were all detained prisoners contrary to the Agreement made by a maxime little usual for they would not release them because they would not draine the Source of them and exhaust the Country of Souldiers It is to be noted that this said Fort before which there perished the Flower of the French Nobility and which merited not to be attacked had it not been for the consideration of the Haven yeelded to testifie to the French that the honour thereof was due to the Hollanders And these small grudges served but to sharpen their stomacks hasten the taking of Dunker and Fuernes The eleventh of October 1646 Thus almost all Flanders being conquered they doubted no more of expelling the Spaniards since there wanted onely one effort or last blow for it whereof France for her part was resolved Wherefore the King sent to intreat the Prince of Orange to lay siege before Antwerp and promised him the succour of six thousand men demanding onely four Churches for the Roman Catholicks in lieu thereof to which the Prince consented but the found some difficulty in the determination of the States For they of Zeland protested against it and they of Amsterdam would not have the said Town taken for feare least the Commerce should return thither again But there was yet another stronger and more considerable reason and jealousic had already taken too firme root to be so easily plucked up The Marshals Gassions and Rantzaw after having put good order at Courtrack advanced with their Troops towards the Channel betwen Gaunt and Bridges secured the Princes passage and drove back Piccolomini who durst not venture any thing against them The Prince after having passed made a circuit found plunder for his Souldiers rendred the Duke of Orleans a visit then crossed the River Skelde and entred the Land of Wass General Back seeing this storme ready to fall upon him after having stopped the Hollanders below Gannt retired himselfe and pitched his Camp a league beyond Antwerp for the safety whereof all being in confusion he left the fruitful Land of Wass to the Enemy as also the Town of Hulst which the Prince forced to yeeld Hulst besieged and taken after a moneths Siege Fortune which had alwayes accompained him made it appeare that he was yet her Darling in this occasion for though it were in the moneth of October it was faire and dry weather and had it been rainy according to the Season he had run hazard of loosing the benefit of this Field and of blemishing in some sort the splendour of so many gallant exploits as had been happily accomplished by him CHAP. XVIII The War of England The Tragical death of the King FErdinand the third at present Emperour had good reason to say these words which are reported to have been once uttered by him by way of deploring the calamity of this Age. The Princes of the Empire said he will be râ—â—ved and the evils and disasters which we suffer will rebound upon the heads of them who make us suffer them He is now in repose and sees all the calamities of Germany transported into England and other places But let us first begin with England without seeking the speculative Causes or casting them at all upon the sins of men To the end that we may speak with the more ground of what hath passed in this Kingdom we will derive the Source thereof from William the Conquerours time CHARLES PAR LA GRACE DE DIET-ROY D'ANGE ETERRE sould by P. Stent The curses of Fathers and Mothers upon their Children are of most dangerous consequence Behold here a proofe thereof by which this said Kingdom hath bâ—â—â—n afflicted since many Ages past and by the late Tragical Act which turned it into a Common-wealth Robert Son to the abovesaid William being gone to conquer the Holy Land gave his brother Henry the first of that name occasion by his absence to seize upon his Crown who having a desire to marry the Princess Mawde Sister to King Edgare of Scotland who had been long before an inclosed Nun in a Monastery caused her often to be asked with great instancy but the devour Princesse remained constant to her Vow but finding that she would not voluntarily yeeld her brother Edgare King Henry of England marries Mâ—wde Princesse of Scotland fearing Henry's fury was constrained to make her condescend so that she perceiving it to be a businesse of force made a prayer to God that all the issue and posterity which should spring from them might live in perpetuall disquiets and quarrels This malediction of hers hit right and extended it self not onely to the third and fourth generation but even to our Times also in such sort as that there have been few Kings ever since who to raigne in security have not been either necessitated or induced to kill their Brothers or near Kinsmen and who have not also experimented Civill Seditions whereby the Brothers Uncles Children or Brothers in Law have seized upon the Crown In fine the Division under Edwards Children between the Houses of Lancaster and Yorke existed under the Colours of the Red The quarrels between the Houses of Lancaster and York and the White Rose which quarrell after having caused many Battels and the death of above eighty Princes was composed by the marriage of Henry the seventh with Elizabeth of the House of Yorke and so the Roses were re-united to bury the two Factions and terminate the Difference however the Kingdom were not thereby cured of Mawdes Curse for in the year 1587. Queen Elizabeth who then raigned put to death Mary Stewart her Kinswoman after detaining her prisoner almost twenty yeares Thus farre reaches Stephen Basker a Writer of very much esteem but I must passe further and call a milde King upon a Scaffold After Queen Elizabeths decease it looked as if the course of misfortune were stayed by the raigne of King Iames and the Union of three Crownes but this great Calme continuing yet about fifteen yeares after his death turned into the blackest and most furious Tempest that ever was and those waters had not been stopped but to overflow this Field with so much the more violence and desolation Iames Stewart King of Scotland was murthered by a detestable Treason The misfortunes upon the House of Stewart and the Queen his Wife was beheaded in England where shee thought to sinde her Sanctuary from the Faction of her subjects Her Sonne afterwards King of England was likely to be stifled in her wombe Her Grand-Childe ended his dayes as she did hers by the hand of an Executioner and his distressed Children retyred into France to their Mother A strange Catastrophe and a malediction more Tragicall in the end then in the beginning But let us begin this Tragedy by this first Act. The English under a pacificall King lived in such superlative delight and riot produced by an uninterrupted course of many yeares Peace that they grew almost to forget God For it is but
design drawn from those revolutions Luther writes against the Pope The Rebellion of the Peasants in Germany Page 24. CHAP. XV. The Anabaptists at Munster The Reformates in France A change of Religion in England by what means The King repudiates his wife The Queens Speech He makes himself Head of the Church Luther writes to him His miserable death Page 10. CHAP. XVI Queen Elizabeth banishes the Catholick Religion out of England again by degrees The Protestant Religion goes into Scotland under the Bastard Murrey who swayes the Scepter It is called the Congregation fortified by Queen Elizabeth and the Hughenots of France Page 29. CHAP. XVII Religion gives divers pretexts causes jealousies The Latin and Greek Religion Page 32. THE SECOND BOOK CHAP. I. THe Queen and the States refuse peace The Arch-Duke returns from Spain Henry polishes his Kingdom makes war upon the Duke of Savoy Page 34. CHAP. II. King Henry gives his sister in marriage to the Marquis du Pont. Marries Mary of Medicis wages war against the Duke of Savoy The Enterprise of the said Duke upon Geneva Page 35. CHAP. III. The Jubily Biron put to death The Battail of Flanders La Burlotte killed Rhinbergh yeelds Page 37. CHAP. IV. The Siege of Ostend Maurice endeavours to surprize Boisleducq besieges Grave and takes it Page 38. CHAP. V. Peace between the Spaniards and the English King Henry establishes the Jesuits Father Cotton hurt The war is carried on about the Rheyn Page 41. CHAP. VI. The difference which happened between Pope Paul the fifth and the Republick of Venice and why the peace is made The Duke of Brunswick endeavours to surprize the town The King of Denmark goes into England The continuation of the war in the Low-Countries Page 42. CHAP. VII The taking of Ringbergh The mutiny of the Spaniards The Siege of Grol raised by the promptitude of the Marquis The first overture for a Truce rejected Page 44. CHAP. VIII The defeat of the Spanish Armada The Enterprize upon Sluce failed The continuance of the Treaty Spinola arrives at the Haghe The Treaty being broaken again is renewed at Antwerp where the Truce is made for twelve yeares Page 46. CHAP. IX The State of France The King goes to Sedan Troubles in Austria and Bohemia A Conjuration discovered in Spain and the Mores banished Page 48. CHAP. X. A brief description of the Kingdomes of Spain and France Page 50. CHAP. XI The King of France arms The Spaniards do the same All is full of joy and fear He is killed His education Page 53. CHAP. XII The difference which happened about the Dutchy of Juleers or Gulick Iealousie between the Catholicks and Protestants why A tumult at Donawerdt an Imperiall town about a Procession Gulick besieged by Prince Maurice and the French yeelds The Princes will not admit of a Sequestration Page 56. CHAP. XIII A tumult in Poland and why They suddenly arme The Swedes and Muscovits serve themselves of this occasion against the Polanders who loose Smolensko Treason discovered in England The troubles at Paris appeased Rodolph dies Page 58. CHAP. XIV The war between the Danes and Swedes the reasons why Colmar taken Charles dies The Queen-Regent purchases a double marriage in Spain The town of Aix taken and Newburgh succoured by Spinola Page 60. CHAP. XV. The differences which happened in the United Provinces Barneveldt is beheaded and the Religion of Arminians condemned King Lewis humbles the Hughenots and reduces Bearn Page 62. THE THIRD BOOK CHAP. I. THe Prodigies which preceded the wars of Germany A description of the Kingdom of Bohemia Ancient differences about Religion The warres of Zisca compared to this Page 66. CHAP. II. The Bohemians take Arms and why All the Princes interest themselves in this war Ferdinand elected Emperour Page 69. CHAP. III. The following of the war of Bohemia The Battel of Prague Frederick flies and forsakes the town together with his people Page 71. CHAP. IV. War against the Hughenots and why A new difference betwixt the House of Austria and the Venetians Page 80. CHAP. V. The War of Austria of Lusatia of Moravia and of the Palatinat Page 76. CHAP. VI. The War of Transylvania The King of Poland treacherously wounded War between the Poles and the Turks Page 78. CHAP. VII War in the Palatinat Tilly beaten takes his revenge and defeates the Marquis of Baden The Bishop of Halberstadt makes himselfe known in Westphalia is beaten passes with Mansfeldt through Lorraine and incamps before Sedan Page 73. CHAP. VIII The continuance of the war betwen the Polanders and the Turks The Tragical end of young Osman The Death of some Lords Page 82. CHAP. IX Sadnesse in the United Provinces for the ill success of Fredericks affaires The war begins again between them and the Spaniards Gulick and Pape-mutz yeeld themselves Count Henry suspected and why Page 83. CHAP. X. Berghen is besieged Mansfeldt and his Bishop beaten by Cordua come to succour the Hollanders The Duke of Boüillous death and a summary of his life Spinola quits the siege Mansfeldt goes into Freezland The third war in France Page 85. CHAP. XI Of the Swissers and Grizous and their Government The fall of a Mountain Soubize breakes the Peace The death of the Great Priour and of the Marshal of Ornano Page 88. CHAP. XII Mansfeldt seeks succour every where puts an Army on foot again The marriage of the Prince of Wales with a Danghter of France after his returne from Spain Page 91. CHAP. XIII The siege of Bredà Enterprises upon Antwerp Page 93. THE FOURTH BOOK CHAP. I. The war of Denmark The Allyances of the Kings of England France and Denmark as also of the States of Holland against the Emperour Page 96. CHAP. II. The prosecution of the second war against the Hughenots The Peace is made by the intercession of the King of England the Venetians and the Hollanders War between the English and the French and why The beginning of the third and last war against the Hughenots Cardinal Richelieu makes himselfe known admired and feared The siege and reduction of Rochell Page 99. CHAP. III. The following of the war of Denmark unfortunate to the Danes Wallenstein besiedges Stralsund in vain The peace is made Page 103. CHAP. IV. The war of the Peasants or Country-people of Austria Page 105. CHAP. V. The death of Prince Maurice and of the King of England The siege of Groll The state of Lorraine The Jubily at Rome Bethleem Gabor makes war against the Emperour and obtaines peace Page 106. CHAP. VI. Gustave King of Sweden attacks Broussia or Prussia The Imperialists succour the Poles Truce is made for six years Page 108. CHAP. VII The siege of Boisleducq or the Bosse The Imperialists under Montecuculi joyne with the Count of Bergh who enters the Velaw The taking of Wesel Page 110. CHAP. VIII The following of the last war against the Reformates in France The Duke of Rohan makes his peace All the Townes stoop and throw down their
glory l. 30. the time l. 48. and live after p. 13. l. 35. States p. 14. l. 42. States p. 24. l. last adde But here we must note another evill which partly caused that p. 36. l. 13. apprehension p. 37. l. 16. gave any p 50. l. 40. she is p. 51. l. 9. the point p. 53. l. 35. to the. p. 58. l. 16. as they p. 77. l. 7. and so p. 73. l. 16. storm l. 17. port p. 83. l. 6. in regard p. 84. l. 25. of repast p. 86. l. 18. apprehensions p. 87. l. 17. receivable p. 93. l. 4. how p. 99. l. 38. inconsiderate p. 100. l. 11. Rebellion p. 107. l. 21. brought into p. 112. l. 6. those two l. 35. glory 36. dammageable p. 113. l. 4. Negotiator l. 18. them p. 〈◊〉 l. 50. adored in Germany then in l. 53. neighbours with p. 127. l. 37. such whose party was supplanted p. 132. l. 48. in such p. 1. 5. l. 14. ardout p. 137. l. 26. will hence p. 138. l. 5. he p. 141. marg 1631. p. 144. l. 41. Novelty p. 153. l. 44. noyse of his Arms. p. 154. l. 4. at his p. 150. l. 50. out of p. 172. l. 39. There p. 180. l. 10. winnes the lawrel near the. p. 188. l. 6. good reason yea p. 203. l. 5. unwillingly l. 7. disadvantage p. 213. l. 25. to escape p. 239. l. 3. sacked p. 240. l. 45. at Trevirs p. 245. l. 54. taken p. 247. l. 7. praises p. 255. l. 34. casual p. 265. l. 1. dele little p. 268. l. 7. well enough l. 19. or for p. 209. l. 13. of others p. 276. l. 46. excuse p. 287. l. 18. now held Directions for placing of the Figures THe Emperour of Germany Page 178 The late King of England Page 208 The King of France Page 48 The King of Spain Page 50 The Protectour of England Page 254 The King of Poland Page 251 The Queen of Sweden Page 256 The King of Sweden Page 9 Cardinel Mazarine Page 198 The Prince of Orange Page 260 The Farl of Strafford Page 210 The Arch-Duke Leopold Governour of Flanders Page 237 Pope Alexander the Seventh Page 287 THE HISTORY OF THIS IRON AGE THE FIRST BOOK CHAP. I The state of EVROPB towards the end of the precedent Age. THE Romane Empyre enjoyed a profound Peace France Italy Spaine Lorraine and the Gallicane or French Provinces of the Low-Countries began to respire by the Peace of Vervix All the Partialities of the League grew to be smoothered by the prudence of that Gaulish Hercules The Romane Catholicks HENRY Fourth and they of the Reformed Religion with an agreeable harmony to one anothers grief testified their fidelity to their magnanimous Prince and to please him the more bestowed all their hatred upon his service and their grudges upon the glory of their Country The Germans under the government of Maximilian Nephew to the Emperour Charles and Rodolph his son both meek Princes no more remembred the calamities which they had suffored through the difference about matter of Religion Nor knew they now what belonged to war but by hear-say and report for if by accident they saw any souldiers listed they were appointed for France or the Low-Countries The Forces of the Dubos des deux Ponts of Prince William of Orange of Casimir and of the Duke of Brunsmick The Battell of Anolt were soon the one to be cut in pieces by the Duke of Guise and the other after having committed great extravagances and made shamefull compositions to return with confusion This part whereof only which came into the Bishopprick of Colein to interrupt the marriage of their Electour proved not despisable Frances married fair Agnes of Mansfeld and had almost kindled a great fire but it passed not over the Lisiere and was quenched in the waters of the Rheyn by the valour of the Duke of Parma And so by a good understanding of the Members with their Head there returned a Calme I mean of the Electours and Princes with their Emperour Fear was taken away but distrust which casts her roots every where amongst pleasures caused by abundance was not rooted out This hath smothered the good Corn as we shall hereafter shew and dried up the fat of these rich Provinces and that Germany which was so formidable to the whole world would not have since been seen so miserably torne in pieces if she had known how to keep her self in unity and concord Now this desirable Aurora had chased away the darknesse of the night this Peace had lulled asleep the better part of Europe and the War was retired towards the extremities or uttermost ends thereof as that at Sea between the Spaniards and the English The Low-countries the Academy of the Wars the Poles and the Swedes the Hungarians and the Turks But it was principally in the Low-Countries where it had fixed its Seate and Schoole It was I say in this little corner near the Sea amongst great Rivers and inaccessible Fennes and Marishes where it set up its Academy so to render the Discipline thereof immortall In effect great spirits not being able to live at home in sloth and idlenesse and inflamed with a laudable desire of making themselves famous in Arms for the acquisition of glory hastened thither from all parts there to make their Apprentisage and some following the humour of their Prince and others the interest of Religion ranged themselves on that side to which their zeal addicted them How because from the knowledge of the Revolutions of the precedent Age are drawne the truest causes and motives of the bloody and terrible Tiagedies which are yet a playing in this of ours we will reprize our Discourse from the head and having reached the source follow the brooks and rivers till we come into that Sea of calamities and miseries wherein we see poor Christians ingulfed at this day who cannot truly call themselves any more the Disciples of their Master Jesus Christ since they have exterminated Peace and brought confusion dissentions and disorders upon themselves It is therefore this abominable Age whereof the Scripture so clearely speaks This is that Kingdome of Iron which shivers and subdues all things The seven Angels have powred down their Vials upon the earth which is filled with blasphemy massacres injustices disloyalties and infinite other evills almost able to draw even the very Elect to murmuration We have seen and yet see Kingdome against Kingdome Nation against Nation Plagues Famines Earthquakes horrible Inundations signes in the Sun Moon and Starres anguishes afflictions of whole Nations through the tempests and noise of the Sea And whereas the Trees by thrusting forth their buds give us assurance of the approach of Summer in like manner will I be bold to say that since those things are come to passe which have been foretold us we ought not to make any difficulty to believe that the End is at hand and that the Son of man is coming in a Cloud with
most smiles is then most ready to shoot her inevitable shots of her irradicable hatred against such as love vertue and constance It was necessary to recount this for the greater knowledge of what we are to publish concerning Muscovy which hath selt the tragical effects of Bellona as well as the rest of Europe whereof she is a good part CHAP. IV Of Poland The Government and Religion thereof Henry Duke of Anioii chosen King and afterwards Sigismund of Sweden and Maximilian of Austria who was taken prisoner in a Battell THis Kingdome was governed by Sigismund of Sweden and had no other enemy at that time then the Swedes for the interest of their Prince But before we give an account thereof we will speak of the manners and Origin of the Country Poland is of very vast distent and takes her name from the great Fields which produce a huge quantity of Corn. The great Dukedome of Lithuania is a part of this Kingdome which is bounded on the one side by Muscovy and on the other Hungary Germany Livonia and Prussia or Borussia to the Baltick Sea there are many Fennes Lakes and huge Forrests Poland full of Forrests and Fennes as there likewise are through all the North where in the Trunks of Trees is often found great store of hony whereof they make a certain Drink chiefly in Lithuania which is most delicate and yeelds not awhit in goodness to Spanish wine Now here well deserves to be inserted the story of a certain Peasant or Countriman who being fallen by accident into one of the Trunks which was full of hony ran great hazard to be drowned The story of is Peasant saved by a strange accident without an almost miraculous succour which came to him by chance And it was a Bear approaching the said place to lick the hony whereof these creatures are very lickorish the poor man layd hold of his tayle and the beast violently endeavouring to run away drew the man out of this sweet but fatall precipice The winter is there very long and sharp against the rigour whereof the Inhabitants who have no want of wood serve themselves of stoves and good furred gownes as all the Northern people do The Nobility is very studious of Warre and desirous of Travell and in short of an humour much like that of the French They express their gallantry in the beauty of their Cloathes Weapons and Horses in the sumptousness of Feasts Weddings Funeralls Christenings and in numerous Trains of servants too when they go a woing They are very stout and decide their quarrels for the most part by encounters so that there are more Fights then Duels They are very good souldiers whereof they have given frequent testimonies against the Turks whom they oppose not with Fortifications and Bulwarks for the defence of their Kingdome and all Christendome but with their Bodies in the Field The Tartars do them much hurt by surprizes who as soon as they have done their feat and find the Poles advancing betake themselves to their heels with their pray and fell their prisoners to the Turks by whom they are made slaves The Polanders anciently called Sarmass were very redoubtable to the Romans and contemned their power they embraced the doctrine of the Gospel and since learning and sciences have been in Vogue amongst them they are extremely civilized as all other nations like wife are which have changed the darkness of ignorance into light and their brutish manners into amiable society The Latin tongue is so common amongst them that there are very few Gentlemen who do not speak it The custome of drawing a sword when the Priest recited the Gospel in the Mass is now abolished for some misfortunes which happened thereby however by this zealous action they signified themselves to be willing to loose their lives for the defence of the Gospel and for the ingrandizement and propagation whereof they have often tought against the Pagans and do protect Christendome to this day against the puissance of the Infidels Though yet they were moved by this very zeal both inconsiderately and perfidiously to break the sworne Peace with the Great Turk and were consequently all cut off together with their King Vladislans near Varne They are very strong and tall and have faces able to imprint the figure of feare in the countenance of the most confident They slight the rigour of the cold and all other obstacles which may hinder them from a glorious death Yet is it also very true on the other side that vice hath placed its dwelling there as well as elsewhere and that the contempt of the Lawes is not lesse amongst them then in any other part of Europe They who travell through Poland and Hungary carry their beds with them yea and sometimes their victuals too to shunne the hazard of an ill supper and a hard lodging These two Nations have a fashion of cloathing almost alike which doth differ very little and they both weare furred Bonnets The Romane Catholick Religion is the chief however there be other also permitted and freely exercised amongst them as namely the Arrian and many other old Heresies which are still croaking there besides the Greck Church hath also a great number of adherents there The Kingdome of Poland is Elective and when the King is dead the Archbishop of Gssue takes the Government of the State and assembles the Senate and the Nobility for the election of another During the Interreign or vacancy there is committed great store of murthers and insolencies which moves such as love the publick Quiet to speed the Election The Nobility hath most high priviledges whereby the Kings authority is much bridled and retained within the Lawes of the Kingdom whereof in a word they are so jealous that they alwayes mistrust their Prince and imagine every moment that he will either take their lawes from them or at least diminish them to make himself more absolute Murthers are not so rigorously punished here as in other parts of Chrislendome For a Gentleman shall be quit for killing of another with one years imprisonment and if the person murthered be of a mean condition for a small forfeit The Ecclesiasticks have huge Revenues for which they are much envied The most eminent dignities amongst them are to be Senatours whom they call Waiwodes Chatellans and Starosts which are charges of Captains In a word they are all equall like Brothers not enduring any superiority at all The Duke of Anioll elected King The Kingdome being vacant by the decease of Sigismund Queen Katherine de Medicis sent the Bishop of Valence thither for the Duke of Anioll her son who was chosen with applause and the eloquence of the said Bishop prevailed much therein The magnificencie of the Dukes Reception made the French see that the Polanders skorn to fall short of any in gallantry But his Reign proved not very long For hearing of the death of King Charles and preferring the Hereditary Crown of France
before the Elective of Poland three moneths after his arrivall he secretly departed leaving the Polanders the repentance of having chosen him and the trouble to choose another Stephen Batorins succeeds who sell out to be Stephanus Batorins Prince of Transylvania He reigned ten yeares reduced Dantsick to her obedience kept the bordering places within their duty and rejoyned Livonia to the Crown He governed the Kingdome both happily and wisely died in the resolution he had taken to subdue Muscavy to Poland left great grief for his so sudden death amongst tho Poles and a good odour of his vertues to posterity The Polanders after the decease of King Stephen found themselves in a dangerous sicknesse by a division which threatned utter ruine to the Crown The great Chancellour Samotskie the Bishops and many other of the great Lords elected Sigismund of Sweden sonne of King John and Queen Katherine of Poland daughter to Sigismund of Jaguellonne The other party had chosen Maximilian of Anstria who entring 〈◊〉 Poland with an Army made up in haste besieged Warsaw from whence being repulsed Maximilian forces and recruting his forces in Silesia he was the second time defeated and taken prisoner by the Great Chancellour aforesaid After these two victories was crowned Sigismund in the year 1587 and called by the name of Sigismund the third He married Anne of Austria who brought him a sonne named Vladislans who afterwards was King of Poland And this is that which we thought very sit to recount and which must serve us for the present History of this Age. Let us now passe into Sweden and hear what the Swedes alledge against the Polanders with the reasons and arguments both of the one and the other CAROLVS GVS'TMVS ' King of S'wethens Goths Vandalls greate mince of Finland Duke of Esthonia Carelia Lot of Jâ—â—ria Ciou'ned An Dom 1654. CHAP. V of Sweden The discords happening between King Sigismund and his Uncle Charles and why The successe of their Arms. SIgismund King of Sweden endeavouring to put two Crowns upon his head lost the Hereditary one See how all passed This young Prince had been brought up in the Roman Catholick Religion though yet he were the sonne of King Erick who embraced the Confession of Ausbourgh and introduced it into his Kingdome This Erick was sonne to King John and Nephew to Charles Duke of Sudermanic whom he left in Sweden to govern that Kingdome in his absence in the quality of Vice-Roy Now it often chances that Princes who have more then one kingdom grow by little and little to loose the affections of their remote subjects and their authority comes also by degrees to be eclipsed in regard that their said subjects are not warmed by the heat of their favour and prudence and so others grow insensibly to take place as well because their presence winnes the affections of the said subjects as also for that reasons are never wanting to such as have no will to obey And besides every one stands in fear of forraine Rule But the most powerfull argument of the coldness of subjects towards their Soveraigne is diversity of Religions which causes a change in State and alters and shakes it so as that many Princes for the strengthening and fixing of theirs have believed that they neither could nor ought to permit any more then one Sigismund goes into Sweden King Sigismund hearing many complaints from Sweden and conceaving some jealousies of his Uncle Charles resolved with leave of the States of Poland to transport himself thither with some Polish and German forces He departed from Dantsick with a fleet of sixty Sayle and was well received by the Governour of Colmar from whom he went to see his sister at Stebourgh Duke Charles hastened towards him from Finland with an Army to defend the kingdome against the King himself Sigismund beaten who as it was published came to take the Vice-King prisoner and change the State by subverting Religion So there occurred a fierce skirmish wherein the Vice-King had the better and Sigismund the King was forced to retite himself towards the Confines of Denmark In fine he was beaten again near Lincopin and his Fleet taken Upon which seeing his Uncle thus courted by Fortuâ—e through the mediation of some Lords he was fain to make peace with him under certain conditions by vertue whereof his Fleet was restored to him to go by Sea to Stockholm Makes Peace and Duke Charles in whose hands were put the prime Lords of Sweden who had been to fetch the King in Poland went thither by land Sigismund instead of going to the Assembly of States at Stockholm went secretly out of the kingdom which he thereby lost He retires our of the kingdom and regained Dantsick Some Authors have written that he had been advertised of some ill design of his Uncle Charles against him and a certain person who was then at Stockholm affirms that he sighed for his having let slip the bird which he had in his hand However those Lords were beheaded and their heads set upon stakes which were since taken away upon the request of a great Wanyer Duke Charles quickly recovered those places of strength which were in the Kings possession chastised the Citizens of Lubeck who had favoured him caused the States to approve of all his actions and ranged the Finlanders who held the Kings party under obedience to himself Some months after the States deposed the King by a publick Decree declaring him fallen from the Rights he had in the kingdom and renouncing all fidelity to him though yet still they were ready to receive his sonne Vladislans for King of Sweden in case he would forthwith send him thither to be bred in the Religion and customes of the Country But these conditions not seeming receivable were not accepted by the King and the proceedings of the States of Sweden cryed down by the Poles who resolved to take an account of them with the sword This is the summe of what is known of that difference which is yet remaining between the Heires of these two Princes and which is debated by very contrary reasons according to the predominancy either of Passion or Religion and according to the knowledge also of the Right of the Parties concerned The Polanders reproach the Swedes for that without any available reason and upon some ill grounded suspicions only yea even against all Right both Divine and Humane they took the kingdom from Sigismund to give it to Charles To which the Swede answer that the King against his promise had endeavoured under hand to bring in the Jesuits so to replant the Roman Catholick Religion and strangers to check and curb them and many other arguments there are both upon the one side and the other which I let passe in silence and which are found at large elsewhere Now you have had the words take also some effects of their arms Duke Charles after the reduction of Finlande went into
Livoma where he gained some advantage upon Samonskie besieged Riga but in vain and returned into Sweden in great danger to be drowned When he had gotten the Crown upon his head he gave the reasons thereof to all Christian Kings and Princes justifying his proceedings the best he could and seeking the allyance of his Neighbours and chiefly that of the States Generall Samonskie the Great Chancellonr aforesaid writ against him and cried our upon his ambition which greatly offended him and gave subject of great grudges between them which grew at length to implacable hatred Chules looset the Battel Fortune frowned upon him at Riga for his Army being much stronger then that of Poland was rooted by General Cockevietz who having senr four hundred of the Livonian horse over a River to attack the Swedes in the Reer wonne the Battel by this stratatagem and so Livonia came to be under the Polanders till the Reign of the Great Gustavus Adolphus who reduced it to his obedience All Livonia hath embraced the Lutheran Religion as well as Sweden where it is held for one of their Fundamentall Lawes as it also is almost through all the North. Sweden is the biggest of all the Northern kingdoms the Head City whereof is Stockholm a Town the Suburbs and Sea-thore or strand comprised of great distent There are many huge Mountains Rocks and Forrests where are sometimes heard great illusions and phancies as there likewise are in the water which are very troublesome and terrible both to men and horses which passe that way The country is not much inhabited and the chief Provinces are West-Gothland East-gothland from whence as also from the rest of Sweden according to the opinion of some Authours came the Goths who so much vexed the Romane Empyre This kingdom is full of Copper and Iron Mines The Swedes are good souldiers both by Sea and Land and have given incredible examples of their valour both in Germany and Denmark they are of a strong Complexion and sit to endure hardnesse and labour The Nobility is very mild and frank loves learning and languages but especially Latin and French travels much abroad is very dexterous at exercises and honours and seeks learned company Yea and they have this vertue above all other nations wherewith I have conversed that they heartily love one another our of their own country hide the vices of their Compatriots and stand much for the honour of their nation The Peasants or Country people send their Deputies to the Assemblies of the States to the end that nothing be coucluded there to the prejudice of their priviledges King Gustave and Queen Christine his Daughter now reigning created much new Gentry which in some sort is disdained by the ancient Families in regard the Nobility of the kingdom was almost exhausted by the Warres CHAP. VI Of Denmark The Description thereof DEnmark is a kingdom the best part whereof consists of Islands as namely Zeland and Fionia The Province of Scania reaches up to Sweden and Jutland to Holstein It was peacefully gouerned by the prudent conduct of King Christian the fourth successour to Frederick the second his Father and Duke of Holstein During his minority he had four Counsellours to help him to bear the charge of the Government He was crowned the 29 th of August in the year 1596. The principal strength of this Kingdom consists of good and stately ships whereof the King hath a considerable number as well for the defence of his said Islands as for that most important passage of the Sownd which is the streight that separates Scania from Zeland and which is of huge advantage by reason of the infinity of ships which must passe over it to go into the Baltick Sea in the same manner that those of all the Havens of the said Sea and bound for the Ocean are forced to passe that way The Nobility of Denmark as also that of Holstein is much more inclined to warres then learning zealous for their liberty and Rights and makes no allyance by marriage with the common people a maxime much observed through all the North Poland and Germany They rufuse Ecclesiastical Honours as below their condition defend their priviledges and make no esteem of others though by their experience and knowledge they may merit the best Offices and Employments in the Country The Government is not much unlike that of Poland in both which Elective Kingdomes the Kings undertake nothing of importance without the consent of the States and Nobility The Gentlemen are all equall and as it were of one Family there being neither Earl nor Baron The Officers of the Crown and Counsellours of the kingdome have the preheminency and assist the King in the most weighty affaires of the Countrey Norway an Hereditary kingdom opposite to Great Britain or England It is very big but very desert and hath no considerable Towns but such as are near the Sea side It yeelds great store of fish wood boards and good skins These three kingdomes were heretofore under the government of the King of Denmark But the Swedes not being able to suffer the tyranny of Christian the second divided themselves from his obedience They all follow the Lutheran Religion and the Capitall City of Denmark is Coppenhaghen a very fair town situated upon the streight of the Sownd near the Baltick Sea a passage of about four leagues most pleasant and recreative by means of a Forrest which borders upon the Sea from Coppenhaghen to Elsener of which passage because it is so much envyed we will hereafter speak more at large The Peasants of Denmark and Poland are treated almost like slaves for the greatest part of the Nobility licentiously abusing their liberty despises all who are not Gentlemen A fault which hath drawn ruine upon many Families which boasted of the story of their Ancestours But it is not enough to be born a Gentleman unlesse it appear by vertuous laudable and generous actions CHAP. VII Of Great Britain The History of the Earl of Gore ENgland is a most fertile and most potent Island as well for scituation as men and ships There reigned Queen Elizabeth a Princesse as happy in her allyances success of arms and love of her subjects as ever was She was Daughter to Henry the 8 th and Sister to Mary and Edward She changed the Religion declared her self Head of the Church She was alwaies well served She sent strong succours to the King of Navarre and her subjects wonne many victories by Sea from the Spaniard against whom she continued her hatred even till her death in favour of the Vnited Provinces of the Low-countries She was a sworne enemy to the Roman Catholick Religion and seemed to have made it her task to destroy that as well as she had the King who bears the surname of it Scotland is a kingdom which makes a part but not the better part of this Island There reigned as King Lames Stewart a Prince esteemed very wise who resented
not at all the death of his Mother Mary who was beheaded in England preferring the hope of succession to the said kingdom before revenge courting the favour of the Queen and treading all other considerations under foot But heaven left nothing unpunished which often revenges innocence upon the Innocent themselves to chastise them who have not revenged it He married Anne Sister to Christian King of Denmark and lived in peace which yet was disturbed by dreadful conspiracy of a certain Earle called Gore whose Father was beheaded in the end of the said Kings minority Now this Gore returning from travel sent his brother to the King as he was hunting whom when he had made believe that there was a certain man who had found a great pot full of gold he led him into his said brothers Cabinet or Closet where had he not been succoured by his followers he had been unhappily murthered The Tragedy was afterwards acted upon them who intended themselves to have been the actors thereof and the murtherers were justly murthered In this tragedy they who were curious found such mysteries as their modesty kept in silence The Scots are held good souldiers but they were never very fortunate against the English Ireland is an Island both big and fruitfull between Spain and England where the English have exercised great power and authority as well in respect of Religion as for the Rebellion of the Irish against Queen El'zabeth calling the Spaniards to help them But they grew at length to be conquered and have long been governed since by Deputies or Vice-Kings under a most austere Disciplipe which hath constrained some of them to flye to the main Land and others to retire themselves into the Woods and Forrests amongst the wild beasts to seek their liberty after their own fashion This Island was heretofore conquered by the Saxons and a long time after by the Norman under William the Conquerour Their lawes have some resemblance to those of Normandy and Guienne which they had some ages in their possession where the Eldest sonnes take almost all the succession of their Parents leaving but very little to their Brothers and Sisters A very rough Law and almost quire contrary to that of Poland where when the Eldest hath divided the said succession the younger takes the first Portion and after him the other so that the last of all is left to the Eldest The English are good Souldiers both by Sea and Land not in valour and courage inferiour to any one Nation whatsoever and are more apt to offend by temerity and overmuch forwardnesse then cowardise Inghilterra bona terra mala gente The Nobility is generally very courteous and chiefly such as have travelled England sayes a famous Italian is a good Country but the Inhabitants are very bad The English are little affected to other Nations and especially to the French from whom they have a great aversion nor can the French or Scots on the other side endure the incompatible humour of the English After they had lost what they possessed in France and all the intelligence they had there they fell for a long time to Civill Warres But since under the reign of four Kings and two Queens they have seen various persecutions not only about Religion but for matter of State too where of we will speak in the sequel of this History The women are incomparably beautifull and consequently have a great influence upon the men yea the Queens have commanded there more absolutely and have been much better obeyed and respected then the Kings They treat their servants and horses very roughly which gave birth to the Proverb That England is Heaven for Women Purgatory for servants and Hell for horses King James to smother the hatred and partiality which had alwayes been between the people of these Islands by laudable advice entituled himself King of great Britain The Title of King of France which was possessed by many Kings of England hath alwayes checked the Salick Law which excludes the Heyres Femall of France from the Crown so that though the English possessed almost the whole kingdom of France it was more by the right of Arms then by that of the Lawes and Customes Let us now leave Great Britain and look upon Italy where there are many Seates and Republicks whereof we shall make but little mention to shun superfluities and keep our selves within the limits prescribed in this History CHAP. VIII Of Italy Lorraine and Savoy POpe Clement the 8 th held the Chaire and by the prudent administration of him the Venetians and the Great Duke of Tuskany there flourished a Peace throughout all Italy Every one preserved himself within his own interests nor could any little jealousies take root to the loss of the publick Quiet but it was suddenly strangled in the Cradle by wise conduct and most subtile policy The Popes as well by donation as other practises have not onely augmented the Patrimony of St. Peter but drawn also all the Soveraign Authority to themselves by removing the Emperours from the knowledge of the Affaires of Italy The Faction of the Guelphes for the Popes the Gibelms for the Emperours reigned there long and was not consopited or quieted but by eclipsing almost the whole Majesty of Emperours by endeavouring to constrain them to receive the Crown from their hands A difference not quite extinguished yet Besides that they have ever been unhappy enough in pursuing their Right by Arms the Italians cutting them out work enough amongst themselves and often hindring their coming out of Germany so that all the splendour of the Empyre remaines there and is no otherwise known throughout almost all Italy then only by name Under the Reign of Valentinian the Western Empire was much tottered by the Barbarians which forced most of the principall Families near the Sea to retire into the Islands of the Adriatick Streights and there lay the Foundations of that most puissant City of Venice and of that most Serene Republick which hath encreased maintained and conserved herself these twelve ages by an unparallelled blessing by the most perfect observance of the Lawes and by a policy worthy of admiration This gives just cause to judge that they who began her were of the most elevated and prime of all Italy and not slaves as they were who laid the first stone to the Common-wealth of Rome In the Peace which was made between the Emperour Charlemayne and the Emperour of Constantinople it was concluded than that Common-wealth which had already stood more then three ages and a halfe should serve for a bound and gate to the two Empyres They had for a long time in their possession the kingdom of Gypres which the Turks have now taken from them They have had many enemies and have often by their great prudence diverted the storms which have been ready to fall upon them and by the dexterity of their mannagements regained that which they had lost by the fate of Arms.
of the Duke of Mayenne and the rest of the League with King Henry Albert resolved to make the united Provinces also feel the stroake of his Arms And so he presented himself before Ostend an Apple not yet ripe and afterwards before Hulet which after many Assaults he at length carried But the Marshall de Rosue had his Head taken off by a Canon Bullet and more then three thousand souldiers were also slaine The year following Prince Maurice had his revenge near Turnhawt where he cut off the Troops of the Count de Varax In the month of March of the same year Hernantello Governour of Dourlens like a Fox surprised Amiens by a stratagem to the great astonishment of all France and the King retook it like a Lion after six moneths siege He passed thither with strong forces and thought to have given a just retaliation to the Spaniards by surprising Arras but he was repulsed by the young Count of Buquoy who after wards rendred great and remarkable services to the Emperour as we shall shortly shew During the time of these changes the Pope forbore not to represent to the King the misfortunes and mischiefes which this long Warre brought upon Christendome and beseeched him to hearken to a good and firm Peace with the King of Spain especially being invited thereto by the disorders of his own kingdome and the fear of a new Revolt more dangerous then the former There was none but the Queen of England and the Confederated States who endeavoured by advantageous offers to divert him and keep him on horse-back Though yet he dissembled their reproaches and answered that the Queen was a gainer by this warre but for his part that his people was exhausted and that he received many and great dammages from the Spaniards who promised by this Peace to render all they had gotten in France That he was obliged as a good King and a good Father to solace and refresh his poor subjects So that all their offers and many more the Peace of Vervin 2598. were not able to hinder this holy work which was concluded and established at Vervin in the moneth of May 1598. The King of Spain also for his part was urged to make Peace as seeing himself crazed with age and having a young Prince and a Princesse his children to marry and Fortune very often against him Besides three enemies upon his back as France and the Confederated Provinces which threatened him with the utter losse of the Low-countries and England which either destroyed or spoyled his Fleets upon the Ocean endangered thereof the Indies and put him to great charges to secure it and lastly their taking of Cales the prime key of the kingdom and other Places Now by vertue of this Peace the places were restored But the pretentions which each of these Kings hath to some certain Demaynes of the other were not taken away From whence sprang the seed of new Warres which were one day to smoother the promises of arming no more even though there should be occasion for it The Peace was received by the poor people with such showes of joy and teares of tendernesse as cannot be comprehended but by such as have suffered and almost lost all The States in the mean while let not these occasions slip by the great distance of the Cardinals forces For Prince Maurice marched into the Field took Bergh Grol Oldenseel Lingen and some other places which progress purchased him the reputation of a very great Captain and of understanding the profession of the Militia as well as any man of his time After the publication of the Peace Philip the second by his Letters Patents dated at Madrid the 6 th of May 1598. conferred all the Low-countries together with the Duchy of Burgundy upon the Infanta Isabell his Daughter to which the Prince her Brother consented and confirmed it both by oath and writing upon condition that if the said Princesse came to die without children the said Provinces should return to the Dominion of Spain besides many other Clauses too long to recite Now forasmuch as the actions of great persons are examined and either approved or disapproved according to every ones passion this which I here note was not forgotten by the contrary party All things are profitable yea Lyes themselves provided they last four and twenty hours are of utility and advantage CHAP. XII The Areh-Duke goes into Spain and the Admirall into the Duchy of Cleveland The death of King Philip. His admirable Patience THe Allyes of both parties were invited to the Peace of Vervin but the Queen of England not being able to induce the States to it resolved to joyn with them in warre under conditions of more advantage to her then before This gave the Arch-Duke subject to complain of her for continuing a warre with so great stomack and grudge upon him by whom she had never been offended But he having now received the Procuration of the Infanta his Wife was acknowledged and received for Prince of the Low-countries and he wrote a Letter to the Confederated States but received no Answer The Arch-Duke goes into Spain He departed for Spain with the Prince of Orange and passed through Germany to conduct Queen Margaret of Austria nominating for Governour during his absence Cardinal Andrew and the Admirall of Arragon for Captain General who led a strong Army into Cleveland and Westphalia where he took Rinberg and many other small places and made his Winter-Quarter there notwithstanding the complaints of the Lower-Ceroles He sent La Bourlette to the Isle of Bommel took Crevecoeur laid siege to Bommel which he was forced to raise and so after he had built the Fort of St. Andrews he retreated into Brabant where his souldiers began to mutiny for want of pay The Ceroles had raised another Army which was disbanded for want of order some of them being for the Spaniards and the other for the States It is in vain to lead great forces into the Field without a good purse to maintain them and good counsell to encourage them The death of King Philip. King Philip lived not long after the conclusion of the Peace which he also wished both with the English and Hollanders as being desirous to die in Peace He was long tormented with a feaver and two impostumes and in fine his whole body was so wasted that it was pittiful to behold But more admirable was his patience to suffer all as he did without murmuring He commanded like a great Prince and died like a good Christian In the beginning of his Reign he was happy but in the decline of his age he saw the losse of one part of the Low-countries and received many other dammages from the English He was much blamed for not coming himself in person into Brabant and for proceeding too roughly with that people which had been so affectionaâ—e to the Emperour Charles and in fine for constituting two Generals over the Fleet surnamed The Invincible
his stroakes be heavie and the justice of his wrath will reduce this wretched world into dust In Germany they who laboured to revive the Gospel fell to oddes principally about the Sacrament of the last Supper It is easier to pull down an old Building then to set up a new one Erasmus of Rotterdam that great Wit flourished at this time and contented himself only by scoffing the Monks without medling with the party of the Reformers For he well knew that the abuses came from men and manners and not from the 〈◊〉 Doctrine heretofore taught by the Church The horrible Rebellion which arose about this time did not a little deform Doctor Luthers new-born Doctrine For the Peasants thinking all things lawfull to them for the liberty so called they this new Reformation of the Gospel took arms and assayled the Church-men Cloisters and Gentry Their number was growne to be a hundred thousand men and their chief leader a Minister called Muntzer The holy Scripture teaches us to obey our Magistrates and not to exterminate and cast them out But ambition dwells both in Cabans in Churches and even under ragged Cloakes They are defeated They were routed in three distinct Battails the first by the Lord Trueses the second by Philip Landgrave of Hassia and the last by Anthony Duke of Lorrain who cut them off when they were endeavouring to enter France where they hoped to play Rex by meanes of the Confusion which they imagined they should find there by the Kings captivity who was carried into Spain Charles endeavours to humble the Protestants Now the greatness of the Emperour Charles being reconciled to the Pope and counselled by him to reduce the Protestants for so were the Princes and States termed who had received Luthers Doctrine into the lap of the Church either by threats or force gave no small apprehension to the German Princes And he being glad of any subject to establish his power in Germany was not willing to lose this fair occasion So the Armies marched into the Field and Francis the first after him his sonne Henry were requested to give relief for the maintaining as they styled it of the German liberty now like to be lost under the Spanish Domination which was granted by the French foâ— State-interest though they were enemies to the Religion But neither Arms nor Victories nor Disputes nor the Majesty it self of the Emperour was able to deracinate or root out this Doctine and so in fine it was permitted by his Authority at the Diet of Ausbourgh Now it was not Luther alone who rose against the Popes authority For a certain Revolted Monk called Menno began also to preach a Doctrine different enough from his and his Adherents were called Anabaptists Besides that learned man Iohn Calvin carried on that Reformation much farther then Luther as well in France as elsewhere and fixed his Chayre at Geneva They agreed well about combating the Pope and some other points but yet since they remained not in perfect unity of Doctrine In so much as that this party and that of Luther are very little better friends amongst themselves then either of them is with the Roman Catholicks as we shall see in the sequel of these Tragedies CHAP. XV The Anabaptists at Munster The Reformers in France The Change of Religion in England and by what meanes The King repudiates his Wife The Queens Speech The King makes himself Head of the Church Luther writes to him His unhappy death NOw we have seen the Lutherans established in Germany let us see what the Anabaptists do at Munster an Episcopall Town in Westphalia which was to be the Head of a Chimerical Kingdom and serve for a precious testimony of the wrath of that great God which for a time suffers his Word to be abused and the wicked to cover their pernicious Designes under the Cloak of Religion and the mask of Hypocrisie Oh Lord Thou dost hourâ—ly admonish us by so many prodigies and monstrous accidents but our eyes are shut our eares stopt and our hearts hardened John de Leide King of Munster John of Leiden by trade a Taylor and his adherents seized upon the aforesaid Town and he was made King thereof and fought long against the Bishop by whom they were at length subdued and chastised according to the measure of their crimes The extremity of their rigour was against the Church men a clear argument of the indignation of God against them because they had deviated from their duty and were lulled asleep in ignorance idlenesse and pleasures They likewise desclaimed the Authoriry of the Pope and brake down the Images without sparing the very Pictures of the Church-windowes A zeal too violent to proceed from the Holy Ghost and of little conformity with that of the Primitive Christians These insolencies being once repressed at Amsterdam returned there no more The Anabaptists which are now in the united Provinces and the Confines thereof disown the proceedings of the former and count them in the number of Hereticks The Reformed Religion in France Now the Doctrine of Martin Luther passed into France under the reign of Francis the first though yet it could not take fast root enough there as well because of the persecutions and the Kings aversion from it as also for that it was too far distant from the Author and Teacher thereof And so it quickly grew to be transformed into that of John Calvin and his Disciple Theodore Bezâ—â— and so much encreased in few yeares throughout the greatest part of the Country during the troubles caused by Envies of State and the League that the Kings after many bloody Wars were constrained by various Edicts or Proclamations to grant them free exercise of their Religion through all the Kingdom King Francis was a great persecutor of the said Doctrine Obtains free exercise and made open protestation that he would not spare even his own Arm if it were infected with Heresie And yet the â—â—â—lousie which he had conceived against the prosperity of Charles the Empeâ—our moved him neverthelesse to succour the Protestants King Henry succeeded in his Fathers hatred to them but being sent to his grave by the thrust of a Lance they began to respire saw the end of their persecutions lost the smell of the Fagot and propped by some Princes of the Blood rendred themselves at length no less considerable in France then the Protestants are in Germany The Protestant Church in England Let us now make a step into England and see how the Protestant Church hath sowen her first seed supplanted the ancient Doctrine and established her self as Mistress there King Henry the eighth for writing a Book against Luther in defence of the Roman Church and her seven Sacraments was honoured by the Pope with the Title of Defender of the Faith His prime Minister was that great Cardinal Wolsey who ruled all So that it is not only from this day that Cardinals have introduced them selves into
States to have the total administration of them This man being eminently ambitious hoped to come to be Pope by the recommendation of the Emperour The story of Câ—â—â—inaâ— Wollâ—y But seeing himselt frustrated of his expectation he turned his hate upon him whispered the King in the ear that his marriage with Katharine of Spain Aunt to the said Emperour was incestuous because she had formerly been married to his Brother O! How great is the wickednesse of such as have for saken God to serve their ambition and revenge This Prelate who ought to have framed the reformation of abuses and opposed Heresies since himself held for such all the Doctrines which checked the Pope was not content with so much honour and wealth as he enjoyed without seeing the Emperour thrown down and buried under the very ruins of that Church the Religion whereof he professed with so great Majesty and under the Purple of so great luster The King intangled in love with a young Lady newly come from the Court of France and disgusted with the Embracements of that most veâ—â—â—ous Princess his Wife was glad of this scruple and sollicited the Pope to grant him a Divorcement upon the aforementioned reason But the Pope temporizes and sends in sine his Legat to examin the matter The King and the Legat sir the Queen being summoned appears and in presence of the chief of the Kingdom makes a Speech in Latin to the King which is able to move a very rock to compassion How is it possible Sir sayes she that after having lived almost twenty yeares together in great concord and having had so many children as we have had it should now come into your thought to repudiate me Your Brother Arthur fell sick the very first day of our marriage and some dayes after dyed I take the great God and your conscience to witness that you found me a Virgin And if you are resolved to separate me from your Bed expect at least so long as till I may have advertised my Nephew Charles thereof to the end that I may know how to behave my self in this affliction since I can hope for no support in the equity of my cause here where you are Absolute King If I have offended God since I have been your wife it has been in being a little too curious to please you Ah Vertue This is not the first time that thy adversary endeavours to suppress thee Thy luster is too bright not to dâ—â—le the eyes of the wicked This poor Princesse in this tribulation had this imperfection that in regard Nature had been sparing to her of her rich gifts of beauty she had had recourse to innocent Art thereby to draw her Husband from the levities to which he was too much inclined as well by his own naturall Passion as by the attractive Charms of his fair subjects Her Speech being ended which produced but faint pitty in the soul of the King and some of the Auditory she retired her self together with her Daughter into a private House where the spake thus to this ambitious Cardinal who came to her in behalf of the King to intreat her to yeeld to his will It is thou said she O wicked and disloyal Minister who returnestâ—â—s this recompence To my Nephew for not advancing thee to the Holy Chayre and to me for not being able to suffer thy impudicity and naâ—ghtâ—â—esse The King divorced himself from the Church of Rome because the Pope would not condescend to his demand and from his Wife by whom he had alwayes been so respectfully loved to conjoyn in publick marriage with Anne of Bolein The King leaves his Wife an I the Church of Rome The Cardinal died in the year 1530 being not long before deprived of all his employments and fallen from the favour of his Prince which he had preferred before that of his God as he restified by these words full of christian and holy repentance which issued our of his dying mouth Ah! I would to God said he I had taken so much pains to serve my Creatour as I have done to serve my Prince He put into the Letanies From the tyranny of the Pope good Lord deliver us whose authority was abrogated thorowout the whole kingdome and the King by Act of Parliament declared Head of the Church of England He seized upon the possessions of the Church by the advice of Cromwell and some others who all ended their dayes unhappily Takes away the possessions of the Clergy He also bestowed part thereof upon the nobility for fear of commotion He hanged such as refused to subscribe that he was Head of the Church as aforesaid and condemned the protestants to the fire In fine after having crushed the Church and lived like a tyrant he died miserable and little regretted by his people Sir Thomas More that great Heroe fell under the rigour of his command and so did an infinite number of other noble persons Luther seeing him in ill tearms with the Pope and encouraged by the King of Denmark very humbly beseeched him Luther writes to the King and receives an affront by a letter which he wrote to him to embrace the doctrine of the Gospel but he received such an answer as he little expected namely that he should forsake his apostacie and his wife and return to his Monastery Now the Church of Rome seeing her head disclaimed and his authority banished out of England felt her self much shaken as well by Peter Martyr as orther Protestant ministers in such sort as that Edward Edward establishes the Protestant Religion son to the said Henry having taken the reines of the English Monarchie had no great trouble to throw her quite our and fixe the Protestant But he dying very young and Queen Mary succeeding him she had an intention to pluck up this tender plant and re-establisheth the old doctrin which yet could not recover its full strength before it was exterminated again Young trees by being re-planted get vigour but old ones wither and dye CHAP. XVI Queen Elizabeth banishes the Romane Catholike Religion again by degrees That of the Protestants passes into Scotland under the bastard Murrey who swayes the Scepter It is called the Congregation and is fortified by the above said Queen and the Hugenots of France QUeen Elizabeth who during the life of her sister Mary feigned her self a Roman Catholike and was like to lose her life by giving some suspicions of her being a Protestant being raised to the royall Throne forthwith unmasqued her self and began to treat of the meanes how to annull the one and revoke the other which was easie to be accomplished For the ignorance of the Priests was great the desire of their possessions greater and the curiosity to check a Religion full of ceremonies which few could solidly defend greatest of all It was represented to the People both here and elsewhere that the doctrine was falsified and in no wise congruous with that of the
German Doctor Luther and Calvin whom we have so often mentioned and a French one likewise who first preached against those said superstitions and then ventured to set up their Standards against the Church her self with so universal applause that in a few years even whole kingdomes grew to separate themselves from the communion of that Body which acknowledged the Pope for the Supreme Vicar of Iesus Christ The Iesuits oppose Now at the same time as we have formerly shewed sprang the Iesuits and armed themselves to quell these valiant souldiers who skipped out of their holes so openly to attack a power which all the States of Christendom held in so much veneration They stopped the course of this Torrent which neither Fire Persecutious nor strict Prohibitions were able to effect and they have united to the Body a good part of those people which had untyed themselves from it It is not by fire but by force of Doctrine and not by words but by exemplary life that a remedy must be put to all these disorders which happens amongst Christians Now this Society could not but meet with meet with envy enough amongst the Clergy which felt it self so reprehended and pricked by such new men For Admonitions and in structions how necessary and profitable soever they be leave not to imprint some harshnesse upon the soul of the receivers An exact Captain is displeasing to lazy souldiers Violent remedies served for nothing In fine recourse was had to such violent remedies as so sharpened and stung the parts affected that there will never be meanes to introduce a reconciliation unless perhaps it fall out to be by ways full of suavity and charity For interest took this powerful occasion so fast by his fore-lock and these Divisions are grown so firmly rooted that it is probable they will not finish but with the world And this is the principall source of the evils which we have seen and yet daily see happen to the grief of all good men in this last Age. And thus we have shewed about what when for what reasons and by whom began these Reformations Nor must we wonder at the monstrous effects since they could not be more noble then their Causes If we would reflect often upon it we should find Ministers and instruments enough thereof The holy Scripture sayes that there must be scandals but cursed be they who shall give them THE HISTORY OF THIS IRON AGE THE SECOND BOOK CHAP. I The Queen of England and the States of Holland refuse Peace King Henry of France polishes his Kingdome and makes War against the Duke of Savoy THE Peace of Vervin filled with joy not only the subjects of the Kings but also all such as acknowledged the See of Rome The Protestants invited to the said Peace by Henry the Great shut their eares to the Propositions and studied only how to make most streight Allyances for their preservation Where Diffidence gets the mastery Reason is not understood unlesse it be ushered in by strong and irrefutable assurance It was impossible for the Arch-Duke Albert to bring the States to a very advantageous Peace as the Ministers said for them since the arguments of King Henry could obtain nothing from them For his offers were as stints out of which they drew sire to kindle the warre with so much the greater animosity They sent their Embassadours into England Elizabeth and the states refuse Peace where they sound the Queen most disposed to receive theirs so that it was most facil to draw her to their opinion In the mean while the Arch-Duke receives a Procuration from the Infanta his future Spouse in vertue whereof he was generally and solemnly received and nominatively at Antwerp where the oath of sidelity was payd him by the Deputies of the obedient Provinces Albert goes into Spain 1598. And so he went into Spain but before his departure he signified to the confederated States that he went to marry the Infanta and that he had the Low-conntries for Portion with her and was already acknowledged Lord thereof Therefore he conjured them to associate themselves to the other Provinces in respect that the King had divided them from his other Demaines and that thus all distrusts being taken away he withed nothing more then to see that Body entire and in peace under his Government But all in vain For Religion and liberty were too charming subjects to be abandoned and they who are growne to be Masters abhorre to fall back into forvitude He began his journey in the moneth of September in the yeer 1598 leaving Cardinal Andrew his cosin for his Licutenant and sent his army towards the Rheyn which at his return he found full of confusion and revolt for want of pay He was received in all places where he passed together with the Princess Margaret of Austria spouse of Philip the third whom he conducted in his company with honours due to the greatnes of their quality He stayed not in Spain but as soon as he had married the Princesse Clara Eugenia The King of France repolisheth his Kingdome he brought her into the Low Countries and they made their entry into Brussels in the moneth of September 1599. He brings the Infanta 1599. King Henry of France having given his subjects a peace made it all his care to repolish his kingdom much depraved by the prolixity of the civil warrs to revive the laws strucken dumb by the licentiousness of the souldiers to place good order every where and in fine to establish two Religions in very good union aswel for his own service as for the repose of his people Whereas King Philip on the other side in his would have but one But some persons of very great experience have conceived that if he had embraced the same Maxime he might have preserved the seventeen Provinces though others have beleeved that he would rather have lost them all as being too far distant from them and consequently unable to accommodate himself to all occurrences which required a diversity of temperaments But this Prince namely Henry had been educated in the reformed Religion and so knew the humours the forces of that party not to be contemptible He was Son to Anthony of Bourbon who was slain at the siege of Roüen The Prince of Conde being slain in the battell of Jarnac and the Admiral remaining Generall of the Hughenot army he advised them to nominate for their Generall Henry of Bourbon a young Lord who had ever defended their party and so he being turned Catholick and upon that made King of France had alwayes a particular care to uphold them as a people from which he had received great services But there was very great danger of taking from them that which had been promised them by so many Proclamations or Edicts nor did they indeed forbear to cry up their services and bragg that it was they onely who put the Crown upon his head Henry the 3.
mute and the intercession of the Nuncio proved fruitlesse the Arch-Duke being resolute and they re-inforcing themselves with men and mony by the near neighbourhood of the consederated Provinces Now these Revolts gave advantage to the States and meanes to go in execution through all the Country of Luxembergh and such as refused contribution had the grief of seeing their house set on fire This Cavelcada or Inroade was finished in lesse then a moneth and without any resistance at all During these interludes the Mutiners governed themselves in form of a Republick observing a most exact discipline and amongst other Lawes forbidding Cards and Dice They were besieged in Hoochstrade Are besieged and succoured by Prince Maurice and succoured by the Prince upon certain conditions which done he returned again before Boisleduc But this Conquest was reserved for his Brother as we shall hereafter shew The Arch-Duke notwithstanding so many inconveniences mutinies vexations and losses stood as firm and immoveable as a Rock against the greatest stormes before Ostend though to his no small displeasure saw it often relieved And Prince Maurice not yet satiated with so many victories both by Sea and Land resolved to vanquish his contumacie by a more sensible diversion The expences of this siege could not choose but be great but the people liberally consented without grudging So pleasant is victory how dear soever bought Money The arrivall of Marquis Ambrose Spinola with the Golden Fleece was a Spinola came into Flanders with mony wholesome Balsom to cure the disease of the mutinied Squadron for it made them return to the Arch-Dukes service and hastened the rendition of the Town by the order of continuall mining which was given by the said Marquis The Prince in the interim was not asleep for he departed in the moneth of April with a huge number of Boats took many Forts besides the Towns of Isendike and Ardenbergh and incamped himself before the renowned Town of Sluce Sluce taken by famine which with some Gallies was rendred three moneths after by famine though Spinola acted all the parts which could be invented by the most subtle wit and used all the force which the most valiant and resolute souldier could manifest to relieve the besieged But his enemies were too well intrenched and his provident Rivall kept himself too much upon his guard Ostend taken 1604. The taking of Ostend 1604 followed close upon the heels of that of Sluce and the composition made by the besieged was very honourable There marched out of divers nations about three thousand men the number of the dead as well on the one side as the other surpassed the beleif of man and the issue of this siege kept all the power of Europe in suspense This Age which was to be all Iron fire blood and slaughter This Age I say which was to be the totall ruine of Christendome together with that of Faith and Charity could not begin better then by such a siege This was the most famous Schoole of warre that ever was before as where all the Martial Spirits resorted to learn Discipline and to put it in practice as they have done since in their own Countries The French the English the Germans and the Scots The Siege lasted above three years together with the Hollanders defended this place about three yeers through the advantages and commodities afforded them by the Sea The Spaniards Italians Walloons Burgundians and other Germans attacked it with all the force and industry the greatest courages were able to invent All such as were not present at this bloody exercise but remained mute at home at the noise of so much blood-shed expected the dubious issue of so hazardous a siege upon which the Monarchy of the whole world seemed to depend Yea even the Great Turk himself ravished with joy by the ruine of the Christians was not a little glad to see such an obstinate resolution on both sides Let us here take notice of the Divine Providence which like another Jupiter laughs at the folly of Mortalls who like other Gyants will needs make themselves masters of all and endeavour to outbrave the very Elements themselves The fiercest enemies to mankind are War Plague and other Infirmities The Reward of victory a morsell of earth and houses buried under their own foundations And now if courage and generosity egged on many to this certainly pitty moved infinitely more there to bewayle their friends buried under the ruines of this second Troy and view a little piece of ground which had cost so much pains so much sweat so much time so much blood and so much mony All the industry of man was set on work there on both sides and the Arch-Duke and Arch-Dutches had both the trouble and the charge of repairing this place and putting it into that state wherein we now see it Necessity caused this siege at first judged easie to be begun Reputation to be continued and power in despight of interest by the industry and valour of Spinola brought it to an end CHAP. V Peace between the Spaniard and the English King Henry of France re-eshablishes the Jesuits Father Cotton hurt Warre about the Rhein Peace made between the Kings of Spain and England 1604. THe Spaniards having sufficiently tried the great hurt done them by the English during the life of Queen Elizabeth as well in Spain it self as by Sea and in the Low-countries yea and at the Siege of Ostend also and finding that all satisfaction endeavored to procure from them either in Ireland or England had not any kind of good successe began to think that a peace with these insulary people would prove necessary for the State Nor had they much trouble to obtain it King James being easily inclined to it by some certain jealousie which had taken root in his soul The Arch-Duke and his Dutchesse were comprehended in it and it was concluded the very same day that the Garrison went out of Ostend France through the enjoyment of seven yeares peace was so well restored that there seemed not to have been any warre in more then half an age before King Henry being a great husband of his Finances or Exchequer made a journy to Metz where two Jesuits cast themselves at his feet beseeching him with a very elegant speech to vouchsafe to re-establish them through all the kingdome The Parliament of Paris and the Sorbon opposed them but the King by special grace admitted them The Jesuits re-established in France and demolished the Pyramide which had been erected against them for that one of their Schollars had hurt the King in the mouth And the Mines which the Hughenots sprung against their Society were either discovered or despised At least they wrought no effect But Father Cotton going once to the King was attacked in the Loüure by a great number of Lackies Father Cotton hurt by Lackies at the Lonure who after many quipps and scoffes very dangerously wounded him
departure the States were advised by the Kings of England and France with both whom they had made a most streight Allyauce for the maintaining of the Peace in case it were concluded to renew the Treaty of a Truce And to this effect it was again taken into deliberation by the said Embassadours at Antwerp in the moneth of March The Treaty renewed at Antwerp whether the States likewise sent their Deputies namely Count William of Naffaw and the Lord of Brederode the â—5 of the same moneth and they concluded a Truce for twelve yeares upon the ninth of April 1609 which caused great rejoycing every where as well amongst the Neighbours as the Parties themselves concerned Truce made and the Embassadours were regaled and honoured with great presents During this Treaty many libels were made and dispersed some with reasons to countermine this sweet Peace and others to advance it Birds of mischief seck the dark and like Owlas blame the light as hurtfull and discovering their actions And so their fluttering was despised And here we see the end of this war for a while which sprung up at the beginning of the reign of King Philip the second and that upon divers pretexts as namely that of liberty of conscience and priviledges and under various Governours of different humours fomented by ambition Religion and diffidence under the Princess of Parma the Duke of Alva Don Lewis Don Iohn of Austria on the one side and Prince William and the States-Generall on the other the latter whereof made a strong union amongst themselves at Vtrick the Articles of which namely for the free exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion have been much altered They formed their Common-Wealth under the Arch-Duke Matthias and the Duke of Alanson under the Prince of Parma they begged the assistance of the King of France and the Queen of England They continued the Warre with much success against Count Mansfeld and Cardinall Andrew They repaired what was amiss in their Republick by the factions which arose under the Earl of Leicester They valiantly defended themselves against the Arch-Duke Albert and the Brave Spinola even till the very publication of the Truce We will now stay awhile and repose our selves in the rest of the Low-countries which we so much desired as being the part where the War was so long time carried on with so much expense and no lesse industry then good discipline though it were often disturbed by the frequent mutinies of the Spaniards for want of pay from whence the Confederares knew how to draw most considerable advantages CHAP. IX The State of France The King goes to Sedan Troubles in Austria and Bohemia A Conjuration discovered in Spain and the Mores banished thence THe hast we had to see an interruption of the misfortunes wherewith the Belgick * The Low-countries Lion had been tormented above fifty years together and his roaring heard throughout the whole Universe to the astonishment of all the greatest States of the world made us slight the reasons of them who partly out of hatred to the House of Austria and partly for the Roman Catholick Faith the utter abolition whereof they passionately desired endeavoured to hinder the Truce We will therefore turn back a little towards France which flourished now as if there had never been any warres at all Courtesie the essential vertue of that Nation together with the Beauty Bounty and Fertility of this kingdome founded upon most excellent Lawes fine Sciences and laudable Exercises attracted the Nobility of all Europe thither as to a School of vertue and glory In effect there was no remarkable Commotion able to give any apprehension or disturbance to the Publick Rest For the Warre of Savoy and the conspiracy of the Marshall Biron were almost as foon smoothered as known It was a kind of Terrestrial Paradise where they who were enemies about the difference of Doctrines lived in friendship by the authority of their Master who maintained peace both abroad The death of Charles Duke of Lorraine and at home Charles Duke of Lorraine a Prince loaden with age adorned with singular vertue and piety lest his Sonne Henry his Heyre to retire himself to the Coelestiall lerusalem in the yeare 1608. The King of France goes to Sedan with an Army In brief the fruits of Peace were most delicious when the King suddenly raised a great Army and conducted it to Sedan For there were some misunderstandings between him and the Duke of Boüillon which were taken away by the intercession of the forrain Embassadours However this Cavalcada gave no small jealousie to the Spaniards who found themselves obliged thereby to put strong Garrisons through all the country of Luxemburgh and the Confederates reaped great profit from it For it made men believe that it was but a fiction or rather a prelude of that huge preparation which we shall shortly relate However much talke there was of it and great indagation into the reasons thereof by men of curiosity The Duke of Boüillon feeling the pulse of the Protestant Princes his neighbours judged it not necessary to draw blood yet and that which was differred shall be found in sit time LEWIS THE XIIII KING OF FRANCE AND NAVARR Now these divisions between Brothers and Cousin-Germans of the same House were taken by such as meddle not a little to pick out the actions thereof but for artifices or tricks and men said it was the only right way to preserve Hungary Moravia Bohemia and other Provinces depending upon the said kingdome from falling into the hazard of a new Election A conjecture grounded upon probabilities of consideration enough Spain in the mean while looked not only upon the troubles of the Low-countries and means to bring them to an end but she had likewise a particular care to steer her Indian Fleets into a good Port For as for the rest there had in some years passed nothing which could disturb the tranquility of that kingdom But in the year 1609. there was discovered a Conjuration which had it taken effect would have involved it in a totall ruin supplanted Christian Religion and reduced the King to fly for Sanctuary elsewhere But the greatest storms are those which often do least hurt and are diverted by slight causes Yea a gentle rain often allayes the most furious windes The Mores implored the assistance of the Grand Signior The Conjuration of the Mores discovered in Spain and other Mahometan Princes the Doctrine of whom they followed in effect though in apparence Christians and they had also for a long time been heaping up Arms and with the slight succour of twenty thousand men they being already at the least a hundred thousand in Spain combatants they promised themselves to bring all Spain under their subjection But being detected They are banished into Africa the King of France having refused them his ayde they were all embarked in the kingdom of Valencia and transported into Barbary by the Kings
Crown upon the Head of King Henry And he seeing the disorder which happened in that Family and strengthened by the friendship of some Catholick Princes Paxadge demanded of them of Colem as well as most assured of that of the Protestants leaned visibly that way The Magistrates of Colein being intreated by his Deputies to grant Provisions for mony and passage for his Army were fain to avow that it would be temerity to opposeso great a King who had been alwayes victorious Besides the noises which some scattered up and down that he would allow and maintain three Religions to wit the Roman the Lutheran and the Reformed In brief his Designe seemed to be to extend the bounds of the French Monarchy at the cost of the House of Austria and some neighbour-Princes In the mean time the King Don Philip stood not with his arms a cross at the newes of this terrible Preparative The Arch-Duke puts an Army on foot which rejoyced all such as were enemies to his States The Arch-Duke Albert contracts all his old forces raises new and sends a strong Army towards the Consines of France under the command of Spinola who intrenched himselfe near Gambray In fine men talk of nothing but Armes and Horses in the Countries of both Crownes and the Pope sends his Nuncio to divert the King from his Designe but he was dispatched to Monzon Amazement every where Now all Europe stood amazed and the Princes of Italy seeing the Duke of Savoy in allyance with Henry by meanes of the marriage of his Sonne with the Daughter of France begin to think of their preservation The King in the interim confirms his Intelligences gives the Rendezvous of his Troops in Campagne and after having extraordinarily courted the Embassadours of the United Provinces conjures them to to send Prince Maurice with some Troops to attend his coming at the fronteer of Cleveland The Protestant Princes could hardly dissemble their joy The joy of the Protestants and fear of the Catholâ—â—ks and the Cartholick strangers their fear at the approach of so formidable an Army Infine both friends and enemies were ballancing or staggering in apprehension joy and uncertainty and every one in pain to know what he was either to hope or fear It came so farre as to be published that the King was to march with an Army of forty thousand men and leave as many to guard the kingdome whereof he declared the Queen Regent after her Coronation But he was treacherously murthered in his Coach the fourteenth of May 1610 and this fatall blow put all France in mourning his Corps into the Tomb and his great Designes into Smoak Above all this misfortune was impatiently taken by them of the Religion as also by the greatest part of his Allyes amongst whom his Arms had not as yet moved the least jealousie The most generall opinion was that after having established the Princes in the possession of the Dutchyes of Galick and Cleveland he was to go for Germany And indeed the House of Austria had reason to keep her selfe upon her guard as well knowing how much this Prince was affected to her opposers His death gave matter enough every where for men to inform themselves of who might be the Authour and the Jesuits were not forgotten to be called in question by the Protestants however Ravilliaâ— never confessed any such thing This King was brought up in labour and toyle and noursed in the the Civil Warres His first wife was Margaret of Valois His Life whom when he was come to the Crown he repudiated He had been Head of the Hugenots and wonne many Battails against them of the League When he was become Catholick and after the reconciliation of the Dukes of Mayanne and Mercoenr all stooped and layd down their arms He had a quick wit brave thoughts and excessive high points of judgement had in fine such eminent qualities as would have ranged him in the number of the grearest Kings that ever wore a Crown had ho not been too passionately inclined to handsom women a vicious habit which is familiar to Princes He alwayes loved the United Provinces of the Low-Conntrâ—es and assisted them with men money and counsell notwithstanding the complaints of the Arch-Dukes He was the Restorer of the French Monarchy which was horribly tottered and obtained by generall consent in regard of his heroick actions in arms the surname of Great He was beloved feared and redoubted and amongst all his Kingly vertues none shined more brightly then his Clemencie VVhy suspected to be a Hugenot Many were in doubts of his Religion for the Gâ—genots believed him of theirs and some others also besides in respect of the favour ge shewed to the Protestant Party and for that it was imputed to him to have said that the Crowne of France was well worth a Masse It is onely God who can judge of the Conscience of Soveraigns and therefore men must be silent and abey However it were he much loved Conferences and Disputes as it appeared by that of Cardinall Peronnâ— against Du Plessis Mornay The Confederated States had good reason to love him in regard of the care he alwayes took to conserve them though their seeing him expected by Prince Maurice with the forces of the Low-countries near Wesel and a Letter written by him to the Princesse Dowager of Orange intimating that he would come and visit her at the Hague not as a King but as her kinsman thrust a flea into their eare The said Prince of Orange above all impatiently took this strange and unexpected accident But indeed his death freed a good part of Europe from a great terrour filled the other with sadnesse and amazement gave way to the Prince of Conde to return into France with his wife and so the Armies to retire to rest till another season and another conjuncture which afterwards presented it self in the Warre of Gulick CHAP. XII A difference happening for the Dutchy of Gulick Jealosic between the Catholicks and Protestants and why A Tumult at Donawert an Imperiall Towne about a procession Gulick besieged by Prince Maurice and the French yeelds The Princes will not admit the Sequestration VVE have already shewed how the pretext of the Arms of Hebry the Great was the succour promised to the Princes of Brandeabourgh and Newbourgh therefore let us now look upon the justice of the Competitors since the quarrell is not quite consopited yet Sone weeks before the the conclusion of the Truce Death of the Duke of Gulick deceased John Wolliam Duke of Cleveland and Gulick leaving no Children by the Countesse of Baden his former wife noâ— yet by the sister of the Count of Vandemon his later Now this Princesse passing through Colein was received by the illustrious Magistraces and Citizens of that ancient City with great magnisicence acclamations and wishes of fertility in this match and all this for their interests which are visible enough in themselves without any
an obstacle to the Arms of Spain then for any other consideration Brief the Army marches into the Field under the conduct of Spinola Aix or Aquisgrane stooped and the Romane Catholick Magistrates were re-established Mullem was battered down and Otroy taken besides many othes places where there was no Garrison of the united Provinces for fear of a breach The taking of Wesel seemed to countervail that of Gulick swelled the hearts of the Spaniards and made those people know that their Masters should have but a seeming Government as long as these puissant forces stayed in their States But if they had relyed upon the judgement of the Emperour it is likely that these misfortunes had not happened At that troublesome and vexatious Treaty of Santen all the Princes layd open their Interests the Leaven of partialities about Religions began to swell the Deputies went away discontented leaving the Businesse imperfect the occupated Townes retained their Ghests and the two Princes learnt to their own cost what many other had tryed before them CHAP. XV The Differences which happened in the United Provinces Barnaveldt beheaded and the Religion of the Arminians condemned King Lewis humbles the Hugenots and reduces Bearne THE Peace without the united Provinces had shut up many turbulent and seditious humours within them which not being able to get out hatched some very dangerous tumults Commotions in the united Provinces The precious names of Peace and Rest were both odious and insupporatable to them We often flye from that which is advantageous to us and follow that which is hurtfull The first was at Alâ—mar the second at Liewerden and the third and most perilous at Vtrick where some of the bolder sort of the Mutiners fortified by a huge crew of their Caball constrained the Magistrates to abdicate their charges and chose others in their places who were most of them the Heads of their sedition But this sicknesse requiring a more violent remedy then the first Lepitives and the Town threatned with a siege all grew to be appeased and the Garrison augmented Disputes about Predestination Yet this was nothing in respect of that mischief which arose from a controversie in Divinity concerning Predestination and some other Articles annexed to it which like a thick Fogge so blinded all the Inhabitants that it left not any use of light at all to any but to such as served themselves thereof to theâ—â— own profit The two Champions who by their Sermons and Disputes divided all Holland into two Factions were Arminins and Gomarus Such as followed this latter who ardently maintained the said Predestination were called Contra-Remonstrancers and the other Remonstrancers of Arminians who were said to professe a Doctrine disagreeing from that of John Calvin This was too high and difficult a passage to be comprehended by the common people and so it brought with it nothing but confusion Yet the Dispute ended not with the life of Arminins but was more and more kindled by his Disciples and chiefly by Verstius who upon the Recommendation of the Remonstrancers was made Professouâ— From Disputes came Factions and Vorstius was deposed by the threats of the King of Great Britain In brief every one takes arms for his own defence They of Harlem Leiden and Vtrick by the counsell as was reported of Advocate Harnaveldt raise forces Prince Maurice hastens surprises Vtrick disarnis the Citizens and changes the Magistrates a remarkably action as he also did at Harlem and Leiden where they had barricaded the Town-House and imprisons the chief of the Arminian Faction But the Ministers notwithstanding all these proceedings ceased not to dispute not the Printers to set forth Books concerning this controversie Wherefore there was a Synod convocated at Dort where the Arminian Doctrine was condemned the Ministers who persisted in it imprisoned and some were banished and sought their abode in Holstein and other places Barnaveldt beheaded The great States-man Barnaveldt formerly much cherished by King Henry of France and greatly renowned for his services done to the Common-Wealth and chiefly for having drawne out of the clutches of the English the three places engaged to Queen Elizabeth as also for having made divers Embassies and sweated under various burthens of State finished his life by an infamous punishment This man being about seventy two yeares old was accused of being Head of the Arminian Faction of disturbing the tranquility of the Townes and checking the authority of the Prince whose power he wished indeed to see lessened thereby to secure the publick Liberty In sine there was a rumour scattered that he should have had a design to usurp the Government of the Common-wealth They who were of his party for proof of his innocence represented the greatnesse of his services and cares to maintain the power of the States And yet howsoever all his friends melted as it were like snow before the Sun of the Princes Authority and one of the most famous Writers of this Age sayes that he was condemned in the name of the States but by the practices of King James and Prince Maurice There is nothing sure in this world and the greatest fortunes are very often those which are upon the slippery top of their pracâ—pice If all they who are ambitious to go out of their condition to get up to another more clevated and high would but represent to themselves the disasters and misfortunes which we see fall upon those great persons they would have no other desire then to stay where they are The Treaty of the Truce which by his advice was made for twelve years against the reasons of Prince Manrice who being a souldier and for his own interest endeavoured to break it purchased his disfavour and his very great credit his hatred besides his disswading the Warre of Bohemia together with what we have just now said and many other accusations abbreviated his life for some dayes When Jupiter chides all the rest of the Gods are silens Hugo Grotius went to keep company with the other Ministers who were prisoners at Louwestein though by the prudent cousel of his Wife he brake quickly off from it afterwards Thus was this mist which threatened the Common-wealth with a dangerous convulsion dispelled the Churches employed by the Contra-Remonstrancers only and the Arminians reviled and disclaimed as no better then half Traytors by the very dregs of the People But really the blamable treason of the children of Barnaveldt who breathed nothing but revenge of their Fathers death was the cause why many retired themselves from this Party which for a time was much discredited It King Iames on the one side ardently prosecuted his destruction King Lewis sollicited his deliverance as hotly on the other and would scarce give ear to the multitude of excuses which was brought by the Embassadours for so passionate an execution Howsoever all these changes were not able to change the happinesse of these Provinces the popular Tumults growing by little and little to slacken
to the great good of the whole Country But now the women had also a minde to shew that they likewise knew how to handle their arms and gave an experiment thereof at Delpft about some Imposts or Taxes where they so stoutly assailed the Town-House that it was necâ—ssitated to send for both Souldiers and Counsell from the Hagâ—e to make them retire to the distaffe Perhaps there were amongst these some of them who had beaten the Franciscan Friers out of their Cloyster so great a reputation of courage have the good wives of Dâ—lft And these are all the perturbations and whatsoever else of note happened in the confederated Provinces during the Truce Before we contrive our Discourse of the Warres of Germany we will return a little towards France which is the kingdom where Fortune by her various effects of mutability seems rather to have established the Empyre then elsewhere The nature of the Germans is such as not to suffer themselves so easily to be induced to take arms for it costs much trouble to bring them to it and they walk with leaden heels but having once taken them up they lay them not down till they be able to bear them no longer and till all be brought to the extremity of desolation But the French on the other side both easily take them up and more easily lay them down in such sort as their Warres are very often finished and pacified before it be knowne that they were in arms After the consecration or unction of King Lewis during the six first years of his reign there were rather Tumults then Wars The Malcontent the Complaints as well of the Princes as of the Hâ—genots their ill-grounded distrusts and jealousies exercised the mind of that great Queen who dissipated their bad designes sometimes with money and augmentation of Pensions and new Governments and sometimes also by making them exactly observe the Edict of Nantes an interest which the said Prinoes are accustomed to take during the minority of their Kings so to adde to their own power what they take away from that of their Master The Moon and the Starres endeavour to weaken the light of the Sun by borrowing a part thereof of him But that which is to be lamented is that all this is done at the charge of the poor people In effect the great care of this wise Queen dispelled many mists and no lesse preserved the kingdom for her son then the succeeding Ministers who have laboured to augment it France having smothered with the blood of the Marquis d' Ancre all the grievances both of the Princes and people saw likewise the end of that The troubles in France appeased which the Prince of Conde gave the King by the obstacles which he was resolved to put to the confirmation of his marriage The Duke of Guise conducted the young Princesse of France to the Confines of Spain and reconducted the Infanta of Spain and the Prince of France was lodged in the Battail The Constable Luynes became the subject of a new Commotion and his great favour the object of hatred to some Grandees who absented themselves from the Court under pretext of defending the Queen-Mother who was extremely exasperated against Luynes for that he being the Counsellour of the ruine of the Marshall d' Ancre had taken possession of his Place and gotten his spoyles and so she retired her self to Angonlesine to be secured by the Duke d' Espernon Now this fire being kindled by the just disgust of an afflicted Queen begot an opinion that it would be scattered through all France For men began to be active and busie already as well at Metz as within the very middle of the kingdom and the motion being in a fronteer Town gave cause to fear lest perhaps strangers might put themselves into the dance For the Duke d' Espernon departed from Metz to go serve the Queen-Mother to whom he was reconciled by the common necessity of an equall Banishment The Nobility and the Armies began already to march all was full of fear and fury and such as loved novelty The Prince of Conde leapt already for joy But the King assisted by the Counsell of the first Prince of the Blood who was now reconciled to him instantly seased upon the Castle and Town of Caen went and beat the Queenes Troops before the Malcontents joyned with theirs and reduced them all to a necessity of submitting to his Grace From thence he conducted his Army into Bearne Reduction of Bearne and by his presence effected that in few dayes upon the Ministers and chief of that Country which the Edict of the year 1617. had not been able to obtain He reduced the whole Province under his obedience re-established the Exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion rendered the Ecclesiasticall Benefices put other Garrisons into the places of strength and four months after returned to Paris where he was received with an universal applause though he left behind him an immortall disgust amongst the most zealous of the Hugenot party by the re-establishment of a Religion without striking stroake which in sixty years before was not so much as knowne there but by calumnies and reproaches and matter also for a new warre with such stomack and animosity as wanted nothing but the occasion to draw the sword The Marriage of the Lady Christine of France with the Duke of Savoy In the mean time the Cardinal of Savoy arrives at Court to thank the King for the care he had vouchsafed to take of the preservation of his Fathers Dominions as also to mediate a Match of the Lady Christine of France with his eldest Brother He was made very welcom and obtained in fine a favourable grant of all he demanded We will now give to the Hugenots of France leasure to study a way to revenge themselves of so sensible a displeasure and stop the King from getting thenceforth any so great successe as might encrease their diffidence and bring a detriment upon their Religion Let us now pass on to a Warre of much more horrour and larger extent for we can no longer forbear it being high time to speak of it we cannot I say withdraw our selves it furnishing us with matter enough to believe that the Age wherein we live is the most unhappy of all Ages yea the very sink and last of all THE HISTORY OF THIS IRON AGE THE THIRD BOOK CHAP. I The Prodigies which preceded the Warrs of Germany A discription of the Kingdome of Bohemia Old differences about Religion The wars of Zisca compared to these I Abhor to begin the discourse of the longest and most cruell Warr that ever was in Christendome and which drew more blood more altered the Christian Faith and caused more ruine and desolation then all that ever were in Europ Let no man tell me of the Exploits of Atilas with his Huns for he did but passe like lightning Let there be no comparison made of the Warts of the Goths
by the death of the Marquis d' Ancre and by the return of the Princes leagued against the said Marquis and his greatness by that of the unfortunate wife that unhappy Favorite whose Possessions and Goods were liberally bestowed upon him The death of the Marquis d' Ancre by the King He was killed by his Majesties command and by the counsell of this new Minister just as he was entring into the Loüure and his Body torne in pieces by a people which thought it self going into a Golden Age after this Execution And his VVife His wife who had been the companion of his Greatnesse was likewise to be so of his disaster and fall She was cast in prison and notwithstanding she baffled and eluded the vanity of the witnesses who accused her of magick or witchcraft she was neverthelesse condemned to suffer a shamefull death upon the Market-place of Greve Her Exccution caused pitty in the soules of some contentment in others and amazement to strangers the eyes of whose understandings were not dazled by the clowds of passion For it was a strange thing to set a Lady upon a base and infamousscaffold who had been but a little before with so much power and greatnesse at the Court Ah false and treacherous Fortune How much gall dost thou hide under thy honey and how many treacheries under thy favours No marvel if thou destroy what thou hast made since thou overturnest even Kings and Kingdomes themselves which had taken their foundations from the hands of the Almighty himself This tragical Beginning being brought to his desired issue Luynes counselled the King to banish his Mother from the Court whom he knew to be in implacable indignation against him Her Exile which was taken for a Retreat the advancement of his two Brothers companions of his fortune and the total and entire disposal of the favour of the good King cast him into the hatred of the people which he could not faile to inherit as well as of the Queen and into the aversion of the Princes who took his government for a pretext of their discontentments and for a cloak to disguise their interests From the quality of an ordinary Gentleman he rid Post as it were to honours and was created Earl and Viceroy of Picardy Duke and Peer of France and within a very short time after Constable In fine all smiled upon him every one adored this Golden Calfe yea even they who if they could have gotten him in their power would have crushed and shivered him to pieces To secure himself from the Queen-Mother he procured the deliverance of the Prince of Conde but common necessity obstructed the course of his greatness though it hardly extinguished the hatred which all the French bore him and left him but two friends who caused his miserable Body to be secretly interred for fear lest be should receive the same treatment of him whose place he had taken O short felicity full of troubles disquiets cares and vexatious apprehensions O vain Glory so much hunted after so much envied and so dearly and painfully bought how deceitful is thy end O vain Honours How are you steeped and drenched in gall And how different from those which are prepared by Eternity for us On the other side Prince Henry was beloved almost throughout all France as well for his great vertue as for the open hatred he carried to the Constable ended his dayes upon the bed of honour before Montanban for the Catholick Faith and for the restauration of the Authority of his King and the whole Kingdom His life He was son to the deceased Duke of Mayenne so well known in the History of the precedent Age to whom France had this obligation that she was not dismembred and crippled during the fury of the cruell Warres Whilest he courted the Widow of the Count de Soissons she moved both him and the Duke of Nevers 1614. to this pernicious Warre to whom the Prince of Conde and the busie Duke of Boüâ—â—lon joyned themselves also which kindled by some certain Princess who respired nothing but vengeance and terminated by the prudence of that most wise Queen at Saint Menehout He retired from the Court for the hatred he bore to the Constable and followed the party of the Queen-Mother 1620. together with other Princes in regard of the ill treatment she received His choler caused him to commit a great fault before Moissac in Quercy whereof the of a frank and open humour without dissimulation such as is fit for a Prince and not for a Courtier He was also free to speak and deliver his opinion and very courteovs to his inferiours much more intense upon the ruine of the Hugenot Party then upon prolonging the Warre as many have done for their own proper interest In fine a Bullet sent him to his grave put the Army in disorder France into mourning The mourning of all France for his death an end to so many brave exploits which which will cause him to be eternally hurt to the siege of Montaubane and to the fear of the Hugenots who called him the great Butcher and the tears interrupted by sobbes expressed the true love which all the Orders of France really bore him and which was besides most amply decleared by the elegant Orations made at his Funerall The newes of his death being divulged at Paris so much moved the Common-people that they cast themselves upon the Reformates and fired the Church of Charenton yea and the mischief had yet gone further had it not been prevented and stopped by the Queens and the Lords of the Parliament Some dayes after the Pontan Change in English the Exchange Bridge and the Pont des Orfebures in English Goldsmiths Bridge were likewise set on fire with inestimable loss for which the Reformats were much suspected by their enemies thereby to revenge themselves of the affronts which had been done them for vengeance is sweet But much more diligence was used to finde out the riches which was fallen into the River then the cause of two such disasters However it be the Warre grew hot the next year after and the King made himself Master of the Isles St. Martin d'Oleron and Bronage After some small victories gotten upon the Duke of Rohan and his Brother The Peace made at Montpeillier 1622. A Tumult at Paris against them of the Religion The Peace made the Peace was concluded at Montpeillier by which the said Towne more by force then by inclination returned to her duty and all the party which had been attacked by many Armies throughout all the Provinces after frequent losses began to respire and shewed that it was no more invincible This Peace separated the Navies hindered the Duke of Guise from prevailing upon his advantage and the Fort Lewis built upon the Haven of Rochelle gave subject to renew the War as we shall hereafter shew The Venetians to procure reparation of the dammages received from the Croats 1617.
prevented by the aforesaid Prince who made his Army march at one of the clock after mid-night and pitched his Camp near the said Weymarians in such sort as that Melo coming some hours too late durst not meddle with them and avowed that he had to do with one of the cunningest Captains in the world But whilest these things passed Baron John de Werdt returned out of France and shewed that he had not forgotten his Trade by the discontinuance thereof for in less then two months there were above two thousand horses sold at Colein which he had taken from the enemy Let us now pass into Catalunia and see the condition of the affaires of that Country commanded by Monsieur de la Motte Houdancour who so often beat the Castilians took so many Towns and succoured so many more that he deserved and had the Marshalls staffe The King and Cardinal went thither The great progresse of the Frénch in Catalunia and the French took Salces Perpinlan and all the County of Roussillion which had been formerly engaged to the Crown of France but was restored by Charles the eighth Monsieur le Grand had such an advantagious possession of the Kings favour at that time that the great Cardinal was alarmed by it and found himself ready to be cast out of the Saddell For he let the King know how necessary a Peace would be for his kingdom which was impoverished and exhausted by so many Taxes and Warres and had already disposed him to listen to an Accommodation with the King of Spain But he warped a Web into which he so involved himself that he was not afterwards able to put it off For they who recommended Peace were held for malefactors and worthy of death Monsieur le Grand beheaded and the Duke of Bouillon saved by whom Wherefore he was sent to Lyons with Monsieur de Thoii where they were both beheaded and the Duke of Bouillon had run the same Fortune had he not been saved by the high and sharp intercession of the Prince of Orange and the consideration of the Town of Sedan For the said Prince had newly preserved the Weymarian Army and rendred France a most remarkable service whereby he could not merit less then the safety of an innocent mans life The execution of the two young Lords aforesaid augmented the hatred which all the world bore this ambitious Cardinal yea and the King himself expressed some coldnesse to him The great Cardinals death which together with so many other inconveniences encreased his sickness and the fourth of December 1642 sent him to the other world since he had troubled this enough already Never did any man ascend to such an immense greatness and maintain himself so well in it His life was very like that of Seianus but their deaths were different this being naturall and that violent Don Alvarez de Luna rose very high but his fall was so heavy that it brake his neck Cardinal Wolsey disposed absolutely enough of his Master but his credit never passed the Sea but by sits and yet was he degraded before his death and in houtly expectation of the Hangman He was born at Paris of a noble extraction was well learned A brief relation of his life and took the Orders of Priesthood at Rome It is said that Pope Paul the fifth looking him once in the face told him That he would one day be the greatest cheat upon earth The Queen-Mother finding him a man of great wit procured him the Bishoprick of Luzon where he wrote a Book of controversie upon which she recommended him to the King her Son and afterwards to the Pope who sent him the Cardinals Cap and the taking of Rochel gave him so great an influence upon his Masters Mind that he left him almost the totall direction of his Kingdom He got himself shut of the Queen and all who favoured her cut off the Marshall of Marillacs head and destroyed all such as gave him any jealousie He never pardoned such as he had offended He was a most accomplished Politician beloved by the most zealous Protestants and hated by the most zealous Catholicks He made it his task to ruine the House of Lorrain by beginning with that of Guise as also that of Austria by labouring to conquer the Low-Countries so that he could not faile to be beloved by all such as hated the Church of Rome He is accused of having embroyled England to the end that for interest of State it might not hinder his seazing upon Flanders For an English Embassadour imputes to him the destruction of his King by most unjust and maligne practices and of setting all Europe by the eares in generall But he cannot be deprived of the praise of having done the Kingdom of France superlative services though it were with the huge oppression of the poor people A Polish Waywodt of great age and experience desired to outlive the said Cardinall to see what end he would have As he had done many people a great deale of hurt so was he alwayes in perpetuall apprehension and fear nor was there eyer Tyrant who lived in greater disquiet then he A great Volume might be made of the observations of his life which being wholly miserable was sustained but by a blast of ambition In fine whilest he was thinking to triumph over Europe his infirmities and troubles redoubled upon him till they made his soule go out of his wretched Body His death was lamented by few and such as had either feared him or fled from his persecution returned into France not to put on mourning but to give God thanks and repossesse themselves of their Charges and Estates CHAP. XIV The death of Lewis the Just The ' Battel of Rocroy The Battel of Dudling The Swedes enter into Holstein THe same Play was still acted under different names For they who had so much longed for great Gustaves death for the establishment of the Emperours Affaires were all amazed to see his Generalls accompanied by the same prosperity as if they had been destinated to consummate the begun-work Upon the other side many Princes and Townes openly favoured them in such such sort as the Emperours affaires weakened so fast to mens sight that they began to despaire of his redresse And so it was held for certain that that Great Cardinals death would cause a huge alteration in France and give the Spaniards the prize but it happened quite otherwise for the French defeated all their forces before Rocroy Let us therefore confesse that it is the Almighty who governes all changes destroyes subverts and augments States both when and how he pleases and that for the bringing of this Great All to an end he permits the Destruction to be Universall and the Confusion Generall Lewis the Just being arrived at his good City of Paris quite altered with the toyle and trouble of his long journey and extremely sad and melancholy began by little and little to lose his health and
Drummes to be beaten and confirmed a most straight Allyance with the aforesaid Arch-Duke the principall conditions whereof were that neither Party should lay down Armes till the Princes were released the Duke of Lorraine restored to his States Sedan rendered and a firm Peace concluded between the two Crownes Which done they began to raise forces and the Spaniards disposed themselves to put theirs into the field The common opinion that the Spaniard sowes dissention in France refuted It is the opinion of many persons that the King of Spain endeavoured to corrupt the greatest part of the Nobleman of France with money and sowed sedition and revolt amongst them with this glittering mettall as if that Nation were not unquiet and turbulent enough of it self without his being necessitated to draine his Treasures to move it And yet suppose that he did it it was no more then what is ordinarily practised every where when there is an apparence of profit being incited thereto by Reason of State and then what was done by King Lewis the eleventh in England and elsewhere But to what purpose should it serve him save only to spend his mony unprofitably enough as appeared by their inconstance Many of them have often retyred themselves into his Dominions to seek their own security and his protection both which they have found and an honourable maintenance to boot but how have they taken their leave Lewis the eleventh being yet in his Dolphin-age withdrew himself to the Duke of Burgundy and for recompence as soon as he was in the Royall Throne he began and continued a war upon the Burgundlans But let us stay in our Age where we shall finde matter enough The Duke of Orleans twice at Brussels The Duke of Orleans fled twice to Brussels cast himself into the King of Spalnes arms who succoured him protected him and gave him an honourable allowance together with his Mother the Queen But being once reconciled and even after the King his Brothers decease he employed himself with as much heat as the most mortall enemy in the world to make warre in Flanders so to destroy his own Sanctuary And other Lords and spoyl his Protectour when all that people thought he would fix all his thoughts upon Peace The Dukes of Guise and Elbenf followed the same trace the former in Italy and the latter in Flanders And what shall we say of the Marshall of Turenne and the Allyance so solemnly sworne with the Arch-Duke The issue shewed that he returned with the same levity before the work was finished and so rendred that fair Field intructuous This is the profit of the Spanish Cathalicon and this the foundation upon which the King built his Conquests or rather this is the recompence of his liberality I praise the fidelity of the French but I blame their inconstance and presume to say aloud that the first obligation cannot dispense with the second made freely and without constraint Nor are there many such examples to be found amongst other Nations yea and it would be very ill taken in France if a stranger after having found his sanctuary there should after his reconciliation labour to make war against it Maurice Duke of Saxony Albert of Brandenburgh and some others made a League with Henry the second for the Liberty of Germany but findings that the French instead of Liberty layd hold of some Places they reconciled themselves with the Emperour and yet were they taxed of perfidy at the Court of France The Count of Fustenbergh having withdrawne himself from the service of King Francis the first and returned into the Emperours favour was beaten in seeking a passage upon the River of Marne and like to be knocked in the head for his ingratitude But let us returne to our purpose The renduclion of Belle-garde 1650. The King having assured himself of Normandy and many Places held by the Prince of Condes Lieutenants caused Bellegarde to be besiedged which quickly submitted for want of succour and he rendred the Inhabitants their Priviledges Let us passe the Sea Charles Stewart goes into Scotland The Scots being Assembled at Edenburgh resolved to take Charles Stewart for their King to which effect they sent Commissioners to treat with him at the Haghe and proclaimed him King of Scotland and England which extremely offended the Parliament at London He departed from Scheveling and we will let him go in great danger to behold the honour which was done Generall Cromwell for having reconquered almost all Ireland the Natives whereof being moved to take Armes by zeal of Religion and respect to the said Charles implored the assistance of the Pope and some other Christian Princes but not being seconded The Irish tamed and puâ—ished and falling into division amongst themselves they were easily tamed and chastized as well for having taken Arms as for having abused the English The Diet at Nurembergh In the same yeare the Diet was held at Nurembergh where after the agreement was made about the restitution of Places and the Assessement for moncy to pay the souldiers the rest of the time was spent in Visits and sumptuous Banquets Festivities and Fire-works of rate workmanship and skil The Duke of Amalsi formerly Piccolomini was there on the behalfe of the Emperours and acquired great admiration and Duke Charles for the Crowne of Sweden Some Counts were forced to pawne their wives Jewells and other Ornaments to be so much the sooner rid of these troublesome Guests Thus the Germans were whipt and payd for the Rodde for they were faine to give whatsoever they had left to recover that which was growne savage and desert The States of the Empyre sent an Embassadour expresse into Spain to beseech the King to draw his Garrison out of Frankendal which was granted at length that so the Peace might have full vigour as we will shew hereaster But since the Embassadours depart from Nurembergh let us go also out of Germany and hasten downe the Rheyn into Holland to see what passes there concerning the reduction of the Militia and other accidents Who will bee able to hide himselfe from the face of the Lord CHAP. VI Containing what passed in the Summer of this yeare of 1650. The Portugal Embassadours offers The Fleet in the Indies does nothing The Princ 's complaints The Siedge of Amsterdam The Imprisonment of six Lords who were carried to Louvestein The Prince of Oranges death His Prayer THe Zelanders before they would ratifie the Peace which they did with an ill will as well in regard of France as for the profit of some particular persons who were wont to go to the Cape of Grip would needs be assured of a prompt supply for the Company of the little Indies The estates of Orphans in Zeland employed in the Company of the Indies which was grown to decay by the revolt of Portugal Which was granted them because the Goods and Estates of many widowes Fatherless children and other persons of
Who are beaten to retire themselves by night in confusion leaving part of their Baggage their Canon and many thousands of prisoners behinde them This Victory sent from above rejoyced all Poland and caused Fire-works and the Embassadours who were at Lubeck treating the Peace between them and Swedes imparted the newes to their friends who expressed great rejoycings as the ancient Town of Lubeck also did by their example Hitherto we have seen Traffick almost abolished by land by means of the war which hath ruined and devoured all things and we shall forthwith see it in almost as miserable a condition by sea though there be no Mountains nor Forrests to receive and shelter Rovers After the Peace was made the Great Master of the Knights of Malta sent his Deputies to the Haghe to redemand the Lands or Goods The Knights of Malta take the Holland Ships The French do the same belonto his Order but having obtained nothing he got Letters of Reprisal and his Knights took many Holland Ships in the Levant as the French also did so that the complaints and mennaces of the Merchants were heard against France yea Monsieur Boreel Embassadour for the Common-wealth at Paris made them sound loud but he reaped nothing but promises with very small effect which would have caused a great alteration had it not been moderated by the prudence of this solid and stayd Nation Robleries at Sea Prince Robert also being favoured by the Portugueses did what he could to hurt the English the effects whereof were so much resented by the Merchants of that Common-wealth that they had no will at all to laugh And besides the Pirates having Commission from the King of Scots did extreme mischief and had their retreat at Jersy and Sicilly two Islands situated at about fifty degrees between England and Ireland for they took all without distinction in such sort as it was necessary to send Admirall Tromp thither and the English Fleet which unnestled these Theeves and a little while after seazed upon the said Isle of Iersy The Irish were also bold enough to seek their advantage with the same Orders though with lesse strength But small Theeves make themselves sometimes feared These losses which were praecursory to greater evills much diminished Trade by the great Guards or Convoyes which it was needfull to send with the Merchants ships and by the Charges of insuring the Merchandizes The Dunkerkers did no great hurt But they aforesaid made themselves feared by the number and bigness of their Vessels and the conveniency of their Havens Envie Avarice and Vengeance produced these misfortunes We have already spoken of the triumphant Coronation of the Queen of Sweden therefore let us now go and see that of the King of Scots amongst the tumults and disorders of war yea and as one may say on horse-back and with his sword in his hand CHAP. X The Crowning of Charles Stewart His entrance into England He lost the Battail near Worcester The miserable State of the Scots His admirable flight He arrived in France The Difference between the Elector of Brandenburgh and the Duke of Newburgh The peace made CHarles being arrived in Scotland found many difficulties as we have already said The Crowning of the King of Scotland which after he had happily vanquished and taken a solemn Oath the Earl of Argyle together with a Baron and a Citizen put the Crown upon his head to the great contentment of the Assembly which cryed Live King Charles the second Whereupon Douglasse the Minister went into the Pulpit and exhorted him to revenge his Fathers death but he had enough to do to save his own life within a short space after For not being able to drive his enemies out of Scotland he resolved by a very hazardous design to transport the war into England there to animate his friends to take Arms for his service He enters into Scotland and so he entered upon a suddain with an Army of about eighteen thousand fighting men and by often skirmishing came as far as Worcester but either for want of Arms or will no body stirred for him but the Earl of Derby with some three hundred men which were cut in pieces very few escaping but the said Earl himself who carryed him the newes General Cromwell being recovered of his sicknesse and informed of this inopinated invasion followed him and the Parliament raised also new forces to resist him The Battail was given near the said Town of Worcester where the Seots and Royalists animated by the presence of their King carryed themselves well at the beginning but the Horse being broaken took flight and such as were not killed could not escape Is defeated by Cromwell in regard that all the passages were stopt so that the condition of these was more miserable then theirs who died fighting There were seven thousand taken prisoners together with the whole Train of Artillery for they were all caught in a pit-fall except their young King who made a marvellous escape as we will forthwith shew He was conceived to be slain but the Parliament ordained that no body under pain of death should either lodge or relieve him in any wise which begat a suspicion that he was living and enjoyed some kind of fearfull liberty For when he saw that the Battail was lost he fled with twelve Gentlemen in his company whom he was forced to leave for fear of being discovered and known retaining only the Lord Wilmot with whom he hid himself in an hollow Tree for the space of two dayes The King of Scots maiâ—ailously escaped and at length retyred to a certain Gentlewomans house who changed his cloathes conducted him to Bristoll and afterwards to London in the habit of a Gentlewoman where he stayed above three weeks and then he passed into France though he were known to the Master of the Vessel and arrived at Roüen where he was received by the Duke of Longueville and next at Paris by the King the Queens and all the Court. Thus we see how Fortune raises some and pulls down others For had Charles gotten the Battail it is very probable that England had been the price of the victory The victory advantageous to the Parliament This victory confirmed the Parliaments authority and destroyed that of the other Party lost the kingdom of Scotland cast an infinite number of Widowes and Fatherless children into excessive affliction and the poor prisoners into unexpressible calamities The first who appeared upon a Scaffold was the Earl of Derby and his Wife after a capitulation put the Isle of Man into the Parliaments hands The prisoners of note were put into the Tower of London and the most famous and victorious General Cromwell was received with such applauses as were wont to be heretofore given to the first Roman Emperors The Lands of the principal Gentlemen and such as were most affected to the other Party were confiscated But let us now leave England and the Parliament
let us leave Scotland in teares let us leave the different opinions concerning the successe of this war for those of our Continent call us speedily back and especially the difference which happened in Cleveland Wars between the Electour of Brandenburgh and the Duke of Newburgh The Electour of Brandenburgh in full peace sent four thousand men into the Duke of Newburghs Country who attacked the strong House of Angremont and performed all acts of hostility without having denounced the war This invasion much displeased the Emperour and much more him whom it more nearly concerned Religion served here for a pretext and this affront put a flea in the ear of the bordering parts which yet by the intermission of the Emperour and the States of Holland was soon taken out the Lorrainers who went to succour the Duke of Newburgh sent back the forces casheered and the Princes returned to their former good intelligence This war gave Colem much apprehension and no small distrust to the United Provinces which feared lest if the fire increased it might grow to burn their Neighbours houses according to the Latin Proverb Tum tuâ—res agitur paries cum proximus ardet When thou seest the next house burn Be sure the next will be thy turn Let us go seek out Cardinal Mazarin in his disgrace CHAP. XI Cardinal Mazarins retreat into the Province of Liedge The Princes make their entry into Paris The joy for both the Dutchesse of Longuevilles and the Marshall of Turennes repasse into France The Baptisone of the young Prince of Orange and the dispute about his tutelage The Damme broaken near Waguening Uleseldt accused of having intended to poyson the King of Denmark Berghen St. Weynock taken by the Spaniards THe Queen being very often petitioned by the Members of Parliament to set the Princes at liberty for the Kings service and the kingdoms quiet and seeing the Resolute run up and down the streets of Paris requiring their deliverance condescended to it but the Kings Counsell on the other side was not a little staggered to hear the importunate voyce of the people Live the King Live the Princes no Mazarin His eminence finding France disgusted by his Ministery retyred himself as we have have already said and the Princes made their entry into Paris the 16. of February where they were received by the Duke of Orleans and all the great ones with very strong resentments of joy The conditions upon which they were released were that the hostility of Stenay and Turenne should cease The Cardinal departs out of France and takes an order for his banishment The Cardinal not being able to prevent or hinder this return of theirs so prejudicial to his Authority and seeing the Duke of Orleans who had consented to their detention so urgent now under pretext of the kingdoms good for their releasement got the King and Queen to approve of his retreat The joy for his departure was incomprehensibly great for every one gave him a wipe and acccused him of having exhausted the Finances or Exchequer nor is there in fine that wickednesse in nature wherewith he was not branded in such sort as it was believed that his absence would bring back the golden Age. But his banishment touched him much more to the quick His enemies had now their time and he not long after had his It is better to laugh at last then at first His departure was ignominious but his return was glorious The Spaniards offered him all kindness of favour in his disgrace which he discreetly refused upon the consideration of a former obligation The Parliament of Roüen Decreed also against him All the world yea even the Pope himself hated him And yet for all this the mischiefs whereof he was held to be the Authour ended not by his retyrement The King and Queen made a Manifest wherein they declared the Princes innocent Goes to Dinant and then to Bruel and approved all that which was ordered against Mazarin who passed by Perone Sedan and Dinant where he stayd some days and then went to Liedge and in fine retyred to Bruel to the Electour who received him according to his qualities Thus was he exiled cryed down and hated by all his services were forgotten and even they themselves who shewed him some courtesie in his retreat were made guilty thereby None but great spirits make their magnanimity appear in misfortunes The Vice-Count returns into France The Dutchesse of Longueville the Marshal of Turenne and the Count of Grandpre returned into France with their Troops where they were welcom leaving the care of finishing the work to the Spaniards who could not sufficiently wonder at this change however the Princes sent to Brussels to thank the Arch-Duke for his care of their deliverance Wilhelmus Henrious Prince of Orange nassau sonn of the Princis Royall London Printed sould by P Stent The great assembly at the Haghe In the mean while the great assembly persevered in the care of making the union stronger then ever and repayting some disorders in relation to which it was judged necessary to grant an Act of oblivion to put the Militia into good method to maintaine the Reformed Religion to keep the bitt in the Roman Catholicks mouthes and exclude such as followed that Doctrine from all Publick employments Separates All being concluded the Assembly sent for a Minister to give God thanks and parted with most perfect intelligence A day of prayer was held and alms was distributed and the Firewords and Ordnance made a concert for the Simbole of the union The Bank broken The yeare of 1651 towards the end of Winter the Snowes melting by a thaw the Waters of the Rheyn swol up in such sort that the Bank between Rhene and Waguening brake and put the inhabitants about Amerssort into great perplexities Indeed Many Inundations this year deserved to be called the yeare of deluge for there were very few Rivers in Europe which did not by the continuall raines exceed their bounds and bear down their banks The Scourge of God as water fire and sword are every where felt Let us go to the septemptrion where we shall finde one of the greatest Lords yea the high Steward of the House of the King of Denmark himself suspected and accused of having intended to poyson the King A wickedness unknown heretofore in the colds of the North. Ulefeldt the high Steward of the Kings houshold accused of having intended to poyson him It was Mons. Vlefeldt a man of great experience and much renowned for the Embassayes wherein he had rendred the King and Common-Wealth great services who was accused of this treason by a lewd woman who not being able to prove the said accusation was beheaded One Colovel Walter was also suspected who having defended his innocence summoned the said Vlefeldt but he in stead of appearing before the King departed secretly with his wife into Holland afterwards into Sweden His flight was extreamly ill
taken and Hannibal Zeestadt for having contemned the Kings Authority was degraded from his charge and deprived of almost all his Estate These two Lords had marryed each of them one of the dead Kings naturall Daughters and were Brothers-in-Law to Count Wolmaor The Count Wolmaer goes into Muscovie who during his Fathers life went into Muscovie to marry the Grand Dukes Daughter where he tryed the perfidie of those Barbarians who in consideration of an advice come from another place would not give him the Princesse but upon unreceivable conditions In fine having unpesterest himself from their hands and received his liberty he repassed through Poland put himself into the Imperiall Armies whore he acquired great reputation and high employments and the Emperours favour to boot Thus all was appeased in that Kingdom and let us now returne post back through Germany where we shall find nothing but a reformation and some complaints which rang every where of the Garrison of Frankendal The French forces marched towards the Low-Countryes and committed some robberies and violences upon the Fronteers of Flanders the Spaniards opposed them and towards the end of the Summer drew out some regiments and made them march under the conduct of that great Captain the Marquis of Sfondrato who took Fuernes with small resistance Sfondrato takes Fuernes and Berghen St. Wynock 1651. but Berghen St. Wynock a strong place and ayded by the waters of the Sea which the Sluces being drawn let passe and which gave the Souldiers great vexations opened her gates the eleventh day to let the Spanish Garrison in and the French out The Fort Linck was also soon reduced and Burburgh being abandoned was put again into condition to defend it self It was conceived that the Spaniards would make an attempt upon Dunkerk but the continual rains the lateness of the season and sicknesses amongst the souldiers sent the Army back to rest CHAP. XII The Cardinal returns into France The Lords who had been imprisoned are restored to their employments The Prince of Condè retyres from Paris The King declared May or Prodigies seen upon the Sea The beginning of the troubles between England and Holland and why The death of Spiâ—ing The Cardinals forces passe through Holland HOwever Cardinal Mazarin was unhappy in a Crosse of fortune yet he omitted not either his care or any occasion to serve the King of France For he contracted some of the forces which were disinissed in Cleveland and sent them secretly down the Rheyn to Rotterdaim where being discovered and their leader summoned to the Haghe the Souldiers constrained the Boatmen to put them a shore and so every one went whether he pleased In the moneth of August there arrived neer two thousand Neapolitans before the Rammekens in foure ships who tryed the courtesie of the Zelanders heard their grumblings and were forced to returne to Sea since the passage to Antwerp was not allowed them The Printe of Condè retyres himself from coâ—rt After the Princes departure the Lords who were released were restored to their former charges But a sudden gust or blast which surprizes the Mariners at Sea in a great Calme doth not more hare them then the Prince of Condes sudden retreat did the French upon an advertizement which had been given him that the Queen would secure his person again She sent a protestation to him that she had no such design and that it was nothing but false reports scattered by the Enemies of France and so upon conditions that the Cardinals Creatures as Servient Tellier c. should retyre from the Court he came back to Paris but these conditions were ill enough observed The King declared Mayor the seventh of September 1651. The seventh of September the King being at the Parliament the Chanceller declared him Mayor as being entred into the fourteenth year of his Age and the Queen discharged her self of her Regencie The Prince of Condè upon another information given him that they would murther him retyred himself again to St. Maur and from thence to Bourdeaux where he drew the inhabitants to his party and the Spaniards came to succour him with seventeen Ships Mezarin returns into France The King and Queen went to Poictiers where they sent for the Cardinal who forthwith obeyed and came to them with some thousands of men and was received by them both with superlative testimonies of benevolence Thus was the fire grown greater then ever and more certain apparence of a general combustion throughout the whole Kingdom An order of Parliament was proclamed against Cardinal Mazarine declaring him guilty of High Treason as a Perturbatour of the Kingdom all his Lands and Goods confiscated his fine Library sold a hundred and fifty thousand Livers or Florins adjudged to any body who would bring him alive or dead The Spaniards come again into France and the Spaniards called again into France by the Prince of Condè under the conduct of the Duke of Nemours The Kings complaints were answered by other and the conclusion was that if his Majesty would expell the Cardinal the forrain forces should retyre out of France Let us leave the French thus divided some leaning to the Princes side and some to Mazarins and these latter were styled Mazarinists for we must take notice of the motion of the English towards a War with the Vnited Previnces which were of the same Religion their Friends and Neighbours For the English put out an Act forbidding the importing any commodities from any place but those of their own growth and in their own ships to the intention of increasing the shipping and Mariners of that Nation which act how highly it disgusted the Hollanders the effects of a most fierce War will demonstrate Some Prodigies preceded this War which I will set down briefly without staying upon the circumstances thereof Oh unhappy Age No sooner are we delivered from one misfortune then we fall into a greater For these united Provinces had no sooner given thanks to the Almighty for Peace then they found themselves ill looked upon by many Potentates envied by some and incommodated by others in their trade In fine the mischief came from that part which they least suspected Take heer the Prodigies which were seen by men of credit and report thereof made to the States in this substance Prodigees seen neer the mouth of the Sea That upon Fry day the twenty second of December 1651 about nine of the clock ten or twelve leagues from the mouth of the Moze they saw a plaine Field of the hight of a man about the Horizon and therein many Souldiers both foot and Horse which forthwith disappeared Next they saw neer about the same place a great Fleet coming from the North some of the Vessels whereof had their Sayles but half up By and by there appeared another from the South-east which came straight to attack the Former and then it seemed as if all the Ships were sunk to the bottom which
yet shewed themselves again so distinctly that they were able to discerne the Ropes and Cables Last of all they saw the great Vessels again which they had discovered first These visions lasted about three houres A Lyon on the North side of the Ships performed the last Act under which there appeared animals of different shapes which turned into Ships The Parliament of England being grown formidable by Charles Stewarts expulsion whom they quite expelled the Island and by the conquest of the Kingdom of Scotland was much intense upon War and desirous to diminish the traffique which hath inriched these united Provinces as by taking the Ships which they met either at Sea or came into their havens and then by giving Letters of Mart. The begining by Letters of Mart. Whereupon the complainrs of the Holland Marchants obliged the States to send their Embassadours to acknowledge them for a Free Common Wealth to renew friendship and to redemand their Vessels taken The first point pleased them and the second was payed with silence and the third differred as never to be granted The Propositions which they made the said Embassadours were so high and beyond their expectation that the High and Might Lords resolved upon War Whilest these things were in agitation there hapned an encounter betwixt General Blake and Admiral Tromp about striking The first attak wherein Tromp was so briskly received that he had much adoe to get handsomly off leaving two ships behind him in the possession of the English This action hastened the returne of the Embassadours and set the States on work for the fitting of a second Fleet which was retarded by the wary Hollanders out of hope of composing the difference by representing the necessity of a good harmony betwixt the two Nations They wanted neither strength courage nor convenience to hurtâ— but other considerations made them seek an accommodation which these new Republicans rejected Mousieur Spiring the Embassadour of Sweden used all diligence to prevent the States Embassadours departure Every one goes into England to acknowledge the Parliament and encouraged them to acknowledge England for a Free State The Title in his Letter of Credence not being well adjusted he met with some little difficulty yet nevertheless obtained Audience but death taking him soon away deprived that State of a great friend After the Spanish Embassadour had acknowledged them every body hastened to the Offering as fearing to be the last Only France seemed not much to care but after having suffered a very rough check she at last came as we shall shortly demonstrate But we must yet make another great circuit before we conclude our Work CHAP. XIII The miseries at Sea caused by Pirats The present state of Norway Denmark Sweden Poland Hungary Germany Italy Spain and France c. HItherto we have seen the wars begun and caried on first for the authority and occupation or seazure of Countries under the princtpal pretext of Religion and then there hapned so great a Hotchpot and such a confused variety by the shuffling together of so many different Allyances and deceiptful practices that this precicus Cloak being grown quite thred-bare could be no longer worne and therefore the hatred of Nations and old quarrels must now be brought upon the Stage Indeed if according to the saying of Tertullian by forging so many Religions there grow at length to be none at all left with the like foundation may I also say that by making so many various Allyances which are so easily broken and so dexterously patched together again there is no Allyance at all I have to do said a certain Monarch with a bordering people which never keep their Faith but when they perceive no occasion to hurt me By this it is that there is so much trouble to make a peace and they who labour to joyne the two Parties finde so much difficulty and repugnance in regard of the indelible distrusts and jealousies between them that they cannot accomplish it Sea-Rovers Besides that there have alwayes been Sea-Rovers who as The The eves hidden in the Woods and Forrests have surprized passengers and laid wait for the Merchants Ships and at present we see whole Fleets the Sea loaden with Vessels to attacke not by stealth but open force the said Merchants Ships and the men of War also which accompany them Some years agoe the Sea was free and safe enough but now there are more and greater dangers there then there ever were by Land Let us passe through the North and end our Carrer in England The Kingdom of Norway being secured by its poverty feared not the year before nor this present year neither the war wherein the King of Denmark seemed ready to involve himself Thirty English Ships stopt in Denmark For he redemanded the Portion of his Aunt Anne Queen of England which being refused he stopped and confiscated some thirty English Merchant Ships and made a streight Allyance thereupon with the States of Holland for their Common Interests That Libell which was made in Sweden being washed and wiped off with the blood of the Authours thereof all was there in good order and diligence was used for the setting out of a little considerable Fleet which gave the bordering parts so much jealousie that King Frederick sent his Embassadours thither who returned with a good answer A Spanish Resident at Stockholme There was then a Spanish Resident at the Court of Sweden who treated secretly and the affairs of the last Assembly were conducted there so occultly that there was no light at all to be found thereof But true it is that Silence is the Soul of great Expedtions Livonia was well guarded against the invasion of the Polanders and the Treaties at Lubeck between them and the Swedes produced no good operation at all so that the Embassadours retired to the great displeasure of such as meddled in them The Muscovits did nothing in a long time which deserves to be noted here But the Polanders felt as well as the rest of the Nations of Europe the Rod of the Almighty by pestilence inundations and wars which continue even yet against the Rebellious Cossacks under the direction and authority of King Casimir The accidental fire which was like to burne the young Princesse was taken as an ill augure by such as were curious but the Kingdom is yet in vigour and the Armies in condition to ruin their enemies The Turks and Tartars made some irruptions into Hungary which gave both dammage and fear by the marching of some Troops but at present the Peace is exactly kept The Empire enjoyes the Peace made at Munster and every Prince labous by the offer of fair Priviledges to revive both his Country and the Religion he professes The Emperour who shewes that he took the redresse of the Empire more to heart then the preservation of his own life assembled all the Electors the last year at Prague The Electors at Prague 1692. and courted
places and where the fimall pocks domincered was uselesse No no most devoute Monarch it is in vaine to endeavour to conserve this dear Plant the Infinite Essence is too much provoked to wrath by the sins of Christians to grant them this precious Pledge of Justice There is no more fidelity to be found amongst them and when the Pillars shog the Building cannot stand The Archbishoprick of Bremen secularized The Arch-bishoprick of Bremen being secularized by the Peace of Munster fell to be shared by the Swedes for having tormented the Eagle and saved the Protestant Party from shiprack or rather for having crossed the House of Austria's designes They would not be content without the Capital Town it self which is situated upon the Weser a large River which discharges her self into the North Sea for the gaining whereof and to hinder the communication of the Sea The Swedes wil have the Town Count Conninxmark caused a Fort to be built below the said Town which was to bring it to the last gasp This strange proceeding which offended both the Emperour and Empire opened the eyes of the bordering people and discovered the ambition of the Swedes Montecuculi went into Sweden but was put off with delayes for the North understands dissimulation as well as the South Ferdinand threatned this haughty General with the Imperial Thunderbolt but it moved him not at all The impunity of offences provokes men to continue them The Inhabitants of the Town took Arms The Townesmen take Arms. with resolution to defend themselves and sent to implore the Succour of the Head together with that of their Allyes And gaint the Forts About the Summer solstice or Sun-stead in Conninkmarks absence they put their men into the field took those places which lighted them to neer and made the whole Dutchy contribute to this Wat. Connixmarck retakes them and shut up the Sweden Town These affronts were so sensible to this great Warrier that he quickly after revenged himself of them for being seconded by some new forces from Sweden he did not only reconquer the said places but also so streightly shut up the Bremeners that loosing all the confidence they had in their own forces they had recourse to those of their Allyes and especially the Hollanders The States Generall send their Embassadours thither Interest of Religion which is more potent amongst the Reformates as being more popular and lesse tyed then the Catholicks together with that of state and some other considerations made the States Generall resolver to send their Embassadours to mediate an accord and temper the hot demands of the Assailants which were so much preludiciall to the Empire They forthwith declared their Commissions and by mixing the strength of their interests with that of their arguments brought the Swedes to condescend to a more gentle Treaty for fear of obliging the mediatours to become Parties in favour of such as had the same law and whose assistance themselves had received according to their ability in other necessities and whom they could not abandon without being accused of ingratitude yea and there were forty ships equipaged for their relief in case the Swedes would needs try extremities The peace made Thus was this War of the Lutherans against the Reformates soone finished This is the state of the North and that of Germany which is not very safe by the death of the King of the Romanes the Emperours indisposition and the Arming of some Princes in Low-Saxonie for as for that of the Marquis of Brandenbrgh and the Duke of Newburgh time will shew us what scope it hath The King of Swedens marriage with a Priacesse of Holstein But let us now run to the mysterious Siege of Arras and we shal finde Queen Christine at Antwerp who receives the newes of her Cousins marriage with a Princesse of Holstein Arras which was taken by the French in the year 1640 before the face of thirty thousand men and had struggled against famin and some other difficulties which made the most judicious despaire of good successe was likely to be lost playing Wherefore they were thinking to quit the Siege which the youg King had begun presently after his consecration but yet they found meanes to continue it for his Majesties honour and to send the Marshal of Turenne The Marshal of Turenne at the succour of Arras with ten thousand men to succour this place Our young Alexander that accomplished Captain who in his first essay had shewed his mastership thought fit to go ruin those Troops whilest they were feeble The Prince of Conde proposes to goe and attack him but be is not heard and tyred by their long march according to the example of that German Mars that Tamer of Brisack and before they were re-inforced by the Nobility but this too judicious and prudent Nation which chooses rather to fall into the other extremity could not be brought to resolve it choosing rather to cover themselves in their trenches to hinder the reinforcement of the Garrison and to expect the Enemy with a firme foot The French Nobility comes to the succour Stenay yeeldeds The French Nobility which doth more for the love of Vertue and for the favour of their King then many other Nations doe for wages hastened thither Stenay was yeelded the Troops increased and the King himself thereby to animate his subjects to behave themselves well drew neer the place appoinred to get honour All the world expected the Issue of this Siege and some wondered how the Spaniards were able to hold out against such terrible forces The Spaniards â—â—o weake to â—ard so many works which so small ones and the attacks went so slowly on against so weak a Garrison For there were not men enough to defend the lines of so great a circuit to gard the Convoyes and force the Town It was believed that there was yet some Arrow hidden and more then one string to the flow Every body turned their eyes towards the sea and the Embassadours set that Divine Metral together with all their Rhetorick on work either to rayse or stop the tempest In fine the twenty fifth of August being the day of S. Lewis was designed to attack the Lines which were bordered by the Spaniards much deminished and fatigated The French advanced gave the Alarme The Siegeraysed in all the quarters entred by a turn-pike which was ill enough garded and beat down part of the Lines to make way for the Cavaltie There began a confusion in the Camp which made some fly Confusion in the Camp The Prince of Condes valour and addresse tosavt the Army and others resolve to defend themselves The Arch-duke seeing the cowardise of some tesolved to fly and the Prince of Conde vigorously to charge the enemies who contenting themselves with having gained the Artillery succoured the Town and made some hor Skermithes let this rock retite being too hard to be scaled and most dissicult
so great mercy c. Besides these aforesaid advantages the Earle of Oppalinski nothing content to have forsaken the King of Polands Party himself drew also many of his friends and neighbouring Lords into the same engagement and they joyntly made an agreement with the King of Sweden containing these heads 1. That they should no longer own the King of Poland or acknowledge him for their Soverargne 2. That all such as should refuse to doe the same should be pursued with fire and sword 3. That the King of Sweden should have the same Authority over them which the Kings of Poland had and that for security of the performence of this Article they should deliver all their strong Holds to General Wittembergh And lastly That the King of Sweden should dispose of all the forces already raysed in great Poland The French after the surrender of Landrecies besieged and took Conde St. Ghistain and some other small places and made excursions even to the very walls of Brussels The Spaniards Embargo The Spaniards after having set out a Fleet to watch Generall Blake upon their Coast upon the news of the miscarriage of the designe of the Generals Pen and Venables at St. Domingo in Hispamola put a General Embargo upon the English Marchants Goods and imprisoned many of their persons also in all the Ports of Spain and the King published a Manifest which was quickly and roundly answered by the Lord Protectour whereupon there instantly followed actions of hostility at sea The Siedge of Pavia raysed The City of Pavia in Italy which had endured a long and fierce Siege by the Duke of Modena and Prince Thomaso was at length delivered by the valour of the Townsmen and the succour brought them by the Marquis of Caracena Governour of the Dutchy of Milan and the two aforesaid Princes forced to a disorderly retreat with the losse of many of their men some Canon and Baggage and the said Duke dangerously shot in the Arme. The Provaditore Morofini General for the State of Venice against the Turks got possession of the Island of Egina in the Archipelago and of the strong Hold of Vola which was surrendred the twenty second of March and which is the more advantagious in regard that the Turks had made their chief Magazine there for this summer expedition so that the Venetians gained besides their Ammunion a very great quantity of Bisquet and seaven and twenty pieces of great Ordnance most of them Brasse As much of the Provisions as could be carried away was put on ship-board and the rest syred that so the Enemy might not be benefited thereby and the best of the works demolished Victories of the Venetians a gainst the Turks About a moneth after they gave a totall defeat to the Turkish Fleet which endeavouring to come out of the Dardanelles upon the fourteenth of July at night after a very hot fight of eight houres was utterly routed and dispersed and forced to get shelter under the Castles of the said Dardanelles having lost in the battail sixteen ships six Gallyes two Mahones and many other Vessels foure thousand men taken prisoners who were all made slaves and a greater number killed This victory was so much the more remarkable for that the whole Venetian Fleet was not there a party thereof having been sent towards Canca a few dayes before to prevent the Turks relieving that place The Turkish Navy consisted of about a hundred ships and Gallyes and the Venetians but eight and thirty with eight Gallyes and two Galleasses The King of Sweden puts forth a manifest The King of Sweden upon his entry into Poland published a Manifest and sent a Letter also to the Emperour comprehending the reasons of his taking Arms against that King wherein he accuses him of eluding the Treatyes held between them of usurping the Title of the Crown of Sweden of endeavouring to debauch the people of Livonia or Leefland and to draw them to a defection of sending a Fleet into the Baltick Sea of attempting to intice the States of the Isle of Oesely to a revolt and many other charges he imputes to him in order to his having broaken the Articles of Truce concluded between the two Crownes From the very time that he entred Poland he went on with a conquering and irresistible hand all submitting partly by force and partly by composition and voluntary inclination to his obedience After he had taken and stayed some time at Warsovia he endeavoured by all means possible to joyne with Field-Marshal Wittembergh so to meet or seek the enemy with the more security whereof the Poles being advertized laboured to crosse that designe and hinder their conjunction to which effect they placed themselves in the woods so to sally out at unawares upon the said Field-Marshal as he marched by as not imagining that the King could possibly be yet arrived to him So that his Maâ—esty being sufficiently informed of their purpose fell in very good order upon them and advanced with such successe by entertaining them with his Ordnance and Forlorne The Polanders beaten that however they sometimes endeavoured to rally and draw to a head again they were constrained to quit the Field in great confusion with the losse of all their Baggage consisting of three thousand Carts and the Swedes pursued them in the Reer almost as farre as Cracovia putting most part of them to the Sword Nor was their prosperity a whit lesse in Lithuania the Nobility of that Country having abandoned their obedience to the King of Poland and sworne fidelity to the King of Sweden howbeit some of them shortly after began to repine at that yoke and the Muscovits desirous of amity with the conquerours departed Hereupon the Count of Steinbock Master of the Ordinance passed the River Vistula with his Troops and advanced against the Marsovians being there between nine and ten thousand strong where both he and his behaved themselves so valliantly that they rowted the said Marsovians killed and rook many of them and put the rest to flight The King and Queen of Poland fly The King of Poland finding the progresse of his Enemies so prosperous against him and himself deserted as well by his own Subjects as by Fortune and seeing at present small hopes of making any advantagious opposition to so impetuous a torrent fled together with his Queen into Silesia In the interim Christina lately Queen of Sweden being departed from Brussels Queen Christine declares her self a Roman Catholick betook her self towards Rome through Germany and made a solemne and publick Renunâ—ation of her former Belief embrancig the profession of the Roman Religion at Inspruck in Tiroll after which proceeding to her journies end she was received by the Pope with great magnisicence and splendom The Lottain Army goes to the French together with Prince Francis Whilest tuâ—sâ— things passed a Brigade of the Lorrain Army consisting of five Regiments â—eserted Spanish service and went to