Of Poland Muscovia and Transylvania THe Kingdom of Poland is in Our time the most Potent of all the Northern Kingdomes insomuch that if it were not so divided in it self about Points of Religion as it is and were withal an Hereditary Kingdome and had a Prince that were a Native and were not Elected out of some Forraign Nation as their custome is it would prove a sufficient Terrour to the Great Turk especially if the Great Duke of Muscovia were but joyned with them But the Nobility of that Nation in whose Power the Election of the King is are very much afraid of the King's Power and for that reason They keep as hard a hand over Him as possibly they can The King of Spain therefore must endeavour as much as lies in Him that no King be elected there but such a one as is of the Catholick Religion which course hath hitherto been observed amongst them For should they chuse themselves a King that were of any other Religion He would then very easily be induced to countenance by his Authority the Northern Hereticks who do all agree in these two Points although they differ among themsâ—lves almost in all the rest namelyâ— that the Pope is Antichrist and that the Arch-Dukes of Austria are all of them such as fight for Antichrist And therefore upon any the least Occasion that could be they would be apt to joyn their forces together against both the Pope and the Emperour their Neighbour had they but any Powerful Prince to head them and to be their General which Charge none is so able to undertake and go through with as the King of Poland is For the King of Denmark is but a weak Prince and the King of Sweden lies too far off and besides is severed from Germany by the Sea The King of Spain must then in the next place by all meanes endeavour that one of the House of Austria may be advanced to the Crown of Poland or at least such a one as is some way or other allied to the House of Austria as the now King of Poland is And lastly he must be such a one as shall alwaies make head against the Turk and that should enter into an Association with the Muscovites who together should to their utmost endeavour as much as in them lies the utter Ruine and Extirpation of the Turks He must also make choyce of some of the Wisest and most Eminent persons of his Kingdom whom He shall send as Embassadours to Cracovia and who by their presence may adde Authority and Weight to the Spanish Union in the Esteem of the Electors of Poland and that may obtain of them that in case the King of Spain should have more Sons then one that theâ— They would Elect one of the Younger of them to be their King for certainly were any of the King of Spain's Sons chosen King of Poland He would never be so simple and foolish as to take upon him to govern the Kingdome of Poland according to his Own Will and pleasure as the King of France's Son endeavoured to do Besides He must deal with the People of Scandia and the Dantzickers by the means of the King of Poland who now is King of Swethland also that they would joyn together and send out a Fleet against the English as hath been said before For by taking this course the Kings expense will not be half so great as his Gains will be He must also labour that the Prince of Transylvania may in like manner enter into a league with the Polanders or else that either He or the great Duke of Muscovia may be chosen King of Poland For seeing that these two Nations are not only Neighbours to â—he Turks but do also naturally hate them they might easily be able to stop his proceedings And I am verily perswaded that among all the Northern Nations there is not any so fit and able to oppose the Turk as is the Muscovite who would but the Tartarians and the Polanders joyn with him might be able to make Incursions into the Turks Dominions and march up even to the very Walls of Constantinople Neither indeed hath Macedonia or Moldavia or Bulgaria or Thrace ever suffered so much losse by any Nation as by the Muscovitâ—s And if there were an Association contracted betwixt the King of Spain and the Muscovite either by Marriage or else by the nearer Tie of Religion brought about there by the Industry of the Iesuites it must needs prove a very advantageous businesse to Him because that Spanish Gold is among these Northern Nations of greater Estimation and Account then any thing else in the world And then must the King of Spain be very careful that as soon as ever he finds he hath wrought up the affections of these people to a Willingnesse to do him any service He set them upon some Notable Expedition or other while they are now ready for it and before they begin to cool again and repent themselves of their forwardnesse For Delay hath alwaies been the Ruine of the King of Spain's Affaires by reason that his Confederates through his slownesse in putting them in execution have alwaies had time enough to smell out the subtilty of His Designs and by this means it comes to passe that he commonly loses his labour and is at charge to no purpose The Bohemians also might be hired by the King of Spain's and the Popes Mony to joyn with the Transylvanians against the Turks because that They are in league with the House of Austria Yet when all is done there cannot be any considerable matter done in this Particular without the Assistance of the Polanders also and the Muscovites and unlesse the Emperour himself also be a Man of a stout and Warlike spirit as we shewed before when we spake of Germany and use his utmost endeavour to stop all growing Mischiefs in their very Beginings least by Delay they get head and grow so much the stronger and Intractable CHAP. XXVII Of Flanders and the Lower Germany IT is not without good cause that the King of Spain endeavours by all possiblâ— meanes that he can to recover the Low-Countries again about the keeping of that only part whereof which he still possesseth it hath cost him more Humane Blood then there is Water in it and about which He hath spent more Gold then there are stones in it And yet neither is this a matter so much to be wondred at seeing that could He but once make himself Master of those Countries again He might then very easily make himself Lord also of the Whole Earth For were this but done both France and Germany would quickly follow in spite of what ever they could do and also England it self would be utterly ruined and indeed all the Northern Nations would be much weakned and rendred utterly unable to make any resistance against Him For we see that Caesar after he had once conquered the Belgians made little account of all the rest
Subjects to encline to Our King and of this we have a clear Example this day in the Wife of the Prince of Transylvania and likewise in the Duke of Savoy's and the King of Poland's Wife And the women of the Austrian Family are also all of High Spirits and are besides adorned with the Endowments of Vertue and Gravity Whereas on the contrary the Great Turk bestowing his Concubines only upon his own Slaves and Bassaes as they call them gets himself no advantage at all from abroad onely He hereby obligeth these men to be true and faithful to Him And therefore my Opinion is that it would be the best way for the King of Spain never to marry a Wife out of the Austrian Family unlesse He should thereby come to inherit some New Country because that it would be much better that those Daughters should be married abroad to Forreign Princes that so they may turn the hearts and affections of their Husbands toward the King of Spain But seeing that as hath been formerly said the Turk stretcheth forth his hand against All Men whence it comes to passe that All men in like manner stretch forth their hands against Him all whom yet he is frequently wont to delude by his Cessations from Armes and Truces for He keeps his faith with none of them it would be a businesse worth our serious consideration how this Practise of his might be turned against Himself Which that it may the easilier be effected the King of Spain should prevail with the Persians to invade Arabia with a Sufficient Army perswading them that this would be the only means of securing their Own Territories and possessing them withal with this perswasion that the Turk is the Common Enemy and that therefore he ought to be set upon on all sides to the uttermost of their power least after they have once overcome us Christians They themselves should fall to be his next Prey And thenâ— that under a Pretense of Zeal for Religion they should possesse themselves of the City of Mecha where is the Sepulchre of Mahomet who was the Head of their Empire which Designs being but once happily and Prosperously accomplished that then all other things would the more easily be brought about Let the King of Spain also take care that there may be a League made betwixt the Persian and Prester Iohn and this Later should be perswaded to send out as great an Army as he could to invade the Common Enemies the Turk's Country which Army should be carried over by the Red Sea by meanes of the Portugals Fleet or else He may send those Forces of his in by Land and that not onely to enlarge their Own Empire and Dominion but also for the Advancement of their Religion namely by recovering of Ierusalem where the Sepulcher of our Saviour Christ is which both We and the Ethiopians too have now so many Ages been deprived of Both Nations therefore ought to bend their whole Forces that way It would also be very Convenient that the Muscovite who should be perswaded to this by some Polonian Oratours should at the same time fall in upon Bulgaria and Moldavia with an Army And the King should so order the Matter that at one and the same time the Emperour and the Prince of Transylvania should fall upon him in Hungary and the Polander upon Macedonia and Mysia that the Tuâ—k being by this means so distracted may not know which part to relieve first The Georgians also should be secretly dealt withal to embrace this General Association by the Venetian Merchants and to fall upon Natolia and Trapezâ—nd or Macedonia And for the promoting of this Design it would be very convenient that every one should keep to himself what he hath got except Ierusalem only which should be reserved for the King of Spain of which Country the King also should shortly afterward by little and little get the Possession by making use of the Conveniency of the Red Sea I would also advise that the King of Spain and the Venetian together with the Pope entring into a Mutual League together should at the same time also fall upon Morea Cyprus or Egypt for which purpose such a Neapolitan Fleet as we have formerly spoken off would be of very excellent use and Advantage And afterwards they should divide such Countries and Places as they have taken and share them among themselves making the Pope their Judge and Arbitrator herein And this Association and League made betwixt the aforesaid Princes I would have to last for the space of whole ten years For by this means the Turk having his hands full at home would be taken off from making War upon the Christians in the West as he now does to the great detriment of the House of Austria And to this end it would be very Expedient that there were a League made both with the Persians and Prester Iohn for these People might very much annoy the Western Countries And this would also make very much for the Advantage of the Venetians too who stand in no small dread of the Turks whom because they are not able to match them in Power they are fain to pacifie and keep quiet by fair means and Presents There are some that are of opinion that there are two wayes by which an Association or League might be made by the Christians against the Turk if not for his total ruine yet at least to the bringing about of some very good effect And One of these is that all such Princes whose Territories border upon Turky should at one and the same time set all upon him every one of them invading that part of the Turks Dominions that lies next him not with any certain part only of â—is Forces but with the whole strength and Power that he can possibly make in the World for so all of them should enjoy an equal share in the spoiles that were taken The second and that the more Noble is if that very many several Princes would but resolve for the glory of God and the Propagation of the Church to set upon the Turk either altother from one part or else from diverse parts all at once as we read to have been done in those former Heroick times when as many several Valiant Princes out of Germany the Netherlandsâ— France and Italy some of them selling their Territories outright and others of them pawning the same gathered together an Army of above forty Thousand Men and marching with them into the Eastern Countries and there beating the Turks out of Nice the Persians out of Antioch and the Saracens out of Ierusalem they afterwards laid wast the whole East and in a short time recovered the Holy Land In which Expedition this especially is to be taken notice of that neither the Emperour himself nor any other King was either their General or so much as went along with them in it And notwithstanding that afterwards indeed the Kings of France and of England as also the
Wisest and ablest Commanders for War that are about him Thus we read Sophia Wife to the Emperour Iustinian dealt with Narses who being thereby very much incensed he took occasion to invite the Lombards into Italy to the infinite prejudice and losse both of the Emperour and Empresse Covetousnesse also proves the ruine of Kings as we see in Antiochus who pillaged the Temple of Iupiter Dodonaeus and in Caligula who having profusely wasted all his own most greedily gaped after other mens estates whence they both came to be hated by their Subjects and so died a miserable death Such a one also was Midas who wished That whatsoever he touched might presently â—urn to Gold whereas he could neither eat his Gold nor could it procure him an houres sleep when he wanted it that is to say it was of no use at all to him but it onely laid him open to the spoyl of him that had but the Skill to make use of his Iron Caligula in one year consumed riotously seventeen Millions of Crowns which his Predecessor Tiberius had scraped up together and was afterward reduced to that want that he was forced to betake himself to spoyl his Subjects and to practise all manner of Cruelties upon them King Solomon also what in building of Sumptuous Palaces and Temples and about other most chargeable Pomps and Magnificences expended the better part of a Hundred and twenty Millions which his Father David had left him and notwithstanding that he had no trouble upon him from any part yet did he so excessively overburden his Subjects with Taxes that being become Intolerable to the greatest part of his People he lost a great part of his Kingdome in his Son Rehoboam We do allow in our King a desire of Honour but so that he aspire to it by the steps of Vertue for otherwise He will gain onely the opinion of being Proud which was the ruine of Alboin and Attila And indeed Honour is the Witnesse to Vertue and therefore whosoever is a Vertuous Person he shall attain to True Honour without any Flattery which hath been the overthrow of many a Prince in the World And hence it will also follow that a Prince should not enter into so strict a Tye of Friendship with any One or Two of his Subjects as to indulge them the liberty of transgressing the bounds of Justice and the Lawes without controul For by so doing the Principal Persons of his Nobility and Commanders in War laying aside all duty will look upon him as an Abject Unworthy person And which is more they sometimes in these cases enter into Conspiracies against Him and that very person whom He advanced to so much honour as to make him his Favourite may chance to usurp the Kingdome as we read it happened betwixt Gyges and Candaules King of Lydia So likewise Sejanus did much mischief to the Emperour Tiberius who notwithstanding was as subtle and crafty as any man But yet Macro did more who made an end of him Neither can any thing be more destructive to a Prince then to single out One onely to be his Friend and Favourite And hath not Antonio Perez been of very ill Consequence to the Present King If the King hate any particular persons he must by no means discover it unlesse he find that they are hated by the People also as are commonly all Hereticks Infidels Usurers and Publick Executioners of Justice upon Malefactors for by so doingâ— He shall the more indear himself to the People He must also take notice that Accusations among his Subjects do not so much avail his Kingdome as Calumnies hurt itâ— and therefore He ought alwaies to encline rather to the Accused Party And to the end that he may attain to the highest degree of his Subjects Love and Affection He must set up some Court of Grace that shall be above all other Courts whatsoever that all such persons as are condemned to death may have yet some left to whom they may appeal And the King ought to pardon Offenders often where it may be done safely enough and where the Condemned person hath not been admitted to make his Appeal to the Kings Deputies or hath not offended either against the State or Religion and these Offenders by Him pardoned may be sent out either for Souldiers or else to the Gallies and this will do very much good And of this Court of Grace I would have the King himself to be President and it should consist onely of his Queen and his Children and one Bishop only The King must also with all Modesty and Humility put his chiefest trust in God and repose but little confidence in his own strength especially when He is not endued with any Extraordinary Prudence for the managing of the same and all the weightiest of his Actions must be referred to God as the Author of them that so they may be lookt upon by all with the greater reverence and esteem Let him never hope with a few to vanquish a greater number nor with Undisciplined and unruly Souldiers nor to conquer a forraine enemy in his own Country of which things I have elsewhere spoken He must alwayes remove all Fear far from him and â—e must discover his onely Fear to be lest any Sad Disaster should befall either Religion or his Subjects And in all His Expeditions He must shew himself to the Height of Valour and even of bold Daring too provided that â—e do it with Reason and that so He may the more inflame the courage of his Souldiers Neither ought he ever to seem to be Jealous of the Worth of any one lest he should so betray His own Timorousnesse and Poorenesse of Spirit And therefore to the end that his Subjects may not rebel His safest course will be to keep them alwayes up in Armes rather then to let them lie unarmed quietly at home for being in Armes they will the easier be kept within the bounds of Obedience Because that if they be by fair and Prudential meanes kept in awe they will be ready to make use of their Armes at all times for their Kings advantage but if though Unarmed they be otherwise then fairely dealt with by their Prince they will be apt to revolt from him or which is worse will find Armes which they will turn against Him An example of this kind we have in David and Sâ—ul who was Jealous oâ— David seeing his Valour and Worth The King ought also as often as he begins to be Jealous and fearful of the Greatnesse of any of his Subjects under the shew of honouring him to send him abroad out of the Country he is powerful in to some other as Ferdinand King of Arragon dealt with the Great Duke Consalvus removing him from Nâ—ples where he might possibly have raised Commotions in the State to Spain where he was not able to do any such thing Neither yet are such Men too much to be slighted for by this meanes the Prince might incurre the hatred
excused for having made away with so many of his Brothers Nephews and Kindred seeing that otherwise the meanest person of the Ottoman line that should have but scaped acting a part in that Tragedy might have come to the same Dignity He enjoyed But passing by these Impious and yet â—neffectual Examples of Cruelty let us now come to the Daughters of the King of Spain And these Probably may do well to be matched with the Kings or Princes of Poland and France and also with the Kings of Denmark Muscovia England and the like upon this condition that these Princes promise faithfully to embrace the Catholick Religion which if they would do there would thence a double Benefit accrue The King must take into his Court all the most able and most knowing in all sorts of Sciences and He must endeavour to render both Himself and his Children as excellent in them as is possible that so the Eyes of all men may be turned upon Him and His and may joyn themselves unto them seeing them live so happily and securely In like manner as all the People of Israel even to the Maccabees themselves who had God for their Guide became yet admirers of the Romans and entring into a League with them fled to Them for Protection Now He that protects or assists may naturally be said to be Lord of him whom he protects as the Man became Lord of the Horse whiles He assisted him against the Stag. CHAP. X. What Sciences are required in a Monarch to render him admired by all ALl Great Men when they have gone about to set up a New Monarchy have changed the Sciences that the people were exercised in before and many times also the Religion of the Country that so they might render themselves the more Admired by their Subjects and by this means also other Nations have come in unto them too And this is the reason why the Assyrians under King Ninus changed the Religion of Noah and set up that of Iupiter Belus and applied themselves to the study of Astrology whereby they became so famous and admired that they brought the whole East under their Subjection The like course also was taken by the Persians under Cyrus who took upon himself the Title of Gods Commissary for These introduced into the World the Practise of Natural Magick a Science till then never heard of before and furnished it out with great Variety of New and Admirable Rites and Ceremonies The Macedonians made the world believe that their Prince Alexander the Great was the Son of Iupiter Ammon and withal abolisâ—ing the Ancient Disciplines they brought in upon the Stage the Aristotelian which confuted all that were before it insomuch that his Father King Philip rejoyced very much thereat foreseeing that this Novelâ—y of Doctrine would lay a Foundation for his son to erect a New Empire upon and so thenceforward neglected the worship of Iupiter Mercury Osiris and the rest of the most Ancient among the Gods Thus Mahomet also when he now aspired to a Monarchy introduced a New Religion fitting it to his own Palat and the Gust of the People Iulius Caesar likwise being now got to be chosen the Pontifâ—x Maximus and Astrology being at that time not very well known to the Romans He by changing the Old Account and rectifying the Year laid the Foundation of His Monarchy And the same must the King of Spain also do especially seeing He hath the best Opportunity that can be of doing the same For seeing that it is not Lawful at all times to introduce a New Religion He ought therefore to adorn and set forth the Old so much the more and to enlarge it with variety of New Rites anâ— Ceremonies as also to bring forth into the World New Sciences and such as shall be suitable to His Dignity But above all let him make a Law to be observed by all Christians First That whensoever any People or Country shall forsake the Roman Religion all Princes shall be bound upon pain of forfeiting their Estates to root out and extirpate the same like as God commanded Moses Secondly That the Clergy and such as are skilled in Church Matters shall make it Their care to look to the regulating of the Moneths of the Year and the Daies of the Week calling the several Moneths by the Names of the Twelve Apostles and the seven Daies of the Week by the Names of the Seven Sacraments For the truth of it is that the Inhabitants of the New World when they find in conversing with the Christians that the Heathenish Names of Moneths and Daies are still in use among them they are wrapt into a great admiration And the like course is to be observed in other the like things Thirdly that seeing that New Sciences do make a New Monarchy the more Admired I would have the Schooles of the Platonists and of the Stoicks opened again whose Opinions come nearer to Christianity then the Aristotelian And that we may descend to particulars the Telesian Philosophy is the most excellent of all seeing it comes the nearest to the Holy Fâ—thers and makes it appear to the World that the Philosophers knew nothing and that Aristotle who would have the Soul to be Mortal and the World to be Immortal and denyes Providencâ— also on which Christianity is grounded talks very absurdly notwithstanding all his so specious Reasons seeing that the same are refuted by stronger Reasons fetcht in like manner from Nature Fourthly It is necessary that he set the Wits of the Learned to work with Scholastick Questions lest by being conversant in the Sciences of Natural Things it set an edge upon their Ambition and by this meanes they should aspire to higher Matters Fifthly That He should banish all Theological Questions out of the Transalpine Schools seeing that all the Divines of those parts turn Hereticks by not continuing firm to the Holy Constitutious of the Pope but are still raising up fresh Controversies and the Wits of these men are to be exercised onely in the Disputes of Natural Philosophy Sixtly He must endeavour to get himself Renown as Iustinian did by reducing all the Roman Lawes into One Bodyâ— and as Charles the Great did by opening the School of Aristotle which was at that time the only School of Philosophy in Christendome for all the rest had been long before trodden down to the ground by the Barbarians as I have shewed elsewhere Seventhly He shall do well to shut up all the Greek and Hebrew Schools because that these Two Languages have been destructive to Monarchy and are besides the Main Pillars by which those Heresies that chiefly raign at this day are built upon And therefore on the contrary let him endeavour to bring in the Knowledge of the Arabick Tongue by meanes whereof the Mahumetans may be the better convinced and the troublesome Transalpine Wits may imploy themselves rather in confuting the Turks then in vexing the Catholicks with their Disputes Eighthly Let him also erect Mathematical
for a Ground That for the rendring of any Dominion whatsoever Firm and Durable it is necessarily required that there be first a Naturâ—l Sociablenesse and an apt Correspondence among the subjects themselves and then betwixt the Prince and the subjects as there is in Mans body betwixt the Members themselves and also betwixt them and the Head Now this Natural Sociablenesse is founded first in the Man and Wife then in the Father of the Family and his Children with the rest of his Family and then again in several Families being linked and united together then in those also who are allied together by the Bond of Consanguinity or Affinity and likewise those that live in one Common Aire and Climate enjoying the same Temper of the Heavens as also those that agree in their Lawes Manners Customes and studies whereto also we may add their using one Common Language and wearing all one the same Habit in Apparel Neither do I account their Identity of Species or of Humanity to be any small Bond of this Natural sociablenesse namely because they are All Men and wheresoever Many of these Bonds Ties meet together there also must necessarily be a Firmer and more Durable Association made up and a more lasting Dominion setled Hence it is that the Italians and the Spaniards do so readily jump and agree together both because they understand each the others Language and are also like each other in their Manners Bodies and their Rites and Customes which can never be amongst the French because they differ among themselves not only in their Language and Manners but are also of a different Natural Constitution and temper So the Spaniards would much more easily be brought to enter into a league of Society and Friendship with the Africans then with the Netherlanders who are of a much more different Constitution from them For the Spaniards are Naturally Hot and Dry and are therefore Lean and of a Low Stature being withal Sharp-witted Subtle and Talkative But on the Contrary the Netherlanders are Cold Corpulent and Big-boned and are Heavy and Dull and of few words Whosoever therefore is to Rule Several and Different Nations and would keep them all within the bounds of Obedience let him endeavour to reduce them into a conformity as far as he is able and to make them in all things like to each other And this Uniting of Men to one another God himself the Author of all Polity had pointed out unto Men. Now there are Three sorts of this Union we here speak of the First is of Minds which is caused by Religion which is indeed the strongest of all Unions for it uniteth together in Opinion Nations that are at the greatest distance that may be from each other Upon this have both Mens Wills and Actions their Dependancy and in This are both their Tongues Arms united By this the Pope ruleth over Europe Asia Africk and America and in a word over all the Christians in the whole World Whereas on the contrary the Emperour of Germany is scarse able to Rule Germany alone although the People there are otherwise as like and as much agreeing among themselves as may be both in their shape of Body Habit Arms Rites and Customes and all because It wants this first Vnion namely of Religion For there are so many several different Opinions in Religion among the Germans that it may be truly said of them Quos homines tot Sententiae so many Men so many Minds And for this reason the English and Helvetians fuffer but two sorts only of Religion in their Countries for that common saying Divide impera that is Divide thy subjects and thou shalâ—â—ule them is of no use here but rather on the contrary Divide perdes that is If thou devide thy subjects thou shalt ruin thy self Catharine de Medicis Queen of France that she might contrary to the Salique Law sit at the Helme and have the Government of the Kingdome in her hands complied sometimes with the Catholicks and sometimes with the Huguenots but by this means she brought destruction both upon her self and upon her Sons one of which was Slain by a Dominican Fryer And therefere in this Particular the King of Spain is more happy then any other besides because that his Kingdomes though they lye at a great distance from one another are yet all joyned together and united in one Religion and in this very respect also he stands upon better terms then the Great Turk himself or any other Prince whatsoever because as we have shewed before He converts those that are under his subjection and makes them to be all of one and the same Faith The second is the Vnion of Bodies and in this the Turk goes beyond all other Princes for He hath under his subjection and in perfect Obedience both Mahumetans Christians and Iewes which are all as much differing one from another in their Religions as can be neither doth this their diversity of Religion prejudice him at all because that he brings up their Sons to serve him in his Wars and besides He leaves all such of his Subjects as are not of his Religion without either Armes or any meanes possible of doing him any harm But indeed in case He should intrust any of these with the Government of any part of his Empire and should exercise not a Despotical but a Political Soveraignty over them He would quickly be brought into Sad Straites by them as we see it for example in many of our German Princes at this day or at least all meanes of enlarging his Empire would quite be cut off from him as we see the case now stands with the Emperour and with the King of Poland If haply among the Turks Vassals there should chance to start up some Gallant-Spirited Person he might possibly prove to be the Ruin of his Empire as Scanderbeg had like to have been had he had but the Christians as ready to assist him as the Genueses were to do him a mischiefâ— who both to their own and also to the great Losse of Hunniades K. of Hungary were hired for so many Crownes to passe over forty Thousand Mahumetans out of Asia into Europe by which meanes Amurath tâ—at was before in a manner utterly broken and had well near lost all was now so well relieved and recruited again as that by these forces He afterwards made himself Master of half Europe I shall not here speake of Moses who was raised up against God by Pharaoh according to which example God may also raise up some of the Turks Christian Slaves against him The like Insurrection may also possibly utterly Subvert the Spanish Monarchy The Third is the Union of Monies and Riches by meanes whereof the Turk commands the Ragusians who are otherwise a free People but they are forced to pay Him tribute that so they may enjoy their Estates lying within his Dominions as also because they are too neer Neighbours to him which Neighbourhood
his Neighbours the Switzers and the Grisons and let Him chuse out of these Nations Thirty Thousand Souldiers to whom He shall in the mean time allow half pay till such time as He shall have Occasion to use them according as the Venetians are wont to do and this Army let him make use of for the repelling of any powerful Enemy assaulting hâ—m But yet lest these people encreasing their numbers should themselveâ— invade the Duchy of Millan which thing we know to have happened heretofore in the time of the Romans I would have this Army to be divided and some part of it to be sent into the Netherlands and another to Naples and there may some of them also be sent abroad as far as the West-Indies that so serving him abroad in His Wars they may at length be all destroyed And certainly should this People but keep at home and not go so much abroad to Wars as they do but should unite their forces together it would be a very easie matter for them to subdue all Italy but now whiles that they serve some of them under this Prince and some under that in their wars there is no great reason to fear any such thing of them However it would be a very good way to divide them as we have shewed and to send them abroad several waies The second thing that the Italians are wont to threaten the Spaniard with is that perhaps They may enter into a League with the Pope and the King of France to the Prejudice of Spain But this conceipt of theirs also the King of Spain may easily elude because no one of them dares do any thing without the Pope and the King of France as being not able of himself to defend himself much lesse to attempt any thing against others unlesse it be by chance and by taking some extraordinary Advantage as the Venetians did heretofore at what time the Popes were at War with the Emperours and when the Transalpines made bold to march over into Italy And therefore iâ— so be the King of Spain have but the Pope on his side He hath no need at all to fear the Princes of Italy neither indeed is there any Change made in any State or Dominion in Italy without the Pope and the Pope alone hath been the cause of all the Mutations that have happened in the Kingdom of Naples And in case the Pope should take up Arms against any Party or against any Common-Wealth in Italy He would presently prove the Conquerour by having recourse immediately to his wonted Helps such as are His giving out Indulgences against it and his absolving the subjects from the Oathes they have taken to be true to the same and by calling in others to His Assistance as Pope Iulius the second did at that time when He Excommunicated the Venetians at which time they were utterly crushed by him Now my Counsel to the King of Spain is that He would yeeld to the Pope and do whatsoever He would have and that He would give His Commands abroad as Constantine the Emperour heretofore did namely that the Pope shall have supream Authority in Last Appeals and so likewise that Two Bishops with the King who then holds the place of a Clergy man be Judges in all causes that shall be devolved unto them by way of Last Appeals And let it be agreed upon betwixt him and the Pope that what Princes soever shall refuse to submit hereto they shall be deprived by their Authority For if some of the Princes of Italy or indeed if all of them should fall off from the Pope the King of Spain who is the Vindicater of the Pontifical Authority being assisted by Croisados and other Aides from the Pope would by degrees ruin them all one after another or else bring them in Subjection under himself and thus whiles he yields to the Pope He is sure to have both His Affections surely united to Him and His power assisting him and he shall withal make himself Maâ—ter of the Princes of Italy's Dominions And this may possibly hereafter come to passe although as matters now stand all that the King can do is to make it his businesse to keep these Princes at difference amongst themselves and to make either the Duke of Parma or some other of them Sure to Him and then He need care but little for any of the rest Let him also give the Venetians the Tittle of being The Fathers of Italy and let him desire of them the favour to have some of the Principal of them sent to him whom he may imploy as Iudges in the Netherlands because that this Nation doth more willingly admit of Italians then Spaniards and of all Italians of the Venetian rather then any other and upon These Venetians so imployed by him let him confer the Dignities of Barons And seeing that it is known to every man that the Venetians are both very Just and also free from Ambition and so the fitter to be made use of if not for the gaining of any New Dominions yet certainly for the keeping of what are already gotten let the King so order the matter as that the Hollanders may be brought to desire Lawes to be prescribed them by the Venetians of which I shall say more hereafter And if by these Arts He could so far prevaile with them as to get them to give over their travelling to Alexandria and â—yria to traffick there and to take up a trade of Merchandise with those in the West-Indies as the Portuguez have done He would by this meanes in time make Himself Lord of the Venetians as He hath already of the Genoeses Now that he may also secure himself in the mean time from the Venetians it would be his best Course to provide himself of such a Navy as I spake of before and He should likewise do well to make use of the Archduke of Carinthia and His Neighbours the Grisons in his wars by this meanes to fright the Venetians the more And besides let him give entertainment to all such persons as are banished by the Florentines or by the Venetians and receive them into his service in his wars and he may do well to bestow extraordinary rewards upon them too that by this meanes he may draw others of them also over to him who may serve under him if neeed be even against their owne Native Country Which indeed was the frequent practise of the Duke of Millan and also many times of the King of France when for the same reason he invited in to him all the Banished Genoeses and Florentines And for the same reason also the Strozza's Piccolominies and the Lord Peter de Medicis might in these our times strike no small terrour into the Great Duke of Florence If therefore the King would have these Princes of Italy to continue at variance among themselves let him take heed how he strikes any fear into them for Fear is the onely meanes to unite them together and
of his Subjects and it would be a discouragement to them from the endeavouring at any High and Noble Actions Therefore such persons as He is Jealous of are to be employed in such places where there is the least danger to be feared from them as we read Belisarius was called home by Iustinian out of Italy where he was beloved by all men and sent against Persia. The Kings Anger must neither be Violent nor Headlong as was Alexander's of Macedon against his Nobles for so he may chance to be made away by poyson as Alexander was and his Subjects may fall off from him and so his Power will be diminished as it happened to Theoderick the First King of Ravenna and which was also the cause of the Emperour Valentinian's death In times of Peace He must be merciful to such as offend either out of Ignorance or Weaknesse of Body or Mind and that in favour of the Multitude and to sweeten Them but this he must take heed of in time of War and he must not pardon any Egregious Offenders or that are the Heads and Ringleaders of any Faction especially where the Worth of the Persons is not so great as that being pardoned they may be of greater use to him then that wherein they offended was prejudicial Thus Scanderbeg pardoned Moses rebelling against him as being the Greatest Commander he had under him who thereby became afterwards of very great Use and Advantage to him In like manner as David also pardoned Ioab But yet we must remember that this Easinesse and Mercifulnesse is then only seasonable where the Crime concerns not the State it self but onely Particular persons And therefore the Prince ought not at any time to deny the Legal Proceeding of Justice to any one For for this very cause Philip King of Macedonia was slain by Pausanias And therefore as we have formerly said he ought to be careful and circumspect in the curbing and bridling of his own Passions and Affections But now Piety and Religion is of it self sufficient to make any Prince exercise his power of Dominion Justly and happily as we see by the Examples of the Emperour Constantine the Great Theodosius and the like And here we are alwaies to remember that it is most certain that The People do naturally follow the Inclinations of their Prince And therefore Plato was wont to say If the King but mend all the Kingdome mends without the accession of any other Law And therefore the Virtue of the Prince ought to surpasse in a manner all Humane sense As concerning Making of War it is certain and evident to all that Warlike Princes have still had the better of those that are not so inclined and although Wise Kings have alwaies made a shift to preserve their own yet they have not alwaies enlarged their Dominions but the idle and sloathful have ever been of the losing hand I say therefore that a King if he would be accounted a warlike Prince ought to go in person to the Wars especially â—â—ere he is certain of Victory Thus Ioab having for some time besieged that City of the Ammonites and being now ready to take it he gave notice to the King that He should come and be at the delivery of it up that so the Glory of the Action might be His. For by this means the People will be ready to admire their King as if he were something more then a King But He must be sure to decline all Evident Dangers and especially Duels Lest as the Israelites said to David He quench the Light of Israel For this was accounted a great fault in Alexander the Great that he would needs leap down first himself from off the Walls into a certain Town where He by that meanes received many Wounds For by that rash Act of his he in His Single person brought into Hazard the Monarchy of the whole World He must also reâ—ard his Old Souldiers with his Own hand and must preâ—er them to the Government of Castles and Forts and the rawer sort of Souldiers he must cause to exercise themselves in light skirmishes among themselves and in exercises of the Field Every King that swaieth a Scepter is either a Wolfe or a Hireling or lastly a Shepheard as Homer and the Holy Gospel it self also calls him A Tyrant is the Wolfe that keepes the Flock for his own Advantage and alwayes maketh away with all the Wealthiest Wisest Valiantest of his Subjects that so he may fill his own bags and may without any danger or controule Lord it as he list and range about through the whole flock spoyling whom he please And if the King of Spain should go about to shew himself such a one to his Subjects he will lose all as did those Dionysij of Syracuse Acciolinus of Padouâ— Caligula Nero Vitelliuâ— and the like The Hireling is he that kills not indeed his Subjects but rather drawes to himself all Profits Honours and advantages acquired by the service of his Souldiers and Vassals but he doth not at all defend them from the Ravenous Wolves I mean False Teachers nor other fierce Invaders and Oppressors As we may call the Venetians the Hireling Rulers of Cyprus seeing that they did not defend it against the Turkes And the Romans also were such in Relation of the Saguntines from whose necks they did not keep off Hannibals yoak And in like manner we may tearm Don Philip Maria the Hireling Vicount of the Genowayes for he mad onely a benefit of them but shewed not himself as a Governour over them Which cannot now be said of the Kiâ—g of Spain And these Hirelings or Mercenary Princes are suddenly losers by it as the former were As wee see the King of France lost by suffering Calvin to mount up into the Chaire as the Elector of Saxony likewise did by suffering that Wolf Luther For he that makes a prey of Mens Mind hath command over their Bodies also and will at length have the disposing of their Fortunes and estates too And therefore it is a meer Folly and Ignorance in those Princes whosoever they be that shall admit New Religions into their Dominions whereby the Minds of their Subjects are lead away And hence it was that Saul foresaw his own Ruin so soon as ever he perceaved the affections of the People inclined towards David And the Mischiefs of Germany Poland and France have been infinite since Luthers making a â—Prey and carring away the Minds and Affections of the Inhabitants of these Countriesâ— But that King is a Shepheard that feeds Himself with the Honour and Love of his People and them with his own Example Learning and Abundance of good Things and withall defends them by his Armes and Wholesome Lawes And therefore a good King ought to be endued with so much a greater proportion of Learning and Knowledge above his People who do infinitely herein excel Brute Beasts as the Shepheard is above his Mâ—te Flock So that a Prince as Plato said is somewhat
He made Muleasses King of that place without changing the former State of the Kingdom at all After this He conquered Germany that is to say the Protestant Princes there whom He devested of their Electoral Dignity substituting into their places their Brethren and Kinsmen but otherwise leaving them in the same state He found them And although He had once got Luther himself into his hands and power yet looking after the empty Fame only of being accounted a Merciful Prince He let him go again that so he might have the opportunity forsooth of seducing all Germany and the Nâ—therlands He took Fâ—ancis the King of France and then set him again at liberty that so he might raise up a new War against Him and thereby frustrate all that He had done before He also took in the Cities of Sienna Florence and bestowed them upon the Family of the Medici that so He might procure himself more powerful enemies by the bargain For whosoever is raised by any one to some degree of Power what service soever is due from him to his Rayser he will be sure to decline the doing it as much as he can and therefore he seeks all the occasions he can of shaking off the Yoak that he may make his Benefactor his Enemy which very thing was done by the Dukes of Florence and by Maurice Prince Elector of Saxony against Charles the Fifth And indeed such Benefits as by reason of the greatnesse of them cannot any way be returned commonly they draw a hatred upon the Virtue of the Benefactor as we see it evidently fell out in the case betwixt the aforementioned Francis King of France and Charles the Fifth Another cause that this Monarchy hath not yet hitherto been brought about is this because that Philip could not succeed his Father not so much as in the War and therefore lost both the Low-Countries together with the Imperial Titles But that Affliction which also fell upon him by the losse of Charles his Son was the most grievous of all the rest for he would have been able to have maintained the Wars in His stead which seeing the King of Spain is not able to do He is constrained alwaies to defend and make good the bounds of his Kingdom rather then to endeavour to enlarge them and to look to his Commanders and see that they do not pillage the Countries where their Command lies and enrich themselves out of the Kings Treasure it being their onely care how to keep up such a Trade of War by which they may make advantage to themselves rather then any way enlarge the Kings Dominions I shall therefore here lay down these Rules though they are not so proper for this place that when any new Country is conquered that is of a different Religion and manner of Government the Natives are presently to be removed out of it and carried into some other Country where they may serve as Slaves and their Children are to be Baptized and may be either put into the Seminaries before spoken of or else sent into the New World and into this conquered Country may be sent Colonies of Spaniards under the conduct of soâ—e Wise and faithful Commander Which Course ought to have been taken by Charles the Fifth at Tunis who should also have carried away Muleasses to Naples And He should by right have done the very same thing in Germany namely in Saxony in the Marquisat of Brandenburg and the Lantgravedome of Hessen into which Countries He should have sent New Colonies under the Command of New Governours The Free Cities also He should have suppressed and have taken away their Priviledges and lastly He should have made Three Cardinals the Governous of all Germany But when any New Country is taken in that is not of a different Religion but only differing in Government let Him then change nothing at all in matters that concern the People but only let Him set strong Guards upon the Country and let the Chief Officers be chosen all out of the Kings party but the Inferiour out of the Common People of the place the Lawes whereof may also be altered by little and little and made to conforme to the Kings Lawes either by heightning or abating the rigour of them according as the Condition and Temper of the place shall require All Authors or Heads of Factoins must be presently removed out of the way either by Death if they have been Enemies or if they have been friends they must be carried away into Spain that they may there receive Baronies for their reward or may have liberty of free Traffick into the Kings Dominions granted them But the Chief Heads of such People as He shall subdue He must never suffer to continue in their places which course ought to have been taken with the Strozzi Medici Cappones Petruccij and other Ringleaders and Heads of Factions at Sienna and Florence And indeed the same Course should have been taken with Francis King of France that so he might have had no further opportunity of attempting any thing against Charles the V. But as for the Hereticks and Luther the best way would have been to have suppressed them under some other Pretense presently after the breaking up of the Diet at Ausburg as I shall shew hereafter And if Chaâ—les the Fifth had but taken these Courses He had never left behind him so much work and trouble for King Philip and perhaps his young son Charles too might have been alive at this day and might perhaps by His Arms have added Africk Hungary Macedonia Italy and England to his Dominions But He as I have before said was the onely cause of all those Evills which we see at this day So that I do not wonder at all that notwithstanding the vast Treasures of the King of Spain yet the bounds of His Monarchy are not all this while enlarged But I rather wonder that so Wealthy a Prince hath not laid up all such his Revenues for Necessary Uses against times of need which might have been his ruin For if so be his Negotiation by Sea should be stopt or interrupted but for one five or six yeares space together or that his Plate Fleet should be intercepted in its return home from the West-â—ndies would it not be so sore a cut to him as that he must of necessity be forced to oppresse his own snbjects by laying most heavy and unusual Taxes upon them and so draw upon himself their Hate and besides should he not also undoe all his Merchants and defraud his Souldiers of their Pay and by that means be in danger of losing them upon every the least Occasion And indeed it is a thing much to be wondred at how and which way such vast Summes of Mony should come to be wasted and yet the King not any thing at all the better for it for we see that He is still Poor for all this and is almost continually borrowing Mony of others And therefore I say that it
the Princes of Italy and that by reason of their Union in point of Religion I say moreover that He cannot suffer any Notable Overthrow â—nlesse it be by some very Potent Prince such a One as the great Turk is who yet lying so very far remote from him as Alexander the Great of old did from the Romans cannot so quickly ruin him whereas on the Contrary any Peaceable Agreement of the Christians among themselves if so be it were but Firm and Lasting would utterly confound the Turk And therefore I say that although King Philips Kingdomes lye scattered far and near yet his enemies also lye far asunder one from another and therefore it is clear that his Emulators the Italians Tuscans and Venetians will never enter into a Combination against him unlesse he First give them some evident cause and wrong them very much Neither indeed will the Pope ever suffer any acts of Hostility to be done against His Catholick Majesty and besides it is also most certain that the Catholick Princes both out of fear of the Hereticks and also of the Authority of the Pope will never attempt any such thing And the Hereticks are at very great Variance also amongst themselves and for this reason Germany being divided into severall small Republicks cannot do him any harm at all and it is besides part of it made subject to the House of Austria and the Archdukes thereof by the Emperours and part also to certain Archbishops who are withall secular Princes as namely the Archbishops of Mâ—ntz of Colen Trevers Salsburg Strasburg and Bamberg and part also to the Dukes of Bavaria so that the Protestants can by no meanes make any Insurrection against the King of Spain The Lower Germany also is divided into more Common-Wealths then the other all which bear Armes against the King of Spain though it be only to defend themselves and not to offend Him And of this number are the Provinces of Holland Frisland and Zealand Besides the Upper and the Lower Germanies differ very much in their Religion which we may also say of the Danes Norwegians Transylvanians Gotlanders Polonians French Switzers and Grisons so that the King hath no need at all to fear that these should ever all joyn together against him and besides the King retains a great part of these Nations in pay and by that means keeps them his friends and then the King of Poland and the Prince of Transylvania are allied to him by Marriage and so are in league and amity with him So that He hath no body to stand in fear of but only the King of France and the King of England which two Princes by reason of their being of different Religions can never agree together Now although the King of Spain cannot as yet subdue the King of France yet it makes very much for His Interest that the King of France being absolved by the Pope is returned again to the Obedience of the Church For otherwise he would have been the Head of all the Transalpine Hereticks and would have marcht with an Army of them over into Italy to the great Prejudice both of the Pope and of our King which None of the Hereticks hath to this day adventured to do merely for want of a Powerful General to head them Then besides there is a Division broken out in France betwixt the Catholicks and the Hereticks and which is the chiefest thing of all there are in that Kingdome many Potent Bishops who would not by any means see Spain ruined And lastly our Kings Subjects do not come into the field with Lances Swords and Horses as the French use to do but they come into it armed with Guns which are a kind of Arms that are fitter for the defending of strong Holds and Fortifications then for the setting upon an Enemy in an open Field And hence it is that the French are able indeed to resist all the Spaniards Attempts but they cannot overcome them for in this case the very Princes and States of Italy who have to this day alwaies held with the French would go over to the Spaniard for it is their Design to keep the Ballance alwaies so even betwixt these two Nations as that neither of them may preponderate and bear down the Scales and so make a Prey of the Other which Hiero King of Syracuse heretofore laboured to do betwixt the Romans and the Carthaginians although he failed of his purpose Besides the King of France cannot march with an Army into Spain by reason of the Fortified Places and Castles that lye in his way and are kept by the Spaniards who are very well skilled in defending such Places Neither can he so soon march out with an Army against Millan or Naples but that the King of Spain can be much sooner in France with an Army and shall so force him to return back again and defend his own Kingdom Neither did the King of France ever passe over into Italy unlesse when he was assisted by the Pope as the Expedition of Charles of Anjou testifies or except he were called in by some Prince or State of Italy as Charles the Eighth was called in by the Duke of Millan which yet at this time can hardly be done again For the Italians were now afraid that they would bring in a New Religion with them And besides it is a usual thing that that Prince that first calls Forraigners in to his aide shall be first ruined by them for he must necessarily entertain them and allow them Quarters who after they have overcome the adverse Party will joyn with them and so drive out Him who called them first in Examples of this we have in the Sforza's Castruccio's and the Florentines with many others and also in the Pope himself although his own Papal Authority restored him again And therefore the Spaniard hath no need to fear the King of France much And as for the English he hath much lesse reason to stand in fear of them seeing they are shut up within an Island and we seldome see Islanders get any sure footing and make themselves Masters of any part of a Forraign Continent And therefore it is sufficient for them if they can keep their own only they send out their Ships to fetch in Prizes by Sea but for this Mischief I shall hereafter set down a Remedy Only let the King of Spain take care that the English joyn not their Navy with the Hollanders Scots Danes Norwegians and Danzickers for if they should they might then be able to overrun all Spain as the Alans Goths and Vandals did of old And yet seeing that these Nations differ all in Religion and the King of Spain doth craftily under hand sow new seeds of Dissention amongst them there is no great cause to fear that they should joyn their forces together â—pon any design Let us now see what Spain is able to do within it self and by what means it may become Greater and enlarge its Territories laying down this
Knighthood to be bestowed upon Idle Persons that the King may not alwaies be forced to make use of Auxiliary Seamen or else to imploy Mercenaries such as the Genois are In sâ—ch Islands as these the Barons ought to have a stricter hand held over them then any others because that the Conveniency of the situation of such places may tempt them to take an occasion of Rebelling here rather then in any other places these men being indeed Naturally inclined to be Rebells And therefore the best way would be to send Barons from out of some other Countries into these Islands and of all other those of Spain are the fittest the rather because they lye all in the same Climate and these should be put in trust with all Offices and Seafaring Affaires with whom may be joyned some Transalpines partly to assist them as Souldiers and partly for Procreation of Children Neither ought any Noble men of the Natives to be intrusted with any of the stronger Holds or Castles for these are most commonly the Authors and Ringleaders of all Rebellions as they have alwaies proved against the French especially And yet these men have been since very faithful to the Arragonians by reason of their likenesse both in Temper and Manners In a word there is nothing more Necessary for the making a Prince to reign happily then that he throughly understand the Nature Temper and Inclination of his Subjects For according as He finds these to be so must He order his Government CHAP. XXIII Of Germany COmming now to speak of such Nations as are Enemies to the King of Spain to some of which notwithstanding He hath some Title the Germans first offer themselves unto us whom yet the King needs not fear seeing that the House of Austria is the most powerful in all Germany being now raised up to so great a height of Greatnesse and Power by continual Marriages with great Princes and Hereditary Successions and great Alliances as we see it at this day For Maximilian had the Provinces of the Lower Germany falling to him by Mary his wife who was daughter to Chaâ—les the last Duke of Burgundy and Philipâ— Maximilians Son became possessed of Spain with all its Appurtenances by the marriage of Ioan he daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella in which Kingdomes his Son Charles succeeded And in these our daies King Philip the most worthy Son of so worthy a Father hath had Portugal with all its Appurtenances which certainly are very great fallen to Him by the death of his Mother Isabella from which very house is derived the Title of King of Both Spains Now we are to understand that the house of Austria is in league with none save only Catholick Princes such as is the Duke of Bavaria with the German Archbishops Bishops and some few others and therefore it is very necessary that these should still be more and more closely united to each other not only in Religion but also by Marriages into one anothers families and other like ties and bonds of Friendship which as it is the Justest course that can be taken so it is also the safest and is much more firm and durable then any other whatsoever But there must be all the care taken that may be to sow continuallâ— the seeds of discord and dissention between the Marquesse of Brandenburg the Landgrave of Hessen the Duke of Saxony the Duke of Brunswick the Count Palatine of the Rhine and also the Duke of Wirtemberg and those other Petty Common-wealths in Germany which may easily be effected by reason of those State Divisions and Emulations that frequently trouble these Republicks and fill them with suspicions and Jealousies of each other Anâ— hence it comes to passe that they never come in with their Aiâ—es to the Emperours in any seasonable time First because they conceive the Emperours businesse and design to be to bring Hungary in subjection not to the Roman Empire but rather to the House of Austria and then again they are afraid lest the Emperour when he is now grown to so great a height of Power should endeavour to put a yoak upon their necks also and keep them in subjection And therefore they do acknowledge Him to be indeed the Head of their Union but yet they will not yeeld Him any Homage but themselves order matters as they see cause among themselves both in reference to the abolishing of old Lawes and enacting New as also in doing the like in matters of Religion a sufficient example whereof we have both in Norimberg Spires Strasbourg and Frankford Yet I shall here add that this Dissension among the German Princes is in one respect Advantageous to the King of Spain and in an other Prejudicial as it usually proveth to be in reference to all Forreign Powers For the Turk hath already taken away Bosnia Croatia and Hungary from the House of Austria and it is to be feared that possibly he may some time or other force his way even into Austria it self also And then if Germany should find it self to suffer thus under the Protection of this House possibly they may reject â—t and elect some Heretick to be their Emperour which certainly would prove to be the cause of many Greater Mischeifs And therefore I conceive the King of Spain ought to labour as much as in him lies to bring either the Emperour himself or else his brother Maximilian to enter into a League with the Duke of Transylvania or else with the Muscovites and that they should joyn all their force and strength together to ruin the Turk I would have the Emperour also to engage Himself faithfully both to the Protestant Princes and Free Cities of Germany and also to the Duke of Bavaria that what places soever He shall take in in his Wars they shall be all reckoned as Parts added to the Empire and not be accounted as Additions to his Own House only Then again I would have him during the time of the War to confer upon all such persons of Eminency as shall be sent to his assistance by the Free Cities Lands and Lordships and the like Gratuities by this means to oblige them the more to His service rather then to that of their own Native Country in like manner as Caesar engaged His Army even against Rome it self But this must be the businesse only of some one of the House of Austria that shall be a Person both of great Valour and Wisedom neither can any meaner man undertake it And then having conquered the Turks He must next march with his Forces against Germany calling in to his assistance some â—paniards also and Italians For unlesse He do so there is some reason to fear that the King of Spain may receive some prejudice thereby He must therefore take care and to the same end deal both with the Emperour and the Popeâ— that the Right of Election of the Emperour may be put into the hands of such only as are his Friends such as are the
and how great Errours we have of late years committed in reference to them that so for the future we may be the more wary as to this Particular The French Nation being descended from Iaphet by Gomer by their strength and the force of their Armes and having also their Religion and the Fates Propitious to them have had very great Successes in that under the Conduct of Charles the Great and King Pepin they arrived to so great a Monarchy as they then had And certainly all the other Princes of Christendom had at that time an eâ—e upon the Kingdom of France and if the French had but crusht the Impiety of the Mahumetans when it was yet but in the Bud they might easily have compassed the Monarchy of the whole World and that so much the rather by reason that their Rivals the Spaniards were divided into Many several Kingdomes and were besides held in Play with the Moors who had invaded their Country so that at that time they were not at leasure to interrupt the French or to take them off from their Designes as the French at this day hinder Them in theirs But for as much as the French have not the skill of carrying a Moderate Hand in Government over such Forraigners as are under their Subjection but are too Impatient and Indiscreet they could never yet attain to so great a height of Power For they are apt to arrogate too much to themselves shewing no gravity at all they permit their Subjects to do what they please and so sometimes they use them too cruelly and sometimes again too gently having no regard at all to their own defects and weaknesses And hence it hath come to passe that though they have gotten many things abroad yet they have not been able to keep any of them For in One eveningâ— they lost all Sicily and almost in as short a time the Kingdom of Naples too together with the Duchy of Millan and for no other reason but only because that they knew not how through want of Prudence in Governing to oblige their Subjects to them by the Love of the Publick Good nor yet took any care to draw in others to put themselves under their Protection For when the people once perceaved that there would be very litle or no difference to them in respect of their Libertyâ— whether they served the French or the Spaniards they would not vouchsafe so much as to draw a Sword in their behalf And for the very same reason did the King of France and the Duke of Millan several times lose their Dominion over the Genois We may add hereto in reference to the French the Discord that was betwixt the Sons of Charles the Great because that one of them would be King of Italy another of Germany and a third of France and likewise the weaknesse of the French Nobility who would needs all be free Princes and live of themselves without any Head such as are the Duke of Burgundy the Earl of Flanders the Duke of Bretaigne of the Delphinate of Savoy the Count Palatine of the Rhine with diverse others each of which would needs be an Absolute Prince of himselfâ— So that as well for these Reasons and because of their being dâ—vided in their Religion and also as well by Fate as by God himself and besides by not laying hold upon Occasion when it was offered they seem to be excluded from ever attaining to the Universal Monarchy of the whole World And therefore the Majesty of the Universal Dominion over all seemes rather to incline toward the Spaniards both because Fate it self seemes to have destined the same unto Them as also because it seemes in some sort to be their Due by reason of their Patience and Discretion But because that the very Situation of the Country the manner of their Armes in War and the natural Enmity that there is betwixt the French and the Spaniards seem to require that France should be continually in War with Spain and should be still interrupting their Glorious Proceedings like as also when it was in a flourishing state under Charles the Fifth it was hindred by Francis King of France and as it may also at this day be troubled by the Hereticks of France and their King Henry the Fourth who is a Valiant and Warlick Person these things I say being considered it nearly concerns the King of Spain seriously to consider the state of his own Affaires and withal to weigh the Power of France and to be sure when any fit Opportunity is offered to fall upon them with all his might to set upon them on that part where they are Weakest that â—o that other part where they are more powerful may sink of it self Seeing therefore that they are weak not in Armes but in Wisdom and Brain He ought to manage his War against them accordingly And therefore first of all he must be sure to lay hold on Fortune and Opportunity whensoever they offer themselves as evidently appeares by the example of that good Fortune that delivered the aforenamed King Francis and Germany into the hands and power of Charles the Fifth by which means had he pursued that Opportunity he might have crushed all the Princes that were his Competitors for he ought immediately to have bent his whole strength against France and by the assistance of the Germans to have repressed and curbed the Insolency of the French I say by the assistance of the Germans for they as being the more Fierce Nation of the two have alwaies been as an Antidote against the Fiercenesse of the French And hence it is that the Franconians Normans Swedes Gotlanders Danes and other Northern Forraign Nations have alwaies in a manner been to hard for the French that lye not so Northerly as they And therefore as I said Charles the Fifth ought immediately with an Army of Germans to have set upon France And after that he should have put Guards of Spaniards into all their Castles and strong Holds and should have placed Italians in all their Courts of Judicature and have appointed them to regulate their Lawes and then should either have brought France wholly under his own Power and Obedience or else should have put it into the hands of some Petty Princes to be governed by them and so should presently have declared Himself Head of the Christian World But he instead of doing thus had recourse to that Vain uselesse course of securing himself by marriage chusing rather to winne over to him his Rivall Neighbour by Fair meanes which is never to be done but with those that are farther off and which is especially to be declined when a Prince hath so Potent Neighbours that are his Antagonists for an Empire For the Fâ—ench had first a design of making themselves Universall Monarchs of the World before the Spaniards had any such thought whom the French afterwards envied when they found them aspiring that way A second Opportunity of keeping France under in such