who having married Constantia the Daughter of Pieter sirnamed The Cruel pretended to the right of that Crown bearing also the Title and Arms But the business was at last compos'd by marrying the Daughter of the English Duke to the Prince of Castile after which also a Peace was concluded with Portugal John died by a fall from his Horse His Son Henry III. was a sickly Prince under whose Minority great Divisions arose in the Kingdom During the time of his Reign he did nothing remarkable except that he restor'd the Revenues which the Nobles had alienated from the Crown He died in the Year 1407 leaving behind him John II. a Child of two Months old The tuition of this Prince was besides his Mother committed to Ferdinand his Uncle to whom the States did offer the Kingdom which he generously refusing to accept of he obtain'd afterwards the Crown of Arragon This King being under the tuition of his Mother grown very Effeminate only addicted to Voluptuousness having no Genius nor inclination for publick Business committed the whole management to his Favourite Alvarez de Luna an ambitious Man which occasion'd great Jealousies in his Nobles against him This King taking his Favourite's part against the Nobility an open War ensu'd betwixt them the Rebels being headed by his own Son and the City of Toledo declar'd against the King At last the King being tir'd with the many Inconveniencies cut this Favourite's Head off but died himself in the Year next following Under the Reign of this King a War broke out betwixt the Spaniards and those of Granada wherein the first signaliz'd themselves to their advantage In the Year 1420 King Alfonso of Arragon was adopted by Joan Queen of Naples but a difference arising betwixt Joan and Alfonso she declar'd the said Adoption void and null receiving in his stead Lewis Duke of Anjou which afterwards occasion'd bloody Wars betwixt France and Spain Yet Alfonso at last kept the upper hand making himself Master of Naples and leaving the same to his natural Son Ferdinand In the Kingdom of Castile succeeded John his Son Henry IV. the scandal to the Spanish Nation He being incapable of begetting Children to take away this suspicion hired one Bertrand Corva who for this service was made Earl of Ledesma to lie with the Queen who having brought forth a Daughter call'd Joan Henry caus'd her to be proclaim'd Heiress to the Crown What confirm'd this the more was that
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
the English King with fair words and to render the Duke of Burgundy suspected to him which had the design'd effect with Edward who considered with himself That Charles Duke of Burgundy having besieged Nuys did not send him the promised Succours so that the Peace was easily concluded the French having been very liberal to the English To confirm this Peace King Lewis proposed a Congress to be held betwixt him and Edward at a certain place where he without making any further difficulty appeared first in person and bestowed a good quantity of Wine upon the English Souldiers who soon after returned with their King who had got but little Honour in this Expedition into England But he behaved himself better against the Scots to whom he did considerable mischief In the mean time the Duke of Gloucester had rid himself of his elder Brother the Duke of Clarence thereby to advance himself one step nearer to the Crown At last King Edward being now resolved to enter again into a War with France since King Lewis made a very slight account of what he had promised in the last Peace after he was once rid of his Enemy he fell sick and died in the Year 1483. § 17. After the death of Edward IV. his Son Edward V. a Child of eleven Years of Age was proclaimed King but scarce enjoyed this Title ten Weeks For his Uncle Richard Duke of Gloucester the most bloody and wicked Man that ever the World beheld immediately made it his business to set the Crown upon his own Head Wherefore he first of all secured to himself the Tuition of the King 's and his Brother's Persons by making away their most trusty Friends Afterwards by the help of some Impudent Priests he got it spread abroad That Edward IV. was born in Adultery and that consequently the Crown did of right belong to himself as being the most like his Father At last the Duke of Buckingham did insinuate into the Lord Mayor of London That the Crown ought to be offered to Richard and his Proposal being approved by the Acclamations of a few Villains set on for that purpose it was divulged That the People had conferr'd the Crown upon Richard Having by these Intrigues obtain'd the Crown Richard III. got himself proclaimed King and having been crowned he caused the innocent King Edward V. and his Brother miserably to be murthered But soon after his Coronation a difference arose betwixt him and the Duke of Buckingham who had been chiefly instrumental in helping him to the Crown He therefore leaving the Court began to make a Party against the King with an intention to set the Crown upon the Head of Henry Earl of Richmond who was then an Exile in Britainy And tho' the Duke of Buckingham's Plot was discovered and he beheaded yet was not the Design stopt For the Earl of Richmond set fail with a great Fleet out of Britainy but being driven by contrary Winds on the Coast of Normandy he sought Aid of Charles VIII King of France which he readily granted him A great many English also went over to him who swore Allegiance to him he promising them upon Oath That he would marry the Princess Elizabeth Daughter of Edward IV. But Henry was within an ace of having been delivered up to Richard by the Treachery of one Pieter Landois Treasurer of the Duke of Britainy who had received a great Summ of Money from Richard for undertaking it for which reason he was afterwards hang'd by his Master's order Richard also had an Intention of marrying the Princess Elizabeth and therefore had privately made away his former Lady but was obliged to delay the consummation of the Match by reason of the approaching danger from Henry Who to prevent this intended Match did in all haste sail out of France and landing in Wales was kindly received by most Not long after he gave Battel to Richard where William Stanley with some thousands of Men went over to Henry and besides this a great many of Richard's Souldiers refusing to fight Richard himself was slain in the Field and the Crown being immediately there put upon Henry's Head he was proclaimed King § 18. Hitherto England had been miserably torn to pieces by the bloody Wars betwixt the Houses of York and Lancaster the first whereof bore a White the latter a Red Rose in their Shields For Henry IV. of the House of Lancaster had driven Richard II. from the Throne Edward IV. of the House of York dethroned again his Grandson Henry VI. And Henry VII of the House of Lancaster took from Edward the IV th's Brother Richard III. both his Crown and Life This King Henry marrying the Daughter of Edward IV. united the Red and White Roses and by his singular Wisdom did again settle the State of the Kingdom Yet was he not altogether free from Disturbances at home For first of all one Lambert Symnel Son to a Baker taking upon him the Name and Person of Edward Earl of Warwick caused himself to be proclaimed King in Ireland This Comedy was first invented by a Priest and encouraged by Margaret the Widow of Charles Duke of Burgundy Sister to Edward IV. who to spite Henry gave them all the Assistance she could This Symnel transported an Army out of Ireland into England but was routed by Henry and being taken Prisoner was made a Turnspit in the King's Kitchin In the Year 1491 Henry undertook an Expedition against France and besieged Bologne But the Emperour Maximilian failing in his promises of giving him Assistance he in consideration of a good Summ of Money made a Peace with France In the mean time Margaret Dutchess Dowager of Burgundy had set up another Impostor whose Name was Perkin Warbeck He pretended to be Richard a younger Son of King Edward IV. and knew so well how to act his part that he got a considerable Party in Ireland From thence he went to Paris where he was very well received France being then engaged in a War with England But a Peace being concluded betwixt them he retir'd to the Dutchess Margaret's Court. From thence he returned into Ireland and afterwards came into Scotland where being splendidly received by that King he was married to one of his Kinswomen and enter'd England with a confiderable Army This business might have proved very dangerous to England since there were at the same time great Tumults in England arisen about some new Taxes But the Rebels were beaten and the Scots obliged to retire with great loss into Scotland The Scots made thereupon a Peace with England promising among other things not to uphold by any ways the Impostor Perkin who fled from thence into Ireland and so came into Cornwall where he caused himself to be proclaimed King But perceiving that few came over to his side and the King's Forces coming upon him he took sanctuary in a Church and surrender'd himself to the King who committed
suspicious of all mankind And the whole Confederacy is altogether adapted for their common Defence and for the maintaining of a firm Union betwixt themselves The difference of Religion is also a main obstacle among them some of them being Roman Catholicks but most Protestants and both Parties great Zealots in their Religion Wherefore it seems a hard task to make them all truly unanimous except forc'd by the necessity of a common Danger And in this Democratical Government it is not to be supposed that one man can have sufficient Authority to sway the rest and to stir them up to any great and sudden Enterprise And this slowness of their publick Counsels is such a check upon their natural Valour at home that they can employ it no better than to sell it for a little money to other Nations § 10. This is the very reason why the Switzers are the best Neighbours in the World as being never to be feared and always ready to assist you in case of necessity if you pay them for it On the other hand they need not stand in great fear of their Neighbours The States of Italy are not in a capacity to do them any harm and Germany is not willing to hurt them If the House of Austria should attack them they are able to defend themselves and besides this they may in such a case be sure to be back'd by France France alone seems to be their most dangerous Neighbour and it has been the wonder of many why the Switzers rely altogether upon the French Alliance and Promises and do not in the least endeavour to secure their Country against the growing Power of France and that in the last war they left the Franche Comtè to the mercy of the French which opens the Passage into their Country and enables the French to levy Souldiers on their Frontiers at pleasure It seems therefore to be the present Interest of Switzerland not to imitate the French and nevertheless to take care that they do not make themselves Masters of their Frontier Places viz. of Geneva Newburgh on the Lake the Four Forest Towns and Constance That they do not send too great a number of their Men into the French Service whereby they may exhaust their own Stock of Souldiers and that such as are sent into the French Service may be engaged not to be forgetful of their Duty to their native Country so as to be ready to return home in case of necessity On the other hand France seems to have no great reason to attack the Switzers as long as they are quiet and do not pretend to oppose the French Designs it being evident that if France had once obtained its aim the Switzers would be obliged to submit themselves And it seems at this time more Advantageous for the French to make use of the Switzers as their Allies than by conquering them to make them refractory Subjects who by reason of their natural stubborness must be bridled by strong Garisons which would scarce be maintained out of the Revenues of so poor a Country CHAP. VIII Of the GERMAN Empire § 1. GErmany was not antiently one Common-wealth but divided into a great many States and independent of each other most of them being Democracies And tho some of them had their Kings yet these had more Authority to Advise than to Command These several States were at last united under the Government of the Francks The Kings of the Merovingean Family having undertaken several Expeditions into Germany did reduce several of these States under their Subjection And Charles the Great reduced all Germany under his Jurisdiction he being at the same time Master of France Italy Rome and a part of Spain all which Provinces he committed to the care of certain Governours who were called Graves or Marc-Graves The Saxons retained more of their antient Liberty than the rest wherefore the better to keep this then barbarous Nation in obedience he erected several Episcopal Sees in Saxony hoping by the influence of the Christian Doctrine to civilize this barbarous People Lewis Surnamed the Pious Son of Charles the Great had three Sons viz. Lotharius Lewis and Charles who divided the Empire of the Francks among them In this Division Lewis got for his share all Germany as far as it extends on this side of the Rhine and also some Countries on the other side of that River by reason of the Vineyards as 't is said which are on both sides All which he was possess'd of as Sovereign without being in any ways dependent on his elder Brother much less the younger who had France for his share And at that time Germany was first made a Kingdom independent of any other § 2. Carolomannus the Son of this Lewis did after the death of Charles the Bald who was King of France and had born the Title of Roman Emperour Conquer Italy and took upon him the Imperial Dignity notwithstanding that Lewis Son of Charles the Bald and King of France had upon instigation of the Pope assumed the same Title After him succeeded his younger Brother Carolus Crassus who maintained both the Kingdom of Italy and the Imperial Title But the great Men in Germany having deposed the said Charles they made Arnolph the Son of the abovementioned Carolomannus King of Germany who went into Italy and took upon him the Title of Roman Emperour for which had contended for a good while Berengarius Duke of Trioul and Guido Duke of Spoleto But after the death of Arnulph his Son Lewis Surnamed the Child obtained the Crown of Germany under whose Reign the Affairs of Germany were in so ill a condition that he had no leisure to look into those of Italy For Arnulph had called to his assistance the Hungarians against Zwentepold King of Bohemia and Moravia who had Rebell'd against him with whose assistance he reduced Zwentepold to obedience but the Hungarians who were at that time a most barbarous Nation having got a tast of Germany made an inroad into that Country ravaging every where with an inhuman Cruelty They also defeated Lewis near Augsburgh obliging him to pay them a yearly Tribute notwithstanding which they ravag'd and plundered wherever they came This overthrow was chiefly occasioned by the Kings tender Age and the Divisions of the great Men among themselves who aimed at nothing more than to establish their own Authority After the death of Lewis Cunrad Duke of Franconia was elected King Germany under whose Reign the Potent Dukes of Lorain Swabia Bavaria and Saxony did preteâ—d to maintain the Sovereignty over their own Countries and a Hereditary Possession which Cunrad was not able to prevent and because Henry Duke of Saxony was the most Potent and Cunrad feared that at last he might quite withdraw himself from the German Empire he upon his Death-bed advised the rest of the Princes of Germany to make him their King which was done accordingly
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
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
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
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
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
Henry II. therefore succeeded him who among other memorable Actions demolish'd such fortify'd Castles of the Nobility and Bishops as were built with the consent of King Stephen After he had reigned near eighteen Years in Peace and Quietness he had a mind to have his Son Henry crowned the better to secure the Succession he received him as his Copartner in the Government but he being married to Margaret the Daughter of Lewis the younger King of France this proved the cause of great Disturbances afterwards For some persuaded young Henry That his Father having abdicated himself from the Government had committed thereby the same to his management France envy'd that a King of England should have such vast Possessions in France The Scots wish'd for nothing more than to have an opportunity of committing Depredations in England Wherefore the French and Scots joining with young Henry fell upon Henry II. all at one time but were as vigorously repulsed by him the Scots especially suffered the most in this War and lost all Huntingtonshire A Peace was also concluded with France Adela Daughter of Lewis King of France being promised in marriage to Richard second Son of Henry But the old King as 't is reported falling in love with her privately kept her company and therefore opposed the consummation of the marriage betwixt her and his Son Richard This so exasperated Richard who after the death of his eldest Brother Henry was now the next Heir to the Crown that he made Head against his Father and Philip Augustus King of France taking hold of this opportunity took the City of Muns King Henry seeing himself besides this deserted by his Friends Wife and Children died in few days of Grief This Henry also conquer'd Ireland and united it to England which he and his Successours govern'd under the Title of Lords of Ireland till the time of Henry VIII who after he had withdrawn himself from the Obedience of the Pope to nettle him the more assumed the Title of King of Ireland because the Pope pretends to the sole right to bestow the Title of King in Christendom and that none ought to take it upon him without his consent wherefore the Pope afterwards to make his Pretence the more plausible freely gave the same Title to Mary Queen of England Henry also had some differences with Thomas Backet Archbishop of Canterbury who pretended it was derogatory to the Glory of God that the Priests according to the King's Commands should be subject to the Civil Judicatures There is a fabulous Relation concerning this Archbishop Thomas That he riding a Horse-back one time through a Village the Country Fellows cut off the Tail of his Horse and that their Children afterwards were born with such Tails § 8. Richard I. who succeeded his Father Henry in the Kingdom did out of a preposterous Zeal undertake an Expedition into the Holy Land with 35000 Men being accompained by Philip Augustus King of France In this War he took the Island of Cyprus which he gave to Guido Lusignanus who in consideration thereof resigned his Right to Jerusalem and in the Year 1192 he was present at the taking of Ptolemais where the Standard of Duke Leopold of Austria being set up first he pull'd it down again putting his own in the place But when they were in great hopes of gaining Jerusalem Philip returned home engaging himself by a solemn Oath that he would not injure Richard in any of his Dominions Hugo Duke of Burgundy afterwards followed his example which greatly encouraged Saladin And Richard understanding that the French were fallen into Normandy he also made a Peace with Saladin and taking his way by Land incognito was discovered in his Journey through Austria where Duke Leopold remembring the affront done to him near Ptolemais took him Prisoner and delivered him to the Emperour who after fifteen Months Imprisonment made him pay 100000 Pounds for his Ransom After his return home he found every thing in confusion the French having not only ravaged Normandy and other Provinces belonging to him but also his Brother had made a Pretension to the Crown but he obliged the latter to implore his Pardon and beat the French back into their own Country He died not long after of a wound which he received in a Siege of some inconsiderable place in France After his death his Brother John took upon him the Crown of England who was opposed by Arthur Earl of the lesser Britainy his elder Brother's Son who finding himself alone not strong enough sought for Aid of the King of France who was ready upon all occasions to create Troubles in England He took a great many Cities in Normandy and Anjou Wherefore King John was obliged to make a dishonourable Peace with him giving in marriage to Lewis King Philip's Son Blanch Daughter of Alfonsus King of Castile and of his Sister Eleonora to whom he gave as a Dowry all the Cities which Philip had taken from him except Angiers Then he married Isabella Daughter and Heiress of the Earl of Angoulesme who was promised before to Hugh Earl of Marche He to revenge this affront join'd his Forces with the King of France and Prince Arthur of Britainy and fell into Touraine and Anjou But King John falling upon them unawares routed the Enemy and took Prince Arthur Prisoner who died not long after a Prisoner in Roan But Constantia the Mother of Arthur made her Complaints to Philip King of France whose Vassal King John was on the score of such Provinces as he was possess'd of in France and the King of France summon'd King John to appear before him and to answer for the death of Arthur But he not appearing it was declar'd that King John had forfeited what Fiefs he was possess'd of in France and King Philip took from him Normandy 316 Years after Rollo the Norman had conquered the same But the French afterwards attack'd also Angiers where they were repulsed with great loss by King John whereupon a Truce was concluded betwixt them for two Years During which time he routed the Scots and suppressed the Rebels in Ireland and Wales The Truce being expired the War began afresh with France and King John's Army being routed he made another Truce with France But this ill success had much diminished his Authority among his Nobles who also hated him because he had imposed heavy Taxes upon them wherefore they with joint consent demanded from him the restitution of their ancient Privileges but perceiving that he only intended to give them fair Words for Deeds they called to their aid Lewis Son of Philip King of France who landing with a great Army in England was received with a general applause and whilst King John endeavoured to make Head against him he died overwhelm'd with Troubles § 9. Him succeeded his Son Henry III. whose tender Age wrought Compassion on most and extinguish'd the Hatred which had been
her Reign the English Trade was first established in Turkey and the East Indies the finest Coin as also the Manufactury of Serges and Bays was settled in England about the same time This Queen also brought first into Reputation the English Naval Strength which she was so jealous of that tho' she supported the Netherlanders against the Spaniards yet would she never consent that the Netherlanders should so augment their Sea Forces as that thereby they might be able to contest with England at Sea This Maxim which seem'd so necessary for England was not regarded by King James he being a lover of Peace And King Charles I. having always his Hands full with his Rebellious Subjects was not in a capacity to observe it wherefore the Dutch Power at Sea could neither by Cromwel nor by Charles II. be brought down again This most glorious and by her Subjects extreamly beloved Queen died in the Year 1602 having before appointed James VI. King of Scotland for her Successour § 23. After the death of Elizabeth James VI. King of Scotland was with an unanimous applause proclaimed King of England His Title to this Crown was derived from Margaret Daughter of Henry VII who was married to James IV. King of Scotland whose Son James V. left one only Daughter who was Mother of James VI. He at first shewed himself pretty favourable to the Papists fearing lest they might in the beginning of his Reign raise some Commotions against him Notwithstanding which immediately after his Coronation the Lord Cobham Gray and others enter'd into a Conspiracy against him Their main design was to root out the Line of James and to put in his place the Marchioness d' Arbelle she being also descended from the abovesaid Margaret Daughter of Henry VII This Lady was after the death of her Father married to Archibald Douglass by whom she had Margaret who was married to Maâ—thias Earl of Lenox and this Arbella being the Daughter of Charles Lenox the third Son of this Earl was by the intercession of Spain to have been married to the Duke of Savoy and by this means the Popish Religion was again to be introduced into England But the whole Plot being discover'd the Ring-leaders were punish'd yet not with that Severity as the hainousness of their Crime did deserve tho' in the Year next following all the Jesuits and Popish Priests were by a severe Proclamation banish'd out of England In the Year 1605 some Popish Villains had hir'd a Vault under the Parliament House which being fill'd up with a great many Barrels of Gunpowder they intended to have blown the King the Prince and the whole Parliament into the Air. But this devilish Design was discover'd for one of the Accomplices by a Letter that was obscurely written and deliver'd by an unknown person to a Footman of the Lord Mounteagle did intreat him not to come the next day into the Parliament House Which causing a suspicion in the King all the Vaults were search'd and the Powder found Hereupon the Parliament made an Act That all Subjects by a solemn Oath should acknowledge James for their lawfull Sovereign neither that the Pope had any Authority to Dethrone Sovereigns or to absolve Subjects from their Allegiance He concluded a Peace with Spain and was afterwards one of the Mediators of the Truce made betwixt Spain and Holland His Son-in-law the Elector Palatine being banish'd out of his Territories he assisted only with sending of Ambassadours and proposing of an Agreement all which the Spaniards render'd ineffectual His Son Prince Charles was sent into Spain to marry the Infanta where the Marriage Contract was concluded and confirmed by Oath but the Nuptials were deferred till the next year the Spaniards being willing to gain time and to see how things would be carried on in Germany for the House of Austria But when after the Prince's return into England the English would needs have the Restitution of the Elector Palatine inserted in the Articles the Match was broke off and tho' the Parliament voted a Subsidie to be employed towards the restoring of the Elector Palatine yet the Design came to nothing Under this King there was a period put to the Differences and Wars betwixt England and Scotland which hitherto had created abundance of Troubles to this Island And that nothing of jealousie might remain betwixt these two Nations about Preference in the Royal Title he introduced the Name of Great Britain which comprehends both the Kingdoms There was also set on foot a Treaty to unite both Kingdoms into one Body but it did not succeed because the Scots would not be Inferiour to the English Under this King's Reign Colonies were established in Virginia Bermudos and Ireland by which means the English have extended their Dominions but there are some who believe that this has weakened the English at home and that in all probability it would have been more profitable for England to have employed those people in Manufactury and Fishing of Herrings which produce such vast Riches to the Dutch in the very sight of the English Yet some are also of Opinion That it is good for the publick repose that the unruly Multitude do not grow too numerous in England The East India Trade was also greatly promoted at that time but the English could not come there in competition with the Dutch these having been before hand with them This King died in the Year 1625. § 24. His Son Charles I. succeeded him who after the Spanish Match was broke off married Henrietta Daughter of Henry IV. He equipp'd out a great Fleet against the Spaniards the English landed near Cadiz but being repulsed with loss returned without doing any thing and all Commerce was prohibited betwixt Spain and England He also broke with France and because the French Merchants had been ill treated by the English all Commerce was also prohibited betwixt these two Nations The English thereupon endeavoured to send Aid unto the City of Rochelle and landing in the Isle of Rhee besieged the Fort of St. Martin which being valiantly defended by one Toyras the English were repulsed with great loss In the Year next following they undertook to relieve Rochelle but in vain Whereupon Charles concluded a Peace with France in the Year 1629 and in the Year next following with Spain having by this War waged against these two Nations which were not so easie to be attack'd by one at the same time gained no Reputation to the dissatisfy'd Subjects and vast Debts Under this King arose very violent Divisions betwixt him and the Parliament which produced a most strange Revolution in that Kingdom It will be very well worth our while to enquire a little more narrowly into the true causes thereof That wife Queen Elizabeth held it for a constant maxim to oppose the growing power of Spain with all her might whereby she weaken'd Spain and not only enrich'd her Subjects but
their General Hamilton a Prisoner But during the absence of Cromwell the Parliament had re-assumed the Treaty with the King and the business was carried on so far that there was no small hopes of an Accommodation when the Souldiers headed by Ireton Son-in-law to Cromwell broke off the Treaty taking Prisoners such Members of the House as did oppose them So that there were not above forty Members left in the Parliament and those were either Officers or at least favourers of the Army These decreed That no Treaty should be set on foot for the future with the King That the Supream Power was to be lodged in the People which was represented by the House of Commons But the Regal Power and the Authority of the House of Lords should be quite abolished Then they order'd a Court of 250 persons to be erected by whose Authority the King was to be summoned sentenced and punished notwithstanding that the generality of the people look'd upon this Court as an abominable thing some Presbyterian Ministers cry'd out aloud against it in the Pulpits the Scots protested against it and the Dutch Ambassadours and other Princes did their utmost to oppose it Before this Court where sat among the rest a great many of very mean Extraction the King was accused of High Treason Tyranny and of all the Murthers and Robberies committed since the beginning of these Troubles And the King as in justice he ought to do refusing to acknowledge its Authority was sentenced to be beheaded tho' there were but 67 of these pretended Judges present the rest abominating the fact had absented themselves among whom was Fairfax But the King having been miserably abus'd by the Souldiers was beheaded with an Ax upon a Scaffold erected for that purpose before Whitehall § 29. After the death of the King the outward shew of the Supream Power was in the Parliament but in effect it was lodged in the Generals of the Armies Their first design was to banish the King's Son and the whole Royal Family and to suppress all such as adhered to him Cromwell was sent into Ireland where the Royal Party was as yet pretty strong which Island was reduced in the space of one year by Cromwell's good Fortune and Valour In the mean while the Scots had proclaimed Charles II. tho' under very hard Conditions their King who also arriving there safely out of France whither he was gone for Shelter was crowned King of Scotland The Parliament thereupon recall'd Cromwell out of Ireland and having made him General for they had deposed Fairfax whom they mistrusted sent him into Scotland where he beat the Scots several times but especially gave them an entire defeat near Leith taking among other places the Castle of Edinborough which was hitherto esteemed impregnable The King in the mean while having gathered a flying Army enter'd England in hopes that a great many English would join with him But he was deceiv'd in his hopes very few coming to him and Cromwell overtaking him with his Army near Worcester his Forces were routed and dispersed so that he was forc'd to change his Cloaths in his flight and after a great many dangers was miraculously saved and escaped by the help of a Merchant-ship into France The King being thus driven out of the Island the Scots were entirely subdu'd under the Conduct of General Monk who was sent thither by Cromwell who having imposed upon them very hard Conditions according to their deserts intirely subjected them to the English This done the Parliament began to take into consideration how to disband part of the Army and to quarter the rest in the several Counties But Cromwell sent away that Parliament which had been the cause of so much troubles and constituted a new Parliament consisting of 144 Members most of them being Fanaticks and Enthusiasts among whom Cromwell had put a few cunning Fellows who being entirely devoted to his Service did make the rest dance after his pipe These having first let these silly wretches go on in their own way till by their phantastical Behaviour they had made themselves ridiculous and hated by every body then offer'd the Supream Administration of Affairs to Cromwell who having accepted of the same under the Title of a Protectour selected a Privy Council wherein were received the Heads of the several Sects Thus they who had shown so much aversion to the Royal Power and hatch'd out a Monarch of their own who without controul ruled the three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland at pleasure Cromwell to have a fair pretence to keep on foot his Sea and Land Forces which were the Foundation of his Power began a War with the Dutch who seem'd to despise this new Monarch But Fortune was so favourable to Cromwell in this War that he took above 1700 Merchant men from the Dutch and beat them in five Sea Engagements in the last of which the Dutch lost Martin Tromp and twenty seven Men of War The Hollanders then were oblig'd to beg for Peace and to accept of such Conditions as were propos'd to them among which one was That the Province of Holland should exclude the Prince of Orange for ever from succeeding in his Father's place Another was That they should not receive the banish'd King Charles II. into their Territories Which some alledge as a reason that he was always ready afterwards to revenge himself upon them tho' at his return into the Kingdom they endeavoured with aboundance of flattery to make amends for the former affront It is very likely also that the King was suspicious that the Dutch had fomented the Differences betwixt his Father and the Parliament Cromwell acquired so much Glory by this War that most Princes sent their Ambassadours to him as if he had been a lawfull Sovereign and desir'd his Friendship He was no less fortunate in discovering several Plots which were made against him For which purpose he entertained his Spies every where even near the King's person having besides this a cunning way to draw the people over to his party and to suppress such as envy'd his Fortune He sent also a Fleet into the Mediterranea◠wherewith he curb'd the Pirates on the Coast of Barbary Another was sent into the West Indies where his Designs against St. Domingo and Hispaniola miscarried but Jamaica he took from the Spaniards notwithstanding that a great many of his Men were taken off by Sickness and he did considerable mischief to the Spaniards by ruining their Silver Fleet. He sent some Auxiliary Troops to the French in Flanders who in recompence surrender'd to him Dunkirk He died in the Year 1658 having been as great and formidable as ever any King of England He was a great Master in the Art of Dissimulation knowing how to make his advantage of Religious Pretences wherefore he gave liberty of Conscience to all Sectaries whereby he not only got their Favours but also by dividing the people into
several Opinions he prevented their easily joining against him § 30. After the death of Cromwell this unlawfull and violent form of Government could not be of a long continuance For tho' his Son Richard succeeded him in the Protectorship this was the Title used by Cromwell having refused the Name of King yet was he in no ways capable to bear such a weight Wherefore he was soon deposed by the Parliament which being divided within it self Monk who was then Governour of Scotland took this opportunity and marching with an Army out of Scotland into England possess'd himself of the City of London dissolv'd the Military Parliament and recall'd King Charles II. into his Kingdom This King did restore the ancient Form of Government in the Kingdom both in Spiritual and Temporal Matters for his Subjects were ready to gratify him in most respects as having been taught by Experience That the Frogs who despised to have a Block for their King got afterwards a Stork for their Master This King who judg'd that the Greatness of England did chiefly depend on the Dominion of the Seas and Commerce which was disputed by no body but the Dutch did in all probability bend all his Thoughts that way viz. How to make these proud Merchants more pliable his hopes being grounded upon what he had seen Cromwell do against them Wherefore he began a War with Holland which was carried on at first with equal losses on both sides But the English at last taking a Resolution to tire out the Dutch without coming to an Engagement they ventur'd at a bold stroke and to the great dishonour of the English enter'd the River of Thames firing some Ships at Chattam This obliged the King to make a Peace with them by the Mediation of Swedeland tho' the great success of the French Arms in Flanders may probably have contributed a great deal towards it Yet it seems as if ever since he had kept up a Resolution of Revenging himself upon them he being also again exasperated by the Rable in Holland who affronted him afterwards He therefore in the Year 1672 attack'd the Dutch at Sea whilst the King of France made War against them by Land But this War did not succeed according to his expectation for the Dutch did not only take from the English a great number of Merchant-ships but also the English could not master the Dutch in any of these Sea fights partly because the French would not fall on in good earnest partly because the Dutch acted very circumspectly not giving any opportunity to the English to make a Descent either on Holland or Zealand It is possible that the King's Intentions may perhaps have been frustrated by some Intrigues at home And because the English Nation began to grow very jealous of the great Successes of France the King was obliged to make a separate Peace with Holland and afterwards was receiv'd as a Mediatour betwixt the Parties then engag'd in War against one another § 31. The English Nation is very populous and fruitfull There are some who have reckoned that in England are 9913 Parishes in each Parish 80 Families which make 778183 Families and seven persons reckoned to each Family amounts to 6470800 Souls among which number it may be suppos'd to be above a Million of Men capable of bearing of Arms. This Nation is also very fit to settle Colonies in Foreign Countries because the English as soon as they are in the least settled in a place they quickly marry and remain there for their life time Whereas other Nations if they go into far distant Countries go only with an intent to get a little Money which they afterwards love to spend in their Native Country The English are also Courageous Brave not fearing Death For in former times their Land forces were much superiour to the French and ever since the times of Queen Elizabeth when they first began to apply themselves in earnest to the Sea they have not been inferiour in Skill and Courage to any Nation in the World except that the Dutch may be compared with them in Sea Affairs But this is to be observ'd of the English Valour that they commonly are very Furious and Brave at the beginning yet great Hardship Famine and other Inconveniencies they are not so well able to endure with Patience as being us'd to live in great Ease and Plenty in their own Country Wherefore Maurice Prince of Orange us'd to put the English that were sent to his assistance upon desperate Enterprizes before as he us'd to say they had digested the English Beef They are also very dexterous in Woollen and Silk Manufacturies and are generally great Improvers of other Arts and Mysteries Yet they are also somewhat Highminded inclining themselves to Diversion which is the reason that they do not so much Work as otherwise they might and yet they expect to be paid for their idle Hours as well as the rest which is the reason why they sell their Wares at a higher rate than others and that they envy such French Handycrafts-men who live among them and are seldom diverted from their daily Labour by any Pleasures They being generally of a melancholy temper makes them very Ingenious and when they apply themselevs to any Science they make great progress in the same if they hit the right way But by the same rule because there happens often to be an ill mixture of this melancholy temper abundance of Fanaticks and Enthusiasts are to be found among them who having form'd to themselves Opinions out of ill-grounded Principles adhere so stedfast to them that they are not by any ways to be removed from them Wherefore there is not any Nation under the Sun where more different and more absurd Opinions are to be met withall in Religion than in England The loose sort of people are addicted to Thieving and Robbing upon the High-way wherefore the Hangmen are always busie in England This Nation also loves to eat and drink extreamly well tho' there are some who will have it that the English have got their way of drinking so plentifully from the Netherlanders in the Wars of the Low-Countries and from thence have brought that ill Custom over into England which before they say was not in use there Their own Histories are sufficient evidences that they have been always inclined to Rebellion and intestine Commotions Wherefore their Kings can never be secure except they keep a watchfull Eye over the restless Spirit of the People § 32. The Scots are reported to have a share of Pride and Envy in them They are very apt to propose to themselves great Matters and to delight in their own Inventions They are good Land-Souldiers and can endure more hardship than the English neither are they so much addicted to their Belly both which they have from the barrenness of their Native Country They are very Revengefull and intestine Broils among the Noble Families were formerly very common
Constitutions yet most are of Opinion that not this Pharamond but his Son Clodion sirnamed Long-hair invaded Gaul who after he had been several times repulsed by Aetius the Roman General at last took Artois Cambray Tournay and some other places as far as the River Somme making Amiens his place of Residence He died in the Year 447 but his Successour and Kinsman Merovaeus in conjunction with the Roman General Aetius and Theodorick the King of the West Goths having beaten Attila the King of the Hans out of France extended his Dominions as far as Mentz on one side and on the other side conquer'd Picardy Normandy and the greatest part of the Isle of France The Romans themselves contributed to this loss for that not only in the Battel fought against Attila they had lost a great many of their best Forces but Aetius also being fallen into disgrace with the Emperour Valentinian was by him murthered which Aetius may be justly said to have been the last great Captain the Romans had there being after his death no body left who could resist Merovaeus From this King sprang the first Race of the French Kings which is called the Merovigian Family He died in the Year 458. His Son Childerick for his Lasciviousness was banish'd in whose stead one Aegidius of the ancient Race of the Gauls was set up for King But Childerick through the faithfulness of his Friend Guyeman was after an Exile of eight Years recall'd out of Thuringia whither he fled and restor'd to his Throne who drove back the Britains and Saxons that made at that time great havock in France He also conquer'd that part which is now call'd Lorrain and took Beauvais Paris and some other places near the Rivers of the Oise and the Seyne He died in the Year 481. His Son Clouis or Lewis having kill'd Syagrius the Son of Aegidius establish'd the French Monarchy and added great Territories to the Kingdom This King fell in love with Clotildis of the Royal Race of Burgundy who promised to marry him if he would turn Christian Which however he afterwards delayed to perform till the Alemans who would have got a footing in France enter'd that Kingdom whom he meeting with his Army near Zulick a bloody Battel was fought where when he saw the French began to fall in disorder he vow'd That if he obtain'd the Victory he would be baptiz'd which Vow after the Victory he perform'd being baptiz'd at Reims by St. Reim whose example the whole Nation of the French followed This King also overturn'd the Kingdom of the Goths which they had establish'd in Languedock uniting that Country with his Kingdom He also conquer'd several petty Principalities and a part of the Higher Germany He died in the Year 511. § 3. After the death of Clouis France received a signal blow the Kingdom being divided among his four Sons who tho' they annexed the Kingdom of Burgundy to it yet this division weaken'd this Kingdom and administred Fuel to the following intestine Dissentions Nay this impolitick dividing the Kingdom went further still for they subdivided the Kingdom again among their Sons which occasioned most horrible civil Commotions in France these Kings endeavouring as it were to out-do one another in Iniquity And among the rest the two Queens Brunechildis and Fredegundis are infamous for their monstrous Crimes At last after a great many intestine Divisions Clotarius II. re-uniting the divided Kingdom did somewhat restore its ancient State He died in the Year 628. But his Son Dagobert fell into the same Madness for he not only gave part of the Kingdom to his Brother Albert but also divided his own share among his two Sons neither did he do any thing for the Benefit of the Publick during his Reign From this time the French Kings quite degenerated from their ancient Valour giving themselves over to Laziness and Debauchery Wherefore the Grand Mareschals of the Kingdom did by degrees assume the Power and Administratinon of Publick Affairs Among these Pipin was famous descended of a Noble Family in Austrasia who had the Administration of Affairs during the space of twenty eight Years under several Kings His Son Charles Martell succeeded his Father in his Power and Office which he rather augmented after he was grown famous by his Martial Exploits having chas'd away the Saracens who about that time conquering Spain fell also into France of whom he kill'd a vast number This Man took upoâ— himself the Title of a Prince and Duke of France so that nothing remain'd with the Kings but the bare Title and an empty Name they being kept in the Country and once a Year carried for a Show through the City to expose them to the view of the People like strange Creatures At last Pipin the Younger Son of this Charles Martell who died in the Year 741 having brought the great Men of the Kingdom over to his Party depos'd King Childerick II. and having sent him into a Convent got himself proclaim'd King of France This was approv'd easily enough by Pope Zachary because he being in fear of the growing Power of the Longobards in Italy did endeavour by all means to oblige the King of France to come to his Assistance And thus the Merovignian Family loses the Crown of France § 4. Pipin to convince the World that he was not unworthy of the Crown or else to furnish the People with other Matters than to talk of the deposing of Childerick undertook an Expedition against the Saxons whom he vanquish'd in a great Battel And he had likewise under the Reign of the former Kings undertaken several Expeditions into Germany with great Success and subdu'd some of the Nations bordering upon the Rhine Not long after an Opportunity presented it self to make himself famous in Italy For Aistulphus the King of the Lombards had propos'd to himself the Conquest of all Italy after he had chas'd the Governours of the Grecian Emperours which were then call'd Exarches out of Ravenna and all other places which were under their Jurisdiction and was ready to march directly against Rome The Pope Stephen III. being in great fear of this Enemy and not knowing where to find Assistance crav'd Aid of Pipin whom he at last persuaded to take his part against Aistulphus In this War Pipin recover'd from Aistulphus all what he had before taken from the Grecian Emperours in Italy the Revenue of which he as 't is pretended gave to the Roman See reserving to himself as it is very probable the Sovereignty over these places He gained by this Action the Reputation of being very Zealous and by bestowing these Revenues upon the Holy Chair got a firm footing in Italy and the advantage of swaying Matters there according to his Pleasure He made also Tassilo Duke of Baâ—aria his Vassal and beat the Duke of Aquitain This Pipin died in the Year 768 leaving behind him
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
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
John Galeas the true Heir of this Dukedom but a weak Prince had under that Pretence made himself Master of the same This Duke fearing that he might be put out of possession by Ferdinand King of Naples whose Son Alfonsus's Daughter Isabella was married to John Galeas endeavour'd to give Ferdinand his Hands full of Work that he might not be at leisure to think of him knowing also that Ferdinand and his Son Alfonsus were much hated by their Subjects for their Tyranny and Impiety An Expedition was therefore undertaken against Naples which proved the occasion of continual Miseries to Italy for the space of forty Years for so long it was the Cock-pit for the French Germans and Spaniards and at last lost a great part of its ancient Liberty It seem'd to be fatal to Italy that the wise Italians either could or would not prevent this Expedition which was design'd two Years before Charles had at the beginning all the Success imaginable for the Italian Troops were in a very ill condition and there being no body who durst oppose him Florence and the Pope sided with him the latter declaring Charles King of Naples King Alfonsus stirr'd up by his own Conscience abdicated himself transferring all his Right and Title upon his Son Ferdinand But his Forces being soon beaten and dispers'd Charles made his solemn Entry into Naples with loud Acclamations Immediately the whole Kingdom submitted to him except the Isle of Iseria and the Cities of Brundisi and Gallipoli The Conquest of so fair a Kingdom and that within five Months time struck a Terrour into the Turkish Emperour himself being in fear at constantinople and Greece being ready to rebell as soon as the French should land on that side But the Face of Affairs was quickly changed for the French by their ill behaviour quickly lost the Favour of the Neapolitans the King minded nothing but Gaming and the rest following his Example were careless in maintaining their Conquest Besides this it was look'd upon as a thing of such Consequence by the rest of the Princes of Europe that the Emperour the Pope King Ferdinand of Arragon Venice and Milan enter'd into a Confederacy to drive the French out of Italy Charles therefore fearing lest his Retreat might be cut off took his Way by Land into France having left things but in an indifferent state of Defence in Naples In his March he was met by the Confederate Army near the River of Taro where a Battel was fought in which tho' there were more kill'd on the Confederate side than of the French yet he marched forward with such Precipitation as if he had lost the Battel Charles was no sooner returned into France but Ferdinand soon retook without great trouble the Kingdom of Naples to the great Dishonour of the French who were not able to maintain themselves there a whole Year of whom very few return'd alive into France Not long after Charles died without Issue § 16. Him succeeded Lewis XII formerly Duke of Orleans who not to lose Britainy married Anna Widow of the late King He made War soon after on Milan pretending a Right to that Dukedom by his Grandmother's side and having conquer'd the same within 21 days Lewis the Black was forc'd to fly with his Children and all his Treasure into Germany But the Inhabitants of Milan grew quickly weary of the French their free Conversation with the Women being especially intolerable to them and therefore recall'd their Duke who having got together an Army of Swiss was joyfully receiv'd and regain'd the whole Country except the Castle of Milan and the City of Novara But Lewis sending timely Relief the Duke ' s Swiss Souldiers refused to fight against the French so that the Duke endeavouring to save himself by flight in a common Souldiers Habit was taken Prisoner and kept ten Years in Prison at Loches where he died Thus the French got Milan and the City of Genoua again After so great Success Lewis began to think of the Kingdom of Naples To obtain which he made a League with Ferdinand the Catholick wherein it was agreed that they should divide the Kingdom betwixt them so that the French should have for their share Naples Terre de Labour and Abruzze and the Spaniards Poville and Calabria Each of them got his share without any great trouble Frederick King of Naples surrendring himself to King Lewis who allowed him a yearly Pension of 30000 Crowns But soon after new Differences arose betwixt these two haughty Nations concerning the Limits for the French pretended that the Country of Capitanate which is very considerable for its Taxes paid for Sheep which are there in great numbers did belong to Abruzze whereas the Spaniards would have it belong to Poville and from Words they came to Blows The French at first had somewhat the better but as soon as Gonsalvus de Cordoua that cunning Spaniard had broke their first Fury and Lewis did not send sufficient Relief they were as shamefully beaten again out of the Kingdom as they had been before Lewis endeavoured to revenge himself upon the Spaniards in the Year next following but tho' he attack'd them with four several Armies yet could he not gain any thing upon them Wherefore he made a Peace with Ferdinand and enter'd into an Alliance with him against Philip Son-in-law to Ferdinand who having after the death of Isabella taken from him the Kingdom of Castile was upheld by his Father Maximilian and back'd by Henry King of England whose Son had married his Wife's Sister In the Year 1507 the City of Genoua rebell'd against Lewis but was soon reduced to her former Obedience Then the War began afresh in Italy with the Venetians who being too much addicted to self-interest had drawn upon themselves the hatred of all their Neighbours having encroached upon every one of them and Lewis especially attributed to them his loss of the Kingdom of Naples To humble this proud State a League was concluded at Cambray betwixt the Emperour the Pope the Kings of France and Spain Lewis by entring into a Confederacy with his mortal Enemies had more regard to his Passion than his Interest it being certain that he might upon all occasions have trusted to the Friendship of the Venetians But now he was the first that fell upon them and defeated them in a great Battel near Giera d' Addua which caused such a Terror among them that they left all what they had on the Continent within twenty days and if Lewis had pursued his Victory whilst they were under this first Consternation he might doubtless have put a period to their Greatness But in the mean time that he marched back towards Milan not making the best of his Victory they got leisure to recover themselves especially since the Emperour Maximilian was not in earnest against them and Pope Julius II. was reconciled to them Nay in
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
Quarrels wherefore she was very carefull to uphold these Jealousies betwixt them To find an Opportunity to set up the Prince of Conde and his Party thereby to balance those of Guise she pretended to be no Enemy to the Protestant Religion under which Pretence the same was much in request at Court. To suppress the reformed Religion Montmorency the House of Guise and the Mareschaal of St. Andrew join'd in a Confederacy who calling themselves the Triumvirate drew also the King of Navarre in to their Party After this a Conference and Disputation was held betwixt some Divines of both Religions at Poissy after which the Royal Protection was by a publick Edict promis'd to the Protestant Religion which from the Month is call'd the Edict of January This extreamly exasperated the Triumvirate so that in the very same Year the War commenc'd The first occasion of it was given by some belonging to those of Guise who in a small Town call'd Vassy disturb'd the Protestants in the Exercise of their Religion and a Quarrel arising thereupon kill'd near threescore of them Which was the first Blood shed in this Civil War and from this time Things went very strangely in France It is not our purpose to enumerate all the Cities that were taken neither to speak of all the small Skirmishes which are innumerable nor the Cruelties committed on both sides and the Barbarities of the Rabble it will be sufficient for us to touch upon some of the main points In this first War the King of Navarre died of a Wound which he receiv'd in the Siege of Roan Near Dreux a bloody Battel was fought where Conde at first had the Advantage but his Souldiers falling to plundring he was beat back again he himself being made a Prisoner and the Mareschal St. Andrew being kill'd by a Shot 8000 Men were slain upon the Spot and the Loss near equal on both sides the Duke of Guise kept the Field but was afterwards at the Siege of Orleans treacherously murther'd by one Poltrot with a Pistol-shot who was supposed to have committed the Fact by instigation of Coligny Soon after a Peace was made It is related that above 50000 Huguenots were slain in this War on the other side they took the Church-plate and Ornaments which they having turn'd into Money Silver was after this War more currant in France than before But Catharine had persuaded her self that both Parties were reduc'd to that Condition that she could now handle them at pleasure After the Peace was concluded the English were again beaten out of Havre de Grace which the Huguenots had given them as an Acknowledgment for their Assistance This Peace lasted no longer than till the Year 1576 when the Huguenots were persuaded that at the interview betwixt Catharine and the Duke of Alba at Bayonne a League was set on foot for rooting out the Hereticks And in effect they were immediately after more severely dealt with and as it was reported the Prince of Conde and Coligny were to be secur'd The Huguenots therefore began the Second War during which the Constable Annas Montmorency being mortally wounded in an Engagement he told a Monk who at his last Hour was very troublesome to him He should let him be at quiet since during the Time of 80 Years that he had liv'd he had learn'd how to employ one quarter of an Hour in dying The Huguenots got great Reputation for Valour in this Engagement they being much Inferiour to the other in Number About the same time the City of Rochelle declar'd for the Huguenots which afterwards for 60 Years together serv'd them for a secure Retreat Then a second Peace was concluded not with an Intention to keep it but that each Party might find a better Opportunity to take Advantage of one another nor were the Conditions ever fulfill'd The War therefore was renewed in the same Year during which the Prince of Conde was kill'd by a Shot in a Battel near Jarnack After his Death the Huguenots declar'd Henry King of Navarre the Son of Anthony who afterwards was King of France their Head tho in effect Coligny had the chief management of Affairs He in vain besieged Poictiers in the Defence of which Place the young Duke of Guise gave the first proofs of his Valour he was also soundly beaten near Moncontour where he lost 9000 Foot He lost nevertheless nothing of his former Reputation for he quickly recollected his broken Troops and got together a great Army being assisted by Queen Elizabeth with Money and by the Paltzgrave with Souldiers He directed his March towards Paris whereupon a Peace was concluded to the great Advantage of the Huguenots the four strong Cities of Rochelle Montauban Cagnac and Charité being given them for their Security But the main design of this Peace was that the King perceiving that the Huguenots could not be suppress'd by Force hop'd he might win them by Policy therefore endeavour'd by fair Words and great Promises to make them secure The Admiral was caress'd at Court he being consulted withall concerning an Expedition to be undertaken against the Spaniards in the Netherlands A Marriage also was concluded betwixt Henry King of Navarre and Margaret the King's Sister to which Wedding they invited the chief of the Huguenots with a Design to cut their Throats in Paris And first of all the Admiral Coligny as he was going home from Court was by sorne Villains who were suborn'd by the Duke of Guise shot with two Bullets through the Arm. Then it was agreed That in the Year 1571 on the 24th Day of August early in the Morning when the Bells were ringing to Prayers all the Huguenots should be massacred except the King of Navarre and the young Prince of Conde The Execution of this Enterprize the Duke of Guise had taken upon himself The beginning of whose Massacre was made with Coligny who was ill of his Wounds then it fell promiscuously upon the rest the Fury of the Mob not ceasing till after seven Days slaughter A great many other Cities of France follow'd the Example of Paris so that within few Days near 30000 were miserably massacred The King of Navarre and Prince of Conde were forc'd to abjure the Reformed Religion This was the so much celebrated Parisian Wedding which Gabriel Naude would fain represent us a State 's Trick but this is in my Opinion a very gross way of arguing Nevertheless the Huguenots did quickly recollect themselves after the first Consternation was over renewing the War with great Animosity and Revenge During this War the King's Army besieged Rochelle near eight Months together and having lost 12000 Men before it News was brought That the Duke d' Anjou was elected King of Poland Hence an Opportunity was taken to raise the Siege with some Reputation and to make a Peace the fourth time with the Huguenots by vertue of which the Cities of Rochelle Montauban and Nismes were
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
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
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
that the Poles in the mean time should keep in their Possession the Dukedom of Severia Zernigo and Novogrod which they had taken during these Troubles in Muscovy In the mean time George Farenbach did surrender several places in Livonia to the King of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus but it was suspected that he intended to betray the King for soon after the same Farenbach was reconciled to King Sigismund unto whom he restored all the places except Pernau In the Year 1620. the Poles were engaged in a War against the Turks that were as 't is supposed stirred up by Betlem Gabor Prince of Transylvania for Sigismund having assisted the Emperour against him Betlem Gabor was for making them a Diversion by the help of the Turks The Turks therefore entred Moldavia with an Intention to banish that Duke who sided with the Poles the Polish General Zolkieuski coming to the Assistance of the Duke of Moldavia advanced too far into the Country and as he was marching back was totally routed and himself slain upon the Place In the Year next following the Turks marched with their whole Froces against Poland who were met by the Poles near Chocim under the Command of Prince Vladislaus The Polish Army was about 65000 strong but the Turks 392000 Men commanded by the Turkish Emperour Osman in Person The Turks did attempt three times to take the Polish Camp by Storm but were as often repulsed with great Loss But the Poles in the mean while suffered extreamly for want of Ammunition and Provisions and were mightily weakened by Sicknesses and the Mortahty among their Horses Nevertheless the Turkish Emperour made a very honourable Peace with them after he had lost 60000 Men in these several Storms made upon their Camp and a greater Number in his march back to Constantinople In the mean time King Gustavus Adolphus falling into Livonia took the City of Riga without any great Resistance And the rest of Livonia except Dunneburgh was Conquered by the Swedes in the Year 1625. King Gustavous entred Prussia with an Army in the Year 1626. where he took the Cities of Marienburgh and Elbing besides some other Places This War was thus carried on without any General Engagement till the Year 1629. when Hans Wrangel the Swedish General defeated the Poles near Gorzno Then the Emperour sent some Forces to the Assistance of the Poles who in a Battel fought near Stum were very near having made King Gustavus their Prisoner But the Polish Affairs being after this Battel fallen into great Confusion a Truce was concluded by the mediation of France and England till the Year 1634. the Swedes being in the mean while to keep in their Possession Elbing Memel Braunsberg Pillâ—u and what else they had taken in Livonia Sigismund died in the Year 1632. § 11. After his Death his Son Vladislaus IV. was declared King who in the Year next following obtained a signal Victory over the Muscovites that had besieged Smolensko for he not only forced them to raise the Siege but also brought the Muscovite Army into such streights that they were forced to surrender themselves And the Turks who would have made a Diversion to him were also bravely repulsed At last Vladislaus made a very advantageous Peace on his side with the Muscovites by vertue of which these renounced all their Pretensions upon the two large Dukedoms of Smolensko and Ozernichow This begot such a Terrour among the Turks that they freely made him Restitution for the Damages sustained in their last In-road having also caused the Bashaw who commanded these Forces to be strangled The Truce with Sweden was prolonged at Stumdorf in Prussia for 26 Years where the places possessed before by the Swedes in Prussia were restored to the Poles because the Swedish Affairs in Germany were then after the Battel of Norlingen in a very ill Condition and besides this the English and Dutch were extreamly dissatisfied with the Tolls that were paid in Prussia In the Year 1637. the Foundation was laid of the War with the Cosacks which has brought unspeakable Mischiefs upon the Poles The business happened thus As the number of the Cosacks was greatly encreased by the great number of Boors which frequently ran into them so the great Men in Poland had purchased great Estates in the Vkraine who were of Opinion that their Revenues would be considerably encreased if the Liberty of the Cosacks were reduced into more narrow bounds Wherefore they having advised the King that they ought to be more restrained for the future the Polish General Konicepoliski did cause the Fortress of Hudack to be built just at a point where the River of Zwamer falls into the Dnieper or Borysthenes The Cosacks endeavoured to prevent the perfecting of this Work by force but being routed by the Poles were obliged to surrender their General Pauluck and some of their Chief Men among them who were all notwithstanding a Pardon was promised them before hand beheaded Besides this it was decreed in the Dyet that all their former Priviledges and the Fortress of Techtimorovia should be taken from them and that in their stead a new body of Militia should be settled there To put this Decree in execution the Polish Army marched into the Vkraine against which the Cosacks fought with great bravery promising nevertheless that they would be faithful to the Crown of Polana if their ancient Priviledges were confirmed to them which the Poles did promise them bur did not perform nay did even treat some of them very ill For among other oppressive Methods they took also from them some of their Greek Churches Their General Chmielinski was also grosly Affronted for which he could obtain no Satisfaction For the King having granted him a Priviledge to build some Mills a certain Gentleman whose Name was Jarinski burnt the same having also ravished his Wife and afterwards killed both her and her Son § 12. In the mean time Vladislaus died whom succeeded his Brother John Casimir Then Chmielinski to revenge himself stirred up the Cosacks against the Poles who with Burning Plundering and Ravishing did what Mischief they could to the Polish Nobility And the Senators having desired the King to march out into the Field against them they were answered by him That they ought not to have burnt down their Mills Whereat the Poles being extreamly dissatisfied brought together an Army of 50000 Men which being defeated by the Cosacks there were killed 10000 upon the Spot and besides this they took the City of Kiovia To revenge this Affront the Poles summoned the seventh Man throughout the whole Kingdom and marched against the Cosacks without the Consent of the King but were again miserably beaten by them But Chmielinski celebrating the Nuptials of his Son with the Daughter of the Prince of Vallachia the Poles surprised the Cosacks thereabouts plundered the City and took the Grecian Patriarch prisoner The Cosacks then sent to the King to know
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
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
Is assassinated by Ravillac 234 Henry IV. Emperour of Germany 286 His troubles with the Pope 287 His Son rebells against him 288 Henry VII Emperour of Germany poisoned by a Monk 294 Henry of Valois Duke of Anjou made King of Poland 342 St. Hierom's Dream 387 I. JEsuites sent first into the Indies under John III. King of Portugal 90 Ireland conquer'd by the English 111 John King of England 112 Loses Normandy 113 James I. King of England 146 The Independents become Masters in England 158 Ireland conquer'd by the Parliament Forces of England 160 Constitution of the Irish Nation 166 Jesuits banish'd out of France by King Henry IV. 231 The Spanish Inquisition in the Netherlands 257 The long Inter-regnum in Germany 292 Insurrection of the Boors in Germany under Charles V. 299 John Casimir King of Poland 349 John Pobeiski the present King of Poland 352 Constitution of the Jewish Religion 369 Ignorance contributed to the Popes Authority 386 Causes of this Ignorance 387 Ignorance of Luther's Adversaries 415 The Jesuits why they have taken upon them the Education of the Youth 443 Inquisition and Excommunication 445 L. LEwis XI King of France 202 His politick methods 203 Lewis XII King of France 206 Conquers Milan 206 Conquers Naples 207 Loses it again 207 Lewis XIII King of France 234 Takes Lorrain from that Duke 237 Lewis XIV the present King of France 238 Is forced to leave Paris 240 His differences with the Pope 243 His Wars in Flanders 243 244 Takes Mastricht 245 Leopold the present Emperour of Germany 305 His Wars with the Turks 305 With France 305 Lithuania united to Poland 339 Luther gives a great blow to the Grandeur of the Pope 412 Pope Leo his Vertues and Faults 413 Luther opposes Indulgencies and afterwards the Popes power 414 Is favoured by Erasmus 416 I 'll conduct of Pope Leo and Cardinal Cajetan 418 Why Luther's doctrine was not spread farther 419 Laity debarr'd from reading the Scriptures 437 The licensing of Books 444 Battle fought near Leipzick 520 Battle fought near Lutzen 524 A second Battle fought near Leipzick 530 M. MAcedonian Empire 8 Its fall 11 Massanello's Rebellion at Naples 65 The Maid of Orleans 200 125 Mary Queen of England 139 She restores Popery 139 Marries Philip of Spain 140 Mary Queen of Scotland 142 She marries Bothwel who murther'd her husband 143 She is made a Prisoner in England 143 Is beheaded 144 The Merringim Family loses the Crown of France 178 Mazarine ' s Ministry under Lewis XIV K. of France 238 Mazarine banish'd France 241 And recall'd by the Queen 241 Peace of Munster 275 239 Mazarine's death 242 Archduke Matthew made Governour by the Netherlanders 264 Maurice Son to William Prince of Orange made Stadtholder of the united Provinces 267 Matthias Emperour of Germany 300 Muscovy and its ancient State 361 The Genius of the Muscovites 363 Their Form of Government Strength and Neighbours 365 What Commodities Muscovy affords 364 Concerning Marriages 385 Metropolitans 390 Mendicants order and the Motives to embrace this manner of Life 396 Is prejudicial to the regular Clergy 397 Merits of good Works 439 Marriage made a Sacrament 440 Maydeburgh taken by the Imperialists 519 N. NAvarre conquered by Ferdinand the Catholick 46 Normandy annexed to the Crown of England 108 The Norman Race extinct 109 Navarre taken and lost again in a few days by Francis I. King of France 210 The Edict of Nants 232 Peace made at Nimwegen 305 246 67 The ancient State of the Netherlands 254 Their condition under the Emperour Charles V. 255 Causes of the Wars in the Netherlands under Philip II. King of Spain 256 They were fomented by Elizabeth Queen of England 258 Constitution of the united Netherlands 280 Their Genius 281 Of their Country Shipping and Commerce 282 283 Their Strength and Weakness 285 Their Form of Government 286 Their Defects 288 The Genius of the Norwegians 328 Battle fought near Noringen in Germany 327 O. THE Original of civil Societies 2 Origin of the Kingdom of Navarre and Arragon 3â— The Original of selling Offices in France 202 Siâ—ge of Ostend 271 Orders of Fryars and Nunâ— in general 396 P. THE Persian Empire 4 Philip King of Macedon 8 Peace made at Cambray betwixt Charles V. and Francis I. 213 49 Peace made at Crespy betwixt Charles V. and Francis I. 215 52 Peace betwixt Spain and France 53 Treaty at Passaw 299 52 Philip II. King of Spain 54 His Wars with England 55 Peace made at Vervin betwixt France and Spain 232 57 Portugal falls to Spain 91 59 Philip III. King of Spain 59 Philip IV. King of Spain 91 Portugal falls off from Spain 64 92 Pyrenean Treaty 242 65 Peace with Portugal 66 Peace made at Aix la Chapelle 66 Peace made at Nimwegen 246 67 The Phillippine Islands 74 The Kingdom of Portugal and its Origin 81 The first Project of sailing into the East-Indies 88 The Portugueses banish the Moors and Jews 88 Peace betwixt Holland and Portugal 93 The Humour of the Portugueses 94 A Persecution raised on the Christians of Japan 96 Strength of Portugal 97 Peter's Pence 101 Peace made betwixt the English and French 119 Of no long continuance 120 Another Peace with France under R. II. K. of Eng. 170 The Powder Plot under James I. King of England 147 Pharamond the first King of France 175 Pipin proclaimed King of France 178 The Parisian Massacre 223 Pignerol bought from the Duke of Savoy by Lewis XIII King of France 236 Peace of Munster 275 239 Peace made at Aixla Chapelle 244 The Duke of Parma Governour of the Netherlands 265 Protestants and the rise of that Name 298 Protestant League at Smalkald 298 The differences betwixt the Protestants in Germany 312 The Kingdom of Poland and its Origin 333 Twelve Vaivodes or Governours in Poland 333 The Poles defeated in Moldavia 346 Poland invaded by Gustavus Adolfus K. of Sweden 347 The Poles defeated by the Cosacks 349 Poland invaded by Gustavus Adolf a second time 350 Poland invaded by Ragezi Prince of Transilvania 351 The Genius of the Polish Nation 352 The Kingdom of Poland its Strength and Weakness Form of Government its Commodities Revenues c. 353 354 355. Of the Pope of Rome 368 The Popes Authority and its Origin 386 Pedantry introduced into the Schools 388 The Greek and Roman Politicians prejudicial to Monarchy 388 Patriarchs 390 Of the Popes Power 390 The Popes Confirmation of Bishops 391 How the Popes withdrew themselves from their Subjection to the Emperours 399 The Pope seeks for protection in France 400 The Pope establishes an ecclesiastical Sovereignty 402 The Pope pretends to a power over Princes even to depose them 404 How this power is colour'd over 405 The Papal Authority opposed and weakned by Schisms 407 Divisions among the Protestants and the Licentiousness of some Protestants 420 The Vniversity of Paris 420 The Popish Soveraignty recovered 422 Popish Clergy more regular and learned than before 422 How
Opposing the Growing Power of Philip by raising Powerfull Enemies in Greece against him and his Son Alexander which for great Summs of Money they might easily have done and thus have cut out so much Work for these two Warlike Princes at Home that they could not have had leisure so much as to have entred on the thoughts of Invading Persia In the same manner as formerly the Persians had obliged Agesilaus quickly to return into Greece But being over secure in their own Strength and despising Others they drew upon themselves their own Destruction § 6. Greece was in ancient times divided into a great many petty Common-wealths every one of these being governed by its own Laws Among those in Process of time Athens grew most famous whose Citizens for Ingenuity Eloquence and the knowledge of Arts and Science surpassed all the rest their Glory increased exceedingly after they had signalized themselves so bravely against the Persians After this by adding of the Harbour of Pyreum to their City they made it very commodious for Shipping and acquired such vast Riches that by their naval Strength they subdued the Isles of the Aegean Sea and the Coasts of the Lesser Asia But being puffed up with their good Success they drew upon themselves the hatred of their Allies and after they once attempted to be sole Masters of Greece the Peloponnesians headed by the Spartans who especially envied the Athenians united together to chastise the insolence of Athens Yet the Athenians behaved themselves so bravely that the War was carried on for a considerable time with near equal Success till at last being vanquished in a Battle in Sicily they also lost their whole Fleet on the Coast of Thrace then the Lacedaemonians becoming Masters of Athens constituted thirty Governours who tyrannized most cruelly over such of the Citizens of Athens as survived the Storming of their City yet Thrasibulus having expelled the same with the assistance of some of the banished Athenians restored the City to its former Liberty After this though the Athenians did recover themselves a little yet were they never able to arrive at the former Grandeur of their Common-wealth and being afterwards too forward in making head against Philip they were severely chastised by him It was therefore the immoderate Ambition of the Athenians and their desire of conquering more than they were able to defend which occasioned their Ruin For the number of the Citizens of Athens did not exceed ten thousand and they rarely receiving others as Citizens among them great Cities and Provinces could not be kept in obedience by such a number and with one unfortunate Blow their whole power was struck down without Recovery And considering that such Cities are better fitted for their own Defence than making Conquests upon others it is more adviseable for them to mind the advantage of their own Trade than to inter-meddle too much in foreign Affairs and rather to keep safe their own Walls than to invade their Neighbours Next to Athens Lacedaemon was famous in Greece whose Citizens by the constitutions and rigorous Discipline introduced by Lycurgus seem'd to be most fitly qualified for warlike Atchievements This City having not any powerfull Neighbour to contest withall was strong enough to defend its Liberty against the Neighbouring Common-wealths And the Spartans as long as they according to their Laws and Institution despised Riches had no great occasion to invade others But as soon as they began to aim at higher matters they found by experience that it was a quite different case to conquer Kingdoms than to defend their own City For having had the good Fortune of subduing Athens they fell into the same folly which had been the Ruin of the Athenians and were not only for conquering the Asiatick Sea Coasts but also under the Conduct of Agesilaus they invaded Persia But it was easie for the King of Persia to find out means to chastise their Insolence who caused a diversion to be made by the Greeks that envied the Success of the Spartans so that they were quickly obliged to recall Agesilaus to defend themselves at home Not long after their Fleet being beaten by Conon Epaminondas defeated their Army by Land in the Battle of Leuctra whereby they were so weakened that they were scarce able to defend their own Walls Next to these two Cities Thebes was for a while famous through the Valour and Wisdom of Epaminondas who so well knew how to head his Countrymen that they humbled the Spartans and as long as he lived were the most flourishing State of Greece But after his death this City returned to its former State and making head against Philip was severely chastised by hir◠and quite destroyed by his Son Alexander § 7. Macedon was before the times of Philip an inconsiderable Kingdom and so exposed to the Incursions of its Neighbours that it was scarce able to defend it self this Nation being then esteemed the most despicable of Greece But by the Military Virtue of two Kings this Nation did show it self so considerable that it conquered a great part of the World The circumstances wherein the neighbouring Nations of Macedon were at that time and the good Conduct of Philip whereby he so settled the Kingdom at home that it quickly became the chiefest in all Greece gave the first opportunity to lay the Foundation of this Monarchy For on one side it had for its Neighbours the Thracians Triballians and Illyrians very barbarous Nations these were easily kept in awe by a neighbouring wise and brave King On the other side was Greece and its Cities which though they were much fallen from their ancient Glory yet were all together still too hard for the Macedonians Against those he made use of this Artifice That by setting them together by the Ears among themselves he so weakened them with intestine Wars that they were afterwards not able to hold out long against him And because Philip used only to attack one of those Cities at a time and the rest were not forward enough unanimously to hinder his growing Greatness he was upon a sudden before they were aware of it grown too strong and potent for them all Philip seemed particularly endowed with great qualifications for this enterprize For besides the Vivacity of his Spirit he was push'd on by an extraordinary Ambition to make himself famous by great Actions What real Vertues were wanting in him he endeavoured to supply with pretending to the same wherefore tho' he did nothing without a fair Pretence yet did he never stick at any thing provided he could obtain his ends and was never sparing in Promises or Oaths if he thought he could thereby deceive such as he intended to overcome He was an absolute Master of his Passions and knew how to keep his Counsels secret how to set Friends together by the Ears and by pretending Friendships to both Parties to deceive them by vain hopes He being also very Eloquent knew how to
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 §
possession of the Territories belonging to his Brothers but was slain in the Siege of Camora which City he endeavour'd to take from his Sister Then Alfonso his Brother who had hitherto dwelt with the Moorish King of Toledo made himself Master of Castile and Leon. And took from the Moors besides some other Places the City of Toledo which was in those days esteemed impregnable But the Moors in Spain having received fresh Re-inforcements out of Africa got new Courage and falling upon the Christians defeated them in two Battles till Alfonso got an entire Victory over them obliging the Moorish King of Corduba to pay him a yearly Tribute Nevertheless he was afterwards again over-thrown in a Battle fought with the Moors where he lost his only Son Sanctius whose Death he revenged soon after upon them He died in the Year 1109. Vrraca his Daughter was Heiress to the Kingdom she being Married to Alfonso King of Arragon Which Marriage under pretence of too near a Consanguinity and Adultery committed by the Queen was afterwards dissolved again But because Alfonso would nevertheless keep Castile as the Dowry of the Queen it caused great Intestine Wars and Divisions For Alfonso VIII Son of Vrraca by Raymond of Burgundy her first Husband who was come out of France to assist her Father in the Wars against the Moors was proclaimed King of Castile in the mean while that Alfonso of Arragon was busied in taking besides some other Places the City of Saragossa from the Moors At last a Peace was concluded betwixt Arragon and Castile Afterwards Alfonso of Castile made War against the Moors with great Success taking from them divers Places of Note But Alfonso of Arragon being slain in a Battle fought with the Moors and leaving no Children behind him those of Navarre chose for their King Garsias who was of the Race of their former Kings But the Arragonians conferr'd the Crown upon Ramirus Brother to the deceased King who had been a Monk Alfonso of Castile in Opposition to both pretending to have a Right to these Kingdoms conquered a great part of them causing himself with consent of Pope Innocent II. who was supposed to do it in spite to the German Emperours to be proclaimed Emperour of Spain But this difference was also at last composed it being agreed that Ramirus should give his only Daughter together with the Kingdom to Raymond Earl of Barcelona by which means Catalonia and Arragon were United then Alfonso entring into a Confederacy with the Kings of Navarre and Arragon Attack'd again the Moors taking from them the City of Almeria which in those days was a great Sea-port and Harbour for Privateers Raymond took from the Moors Tortosa Lerida and other strong Holds Alfonso died in the Year 1157. § 6. The same Alfonso though Spain had suffered sufficiently by its being divided into so many Governments left to his Son Sanctius Castile to Ferdinand Leon and Gallicia Sanctius who did nothing that is remarkable except that he beat twice those of Navarre died in the Year 1158 leaving his Son Alfonso IX a Child of four years of Age. During the time of his Minority there were great Disturbances in Castile occasioned partly by the Divisions among the Nobility partly by the Wars with Ferdinando of Leon and Sanctius of Navarre who took several Places from the Castilians But coming to his riper years he did extricate himself though not without great difficulty out of those Troubles In the War against the Moors who always kept the Spanish Kings in Exercise he suffered extreamly so that he was obliged to make a Truce with them because the Kings of Navarre and Leon at the same time fell upon him At last there was a Confederacy made betwixt these Kings with a certain agreement how such Places should be disposed of as should be taken from the Moors In the Year 1210 a most Memorable Expedition was undertaken against the Moors where presented themselves a great many Foreigners who came to Signalize themselves but a great many of them being soon tired out returned home At that time was fought the famous Battle of Lasa where 200000 Moors being slain they lost all their Strength In this Battle Sanctius King of Navarre breaking first through a Chain which surrounded the Moorish Army he afterwards bore a Chain with an Emerald in his Shield In this War was taken from the Moors besides other Places the City of Calatrava The King of Leon took Alcantara Alfonso died in the Year 1214 leaving behind him his Son Henry whose Minority occasioned great disturbances in the Kingdom he died without Issue in the Year 1217. He had two Sisters the Eldest Blanch was Married to Lewis VIII Son of Philip Augustus King of France The second Berengaria was Married to Alfonso King of Leon. The Crown by Right of Succession did belong to the Eldest and her Heirs But out of a hatred the States bore to Strangers they conferr'd the Kingdom upon Ferdinand Sir-named the Holy Son of Berengaria who with all speed imaginable possess'd himself of it before he could be prevented by his Father surmounting all the difficulties which were rais'd against him partly by his Father partly by some of the Nobility It is related by some That Blanch was not the eldest Sister but that some of the Castilian Noblemen did dispute the right of Berengaria to the Crown because the Pope had declar'd her marriage with Alfonso void and their Children illegitimate as being too near in Bloud By the death of Alfonso Leon and Castile were reunited under Ferdinand at what time the Moors suffer'd extreamly in their Affairs King James of Arragon took from them Majorca in the Year 1232. Minorca in the Year 1234. Yvica in the Year 1238. The City and Kingdom of Valencia Ferdinand took from them besides other places in the Year 1230 Merida and Badajoz In the Year 1236 the City and Kingdom of Corduba Murcia surrender'd it self to the protection of Castile In the Year 1243 Jaen Sevile and the greatest part of Andalusia But whilst he was making Preparations to carry the War into Africa he died in the Year 1252. § 7. The History of the next following Years is full of Troubles and Divisions Alfonso 't is true was famous in foreign Countries for his Wisdom and great skill in Astronomy so that it is reported of him that he used to say That if God would have advised with him at the time of the Creation of the World the World should have been made more uniform yet he was unfortunate at home and hated by his Subjects The first occasion of which was that he being desirous to fill his Treasury which was exhausted he caus'd the current Coin to be diminish'd which enhanc'd the price of every thing and whilst to prevent this he set certain rates on all Commodities which occasion'd a general scarcity of all things the
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
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
Aquitain and Poictou was immediately after married to Henry Duke of Normandy afterwards King of England the second of that Name who by this Match annexed these fair Countries to the Crown of England In fine having been kept in a continual alarm by his petty Vassals but especially by Henry II. King of England He died in the Year 1180. § 7. His Son Philip II. sirnamed Augustus or the Conquerour was at first engaged in a War against Henry II. King of England from whom he took several considerable places which however he restored afterwards to his Son Richard with whom he enter'd into a League to retake Jerusalem from the Saracens pursuant to which both the Kings went thither in Person with a considerable Force But a Jealousie arising betwixt these two Kings nothing was done worth mentioning for Richard accused Philip that he had an ill design against him in Sicily in their Voyage besides that he had refused to consummate the before intended Match betwixt his Sister and Richard Wherefore as soon as Ptolemais had been taken by their joint Forces Philip under pretence of Sickness returned into France leaving only with Richard Hugh III. Duke of Burgundy with some Troops who envying Richard hinder'd the taking of the City of Jerusalem After his return from that unfortunate Expedition to the Holy Land he undertook a War against Richard which he also carried on against his Brother John wherein Philip had much the better of the English for he took from them Normandy the Counties of Anjou Maine Touraine Berry and Poictou He was very instrumental in deposing the Earl of Tholouse who because he had taken into his Protection the Albigenses was excommunicated by the Pope Philip also obtained a great Victory near Bouvines betwixt Lisle and Tournay against the Emperour Otho IV. who being joined with the Earl of Flanders attack'd him with an Army of 150000 Men whilst the King of England was to fall into France on the side of Aquitain This King was so successfull in his Wars against England that his Son Lewis was very near obtaining the Crown of England And tho' he was chased again out of England yet did he after his Father's Death pursue his Victories against the English in France taking from them among others the City of Rochelle But this Lewis VIII did not reign long for he died in the Year 1226 leaving for Successour his Son Lewis IX sirnamed the Holy during whose Minority his Mother Blanch of Castile had the Supream Administration of Affairs and tho' some of the Nobility raised great Troubles against her she subdued them all by her singular Prudence In the Year 1244 the City of Jerusalem was ransack'd by some Persians who called themselves Chorasmii Lewis being about the same time dangerously ill made a Vow That if he recovered he would undertake an Expedition against those Infidels which he afterwards perform'd But before his departure he issued out his Proclamation throughout the Kingdom intimating that whoever had received any damage by his Souldiers should have Restitution made him which was performed accordingly In this Expedition he took the strong City of Damiata but the overflowing of the River Nile hindered him from taking Grand Cairo After the River was returned to its usual Bounds he vanquish'd the Enemy in two Battels but they having receiv'd new Reinforcements cut off the Provisions from the French who were also extreamly pester'd with the Scurvy The King then resolv'd to retreat towards Damiata but in his March thither they attack'd him gave him a terrible overthrow and took him Prisoner yet released him again for a Ransom of 400000 Livres he being obliged to restore also to them the City of Damiata Thus he marched with the Remainders of his Army which from 30000 Men was moulder'd away to 6000 to Ptolemais where after he had given what Assistance he could to the Christians he at last returned home Under the Reign of this King France got first an Opportunity to intermeddle in the Affairs of Italy from whence yet this Kingdom never reapt any great Benefit Manfred natural Son of the Emperour Frederick II. having first kill'd King Conrad his Brother made himself King of Naples and Sicily But the Pope on whom this Kingdom depended as a Fief being dissatisfy'd with Manfred offer'd the same to Charles Earl of Anjou Brother of Lewis IV. King of France which he having accepted of was crowned at Rome with Conditon that he should pay to the Pope 8000 Ounces of Gold make a yearly Present of a White Horse as an acknowledgment and if he was chosen Emperour that he should not unite that Kingdom with the Empire the Pope being unwilling to have any one more powerfull than himself in Italy Charles thereupon vanquish'd Manfred and having murthered him and his Children took possession of the Kingdom The young Conradin Duke of Swabia came with an Army to recover the Kingdom which was his Inheritance from his Grandfather but having been overthrown in a Battel near the Lake of Celano was made a Prisoner and in the Year next following had his Head cut off at Naples upon the Instigation of the Pope who being ask'd by Charles What he had best to do with his Prisoner answer'd Vita Conradini mors Caroli Mors Conradini vita Caroli i. e. The Life of Conradin is the Death of Charles The Death of Conradin the Life of Charles And as by the Death of this young Prince was extinguish'd the Noble Race of the Dukes of Swabia so this Charles laid the first Pretensions of France to the Kingdom of Naples In the mean while King Lewis being not satisfy'd with his former unfortunate Expedition against the Infidels resolved to try again his Fortune against Tunis either because he found that this place lay very convenient for his Brother's Kingdom of Sicily or because he hoped thereby to open a way for the Conquest of Egypt without which all the Expeditions into the Holy Land were likely to prove ineffectual But in this Siege he lost a great part of his Army by Sickness and he died himself there in the Year 1270. From a younger Son of this Lewis IV. viz. from Robert Earl of Clairmont sprang the Bourbon Family which now sways the Scepter of France § 8. His Son Philip sirnamed the Hardy succeeded him under whose Reign that considerable Earldom of Tholouse was united to the Crown of France Alfonsus Son of Lewis IX who had married the only Heiress of this Country happening to die without Issue in an Expedition into Africa Under the Reign also of this King fell out the so much celebrated Sicilian Vespers whereby all the French were at one blow extirpated out of Sicily The Business was thus Some Frenchmen had ravish'd the Wife of John of Porchyta born at Salerno who enflam'd with Revenge did seek for Aid of Pieter King of Arragon hoping by his Assistance to drive Charles
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
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
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
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
same off again with his foot intimating thereby as if it was in the power of the Popes to give and to take away the Imperial Crown He died in the year 1198. having just then made great preparations for an Expedition into the Holy Land and sent his Army before he being ready to follow § 7. After the death of Henry VI. the Germans were miserably divided among themselves for Frederick II. his Son being then but five years old his Uncle Philip pretended to have the Tuition of his Nephew and the Administration of the Empire according to the last Will of the deceas'd Emperour but this being opposed by the Pope he perswaded some of the Princes to elect Otto Duke of Saxony Germany was thus miserably torn in pieces most siding with Philip the rest with Otto After a long war an agreement was made betwixt them that Otto should Marry the Daughter of Philip but lay down the Royal Title till the death of Philip when the same was to be restored to him Not long after Philip was murthered at Bamberg by Otto the Palatin of Wittelbach After his death Otto obtained the Imperial Dignity and having been Crowned at Rome he resolved to reunite such places as were unjustly possess'd by the Popes to the Empire which so exasperated the Pope that he Excommunicated him exhorting the Princes to elect another Emperour Most of them were for Frederick II. Son of Henry VI. which made Otto to hasten into Germany but having in vain endeavour'd to maintain himself in the Empire he was forc'd to surrender the Imperial Crown to Frederick the Second King of Sicily and Naples and Duke of Suabia who after he had bestowed a considerable time in setling the Affairs of Germany went into Italy where he was Crowned by the Pope In the year 1228. he undertook an Expedition into the Holy Land and retook Jerusalem from the Saracens He was continually allaâ—m'd by the intrigues of the Popes who were for playing the Masters in Italy against whom he bravely maintained his Right This occasioned several Excommunications to be thundred out against him by the Popes who raised great disturbances From hence had their rise the two famous Factions in Italy whereof those who sided with the Pope called themselves Guelfs but these who were for the Emperour Gibellins which two Factions for a considerable time after occasioned great Commotions in Italy And tho Frederick behav'd himself bravely against the Pope and his Associates yet the Popes Excommunication had such powerful Influence in that Superstitious Age that after the Pope had solemnly deposed him in the Council held at Lyons some Princes of Germany did choose Henry Landgrave of Thuringia their King who was commonly call'd the King of the Priests but he dying in the year next following some Princes declared William Earl of Holland their King who was not able to Establish himself being opposed by Cunrad Son of Frederick II. who was appointed to succeed his Father in the Empire In the mean time his Father had been very unsuccessful in Italy who at last died in the year 1250. Cunrad having left Germany retired into his Hereditary Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily where he died William Earl of Holland was slain in a battel against the Frizelanders in the year 1256. § 8. With the death of Frederick II. the Authority of the German Emperours in Italy was quite extinguish'd And that it might not be revived again the Pope gave the Kingdom of Naples to Charles Duke of Anjou who by the Instigation of the Pope caused the young Cunradin who being the Son of Cunrad was come to recover his Herediatary Kingdom and taken Prisoner in a battel fought betwixt them to be executed by the hands of the Hangman with whom was extinguish'd the Race of the Dukes of Swabia In the mean time there were great divisions among the German Princes concerning the election of a new Emperour some of them had chosen Richard Duke of Cornwal Son of John King of England and the rest were for Alfonsus X. King of Castile both were elected in the year 1257. Richard came on his Journey as far as the Rhine to take possession of the Empire but for want of Money was forc'd to return home again And Alfonsus came not within the sight of Germany Then there was a complete and long vacancy of the Throne in Germany during which time there was nothing to be seen but confusion every body pretending to be Master These Civil Disorders were of the worse consequence because that about the same time the three great Families of the Dukes of Swabia the Marquesses of Austria and Landgraves of Thuringia being extinct a great many aspired to possess themselves of these Countries To be short the longest Sword was then the best Title and he that could master another kept him under subjection and robbing and plundering was an allow'd exercise at that time Against these outrageous Proceedings several of the Cities upon the Rhine enter'd into a Confederacy with whom a great many other Princes afterwards joyning their Forces they demolish'd the strong Holds of these Robbers and clear'd the Highways § 9. At last Rodolph Earl of Habsburgh and Landgrave of Alsace from whom are descended the present Arch-Dukes of Austria was unanimously chosen Emperour who the better to establish himself in the Throne Marry'd his three Daughters to three of the great Princes of Germany viz. to Lewis Palatin of the Rhine to Albert Duke of Saxony and to Otto Marquess of Brandenburgh After the death of Frederick Marquess of Austria who had his Head cut off at Naples together with Cunradin Ottocar the King of Bohemia had possess'd himself of Austria Stiria Crain the Windishmarck and Portenau But Rodolph who thought that his Family had more Right to it having â—etaken these Countries from Ottocar gave them in Fief to his Son Albert and to the second whose name was Rodolph the Dukedom of Swabia Besides this the Grandson of Albert got Crain and Tyrol Thus Rodolph did by obtaining the Imperial Dignity raise his House from a moderate State to great Power and vast Riches But tho he was often invited to come into Italy yet he could never be perswaded to it alledging that old and notorious saying of the Fox Quia me vestigia terreat because the footsteps deter me Nay he declar'd a great many Cities there Free for Sums of money by which the Kingdom of Italy being first torn into a great many pieces was quite lost But Germany he took into his particular Care and destroy'd a great many Castles there which serv'd for a retreat for Robbers He was the first that introduc'd the use of the German Tongue in all Publick Courts and Private Transactions whereas formerly the Latin Tongue had been made use of in the like cases He dyed in the year 1291. His Son Albert did lay claim to the Empire but by the Interest of the
own Name which he made his place of residence Whose youngest Son Lechus II. to obtain the Principality murthered his elder Brother but as soon as the Fact was discovered he was banished the Country After him ruled a Virgin whose Name was Venda the only Daughter left of the Children of Cracus who having vanquished one Ritiger a German Prince that pretended Mariage to her out of a blind Superstition drowned herself in the River of Weixel After her death the administration of the Government returned again to the Governours or Vayvods which continued for some time till the Poles elected again for their Prince a Goldsmith called Premislus who is also called Lescus I. because he had by a Stratagem defeated the Moravians who had made an Irruption into Poland But he leaving no Issue behind him a Horse Race was instituted with condition that the Victor should succeed in the Government One of the Competitours had laid Iron Hooks in the Ground by which means the others Horses having been â—amed he was the first that came to the Goal but the Fraud being discovered he was killed upon the spot In the mean while a certain poor Fellow on foot had run the Race and was the next to the Impostor whom the Poles declared their Prince His name was Lescus II. and as some say was slain in the Wars against Charles the Great Him succeeded his Son Lescus III. who having appeased Charles the Great with Presents made Peace with him either as an unequal Allie or else by acknowledging himself his Vassal He left Poland to his Son Popiel whom he had begot in Wedlock but to his natural Sons he gave the neighbouring Countries of Pomerania Mack Caâ—â—ubia with some others Him succeeded his Son Popiel II. an ill man who upon the perswasion of his Lady murthered his Father's Brothers 't is reported that out of their dead Bodies came forth Mice which devoured Popiel with his Wife and Children § 3. After his Death there was an Interregnum full of troubles till the Poles declared Piastus a Country-fellow born at Crusswitz their Prince from whom ever since such of the Natives as obtained the Royal Dignity were called Piasti His Posterity has reigned for a long time in Poland from whom also descended the race of the Dukes of Lignitz and Brieg in Silesia which is but lately extinguished 'T is said that he was 120 Years old before he died His Son Zicmovitus began his Reign in the Year 895. a Warlike and brave Prince whom succeeded his Son Lescus IV. a good and peaceable Prince Much of the same temper was his Son Zicmovistus who began to Reign in the Year 921. This Prince had but one Son who being blind was in the seventh Year of his Age in which Year according to the Custom of those times his Head was to be shaved and he to receive his Name restored to his Sight which was then taken for an Omen that he should be enlightened with the Christian Faith His Name was Micislaus I. and began his Reign in the Year 962. He having a great many Wives and no Children occasioned in him a desire to turn Christian for some Germans representing to him that if he left the Heathenish Superstitions he would certainly beget Children he was perswaded by them to remove his Heathenish Wives which he did and married Dambrateca the Daughter of Bogislaus Duke of Bohemia Before he married her he was baptized himself and first introduced the Christian Religion into Poland as also that custom which has obtained since there that at the time when the Gospel is read in the Mass the Men half draw their Cymetars to signify that they were ready to fight for the Christian Faith § 4. Him succeeded his Son Boleslaus Chrobry who was by the Emperour Otto III. dignified with the Title of King who also remitted unto him all the Pretensions which the former Emperours had upon Poland and this in consideration for the kind entertainment which he had received from Boleslaus in his Pilgrimage to the Grave of Albart Bishop of Gnicsen which being then very famous for some Miracles was visited by the Emperour to fulfil his Vow which he had made during a precedent Sickness This first King of Poland behaved himself very bravely in his Wars against the Red Russians the Bohemians Saxons and Prussians He also instituted twelve Senators as his Assistants in the administration of the Government But his Son Miccislaus lost for the most part his Father's Conquests Moravia having among the rest been taken from him by the Bohemians He began his Reign in the Year 1025. and died in the Year 1034. leaving but one Son behind him whose Name was Casimir who being an Infant his Mother Rixa administred the Government for a while But the Poles being dissatisfied with her she fled with her Son into Germany who in his Journey in France assumed the Order and Habit of a Monk During his absence there were great Disturbances in Poland Maslaus having about that time made himself Master of Masuria which for a long time after remained independent of the Kingdom of Poland At last the Poles prevailed upon Casimir to leave his Monastery and accept the Crown And to perswade the Pope to absolve him from his Vow they promised that for each Head except those of the Nobility and Clergy they would contribute yearly a Farthing towards the maintaining of a perpetual burning Lamp in the Church of St. Peter in Rome and cause their Heads to be shaved above their Ears like Monks After he came to the Crown he beat Maslaus and the Prussians and restored the Kingdom to its former tranquility His Son Boleslaus Surnamed the Hardy did at first wage War against his Neighbours the Prussians Bohemians and Russians with great Success but afterwards giving himself over to all manner of Debauchery and having been checked for that reason by Stanislaus the Bishop of Cracau who also at last excommunicated him he cut him to pieces before the Altar Then he was excommunicated by the Pope and perceiving himself to be hated by every body left the Kingdom and at last murthered himself § 5. Him succeeded his Brother Vladislaus who standing in fear of the Pope would not at first take upon him the Title of King He met with great Troubles both at home and abroad which however he overcame at last Him succeeded his Son Boleslaus III. a brave Souldier who obtained a signal Victory over the Emperour Henry V. in a Battle fought in the Dogsfield near Breslau There was never a Prince in Poland more Famous for Military Atchievements than himself it being related of him that he fought forty five Battles all with good Success except the last of all fought against the Red Russians which was lost by the Cowardise of the Vayvod of Cracovia unto whom the King for a
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
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