him a Prisoner to the Tower but he having twice made an attempt to escape was at last hang'd according to his demerits In the Year 1501 a Marriage was concluded betwixt James IV. King of Scotland and Margaret the Daughter of Henry which afterwards united England and Scotland under one King Arthur also eldest Son of Henry married Catharine Daughter of Ferdinand the Catholick But the Prince dying a few Weeks after the Wedding in the sixteenth Year of his Age and Henry being unwilling to give back the Dowry and desirous to maintain the new Alliance with Ferdinand married the said Catharine to his second Son Henry who was then but twelve Years of Age having obtained a Dispensation from Pope Julius II. under pretence that there had been no carnal knowledge betwixt them which afterwards proved the cause of great Alterations This King is reckoned among the wisest of his Age and the only thing which is reprehended in him is That he had a way by false Accusations against the rich to squeeze out of them great Summs of Money from them He died in the Year 1509. § 19. Henry VIII immediately upon his first accession to the Throne celebrated the Nuptials with his Brother's Widow more to fulfill his Father's Will than out of his own Inclination yet as long as he lived with her in Wedlock he govern'd the Realm very laudably and in the Court nothing was seen but Plays and Diversions As to his Transactions abroad upon the persuasions of Pope Julius II. and Ferdinand the Catholick he enter'd into a Consederacy with them against France which Confederacy was pretended to be made for the defence of the Holy See Ferdinand also put him in hopes of recovering Guienne wherefore Henry sent an Army into Biscay to fall in conjunction with the Spaniards into Guienne But Ferdinand having rather his Eye upon Navarre and being negligent in sending timely Succours to the English they returned home without doing any thing In the Year 1513 Henry enter'd France with a great Army where he lost his time in the taking of Terovane and Tournay which was wholly destroyed in spight of all the Attempts of the French to relieve it tho' Tournay was redeemed by Francis I. with a good Summ of Money But at that time Henry did not pursue his Advantage partly out of carelessness incident to young Men partly because he had carried on this War not so much for his own Interest as in favour of the Pope and so returned into England During the absence of Henry James IV. King of Scotland upon instigation of the French invaded England but received a great overthrow himself being killed in the Battel In the Year next following Henry perceiving that his Father-in-law Ferdinand did only impose upon him concluded a Peace with France giving his Sister Mary in marriage to King Lewis XII In the Year 1522 Henry again denounced War against Francis I. and sent considerable Forces into France which nevertheless both in the same and next following Year did nothing of moment and the Scots on the other side obtained not any advantages against the English But after Francis was taken Prisoner near Pavia it seem'd that Henry had met with a fair opportunity to give a great blow to France more especially since he had before prepared a Fleet which lay ready to make a Descent in Normandy yet he left Charles and made Peace with France And Charles after he thought he had obtained his aim did not make any great account of England leaving the Princess Mary Daughter of Henry to whom he had promised Marriage for the Princess of Portugal whom he married And whereas he used formerly to write to the King with his own Hand and subscribe himself Your Son and trusty Friend he now caused his Letters to be writ by his Secretary subscribing only his Name Charles And truly it seemed very necessary for Henry to keep a little the Ballance Tho' a great many are of opinion That Cardinal Woolsey had a great hand in this business who was no great Friend of Charles V. because he had not promoted him to the Papal Dignity and had denied him the Archbishoprick of Toledo of which he had put him in hopes at first neither did he subscribe himself any more Your Son and Cousin as he used to do But however it be Henry at that time saved France from an imminent danger After he had lived very peaceably and well with his Queen for the space of twenty Years he began to have a scruple of Conscience Whether he could lawfully live in Wedlock with his Brother's Widow which scruple he pretended was raised in him first by the President of Paris who was sent to treat concerning a Marriage betwixt Mary Daughter of Henry and the second Son of Francis Some say that he being weary of her was fallen in love with Anna Bullen and found out this way to be rid of her Yet this seems not so probable to some since he did not marry the said Anna Bullen till three Years after he pretended to the scruple of Conscience whereas the heat of Love does not usually admit of such delays Some will have it that Cardinal Woolsey raised this scruple first in him on purpose to nettle Charles V. and to please Francis I. in hopes after this Divorce to make up a Match betwixt Henry and the Dutchess of Alenson Sister of Francis But however it be the business was brought before the Pope who gave a Commission to the Cardinal Campegius to enquire in conjunction with Woolsey into the matter 'T is said That the Pope was willing to gratify Henry and for that purpose had sent a Bull to Campegius yet with this caution to keep it by him till further order But when he afterwards saw Charles V. to prove so successfull he durst not venture to do any thing that might displease him wherefore he ordered Campegius to burn the Bull and to delay the business to the utmost The Queen also refused to answer to their Commission but appealed to the Pope in person besides Charles V. and his Brother Ferdinand had protested against this Commission Woolsey did also perceive that the King was fallen in love with Anna Bullen which being likely to prove prejudicial to his Authority he persuaded the Pope underhand not to give his consent unto this Divorce Henry being informed what Intrigues the Cardinal was carrying on against him humbled the greatness of this haughty Prelate who died in the Year next following in great misery And Henry being made sensible that the Pope regarded more his own Interest than the merits of the Cause he forbid that any body should hence forward appeal to Rome or send thither any Money for Church Benefices He therefore sent to several Universities in France and Italy to desire their Opinions in this matter who all unanimously agreed in this That such a Marriage was against the Laws of
1479. John II. A Project of sailing to the East Indies Emanuel Moors and Jews banish'd out of Portugal The first Sea-voyage into the East Indies 1497. The reason why the Venetians opposed the Portugueses settling themselves there The Progress of the Duke â—f Albuquerque in the East Indies The discovery of Brasil in America John III. The Jesuites sent to the Indies Sebastian His fatal Expedition into Africa Henry Portugal united to Spain The Dutch sail to the East Indies 1620. 1630. The Portuguese shake off the Yoak of Spain The Duke of Braganzâ— proclaimed King John IV. 〈◊〉 League between Portugal and Holland A War breaks cut betwixt them A Peace in 1661. Alfonsus VI. 1668 1666. Don Pedro. The Humours of the Portugueses Fruitfulness of Portugal Brasile Africa The East Indies A horrible Persecution raised on the Christians of Japan and the occasion of It. The Strength of Portugal How it stands with regard to Spain To France To Holland The ancient Sate of England The Romans conquer England The Saxons come into Britainy â—450 689. The Saxon Kings in England The Saxon Heptarchy Peter's 〈◊〉 The Kingdom of England 818 Dancs first come into England 1002. The Danes driven out but return again King Edmund treacherously murther'd Canute the Dane King of England 1017. Harald Hardiknut Edward the Consessor 1066. Wâ—lliam the Conquerour Willam conquers England October 14 1066. The Corfew Bell. Edgar Atheling makes an attempt His Son Robert Rebels He acts as a Conquerour Robert Rebels again 1088. William Rufus 1100. Henry I. Robert makes a Lesient in England Normandy annexed to the Crown of England The Norman Race extinct Stephen Maud makes War on him Henty II. Hâ—s Son with the French and Scots join in a War against him 1189. Ireland conquered Richard I. He makes an Expedition into the Holy Land In his return â—e is taken Prisoner 1199. John His Nephew Arthur opposes him The King of France dispossesses him of Normandy The Dauphin invited by the Barons invades England 1216. Henry III. The Dauphin is forced â—ome again A War with the Barons He quits his Pretensions on Normandy for a Summ of Money Edward I. The causes of the Differences betwixt the English and Scots A War with Scotland 1307. With France 1297. He banishes the Jews Edward II. Vnsuccessfull 〈◊〉 his War with Scotland 〈…〉 1327. Edward III. His Pretensions to the French Crown He is successfull against Scotland His Expedition into France 1340. The Battel near Crecy 1346. The Scotch defeated He takes Calais 1356. The Battel near Poictiers A dishonourable Peace to France Another War with France 1377. Richard II. A Peace with France Troubles at home The occasion of his Ruin Henry Duke of Lancaster invades England 1399. Henry IV. of the House of Lancaster He had great Difficulties which he surmounted Henry V. He invades France to prosecute his claim of the Crown The Battel uear Aguicourt 1419. 1420. The Administration of France to be in Henry during Charles's life and after his death the Crown to descend to him 1422. Henry VI. Proclaim'd King of France 1423. 1424. The Maid 〈◊〉 Orleans He was crowned in Paris 1432. The English decline in France 1435. The Duke of Burgundy leaves the English and is reconciled to Charles 1436. The occasion of the Troubles in England 1449. The English driven out of France The occasion of this sudden loss 1460. Edward IV. of the House of York A bloody Battel betwixt Edward and Henry Henry taken out of Prison and set on the Throne Edward returns into England Henry a second time Prisoner 147â— and murther'd by the Duke of Gloucester Edward V. Richard III. 1483. Murthers his Nephews He murther's his Wife Henry Earl of Richmond invades England 1485. Henry VII He united the White and Red Roses Lambert Symnel He makes an Expedition inâ—â— France Perkin Warbeck He marries his Daughter Margaret to the King of Scotland Henry VIII He enters into League with Ferdinand and the Pope 1512. His Expedition against France A second An Invasion of the Scots He makes a second War against France The Divorce of Henry VIII The fallâ— of Woolsey 1532. He marries Anna Bullen He abrogates the Pope's Supremacy Monasteries demolished Protestants and Papists executed War with Scotland He enters into a League with the Emperour against France 1550. Anna Bullen beheaded His other Wives Edward VI. 155â— Lady Jane Grey proclaimed Queen Mary Restores Popery Marries Philip of Spain Lady Jane c. beheaded The reason why Philip interceded for the Lady Elizabeth The Battel of St. Quintin Calais lost 1558. Elizabeth Philip desires her in marriage Papists and Paritaus Poreign Seminaries Mary Queen of Scotland The Queen of Scots married Bothwell who murthered her Husband She was made a Prisoner in England 1572. 1586. Beheaded 1587. Queen Elizabeth assists the Huguenots 1562. 1559. The Sovereignty of the Netherlands twice offered her 1595. The Armado defeated Essex heheaded 1600 She was jealous of her Power at Sea James I. Cobham's Conspiracy 1603. The Powder Plot. 1604. 1626. Foreign Plantations Charles I. 1626. War with Spain War with France A Peace concluded with both Causes of the intestine Commotions in England The different Conduct of Queen Elizabeth and King James as to the State The Occasions that were taken from Religion The Conduct of Charles I. Troubles in Scotland and England 1637. 1567. 1617. 1633. The Scotch Covenant A Letter intercepted wherein the Scots desire Succour from France The Parliament is sactious and favours the Scots The Parliament of England directly oppose the King 1642. The Rebellion begins Their Behaviours The King made a Prisoner The Independents become Masters The King is sentenced to death and executed 1648. Ireland conqâ—er'd Charles II. râ—â—ted The Scots câ—nquered Cromwell made Protectour 1652. 1660. King Charles II's Restauration 1660. War with Holland 1665. 1674. Constitution of the English Nation Constitution of the Scotch Nation Of the Irish The Condition of Great Brittainy The Form of the Government in England The Power and Strength of England With relation to other States To the Northern Crowns To Spain To France To Holland The most ancient Stare of France Gaul subdued by the Romans By the Barbarous Nations That the Franks came out of Germany The origin of the French Language Pharamond the first King Clodion Merovaeus Childerick Clouis I. 496. France is divided Clotarius II 614. Dagobert Charâ—es Martell 714. 732. Pipin proclaim'd King The Merovingian Family loses the Crown 751. Pipin's Expeditions He assists the Pope against the Lombards Charles the Great 774. He is proclaimed Emperour of the Romans Lewis the Pious He divides his Kingdom His Sons Rebell 833. Germany divided from France Charles the Bald. The Normans make an Irruption into France 912. Ludovicus Balbus Ludov. III. and Carolomannus Charles the Simple The decay of the Royal Authority The Excessive Power of the Nobles Eudo Count of Paris crown'd King of France 923. Rudolf of Burgundy crown'd King 929. Lewis Outremer Lotharius Lewis the
V. the present King of Denmark 327 He maketh War upon Sweden p. 327 Makes a Peace with Sweden 328 The Christian Religion is proper for all the World 370 Is not contrary to civil Government 371 No other Religion or Philosophy comparable to it 372 Concerning the outward Government of Religion 372 The consideration of this Question according to the Nature of Religion in general and of the Christian Religion in particular 374 375 First Propagation of the Christian Religion and by what methods it was established 376 Persecution of the first Church and the Câ—lumnies raised against the Primitive Christians 378 The first Church Government 379 Constantine the first Christian Emperour 382 Could not quite alter the former State of the Church 382 Of presiding in Councels 383 Abuses in Councels 384 Riches of the Church 394 Croisado's by what Politicks carried on 395 How the Church was freed from all power over it 399 General Councels to bridle the Popes power 409 Cardinal Cajetan and his ill Conduct 418 Calvin and Zwinglius 421 The Conclave 431 The College of Cardinals 433 Cardinal Patroon 434 Celibacy of the Clergy 435 Their Number 436 Ceremonies 439 Half Communion 440 Vnion made at Cilmar betwixt Sweden Denmark and Norway 478 Christopher Duke of Bavaria made King of Sweden Denmark and Norway 482 Church Lands reduced in Sweden 494 Christina Queen of Sweden 525 Continues the War in Germany 526 Makes an Alliance with France 528 Is engaged in a War with the Elector of Saxony 527 And afterwards with Denmark 530 Charles Gustave King of Sweden 533 Siege of Copenhagen 534 Charles IX the present King of Sweden 534 His Forces routed by the Elector of 〈…〉 534 D. THE Dutch sail to the East-Indies 92 The Danes first come into England 102 Dauphine united with France 192 Denmark a very ancient Kingdom 316 The Genius of the Danish Naâ—ion 328 Neigbours of Denmark 330 Disputes in England about the investiture of Bishops 403 E. THE first Sea Voyage into the East-Indies under Emanuel King of Portugal 89 Ancient State of England 99 England conquered by the Romans 99 Edward the Confessor King of England 103 Edward I. King of England 114 His Wars with Scotland 115 His Wars with France 116 Edward II. King of England 116 Edward III. King of England 117 His Pretensions to the French Crown 117 His expedition into France 118 The English decline in France 201 1â—5 The English driven out of France 202 127 Edward IV. of the House of York King of England 128 Edward V. King of England 130 Edward VI. King of England 139 Elizabeth Queen of England 141 She assists the Huguenots 144 Refuses the Soveraignty over the Netherlands twice offered to her 145 The Constitution of the English Nation 164 The English form of Government 169 The Power and Strength of England 171 The East-India Company in Holland 283 270 England and France declare War against the Dutch 279 Evangelical Vnion in Germany 301 Erick declared King of Sweden Denmark and Norway 477 321 Of Episcopal Jurisdiction 384 Concerning Excommunication 385 Encrease of the Ecclesiastical Soveraignty 391 What contributed to it 391 Disputes in England about the Investiture of Bishops 403 Erasmus favours Luther 416 Excommunication and Inquisition 445 Erick XIV King of Sweden introduces the Titles of Earls and Barons in that Kingdom 498 F. FErdinand the Catholick and Isabella 42 France and its ancient State 174 The Franks came out of Germany 175 France is divided 177 French Pretensions upon the Kingdom of Naples 187 French Pretensions upon Milan 196 Francis I. King of France 210 He aspires to the Empire 210 His Italian Wars 211 212 His defeat at the Battle of Paviae where he is taken Prisoner and set at liberty upon very hard terms 212 Francis II. King of France 218 The Nature and Constitution of the French 247 The Government of France 250 Strength of France in regard to England and the other Neighbouring Princes 251 252 Frederick Henry I. Prince of Orange 274 Frederick Elector Palatine's ill Success 302 Ferdinand I. Emperour of Germany his Proclamation concerning Church-lands 302 Frederick I. King of Denmark 324 Frederick III. King of Denmark his Wars with Sweden 326 Is declared absolute and the Crown hereditary 327 Battle fought in the Island of Fuhnen 534 G. GReece p. 6 Gothick Empire and its downfall in Spain 29 Granada taken 43 Gaul subdued by the Romans 174 by the Barbarian Nations 174 Germany divided from France 180 The Gabel first introduced into France by Philip of Valois their King 192 The Treaty of Ghent betwixt the Prince of Orange and the Netherlanders 264 Germany and its ancient condition 282 The Gvelfs and Gibellin Factions in Italy 291 German Wars and their Origin under Matthias 300 Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden his death 303 The Genius of the Germans 306 Form of Government in Germany 307 Its Commodities 307 Its Strength and Weakness 308 Its Neighbours 312 Gregory Pope of Rome excommunicates the Emperour Henry IV. 402 Endeavour to subject the Emperour 403 The German Princes dissatisfied with the Pope 417 The Gothick Nation and its first Founders 461 The Goths and Swedes united in one Kingdom 461 Gustavus I. King of Sweden 489 Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden 511 Makes Peace with the Muscovites 512 Carries on the War against the Poles in Ponâ—ria 513 Engages in the German War 515 Lands his Forces in Germany and makes an Alliance with France 517 Is killed 525 H. HEnry III. King of England 113 The War with the Barons 114 Henry IV. of the House of Lancaster invades England 121 After great difficulties surmounted becomes King of England 122 Henry V. King of England 122 He invades France to prosecute his claim to that Crown 123 The Battle betwixt him and the French fought near Agincourt 123 Henry VI. King of England 124 Is proclaimed King of France 125 Is crowned in Paris 125 Henry VII Earl of Richmond invades England 131 Is made King and unites the White and Red Roses 132 Henry VIII King of England 133 His divorce with Queen Catharine 135 He abrogates the Popes Supremacy 136 Marries Anna Bullen 136 Demolishes the Monasteries 137 Causes Anna Bullen to be beheaded 138 His other Wives 138 Hugh Capel the Founder of the present Royal Family in France 182 Henry II. King of France 215 His Expedition into Germany 216 His Project to unite Scotland with France miscarried 217 Huguenot Wars in France under Charles IX the first second third fourth and fifth 221 222 223 224 Henry III. King of France 224 The Holy League under his Reign 225 Huguenot Wars in France the sixth seventh and eighth 225 226 227 Henry III. forced from Paris by the League 227 He makes use of the Huguenots against the League 228 Henry IV. King of Navarre comes to the Crown of France 228 His difficulties an Account of his Religion 228 Is excommunicated by the Pope 230 Changes his Religion 231 Is assaulted and wounded by a Russian 231
extraordinary conceit of their own Abilities and taking the Netherlanders for Cowards did not think they had Courage enough to oppose their Designs The Spaniards also were well pleas'd to see the Netherlanders to begin first hoping the King would thereby take an opportunity to clip their Privileges and by making them all alike obtain an absolute Dominion over them This done they hoped to make these Countries their Armory and Store-house from whence they might with more ease invade France and England and raise the Spanish Monarchy to the highest degree of Greatness But the Netherlanders on the other side were resolv'd not to part with their Liberty nor to be treated as a conquer'd Nation And when Philip at his departure would leave Spanish Garrisons in the Netherlands and to soften the matter constituted the Prince of Orange and Earl of Egmont Generals over them yet could they not be persuaded to accept of the same alledging That the Netherlanders had got but very small Advantages by the Peace with France which they had procur'd by their own Valour if they now should be in danger of being subdu'd themselves by a foreign Power The neighbouring Princes also but especially Elizabeth Queen of England took an opportunity by these troubles to empty the vast Treasures of Spain and to exhaust its Strength The Protestant Princes also of Germany who hated the Spaniards were glad of this opportunity and assisted the Prince of Orange upon all occasions And the Emperours thought it more convenient to be at quiet and to please the Germans than to be too forward to assist their Cousins These Commotions in the Netherlands did also occasion the War betwixt Philip and Elizabeth Queen of England she not only affording assistance to the Netherlanders but also the English Privateers doing considerable mischief to the Spanish West-India Ships and the famous Francis Drake plunder'd the very Southern Coast of America On the other side Philip by supporting the Rebels in Ireland proved very troublesome to Queen Elizabeth At last Philip did resolve with one stroke to put down the whole Strength of England to which purpose he was equipping a great Fleet for several Years together which he call'd The Invincible the like never had been seen before those times The Fleet consisted of 150 Sail of Ships which carried 1600 great pieces of Brass Cannon and 1050 of Iron 8000 Seamen 20000 Souldiers besides Volunteers the Charge amounted daily to 30000 Ducats but the whole Preparations to twelve Milions of Ducats The Pope Sixtus V. also excommunicated Queen Elizabeth assigning her Kingdom to Philip. But all these Preparations came to nothing the greatest part of this Fleet being destroy'd partly by the English and Dutch partly by Tempests few return'd home and that in a most miserable condition so that there was scarce a Noble Family in Spain but went into Mourning for the loss of some Friend or another But the evenness of Temper is much to be admir'd in Philip who receiv'd this bad news without the least alteration giving only this Answer I did not send them out to fight against the Winds and Seas Afterwards the English and Dutch Fleets being joined beat the Spanish Fleet near Cadiz taking from the Spaniards not only a great many Ships richly laden but also the City of Cadiz it self which nevertheless was again left by the English General the Earl of Essex after he had plunder'd it to the great dishonour of the English who might from thence have done a great deal of mischief to the Spaniards Neither did Spain get any advantage by having entangled it self in the Troubles and as it was call'd the holy League made in France Philip 't is true propos'd to himself to have met with a fair opportunity by excluding the Bourbon Family to annex the Crown of France to his House or by raising Divisions in this Kingdom to swallow up one piece or another or to assist one of his Creatures in obtaining that Crown or at least by dividing it into so many Factions so to weaken its Strength as that it should not be able to recover it self for a considerable time But by the Courage and good Fortune of Henry IV. all these Measures were broke and he declaring himself a Catholick took away the Foundation whereupon the League was built Thus Philip lost his vast Expences and besides this suffer'd extreamly in his Affairs for in the mean time that he sent the Duke of Parma Governour of the Netherlands to the assistance of the League in France the Confederate Netherlanders had leisure given them to put themselves and their Affairs into a good posture Philip acted in this business according to the old proverb That he who hunts two Hares at once commonly catches neither of them Besides Henry IV. after he had restor'd his Affairs in France declar'd War against Philip which was nevertheless carried on in the Netherlands with various success the Count de Fuentes taking Cambray in the Year 1595 and in the Year next following the Archduke Albert Calais On the other side Henry recover'd Fere from the Spaniards In the Year 1597 the Spaniards took Amiens by surprise which Henry recover'd not without great difficulty At last a Peace was concluded in the same Year betwixt France and Spain at Vervin because Philip was unwilling to leave his Son who was but young entangl'd in a War with so great a Captain as Henry was and Henry was sensible that the Kingdom of France being enervated did greatly want a Peace Philip also waged several Wars against the Turks for the Pyrate Dragutes had taken from the Spaniards Tripoli after they had been in possession of it for forty Years To retake this Philip sent a strong Army which took the Isle of Gerbis but being afterwards beaten by the Turkish Fleet he lost together with the Island 18000 Men and 42 Ships In the Year 1564 Philip retook Pegnon de Velez In the Year 1566 Maltha was besieg'd by the Turks during the space of four Months which was reliev'd by Philip he forcing the Turks to raise the Siege with great loss In the Year 1571 the Confederate Fleet of Spain Venice and other Italian States under the Command of Don John of Austria did obtain a most signal Victory over the Turkish Fleet near Lepanto whereby the Turkish Naval Strength was weaken'd to that degree that they were never afterwards so formidable in those Seas as they were before But else the Spaniards had got no great Reputation in this War for by their delays that considerable Island of Rhodes was lost before In the Year 1573 Don John of Austria pass'd with an Army into Africa to retake Tunis which succeeded so well that he forc'd the City and added a new Fortification to it But in the Year next following the Turks sent a puissant Army thither and retook the City its Fortifications being not quite perfected as also Goletta which being not very well
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
conceiv'd against his Father And the Earl of Pembroke to whose Tuition he was committed having totally routed the French near Lincoln and destroyed the French Forces at Sea that were sent to their assistance Lewis did renounce all his Pretensions upon the Crown of England and retir'd into France This King's Reign was very long but also very troublesom occasion'd chiefly by the great concourse of Foreigners into England who crept into all places of profit For the Pope sent at one time 300 Italians who being admitted into Church Benefices did so lay about them that their yearly Rents amounted to 60000 Marks of Silver which was a greater Revenue than the Crown had at that time And by reason of the Prodigality of the King tho' constantly burthening the People with Taxes he was always in great want of Money He married besides this the Daughter of the Earl of Provence who having abundance of poor Kindred they enrich'd themselves out of the Treasury of the King This caused at last an open War betwixt the King and the principal Men of the Kingdom in which Henry resign'd to the King of France all his Pretensions upon Normandy Anjou Poictou Touraine and Mans in consideration of the Summ of 300000 pounds paid him by the French King and he was himself taken Prisoner in the first Battel But his Son Prince Edward gathered another Army and killed the General of the Rebels Simon of Monfort Earl of Leicester delivering thereby his Father and suppressing the whole Rebellion He did nothing worth mentioning abroad except that he undertook two Expeditions into France both which prov'd fruitless He died in the Year 1272. Him succeed his Son Edward who was at that time in the Holy Land and tho' he did not come into England till a Year after his Father's death yet took quiet possession of the Crown This King entirely united the Principality of Wales to the Crown of England the last Prince Lyonel being slain in a Battel Under his Reign also began a bloody War and an implacable hatred was raised betwixt the English and Scotch Nations which for 300 Years after caused abundance of bloodshed betwixt both Nations The occasion was thus After the death of Alexander III. King of Scotland who died without Heirs there were several that pretended to the Crown of Scotland wherefore King Edward took upon him the Arbitration of this matter that Crown having depended on his Predecessours and the Scots being still obliged to do Homage to the King of England The matter being examined it so proved that John Baliol Earl of Galloway and Robert Bruce were found to have the best Title to that Crown But these two having contested for the same during the space of six whole Years Edward sent under hand to Bruce telling him That he would decide the difference concerning the Crown of Scotland in favour of him if he would swear Fealty to England which Bruce refused answering That he was not so fond of the Crown as to purchase the same with the prejudice of the Liberty of his Native Country But John Baliol receiving the same offer was made King of Scotland There was about that time a capital Quarrel in Scotland betwixt the Earl of Fife and the Family of Alberneth who had kill'd the Earl's Brother and the King of Scotland had by his Sentence absolv'd the latter The Earl therefore appeal'd to the English Court whither King Baliol was called to appear and to sit with the King in Parliament But as soon as this matter came under debate he was admonished to rise from his Seat and to give an account concerning his Sentence He pretended to answer by his Advocate which being denied him he was obliged to answer in person from the same place where others used to plead their Causes Which both he and the Scots resented as so signal an affront that no sooner was he returned home but he renounced his Oath to King Edward pretending the same to have been unjust and that it was not in his power to make such a promise and renewing the ancient Aliance with France he denounced War against England King Edward therefore enter'd Scotland with an Army took the best strong Holds and forced the Scots and their King to swear fealty to him their King he sent a Prisoner into England leaving considerable Forces in Scotland which were nevertheless soon after beaten out of Scotland by the Scots under the Conduct of a Gentleman of a mean Fortune whose name was William Wallis But King Edward soon returned kill'd 40000 Scots in a Battel near Torkirke and forced them to swear Fealty to him a third time Notwithstanding all these Oaths Robert Bruce who had been John Baliol's Competitour took upon him the Crown who was several times worsted but also beat the English at other times particularly when King Edward going with an Army against Robert in person fell sick and died This King Edward had also had some Differences before with France For some of his Subjects in Aquitain having done considerable mischief by Privateering on the Coast of Normandy King Philip sirnam'd the Handsome summon'd Edward to appear at his Court as his Vassal and to answer the same which Edward refusing to do he declared all his Possessions which he held from the Crown of France to be forfeited taking from him by force of Arms Bourdeaux and some other places against whom Edward enter'd into a Confederacy with the Earl of Flanders and the Emperour Adolphus But coming into Flanders with an Army and finding every thing in confusion and disorder he made a Truce with King Philip promising That his Son Edward should marry Isabella Philip's Daughter This King caused likewise all the Jews to be banished out of England not allowing them to carry away any thing more than what they could carry themselves § 10. Him succeeded his Son Edward II. who at the very beginning of his Reign married Isabella Daughter of Philip sirnamed the Handsom with whom he had for a Dowry Guienne and the County of Ponthieu the greatest part whereof had been taken from his Father by the French This King was very unfortunate in his Wars against the Scots who in the Battel fought near Bannoksborough with an Army of 30000 Men defeated 100000 English which struck such a terrour among them that 100 English durst scarce face three Scotchmen And the English were continually beaten by the Scots except in Ireland where they beat the Scots out who had enter'd that Kingdom so that Edward was at last obliged to make a Truce with them He met also with great Disturbances at home the great Men of the Kingdom pressing him without intermission to leave to their Mercy his Favourites Gaveston and after him the Spencers which he refusing to consent to they fell into open Rebellion in which they proving unsuccessfull several of the Nobility paid with their lives for it But the Queen
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
to make Head against the dissatisfy'd people Notwithstanding all which the King pursued his Resolution and having ask'd the Opinion of Men skill'd in the Law who told him That it was allowable for the publick benefit to levy Money by his own Authority he imposed several new Taxes whereby he augmented his yearly Revenue from 500000 l. to 800000 l. Besides this he laid a Tax for maintaining of a Fleet which amounted to 200000 l. All which caused great dissatisfaction among the Subjects against the King Besides the King was thought by the Puritans to deal hardly with them and too mildly with the Papists by the Counsel of Archbishop Laud a Man of great Resolution who at that time apprehended that Faction very dangerous both to Church and State which was by the Puritans interpreted as if the King was resolved by suppressing of them to introduce Popery to insinuate this into the Multitude abundance of Libels and scurrilous Papers were scatter'd abroad against the King and the Bishops and Commissioners being appointed to inquire into them they were rather exasperated than appeas'd by its Severity § 26. Both Nations being therefore full of Discontents the Flame first broke out in Scotland For the King endeavouring to root out Puritanism there to establish the Authority of the Bishops and an Uniformity in Religion he order'd a Church Liturgy to be composed abrogating all Presbyteries Classes and Provincial Synods and enjoining every one under severe penalties to conform to the same there was a general Insurrection raised by that party in Scotland There was also another reason for at the time of the first Reformation the Revenues of a great many Church Benefices were appropriated to the use of the Crown but without any remarkable advantage for they were lett out for the most part to younger Brothers of Noble Families These having found the benefit of them had by getting from time to time the Survivorship continued the same in their Families and kept them as their own Propriety Nay they did more than this for during the Minority of King James VI. they had obtained the Titles of Lordships for some of the most considerable of these or some lesser Benefices joined together King James afterwards perceiving that thereby they had bound him up from rewarding such with these Benefices as deserved well of him would have recall'd the beforesaid Grants but met with such opposition in the Nobility that he desisted from it But the King undertook the business effectually employing the said Revenues towards the augmenting of the Salaries of the Clergy These therefore who had been losers by this Revocation joined with such Ministers as were mortal Enemies of the Liturgy did with all their might help to stirr up the Rebellion Alexander Lesley also who had been a Commander in the German Wars and having refused to serve under John Banniers there was returned into his native Country in hopes to make his advantage of these Troubles He put himself at the Head of the Rebellious Party and by persuading the Nobility that the King intended to take away their ancient Privileges stirr'd up a great many against the King And to make a fair shew to the common people they made use of the Religious Cloak of Conscience ordering a Directory to be compos'd by the Ministers quite opposite to the former Liturgy They thereupon enter'd into an Association confirm'd by solemn Oaths That they would maintain the same against all even the King himself This Association was called the Covenant which being subscrib'd by the greatest part of the Nobility and Clergy a Council was constituted unto whom was committed the supream direction of their Affairs To suppress these Commotions the King sent the Marquiss of Hamilton into Scotland who dealing mildly with them only encouraged the adverse party For the King calling a Parliament in hopes to remedy these Disorders the Covenant was by its Authority confirm'd the Episcopal Authority quite abolish'd and Puritanism establish'd in defiance of the Royal Authority There being then no other way left to reduce the Rebellious Party to Obedience but force and the King being in want both of Money and a sufficient number of faithfull Subjects he was forc'd to make some use of the Papists to obtain both wherefore he did not only raise an Army wherein were some Papists but also was assisted by them with some Summs of Money all which however was in no ways sufficient to supply the want of the King and a Supply being demanded from the Subjects very few except the King's Servants and Officers were for contributing any thing And it being divulged that a great many thousand of Irish Papists and Germans were ready for the King's Service to try whether by this way the Subjects could be frightened out of some Money it served only to exasperate the Minds of the people Yet the King's Forces might in all probability have been successfull against the Scots if they had fallen upon them immediately But because they had leisure given them they did not only settle a Correspondency with France and Holland from whence they were supply'd with Money and Ammunition but also sent their Deputies into England who so well knew there to represent the state of their Affairs that the King being persuaded by the English made a dishonourable Agreement with them Which nevertheless did not last long the Court being asham'd of the Agreement and the Scots not trusting the King the King had in the mean while intercepted a Letter wherein the Scots had sollicited for some Officers and Money to be sent them from France this he hoped might prove an inducement to the English to oppose the Treachery of the Scots and to furnish him with some Supplies of which he stood in great need at that time He calling therefore a Parliament the Letter was read but to no great purpose the Members of the House of Commons being most of them Puritans who were great friends of the Scots so that the Parliament was a little while after dissolv'd by the King's Authority The King had caused to be made Prisoner in London the Scotch Commissioner who had subscribed the abovementioned Letter whereupon the Scots took up Arms and took the Castle of Edinburgh The King having with great difficulty for want of Money got together an Army went in person against the Scots but as a party of his Army endeavouring to force their passage was beaten back with loss which augmented the Discontents of his Subjects the Souldiers for want of Pay being to be maintained by those Counties where they were quartered Besides this ten thousand Men which were raised by the Parliament in Ireland for the King's service were forc'd to be disbanded for want to Pay There was then no other remedy left but to make a Truce with the Scots and to call a new Parliament in England which began to sit in November in the Year 1640. § 27. But in the
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
within the space of 200 Years very few were left in whose places new Favourites of the Emperours were created who were willing to submit themselves to their Commands § 19. But this Monarchy being founded upon the Souldiery could not be of a long continuance for as soon as the Souldiers had once learn'd this Secret that they being the Supporters of the Monarchy could dispose of the Empire at pleasure and that the Senate and People were now empty Names the Emperours were not only oblig'd with double Pay and great Presents to purchase their Favour but they also began to kill such Emperours as were not pleasing to them and to fill up their room with such as could obtain their Favour And because one Army did claim the same Prerogative as well as the other not only the Pretorian Bands but also other Armies which were on the Frontiers undertook to do the same Hence came nothing but Misery and Confusion in the Roman Empire the Life of each Emperour depending on the Will of the covetous and unruly Souldiers so that no Emperour was assur'd to leave the Empire to his Posterity Oftentimes the bravest Princes were murther'd and in their room others set up of the meanest Rank and Capacity Oftentimes two or more were declared Emperours who used to make horrid slaughters among the Citizens in deciding their Titles to the Empire And this was the reason why not only very few of the ancient Emperours died a natural death but also the Power of this vast Empire was diminish'd to that degree by these intestine Wars that it did appear no otherwise than a Body without its Nerves Constantine the Great did also hasten its fall when he transferr'd the Imperial Court from Rome to Constantinople and sent away the Veterane Legions which guarded the Frontiers of the Empire along the Danube and the Rhine to the Easterly Parts whereby the Western Provinces destitute of their Guards became a prey to other Nations Besides this Theodosius divided the Empire betwixt his two Sons giving to Arcadius the Eastern to Honorius the Western parts which division did not a little contribute towards the destruction of the Empire The Western Parts became a prey to the Germans and Goths who about that time came in prodigious numbers to change their poor Habitations for the pleasant and rich Provinces of the Romans England the Romans left of their own accord as being not in a capacity to defend it against the Scots and having occasion for their Troops to defend France Spain fell to the share of the West-Goths The Vandals settled themselves in Africa The Goths Burgundians and Francks divided France betwixt them Rhaetia and Noricum was conquer'd by the Suevians and Bavarians A great part of Pannonia and Illyricum was possested by the Huns. The Goths settled a Kingdom in Italy and did not think Rome worthy to make it the place of Residence of the Gothick Kings § 20. Though the Western parts of the Roman Empire tell to the share of Foreign Nations yet the Eastern Provinces whoâ—e Capital City was Constantiâ—â—le remain'd for a great many hundred years after 〈◊〉 â—his Eastern Empire was neither in Power nor Splendour to be compar'd to the Ancient Roman Empire And Agathias the Vth. says That whereas heretofore the Roman Forces consisted of 645000 Men the same did amount in the times of Justinian scarce to 150000. 'T is true under the Reign of this Justinian the Empire began to recover something of its former Power Belisarius having destroyed the Empire of the Vandals in Africa as Narses did that of the Goths in Italy because these Nations were grown Effeminate and overcome with the deliciousness of a plentifull Country Yet did it again decrease by degrees the neighbouring Nations taking away one piece after another the Emperours were partly in fault themselves some of them being sunk in pleasures and grown quite effeminate others in continual Divisions destroying each other One part was subdu'd by the Bulgarians The Saracens conquer'd Syria Palestine Egypt Cilicia and other neighbouring Countries and raâ—aging the rest besieged Constantinople which City was once taken by Count Baldwin of Flanders but his Forces were obliged to quit it not long after The City also of Trebisond with the neighbouring Countries withdrawing from the Obedience of the rest of the Empire set up an Emperour of their own choosing At last the Turks entirely subdu'd this Empire who did not only conquer the Saracens but also afterwards swallow'd up the Remnants of the Eastern Empire of Constantinople Greece having before withdrawn it self from the Obedience of the Emperours was govern'd by its own petty Princes making thereby the Conquest of the Turks over them the easier till at last the City of Constantinople being taken by Storm by the Turks was afterwards made the place of Residence of the Ottoman Emperours CHAP. II. Of the Kingdom of Spain SPain was in ancient Times divided into a great many States independent of one another which was at that time the condition of most other Countries of Europe But by reason of this Division this otherwise War-like Nation was very instrumental to its being conquer'd by foreign Enemies To this may be added That the Spaniards did want good and understanding Generals under whose Conduct they might easily have resisted the Power of their Enemies For not to mention how the Celts pass'd out of Gaul into the next adjacent parts of Spain who being mixt with the Iberians were from thenceforward call'd Celtiberians neither how the Rhodians built Roses the Citizens of Zante Saguntum the Phoenicians Cadiz Malaga and other Cities the Carthaginians above the rest immediately after the first Punick War with the Romans began to conquer a great part of Spain Wherefore in the second Punick War the Romans did at first send their Forces into Spain where they fought so long with the Carthaginians till at last Scipio afterwards sir-nam'd the African made a great part of it a Roman Province the other parts were subdu'd by degrees till Augustus at last entirely subduing the Cantabrians who live next to the Pyrenean Mountains joined all Spain to the Roman Empire under whose Protection it was peaceably govern'd for a considerable time except that the Spaniards now and then were drawn in to take a part in the Civil Wars among the Romans § 2. But the Western parts of the Roman Empire declining the Vandals Suevians Alani and Silingi made an inrode into Spain and after many bloody Battels fought divided it betwixt them which Conquests nevertheless they did not enjoy long for the Vandals passing over into Africa the Alani were quite routed by the Suevians who having also subdu'd the Silingi were in a fair way of becoming Masters of all Spain if they had not been prevented by the West Goths who after they had under the Conduct of their King Alarick ransack'd Italy and Rome it self settled themselves upon the Borders lying betwixt Spain and France making
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.
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
Session of this Parliament the Ulcer which had been long gathering in the Minds of the people broke out For the Parliament in lieu of assisting the King against the Scots enter'd into a Confederacy with them promising a monthly Subsidy towards the maintaining of the Scottish Army which was to be ready at the English Parliament's command Then they began to reform the States to clip the King's Authority to punish his Ministers and Servants and to take away the Bishops Liturgy and fall upon Papists The better to obtain their aim they forced the King to consent that he would not dissolve the Parliament till all such as were criminal were punished and the State were entirely reformed In a word that they should have the liberty to sit as long as they pleased Which in effect put an end to the Royal Authority To try the King's Patience and their own Strength they brought the Earl of Strafford Lord Deputy of Ireland to his Tryal who notwithstanding he made a good Defence and the King did his utmost to preserve his beloved and faithfull Minister yet the Rabble of London then encouraged by the House of Commons making an Insurrection he received Sentence of Death in the House of Lords And the King refusing to sign the Warrant for his Execution was obliged thereunto partly by the importunity of the Parliament partly by the Insurrection of the Rabble of the City of London and partly by a Letter from the Earl desiring him to do it Then the rest of the King's Ministers went to rack some of them saving themselves by flight some being imprisoned The Bishops were excluded from the House of Lords The Star-chamber the Authority of the Privy Council and the High Commission were suppressed the Customs and power over the Fleet were taken away from the King Some of these and some other things which proved very prejudicial to him the King was forced to grant them in hopes thereby to heal the ulcerated Minds of the people He went also in person into Scotland where he granted them all what they could desire About the same time a horrid Conspiracy broke out among the Irish Papists who pretended to maintain the Popish Religion and to redress some Grievances by force of Arms which occasioned afterwards a most cruel slaughter At last it came to an open Rebellion For the Parliament not ceasing to encroach daily more and more upon the Royal Authority the King resolved to assert his Authority wherefore he summoned five Members of Parliament whom he accused as Traitors and authors of all the Differences And the House of Commons taking their part the King went into the House accompanied with some Officers and spoke to them with a due resentment of their Behaviour which however they made but little account of being not ignorant of his want of Power of which he seem'd to betray himself when he immediately afterwards condescended and came nearer their Expectations The House of Commons thereupon stirr'd up the neighbouring Counties and especially the London Apprentices who made such an Insurrection that the King not thinking himself safe in London retir'd into the Country And the Parliament order'd all the Governours of the Sea-ports not to obey the King's Commands It was certainly a great errour in the King that in such troublesome times he had not taken care to secure to himself the Sea-ports by which means he might have hoped for some assistance from abroad For when the King intended to possess himself of the Fort and Harbour of Hull he was not admitted so that there was nothing left but that the Parliament had not as yet taken from the King the disposal of Offices But for the rest it was evident that their Intention was to abolish totally the Royal Power and to introduce a Democracy And after the King had once given his Assent to the exclusion of the Bishops from the House of Lords where they had six and twenty votes and the rest of the King's Friends had once absented themselves from both Houses it was easie for the remainder quite to abolish the Authority of the House of Lords Thus after there had been long contests by Words and Writings betwixt both parties the King now as well as the Parliament began to Arm themselves And the King having at several times at first beat the Parliament Forces the Parliament stirr'd up the Scots entring with them into a Confederacy Whereupon the Scots came with a considerable Force to the assistance of the Parliament which turned the Scale the King's Forces being routed near York and he obliged for want of Men and Money to give himself up to the protection of the Scots who nevertheless did surrender him to the English for the Summ of 400000 l. under condition that he should not be abused by them The King was afterwards carried a Prisoner from place to place for a considerable time § 28. By these means the Puritans or Presbyterians had under the pretext of Religion overthrown the Royal Power But that they could not long enjoy their usurped power was occasioned by a certain Sect that called themselves Independent because they would not depend on any certain from of Faith or Spiritual or Temporal Constitutions nor acknowledge any of the same whereby they opened a door for all sorts of Fanaticks to come under their Protection These under pretence of a particular holy Zeal had not only got a great sway in the Parliament and had been against any peaceable accommodation propos'd by others but also by their cunning insinuating way crept into the chief Civil and Military Employments For in the place of the Earl of Essex Thomas Fairfax was made General and Oliver Cromwell Lieutenant General over the Army the last of which was the Head of the Independents a sly and cunning Fox And out of this party all vacant places were supply'd in Parliament The Presbyterians therefore perceiving that the Independents began to be very strong in the House and that most Military Employments were in their Hands proposed in the House That one part of the Army should be sent into Ireland that some Forces only should be kept in England and the rest be disbanded Cromwell made use of this to stirr up the Souldiers telling them that they were likely to be disbanded without pay or else to be starv'd in Ireland Thereupon the Souldiers enter'd into an Association among themselves taking upon them not only the Military but also all the Civil Power they took the King from the Parliament into their own custody pretending they would give him his liberty but made themselves Masters of the City of London and acted in every thing at discretion For they quickly after broke off the Treaty with the King and a great many of the Subjects who were not able to bear their Tyranny taking up Arms were dispers'd by Cromwell who also beat the Scots that were come into England to the assistance of the King making
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
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