which they endeauour'd to doe by the meanes of the Turk as on the contrary it became aduantageous to the Republike For though the Marquesse de Saint-Croy hauing ransacked Duras beleeued that the Turks to take reuenge would turne against the Republike as being neerest or at least enter within the Gulfe Yet it happened that the Turk perceiuing the Spanish wiles commaunded the Admirall of his Fleet to aide the Venetians against the Pope and the Spainards But the Republike judging it not fit to make vse of such a helpe for feare the remedie should be worse then the dissease it selfe shee put it off so handsomely that the Grand Signior receiued not any distast thereby Neuerthelesse making the Pope vnderstand that in case of necessitie shee well knew whither to haue recourse The Spaniards out of season offer'd a whole entire Armie to the Pope Some beleeued that it was for to reclaime the Venetians by this way but it was nothing lesse For all whatsoeuer the Spaniards did then for the Pope proceeded onely because the Duke of Lerma was tickled with vaine-glorie for that the Pope in his Briefs had giuen him the title of Excellence Lastly they perceiued in Spaine that this businesse would be ended by treatie and that France was to haue all the honour thereof This made them about to send extraordinaire Embassadours from one side to the other but it was too late the negociation being so farre aduanced by the French that t was impossible to get it out of their hands Insomuch as whatsoeuer the Spaniards could doe to crosse the Treatie the honour thereof remained full and wholly to Henry who ended the businesse by the dexteritie and prudence of the Cardinall de Ioyeuse and of Frenes-Canaye ordinarie Embassadour at Venice The Prisonners were deliuered into the hands of the Embassadour The Lawes of the Republike continued without alteration and the Pope was forced to take off the Interdict without any token of submission from the said Republike This has beene a warre of Negociation wherein the Venetians full and wholly carried the victorie Likewise one must acknowledge they were ingaged to deale in that part wherein they were most able They followed therein all the maximes of their true interest The Pope did quite contrary Spaine was amusing after Chymeraes and France had the scope which shee ought to haue wherefore shee likewise had the glorie THE FOVRTH DISCOVRSE CONCERNING the Truce of the Low Countries vvith the King of Spaine THE Truce of the Low-Countries with the King of Spaine is an infallible proofe of the excellence of the Spaniards in matter of Negociation The King of Spaine seeing that in fortie yeares Space the warre had augmented and enriched this State in stead of ouerthrowing it and that it would greatly diminish his reputation to treate of Peace with those whom euen till then he had treated as Rebells he therefore resolued to doe his vtmost to enter into their Country and to make them feele euen within their intrailes the discommoditie of Warre For which purpose he employed the two last Summers vnder the commaund of Marquesse Spinola one of the renownedst Captaines of the time Who with powerfull Armies endeauoured to enter the first yeare into Frisland and the second into Holland Neuerthelesse Maurice Prince of Orange a Captaine to whom wee owe the restauration of the auncient militarie discipline all though he was much inferiour to the forces of Spinola yet he made so good vse of the situation of his Country that he frustrated all his endeauours This hauing depriued the King of Spaine of all hope to conquer by force he resolued at last to make triall of a Treatie at the cost euen of his reputation But his end herein was 1. to secure the trafficke of the Indies where he was endammaged by them 2. to diuide them in the time of peace and lastly to beare armes more aduantageously against people lesse trained in warre and more easie to subdue being confident that any good successe in some affaire would make him recouer that reputation which he then hazarded and whereof he has beene euer jealous A Monke did first lay open the matter to a Holland Marchant The hope giuen to the States that in this Accord the King of Spaine would acknowledge them for free States made them giue eare whereupon followed a suspension of Armes for to treate more at large This intermission awaked the interessed and neighbour Princes Henry's mind was troubled with the true intererest of his Estate which he best of all knew and also by his particular affections The States by reason of their interest had succoured him in his necessitie He for the same reason powerfully assisted them in his prosperitie He willingly would haue them continue The warre prouided that he augmēted not his assistance They offered to continue the same on cōdition that he would double the money which he gaue them yearely The desire of doing thriftily made him seeme to incline and not alltogether abādon his true interest thinking it should be a great aduantage for him to remoue from his frontiers such good Armes which a Peace or long Truce might dissipate and that it should be a great honour for him to cause the Low Countries to be declared a free State Insomuch as He bent his thoughts to become Arbitratour of this negociation and to make it succeed aduantageously for the Low-Countries IAMES the first King of England whose strong inclination to peace did not also permit him to follow the true interest of his Realme which was to nourish Warre in the Low-Countries for to consume the forces of Spaine and hinder their entreprise vpon him he contents himselfe to haue part in the Treatie by his Embassadours Diuers Protestant Princes of Germanie imagining well that the Armes of Spaine being no more imployed there might fall vpon them doe likewise send their Embassadours of purpose to diuert this Accord os else to procure the protection of those that intermedled in the businesse Maurice whose particular interest was joyned with the true interest of the States wholly withstood the Accord Bernaueld who had most abilitie in the State-affaires of the Country seeing that his owe credit grew in Peace rather then in Warre he would haue the interests of the State to serue his owne ends Here is the true pourtrait of those that dealed in this affaire But for the better vnderstanding of the true interest of the States we must remount higher and come to the originall William of Nassau Prince of Orange who alone in this Age had the honour to found a State although neither his disgraces receiued nor the endeauours of Philip the most puissant and able Prince of his Time could haue hindred him was constrained to assemble the peeces for to compose a bodie thereof with such conditions as each Towne and Prouince required For hauing met with people that haue euer affected their libertie more then their very liues he could not alter the conditions
whereupon they first joyned themselues vnto him This same hath caused in this State so many Republikes as there be Townes amongst whom in a generall decree pluralitie of voices has noe place because that if any one Towne approue it not shee is not bound to obserue it So as he deuised rather to flatter them in their libertie that he might wholly take off their desire to complie with Philip then to propound vnto them good Lawes for to maintaine them in the time of Peace His sonne Maurice brought vp from his infancie in Armes thought principally of the establishing of militarie discipline as the thing then most necessarie to vphold the State wherein he surpassed all the Captaines of his time Insomuch as this State beeing exceeding well grounded for to subsist by warre and as ill to maintaine it selfe in Peace it is euident that the true interest thereof is to continue the Warre According to the interest of each Prince their Ambassadours being assembled at the Hague did worke about The Spaniards make a great difficultie to ratifie the declaration of the Archdukes who acknowledged the States free and soueraigne to the intent to make them better relish the same and that in yeelding they might obtaine of them conditions that would worke their ruine As the graunt of libertie of conscience to Catholikes thereby to make diuisions among them The priuation of trafficke in the Indies and so to make a mutinie by the Marchands the most considerable corporation amongst them Besides the exchange of certaine places most aduantageous to the King of Spaine and most prejudiciall to the said States Maurice earnestly opposed such conditions Bernaueld durst not countenance them France and England perceiuing the venome hidden vnder the same could not digest them In such wise as all Treatie of peace being broken they renew that of a Truce for many yeares Maurice doth his best to hinder it but Bernaueld backed by France and England is the cause they did hearken to it The worke beginnes anew and the Spaniards seeing they could not obtaine the conditions which they desired imagining also their repose to be very necessarie at length they gaue ouer sauing that the Article wich declared the States free and that of trafficke in the Indies were couched so obscurely as they might saue their reputation and interpret them to their owne aduantage as occasion should serue On the other side the French for to induce the States to conclude make a league with them wherein they oblige themselues to giue them pay for tenne thousand Souldiers Specially for to make them keepe the Truce in case it should be broken on the Spaniards side whereupon the Spaniards complaining they were answered that whatsoeuer was done was for their good and that without doing the same nothing could be obtained Maurice for his part yeelds vnto that which he could not hinder conditionally that the Armie might be maintained for the securitie of the State Henry approueth this condition and contributeth to the maintenance of 4000 Foote and 200. Horse So as the Truce was concluded for twelue yeares the States acknowledged free and Soueraigne and their Ambassadours receiued in this qualitie by Princes Thus ended this negociation which lasted two yeares where each one endeauours to deceiue the other and also flatters himselfe with the perswasion of hauing gotten that which he had desired In effect Henry had the most honour in this affaire and the States by his meanes the most profit But he being dead and Louys vpon the Throne at nine yeares of age there was an vniuersall alteration in France For Marie had obtain'd the Regencie and willing to strengthen her authoritie against the Princes of the blood and great ones of the Realme shee procured a disunion amongst them and cast herselfe into the armes of Rome and Spaine beleeuing that shee had then need of the former Power and allwaies of the later insomuch as during the time of her gouernment the true interest of France being abandonned there was taken the contrarie course The Spaniards lost not so good an occasion especially vpon the Low-Countries in the businesse of the Arminians the which Bernaueld seeing himselfe vpheld by France through the practises of Spaine vndertooke to maintaine against the Prince of Orange in such wise as that from a dispute of Religion there was made an affaire of State so pernicious that it was like to ruine this Commonweath Here it was where the Spaniard displayed all his cunning for to make Marie worke in this Country according to his interests He perswaded her that her disunion was aduantageous to her to maintaine her authoritie To the end that shee might not assist the Princes of the blood disontented with her nor the Protestants of France which might joyne with the said Princes He makes her to act a superstitious zeale which is an euill counsellour to those that entertaine it So as the Ambassadours of France vnder the pretēce of zeale to Religion become sollicitours of the affaires of Spaine in Holland They fauour the cause of Bernaueld they foment the diuision within the State they bring it vpon the very brinke of its downefall and had it not beene for the patience and constant courage of Maurice assisted by the souldiers this Republike had runne the hazard to seeme as sonne extinct as borne By that which is aforesaid and by the sequele of affaires one may judge that the true interests of the State of the vnited Prouinces are to maintaine warre against Spaine otherwise it would be ruined of it selfe The interests of France and England are to assist the said State for to giue Spaine this bone to picke The interests of the Germane Princes are to foment the same to the end that by the fall of this burden they likewise be not ouerthrowne And the interests of Spaine are to keepe all the other in broiles amongst themselues or else set them one against another least they should all accord against her Therefore so soone as any of them haue abandonned these maximes their affaires fall to the ground THE FIFTH DISCOVRSE VPON THE affaire about the succession of Cleues and Iulliers SINCE the time of Charles the Fifth Germanie liued very happie so long as shee kept her true interest and whil'st that the Emperour did containe himselfe within the bounds of the lawes of the Empire which ballancing the power thereof with that of the Princes and Republikes of Germanie suffered them not to vsurpe one vpon another The first that forsooke this interest were the Princes Electors in hauing continued the Imperial dignitie without interruption to many of one and the same familie who in tract of time haue raised the same to the prejudice of the Imperiall Lawes the which hath chiefly happened to the house of Austria specially since this house and that of Spaine haue beene both the selfe same thing For seeing her selfe established in so high a dignitie and supported by such a Power shee was willing to be there
vnto them for to disunite them one from another ought to be the bands of their concord and good intelligence This is the true interest of the Princes of Germanie and of the Imperiall townes which they neuer ought to relinquish For without this support they will become the prey of the first Vsurper and their great magazins and stately Arcenalls will serue for a lure to intice those that are Masters of the field There are foure Kingdomes which depend in a manner vpon Germanie and are obliged to follow the fortune of this Country Poland and Hungarie for diuers interrests remaine tyed to the house of Austria Denmarke and Swedeland embrace the partie that maintaines the libertie of Germanie fearing their owne may be in danger after this comes to be oppressed It is requisite that Germanie remaine strictly vnited with both these Realmes But the latter shee can neuer forsake without an eternall blot of ingratitude hauing receiued from thence euen that which was beyond her hopes seeing her selfe allreadie swallowed in the very gulfe of so hard a bondage when this King shewed onely to the world through so many darke clowdes made the Sunne of her deliueraÌ„ce appeare to this desolate Country OF THE INTEREST OF THE SWISSES AND OF THE VNITED PROVINCES of the Low-Countries ON the two sides of Germanie at the entrie of this large Country there are formed two Common-weathes dreadfull amoÌ„gst the other powers of Christendome both for the valour of their people and for the forme of their situation So that very rightly one may call them the two armes of Germanie The right arme is Switzerland the left is the Vnited State of the Low Countries The one is amongst the rockes and precipices the other amongst the Seas and marshes The one domineers in the Alpes and the other in the Ocean The naturall disposition of both these people is so agreeable to the nature of the Countries which they inhabite as that the Swisses seeme made for the Mountaines and the Mountaines for the Swisses The Sea for the Hollanders and the Hollanders for the Sea In Switzer-land euery Canton in the Low-Countries euery Prouince is a Commonwealth The Swisses sell the libertie of their bodies to others and doe guard the libertie of their country the HollaÌ„ders gaâ—d their owne libertie intire Long peace hath enriched those but these flourish by the continuation of warre The interest of the Swisses is Peace but the Hollanders should hold for an assured maxime to be alwaies in Armes These two Republikes cannot make better alliance for their subsistence then with France who to oppose Spaine does enrich the Suisses with her money and supports the Hollanders with her Counsell and Armes These two Powers should neuer be diuided betwixt themselues either through iealousie or Religion since these are the sole maladies that may extinguish them OF THE INTEREST OF ENGLAND ENgland which is as a little world apart had not any thing to doe with other Princes but onely so far as the necessitie of commerce did oblige her which was then her true interest For thereby shee gained great riches which together with her situation haue made her of very great account But since that vnder the shadow of that misterious mariage betweene PHILIP and MARIE the practises of Spaine are insensibly slipped in England which before had maximes conformable to her owne selfe is by litle and litle accommodated sometimes to the interest of France and sometimes to the interest of Spaine Queene ELIZABETH who by her prudent gouernment has equall'd the greatest Kings of Christendome shee knowing well the disposition of her State beleeued that the true interest thereof consisted First in holding a firme vnion in it selfe atcheiuing to smother the reliques of precedent factions deeming as it is most true that England is a mightie Animal which can neuer dye except it kill it selfe Shee grounded this fundamentall maxime to banish thence the exercise of the Romane ReligioÌ„ as the onely meanes to breake all the plots of the Spaniards who vnder this pretext did there foment RebellioÌ„ And allthough shee professed her selfe very much obliged to Philip towards whoÌ„ shee bare euer a speciall regard neuerthelesse shee had so carefull a consideration of the interest of her State that shee beleeued it was neuer fitt to conclude a peace with him for three very euident reasons The first was for to weaken the power that shee suspected in the Indies The second for to enrich her Realme by depredations The third thereby to make her Subjects warlike and keep them in perpetuall exercise for Sea-fight which is the defence of the Kingdome Shee beleeued that the interest of her Estate was to aide France and releeue it least that by the fall thereof shee suffer those to waxe great from whom shee had cause to defend her selfe By the same maxime Shee supported the springing libertie of the Vnited-Prouinces whose protection against the puissance of Spaine is one of the principall points of Englands interest as well because shee thereby weakens a too powerfull Neighbour as for that Protection serues sometimes for a step to reach some higher matter Shee held most strait intelligences with the Protestants of France for reasons alltogether peculiar to England Shee did the same though for other respects with the Protestants of Germanie By all these maximes this wise Princesse has very well made knowne to her Successours that besides the Interest which the King of England has common with all Princes he has yet one particular which is that He ought throughly to acquire the aduaÌ„cement of the Protestant Religion euen with as much zeale as the King of Spaine appeares Protectour of the Catholike For this effect England should haue intelligences throughout where soeuer it is fitting and take part in all the Treaties that are made with Protestant Princes Shee should likewise be allwaies armed to become thereby considerable Here is the true interest of England which being well followed will establish a third Puissance in Christendome THE SECOND PART OF THE INTEREST OF THE PRINCES AND STATES of Christendome AFTER the stablishing of the true interest of each Prince and State it ought to be made appeare by the recitall of the principall affaires agitated in Christendome for the space of fifth yeares past how the ill successes that haue therein happened proceeded not from any other cause then the neglecting of the said interest For to teach vs that in matter of State one ought not to suffer himselfe to be led by inordinate desires which carrie vs oftentimes to vndertake things beyond our strength nor by violent passions which doe diuersly trouble vs according as wee are possessed therewith nor by superstitious opinions whereby ill-conceiued scruples are ministred vnto vs but rather by our proper interest guided by reason aloÌ„e which ought to be the rule of our actions to the end that by such examples wee seeing as in a mirrour the faultes of others may thereby benefit our selues THE FIRST
consult this affaire by personnes well vers'd in such matters and therein they demaund the aduice of the most famous Doctors of Europe They punctually relate the Controuersie to all the Kings and Princes their allies And to the end that their right might appeare euen to posteritie they deliuer their answer to the Pope because that if the difference were reconciled all the world might know that they were justified The same is to be noted that they neuer called home their Ambassadour before the Pope had retired his Nuntio For although the Extraordinarie went backe to testifie some ressentment after the receiuing of so many distastes the Ordinarie neuerthelesse continued there to shew that they had allwaies an eare open to agreement Lastly when they could no longer hold from breaking off they take a resolution to defend their libertie with such an vnanimous consent that in the whole Senate there was not one voice contrarie Thereby frustrating the hopes which the Pope had of disuniting them according as the Iesuites had promis'd him The Pope tooke a cleane contrary byas for men beleeu'd he cared not a jot whether he went vpon good or ill grounds He imparted not this businesse to other Princes till very late neither did he demaund the aduise euen of the Cardinalls but for fashion's sake Here is that which passed before the breach betwixt the Pope and the Venetians wherein the Venetians exactly followed that which belonged to their interest For their State being founded rather by Peace then by Warre and being more considerable for Counsell then for Armes they ought euer dexterously to auoid any rupture whatsoeuer During the time of the breach the Venetians surmounted euen their owne selues hauing giuen in this affaire a perpetuall example of perfect conduct shewing as much constancie and courage in their ressentment of the injurie which they pretended was done them as before they had shewed submission to preuent the same They euer answered those who spake to them of agreement That the remedie ought to be applied to the part whence the disease proceeded That the Pope had receiued a voluntarie displeasure the remedie whereof was a voluntary repentance This notwithstanding they rejected not any proposition but much insisted vpon this point That they had done onely what they ought That the Pope in withdrawing his Nuntio had barr'd the way to agreement That it belonged to him to make good againe what he himselfe had spoyled and That when he shall haue taken off his pretended censures they will not seeme estranged from Peace But that which had beene most remarkable here was that they were not a whit moued for all this tempest prouiding with so much prudence both within and without their State all that was necessarie to sustaine such a shock that noe alteration at all was perceiued The people remained in obedience the Townes of their Dominion offered their meanes and forces the Religious obeyed without constraint there was not shed one drop of blood The Pope in stead of shewing constancie in his resolution beganne to relent so soone as had wrought his indignation by the interdict leauing to be vnderstood vnder-hand that he would lend an eare to agreement prouided that he might saue his credit But when he saw the inflexible stedfastnesse of the Venetians he resolued to haue recourse to force and to interest the Catholike Princes in the same France had noe other scope in this affaire then to arbitrate the difference and to haue the honour of deciding so important a question between two Princes so considerable in Christendome For this effect shee shewed not any partialitie although it be true that Villeroy through his ambition to rise to a Cardinalship inclined at first to the Pope's side seruing his turne therein by the ministration of his sonne then Ambassadour at Rome But seeing himselfe disappointed of his hope he returned to the temper which a just Mediatour ought to haue So it is that oftentimes a priuate interest does prejudice the publike Happie are the States wherein those that sit at the helme of gouernment haue so noble a spirit as not to ayme at any other greatnesse then that which is inseparably conioint with the glorie of the Prince whom they serue The Spaniards conceiued it best to foment the discord betweene the two parties thinking that is was in their power to hinder the warre if their profit so required or else to make it serue their owne aduantage They therefore let the businesse runne its course without prescribing any thing to their Ambassadour which was at Rome who handsomely intertained the Pope in his opinion with intent to obtaine a Cardinalship for his Brother by this meanes The Emperour was a Mediatour the King of Poland fauoured the Republike the Princes of Germanie medled not all in the matter The King of England was glad to see this businesse dayly waxe hot He promised all assistance to the Republike of Venice as by all reason he was obliged to deale in this manner For he beleeued that this would rowse vp the other Catholike Princes which were interessed to maintaine their Lawes And that it would be an occasion to deliberate of a Councell which may determine so many Controuersies The States of the vnited-Prouinces offered to the Venetians succour of armes and munition The Princes of Italie since they saw the Pope remaine confused and wauering in himselfe as if he had manifestly repented they appeare all newters in this affaire follwing that which belonged to their true interest Onely the Duke of Sauoy let himselfe be transported by his passion For the Republike hauing written to his children with the title of Excellence as shee had accustomed to doe He in despite kept Chappell without admitting there the Ambassadour of Venice and this at the instance of the Nuntio residing neere vnto him It is not in this affaire alone that this Prince has carried himselfe rather capriciously then after the true Maxime of his interest France continued to solicite the Accord without shewing any passion for the one partie or the other following herein her true interest For because one shall hardly see an open warre betwixt two so pacifique Princes Shee could not reape any other profit by this Difference then the honour onely to haue reconciled the same The Spaniards perceiuing this beganne to recoile and desire to haue a hand in making peace since they could not haue it in warre They judged well that the Pope was disposed to cast himselfe into their armes and to goe which way they would because he had a mind to agreement But they saw also the Venetians so firme in their resolution as they had noe hope to bend them Wherefore they essayed to trouble them with the Turk to the end they might be constrained to haue recourse vnto them and that by this meanes it should be in their power to bring the Senate to accept such conditions as the Pope pleased to allow them But they failed so much in that