he did nothing He had for his Tutor and Administrator of the Kingdom Hugh Capet Earl of Paris After this King's Death his Uncle viz. Lewis sirnamed Outremer's Son laid claim to the Crown but was disappointed in his Pretensions by the great Power of Hugh Capet He afterwards endeavour'd to maintain his Right by force of Arms but was made a Prisoner and dying in Prison put an end to the Carolinian Race or at least to its Inheritance of the Crown of France which had been in its possession for at least 236 Years It is very remarkable that this Family lost the Kingdom through the same Errour which the former lost it For tho' this Family by prodigious Conquests had rais'd the Power of France yet were the Conquests soon after by the Divisions made of the Kingdom again dis-united and even a considerable part quite separated from that Kingdom and annexed to the German Empire Besides this by the Negligence of these Kings and the excessive Power of the great Men in the Kingdom France was reduced to a very low Condition § 6. As Hugh Capet the first Founder of the present Royal Family obtain'd the Crown not so much by right of Succession as by the assistance of the chief Men of the Kingdom who excluded the right Heir so as it is very probable he was obliged to remit a great many of the ancient Royal Prerogatives and to confirm to the great Men of the Kingdom the Power of governing their Provinces with the Titles of Dukes and Earls under condition that they should acknowledge themselves Vassals of the Kingdom yet not be obliged to depend absolutely on the King's Commands so that France at that time was like a mishapen and weak Body Hugh in the mean time re-united to the Crown which at that time had scarce any thing left which could be call'd her own the County of Paris the Dutchy of France wherein was comprehended all that lies betwixt the Rivers of Seine and the Loire and the County of Orleans Among the great Men of the Kingdom the chief were the Dukes of Normandy on whom also depended Britainy of Burgundy Aquitain and Gascoigne the Earls of Flanders Champaign and Tolouse the latter of which was also Duke of Languedock But the Counties of Vienne Provence Savoy and Dauphine belong'd to the Kingdom of Arelat which was a part of the German Empire Yet these Kings had at last the good Fortune to see all these Demi-Sovereign Princes extinguish'd and their Countries re-united to the Crown of France Hugh died in the Year 996 whose Son Robert a good natur'd Prince reign'd very peaceably he having reduc'd the Dukedom of Burgundy to which he after the Death of his Uncle was the next Heir under the entire Jurisdiction of the Crown The Tyranny exercis'd by the Pope against this King ought to be mention'd here For the King having an Intention of marrying Bertha of the House of Burgundy which Match was esteemed very beneficial to his State and the said Bertha standing with him in the fourth degree of Consanguinity besides that he had been Godfather to a Child of hers in her former Husband's time He desir'd and obtain'd the Consent of his Bishops the said Marriage being otherwise against the Canon Law But the Pope took hence an occasion to Excommunicate the King and the whole Kingdom which proved so mischievous that the King was deserted by all his Servants except three or four and no Body would touch the Victuals that came from his Table which was therefore thrown to the Dogs He died in the Year 1033. The Reign of his Son Henry was also not very famous except that he waged some inconsiderable Wars against his Vassals He presented his Brother Robert with the Dukedom of Burgundy from whence comes the Race of the Dukes of Burgundy descended from the Royal Blood He died in the Year 1060. His Son Philip did nothing memorable he was also for his Marriage excommunicated by the Pope but at last obtained a Dispensation Under the Reign of this King Philip William Duke of Normandy conquer'd England which prov'd to be the occasion of unspeakable Miseries to France for these two Kingdoms were ever after in continual Wars till the English were driven out of France About the same time the first Expedition was undertaken into the Holy Land which Extravagancy continued for near 200 Years after The Popes drew the most Benefit from these Expeditions assuming to themselves an Authority not only to command but also to protect all such as had listed themselves under the Cross Under this pretext also frequent Indulgences were sent abroad into the World and what was given towards the use of this War was collected and distributed by their Legates The King of France and other Kings receiv'd thereby this Benefit That these Wars carried off a great many turbulent Spirits And a great many of the Nobility used either to sell or else to mortgage their Estates and if any of them happened to die in the Expedition leaving no Heirs behind them their Estates fell to the King By this means also that prodigious number of People wherewith France was overstock'd at that time was much diminish'd whereby the Kings got an Opportunity to deal more easily with the rest Nevertheless when afterwards the Kings either by Instigation of the Popes or out of their own Inclinations undertook these Expeditions in their own Persons they found the dismal effects of it For by so doing the best of their Subjects were led to the Slaughter and yet it was impossible to maintain these Conquests as long as they were not Masters of Egypt Whereas if this Kingdom had been made the Seat of the intended Empire and the Store-house of the War a Kingdom might have been establish'd which would have been able to support it self by its own Strength This King died in the Year 1108. His Son Lewis sirnamed the Fat was always at variance with Henry I. King of England and in continual Troubles with the petty Lords in France who did considerable Mischiefs from their strong Castles yet he was too hard for them at last and died in the Year 1137. His Son Lewis VII sirnamed the Younger undertook upon the Persuasion of St. Bernhard an Expedition into the Holy Land but this prov'd a fatal Expedition for by the Defeat which he receiv'd at Pamphylia and the Siege of Damascus which he was forc'd to quit and the Fatigues of so great a Journey as well as the perfidiousness of some of the Commanders after he had ruin'd a great Army he returned with the miserable Remainders into France without having done any thing answerable to such an Undertaking But he committed the greatest Error when he divorced himself from his Lady Eleonora whether out of Jealousie or tenderness of Conscience is uncertain she being his Cousin in the third or fourth degree This Eleonora being also the only Heiress of
that it is absolutely against the Interest of some States to join themselves against France For as Affairs now stand Portugal is not likely to join with Spain Sweden with Denmark Poland with the House of Austria against France Neither is it probable that the Italian Princes will be desirous to assist the Emperour and Spain in subduing of France except we must suppose them to be willing to promote their own Ruin Neither is it likely that England and Holland will agree in a War against France for whilst one of them is engag'd in a War against France it seems to be the Interest of the other to stand Neuter and to promote its own Trade and Navigation It is also not very probable that the Princes of Germany especially those of the Protestant Religion should be willing to see France fall before the House of Austria since both their Power and Religion would stand upon slippery Ground if not supported by a Foreign Power Wherefore it seems to be no difficult task to persuade some of the Protestant Princes at least to sit still The Swiss also are not likely to co-operate with Spain and the House of Austria in the Conquest of France and therefore it would not be so difficult for France to defend it self against the House of Austria and all its Confederates Not to mention here that in such a case Sweden and Poland would not leave France if they were in a Condition to assist it But it is not probable that France should make any account upon an Alliance with the Turks except in the greatest Extremity for the Mahometan Princes have learn'd by Experience that where-ever they have intermedled with the Christians in their Wars these commonly have clapt up a Peace without including them or having any regard to their Interest On the other hand France seems not to be strong enough to overturn all the States of Europe by his Conquests For France may be the most potent Kingdom in Christendom but not the only one and by extending its Conquests too far it would be weaken'd within In the mean time those lesser States bordering upon France are in great danger to be devour'd by so flourishing a Kingdom CHAP VI. Of the United Provinces § 1. THat Country which is commonly call'd the Netherlands or the Lower Germany was anciently comprehended partly under Gaul partly under Germany according as they were situated either on this or the other side of the Rhine which was the ancient Boundary of these two vast Countries That part which was situated on this side of the Rhine was by Julius Caesar together with the rest of Gaul reduc'd under the Obedience of the Roman Empire Afterwards the Batavi and the Zealanders did also submit to the Romans yet so that they were rather esteem'd Allies than Subjects And when in the Fifth Century after the Birth of Christ the Francks establish'd a new Kingdom in France these Provinces were also at first united to it But at the same time when Germany was separated from France most of them fell to Germany few remaining with France The Governours of these Provinces did in process of time under the Names of Dukes and Earls make themselves Demi-Sovereigns as did also other Princes of Germany and France yet so that it was a general Maxim among them To rule the People with Mildness And for the Security of their Liberty they us'd to grant them great Privileges in the maintaining of which this Nation was always very forward The Estates also which consisted of the Clergy Nobility and Cities were always in great Authority and would not easily suffer that any new Impositions should be laid upon the People without their consent These Provinces according to the common computation are Seventeen in number viz. Four Dukedoms of Brabant Limburgh Luxemburgh and Gueldres Seven Earldoms of Flanders Artois Hainault Holland Zealand Namur and Zutphen Five Lordships of Friesland Malines Vtrecht Over-yssel and Groningen Antwerp has the title of a Marquisate of the Roman Empire These Provinces were anciently ruled each by its Prince or Lord but afterwards several of them were either by Inheritance Marriages or Contracts united together till most of them fell to the share of the House of Burgundy from whence they came to the House of Austria by the Marriage of Maximilian I. who had marry'd Mary the only Daughter of Charles surnamed The Hardy And were afterwards all united under Charles V. who govern'd them in Peace and Prosperity 'T is related that he had once taken a Resolution to make them one Kingdom which however he could not effect their Laws and Privileges being so different and they so jealous of one another that none of them would remit any thing of their Pretences in favour of the rest But the Reign of Charles V. over the Netherlands proved so very fortunate because he bore an extraordinary Affection to them and they to him For Charles was born in Ghent educated amongst them and liv'd a considerable time there His Humour suited very well with theirs he conversed with them in a friendly manner without haughtiness employing the Netherlanders frequently in his Affairs whereby this Nation was in great esteem at his Court But under the Reign of his Son Philip II. these Provinces were torn to Pieces by intestine Commotions and civil Wars which occasion'd the Rise of a potent Commonwealth in Europe This Government having prov'd the occasion of great Alterations it is worth our while to search both into the cause of these Commotions and the Origin of this new Government § 2. Philip II. therefore was not a little to be blam'd as being partly himself the cause of these civil Troubles for he being born in Spain and educated after the Spanish Fashion did favour only the Spainards representing in all his Behaviour a perfect haughty Spaniard which did mightily alienate the Minds of the Netherlanders especially after he resided altogether in Spain and did not so much as honour the Netherlands with his Presence thinking it perhaps below his Grandeur that he who was Master of so great a Kingdom and had such great Projects in his Head should trouble himself much about the Affairs of the Netherlanders Tho' in all Probability these might have been kept in Obedience by his Presence for his Father the sooner to appease a Tumult which was only risen in the City of Ghent did venture to take his journey through France and the Territories of Francis who was but lately reconcil'd to him Moreover William Prince of Orange a crafty thorough-pac'd and ambitious Man did not a little foment these Divisions For when Philip had taken a Resolution to go into Spain and to commit the Administration of the Netherlands to a Governour this Prince was contriving how Christina Dutchess of Lorrain might be constituted Regent of the Netherlands and how he by marrying her Daughter might bear the greatest sway in the Government But he miscarrying in both
Intentions Some of the Nobility made the first beginning who enter'd into an Association which they called the Compromise whereby they engag'd themselves to oppose the Inquisition and to stand by one another if any one should be molested for his Religion but solemnly protested That they had no other Aim by so doing but the Glory of God the Grandeur of the King and the Peace of their native Country This Association was drawn up by Philip Marnix Lord of Aldegonde and subscrib'd by 400 Persons of Quality among whom the chiefest were Henry of Brederode Lewis Earl of Nassau Brother of the Prince of Orange the Earls of Culenburgh and Bergh These met at Brussels and deliver'd a Petition to the Regent wherein they desir'd That the Proclamations issu'd forth touching Religion might be annull'd The Regent answer'd them in courteous but general terms telling them That she would know the King's Pleasure in the Matter 'T is said That the Earl of Barlemont who stood then near the Regent did tell her That they were no ways to be fear'd because they were only Geusen or Beggars which has render'd the Name of the Geusen very famous afterwards they having had a Beggars Pouch the Coat of Arms of that Confederacy In the mean while abundance of Pamphlets were spread abroad which did more and more exasperate the People And because Philip had given but a very indifferent Reception to those Deputies which were sent into Spain to pray for a Mitigation of these Proclamations and had refus'd to comply in the least with the Sentiments of the People it came to an open Insurrection So that the new Religion was not only publickly profess'd and taught in a great concourse of People but the Rabble also fell to plundering of Churches and pulling down of Images And tho' the Prince of Orange and the Earl of Egmont did what they could to appease this Tumult yet had the King conceiv'd a shrewd Suspicion as if they had been in the bottom of it wherefore they were consulting their own safety but could as yet not come to any Resolution In the mean time the Regent having rais'd some Troops and endeavour'd either by Fear or fair Words or any other ways to reduce the dissatisfy'd Party to Obedience some of whom did by Submission and other Services endeavour to be reconcil'd to the King And this Design succeeded so well that without any great trouble and the punishment of a very few the Country was restor'd to its Tranquility Nevertheless because it was rumour'd abroad that a great Army was marching out of Spain against them a great many of the Inhabitants and especially of the Handycrafts Trade did retire into the neighbouring Countries The Prince of Orange himself disliking this calm retir'd into Germany § 4. It was then the Advice of the Regent that the King should come in person without any great Force into the Netherlands and by his Presence and Clemency endeavour entirely to heal the ulcerated Minds of the People But he follow'd the Advice of the Duke of Alva who advis'd to make use of this Opportunity to bring the Netherlands under the Yoak and to strike Terrour into the rest he march'd with a brave Army through Savoy and Burgundy into the Netherlands and having immediately taken into Custody the Earls of Egmont and Hoorn whom he pretended to have been underhand the Authors of these Troubles declar'd all those guilty of High Treason that had had any hand in the Association the Petition and pulling down of the Images And a Court was erected of twelve Judges from which no Appeal was to be allow'd where Judgment was to be given concerning these Matters this Court was commonly call'd The bloody Council Before this Court the Prince of Orange and some other Lords who were fled were summon'd to appear and upon non-appearance they were declar'd guilty of High Treason and their Estates Confiscated The same Severity was us'd against others of less note This caus'd such a Terror among the Inhabitants that they left their Habitations in Troops He caus'd also Citadels to be built in several great Cities among which one of the chiefest was that of Antwerp In the mean time the Prince of Orange had brought together considerable Forces in Germany some of which under the Command of Lewis his Brother falling into Friesland beat the Count of Arembergh the Governour of that Province But soon after the Duke of Alva having first caus'd the Earls of Egmont and Hoorn to be beheaded march'd against him in person Not long after the Prince of Orange fell with a great Army into Brabant but was beaten back by the Duke of Alva and his Forces dispers'd The Duke of Alva puff'd up with this great Success did not only cause a most magnificent Statue to be erected at Antwâ—rp but having also form'd a Design to conquer the Netherlands with their own Money he impos'd a Tax upon them of the hundredth Penny to be paid of the whole value of all Estates and besides this the twentieth Penny to be paid of all Moveables but the tenth of all Immoveables as often as they were sold This did exasperate the Netherlanders to the utmost degree And whilst the Duke of Alva being in great want of Money was busie in squeezing out these Taxes and was upon the point of forcing the Inhabitants of Brussels who refus'd to pay it News was brought That the banish'd Netherlanders who were turn'd Privateers and had about 24 Ships of indifferent Strength had under the Conduct of the Earl of March taken the City of Briel in Holland Then most Cities of Holland out of a Hatred to the Spaniards and the tenth Penny revolted from the Spaniards except Amsterdam and Schonhoven which remain'd for some time under the Obedience of Spain It was a grand mistake in the Duke of Alva that during his Regency of four Years he had not secur'd the Sea Coasts The revolted Places chose for their Governour the Prince of Orange swearing to him Allegiance as the King's Stadtholder as if they had only revolted from the Duke of Alva and not the King A great many Privateers then join'd from France and England who within the space of four Months made up a Fleet of 150 Ships who had their Rendezvouz at Flushing and afterwards did great Mischiefs to the Spaniards The Duke of Alva was not in a condition to resist this Storm because the Earl of Bergh had not only at the same time taken a great many places in Gueldres Friesland and Over-yssel but also Lewis Earl of Nassaw had with the Assistance of the French surpris'd Mons Which City the Duke of Alva endeavour'd to recover by force of Arms and the Prince of Orange who with an Army newly rais'd in Germany had made prodigious havock in Brabant had in vain endeavour'd to relieve it was retir'd into Holland Wherefore this City was surrender'd upon Articles to the Duke of Alva He then
same off again with his foot intimating thereby as if it was in the power of the Popes to give and to take away the Imperial Crown He died in the year 1198. having just then made great preparations for an Expedition into the Holy Land and sent his Army before he being ready to follow § 7. After the death of Henry VI. the Germans were miserably divided among themselves for Frederick II. his Son being then but five years old his Uncle Philip pretended to have the Tuition of his Nephew and the Administration of the Empire according to the last Will of the deceas'd Emperour but this being opposed by the Pope he perswaded some of the Princes to elect Otto Duke of Saxony Germany was thus miserably torn in pieces most siding with Philip the rest with Otto After a long war an agreement was made betwixt them that Otto should Marry the Daughter of Philip but lay down the Royal Title till the death of Philip when the same was to be restored to him Not long after Philip was murthered at Bamberg by Otto the Palatin of Wittelbach After his death Otto obtained the Imperial Dignity and having been Crowned at Rome he resolved to reunite such places as were unjustly possess'd by the Popes to the Empire which so exasperated the Pope that he Excommunicated him exhorting the Princes to elect another Emperour Most of them were for Frederick II. Son of Henry VI. which made Otto to hasten into Germany but having in vain endeavour'd to maintain himself in the Empire he was forc'd to surrender the Imperial Crown to Frederick the Second King of Sicily and Naples and Duke of Suabia who after he had bestowed a considerable time in setling the Affairs of Germany went into Italy where he was Crowned by the Pope In the year 1228. he undertook an Expedition into the Holy Land and retook Jerusalem from the Saracens He was continually allaâ—m'd by the intrigues of the Popes who were for playing the Masters in Italy against whom he bravely maintained his Right This occasioned several Excommunications to be thundred out against him by the Popes who raised great disturbances From hence had their rise the two famous Factions in Italy whereof those who sided with the Pope called themselves Guelfs but these who were for the Emperour Gibellins which two Factions for a considerable time after occasioned great Commotions in Italy And tho Frederick behav'd himself bravely against the Pope and his Associates yet the Popes Excommunication had such powerful Influence in that Superstitious Age that after the Pope had solemnly deposed him in the Council held at Lyons some Princes of Germany did choose Henry Landgrave of Thuringia their King who was commonly call'd the King of the Priests but he dying in the year next following some Princes declared William Earl of Holland their King who was not able to Establish himself being opposed by Cunrad Son of Frederick II. who was appointed to succeed his Father in the Empire In the mean time his Father had been very unsuccessful in Italy who at last died in the year 1250. Cunrad having left Germany retired into his Hereditary Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily where he died William Earl of Holland was slain in a battel against the Frizelanders in the year 1256. § 8. With the death of Frederick II. the Authority of the German Emperours in Italy was quite extinguish'd And that it might not be revived again the Pope gave the Kingdom of Naples to Charles Duke of Anjou who by the Instigation of the Pope caused the young Cunradin who being the Son of Cunrad was come to recover his Herediatary Kingdom and taken Prisoner in a battel fought betwixt them to be executed by the hands of the Hangman with whom was extinguish'd the Race of the Dukes of Swabia In the mean time there were great divisions among the German Princes concerning the election of a new Emperour some of them had chosen Richard Duke of Cornwal Son of John King of England and the rest were for Alfonsus X. King of Castile both were elected in the year 1257. Richard came on his Journey as far as the Rhine to take possession of the Empire but for want of Money was forc'd to return home again And Alfonsus came not within the sight of Germany Then there was a complete and long vacancy of the Throne in Germany during which time there was nothing to be seen but confusion every body pretending to be Master These Civil Disorders were of the worse consequence because that about the same time the three great Families of the Dukes of Swabia the Marquesses of Austria and Landgraves of Thuringia being extinct a great many aspired to possess themselves of these Countries To be short the longest Sword was then the best Title and he that could master another kept him under subjection and robbing and plundering was an allow'd exercise at that time Against these outrageous Proceedings several of the Cities upon the Rhine enter'd into a Confederacy with whom a great many other Princes afterwards joyning their Forces they demolish'd the strong Holds of these Robbers and clear'd the Highways § 9. At last Rodolph Earl of Habsburgh and Landgrave of Alsace from whom are descended the present arch-Arch-Dukes of Austria was unanimously chosen Emperour who the better to establish himself in the Throne Marry'd his three Daughters to three of the great Princes of Germany viz. to Lewis Palatin of the Rhine to Albert Duke of Saxony and to Otto Marquess of Brandenburgh After the death of Frederick Marquess of Austria who had his Head cut off at Naples together with Cunradin Ottocar the King of Bohemia had possess'd himself of Austria Stiria Crain the Windishmarck and Portenau But Rodolph who thought that his Family had more Right to it having â—etaken these Countries from Ottocar gave them in Fief to his Son Albert and to the second whose name was Rodolph the Dukedom of Swabia Besides this the Grandson of Albert got Crain and Tyrol Thus Rodolph did by obtaining the Imperial Dignity raise his House from a moderate State to great Power and vast Riches But tho he was often invited to come into Italy yet he could never be perswaded to it alledging that old and notorious saying of the Fox Quia me vestigia terreat because the footsteps deter me Nay he declar'd a great many Cities there Free for Sums of money by which the Kingdom of Italy being first torn into a great many pieces was quite lost But Germany he took into his particular Care and destroy'd a great many Castles there which serv'd for a retreat for Robbers He was the first that introduc'd the use of the German Tongue in all Publick Courts and Private Transactions whereas formerly the Latin Tongue had been made use of in the like cases He dyed in the year 1291. His Son Albert did lay claim to the Empire but by the Interest of the
Fainthearted 987. The Carolinian Family extinguish'd Hugh Capet the first of the present Race Robert The Pope excommunicates him and his Kingdom Henry I. Philip I. Will. Duke of Normandy conquers England Expedition into the Holy Land Lewis the Fat Lewis VII His unfortunate Expedition to the Holy Land Philip II. the Conquerour Another Expedition to the Holy Land War betwixt France and England 1223. Lewis VIII Lewis IX A third Expedition to the Holy Land without Success 1254. The first Pretensions of the French upon the Kingdom of Naples 1261. 1268. An unfortunate Expedition of S. Lewis Philip the Hardy The Sicilian Vespers 1282. Philip the Handsom 1292. He has ill Success in Flanders 1302. 1304. He suppress'd the Templers Lewis X. Philip the Tall. Charles IV. Philip of Valois His Title conteâ—ted by Edward III. of England and in what ground War with England Battel near Crecy The English take Calâ—is 1347. Dauphine annexed to France 1349. Philip introduced the Gabell John Vnfortunate in his Wars against the English Battel near Poictiers 1356. A dishonourable Peace to France 1360. 1364. Charles the Wise He declares War against the English After the Death of Edward Charles attacks the English with Advantagâ— Charles VI. 1384. 1382. The first rise of the French Pretensions upon Milan◠〈…〉 1404. The Duke of Orleans assassinated by the Duke of Eurgundy 1407. The English take advantage of these Troubles 1415. Battel of Agincourt 1419. The Duke of Burgundy assassinated 1422. Charles VII Henry VI. of England proclaim'd King of France Misunderstandings betwixt the English and the Duke of Burgundy the only Advantage Charles had left The Maid of Orleans 1431. The English Power declines in France 1435. 1436. He drives the English out of France 1449. 1451. 1453. 1461. Lewis XI He reduces the excessive power of the Nobility A League against him The King's 〈◊〉 â—â—thods The Original of selling the Offices of France Duke of Burgundy slain 1477. Charles VIII Britainy united to France 1491. An Expedition to Naples end the Preâ—â—â—sions of it 1494. Charles conquer'd Naples 1495. The League of Italy against the French He losâ—th Naples 1498. Lewis XII 1499. He conqâ—ers Milan He conquers Naples 1501. Loses it agaiâ— 1503. The Venetian War Lewis joins in the League against thâ—â— 1508. 1509. A League against Lewis 1512. He conquers Milan agaiâ—n He is attack'd by several Princes at once Francis 1. He aspires to the Empire In a few Days he takes and loses the Kingdom of Navarre 1521. A War 〈◊〉 in Italy The French driven out of Milan 1521. The Duke of Bourbon revolts to the Emperour 1524. Franc's desired at the Battel of Pavia and taken Prisoner 1525. He is set at Liberty on hard Conditions which he did not perform He with the King of England declare War against the Emperour He sends an 〈◊〉 my into Italy Peace made at Cambray 1529. 1535. The War breaks out afresh The Truce prolong'd for nine Years Francis breaks the Truce 1542. A Peace concluded at Crespy 1544. 1546. Henry II. 1548. 1549. 1550. His Expedition into Germany 1552. 1555. A Truce between Charles V. and Henry II. 1557. A Project to unite Scotland with France misscarried Francis II. The Causes of the intestine Wars of France 1527. The House of Guise rises and that of Bourbon declines Divisions about the Administration of the Government 1560. Charles IX The Conferenec of Poissy 1562. The first Huguenot war 1563. The Second War 1568. The Third War 1569. The Prince of Conde being slain the King of Navarre is declar'd Head of the Huguenots 1570. The Parisian Massacre The Fourth War 1573. The Fifth War Henry III. The Holy League 1577. The Sixth War Spain enters the League The Seventh War 1585. The Eighth War 1587. The League force the King from Paris 1588. The Duke and Cardina of Guise assassinated by the King's Order at Blois The King makes use of the Huguenots against the League Aug. 2. 1589. Henry IV. His Difficulties on the account of his Religion The Pope Excommunicates Henry Proposals about setting up another King 1593. The King changes his Religion 1593. Several Cities surrender to him 1594. The King assaulted and wounded by a Ruffian The Jesuits banish'd The Edict at Nants The Peace of Vervins He takes from the Duke of Savoy all that he possessed on this side the Alpes 1600. The Conspiracy of the Marshal de Biron 1602. He introduces Manufacturies His Design to put a stop to the growth of the House of Austria He is Assassinated by Ravillac May 14. 1610. Lewis XIII 1617. 1619. Richlieu comes in play Made chief Minister of State Rochelle taken The Effects of the Civil Wars A War in Italy 1628. The first Occasion of Mazarini's Greatness How Pignerol came into the hands of the French The Queen Mother raises Troubles 1642. The King takes Lorrain from that Duke 1634. 1636. 1638. May 14. 1643. Lewis XIV Mazarini ' s Ministry 1644. Peace of Munster The intestine Commotions 1648. The Slingers The King forc'd to leave Paris 1649. The Imprisonment of the Princes 1651. The Cardinal banish'd France The Queen recalls him 1653. 1658. 1662. The Pyrenaean Peace 1659. The Death of Mazarini 1661. A Dispute about Precedency between the French and Spanish Embassadours A Treaty with the Duke of Lorrain A Differance with the Pope 1664. He attacks Flanders Peace made at Aix la Chapelle 1668. 1667. He invades Flanders 1672. 1673. Mastricht taken by the French The Death of Turenne The Losses of the Spaniards in this War Peace at Nimmegen The French Nation Full of Nobility Their Natural Qualities The Nature of the Country It s Situation It s Fertility Its Plantations The Government of France The Strength of France with reguard to England To Spain To Italy To Holland To the Swiss To Germany The Strength of France in regard of a Confederacy The ancient State of the United Provinces The Division of the 17 Provinces The Vnion of the 17 Provinces Tâ—eir Coâ—ditiâ—n than under Charles V. The cause of the Wars in the Netherlands under Philip II. William Prince of Orange Discontents of the Nobility and Clergy Change of Religion Spanish Inquisition Queen Flizabeth â—â—mented their Revolt 1559. The Cardinal Granville 1564. Count Egmont sent into Spain An Association of the Nobility 1566. Breaking of Imâ—ges The Duke of Alva 1568. The Earls of Egmont and Hoorn beheaded Briel taken April 1. 1571. Duke of Alva recall'd Lewis Requesenes Governour 1574. 1576. The Treaty of Ghent Don John d' Austria made Governour Archduke Matthew 1577. Alexander Duke of Parma Malecontents The Duke of Parma The Vnion of Utrecht the Foundation of the Common-wealth 1579. The Duke of Alenson 1583. 1584. Prince of Orange murthered His Son Prince Maurice made Stadtholider The English Confederacy 1616. 1586. The Regency of the Earl of Leicester The State of Affairs in Holland legias to mend 1588. 1590. 1592. Arch-Duke Albert Governour of the Spanish Netherlands 1602. The East-India Company Isabella Clara Eugenia Battel
V. the present King of Denmark 327 He maketh War upon Sweden p. 327 Makes a Peace with Sweden 328 The Christian Religion is proper for all the World 370 Is not contrary to civil Government 371 No other Religion or Philosophy comparable to it 372 Concerning the outward Government of Religion 372 The consideration of this Question according to the Nature of Religion in general and of the Christian Religion in particular 374 375 First Propagation of the Christian Religion and by what methods it was established 376 Persecution of the first Church and the Câ—lumnies raised against the Primitive Christians 378 The first Church Government 379 Constantine the first Christian Emperour 382 Could not quite alter the former State of the Church 382 Of presiding in Councels 383 Abuses in Councels 384 Riches of the Church 394 Croisado's by what Politicks carried on 395 How the Church was freed from all power over it 399 General Councels to bridle the Popes power 409 Cardinal Cajetan and his ill Conduct 418 Calvin and Zwinglius 421 The Conclave 431 The College of Cardinals 433 Cardinal Patroon 434 Celibacy of the Clergy 435 Their Number 436 Ceremonies 439 Half Communion 440 Vnion made at Cilmar betwixt Sweden Denmark and Norway 478 Christopher Duke of Bavaria made King of Sweden Denmark and Norway 482 Church Lands reduced in Sweden 494 Christina Queen of Sweden 525 Continues the War in Germany 526 Makes an Alliance with France 528 Is engaged in a War with the Elector of Saxony 527 And afterwards with Denmark 530 Charles Gustave King of Sweden 533 Siege of Copenhagen 534 Charles IX the present King of Sweden 534 His Forces routed by the Elector of 〈…〉 534 D. THE Dutch sail to the East-Indies 92 The Danes first come into England 102 Dauphine united with France 192 Denmark a very ancient Kingdom 316 The Genius of the Danish Naâ—ion 328 Neigbours of Denmark 330 Disputes in England about the investiture of Bishops 403 E. THE first Sea Voyage into the East-Indies under Emanuel King of Portugal 89 Ancient State of England 99 England conquered by the Romans 99 Edward the Confessor King of England 103 Edward I. King of England 114 His Wars with Scotland 115 His Wars with France 116 Edward II. King of England 116 Edward III. King of England 117 His Pretensions to the French Crown 117 His expedition into France 118 The English decline in France 201 1â—5 The English driven out of France 202 127 Edward IV. of the House of York King of England 128 Edward V. King of England 130 Edward VI. King of England 139 Elizabeth Queen of England 141 She assists the Huguenots 144 Refuses the Soveraignty over the Netherlands twice offered to her 145 The Constitution of the English Nation 164 The English form of Government 169 The Power and Strength of England 171 The East-India Company in Holland 283 270 England and France declare War against the Dutch 279 Evangelical Vnion in Germany 301 Erick declared King of Sweden Denmark and Norway 477 321 Of Episcopal Jurisdiction 384 Concerning Excommunication 385 Encrease of the Ecclesiastical Soveraignty 391 What contributed to it 391 Disputes in England about the Investiture of Bishops 403 Erasmus favours Luther 416 Excommunication and Inquisition 445 Erick XIV King of Sweden introduces the Titles of Earls and Barons in that Kingdom 498 F. FErdinand the Catholick and Isabella 42 France and its ancient State 174 The Franks came out of Germany 175 France is divided 177 French Pretensions upon the Kingdom of Naples 187 French Pretensions upon Milan 196 Francis I. King of France 210 He aspires to the Empire 210 His Italian Wars 211 212 His defeat at the Battle of Paviae where he is taken Prisoner and set at liberty upon very hard terms 212 Francis II. King of France 218 The Nature and Constitution of the French 247 The Government of France 250 Strength of France in regard to England and the other Neighbouring Princes 251 252 Frederick Henry I. Prince of Orange 274 Frederick Elector Palatine's ill Success 302 Ferdinand I. Emperour of Germany his Proclamation concerning Church-lands 302 Frederick I. King of Denmark 324 Frederick III. King of Denmark his Wars with Sweden 326 Is declared absolute and the Crown hereditary 327 Battle fought in the Island of Fuhnen 534 G. GReece p. 6 Gothick Empire and its downfall in Spain 29 Granada taken 43 Gaul subdued by the Romans 174 by the Barbarian Nations 174 Germany divided from France 180 The Gabel first introduced into France by Philip of Valois their King 192 The Treaty of Ghent betwixt the Prince of Orange and the Netherlanders 264 Germany and its ancient condition 282 The Gvelfs and Gibellin Factions in Italy 291 German Wars and their Origin under Matthias 300 Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden his death 303 The Genius of the Germans 306 Form of Government in Germany 307 Its Commodities 307 Its Strength and Weakness 308 Its Neighbours 312 Gregory Pope of Rome excommunicates the Emperour Henry IV. 402 Endeavour to subject the Emperour 403 The German Princes dissatisfied with the Pope 417 The Gothick Nation and its first Founders 461 The Goths and Swedes united in one Kingdom 461 Gustavus I. King of Sweden 489 Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden 511 Makes Peace with the Muscovites 512 Carries on the War against the Poles in Ponâ—ria 513 Engages in the German War 515 Lands his Forces in Germany and makes an Alliance with France 517 Is killed 525 H. HEnry III. King of England 113 The War with the Barons 114 Henry IV. of the House of Lancaster invades England 121 After great difficulties surmounted becomes King of England 122 Henry V. King of England 122 He invades France to prosecute his claim to that Crown 123 The Battle betwixt him and the French fought near Agincourt 123 Henry VI. King of England 124 Is proclaimed King of France 125 Is crowned in Paris 125 Henry VII Earl of Richmond invades England 131 Is made King and unites the White and Red Roses 132 Henry VIII King of England 133 His divorce with Queen Catharine 135 He abrogates the Popes Supremacy 136 Marries Anna Bullen 136 Demolishes the Monasteries 137 Causes Anna Bullen to be beheaded 138 His other Wives 138 Hugh Capel the Founder of the present Royal Family in France 182 Henry II. King of France 215 His Expedition into Germany 216 His Project to unite Scotland with France miscarried 217 Huguenot Wars in France under Charles IX the first second third fourth and fifth 221 222 223 224 Henry III. King of France 224 The Holy League under his Reign 225 Huguenot Wars in France the sixth seventh and eighth 225 226 227 Henry III. forced from Paris by the League 227 He makes use of the Huguenots against the League 228 Henry IV. King of Navarre comes to the Crown of France 228 His difficulties an Account of his Religion 228 Is excommunicated by the Pope 230 Changes his Religion 231 Is assaulted and wounded by a Russian 231
people not being willing to sell at his rates He was by some of the Electors chosen Roman Emperour but because his Children were then very young and great Divisions arose among his Nobles he delay'd for a great many Years to go thither and to receive the Imperial Crown till in the Year 1275 a fancy took him all on a sudden to go and take possession of the Empire though Rudolf of Habsburgh was already got into the Imperial Throne But his Journey was ended in Provence he returning from thence home by the persuasion of the Pope who afterwards excommunicated him and obliged him also to renounce the Title of Emperour After the death of Ferdinand his eldest Son Sanctius the younger Brother did aim at the Succession tho Ferdinand had left Children behind him This rais'd a Jealousie betwixt the Father and Son who rose in open Rebellion against his Father being assisted by the major part of the States which Commotion however ceas'd with the death of Alfonso Under the Reign of this King many Battels were fought against the Moors with various success In the Year also 1282 happened the Sicilian Vespers by which means Peter King of Arragon obtain'd the Kingdom of Sicily he having before a pretence to it as having married Constantia the Daughter of Manfred Against this Sanctius the Son of Ferdinand his elder Brother rais'd several disturbances which he overcame all by his Wisdom he dyed in the Year 1295. During the time of the Minority of his Son Ferdinand IV. the Kingdom of Castile was overwhelm'd with trouble After he came to Age he undertook an Expedition against the Moors taking from them Gibraltar and died in the flower of his Age. Under the Reign of this King James King of Arragon was presented with the Kingdom of Sardinia by the Pope who pretended to have a right of disposing of it and those of Pisa being then in possession of the same were afterwards beaten out by the Arragonians The Minority also of Alfonso XI was full of troubles At that time the Moors had again received a great Reinforcement out of Africa the Castilians nevertheless obtain'd a most signal Victory over them in the Year 1340 in which Battel 't is said 200000 were slain on the side of the Moors and but only 25000 Spaniards At that time Alzira was taken and a Peace concluded with the King of Granada under condition that he should be tributary to Castile This King died in the Siege of Gibraltar which he had lost before His Son Pieter sirnamed The Cruel reigned very tyrannically He drew the hatred of most of his Subjects upon himself by parting from his Queen Blanch whom he afterwards tho Innocent for the sake of a Concubine caus'd to be murther'd This occasion'd a Plot against him which he suppress'd with a great deal of Bloudshed In the mean while a War arose betwixt him and Pieter IV. King of Arragon who assisted the Rebels in Castile who had set up for their King Henry the King's Brother begotten on a Concubine call'd Eleonora Gusman With him also join'd a great many French Voluntiers so that falling upon Pieter of Castile he forc'd him to flee into Aquitain But he having rais'd there a considerable Army return'd into Spain defeated Henry and obliged him to flee into France but did not desist from his Tyranny whereby he quite lost the Affection of his Subjects And Henry having gather'd another Army in France return'd into Castile where being assisted by the Castilians he vanquish'd Pieter and in the flight kill'd him with his own Hands § 8. Out of the Race of this Henry II. sirnam'd The Bastard sprang afterwards Princes who prov'd very mischievous to Spain Henry himself did at first labour under great difficulties the neighbouring Nations attacking him every where yet he surmounted them and at last made Peace with them all But the Favour of his Nobles he bought with Money He died in the year 1379. His Son John endeavour'd to obtain the Crown of Portugal of Ferdinand its King whose Daughter he had married But the Portugueses out of a hatred against the Castilians set up for their King John natural Son to Pieter King of Portugal who maintained himself against the Castilians routing them near to Aliunbaret which Victory the Portugueses mightily boast of in their Histories Castile was at that time in great danger the English siding with the Portugueses under the Duke of Lancaster who having married Constantia the Daughter of Pieter sirnamed The Cruel pretended to the right of that Crown bearing also the Title and Arms But the business was at last compos'd by marrying the Daughter of the English Duke to the Prince of Castile after which also a Peace was concluded with Portugal John died by a fall from his Horse His Son Henry III. was a sickly Prince under whose Minority great Divisions arose in the Kingdom During the time of his Reign he did nothing remarkable except that he restor'd the Revenues which the Nobles had alienated from the Crown He died in the Year 1407 leaving behind him John II. a Child of two Months old The tuition of this Prince was besides his Mother committed to Ferdinand his Uncle to whom the States did offer the Kingdom which he generously refusing to accept of he obtain'd afterwards the Crown of Arragon This King being under the tuition of his Mother grown very Effeminate only addicted to Voluptuousness having no Genius nor inclination for publick Business committed the whole management to his Favourite Alvarez de Luna an ambitious Man which occasion'd great Jealousies in his Nobles against him This King taking his Favourite's part against the Nobility an open War ensu'd betwixt them the Rebels being headed by his own Son and the City of Toledo declar'd against the King At last the King being tir'd with the many Inconveniencies cut this Favourite's Head off but died himself in the Year next following Under the Reign of this King a War broke out betwixt the Spaniards and those of Granada wherein the first signaliz'd themselves to their advantage In the Year 1420 King Alfonso of Arragon was adopted by Joan Queen of Naples but a difference arising betwixt Joan and Alfonso she declar'd the said Adoption void and null receiving in his stead Lewis Duke of Anjou which afterwards occasion'd bloody Wars betwixt France and Spain Yet Alfonso at last kept the upper hand making himself Master of Naples and leaving the same to his natural Son Ferdinand In the Kingdom of Castile succeeded John his Son Henry IV. the scandal to the Spanish Nation He being incapable of begetting Children to take away this suspicion hired one Bertrand Corva who for this service was made Earl of Ledesma to lie with the Queen who having brought forth a Daughter call'd Joan Henry caus'd her to be proclaim'd Heiress to the Crown What confirm'd this the more was that
her Reign the English Trade was first established in Turkey and the East Indies the finest Coin as also the Manufactury of Serges and Bays was settled in England about the same time This Queen also brought first into Reputation the English Naval Strength which she was so jealous of that tho' she supported the Netherlanders against the Spaniards yet would she never consent that the Netherlanders should so augment their Sea Forces as that thereby they might be able to contest with England at Sea This Maxim which seem'd so necessary for England was not regarded by King James he being a lover of Peace And King Charles I. having always his Hands full with his Rebellious Subjects was not in a capacity to observe it wherefore the Dutch Power at Sea could neither by Cromwel nor by Charles II. be brought down again This most glorious and by her Subjects extreamly beloved Queen died in the Year 1602 having before appointed James VI. King of Scotland for her Successour § 23. After the death of Elizabeth James VI. King of Scotland was with an unanimous applause proclaimed King of England His Title to this Crown was derived from Margaret Daughter of Henry VII who was married to James IV. King of Scotland whose Son James V. left one only Daughter who was Mother of James VI. He at first shewed himself pretty favourable to the Papists fearing lest they might in the beginning of his Reign raise some Commotions against him Notwithstanding which immediately after his Coronation the Lord Cobham Gray and others enter'd into a Conspiracy against him Their main design was to root out the Line of James and to put in his place the Marchioness d' Arbelle she being also descended from the abovesaid Margaret Daughter of Henry VII This Lady was after the death of her Father married to Archibald Douglass by whom she had Margaret who was married to Maâ—thias Earl of Lenox and this Arbella being the Daughter of Charles Lenox the third Son of this Earl was by the intercession of Spain to have been married to the Duke of Savoy and by this means the Popish Religion was again to be introduced into England But the whole Plot being discover'd the Ring-leaders were punish'd yet not with that Severity as the hainousness of their Crime did deserve tho' in the Year next following all the Jesuits and Popish Priests were by a severe Proclamation banish'd out of England In the Year 1605 some Popish Villains had hir'd a Vault under the Parliament House which being fill'd up with a great many Barrels of Gunpowder they intended to have blown the King the Prince and the whole Parliament into the Air. But this devilish Design was discover'd for one of the Accomplices by a Letter that was obscurely written and deliver'd by an unknown person to a Footman of the Lord Mounteagle did intreat him not to come the next day into the Parliament House Which causing a suspicion in the King all the Vaults were search'd and the Powder found Hereupon the Parliament made an Act That all Subjects by a solemn Oath should acknowledge James for their lawfull Sovereign neither that the Pope had any Authority to Dethrone Sovereigns or to absolve Subjects from their Allegiance He concluded a Peace with Spain and was afterwards one of the Mediators of the Truce made betwixt Spain and Holland His Son-in-law the Elector Palatine being banish'd out of his Territories he assisted only with sending of Ambassadours and proposing of an Agreement all which the Spaniards render'd ineffectual His Son Prince Charles was sent into Spain to marry the Infanta where the Marriage Contract was concluded and confirmed by Oath but the Nuptials were deferred till the next year the Spaniards being willing to gain time and to see how things would be carried on in Germany for the House of Austria But when after the Prince's return into England the English would needs have the Restitution of the Elector Palatine inserted in the Articles the Match was broke off and tho' the Parliament voted a Subsidie to be employed towards the restoring of the Elector Palatine yet the Design came to nothing Under this King there was a period put to the Differences and Wars betwixt England and Scotland which hitherto had created abundance of Troubles to this Island And that nothing of jealousie might remain betwixt these two Nations about Preference in the Royal Title he introduced the Name of Great Britain which comprehends both the Kingdoms There was also set on foot a Treaty to unite both Kingdoms into one Body but it did not succeed because the Scots would not be Inferiour to the English Under this King's Reign Colonies were established in Virginia Bermudos and Ireland by which means the English have extended their Dominions but there are some who believe that this has weakened the English at home and that in all probability it would have been more profitable for England to have employed those people in Manufactury and Fishing of Herrings which produce such vast Riches to the Dutch in the very sight of the English Yet some are also of Opinion That it is good for the publick repose that the unruly Multitude do not grow too numerous in England The East India Trade was also greatly promoted at that time but the English could not come there in competition with the Dutch these having been before hand with them This King died in the Year 1625. § 24. His Son Charles I. succeeded him who after the Spanish Match was broke off married Henrietta Daughter of Henry IV. He equipp'd out a great Fleet against the Spaniards the English landed near Cadiz but being repulsed with loss returned without doing any thing and all Commerce was prohibited betwixt Spain and England He also broke with France and because the French Merchants had been ill treated by the English all Commerce was also prohibited betwixt these two Nations The English thereupon endeavoured to send Aid unto the City of Rochelle and landing in the Isle of Rhee besieged the Fort of St. Martin which being valiantly defended by one Toyras the English were repulsed with great loss In the Year next following they undertook to relieve Rochelle but in vain Whereupon Charles concluded a Peace with France in the Year 1629 and in the Year next following with Spain having by this War waged against these two Nations which were not so easie to be attack'd by one at the same time gained no Reputation to the dissatisfy'd Subjects and vast Debts Under this King arose very violent Divisions betwixt him and the Parliament which produced a most strange Revolution in that Kingdom It will be very well worth our while to enquire a little more narrowly into the true causes thereof That wife Queen Elizabeth held it for a constant maxim to oppose the growing power of Spain with all her might whereby she weaken'd Spain and not only enrich'd her Subjects but
Forces were extreamly diminish'd in France and the Souldiers for want of Pay had given themselves over to Plunder They wanted good Officers their Places were not well provided and their Subjects weary of the Government England at home was divided within it self and the English weakened by two Overthrows which they had received from the Scots Charles therefore having met with this Opportunity resolv'd to beat the English at once out of France He took for a Pretence of the War that they had broken the Truce in Britainy and with the Scots and attacking them with great Vigour in several places at once he drove them within the space of thirteen Months out of Normandy The next Year after he took from them Aquitain Bayonne being the last which surrender'd it self so that the English had nothing left on the Continent of France but Calais and the County of Guines Bourdeaux soon after revolted from the French and sought for Aid of the English but the brave Talbot having been kill'd in an Engagement it was retaken and re-united to the French Crown after it had been 300 Years in the possession of the English Thus did this King re-unite the mangled Kingdom having expell'd the English out of its Bowels Nevertheless he did not entirely enjoy the Fruits of his good Fortune living at variance with his Son who for the space of thirteen Years came not to Court. And being at last persuaded that a Design was formed against his Life it so disturb'd him that for fear of being poisoned he starved himself § 14. Him succeeded his Son Lewis XI a cunning resolute and malicious Prince who laid the first Foundation of the absolute Power since exercised by the Kings of France whereas formerly the Royal Power was kept under by the Authority of the great Men of the Kingdom He began with reforming his Court and Ministers according to his Pleasure Of which the great Men of the kingdom foreseeing the Consequence they enter'd into a League which they called La Ligue du bien public the League for the publick good wherewith they pretended to defend the Publick against the King's arbitrary Proceedings Among these were the Dukes of Burgundy and Britainy who were willing to keep the King within bounds In the Year 1465 Charles the young Duke of Burgundy enter'd France with an Army and fought a Battel with the King near Montlehery wherein the Advantage was near equal but because the King retreated a little backwards the Night following the Duke of Burgundy pretended to have gained the Victory which put him upon those Enterprizes which afterwards cost him his Life The King extricated himself with a great deal of Cunning out of this danger for he released the Taxes and with great Promises and fine Words appeased the People all which as soon as the danger was pass'd he revok'd at pleasure To dissolve the knot of this Faction he made Divisions betwixt the most powerfull the bravest he brought over to his side by giving them particular Advantages the rest he ruined by his Policy especially by bribing their Friends and Servants And being in great want of Money he borrow'd great Summs of his Servants and such as refused to lend were put out of their Employments Which 't is said gave the first occasion that the Offices were afterwards sold in France But the Duke of Burgundy persisted in his Opposition who had in the Year 1468 hem'd him in at Peronne which danger he however escaped At last Lewis was rid of this his troublesome Enemy who had laid so many Designs against him he being kill'd by the Swiss near Nancy Lewis taking advantage of the great Confusion which was occasioned by the Death of the Duke in that Country took possession of the Dukedom of Burgundy under pretext that the same was an Appanage and brought over to his side the Cities situated on the River Some which had been under the Jurisdiction of Charles It was generally believ'd That Lewis by way of Marriage might easily have annexed the whole Inheritance of this Duke unto France if he had not conceived such an implacable hatred against this House that he was resolved to ruin it Two Years before the Death of the Duke of Burgundy King Edward IV. landed with a great Army in France whom Lewis with Presents and fair Promises persuaded to return home again He united to the Crown Provence Anjou and Muns having obtained the same by the last Will and Testament of Charles d' Anjou Count de Maine who was the last Male Heir of the House of Anjou notwithstanding that Rene Duke of Lorraine Son of Ygland d' Anjou pretended a Right to the same by his Mother's side In his latter days he lived miserably and grew ridiculous being in continual fear of death He died in the Year 1483. § 15. His Son Charles VIII had at the beginning of his Reign his Hands full with the Duke of Britainy and was marching with an Army to unite that Province by main force to the Crown But understanding that Maximilian of Austria had concluded a Match betwixt Anna the only Heiress of this Dukedom and himself the French King did think it no ways adviseable to let such a delicious Morsel fall to the share of the House of Austria but obliged the Bride partly by force partly by fair words to renounce Maximilian and to be married to himself whereby this Country was united to France And tho' Henry VII King of England did not look with a good Eye upon the growing Power of France and therefore with a great Army besieged Boulogne yet in consideration of a good Summ of Money he was prevailed upon to return home again especially since Maximilian who had received a double affront from Charles who had not only taken his Bride from him but also had sent back his Daughter Margaret which was promised to him in Marriage did not join his Forces with him according to Agreement Maximilian took Arras and St. Omer but being not able to go further he consented that his Son Philip Lord of the Netherlands might make a Truce with Charles On the other side Charles gave to Ferdinand the Catholick the Counties of Russilion and Cerdagne some say to engage him thereby not to oppose his intended Expedition against Naples Others say that Ferdinand corrupted Charles's Confessour to persuade him that he should restore that Country to its lawfull Sovereign France being thus by the Union with Britainy become an entire Kingdom it began to contrive how to obtain the Sovereignty over Italy Charles had a Pretension because the Right and Title of the Family of Anjo and Naples was by the Death of the last Duke of Anjou and Earl of Provence devolv'd to Lewis XI and consequently to himself But this young King received the greatest Encouragement from Lewis sirnamed Morus or the Black Duke of Milan who having Tuition of his Nephew
Emanuel Duke of Savoy was very mournfully consummated § 19. Him succeeded his Son Francis II. under whose Reign the French Divisions began to break out with Fury in their own Bowels which continued near 40 Years whereas formerly the violent Heat of this Nation had been quell'd partly by the Wars with the English partly by the several Expeditions undertaken against Italy Concerning the Causes of these Intestine Wars it is to be observ'd That after the House of Valois came to the Crown the next in Blood were those of the House of Bourbon which House was grown so Potent by its Riches Power and Authority of a great many brave Persons which descended from it that the preceding Kings were grown extreamly jealous of it And tho' Francis I. at the beginning of his Reign did constitute the Duke of Bourbon Constable yet being soon convinced afterwards of the Reasons which had induc'd his Ancestors to keep under this House he us'd all his Endeavours to humble the said Charles of Bourbon For this Reason he enter'd into a Conspiracy against Francis which having been discover'd he went over to Charles V. and commanded as General in the Battel near Pavia where Francis was taken Prisoner and was slain in the storming of Rome By his Death the House of Bourbon receiv'd a great blow those who were left being look'd upon with a very ill Eye tho' they kept themselves very quiet to extinguish the Suspicion and Hatred conceiv'd against them The House of Bourbon being thus brought very low the two Houses of Montmorency and Guise held up their Heads under the Reign of Francis I. The first was one of the most ancient in France the latter was a Branch of the House of Lorrain The Head of the first was Annas Montmorency Constable of France of the latter Claude Duke of Guise Both of them were in great Favour and Authority with Francis I. but both fell into Disgrace at the latter end of his Reign being banish'd the Court It is related of Francis I. that just before his Death he advised his Son Henry to consult with neither of them in his Affairs since too great and too able Ministers proved often dangerous Yet notwithstanding this Henry II. did receive both Annas Montmorency and Francis de Guise the Son of Claude into his particular Favour who quickly grew jealous of one another the first taking much upon him because of his Experience in State Affairs and Gravity the latter being puff'd up with the Glory of Martial Exploits and the Applause of the People the Authority of the Duke of Guise was greatly encreas'd after he had repuls'd Charles V. from before Metz and taken Calais whereas the unfortunate Battel fought near St. Quintin and the ensuing dishonourable Peace were very prejudicial to Montmorency But the House of Guise got the greatest Advantage after Francis II. had marry'd Mary Queen of Scotland whose Mother was Sister to the Duke of Guise So that during the Reign of Francis II. the Duke of Guise and the Cardinal his Brother were the Men that bore the greatest Sway in the Kingdom which extreamly exasperated Montmorency and the two Brothers of Bourbon Anthony King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde seeing themselves thus neglected And tho' Anthony was of a very modest Behaviour watching only an Opportunity to regain his Kingdom of Navarre from the Spaniards and having a sufficient Revenue out of his Country of Bearn wherewithal to maintain himself yet the Prince of Conde was Ambitious Poor and of a turbulent Spirit who was not able to maintain his Grandeur without some considerable Employment Besides this he was continually stirr'd up by the Admiral Gaspar Coligny an ambitious cunning and fly Man who as his Enemies will have it was very forward to fish in troubled Waters his Brother d' Andelot also being of a very wild and turbulent Spirit These three only watch'd an Opportunity to raise Commotions in the Kingdom Thus the great Men of the Kingdom were divided into these several Factions at the Time when Francis II. began his Reign a Prince scarce sixteen Years old weak both in Body and Mind and therefore incapable to rule the Kingdom by himself Several therefore pretended to have a right to the Administration of the Government these of Bourbon as being the next Princes of the Blood the House of Guise as being nearly related to the Queen and the Queen Mother Catharine de Medicis the very pattern of an aspiring and cunning Woman hoped That whilst the Princes were in contest about the Administration of the Government it would fall to her share wherefore she always fomented the Divisions by keeping up the Balance betwixt them This Catharine first sided with the House of Guise dividing the Administration of Affairs with them so that she was to have the Supream Administration the Duke of Guise was to manage the Military Affairs and his Brother the Cardinal the Finances This Agreement being made betwixt them the Constable under pretence of his old Age was dismiss'd from Court and the Prince of Conde sent as Ambassadour into Spain These who were thus excluded had a meeting to consider which way they might free themselves from these Oppressions where it was resolv'd that the King of Navarre should intercede for them at Court who being put off with fair words and empty Promiess set himself at rest Conde was resolv'd to try his Fortune by force but having not a sufficient Interest Coligny advised him he should side with the Huguenots for so they callâ—d in France those who profess'd the Protestant Religion who labour'd then under a severe Persecution and wanted a Head under whose Conduct they might obtain the free Exercise of their Religion Besides that they mortally hated those of Guise whom they supposed to be the Authors of their Persecution The Business was thus concerted That the Huguenots should assemble in private and some of them by a humble Petition to request the free Exercise of their Religion at Court which if it should be refus'd the rest should be at hand to kill those of Guise and to force the King to receive the Prince of Conde for his chief Minister of State The Execution of this Design was undertaken by a certain Gentleman call'd Renaudie but the Enterprize being deferr'd for some time because the Court went from Blois to Amboise it was discover'd and thereby render'd inpracticable above twelve hundred that were taken paying with their Lives for it Conde was also sent to Prison and was just upon the point of receiving Sentence of Death when Francis II. after a very short Reign died suddenly of an Ulcer in the Head which caused great Alterations in the Affairs of the Kigdom § 20. Him succeeded his Brother Charles IX then scarce eleven Years old whose Tuition his Mother Catharine took immediately upon her self hoping to enjoy it quietly whilst the Houses of Bourbon and Guise were engag'd in mutual
Quarrels wherefore she was very carefull to uphold these Jealousies betwixt them To find an Opportunity to set up the Prince of Conde and his Party thereby to balance those of Guise she pretended to be no Enemy to the Protestant Religion under which Pretence the same was much in request at Court. To suppress the reformed Religion Montmorency the House of Guise and the Mareschaal of St. Andrew join'd in a Confederacy who calling themselves the Triumvirate drew also the King of Navarre in to their Party After this a Conference and Disputation was held betwixt some Divines of both Religions at Poissy after which the Royal Protection was by a publick Edict promis'd to the Protestant Religion which from the Month is call'd the Edict of January This extreamly exasperated the Triumvirate so that in the very same Year the War commenc'd The first occasion of it was given by some belonging to those of Guise who in a small Town call'd Vassy disturb'd the Protestants in the Exercise of their Religion and a Quarrel arising thereupon kill'd near threescore of them Which was the first Blood shed in this Civil War and from this time Things went very strangely in France It is not our purpose to enumerate all the Cities that were taken neither to speak of all the small Skirmishes which are innumerable nor the Cruelties committed on both sides and the Barbarities of the Rabble it will be sufficient for us to touch upon some of the main points In this first War the King of Navarre died of a Wound which he receiv'd in the Siege of Roan Near Dreux a bloody Battel was fought where Conde at first had the Advantage but his Souldiers falling to plundring he was beat back again he himself being made a Prisoner and the Mareschal St. Andrew being kill'd by a Shot 8000 Men were slain upon the Spot and the Loss near equal on both sides the Duke of Guise kept the Field but was afterwards at the Siege of Orleans treacherously murther'd by one Poltrot with a Pistol-shot who was supposed to have committed the Fact by instigation of Coligny Soon after a Peace was made It is related that above 50000 Huguenots were slain in this War on the other side they took the Church-plate and Ornaments which they having turn'd into Money Silver was after this War more currant in France than before But Catharine had persuaded her self that both Parties were reduc'd to that Condition that she could now handle them at pleasure After the Peace was concluded the English were again beaten out of Havre de Grace which the Huguenots had given them as an Acknowledgment for their Assistance This Peace lasted no longer than till the Year 1576 when the Huguenots were persuaded that at the interview betwixt Catharine and the Duke of Alba at Bayonne a League was set on foot for rooting out the Hereticks And in effect they were immediately after more severely dealt with and as it was reported the Prince of Conde and Coligny were to be secur'd The Huguenots therefore began the Second War during which the Constable Annas Montmorency being mortally wounded in an Engagement he told a Monk who at his last Hour was very troublesome to him He should let him be at quiet since during the Time of 80 Years that he had liv'd he had learn'd how to employ one quarter of an Hour in dying The Huguenots got great Reputation for Valour in this Engagement they being much Inferiour to the other in Number About the same time the City of Rochelle declar'd for the Huguenots which afterwards for 60 Years together serv'd them for a secure Retreat Then a second Peace was concluded not with an Intention to keep it but that each Party might find a better Opportunity to take Advantage of one another nor were the Conditions ever fulfill'd The War therefore was renewed in the same Year during which the Prince of Conde was kill'd by a Shot in a Battel near Jarnack After his Death the Huguenots declar'd Henry King of Navarre the Son of Anthony who afterwards was King of France their Head tho in effect Coligny had the chief management of Affairs He in vain besieged Poictiers in the Defence of which Place the young Duke of Guise gave the first proofs of his Valour he was also soundly beaten near Moncontour where he lost 9000 Foot He lost nevertheless nothing of his former Reputation for he quickly recollected his broken Troops and got together a great Army being assisted by Queen Elizabeth with Money and by the Paltzgrave with Souldiers He directed his March towards Paris whereupon a Peace was concluded to the great Advantage of the Huguenots the four strong Cities of Rochelle Montauban Cagnac and Charité being given them for their Security But the main design of this Peace was that the King perceiving that the Huguenots could not be suppress'd by Force hop'd he might win them by Policy therefore endeavour'd by fair Words and great Promises to make them secure The Admiral was caress'd at Court he being consulted withall concerning an Expedition to be undertaken against the Spaniards in the Netherlands A Marriage also was concluded betwixt Henry King of Navarre and Margaret the King's Sister to which Wedding they invited the chief of the Huguenots with a Design to cut their Throats in Paris And first of all the Admiral Coligny as he was going home from Court was by sorne Villains who were suborn'd by the Duke of Guise shot with two Bullets through the Arm. Then it was agreed That in the Year 1571 on the 24th Day of August early in the Morning when the Bells were ringing to Prayers all the Huguenots should be massacred except the King of Navarre and the young Prince of Conde The Execution of this Enterprize the Duke of Guise had taken upon himself The beginning of whose Massacre was made with Coligny who was ill of his Wounds then it fell promiscuously upon the rest the Fury of the Mob not ceasing till after seven Days slaughter A great many other Cities of France follow'd the Example of Paris so that within few Days near 30000 were miserably massacred The King of Navarre and Prince of Conde were forc'd to abjure the Reformed Religion This was the so much celebrated Parisian Wedding which Gabriel Naude would fain represent us a State 's Trick but this is in my Opinion a very gross way of arguing Nevertheless the Huguenots did quickly recollect themselves after the first Consternation was over renewing the War with great Animosity and Revenge During this War the King's Army besieged Rochelle near eight Months together and having lost 12000 Men before it News was brought That the Duke d' Anjou was elected King of Poland Hence an Opportunity was taken to raise the Siege with some Reputation and to make a Peace the fourth time with the Huguenots by vertue of which the Cities of Rochelle Montauban and Nismes were
for the Duke of Guise as their Protector the King was oblig'd to leave Paris by Night But the King perceiving that more Cities sided daily with the League and despairing to overcome them by Force took another Course to obtain his Ends and made an Agreement with the Duke of Guise with great Advantages on his and the Leaguers side He pretended also to have forgotten all past Injuries on purpose to inveigle the Duke of Guise And under these specious pretences he got him to appear at the Assembly of the Estates at Blois In the mean time the Duke of Savoy had taken from the French the Marquisate of Saluzze the only Province left them in Italy But the Estates who were most of them Creatures of the Duke of Guise being very urgent in their Demands to have the King of Navarre declar'd incapable of the Crown and the Duke of Guise to be made Constable the King caus'd the Duke of Guise and his Brother the Cardinal to be murther'd This put those of the League into a Rage and with the Assistance of the Priests the King was in Paris publickly declar'd to have forfeited the Crown Most of the great Cities of France being stirr'd up by the Example of the Parisians did the same declaring the Duke de Maine Brother to the Duke of Guise Lieutenant-General of the State and Crown of France and Supream Head of the League who endeavour'd but in vain to surprize the King in Tours The King then being overpower'd by the League and besides this excommunicated by the Pope was oblig'd to make an Agreement with the King of Navarre and to make use of the Huguenots And having got together a great Army he march'd towards Paris with a Resolution to reduce that City to Obedience by Force of Arms But the day before the general Attack was to be made one James Clement a Jacobin Monk brought a Letter out of the City directed to the King which whilst he deliver'd pretending to whisper the King thrust a Knife into his Bowels of which Wound he died the day following The last of the House of Valois § 22. Henry IV. whom we hitherto have call'd the King of Navarre and who was the first of the House of Bourbon did at the beginning of his Reign meet with no less Difficulties than he had met with before For tho' he was lawfull Heir to the Crown yet the Protestant Religion which he profess'd was no small obstacle for as long as he was addicted to that the League the Pope and Spain would questionless oppose him with all their might But if he chang'd his Religion he was in danger of losing the Assistance of the Huguenots which had been steady to him and so set himself betwixt two Stools And it would have been very unbecoming to have so publickly accommodated his Religion to his Interest Notwithstanding this immediately after the Death of Henry III. all the great Men of the Army assembled together promis'd him Obedience after several Contests under Condition that within six Months he would suffer himself to be instructed in the Catholick Religion But because Henry would not be bound to any certain time but only gave them some Hopes in general terms it was agreed That the Huguenots should enjoy the free Exercise of their Religion yet that the Catholick Religion should be re-establish'd in all Cities and the Revenues restor'd to the Clergy But those of the League because the Duke of Maine at that time durst not take upon him the Title of King proclaim'd the Cardinal of Bourbon an ancient decrepid Man Uncle to King Henry and who was then in Custody their King declaring the Duke de Maine Lieutenant-General of the Crown The Leaguers made the strongest Party having on their side the Common People most of the great Cities all the Parliaments except that of Rennes and Bourdeaux almost all the Clergy Spain the Pope and the rest of the Catholick Princes except Venice and Florence But the Heads were not very unanimous and the Duke de Maine had not Authority enough to keep them in Unity But on the King's side were almost all the Nobility the whole Court of the deceas'd King all the Protestant Princes and States the old Huguenot Troops who had done great Service to Henry and would still have done more if they had not mistrusted him that he would change his Religion Each Party watch'd an Opportunity of surprizing one another The Duke of Maine endeavouring to surprize the King near Diep was bravely repuls'd which seem'd to be ominous to the League On the other Hand the King could not get Paris tho' he had taken the Suburbs But Henry was not only pester'd by the League but also for want of Money was oblig'd to keep up his Party with fair Words and Promises The Spaniards also began to intermeddle publickly in the Affairs of France in hopes in this Juncture either to conquer the Kingdom or to divide it or at least to weaken it But the Duke de Maine did underhand oppose these Designs being unwilling that in case he could not be King himself France should fall under the Subjection of Spain In the Year 1590 Henry obtain'd a glorious Victory over the Duke de Maine who had double the Number near Ivry Then he block'd up Paris which was reduc'd to the greatest Extremity by Famine but reliev'd by the Duke of Parma Governour of the Netherlands In the Year 1591 there arose a third Faction the young Cardinal of Bourbon making Pretensions to the Crown but was very fortunately disappointed in his Aim by the King Then Pope Gregory XIV excommunicated Henry exhorting all his Subjects to withdraw themselves from their Obedience which Difficulty Henry did not surmount without great troubles The Spaniards also declar'd themselves more freely Philip offering his Daughter Isabella Clara Eugenia to be made Queen of France which Proposal was mightily encouraged by the young Duke of Guise he being then just escap'd out of his Custody as 't is suppos'd by connivance of the King who supposed that thereby that Party might be divided since he would certainly endeavour to oppose the Designs of the Duke de Maine his Uncle After the Duke of Parma had rais'd the Siege of Roan the Spaniards urg'd more and more that the French would take a Resolution concerning the setting up of another King And in the Assembling of the Estates in Paris which was held for that purpose it was propos'd That Isabella the Daughter of Philip being born of a French Mother should be declar'd Queen of France and that she should have for her Husband Ernest Arch-Duke of Austria But the French refusing to accept of a Foreigner for their King Charles Duke of Guise was proposed as a Husband to Isabella This Proposition relish'd very ill with the Duke of Maine who thought himself so well deserving that no body ought to be preferr'd before him wherefore if he could not
have the Crown he was resolv'd no body else should have it and so employ'd all his Cunning that there was nothing determined in the Assembly concerning this Proposition the King however plainly perceiv'd That if he did not change his Religion his Affairs must needs grow worse especially since these Catholicks who hitherto had been of his Party did threaten to leave him if he did not perform his Promise He called therefore the Bishops together who instructed him in the Catholick Faith and having receiv'd Absolution he went to St. Denys's Chapel to Mass And that the People might tast the sweetness of Peace and desire it he made a Truce of three Months which prov'd very successfull especially since the fundamental Pretence namely Henry's being a Heretick was now remov'd Vitry and the City of Meaux were the first that surrender'd themselves to the King in the same Year upon very advantageous Conditions Aix Lyons Orleans Bourges and other Cities soon followed their Example And to encourage the rest to do the same the King caused himself to be Crowned and Anointed in Chartres Rheims being as yet in the hands of the League Not long after Paris was also Surrendred by the Governour Brissac and here the King was received with such joyfull Acclamations of the People as if they had never been his Enemies the Spanish Garrison being turn'd out with Ignominy and the hissing of the Common people Then all the rest of the Cities and Governours surrendred themselves to the King on very advantageous Conditions which the King was willing to grant them that he might once be put in quiet possession of the Crown and drive the Spaniards out of France The young Duke of Guise submitted himself being made Governour of Provence Then Henry denounced War against Spain not only to revenge himself for what Troubles they had created to him before but also to please the Huguenots and to root out of the People their affection for the Spaniards These were the Fruits Philip reapt for so many Millions which he had bestowed in supporting the League In the beginning of the same Year a Knife was by a certain desperate Ruffian called John Castel thrust into the King's Mouth whereby he lost one of his Teeth It was the King's good fortune that he just bowed himself this Villain 's aim having been at his Throat And because it was found out that the Jesuits had been tampering with him whose Principles also were thought very dangerous they were banish'd out of France but some years after restored again Afterwards the Duke of Nevers being sent to Rome to obtain Absolution for King Henry the same was granted by the Pope who had been very averse hitherto to Henry but perceiving that he would maintain his Crown in spite of him was now for ingratiating himself with the King Then the Dukes of Maine and Espernon and Marseilles were received again into the King's favour But the War against Spain did not succeed according to wish For tho' the King had got some advantages over them in the Franche Comte and had beat the Spaniards out of Han in Picardy yet on the other side these took Dourlans and Cambray the latter of which had been hitherto in the Possession of Balagny under French protection and in the Year 1596 next following they took Calais and Ardres And tho' the King took from the Spaniards Fere yet was that a very slender compensation of his Losses But there happened another great Misfortune For the Spaniards in the Year next following took the City of Amiens by surprize which was not re-taken without great pains In the Year 1598 the Duke of Mercoeur who hitherto had stood out resolutely in Bretany did at last submit himself hoping thereby to obtain the said Dukedom And to set the Huguenots at rest he publish'd for their security that famous Edict of Nants as it is called by virtue of which they have hitherto enjoyed the free Exercise of Religion At last a Peace was concluded betwixt Henry and the Spaniards at Vervins with Conditions that such Places as were taken since the Year 1559 should be restored on both sides A Peace being thus concluded and Henry resolved to be even with the Duke of Savoy who under his Predecessour's Reign had taken Saluzze and during the intestine Wars had raised great Troubles in Dauphine and Provence in hopes to snatch away a piece of the dismembred Kingdom and tho' the Duke came in Person into France and promised to the King to give him some other Places in exchange of the former yet was he not in earnest in hopes to be upheld by Spain or that the Marshal de Biron with whom he kept private Intelligence should renew the civil Commotions But the King fell upon him and took from the Duke all what he was possess'd of on this side of the Alpes At last by Mediation of the Pope an agreement was made that the Duke should give to France in exchange for Saluzze La Bresse Bugey Valromay en Gex The Italian Princes were very ill satisfied with this Peace since there being no door left for France to enter Italy Italy was left to the discretion of the Spaniard But Henry being tired with so long and tedious War was resolved at last to enjoy the sweet Fruits of Peace after so many years Troubles But soon after a dangerous Conspiracy was discovered contrived by the Mareschal de Biron who intended with the Assistance of the Spaniards to depose the King and to dismember the Kingdom by setting up a great many petty Principalities having agreed with the rest to have for his share the Dukedom of Burgundy And he refusing to accept of the King's Mercy which he was willing to grant him in consideration of his great Deserts was condemn'd and his Head cut off The King being now at Peace did employ all his Thoughts how France might recover it self after such tedious Wars and that good Ordinances might be establish'd but especially that his Revenues might be encreased He establish'd for this purpose all sorts of Manufactories and especially that of Silk which afterwards drew great Riches into that Kingdom But even in the midst of Peace he was continually troubled with his Queen who was jealous about his Mistrisses and the Spaniards were always plotting both against his Person and Crown On the other hand Henry had a design to oppose the growing Power of the House of Austria by keeping it within the Bounds of Spain and the Hereditary Countries in Germany And 't is said that for that purpose he concerted Measures with the Northern Crown with Holland with the Protestant Princes of Germany with the Elector of Bavaria the Duke of Savoy the Swiss and even the Pope himself To put this design in execution he took the opportunity of those Differences which were then on foot concerning the Succession in the Country of Juliers which that it
dissatisfied because she could not Act according to her own Will that she retired into Flanders and from thence into England where she made some stay and at last died in a very low Condition in Cologne In the Year 1633. the King took from the Duke of Lorrain his Countrey because he had declared himself for the Emperour And when afterwards viz. after the Battel fought near Nordlingen the Swedish Affairs were in a very low Condition and the House of Austria began to hold up its Head again France broke out into open War with Spain to balance the growing Power of the House of Austria He took for a pretence that the Spaniards had surprized the City of Treves and taken the Elector of Treves Prisoner who was under French protection And then the War began in Italy Germany the Netherlands and Roussilion which was carried on with various Fortune yet so that the French got the better of it at last To touch upon some of the most remarkable Actions The first Attack which the French made in the Netherlands did not succeed very well they having been forced to raise the Siege of Lovain with great Loss In the Year 1636 Piccolomini marched into Picardy and Galias into Burgundy but did nothing of moment On the other hand the French beat up the Siege of Leucate in Roussilion and the brave Duke Barnhard of Saxen-Weimar took the Fortress of Brisac he carrying on the War with French Money And after the Death of this Duke which happened not long after the King of France brought both that Fortress and his Army over to its side with Money Yet the French miscarried in the same Year before St. Omer and Fontarabia before the last of which Places the Prince of Conde sustained a considerable Loss In the same Year viz. on the 5th of September Lewis XIV was almost by a Miracle born of a Marriage which had proved unfruitfull for twenty Years before In the Year 1639 the French were beaten before Thionville In the Year 1640 they took Arras and in the same Year Catalonia revolting from Spain threw it self under the French Protection In the Year 1641 a great Misfortune hung over Richlieu's Head the Count the Soissons having raised a dangerous Rebellion but he being killed in an Engagement wherein otherwise his Party had the better establish'd by his Death the Cardinal's Authority and the Quiet of France In the Year 1642 Perpignan was taken at which Siege the King and Richlieu were both present Monsieur Cinqmats did about that time first insinuate himself into the King's favour hoping thereby to undermine Richlieu And the better to balance the Cardinal he had made some under-hand Intrigues with Spain But the Cardinal having discovered the business caused his Head to be cut off as also de Thou the younger's because he had been privy to the business tho' he had advised against it yet had he not discover'd it From the Duke of Bouillon who had been also of the Cabal he took for a Punishment his strong Hold Sedan In the same Year Richlieu died to his great good fortune the King being grown quite weary of him notwithstanding he had laid the first Foundation of the Greatness of France which is now so formidable to Europe The King also died not long after § 24. Lewis XIV was but Five years of Age when he came to the Crown his Mother 't is true bore the name of Regent of France but in effect the Cardinal Julius Mazarini had the chief Management of the Kingdom which was then in a very flourishing Condition but every Body was for enriching himself out of the Kings Purse during his Minority and Mazarini was very liberal thereby endeavouring to make them in love with his Government But the Treasury being become empty new Taxes were of necessity to be imposed upon the People which caused a great dissatisfaction against the Government Nevertheless for the first Five years every thing was pretty quiet at home and War carried on abroad At the very first beginning of this new Government the Duke d' Austria obtained a signal Victory against the Spaniards near Rocroy after which he took Thionville and Gaston the Kings Uncle Graveling Anguin revenged the loss which the French had sustainded the Year before near Dutlingen and having first beaten the Bavarian Forces near Friburg in Brisgaw he took Philipsburg in the Year 1646. he beat the Bavarian Troops near Norlingen and afterwards took Dunkirk But in the Year next following he in vain besieged the City of Lorida In the Year 1648. a Peace was concluded at Munster in Westphalia betwixt the Emperour and France by Vertue of which the latter got the two Fortresses of Brisac and Philipsburg the Countrey of Puntgau and part of the upper Alsatia But as France by this Peace was freed from one Enemy so on the other hand the intestine Commotions put a stop to its great Progresses The chief reason of these Troubles was that some envying Mazarini as being a Foreigner they would by all means have him removed from the Helm and this they sought with the greater Importunity because they were not in awe of the King who was but a Child neither of his Mother she being an outlandish Woman Some of the great Men also were for fishing in troubled Waters But above all the rest the Prince of Conde would fain have been Master and have made the Cardinal dance after his Pipe The Cardinal was for bringing of him over to his Party by a Marriage propos'd to him but the Prince of Conde perceiving that the Cardinal was for maintaining his old Post nor would depend on him rejected the Offer as unbecoming the Grandeur of his House There were also some Women of a restless Spirit concern'd in these Intrigues among whom was Mad. de Longueville Sister of the Prince of Conde Mad. Chevreuse Mombazon and others The first beginning was by slanderous Papers and Libels which were daily dispers'd in Paris There was also a certain Faction set up who called themselves the Slingers because they openly undertook to knock down the Cardinal as David struck down the Giant Goliah by the help of his Sling The Heads of this Faction were the Duke of Beaufort and Guadi the Archbishop of Paris afterwards call'd the Cardinal de Rez With this Party also sided the Parliament of Paris which did pretend to have a great Authority against the Government at that time The first Insurrection was made in Paris occasion'd by the taking into Custody of one Braussel a Member of the Parliament whereupon the King left the City Yet the Business was compos'd for that time some things having been granted to the mutinous Party But the Faction of the Slingers renewing their former Disturbances the King left the City a second time The Parliament having then publickly condemn'd the Cardinal grew every day stronger Turenne who then commanded the
French Army in Germany having declar'd for that side but he was fain to leave the Army which was kept in Duty by the help of a good Summ of Money And tho' Matters were afterwards reconcil'd a second time at St. Germains yet the Design against Mazarin was not laid aside the Prince of Conde who had brought over the Slingers to his Party not ceasing to stir them up against him But because they had a different Aim for the Slingers were for totally pulling down of the Cardinal but the Prince of Conde would only have humbled him the Cardinal cunningly rais'd a misunderstanding betwixt them by setting the Prince of Conde against the Slingers Whereupon the Slingers were reconcil'd with the Cardinal The Cardinal taking hold of this Opportunity caused the Prince of Conde and his Brother the Prince of Conti and their Brother-in-law the Duke of Longueville to be taken into Custody This was putting Fuel into the Fire every body being dissatisfy'd at the Imprisonment of the Princes The City of Bourdeaux openly rebell'd The Spaniards upon this Occasion took from the French Piombino and Porto Longone in Italy The Archduke Leopold struck Terrour into the City of Paris it self on the side of the Netherlands And tho' the Cardinal beat Turenne near Rethel he being gone over to the Spaniards yet the Hatred against him encreas'd daily and the Faction of the Slingers the Parliament and the Duke of Orleans were absolutely for having the Princes set at Liberty The Cardinal therefore perceiving that nothing was to be done by open Violence resolv'd to avoid the Storm by setting the Princes at Liberty And he himself retir'd to Bruel the Court of the then Elector of Collen Then he was by a Decree of the Parliament for ever banish'd the Kingdom of France Mazarini being thus remov'd the Prince of Conde began to disturb the publick Quiet with more freedom having engag'd himself with the Spaniards and being gone to Bourdeaux he began to make open War against the Government And the Spaniards taking hold of this Opportunity recover'd Barcellona and with it all Catalonia Then the Queen recall'd the Cardinal who having strengthen'd the King's Army by such Troops as he had got together fought several times very briskly with the Prince of Conde But seeing that the Hatred which the Faction of the Slingers and the Parliament had conceiv'd against him did not diminish he took this Course that he publickly declar'd he was willing to leave the Kingdom to re-establish the publick Quiet He hoped by so doing to lay the Blame of the Intestine Divisions upon the Prince of Conde alone which Design prov'd successfull for thereby the Eyes of the People were opened who now plainly perceiv'd that the Cardinal sought the Good of the King and Kingdom but the Prince of Conde his own Interest Dunkirk and Graveling being lost in the Fray The Prince of Conde therefore perceiving that he had lost the Favour of the People retir'd with his Troops into the Spanish Netherlands Then the Cardinal return'd to Court and ever after had the Administration of the chiefest Affairs of the Kingdom till his Death without any further Opposition The City of Paris return'd to its due Obedience the Faction of the Slingers was dissolv'd the Duke of Orleans left the Court Rez was taken into Custody and Bourdeaux forc'd to submit In the Year next following the French began again to make War on the Spaniards they took Mommedy with great difficulty and fortunately reliev'd Arras But they were beaten from before Valenciennes and Cambray France having just made an Alliance with Cromwell the joint Forces of France and England besieged Dunkirk under the Command of Turenne And the Duke John d' Austria and Prince de Conde who came with an Army to relieve it being repuls'd with great loss the City was taken and deliver'd to the English from whom the King afterwards redeem'd it for four Millions About the same time Graveling was also retaken At last a Peace was concluded between France and Spain near the Pyrenaean Mountains by the two chief Ministers of State on both sides viz. by Mazarini and Don Lewis de Haro by vertue of which France was to keep Roussilion and the greatest part of the places which were taken in the Netherlands Mary Theresa the Daughter of Philip IV. was to be married to the King and the Prince of Conde to be receiv'd into Favour again This last point met with great Opposition for a considerable time In the Year next following died Mazarini who as 't is said left the King among others this Lesson That he should govern himself and not trust entirely to any Favourite The first thing of moment which the King undertook was to settle his Revenues in a good order He began with the Lord High Treasurer Fouquet whom he took into Custody and made a strict Inquisition against all such as having had hitherto the management of his Revenues had enrich'd themselves therewith The Sponges which were swell'd up with Riches being soundly squeez'd out brought an incredible Treasure into the King's Coffers In the Year 1661 a Difference arose betwixt the French and Spanish Embassadours in London about the Precedency at the solemn Entry made by Count Nile Brake the Swedish Embassadour where the French Embassadour's Coach was put back by Violence This might easily have prov'd the Occasion of a War if the Spaniards had not given Satisfaction to the French and agreed That where-ever there were any French Embassadours resident the Spanish should not appear upon any publick Occasions Which the French do interpret as if Spain had thereby declar'd That the Spanish Ministers were always to give place to the French of the same Character In the Year 1662 the King made an Agreement with the Duke of Lorrain according to which he was to exchange his Dukedom for an Equivalent in France and his Family to be the next in right of Succession if the Family of Bourbon should happen to fail Which Agreement the Duke would fain have annull'd afterwards but the King who did not understand jesting in such a point forc'd him to surrender to him Marsal In the same Year the Duke de Crequi the French Embassadour at Rome was grossly affronted there by the Corsi Guards which the King resented so ill that he took from the Pope the City of Avignon But the Difference was compos'd by the Mediation of the Grand Duke of Tuscany at Pisa and the Pope was fain to send a splendid Embassy to give Satisfaction to the King About the same time the French would have got footing at Gigeri on the Coast of Barbary but were repuls'd with considerable loss by the Moors The King also sent some Troops to the Assistance of the Emperour against the Turks who behav'd themselves bravely in the Battel fought near St. Gothard and contributed much to the Victory Notwithstanding which the
try'd all ways to reduce the revolted places to Obedience by force having among others pillag'd Malines and Zutphen quite destroy'd Naerden and taken Haerlem after a tedious Siege the Inhabitants of which City were most barbarously treated § 5. The Affairs of the Spaniards in the Netherlands being by the rigorous proceedings of the Duke of Alva who us'd to bragg that during his Regency of six Years he had caus'd 18000 to be executed by the Hangman put into Confusion he was recall'd in the Year 1573. Lewis Requesenes succeeded him a Man of somewhat a milder Temper but who had a very ill beginning of his Regency the Fleet which he had sent out to relieve Middleburgh being destroy'd before his Eyes and the City surrender'd to the Prince of Orange Yet the Prince also receiv'd a great Blow for his Brother Lewis who led an Army to his Assistance out of Germany was routed near Grave upon the Mockerhyde where he and his Brother Henry were slain in the Field After this Victory the Spanish Souldiers mutiny'd for want of Pay and liv'd upon free Quarters in Antwerp till all was paid Then the Siege of Leyden was undertaken which was reduc'd to the utmost extremity by Famine till a Dyke of the Maese was cut through by which means and the help of a North West Wind at Spring tide the Country round about being put under Water the Spaniards after a great loss sustain'd were forc'd to leave it In the Year next following the Emperour endeavour'd by his Mediation to compose these Troubles and a Meeting was held for that purpose betwixt the Deputies of both Parties at Breda which prov'd fruitless Then the Spaniards took Ziricuzea after a Siege of nine Months but before the place was taken Lewis Requesenes died After his Death the Council of State took the Administration of the Government into their Hands which was approved by the King § 6. In the mean time the Hatred of the Netherlanders against the Spaniards was more and more encreas'd especially after the Souldiers who were grown mutinous for want of Pay and had committed great Outrages that the Council of State had declared them Enemies giving leave to the Inhabitants to take up Arms against them During which Disturbances Maestricht and Antwerp were plunder'd Which disposed the rest to enter upon a Treaty with the Prince of Orange at Ghent which contained That the Provinces had made a Peace betwixt themselves That the Proclamations issued forth during the Regency of the Duke of Alva should be annull'd and the Spaniards sent out of the Country Which Contract tho' it was ratify'd by the King yet he had taken a Resolution quickly to disunite them again For this purpose he constituted Don John d' Austria his natural Brother Governour of the Netherlands The Prince of Orange forewarn'd the Netherlanders That he ought not to be trusted notwithstanding this he was receiv'd by plurality of Voices they having oblig'd him to subscribe the Contract made at Ghent and to send away the Spanish Souldiers But the Prince of Orange and the Provinces of Holland and Zealand were not well satisfy'd with this Agreement and the rest also quickly began to mistrust him He gave them sufficient occasion to believe that their Jealousie was not ill grounded when he by Surprize made himself Master of the Castle of Namur under pretence to secure his person against any Attempts which so disturb'd the Netherlanders that they took up Arms to drive him out of Namur They also took all the strong Holds where any German Garrison was left and demolish'd the Castles And sending for the Prince of Orange to come to Brussels they constituted him Grand Bayliff of Brabant This encrease of the House of Orange made some great Men envious who made a Party to balance it among whom one of the chiefest was the Duke of Arshot These called in Matthew Archduke of Austria whom they made Governour of the Netherlands who coming with all speed was also receiv'd by the Party of the Prince of Orange under condition that the Prince should be his Lieutenant and he not do any thing without the consent of the Estates On the other hand Alexander Duke of Parma came with an Army out of Italy to the Assistance of Don John d' Austria who bringing with him a good number of old Spanish Troops beat the Army of the Estates near Gemblours and took Louvain Philipville Limbourgh and several other places The Estates then finding themselves alone not strong enough offer'd to put themselves under the Protection of Henry III. King of France and he having refus'd to accept it the same offer was made to the Duke of Alenson his Brother who having accepted of it came into the Netherlands But could do nothing of moment the Provinces and great Men being so divided among themselves that no body knew who was Master There arose also a new Division among the Estates when upon Request of those of the Reformed Religion Liberty of Conscience was allow'd in the Netherlands which was willingly consented to by those of Ghent and others but Artois Haynault and some other Wallooon Cities that were very zealous for the Catholick Religion did oppose it with great violence and having by degrees separated themselves from the rest set up a new Faction who were call'd the Malecontents During these Troubles Don John d' Austria died leaving the Government to the Duke of Parma who was confirmed in his place by Philip. He began his Regency with the taking of Maestricht and bringing over the Wallon Provinces viz. Artois Haynault and the Walloon Flanders to the King's Party by accord § 7. The Prince of Orange therefore perceiving that the Contract of Ghent was quite broke and that the Great Men who envied one another and the several Provinces that were of a different Religion were scarce ever to be United And yet being desirous to secure himself and to establish the Protestant Religion he got the Estates of the Provinces of Gueldres Holland Zealand Friesland and Vtrecht to meet Here it was agreed that they would defend one another as one Body that they would consult concerning Peace and War Taxes and the like with common Consent and that they would maintain Liberty of Conscience This Union made at Vtrecht wherein also afterwards Over-Yssel and Groningen were included is the Foundation of the Common-wealth of the United Netherlands At that time their Affairs were in so low a Condition that they coined a Medal wherein their State was represented by a Ship without Sails or Rudder left to the Mercy of the Waves with this Inscription Incertum quo fata ferant The Fortune of the Prince of Orange absolutely depending now on this Union he made it his business to hinder the Conclusion of the Treaty of a general Peace which by the Mediation of the Emperour was set on foot at Collen because a general Peace might
easily have dissolved this Union And because the Affairs of the Netherlands grew worse and worse every day the Spaniards having taken one after another the Cities of Bois le Duc Breda Tournay Valenciennes Malines and Others and a great many of the Great Men being gone over to the Spanish Party The Prince of Orange on the other hand being well assured that the Spaniards one time or another would revenge themselves upon him and his friends and finding himself not in a capacity to maintain the Cause against them he persuaded the Estates of the Netherlands that they should renounce all Obedience to Philip who had violated their Privileges confirmed to them by Oath and make the Duke of Alenson their Soveraign with whom he had underhand made an agreement That the United Provinces should fall to his share And the Estates of Holland Zealand and Vtrecht were then for making him their Soveraign except the Cities of Amsterdam and Gouda and questionless it would have been done afterwards if his unexspected Death had not prevented it § 8. The Duke of Alenson having obtained the Soveraignty raised the Siege of Cambray which was besieged by the Spaniards and in the year next following was at Antwerp proclaimed Duke of Brabant and at Ghent Earl of Flanders But his Power being confined within very narrow Bounds by the Estates he by the advice of his Friends resolved to make himself Absolute He proposed to the Estates That if he should die without Issue these Countries might be United with the Crown of France which being denied him he took a strange Resolution viz. By surprize to make himself absolute Master of Antwerp and some other Cities For this purpose several Thousands of French were already got privately into Antwerp which were beaten out by the Citizens with considerable Loss They made the like Attempts upon several other Places on the same day which every-where miscarried except at Dendermond Dunkirk and Dixmuide And thus the French having lost at once all their credit and the affection of the Netherlanders the Duke of Alenson full of shame and confusion returned into France where he died soon after The French intermedling with the Affairs of the Netherlands had drawn with it another Evil which was That Foreign Souldiers were again brought into the Netherlands which was against the Agreement made with the Walloons Then the Duke of Parma re-took Dunkirk Newport Winoxbergen Menin Alost and some other Places in Flanders Ypres and Bruges did also submit And in the same Year the Affairs of the Estates received a great Blow by the Death of William Prince of Orange who was stabb'd in his Palace at Delft by a Burgundian whose Name was Balthasar Gerhard By whose Death the Netherlands being without a Head were left in great confusion § 9. After the Death of Prince William the Estates did make Maurice Son of the deceased Stadtholder of Holland Zealand and Vtrecht and he being but eighteen Years of Age they constituted the Earl of Hohenloe his Lieutenant But the Soveraignty they proffered to the King of France who being at that time distracted with intestine Wars was not at leisure to accept of it The Duke of Parma in the mean while taking advantage of this juncture of Affairs reduced Antwerp by Famine within a Twelve month's time as also Dendermond Ghent Brussels Malines and Nimeguen by Force After the Loss of Antwerp the Estates who were for submitting Themselves to any body but the Spaniards offered the Soveraignty over them to Queen Elizabeth which she refused to accept of Yet she entred with them into a more strict Alliance by virtue of which she obliged her self to maintain a certain number of Souldiers at her own Charge in the Netherlands which with all the other Forces of the Estates were to be Commanded by an English General And the Estates did Surrender to the Queen as a Security for the Charges she was to be at the Cities of Flushing Briel and Rammakens or Sceburgh upon Walchorn which were afterwards restored to the Estates for the Summ of One Million of Crowns The Queen sent Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester as General into Holland who being arrived there was made by the Estates their Governour-General and that with a greater Power then was acceptable to the Queen but he did no great Feats For the Duke of Parma not only took Grave and Venlo and forced him from before Zutphen but he also administer'd the publick Affairs at a strange rate to the great dissatisfaction of the Estates to whom he had rendred himself suspected Their Discontents were much augmented after William Stanley who was by the Earl of Leicester made Commander in Chief in Deventer had betray'd that City to the Spaniards The Year next following the Earl of Leicester attempted the Relief of Sluce in Flanders but to no purpose and being returned into Holland where he by several suspicious Undertakings augmented the Differences betwixt him and the Estates he returned very ill satisfied into England where by Command of the Queen he resign'd his Office of Governour § 10. Hitherto the Affairs of the United Netherlands whom henceforward we will call Hollanders had been in a very ill Condition but from this time forwards they began to mend a-pace and became more settled This was partly occasioned by the Ruin of the two Provinces of Brabant and Flanders which were reconciled to the King upon condition That such as would not profess themselves Roman Catholicks should leave the Country within a prefixed time A great many of these flocking into Holland made its Cities very populous Especially all the Traffick of Antwerp was transplanted to Amsterdam which rendred that City very Rich and Potent at Sea Besides this Philip like those who will hunt two Hares with one Dog did not only attempt to Invade England with a great Fleet but also sent in the Year next following the Duke of Parma with an Army to the Assistance of the League in France both which proving fruitless the Hollanders had in the mean while leisure given them to put themselves into a good posture Whereas the Duke of Parma had wisely advised the King that he should with all his Power first subdue the Hollanders before he engaged in another War For Maurice whom they had after the Departure of the Earl of Leicester made their Generalissimo both by Sea and Land had restored their lost Reputation His first Attempt was upon Breda which he took by a Stratagem In the Year next following he took Zutphen Deventer Hulst and Nimeguen And in the Year 1592 Steenwyck and Coeverden In the same Year the Death of the brave Duke of Parma proved a great Loss to the Spaniards For the Spanish Souldiers growing Mutinous every-where did not a little advance the Progresses of the Hollanders Gertrudenbergh was taken in the sight of the Spanish Army In the Year next following Groningen was reduced whereby the
endeavour under-hand to be Soveraign over the United Provinces which was prevented only by a very few Voices Then after his Death his Son Maurice pursued the same Design but was opposed by the chief Men among them who alledged That their Labour was very ill bestowed if in place of a great One they should be brought under subjection to a little Prince Among these one of the chiefest was John of Olden Barneveldt Pensionary of Holland who had been always for upholding the publick Liberty But because the Authority of the Captain-General was more conspicuous during the War Maurice endeavoured to set aside the Treaty with Spain but Barnevelt did as much as he could promote the Truce with Spain knowing that in time of Peace the Authority of the Captain-General would be diminish'd which Maurice kept in good remembrance In the mean time Arminius a professour of Divinity in the University of Leyden had defended several Propositions concerning Predestination and some other Articles relating to the same with less rigour than the rest of the Reform'd Churchs had hitherto generally taught His Opinion was after his death oppos'd by one Francis Gomarus This Dissension being spread abroad most of the Clergy sided with Gomarus but the chief States-men with Arminius But because the generality of the People followed the footsteps of the Clergy Maurice who after the Death of his elder Brother was become Prince of Orange declared himself for the Gomarists And there happening great Tumults in several places viz. at Alckmaer Leyden and Vtrecht the Prince took this opportunity to displace up and down such Magistrates as adhered to the Arminians Barnevelt Hugo Grotius and some others where under the same pretext taken into Custody the first by a Sentence of the States-General lost his Head in the 72d Year of his Age Grotius was condemned to a perpetual Imprisonment out of which he afterwards made his escape by means of his Wife who had enclosed him in a Chest And tho' at the Synod of Dort the Doctrine of Arminius was condemned as erroneous yet this Violence of the Prince against a Man who had deserved so well was very ill resented by a great many And these two Factions have ever since taken so firm root there that it is not improbable but at last they may occasion the ruin or change of the State § 14. But Dangers from abrâ—ad did afterwards appease these inward Dissensions For the time of the Truce being expired the War began a-fresh with Spain In the Year 1622 Spinola took Juliers but was obliged to raise the Siege from before Bergen op Zoom because the Count of Mansfeld and Christian Duke of Brunswick having defeated the Spanish Army near Fleury march'd to the Assistance of the Hollanders To revenge this Affront Spinola besieged Breda and Prince Maurice having in vain endeavour'd to raise the Siege and besides this his Attempt upon the Castle of Antwerp having proved unsuccessfull he fell into a deep Melancholy and died Breda being not long after forc'd by Famine to surrender it self To Prince Maurice succeeded in the Stadtholdership and all other Offices which had been in his possession his Brother Frederick Henry who took Groll In the Year 1628 Pieter Heyn took the Spanish Silver-fleet and in the Year next following the Prince took Bois le Duc. During this Siege the Spaniards made an Inrode into the Velaw hoping thereby to give the Hollanders a diversion who were put into a great Consternation But the Hollanders on that very day surprized the City of Wesel which oblig'd the Spaniards to repass the River Yssel as fast as they could And from that time forwards the Spaniards despair'd of ever reducing Holland under their Obedience In the Year 1630 the Hollanders got first footing in Brasile In the Year 1631 they surprized some Thousands of Spaniards near Bergen op Zoom who were gone out in Shallops upon some secret Enterprize In the Year next following the Prince took Venlo Ruremond Limburgh and Macstricht and Pappenheim endeavouring to relieve the last was soundly beaten In the Year 1638 the Prince took Rhinebergh but in the Year next following the Spaniards Limburgh An Offensive Alliance was made betwixt France and Holland wherein they had shar'd the Netherlands betwixt them But this Alliance prov'd fruitless the Hollanders being very well satisfy'd that this Design did not succeed being glad not to have the French for their Neighbours on the Land-side But the Spaniards surpriz'd Shenkenshantz which the Hollanders retook not without great trouble In the Year 1637 the Prince retook Breda but the Spaniards Venlo and Ruremond In the Year 1638 the Hollanders were bravely beaten near Callo but in the Year 1639 Martin Tromp entirely destroy'd the Spanish Fleet which lay in the Downs and was intended to attack Sweden in conjunction with the Danes In the Year 1644 Ghent and in the Year next following Hulst was taken by William II. who had succeeded his Father It is thought that he might also have taken Antwerp if the Province of Zealand and Amsterdam had not oppos'd it they being grown powerfull out of its Ruins At last a Peace was concluded at Munster betwixt Spain and Holland wherein it was declar'd a free Common-wealth to which Spain should for the future make no Pretensions whatsoever And tho' France and the Prince did oppose this Peace with their utmost Endeavours yet the Hollanders did consider that the Spaniards having granted all that they could desire the Cause of the War ceas'd They fear'd besides this that Spain might be brought too low and France grow too powerfull and the Province of Holland was considerably indebted Thus Holland ended this tedious War with great Reputation but the Spaniards with great Dishonour having besides this quite enervated themselves Tho' this is observable that as long as the Hollanders were engag'd in the War against Spain they were favour'd by every body except the Spanish Party but immediately after the Peace was concluded both France and England by whom they had been hitherto uphâ—ld gave manifest proofs of their Jealousie of them § 15. But the Hollanders could not enjoy Peace very long for soon after Brasile rebell'd against them submitting it self to the Portuguese which prov'd very disadvantageous for the West-India Company but the East-India Company drew great Advantage from it for this having occasion'd a War with Portugal which lasted till the Year 1661 the Hollanders took from the Portuguese almost all the places which they were possess'd of in the East-Indies In the Year 1650 a remarkable Dissension arose in Holland which might have prov'd the cause of great Calamities For the War with Spain being now at an end some of the States and especially the Province of Holland were of Opinion That to ease the Publick their Forces should be diminish'd which the Prince oppos'd under pretence that it would not be adviseable to be without an Army as long
But there lived a great many Noblemen among them also who by degrees getting the ascendant over the Common People did oppress their Liberty especially during the diffeâ—ences which were betwixt the Emperors and the Popes when the Nobility us'd to side with the Popes but the Commonalty with the Emperor These divisions betwixt the Nobility and the People grew very high at the time of the great Interregnum which happen'd after the death of the Emperor Frederick the Second which breaking out into an open War the whole Nobility was driven out of the Counrry but by the Emperor Rodolfus's Authority a reconciliation having been made betwixt them the Nobles were restored to their Estates Thus these Countries did enjoy their former Liberty till the Reign of Albert I. who having conceived a hatred against them because they had sided with his Rival Adolph of Nassaw was very desirous to annex them to his Hereditary Countries the Monasteries therefore and a great many of the Nobility having upon his desire submitted themselves to the Jurisdiction of the House of Austria The same was also proposed to the three above-mentioned places who refusing his proposition he set over them Imperial Judges or Vicars who contrary to the antient Custom began to reside in strong Castles and having first try'd by perswasions to bring them over to the House of Austria afterwards when they found their labour lost that way grew very burthensom to the People by their oppressions neither were the Petitions made against them by the Commonalty in any ways regarded by the Emperor nay the Judge of Vnder-Walden who 's name was Geisler was become so extravagant that he set his Hat upon a Pole in the Market-Place of Altorf commanding that every body should pay the same respect to his Hat as to himself thereby to make a tryal of their Obedience And among others one William Tell having often pass'd by without paying his Respect he forced him to shoot with an Arrow through an Apple which was plaâ—ed upon his own Sons Head but this man whilst he was carrying to prison making his escape stirr'd up the hatred of the People against the Judges § 2. There were at that time three Men of great Authority among them viz. Werner Stouffacher born in Switz Walter Furst born in Vry and Arnold of Melchtale born in Vnder-Walden These entred into an Association whereby it was agreed among them to rid themselves of this Tyranny and to restore their antient Liberty A great many more having entred afterwards into this Association an agreement was made betwixt them that in the year 1308. on the first day of January they would surprize these Judges in their strong Castles and drive them out of the Country This Confederacy was made in the year 1307. on the 17. of October and having afterwards been put in execution in the abovementioned year on the first day of January these three places entred into a Confederacy for ten years for the mutual Defence of their antient Liberties In the year 1315. Leopald Arch-Duke of Austria Son of Albert I. marched with an Army of 20000 Men to force them to Obedience against whom they marched out with 1300 men and whilst the Austrian Forces were marching betwixt the Lane and inaccessible mountains some of the Switzers by rowling down upon them and throwing great heaps of stones among them put the Enemy in confusion whilst the rest fell upon them and entirely defeated them near Morgarten Then these three places renewed their Confederacy and having confirmed it by solemn Oaths they agreed it should continue for ever This was done at Brun in the year 1320. on the 7 th of December And this is the first beginning of that Commonwealth whose Confederates us'd to call themselves Edytsgenossen which signifies Ally'd by Oath but strangers call them in general Switzers from that one place called Switz § 3. Nevertheless the first intention of this Confederacy was not to separate themselves from the German Empire but only to maintain their antient Privileges tho by degrees they began to Administer their own Affairs at home without sending their Deputies to the Dyets of the Empire and the Switzers were not till in the year 1648. viz in the Westphalian Peace declared quite Independent from the Roman Empire for the Emperor Lewis IV. had confirmed the former Confederacy and in 1320. had sent them a new Imperial Vicar or Judge unto whom after having received new assurances to be maintained in their Privileges they did Homage in the name of the Emperor But the following Emperors gave them full power to choose Judges among themselves granting them the supreme Jurisdiction both in Civil and Criminal Affairs In the year 1332. Lucern and in the year 1351. Zurick entred into this Confederacy Lucern was formerly under the Jurisdiction of the House of Austria Zurick which is the chiefest of the Confederacy was formerly a free Imperial City Immediately after Glaris and in the year 1352. Zug and Bern were United with the former The Switzers after this time had great Wars with the House of Austria and in 1386 slew Leopold Arch-Duke of Austria with a great many Nobles in the battel near Sempach In the year 1444. the Switzers did give another proof of their Valour for the Dauphin of France afterward call'd Lewis XI marching with a great Army to disturb the Council then held at Basil was attack'd by 1900 Switzers with such fury that tho they all fell in the enterprize yet did they strike such a terror into the French that they quickly retreated homewards § 4. In the year 1476 the Switzers were engaged in a war against Charles Duke of Burgundy who was stirr'd up by Lewis XI who was for setting the Duke at work Against him Rene Duke of Lorain and the Bishops of Strasburgh and Basil made an Alliance with the Switzers The Emperor Frederick III. also being desirous to revenge the quarrel of his House commanded them to fall upon the Duke of Burgundy who then was an Enemy of the Empire And having afterwards made a Peace with the Duke without including the Switzers he hop'd they would be severely chastized by this brave Prince but things happen'd quite contrary to his expectation for the Switzers defeated the Duke in three great Battels the first near Granson afterwards near Murten where the Duke had an Army of one hundred thousand Men and at last near Nancy in Lorain where the Duke himself was killed By these Victories the Switzers gained great Reputation In the year 1481. Fribourgh and Solothurn in the year 1501. Basil and Shafshausen and last of all Appen-Zell were united with this Confederacy The whole body then of the Swisse Confederacy is composed of 13 Common-wealths which they call Places but the Italians and French call them Cantons among these Zuric Bern Lucern Zug Basil Fribourgh Selothum and Shafshausen are Cities Vry Switz Vnderwalden Glariss and Appen-Zell are Countries where are a
good number of Towns and Villages to be met withal The Switzers have also some other Confederates viz. the Abby and City of S. Gall the Grisons the Vallesins the Cities of Rotweil Munthusen Bienne the Biel Geneva and Newburgh on the Lake There are also among them several Cities and some Counties which are either subject to the whole Confederacy or to some particular Commonwealths § 5. The Switzers were also obliged to fight against the Emperor Maximilian I. for their Liberty he having stirr'd up the Swabian League against them hoping by this way to chastise them But the Switzers for the most part got the better of their Enemies till through the mediation of Lewis Duke of Milan a peace was made betwixt them Not to relate here some intestine Commotions among them scarce worth mentioning they have done great Actions abroad under the Conduct of other Nations and more especially under the French For Lewis XI having whilst he was Dauphin sufficiently tryed their Valour in the engagement near Basil sought by all ways after he was King to make use of the Switz in his Wars wherefore he allowed them a certain yearly Pension And his Son Charles VIII made use of the Switzers with good success in his Expedition against Naples for the Italians when they saw the Switzers make such a prodigious havock among them by the help of their Battel-Axes and large Back-Swords they were so surprized at it that they counted the former Wars but like Childrens play in comparison of this and look'd upon the Switzers more like some Monsters than Soldiers Lewis XII also employ'd the Switzers in his Service in his Italian Wars tho they lost great part of their Reputation there For these Switzers which were listed in the Service of Lewis Menis Duke of Milan refusing to fight against their Countrymen that were in the French Army thereby betray'd this Prince into the hands of the French § 6. But in the year 1510. the Switzers left the French Service for the time of agreement with France being expired they demanded a larger Pension and which Lewis XII refused to pay them thinking it unbecoming the grandeur of a King to be imposed upon by these Highland Peasants as he used to call them he having therefore dismissed them took into his Service some of the Grisons and Germans in their stead But this proved very disadvantageous to France for they listed themselves under Pope Julius II. and did great Service against France They attack'd the French who were much more numerous with such fury near Novara that after a bloody Fight they not only routed them but also quite beat them out of Italy Afterwards they fell into Burgundy and besieged the City of Dijon where the Duke of Tremoville was obliged to make a very dishonorable agreement with them and was glad to send them home with fair promises of great sums of Money and if he had not stop'd their progress they would certainly have put France into the utmost danger the King of England being at the same time faln into France on the other side The Switzers attack'd Francis I. in his Camp near Marignano the fight lasted two days and after a great deal of bloodshed on both sides the Switzers retired in good order Wherefore Francis I. in the year next following gained their Friendship by a great sum of Money whose example the succeeding Kings have followed ever since Their antient Reputation is much diminished of late years partly because they are not altogether so furious now partly because other Nations have found out a way to bring their Infantry into a better condition And besides this those great Back-Swords which the Switz used to handle with so much dexterity by the extraordinary strength of their Arms are quite out of use in Europe § 7. As to the qualifications of these Countries which are Inhabited by the Switzers they are very different for in the mountainous parts scarce any thing else but Pasture Grounds are to be met withal but tho the Valley and flat Country produce Corn and Wine in considerable quantities yet among so vast a number of Inhabitants there appears no great plenty here since Foreign Commodities cannot be imported without great difficulty and what is deficient in the native Soil is not repaired by Traffick and Manufactories 'T is therefore accounted a common calamity among the Switzers if once in some years the Plague does not come among them to rid them of so many superfluous Mouths Yet they enjoy this benefit by the situation of their Country that by reason of the high Mountains and narrow Passages it is almost inaccessible especially on the Italian side and in the midst of the Country for some of the outward parts are of a very easie aocess § 8. The Switzers pretend to be downright honest and true to their word and indeed they are generally Simple and Plain-Dealing without any great Cunning or By-Designs but they are couragious and soon provoked to wrath They are steadfast in their Resolutions from whence they dont easily recede their valour constancy talness and strength of Body has so recommended them to a great many Princes that they choose their Guards among them and the King of France maintains a considerable number of Switz Foot Souldiers They are very forward to fight but not to undergo any other hardship or labour they expect to have duely their pay if that fail they return home as fast as they can from whence comes the Proverb No Money no Swisse They do not love to bear hunger or hardship in other Countries because they have enough of that at home It is one of the Articles of Agreement made with France that that Crown shall never have less than 6000 at a time in pay and that these are not to be separated That in case these Articles should not be perform'd they may be in capacity to assist one another They also never will be imploy'd in any Sea service § 9. The main strength of this Confederate Commonwealth consists in the number of its Inhabitants For in the City of Bern which has the greatest Territories pretends alone to be able to send into the Field 100000 fighting Men. And it is not to be questioned but that if they had been ambitious of making Conquests at that time when their Glory was at the highest pitch or had not wanted Conduct they might easily have brought under their Subjection the Franche Comte and a great part of Lombardy but the reason why they did not aim at Conquests was partly their Inclination which did not prompt them to encroach upon their Neighbouâ—s partly the constitution of their Government which seems to be unfit for great and suddain Enterprises For each Canton by itself considered is a Democracy the highest Power being lodged in the Guildes and it is certain that such as are of little Understanding and Experience are always very positive in their opinions and
suspicious of all mankind And the whole Confederacy is altogether adapted for their common Defence and for the maintaining of a firm Union betwixt themselves The difference of Religion is also a main obstacle among them some of them being Roman Catholicks but most Protestants and both Parties great Zealots in their Religion Wherefore it seems a hard task to make them all truly unanimous except forc'd by the necessity of a common Danger And in this Democratical Government it is not to be supposed that one man can have sufficient Authority to sway the rest and to stir them up to any great and sudden Enterprise And this slowness of their publick Counsels is such a check upon their natural Valour at home that they can employ it no better than to sell it for a little money to other Nations § 10. This is the very reason why the Switzers are the best Neighbours in the World as being never to be feared and always ready to assist you in case of necessity if you pay them for it On the other hand they need not stand in great fear of their Neighbours The States of Italy are not in a capacity to do them any harm and Germany is not willing to hurt them If the House of Austria should attack them they are able to defend themselves and besides this they may in such a case be sure to be back'd by France France alone seems to be their most dangerous Neighbour and it has been the wonder of many why the Switzers rely altogether upon the French Alliance and Promises and do not in the least endeavour to secure their Country against the growing Power of France and that in the last war they left the Franche Comtè to the mercy of the French which opens the Passage into their Country and enables the French to levy Souldiers on their Frontiers at pleasure It seems therefore to be the present Interest of Switzerland not to imitate the French and nevertheless to take care that they do not make themselves Masters of their Frontier Places viz. of Geneva Newburgh on the Lake the Four Forest Towns and Constance That they do not send too great a number of their Men into the French Service whereby they may exhaust their own Stock of Souldiers and that such as are sent into the French Service may be engaged not to be forgetful of their Duty to their native Country so as to be ready to return home in case of necessity On the other hand France seems to have no great reason to attack the Switzers as long as they are quiet and do not pretend to oppose the French Designs it being evident that if France had once obtained its aim the Switzers would be obliged to submit themselves And it seems at this time more Advantageous for the French to make use of the Switzers as their Allies than by conquering them to make them refractory Subjects who by reason of their natural stubborness must be bridled by strong Garisons which would scarce be maintained out of the Revenues of so poor a Country CHAP. VIII Of the GERMAN Empire § 1. GErmany was not antiently one Common-wealth but divided into a great many States and independent of each other most of them being Democracies And tho some of them had their Kings yet these had more Authority to Advise than to Command These several States were at last united under the Government of the Francks The Kings of the Merovingean Family having undertaken several Expeditions into Germany did reduce several of these States under their Subjection And Charles the Great reduced all Germany under his Jurisdiction he being at the same time Master of France Italy Rome and a part of Spain all which Provinces he committed to the care of certain Governours who were called Graves or Marc-Graves The Saxons retained more of their antient Liberty than the rest wherefore the better to keep this then barbarous Nation in obedience he erected several Episcopal Sees in Saxony hoping by the influence of the Christian Doctrine to civilize this barbarous People Lewis Surnamed the Pious Son of Charles the Great had three Sons viz. Lotharius Lewis and Charles who divided the Empire of the Francks among them In this Division Lewis got for his share all Germany as far as it extends on this side of the Rhine and also some Countries on the other side of that River by reason of the Vineyards as 't is said which are on both sides All which he was possess'd of as Sovereign without being in any ways dependent on his elder Brother much less the younger who had France for his share And at that time Germany was first made a Kingdom independent of any other § 2. Carolomannus the Son of this Lewis did after the death of Charles the Bald who was King of France and had born the Title of Roman Emperour Conquer Italy and took upon him the Imperial Dignity notwithstanding that Lewis Son of Charles the Bald and King of France had upon instigation of the Pope assumed the same Title After him succeeded his younger Brother Carolus Crassus who maintained both the Kingdom of Italy and the Imperial Title But the great Men in Germany having deposed the said Charles they made Arnolph the Son of the abovementioned Carolomannus King of Germany who went into Italy and took upon him the Title of Roman Emperour for which had contended for a good while Berengarius Duke of Trioul and Guido Duke of Spoleto But after the death of Arnulph his Son Lewis Surnamed the Child obtained the Crown of Germany under whose Reign the Affairs of Germany were in so ill a condition that he had no leisure to look into those of Italy For Arnulph had called to his assistance the Hungarians against Zwentepold King of Bohemia and Moravia who had Rebell'd against him with whose assistance he reduced Zwentepold to obedience but the Hungarians who were at that time a most barbarous Nation having got a tast of Germany made an inroad into that Country ravaging every where with an inhuman Cruelty They also defeated Lewis near Augsburgh obliging him to pay them a yearly Tribute notwithstanding which they ravag'd and plundered wherever they came This overthrow was chiefly occasioned by the Kings tender Age and the Divisions of the great Men among themselves who aimed at nothing more than to establish their own Authority After the death of Lewis Cunrad Duke of Franconia was elected King Germany under whose Reign the Potent Dukes of Lorain Swabia Bavaria and Saxony did preteâ—d to maintain the Sovereignty over their own Countries and a Hereditary Possession which Cunrad was not able to prevent and because Henry Duke of Saxony was the most Potent and Cunrad feared that at last he might quite withdraw himself from the German Empire he upon his Death-bed advised the rest of the Princes of Germany to make him their King which was done accordingly
own Name which he made his place of residence Whose youngest Son Lechus II. to obtain the Principality murthered his elder Brother but as soon as the Fact was discovered he was banished the Country After him ruled a Virgin whose Name was Venda the only Daughter left of the Children of Cracus who having vanquished one Ritiger a German Prince that pretended Mariage to her out of a blind Superstition drowned herself in the River of Weixel After her death the administration of the Government returned again to the Governours or Vayvods which continued for some time till the Poles elected again for their Prince a Goldsmith called Premislus who is also called Lescus I. because he had by a Stratagem defeated the Moravians who had made an Irruption into Poland But he leaving no Issue behind him a Horse Race was instituted with condition that the Victor should succeed in the Government One of the Competitours had laid Iron Hooks in the Ground by which means the others Horses having been â—amed he was the first that came to the Goal but the Fraud being discovered he was killed upon the spot In the mean while a certain poor Fellow on foot had run the Race and was the next to the Impostor whom the Poles declared their Prince His name was Lescus II. and as some say was slain in the Wars against Charles the Great Him succeeded his Son Lescus III. who having appeased Charles the Great with Presents made Peace with him either as an unequal Allie or else by acknowledging himself his Vassal He left Poland to his Son Popiel whom he had begot in Wedlock but to his natural Sons he gave the neighbouring Countries of Pomerania Mack Caâ—â—ubia with some others Him succeeded his Son Popiel II. an ill man who upon the perswasion of his Lady murthered his Father's Brothers 't is reported that out of their dead Bodies came forth Mice which devoured Popiel with his Wife and Children § 3. After his Death there was an Interregnum full of troubles till the Poles declared Piastus a Country-fellow born at Crusswitz their Prince from whom ever since such of the Natives as obtained the Royal Dignity were called Piasti His Posterity has reigned for a long time in Poland from whom also descended the race of the Dukes of Lignitz and Brieg in Silesia which is but lately extinguished 'T is said that he was 120 Years old before he died His Son Zicmovitus began his Reign in the Year 895. a Warlike and brave Prince whom succeeded his Son Lescus IV. a good and peaceable Prince Much of the same temper was his Son Zicmovistus who began to Reign in the Year 921. This Prince had but one Son who being blind was in the seventh Year of his Age in which Year according to the Custom of those times his Head was to be shaved and he to receive his Name restored to his Sight which was then taken for an Omen that he should be enlightened with the Christian Faith His Name was Micislaus I. and began his Reign in the Year 962. He having a great many Wives and no Children occasioned in him a desire to turn Christian for some Germans representing to him that if he left the Heathenish Superstitions he would certainly beget Children he was perswaded by them to remove his Heathenish Wives which he did and married Dambrateca the Daughter of Bogislaus Duke of Bohemia Before he married her he was baptized himself and first introduced the Christian Religion into Poland as also that custom which has obtained since there that at the time when the Gospel is read in the Mass the Men half draw their Cymetars to signify that they were ready to fight for the Christian Faith § 4. Him succeeded his Son Boleslaus Chrobry who was by the Emperour Otto III. dignified with the Title of King who also remitted unto him all the Pretensions which the former Emperours had upon Poland and this in consideration for the kind entertainment which he had received from Boleslaus in his Pilgrimage to the Grave of Albart Bishop of Gnicsen which being then very famous for some Miracles was visited by the Emperour to fulfil his Vow which he had made during a precedent Sickness This first King of Poland behaved himself very bravely in his Wars against the Red Russians the Bohemians Saxons and Prussians He also instituted twelve Senators as his Assistants in the administration of the Government But his Son Miccislaus lost for the most part his Father's Conquests Moravia having among the rest been taken from him by the Bohemians He began his Reign in the Year 1025. and died in the Year 1034. leaving but one Son behind him whose Name was Casimir who being an Infant his Mother Rixa administred the Government for a while But the Poles being dissatisfied with her she fled with her Son into Germany who in his Journey in France assumed the Order and Habit of a Monk During his absence there were great Disturbances in Poland Maslaus having about that time made himself Master of Masuria which for a long time after remained independent of the Kingdom of Poland At last the Poles prevailed upon Casimir to leave his Monastery and accept the Crown And to perswade the Pope to absolve him from his Vow they promised that for each Head except those of the Nobility and Clergy they would contribute yearly a Farthing towards the maintaining of a perpetual burning Lamp in the Church of St. Peter in Rome and cause their Heads to be shaved above their Ears like Monks After he came to the Crown he beat Maslaus and the Prussians and restored the Kingdom to its former tranquility His Son Boleslaus Surnamed the Hardy did at first wage War against his Neighbours the Prussians Bohemians and Russians with great Success but afterwards giving himself over to all manner of Debauchery and having been checked for that reason by Stanislaus the Bishop of Cracau who also at last excommunicated him he cut him to pieces before the Altar Then he was excommunicated by the Pope and perceiving himself to be hated by every body left the Kingdom and at last murthered himself § 5. Him succeeded his Brother Vladislaus who standing in fear of the Pope would not at first take upon him the Title of King He met with great Troubles both at home and abroad which however he overcame at last Him succeeded his Son Boleslaus III. a brave Souldier who obtained a signal Victory over the Emperour Henry V. in a Battle fought in the Dogsfield near Breslau There was never a Prince in Poland more Famous for Military Atchievements than himself it being related of him that he fought forty five Battles all with good Success except the last of all fought against the Red Russians which was lost by the Cowardise of the Vayvod of Cracovia unto whom the King for a
that the Poles in the mean time should keep in their Possession the Dukedom of Severia Zernigo and Novogrod which they had taken during these Troubles in Muscovy In the mean time George Farenbach did surrender several places in Livonia to the King of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus but it was suspected that he intended to betray the King for soon after the same Farenbach was reconciled to King Sigismund unto whom he restored all the places except Pernau In the Year 1620. the Poles were engaged in a War against the Turks that were as 't is supposed stirred up by Betlem Gabor Prince of Transylvania for Sigismund having assisted the Emperour against him Betlem Gabor was for making them a Diversion by the help of the Turks The Turks therefore entred Moldavia with an Intention to banish that Duke who sided with the Poles the Polish General Zolkieuski coming to the Assistance of the Duke of Moldavia advanced too far into the Country and as he was marching back was totally routed and himself slain upon the Place In the Year next following the Turks marched with their whole Froces against Poland who were met by the Poles near Chocim under the Command of Prince Vladislaus The Polish Army was about 65000 strong but the Turks 392000 Men commanded by the Turkish Emperour Osman in Person The Turks did attempt three times to take the Polish Camp by Storm but were as often repulsed with great Loss But the Poles in the mean while suffered extreamly for want of Ammunition and Provisions and were mightily weakened by Sicknesses and the Mortahty among their Horses Nevertheless the Turkish Emperour made a very honourable Peace with them after he had lost 60000 Men in these several Storms made upon their Camp and a greater Number in his march back to Constantinople In the mean time King Gustavus Adolphus falling into Livonia took the City of Riga without any great Resistance And the rest of Livonia except Dunneburgh was Conquered by the Swedes in the Year 1625. King Gustavous entred Prussia with an Army in the Year 1626. where he took the Cities of Marienburgh and Elbing besides some other Places This War was thus carried on without any General Engagement till the Year 1629. when Hans Wrangel the Swedish General defeated the Poles near Gorzno Then the Emperour sent some Forces to the Assistance of the Poles who in a Battel fought near Stum were very near having made King Gustavus their Prisoner But the Polish Affairs being after this Battel fallen into great Confusion a Truce was concluded by the mediation of France and England till the Year 1634. the Swedes being in the mean while to keep in their Possession Elbing Memel Braunsberg Pillâ—u and what else they had taken in Livonia Sigismund died in the Year 1632. § 11. After his Death his Son Vladislaus IV. was declared King who in the Year next following obtained a signal Victory over the Muscovites that had besieged Smolensko for he not only forced them to raise the Siege but also brought the Muscovite Army into such streights that they were forced to surrender themselves And the Turks who would have made a Diversion to him were also bravely repulsed At last Vladislaus made a very advantageous Peace on his side with the Muscovites by vertue of which these renounced all their Pretensions upon the two large Dukedoms of Smolensko and Ozernichow This begot such a Terrour among the Turks that they freely made him Restitution for the Damages sustained in their last In-road having also caused the Bashaw who commanded these Forces to be strangled The Truce with Sweden was prolonged at Stumdorf in Prussia for 26 Years where the places possessed before by the Swedes in Prussia were restored to the Poles because the Swedish Affairs in Germany were then after the Battel of Norlingen in a very ill Condition and besides this the English and Dutch were extreamly dissatisfied with the Tolls that were paid in Prussia In the Year 1637. the Foundation was laid of the War with the Cosacks which has brought unspeakable Mischiefs upon the Poles The business happened thus As the number of the Cosacks was greatly encreased by the great number of Boors which frequently ran into them so the great Men in Poland had purchased great Estates in the Vkraine who were of Opinion that their Revenues would be considerably encreased if the Liberty of the Cosacks were reduced into more narrow bounds Wherefore they having advised the King that they ought to be more restrained for the future the Polish General Konicepoliski did cause the Fortress of Hudack to be built just at a point where the River of Zwamer falls into the Dnieper or Borysthenes The Cosacks endeavoured to prevent the perfecting of this Work by force but being routed by the Poles were obliged to surrender their General Pauluck and some of their Chief Men among them who were all notwithstanding a Pardon was promised them before hand beheaded Besides this it was decreed in the Dyet that all their former Priviledges and the Fortress of Techtimorovia should be taken from them and that in their stead a new body of Militia should be settled there To put this Decree in execution the Polish Army marched into the Vkraine against which the Cosacks fought with great bravery promising nevertheless that they would be faithful to the Crown of Polana if their ancient Priviledges were confirmed to them which the Poles did promise them bur did not perform nay did even treat some of them very ill For among other oppressive Methods they took also from them some of their Greek Churches Their General Chmielinski was also grosly Affronted for which he could obtain no Satisfaction For the King having granted him a Priviledge to build some Mills a certain Gentleman whose Name was Jarinski burnt the same having also ravished his Wife and afterwards killed both her and her Son § 12. In the mean time Vladislaus died whom succeeded his Brother John Casimir Then Chmielinski to revenge himself stirred up the Cosacks against the Poles who with Burning Plundering and Ravishing did what Mischief they could to the Polish Nobility And the Senators having desired the King to march out into the Field against them they were answered by him That they ought not to have burnt down their Mills Whereat the Poles being extreamly dissatisfied brought together an Army of 50000 Men which being defeated by the Cosacks there were killed 10000 upon the Spot and besides this they took the City of Kiovia To revenge this Affront the Poles summoned the seventh Man throughout the whole Kingdom and marched against the Cosacks without the Consent of the King but were again miserably beaten by them But Chmielinski celebrating the Nuptials of his Son with the Daughter of the Prince of Vallachia the Poles surprised the Cosacks thereabouts plundered the City and took the Grecian Patriarch prisoner The Cosacks then sent to the King to know
the Turkish subjection The Cosacks also used to be very serviceable against the Tartars as living near the Isthmus of the Taurick Chersonese and therefore were conveniently situated to cut of their retreat in their return Home But the Poles by their ill entertainment have so exasperated the Cosacks that since they have done as much mischief to them as formerly they used to do good And if the Poles should not be able by fair means to bring over the Cosacks again to their side and these should either submit themselves to the Moscovites or the Turks or that these should quite root them out then Poland has got an incurable Ulcer on that side which may prove fatal to all the Neighbouring Provinces of the Vkrain Lastly the Turk is a dangerous Neighbour to Poland whose strength is much superior to that of Poland especially if the Poles are not assisted by the Cosacks or by some Foreign State For tho the Polish Cavalry may not be inferiour to the Turks yet cannot I see which way they can bring into the Field such Forces as may be equal to the Janisaries Tho the negligence and domestick divisions of the Poles have lately been the chief inducements which have drawn the Turks so deep into Poland There is not any thing which would more conveniently secure the Poles against the Turks than if the Princes of Moldavia Wallachia and Transylvania did belong to Poland they being able to hinder the passage of the Turks into Poland But because the Poles have long ago lost this advantage or rather neglected it it is their business now to take care that the Turks do not advance deeper into the Country And to take away all pretensions of a War from the Turks it seems very necessary that the Poles as much as in them lies do take care that the Cosacks do not in time of Peace commit depredations upon the Turkish Subjects For else the Turks are not to be blamed if endeavouring to root out these rapacious Birds they destroy their Nest and make the Vkrain a vast Wilderness When Poland is engaged in a War with the Turks it may expect some Subsides from the Pope The House of Austria is able by making a diversion to the Turks to give relief to Poland but this House hitherto has not been forward to attack the Turks if these have not been the first aggressors The Moscovites also might contribute somthing this way if there were any hopes of a true understanding betwixt these two Nations but as the case now stands the Poles must chiefly rely upon their own strength and by the circumstances of their own affairs be able to judg how far they ought to engage themselves against the Turk CHAP. XI Of MOSCOVT § 1. THE first origin of this Empire and the atchievements of their antient Princes are very uncertain and obscure since what is to be found of this nature among an ignorant people is all very confused So much is certain that this great Empire was formerly divided into a great many petty Lordships which afterwards were united in one body We will only relate in a few words that the Russians in the year 989. first embraced the Christian Religion at which time their Prince Wolodomir married Anne the Sister of the Grecian Emperour Basilius Porphyrogenitus In the year 1237. their Prince George was slain by Battus the King of the Tartars whereby the Russians being brought under the subjection of the Tartars their Princes were dependent on them After a long time they at last freed themselves from this slavery under their Prince John Son of Basilius the Blind who began his Reign in the year 1450. Under his Reign Russia was first united into one considerable Body he having subdued most of these petty Princes which had divided Russia among them especially the Dukes of Tiver and of Great Novogrod in which City 't is said he got a booty of three hundred Cart loads of Gold and Silver This Prince built Juanogrod a Castle near Narva § 2. Him succeeded his Son Basilius who took Pleskeu which was formerly a free City From the Poles he also took Smolensko but was soundly beaten by the Astracan Tartars who at the same time ransack'd the City of Moscovy Him succeeded his Son John Basilowitz a cruel Tyrant who conquer'd the two Kingdoms of the Tartars of Casan and Astracan and united them to Muscovy He used the Livonians very â—atharously having killed one Furstenbergh the Master of the Order of Knighthood there which was the occasion that the City of Reval and whole Tethland surrender'd themselves to Swedeland and all the rest of Livonia to Poland He was at first victorious against the Poles but afterwards Stephen Batori took from him Plotzko and several other places He died in the Year 1584. and unto him succeeded his Son Theodore Iuanowitz a very simple Prince against whom the Swedes waged War about Ingermanland § 3. This Theodore dying without Issue his Brother in Law Boris Guidenow did by his Intrigues obtain the Empire but with very indifferent Success especially after the supposed Demetrius began to contend with him for it during which Troubles he died His Son Theodore Borissowitz was proclaimed Great Duke of Muscovy but the Muscovites having afterwards for the most part sided with the supposed Demetrius he was taken Prisoner and murthered after he had but Six Months enjoyed the Title of Grand Duke What became of the supposed Demetrius and how Basilius Zuski took upon him the Imperial Dignity we have related before To this Zuski Charles IX King of Swedeland offered his Assistance against the second supposed Demetrius which he at first refused to accept of But afterwards when the other began to be too strong for him he earnestly desired the same promising to surrender to Charles as an acknowledgement Kekholm The King sent to his Assistance Pontus de la Gardie with some Thousand Men who were very serviceable to the Muscovites nevertheless they made a great many Evasions refusing to deliver up these places which they had promised before wherefore the Swedes took them by Force and thereby united Carelia and the rest of Ingermanland with the Kingdom of Sweden How this Basilius Zuski was delivered up to the Poles how the supposed Demetrius was slain and Vladislaus Prince of Poland made Duke of Muscovy had been related before § 4. At last Michael Fadorowitz Son of the Patriarch Theodore Mikitowitz born of the Daughter of John Basilowitz maintained himself in the Empire who having concluded a Peace with Sweden and Poland restored tranquillity to the Muscovites Him succeeded his Son Alexius Michaelowitz who in the Year 1653. falling upon the Poles took from them Smolensko and Kiovia and committed great depredations in Lithuania And having entred Livonia took Dorpt Koenhusen and several other places of less Note but was obliged to raise the Siege of Riga with great Loss
And by vertue of a Peace made with Swedeland was obliged to relinquish them all again In the Year 1669. one Stephen Ratzin raised a Rebellion against him and having brought under him Casan and Astracan commited great depredations all over the Country but being taken Prisoner received his due reward and the rest were reduced to their former obedience And because some of the Cosacks had submitted themselves to his Protection he was thereby engaged in a War with the Turks wherein he got but little Advantage He died in the 1675. Him succeeded his Son Theodore Alexowitz a young and sickly Prince of whom we can say nothing as yet § 5. Of the Qualifications of the Muscovites nothing very praise-worthy can be said For among them there is no such Education as among most other European Nations Reading and Writing being the highest Degree of Learning among them and the Learning of their Priests themselves does not go further than to be able to read a Chapter out of the Bible or to read a piece of a Sermon They are also jealous cruel and bloody-minded insupportably proud in prosperity and dejected and cowardly in adversity Nevertheless they have such an Opinion of their own Abilities and Merits that you can scarce ever pay them sufficient Respect They are very fit for and cunning in the Trade of Usury but are of a servile Temper and must be kept under by severity At all sorts of Games and Sports their end is with blows and fighting so Sticks and Whips are the usual Instruments among them They are of a strong Constitution able to undergo all sorts of Fatigues even Famine and Thirst In Field-Fights and Sieges they are worth nothing because they are soon brought into Confusion and are themselves of Opinion that other Nations are their Masters in this Point But they defend a Fortress to the utmost not only because they are very fit to undergo hardships and all sorts of misery but also because they know it is present death to them if they return home after they have surrendred a Fortress by accord Nevertheless they do endeavour to bring their Soldiers under better Discipline for which purpose they make use of a great many Scotch and German Officers who are to instruct them in all manner of Exercises as practised among other European Nations But they do not allow that the Muscovites should serve abroad and learn themselves the perfection of Military Arts and Exercises because the Grand Duke stands in fear that if they should grow too knowing they might be for making Innovations at home § 6. The Territories of the present Grand Duke of Muscovy are of a very large extent yet so that a great many parts are meer Wildernesses scarce inhabited at all The Muscovites have at home great plenty of Corn Cattel all sorts of Game Fish Salt Furrs and all other Necessaries They have a great many Commodities fit for exportation especially Furrs and their precious Sables which are esteemed at a high Rate among their Neighbours Salt-Fish Casiarr Hides Tallow Wax Honey Pot-ashes Soap Hemp and the like But the Commodities which are imported to them are Silk Stuffs Gold Silver and Woollen Cloths Tapestry Pearls and Precious Stones Spices and Wines but the latter not in any great Quantities Tobaco is now a prohibited Commodity there They keep it for a constant Custom in their way of Trade not to buy with ready Money but to exchange Commodities for Commodities and it is against the Constitutions of Muscovy to export any Coin Their greatest Trade is at Archangel which way the English first found out in the Year 1553. But since that time the Hollanders and Hamburgers have followed their Example Before that time this Trade was carried on by the way of Narva and Reval but tho' this was the shorter way yet did the foreign Merchants not care to be so much in subjection to the Swedes and Danes There is also a considerable Trade carried on with the Persians upon the River of Wolga by the way of Astracan § 7. The Form of Government here is an absolute Monarchy the Grand Duke whom they call in their Native Language Ozar being not tied up to any Laws or Rules unto whom his Subjects are obliged to pay Obedience without reserve so that they are no more than Slaves which also sutes best with their natural Constitution And therefore this absolute Power of the Prince is a great addition to his Strength since he cannot only raise some Hundred Thousands of Men at the first Command but also has vast Riches and prodigious Revenues These do accrue to him not only out of the Taxes and income of so vast a Country but also because the Grand Duke himself has the monopoly of Sables and if I am not much mistaken also Farms out all publick Inns Taverns and Ale-houses himself which amounts to a prodigious Revenue in a Country where the Nation is much addicted to drinking He makes also his Presents to Foreign Princes and Ambassadours in Sables but receives in lieu of them Gold and Silver Besides this it is a common Custom with him to set a new Stamp upon Crown Pieces and to oblige his Subjects to take them for double the value From whence it cannot be supposed but that this Prince must lay up vast Treasures Muscovy also enjoys this Advantage before other States that it is not to be attack'd on the backside because its Territories are on the North-East side surrounded by a vast unnavigable Sea and vast Wildernesses § 8. The Neighbours of Muscovy are on the East-side the Persians These two States cannot hurt one another much the Caspian Sea unaccessible Countries and vast Wildernesses being their common Borders wherefore it is not worth their while to extend their Conquests upon one another But they may be serviceable to one another by making a Diversion to the Turks The Tartars are woublesome Neighbours to the Muscovites who make no account of Faith or Alliances but make a Trade of Robbing and Plundering against whom there is no Remedy but to kill them as fast as one can and this is not so easily to be done because they are very nimble The Crim-Tartars are the most mischievous to Poland to hinder their Incursions the Muscovites are obliged to keep a considerable number of Horse upon the Frontiers and they give them sometimes a Diversion with the help of the Donisque Cosacks and the Nagage and Calmuck-Tartars If the Muscovites could maintain themselves in Kiovia and a part of the Vkraine it would serve them at once to bridle these Robbers and for a Bulwark against the Turks For the Turks do not immediately border upon Muscovy but by the Country of the Crim-Tartars who being Vassals of the Turks they make use of them like their hunting Dogs Wherefore it is of great consequence to Muscovy that the Turks do not become Masters of the whole Vkraine since thereby they would be
expose to publick view the Secrets of these Fathers Since from hence an opportunity was taken to make use of the Assistance of the Councils to bridle the Popes and from the Popes to appeal to these which were now made use of to terrify the Popes withal whenever they pretended to transgress their bounds The Popes could the less refuse to acknowledge the Power of the Councils at that time because Gregory VII himself after the quarrel betwixt him and the Emperour was renewed had proposed to call a Council to be held in a place of Security where both Friends and Foes both the Clergy and Laiety might meet to judge whether he or the Emperour had broke the Peace and to concert Measures how to re-establish the same Gelasius II. who had Differences with Henry V. made the same Declaration adding withal that he would rest satisfied with what Judgment his Brothers the Bishops should give who were constituted Judges in the Church by God Almighty and without whom he could not decide a Business of this nature So Innocent III. had writ that he would not undertake to decide the Marriage Controversie betwixt Philip Augustus and Engebourgh of Denmark without consulting a general Council for if he should attempt any such thing he might thereby forfeit his Office and Dignity Which words seemed intimate that a Pope for mismanagement might be deposed And when afterwards these and the like words were made use of against the Popes it was then too late to endeavour to make them pass for Compliments since it proves often dangerous to be too modest in matters of such consequence Wherefore the Council of Pisa in the year 1409. did depose the two Anti-Popes Benedict XII and Gregory XII in whose stead they chose another viz. Alexander V. In the same manner the Council of Constance did not only confirm the deposition of these two Popes but also turned out John XXIV who was made Pope after the death of Alexander V. In the same manner the Council of Basil did with Eugenius IV. and besides this made a Decree that neither at the Court of Rome neither in other places any mony should be taken for the dispatches of Ecclesiastical Affairs All which as it shook the very Foundation of the Papal Chair so it was not to be admired that the Popes were very averse afterwards to call the Council of Trent and were forced to make use of all their cunning that nothing might pass there to the prejudice of their Grandeur and that since that time they have bid farewel to Councils for ever § 24. Among other divisions this has proved very prejudicial as it seems to the Authority of the Popes that Clement V. did transfer the Papal Chair from Rome to Avignon as I suppose upon instigation of Philip Surnamed the Handsom King of France who having had great differences with Boniface VIII was Excommunicated by him To render this ineffectual he thought it the most proper way if the Pope resided in France and that thereby the like would be prevented for the future since it was very probable that the greatest part of the Cardinals hereafter would be taken out of the French Nation The Popes made this City their constant place of Residence for seventy years together not to mention that some of the Anti-Popes also did Reside there This changing of the Seat carry'd along with it several inconveniencies which proved very prejudicial to the Ecclesiastical Monarchy For the Pope's Authority was among other things also founded upon this belief that S. Peter had been at Rome and by his presence had Communicated a particular Prerogative and Holiness to that Chair and whether the same could be transferred to Avignon seemed somewhat doubtful to a great many besides this the Pope was then for the most part obliged to comply with France and to live as it were at the Discretion of the French Kings Tho also the French who then thought they had a great Catch have since complained that they got little else by the presence of the Roman Court than Simony and another abominable Vice not fit to be named Besides this the Court of Rome being then kept among Strangers as it were out of its Natural Element its Faults were the sooner discovered and the whole the more despised This removal also of the Court of Rome proved very prejudicial to the Revenue of the Church in Italy For after the Authority of the Emperors in Italy came to decay each State was for living free and being Sovereign itself and the Factions of the Guelfs and Gibellines caused most horrid distractions And the Authority of the Pope being vanish'd by his absence they made bold with the Church Possessions Most Cities of the Ecclesiastical State upon the persuasions of the Florentines had sent away the Popes Legats and acknowledged no Sovereign The Emperor Lewis Surnamed the Bavarian who was at Enmity with the Pope but in great esteem among the Inhabitants of the Ecclesiastical State did pretend to the Sovereignty over the same as being a Fief of the Empire which he granted to such as upheld his Party against the Pope The Patrimony of the Church was then but very slender and tho the Popes recovered part of it afterwards they were obliged to leave most in Possession of what they had got But the City of Rome was nevertheless at last forced to submit to the Popes power which it had resisted so long when Boniface IX in the year 1393. put on the Bridle by building the Castle of S. Angelo And Alexander VI. was the chief cause that the Ecclesiastical State was reduced under the Obedience of the Popes This Pope had a Natural Son whose name was Caesar Borgia but who commonly is called Duke of Valence from the Dukedom of Valence which he got with his Lady Charlotte d' Albret The Pope being very ambitious to make this his Son a great Prince in Italy proposed this expedient to him that he must drive out these petty Lords which were then in Possession of the Ecclesiastical State and when he had made himself Master of these places he would confirm him in the Possession of them for ever He succeeded very well in this Enterprise having made away with most of these petty Lords some by Force some by Treachery for he used to stick at nothing alledging that whatever he did could not be done amiss since he had received his Commission from his Father who was endowed with the Holy Ghost And being reduced to the utmost want of mony wherewith to pay his Soldiers he and his Father agreed to Poison the richest Cardinals at a Feast intended for that purpose some of whom they also knew to be averse to their Designs But the Servant who had the management of the business having out of carelesness fill'd the Pope and his Son a Cup out of the Poisoned Flasks the Father died immediately the Son narrowly escaping by the help of some Sudorificks And not being
Protestants together by the Ears flattereth the Protestant Princes and takes care that many of them may marry Roman Catholick Ladies the younger Brothers out of the greatest Families he obliges to come over to his Party by bestowing upon them great Dignities and Church-Benefices all that will come over to his side are kindly received and very well used neither do they write so much against the Protestant Divines but rather endeavour to set up and maintain Controversies among them By these Artifices the Popish Clergy had got very visible advantages in this Age over the Protestants and are likely to get more every day since they see with the greatest satisfaction that their Adversaries do weaken themselves by their intestine Quarrels and Divisions § 40. From what has been said it is easily to be judged whether those Differences which are on foot betwixt the Roman Catholicks and the Protestants may be amicably composed either so that both Parties should remit something of their pretensions and agree to one and the same Confession of Faith leaving some by-Questions to be ventilated in the Universities or so that both Parties may retain their Opinions and yet notwithstanding this Difference might treat one another like Brethren in Christ and Members of the same Church Now if we duly weigh the Circumstances of the matter and the Popish Principles such a Peace is to be esteemed absolutely impossible since the Difference does not only consist in the Doctrine but both Interests are absolutely contrary to one another For first the Pope is for having the Church-Possessions restored but the Protestant are resolved to keep them in their possession The Pope pretends to be the supreme Head of Christendom but the Protestants States will not part with their Prerogative of having their Direction circa Sacra which they look upon as a precious Jewel belonging to their Sovereignty And to pretend to live in Communion and Amity with the Pope and not to acknowledge his Sovereignty in Ecclesiastical Affairs is an absolute contradiction In the same manner as if I would be called a Subject in a Kingdom and yet refuse to acknowledge the King's Authority Besides this the infallibility of the Pope is the Foundation Stone of the Popish Sovereignty and if that is once removed the whole Structure must needs fall wherefore it is impossible for the Pope and that for reasons of State to abate any thing from his 〈◊〉 wherein he differs from the Protestants For if it should â—e once granted that the Pope had hitherto maintained but one single erroneous point his infallibility would them fall to the ground since if he has erred in one point he may be erroneous in others also But if the Protestants should allow the Pope's infallibility they aâ— the same time must deny their whole Doctrine And it seems not probable that the Protestants can ever be brought to contradict and at once to recal their Doctrine concerning the vanity of the Popish Tenets Nay if it might be supposed that the Laiety should do it what must become of the Clergy Where will they bestow their Wives and Children Wherefore how good soever the intention may have been of those that have proposed a way of accommodation betwixt the Papists and Protestants which is commonly called Syncretism thâ—y are certainly nothing else but very simple and chimeâ—ical Inventions which are ridiculed by the Papists who in the mean while are well satisfied to see that the Protestant Divines bestow their labour in vain as to this point since they the Papists are no loosers but rather the gainers by it For this Syncretism does not only raise great Animosities among the Protestants but also does not a little weaken their Zeal against the Popish Religion It is easy to be imagined that some who do not thoroughly understand the Differences and hear the Divines talk of an accommodation betwixt both Religions are apt to perswade themselves that the Difference does not lie in the fundamental points and if in the mean while they meet with an advantageous proffer from the Roman Catholicks are sometimes without great difficulty prevailed upon to bid farewel to the Protestant Religion It is taken for a general Rule that a Fortress and a Maiden-head are in great danger when once they begin to parly § 41. But if the Question were put whether the Pope with all his adherents be strong enough to reduce the Protestants under his Obedience by force it is evident enough that the joint power of the Papists is much superiour to the strength of the Protestants For Italy all Spain and Portugal the greatest part of France and Poland adhere to the Pope as also the weakest part of the Swiss Canâ—ons In Germany those hereditary Countries which belong to the House of Austria the Kingdom of Bohemia and the greatest part of Hungary all the Bishops and Prelates the House of Bavaria the Dukes of Neuburgh and Marquisses of Baden besides some other Princes of less note some Counâ—s Lords and others of the Nobility and some Imperial Cities besides others of the Roman Catholick Communion that live under the Jurisdiction of the Protestant States all which according to my computation make up two thirds of Germany There are also a great many Papists in Holland neither is England quite free of them But of the Protestant side are England Sweden Denmark Holland most of the Secular Electors and Princes and the Imperial Cities in Germany The Hugonots in France are without strength and the Protestants in Poland being dispersed throughout the Kingdom are not to be feared Curland and the Cities of Prussia may rest satisfied if they are able to maintain the free exercise of their Religion neither is Transylvania powerful enough to give any considerable Assistance to the Protestant Party The Papists also have this Advantage above the Protestants that they all acknowledge the Pope for the supreme Head of their Church and at least to outward appearance are unanimous in their Faith whereas on the contrary the Protestants are not joined under one visible spiritual Head but are miserably divided among themselves For not to mention here those Sects of lesser note viz. the Arminians Socinians Anabaptists and such like their main Bod is divided into two Parties of very near equal Strength viz. into the Lutherans and those of the Reformed Religion a great many of which are so exasperated against one another that they could not be more against the Papists themselves Neither are the Protestants united under one Church-Government or Liturgy but each of these States regulate the same according as they think sit Neither can it be denied but that the Roman Catholick Clergy in general is more zealous and industrious in propagating their Religion than the Protestants a great many of these making no other use the Church-Benefices than to maintain themselves out of them just as if it were a meer Trade and the propagating of the Christian Faith is the least
Hands of his Enemies During the imprisonment of King Magus Sweden was reduced to a most miserable estate by the Wars that were carried on betwixt King Albert and Haquin and Waldemar the two last sending continual Supplies into Sweden to uphold their Party and Haquin was grown so strong that he defeated King Albert in a Battel and besieged Stockholm At last it was agreed that King Magnus should have his Liberty paying a Ransom of 12000 Marks of sine Silver and resign the Crown of Sweden and Shonen to King Albert which was performed accordingly King Magnus retiring into Norway where he was drowned by accident King Haquin did not long survive his Father and his Son Olaus dying very young Queen Margaret after his decease was sole Queen of Norway By the Death of this Olaus the antient Race of the Swedish Kings was extinguished which ever since the time of St. Erick viz. for the space of 220 Years had ruled in Sweden Not long after Waldemar King of Denmark died without leaving any Male Heirs behind him In whose stead the Danes to unite Norway with Denmark declared his Daughter Margaret their Queen King Albert by the Death of his Enemies being now established in the Throne of Sweden began to slight the Swedish Nobility and to employ the Germans in his Service who grew very Rich and Potent and his Treasury being exhausted by the war which was carried on against Denmark he demanded from the States that part of the Revenues of the Clergy and some of the Lands which belonged to the Nobility should be incorporated with the Crown which they refusing to consent to he nevertheless pursued his Intentions by open Violence Whilest therefore some that were no loosers by it and hoped to partake of the Booty sided with the King the rest were consulting how to deliver themselves from these oppressions and having renounced their obedience to King Albert sought for Protection by Margaret Queen of Denmark which she granted them upon condition that if she should deliver them from King Albert she was to be Queen of Sweden Which the Swedes being forced to accept of she was proclaimed Queen of Sweden This proved the occasion of unspeakable miseries both Parties committing great Outrages in the Country which was quite exhausted before by King Albert who also at last was forced to pawn the Isle of Gothland for 20000 Nobles to the Prussian Knights of the Cross notwithstanding which being not able to defray at length the Charges of the War he challenged Queen Margaret to a Battel to be fought in the Plains of Talkoping in West-Gothland The appointed day being come a bloody Battel was fought in the before-mentioned Plain where the Queen's Forces at last obtained the Victory King Albert and his Son being taken Prisoners But this Victory rather encreased than diminished the miseries under which the Kingdom had groaned before because the Dukes of Mocklenburgh Earls of Holstein and the Hanse Towns sided with King Albert's Party who sent constant Supplies from Rostock and Wismar by Sea to Stockholm Calmar and other strong-holds in their possession from whence the German Garrisons made miserable havock all round the Country and the Sea Coasts were extreamly infested by Privateers which had quite ruined the Trade of the Kingdom This pernicious War having thus lasted seven Years a Treaty of Peace was set on foot at Helsingburgh which proving fruitless another meeting was appointed at Aleholm where it was agreed that the King his Son and the rest of the Prisoners of note should be set at Liberty under condition that he within the space of three Years resign all his pretensions to the Kingdom unto Queen Margaret or else return to Prison and that in case of failure the Cities of Lubeck Hamburgh Dantzick Thorn Elbingen Saralsund Stetin and Campen should oblige themselves to pay 60000 Marks of fine Silver to the Queen Thus King Albert returned into Mecklenburgh after he had reigned 23 Years in Sweden He had notwithstanding this agreement not laid aside his hope of recovering his Kingdom for which he had made great preparations if his Son had not died two Years after when he at the appointed time resigned his pretensions and the places as yet in his possession to the Queen and at last ended his days in his native Country of Mecklenburgh Thus Margaret became Queen over all the three Northern Kingdoms which she governed with extraordinary Wisdom yet so that the Danes were much better satisfied with her Government than the Swedes § 9. Queen Margaret having restored Peace to the Northren Kingdoms her next care was to unite these three Crowns for ever on one Head For which purpose she had sent for Henry a young Duke of Pomerania her Sister's Son whose name to please the Swedes she changed into that of Erick This Prince tho' very young was in the second Year after the releasing of King Albert proclaimed King In the Year next following the Senators and Nobility of all the three Kingdoms being assembled at Calmar where also the young Erick was crowned the Union of the three Kingdoms was proposed which at last was perfected and confirmed by Oath and by the Hands and Seals of the States of the three Kingdoms which might have tended to the great Advantage of these three Nations if the Danes had not afterwards broke this Union and endeavoured to make themselves Masters of Sweden which proved the occasion of bloody Wars betwixt these two Kingdoms But because King Erick was but very young Queen Margaret had the administration of Affairs during his Minority when the Swedes and Norwegians soon perceived that the Articles of this Union were likely to be but ill observed since the Queen preferred the Daâ—es and other Strangers much before them and what Taxes she levied in Sweedland were for the most part spent in Denmark where she generally resided In the eighth Year after King Erick was crowned Queen Margates attempted to re-gain the Isle of Gothland from the Prussian Knights without paying the Ransom but having not succeeded in her Enterpise she redeemed it for 10000 Nobles King Erick being by this time come to his riper Years married Philippa the Daughter of Henry IV. King of England and having after his Aunt 's Death which happened not long after taken upon him the sole management of Affairs he was intangled in a tedious War with Henry Earl of Holstein the Hanse Towns and the Dukes of Mecklenburgh and Saxony about the Dutchy of Sleswick which at last cost him his three Kingdoms For his Subjects being over charged with Taxes which were employed towards the War that could at the best only prove beneficial to Denmark and their Commerce being interrupted with the Hanse Towns it occasioned great discontents among them besides this the King's Officers had used the Swedes very tyrannically and the King had upon several occasions receded from the Articles of Union
procured a Truce with Denmark and having gathered what Forces and Mony they could among â—â—eir Friends and brought over some German Forces that were in King Erick's service to their side as also engaged Charles King Erick's Brother to join in the Confederacy they seised upon the Castles of Stockeburgh Lackoe and Wadstena in the last of which they found a great Treasure Then they published their Reasons for taking up Arms against the King and his evil Counsellours and marched directly with their Forces towards Stockholm near which place having fixed their Tents they attacked the City on the side of the Brunckehill King Erick on the other side defended himself valiantly for a while and by frequent Sallies did great mischief and being mistrustful of the Citizens of Stockholm he sent a Messenger into Denmark to crave assistance from King Frederick but this Messenger having been taken and killed by the way the Senate of that City who despaired to hold out much longer against the Dukes Forces and also were favourers of their party would have persuaded the King to a surrendry which proposition having been rejected by the King they whilst the King was at Church opened the Gates to his Enemies so that he narrowly escaped into the Castle The Dukes Forces laid then close Siege to the Castle so that King Erick having first received Hostages was forced to come out and after having resigned the Crown to surrender himself a Prisoner to his Brother Duke Charles The Estates then assembled at Stockholm having also jointly renounced their Obedience to him he was made a close Prisoner and committed to the care of some of the Friends of the murthered Lords who used him most barbarously § 11. After the Deposition of King Erick John was by the Estates then assembled at Stockholm proclaimed King of Sweden who having caused some of those that had been instrumental in the Murther of the Lords at Vpsal to be Executed sent his Ambassadour to Roeshild to treat with the King of Denmark either concerning a Peace or at least the prolongation of the Truce But these Ambassadours having exceeded their Commission and agreed to such articles as were very prejudicial to Sweden the whole Transaction was declared void at the next Dyer and King John sent other Ambassadours to desire more moderate propositions of Peace from the King of Denmark And to give some sort of satisfaction to his Brother Charles unto whom he had formerly promised a share in the Government he put him in the Possession of Sudermannia Nericke and Wermeland which Provinces were granted him before pursuant to his Father's Testament Then he was Crowned at Vpsal and having sent back the Russian Ambassadours he sent also some of his own into Moscovy to prolong the Truce betwixt them but no sooner were they arrived there but the Moscovites took them into custody and perceiving that the Liflanders would in no ways submit themselves under their Yoak they found out this expedient to put Magnus Duke of Holstein into the Possession of that Country with the Title of an Hereditary King paying only some small acknowlegement to the Grand Duke of Moscovy This Proposition having been approved of by the King of Denmark Duke of Holstein and all the Liflanders in general who were very willing to live under the jurisdiction of a German Prince The Moscovites to put their design in execution advanced with a great Army which obliged King John to make Peace with the Danes at Stetin upon very disadvantageous terms But whilst the Moscovites had employed all their Forces in Livonia and Finland the Tartars being set on by the Poles fell into Moscovy and having taken and burnt the City of Moscovy cut above thirty thousand of the Inhabitants to pieces This misfortune proved a main obstacle to their design upon Livonia yet having made a Truce with the Tartars and Poles for some years they again entred Livonia with 80000 Men and committed most inhuman barbarities which the Swedes who were much inferiour in number could not prevent at that time But a Swedish party of 600 Horse and 100 Foot that were faln in with the Moscovites having routed 16000 Moscovites killing 7000 of them upon the spot the Czar of Moscovy was so dismayed that he of his own accord offered a Treaty of Peace to be set on Foot at Newgarten which place being disliked by King John the War began a fresh which was carried on but with very indifferent success on the Swedish side they having been repulsed before Wefenbergh and Telsburgh There happened also another misfortune in the Swedish Camp which proved not a little prejudicial to their Affairs for the German Horse and Scotish Foot that were in their Service came to handy blows upon some distaste taken against one another wherein 1500 Scotish Foot were all cut to pieces by the Germans except 80 that escaped their fury and the Russians not long after surprised the Swedes and Germans that were drunk in their Camp and killed a great many of them upon the spot and because the Swedes were also not idle on their side but made frequent inrodes into the Russian Territories a Truce was concluded betwixt them for two years Most of the Swedes are of opinion that King John might have prosecuted this War with more vigour if he had not been more intent upon a Religious design than upon warlike preparations The business proceeded thus King John though he was Educated a Protestant yet having been very conversant with a great many learned Roman Catholicks and influenced by his Queen had resolved to restore by degrees the Roman Catholic Religion under pretence of making a Reformation in the lately introduced Protestant Religion To effect this he intended to follow the footsteps of Georgius Cassander that was employed by the Emperours Ferdinand I. and Maximilian II. to unite and compose the Religious differences in Germany and having called in some Jesuits disguised in Laymens Habits to be assisting to his Secretary Mr. Pieter Fretenius who was to be the chief manager of the business he at the Convocation of some of the Bishops and Clergy at Stockholm proposed to them a new form of a Liturgy wherein a great many of the Popish Ceremonies were to be used in the Administration of the Sacraments and Consecration of Bishops and Priests as also the Mass was again introduced which new Liturgy he got subscribed by the new Consecrated Bishops and some of the inferiour Clergy and was called the Liturgy of the Swedish Church conform to the Catholick and Orthodox Church This Liturgy having been published under the new Archbishop's name in the Swedish and Latin Tongues the Mass and other Roman Catholick Hymns were again sung in the Swedish Churches except in the Territories belonging to Duke Charles the King's Brother and the Celibacy of Priests and other Popish Doctrines mightily extolled in the Pulpits by these disguised Roman Catholicks The next thing to be done was to try whether he
could bring over his Brother Charles to his party whom he sollicited by his Delegates to introduce the Liturgy into his Territories who having made answer that it was according to their Father's Testament neither in his nor in the King's power to make any Innovation in Religion this proved the subject of a great misunderstanding betwixt them Next the King had his recourse to the Pope who also having disapproved his undertaking he demanded from the Clergy at Stockholm to give their approbation of the said Liturgy but these answered that thereby a door was opened for the Roman Catholick Religion to be re-established in Sweden and having made their Appeal to a General Synod of that Clergy in the Kingdom a Convocation of the Clergy of the Kingdom except those in the Duke's Territories was held by the King's Authority where the King's party prevailed so that the Liturgy was confirmed not only by the said Clergy but also by the Temporal Estates who declared all such Traitors as should for the future oppose the same The King having gained this point banished and imprisoned some of those that would not conform to the said Liturgy notwithstanding which a great many of the Clergy that were professed Enemies of the said Liturgy and upheld by Duke Charles did not only boldly discover the deceitful snares of the adverse party but also sent to the German Universities of Wittembergh Leipzick Helmstad Francfut and others where their Zeal for the Augsburg Confession was approved and the said Liturgy condemned as dangerous to the Protestant Religion Hitherto King Erick had suffered a very hard imprisonment during the space of nine years but he having in the mean while by several ways endeavoured his delivery and King John now fearing that perhaps these Intestine Divisions might furnish him with an opportunity to make his escape he sent his Secretary to give him his last Dose which he did accordingly having poisoned him in a Pease Soop The King being rid of this danger began now to act more barefaced than before for now the Invocation of Saints was publickly taught in the Pulpits those that contradicted it were imprisoned a new University of Papists was to be erected at Stockholm he sent his Ambassadour to reside at Rome and the Pope had his Nuncio at Stockholm and to compleat the matter a great many young Scholars were sent to the Jesuits abroad to be duely instructed in their Principles In the mean while the War betwixt the Swedes and Moscovites was carried on without any remarkable advantage on either side till it was agreed betwixt the two Kings of Poland and Sweden that each of them should act separately against the Moscovites and what either of them could gain by his Sword should remain in his possession Then it was that Stephen King of Poland having attacked the Moscovites vigorously on his side the Swedes also under the Command of Pontus de la Gordie took from the Moscovites the strong Forthress of Kekholm the Castle of Padis Wesenburgh Telsburgh Narva where 7000 Moscovites were killed Jawmagrod and other places of note which raised such a jealousie in the Poles that they not only made a separate Peach with the Moscovites but also demanded several of those places taken from the Moscovites by the Swedes for their share which put a great stop to the Swedish progresses and occasioned a Truce of two years which was afterwards prolonged for four years longer betwixt them and the Moscovites Whilst these things were transacting the misunderstanding betwixt the King and his Brother Charles could not be removed notwithstanding that the Duke had shown his inclination of having these Differences composed but the King having called together a Dyet at Wadstena sent a summons to the Duke to appear there in person The Duke on the other hand who did not altogether trust the King having assembled some Forces in his Territories did not appear at the said Dyet but lodged himself in some of the adjacent Villages were at last by the mediation of some of the Senators the Brothers were reconciled the Duke having begged the King's pardon and referred the Differences concerning the Liturgy to the decision of his Clergy who at an Assembly held at Strengness rejected the aforesaid Liturgy In the mean while died Stephen King of Poland and his Widow Arâ—â—a being Aunt of Prince Sigismund the Son of King John she prevailed with some of the great Men in Poland to make him their King which was done accordingly tho' not without great difficulty on the Swedish side who could not for a great while agree to the several Propositions made to them by the Poles and King Sigismund himself seemed soon after to repent of it As soon as Sigismund had left Sweden his Father King John began to renew his Care for establishing the new Liturgy in the Duke's Territories but the Clergy there trusting upon the Duke's Authority and Protection remaining stedfast in their Opinion the King at last being tired out by their constancy sent for his Brother Charles to Stockholm where a hearty reconciliation being made betwixt them Charles was so dear to him ever after that he did nothing without his Advice or Consent which Friendship continued betwixt the two Brothers till a little before the King's death when Charles having married Cloristina the Daughter of Adolph Duke of Holstein the former jealousy was renewed in some measure in the King which soon ceased by his death which happened a few Months after at Stockholm § 12. After King John's death had been kept secret for two days the same having been notified to Duke Charles he forthwith came to Stockholm and having sent a Messenger to King Sigismund in Poland he in the mean while took upon him the Administration of the Government with the Consent of the Senate which was confirmed to him by King Sigismund for that time Soon after he called together the Swedish and Gothick Clergy at Vpsat the Finns refusing to appear where the Augsburgh Confession was confirmed and the Liturgy as also Popish Ceremonies newly introduced quite abolished This Decree having been approved of by the rest of the Estates they also made another wherein was declared That no body should appeal out of Sweden to the King in Poland and that the King should subscribe these Decrees before his Coronation This proved the subject of great broils afterwards for the King having understood what had passed at Vpsal he declared that he being a hereditary Prince in Sweden would not oblige himself to any thing before his Coronation and as to the Decrees made at Vpsal he declared them void which the Estates looked upon as an ill Omen for the Protestant Religion in Sweden Their jealousie was also not a little augmented when they saw King Sigismund come into Sweden accompanied by the Pope's Nuncio by whose advice the King demanded a Church for the Roman Catholicks in each City that the new Archbishop should be deposed
first offered the Crown to John King Sigismund's half Brother who refused to accept of the same they bestowed it upon Charles who being the only Son left of King Gustave and by his Valour and Prudence having deserved so well of the Kingdom the Crown was confirmed to his Heirs even to the Females No sooner was Charles declared King but he undertook an Expedition into Livonia where he received a signal overthrow from the Poles which might have proved of very ill consequence to Sweden if King Sigismund had not been prevented by the intestine Commotions of the Poles to pursue his Victory The Russians also had slain the false Demetrius and having made one Suski their Grand Duke craved Assistance from King Charles who sent some Thousand Auxilaries under the Command of James de la Gardie with whose Assistance they were very successful against the Poles But in Lifland the Poles got the better of the Swedes in several encounters and the Danes seeing the Swedes engaged on all sides began to make great preparations against them The Muscovites also had delivered their Grand Duke Suski up to the Poles and offered that Crown to Vladislaus the Son of Sigismund so that the Swedish Affairs looked with an ill face at that time if Prince Gustave Adolph King Charles's Son by his extraordinary Valour had not upheld their drooping Courage For whilst the Danes wee busy about Calmar he with 1500 Horse not only surprised their chief Magazin in Blekinyen which is now called Christianstad but also took from them the Isle of Oeland and the Castle of Borkholm and whilst he was busy in putting his Forces into Winter-Quarters his Father King Charles died at Nycoping in the 61 year of his age § 13. Gustavus Adolphus being at the time of his Father's Death yet under age was under the Tuition of his Mother Christina Duke John and some of the Swedish Senators But the Swedes being at that time embroiled in the Polish and Russian Affairs and the Danes pressing hard upon them it was concluded at the Dyet at Nycoping that King Gustave Adolph notwithstanding he was not 18 years of age should take upon himself the administration of Affairs The King immediately applied all his Care to the Danish War which was carried on but with indifferent Success on the Swedish side especially by Sea where the Danes played the Masters the Swedish Fleet being but in a very ill condition and the Danes having taken besides Calmar also Risbyfort and Elffesburgh two considerable places in Sweden King Gustave finding this War very grievous to the Kingdom and the Muscovites having about the same time declared themselves very favourably in behalf of his Brother Charles Philip unto whom they offered that Crown a Peace was concluded with the Danes the Swedes being obliged to pay them a Million of Crowns for these three places above-mentioned In the mean while James de la Gardie had so well managed his Affairs in Muscovy that the Chiefest among them desired King Gustave Adolph and his Brother Charles Philip to come into Muscovy but King Gustave Adolph who had more mind to unite that Crown with Sweden than to leave it to his Brother was not only very slow in his Resolution but also at last in his Answer to the Muscovites only spoke of his own coming thither without mentioning his Brother which having been interpreted by the Muscovites as if he intended to make their Country a Province of Sweden they made one Michael Foedorowitz Romano their Grand Duke and when Prince Charles Philip afterwards came into Muscovy some of them for a while adhered to him but the new Grand Duke having the stronger Party the rest also at last left the Swedish side who vigorously attacked and beat the Muscovites in several Engagements and took from them some of their Frontier places till at last a Peace was concluded betwixt both Partys at Stolbova by the mediation of the English by vertue of which the Swedes got Kerholm and Ingermanland In the mean while a Truce had been concluded with Poland for two years but the same being near exspiring King Gustave Adolph resolved to pursue the War against the Poles with more vigour than before The better to put this Design in execution he after his Coronation had been performed at Vpsal with an universal Joy of the People paid to Christian King of Denmark the residue of the sum due to him by vertue of the last Treaty of Peace and having married Mary Eleonora the Daughter of John Sigismund Elector of Brandenburgh he attacked the City of Riga which defended it self for six weeks bravely but being reduced to the last extremity surrendred it self upon very honourable Terms From hence he sailed towards Dantzick to carry the War into Prussia but King Sigismund being then at Dantzick the Truce was renewed for two years longer During the time of the Truce a Peace was proposed betwixt these two Crowns which the Polish Estates were very desirous of notwithstanding which King Sigismund persisted in his former Resolution of pursuing the War King Gustave therefore again entred Livonia with a good Army where having defeated 3000 Lithuanians who under the Command of Stanislaus Sariecha would have disputed his Passage Kakenhausen Dorpt and other places of less note surrendred themselves to the King From hence he advanced into Lithuania and took Birsew and tho' the Poles had nothing left in Livonia but only Duneburgh and the Lithuanians were again defeated by the Swedes near Walsow in Sem-Gallia King Sigismund persisted in his Resolution of carrying on the War being encouraged by the Emperour who then was very successful in Germany King Gustave then resolving to give the Poles a home-stroke sailed with a Fleet of 80 Ships and 26000 Landmen towards the Pillaw where by Order of the Elector of Brandenburgh having been received without opposition he landed his Men and without any resistance took Brandenburgh and Frauenburgh The next was Elbingen where the Citizens having made some shew of resistance the Senate surrendred the City without making as much as a Capitulation The same good Fortune attended him before Marienburgh Meve Dirshaw Stum Christburgh and other places in Prussia which all fell into his hands before the Poles had notice of his arrival Soon after the Poles sent 8000 Horse and 3000 Foot into Prussia who had formed a design to surprise Marienburgh but were repulsed with the loss of 4000 Men and were also forced to raise the Siege of Meve And Stanislaus Konierpol ki with his Podolians also besieged Dirshaw in vam but retook Pautske from the Swedes and dispersed some Germen Troops that were listed in Germany for the Service of King Gustave In the next Spring the Swedish King having received new Supplies out of Sweden intended to attack Dantzick but having received a shot in the Belly before one of their out-works he desisted for that time but soon after made
John Galeas the true Heir of this Dukedom but a weak Prince had under that Pretence made himself Master of the same This Duke fearing that he might be put out of possession by Ferdinand King of Naples whose Son Alfonsus's Daughter Isabella was married to John Galeas endeavour'd to give Ferdinand his Hands full of Work that he might not be at leisure to think of him knowing also that Ferdinand and his Son Alfonsus were much hated by their Subjects for their Tyranny and Impiety An Expedition was therefore undertaken against Naples which proved the occasion of continual Miseries to Italy for the space of forty Years for so long it was the Cock-pit for the French Germans and Spaniards and at last lost a great part of its ancient Liberty It seem'd to be fatal to Italy that the wise Italians either could or would not prevent this Expedition which was design'd two Years before Charles had at the beginning all the Success imaginable for the Italian Troops were in a very ill condition and there being no body who durst oppose him Florence and the Pope sided with him the latter declaring Charles King of Naples King Alfonsus stirr'd up by his own Conscience abdicated himself transferring all his Right and Title upon his Son Ferdinand But his Forces being soon beaten and dispers'd Charles made his solemn Entry into Naples with loud Acclamations Immediately the whole Kingdom submitted to him except the Isle of Iseria and the Cities of Brundisi and Gallipoli The Conquest of so fair a Kingdom and that within five Months time struck a Terrour into the Turkish Emperour himself being in fear at constantinople and Greece being ready to rebell as soon as the French should land on that side But the Face of Affairs was quickly changed for the French by their ill behaviour quickly lost the Favour of the Neapolitans the King minded nothing but Gaming and the rest following his Example were careless in maintaining their Conquest Besides this it was look'd upon as a thing of such Consequence by the rest of the Princes of Europe that the Emperour the Pope King Ferdinand of Arragon Venice and Milan enter'd into a Confederacy to drive the French out of Italy Charles therefore fearing lest his Retreat might be cut off took his Way by Land into France having left things but in an indifferent state of Defence in Naples In his March he was met by the Confederate Army near the River of Taro where a Battel was fought in which tho' there were more kill'd on the Confederate side than of the French yet he marched forward with such Precipitation as if he had lost the Battel Charles was no sooner returned into France but Ferdinand soon retook without great trouble the Kingdom of Naples to the great Dishonour of the French who were not able to maintain themselves there a whole Year of whom very few return'd alive into France Not long after Charles died without Issue § 16. Him succeeded Lewis XII formerly Duke of Orleans who not to lose Britainy married Anna Widow of the late King He made War soon after on Milan pretending a Right to that Dukedom by his Grandmother's side and having conquer'd the same within 21 days Lewis the Black was forc'd to fly with his Children and all his Treasure into Germany But the Inhabitants of Milan grew quickly weary of the French their free Conversation with the Women being especially intolerable to them and therefore recall'd their Duke who having got together an Army of Swiss was joyfully receiv'd and regain'd the whole Country except the Castle of Milan and the City of Novara But Lewis sending timely Relief the Duke ' s Swiss Souldiers refused to fight against the French so that the Duke endeavouring to save himself by flight in a common Souldiers Habit was taken Prisoner and kept ten Years in Prison at Loches where he died Thus the French got Milan and the City of Genoua again After so great Success Lewis began to think of the Kingdom of Naples To obtain which he made a League with Ferdinand the Catholick wherein it was agreed that they should divide the Kingdom betwixt them so that the French should have for their share Naples Terre de Labour and Abruzze and the Spaniards Poville and Calabria Each of them got his share without any great trouble Frederick King of Naples surrendring himself to King Lewis who allowed him a yearly Pension of 30000 Crowns But soon after new Differences arose betwixt these two haughty Nations concerning the Limits for the French pretended that the Country of Capitanate which is very considerable for its Taxes paid for Sheep which are there in great numbers did belong to Abruzze whereas the Spaniards would have it belong to Poville and from Words they came to Blows The French at first had somewhat the better but as soon as Gonsalvus de Cordoua that cunning Spaniard had broke their first Fury and Lewis did not send sufficient Relief they were as shamefully beaten again out of the Kingdom as they had been before Lewis endeavoured to revenge himself upon the Spaniards in the Year next following but tho' he attack'd them with four several Armies yet could he not gain any thing upon them Wherefore he made a Peace with Ferdinand and enter'd into an Alliance with him against Philip Son-in-law to Ferdinand who having after the death of Isabella taken from him the Kingdom of Castile was upheld by his Father Maximilian and back'd by Henry King of England whose Son had married his Wife's Sister In the Year 1507 the City of Genoua rebell'd against Lewis but was soon reduced to her former Obedience Then the War began afresh in Italy with the Venetians who being too much addicted to self-interest had drawn upon themselves the hatred of all their Neighbours having encroached upon every one of them and Lewis especially attributed to them his loss of the Kingdom of Naples To humble this proud State a League was concluded at Cambray betwixt the Emperour the Pope the Kings of France and Spain Lewis by entring into a Confederacy with his mortal Enemies had more regard to his Passion than his Interest it being certain that he might upon all occasions have trusted to the Friendship of the Venetians But now he was the first that fell upon them and defeated them in a great Battel near Giera d' Addua which caused such a Terror among them that they left all what they had on the Continent within twenty days and if Lewis had pursued his Victory whilst they were under this first Consternation he might doubtless have put a period to their Greatness But in the mean time that he marched back towards Milan not making the best of his Victory they got leisure to recover themselves especially since the Emperour Maximilian was not in earnest against them and Pope Julius II. was reconciled to them Nay in