Imprimatur Prid. Id. Jul. M.DC.XL Tho. Broun A TREATISE OF THE INTEREST OF THE PRINCES AND STATES OF CHRISTENDOME Written in French by the most noble and illustrious Prince the Duke of Rohan Translated into English By H. H. Printed at Paris M. DC.XXXX TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE JOHN LORD FINCHE BARON OF FORDWICH Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England and one of his Majesties most honorable Privie Councell c. MY LORD THis little Booke being written by so excellent a person as the Duke of Rohan and treating of so weighty a Subject as the Interest of the Princes and States of Christendome being received also with good esteeme by some judicious men I thought it not amisse to communicate the same imploying the advantage of so many spare minutes during my abode in France as to make it speake English Then being invited to expose it to the light to the publike view the publike voyce taught it to implore your Lordships protection whether be considered the quality of the Author the gravity of the Matter or Knowledge in the Originall wherein it was penned For as the Author was noble and eminent in his place in like manner is your Honour shining in your orb as a starre of the first Magnitude lending a most benigne and gracious influence to the just causes of the oppressed distressed fatherlesse and widow The Matter is of politick maximes and divers remarkable occurrences in sundry Republikes and to whom now can this be more aptly addressed then to a principall Minister of State in whom Prudence Science and Integrity in a sweet harmony doe all concurre to make a perfect conduct of affaires for the glory of God the honour of the King and the good of this Church and Common-wealth Lastly the Originall from whence it was derived being French your admired knowledge and unparallell'd expressions in the same language may speake you as well a patterne in the originall as a Patron in this translation For my owne part if it may be permitted to say any thing of my selfe I speak confidently My Lord with your permission that albeit I had not so much vanity as to perswade my selfe that any thing could proceed from me worthy your reception or advantagious to your Honour since that my act herein shewed more of duty then merit and its insufficiencie demanded rather pardon then remuneration yet had I some kinde of assurance that a favourable acceptation would entertaine what I most humbly present seeing the most heroick minde disdaines not the meanest services but like the Sunne that nobler Planet spreads his indifferent rayes upon all as well on abject as glorious objects These and such like considerations made me adventure but with all reverence and humility to prefix here your most Honorable Name that thereby this Book might live and withall incessantly beseeching him whose name is I AM to preserve and continue Yours in perpetuall being in all honour and prosperity and to write your name in a larger volume the Book of life For which end the Lord be still your Keeper and Seale you with that great Seale the holy Spirit of promise to the day of redemption So prayeth My Lord Your Lordships most humbly devoted HENR HUNT THE CONTENTS OF THE INTEREST OF THE Princes and States of Christendome THe preface pag. 1. Of the interest of Spaine pag. 4. Of the interest of France p. 13. Of the interest of the Princes of Italie pag. 18. Of the interest of the sea of Rome p. 22. Of the interest of the Duke of Sauoy pag. 24. Of the interest of Germanie p. 26. Of the interest of the Suisses and of the vnited Prouinces of the Low-Countries p. 31. Of the interest of England p. 34. THE SECOND PART OF The interest of the Princes and States of Christendome the Preface p. 38. THe first discourse vpon the affaire of the League p. 40. The Second discourse vpon the warre of Sauoy p. 58. The Third discourse vpon the difference that happened betvveen Pope Paul V. and the Republike of Venice the yeare 1605. p. 64. The Fourth discourse concerning the Truce of the Low-Countries with the King of Spaine pag. 81. The Fifth discourse vpon the affaire about the succession of Cleues and Iulliers p. 93. The sixt discourse vpon the Election of the Count Palatine to the Kingdome of Bohemia pag. 103. The Seuenth descourse vpon the commotions that happened in Italie for the succession of the Dutchies of Mantua and Montferrat p. 117. FINIS OF THE INTEREST OF THE PRINCES AND STATES OF CHRISTENDOME THE PRINCES commaund the People and the Interest commaunds The Princes The knowledge of this Interest is as much more raised aboue that of Princes actions as they themselues are aboue the People The Prince may deceiue himselfe his Counsell may be corrupted but the interest alone can neuer faile According as it is well or ill vnderstood it maketh States to liue or die And as it allwaies aimeth at the augmentation or at leastwise the conseruation of a State so likewise to get thither it ought to varie according to the times So that to consider well the interest of the Princes of this time wee need not remount very high but onely take the standing of the present affaires For this purpose one ought to lay for a ground that there be two Powers in Christendome which are as the two Poles from whence descend the influences of peace and warre vpon the other states to wit the howses of France and Spaine This of Spaine finding it selfe augmented all at once hath not beene able to conceale the designe shee had to make her selfe Mistresse and cause the Sunne of a new Monarchie to rise in the West That of France is forthwith carried to make a counterpoise The other Princes are annexed to the one or the other according to their interest But forsomuch as this interest as it hath beene well or ill followed hath caused the ruine of some or the greatnesse of others I haue purposed to publish in this present Treatise First what was the true interest of these two mightie Powers and then of the other which seeme in some manner to depend on their protection Next of all I shall shew how much has beene the digression from this true interest either because the Prince hath not well vnderstood it or else for that he was disguised by the corruption of his Ministers OF THE INTEREST OF SPAINE SPAINE is at the head of Europe where the Ocean serues her for bounds vpon the entrance of the Mediterranean sea which separates the same from Affricke hauing the Pyrenean mountaines for barriers against Frāce On this great Country so well situated do depend many States spread in diuerse parts of the world Philip King of Spaine who attempted to extend this vast power to the top of all greatnesse finding himselfe lesse sitt for warre then ciuill businesses judged that Monarchies got as it were in post by the valour of warlike Princes are not of
DISCOVRSE VPON THE AFFAIRE of the League VNDER the Raignes of Francis the second and Charles the ninth France was exceedingly molested with ciuill warres the youth of these two Princes was the principall cause thereof Each would haue the managing of affaires A contestation was betwixt Queene Catherine their mother and the Princes of the blood and vnder them the houses wich had most power were those of Guise and Montmorancy which had quietly ruled Henry the second their Father Francis of Lorraine Duke of Guise bore the partie of Catherine Annas Duke of Montmorancy tooke part with the Princes of the blood Likewise there was amongst them difference of Religion The warres about Religion were great and bloodie and lasted euen to the death of Charles the ninth and his brother Henry the third succeeded him He was of age capable to gouerne he had goodly qualities and gaue hopes of a happy Reigne At his comming to the Crowne Henry testified a desire to lead a peaceable life but it was rather for to plunge himselfe in idlenesse and pleasures then to reigne well Henry Duke of Guise sonne of Francis a Prince endowed with great qualities and full of loftie thoughts seeing the King and his Brother without children and the first Princes of the blood to make profession of the Protestant Religion is bold to aspire vnto the Royaltie and to gett thither makes himselfe Protecteur of the Catholikes and the Persecutour of the Protestāts against whom he stirred vp diuers warres Henry of Bourbon King of Nauarre first Prince of the blood Chief of the Protestant partie and a Prince adorned with an heroïque vertue successfully waged diuers warres in fauour of the Protestants Here be three Henry's Chiefs of three seueral parties in France who haue euery one their interest The King to maintaine his lawfull authoritie The Duke of Guise to possesse the Kings place and the King of Nauarre to hinder the King of France his ruine which was indeed his owne and of his partie which made him subsist in reputation The first of these through weakenesse lets himselfe be induced to make warre vpon the King of Nauarre The second makes himselfe Head of the Catholike partie The third becomes Protectour of the Protestāts So that as he who ought to haue commaunded others is very happie to haue place onely in the partie of the Duke of Guise who therein came so farre with him that when he was kill'd in the yeare 1588. he was vpon the point to make him be declared to the States of the Realme incapable to reigne and the Princes of the blood to succeed him Philipp King of Spaine who had allwaies an eye open to his great designe foments this businesse fauours the Duke of Guise at Rome helps him with money in France le ts him not want for any thing and euen after his death continues his assistance to his Brother Charles Duke of Mayne The King seeing himselfe abandonn'd of all the great Townes of his Realme and of the most part of his Nobilitie casts himselfe into the armes of the King of Nauarre who by his assistance retireth him almost from the hands of his enemies which held him besieged within Tours he brings him as triumphant before his Capitall Cittie of Paris where by the stab of a knife he dyed and left the Kingdome to the King of Nauarre in the yeare 1589. This Prince seeing himselfe eleuated to so high a dignitie was inuited by the change of his condition to make change of his interest and quitting that which he had held euen till then he embraced that of France He had great oppositions caused by Philip as well by his practises at Rome as by his assistance to the League of France allwaies vnder pretext of his great zeale for the Catholike Religion During the time that Henry is a Protestant Philip maintaines that he cannot reigne causeth him to be excommunicated his Subjects to be dispensed from the oath of allegeance setteth his kingdome in prey that by this meanes he might gett it as easily as Ferdinand got the Kingdome of Nauarre from his Predecessour When he giues hope to turne Catholike Philip declareth that he is an Hypocrite and that hauing beene relapsed he can neuer lawfully reigne he aideth his enemies with money and armes sufficient to weaken both parties but not to ruine the one in such sort as that the other might subsist without him willing to wearie them whom he maintained to the end that they should be constrained to giue themselues vp to him Henry on his part shewes vnto Queene ELIZABETH and the Vnited Prouinces with the Protestants of Germanie and the Swisses what interest they had all in the cause He receiued great assistance from them all and euen secretly from Ferdinand great Duke of Tuscanie a Prince of great vnderstanding and who judged that the acquisition of France to the King of Spaine was to subject all the other Princes But the Republike of Venice onely amongst all the Catholike States did without delay acknowledge him King of France after the death of his Predecessour So wellas with all these aides and his owne valour he resisted in the very beginning and afterwards hauing obtained diuers victories and his affaires beginning to prosper he was considered as a great Prince From thence forward the People wearie of their miseries beganne to disabuse themselues and to giue no more such credence as they had done to their Preachers the Nobilitie to thinke vpon the side that prosper'd the Gouernours of Townes to assure their affaires with the strongest and the Principalls of the partie to conserue what dignitie soeuer they had beene raised vnto All these commotions caused the Leaguers to assemble the States Philip takes occasion from such an extremitie for to perswade them that the onely remedie to restablish their affaires was to choose a King and offers his daughter to him whom they chose This was the apple of discord The Duke of Mayne principall Commaunder could not pretend to haue her he being allreadie married nor would suffer that another should lest himselfe from being Master should become a Seruant His Nephew the Duke of Guise was inticed with this daintie bit The Duke of Nemours his Vnkle had as good an appetite as he The Duke of Mercueur pretended the Dutchie of Britanie to belong to him by his Wife The eldest sonne of the Duke of Lorraine as head of the familie was also mentioned So that Philip thought by this discord to draw them to make choice of him While these things were a doing Henry turnes Catholike This change made some of the principall Townes and Gouernours to declare themselues on his parte and the other beganne to treate in the Court of Rome Philip neglects nothing no more then the chiefest Leaguers for to impeache that Henry be not acknowledged a good Catholike and a long time hindered his Ambassadour from hauing Audience At the length Clement VIII then Pope seeing well that he was establishing
meanes he kept the Catholikes that followed him thereby also he gained newe ones from the partie of the Leaguers and he lost not the Protestants who he well knew could neuer be taken in the number of his enemies without destroying the pretext of Religion which alone maintained them So as that this Prince complying with the time knew how to take his aduantages so fitly that he had good successe in his affaires Philipp who had a designe to the Christian Monarchie and imagining that the maine obstacle which he should therein meet with was the puissance of France he embraces the occasion offer'd vnto him for to ruine the same He aptly serues his purpose by the ill gouernment of the King and by the ambition of the Duke of Guise He inciteth the first to expell the Protestants out of his Kingdome by which way so euer giueth him his owne example offereth him his assistance publisheth his great zeale at Rome exhorts the Pope to ioyne with him in such a pursuite On the other side he vnderhand exciteth the second to continue courageously his designe assists him with money and Counsell And by such deuises he makes himselfe esteemed in France as the chiefest prop of their Religion He makes a diuision betwixt the King and the Protestants of Europe he authoriseth the Duke of Guise amongst the Catholikes of France he incenceth the people against the Princes of the blood and remoueth so much as he can the the children of the Familie from the gouernment of the Realme for to introduce Strangers there No other consideration diuerteth him from his profound designe he holds that allwaies couered vnder the vaile of Pietie and of his great zeale to the Catholike Religion He trauelles there step by step without being impatient through the length of the way or precipitated through any accident After the Duke of Guise his death in stead of leauing off the worke he became more resolute He assists his Brother and the whole partie so much the more vigorously as he beleeued there was more need and euen thought assuredly that it would be more easie for him now to make an aduantageous gaine thereby then in the life time of the said Duke Because that the whole faction hauing more need of him he could more easily reduce them to his owne will In so much as he aduanced the businesse so forward that the Kingdome of France escaped not his hands but by miracle And if he had beene content onely to dissipate it in stead of getting it intirely he had therein obtain'd his ends And this is the onely fault that he committed against his interest in this Affaire For had he considered the affection this Nation beares towards her Kings the detestation shee has of the Spanish dominion besides her naturall sicklenesse as also the reputation of the clemencie of Henry IIII. he would not haue beene so obstinate as to goe about to surmount things impossible and would haue contented himselfe to part the Realme among seuerall personnes And aftewards vpon the differences that are wont to happen betweene vsurpers it would haue beene farre more easie for him to gett by peece-meale what he would haue carried all at once Howsoeuer it would haue beene a gaine great enough to him to diuide this mightie Kingdome the which being Vnited does euery where impeach the amplification of Spaine THE SECOND DISCOVRSE VPON THE WARRE OF SAVOY IT seemed that the Peace of Veruins had restabished a solid tranquillitie to Christendome and that these two mightie Powers of France and Spaine wearied of troubling each other had beene glad to tast of rest But as it is ordinarie that in all accords which are made between Princes and Soueraigne States there men leaue vndecided the Claimes about Which they cannot agree So likewise in this Peace the restitution of the Marquisate of Saluces was remitted to another season in such wise as Henry afther hauing imployed some yeares to setle againe the affaires of his Realme in good order he resolued to question the Duke of Sauoy for the inuasion of the said Marquisate insomuch as he made him plainly vnderstād that he would haue it restored This peece although little is of very great importance It is the Port of Italie whereby the French might passe either to assault or succour it Those that feared their power had reason to withstand the designe of Henry but those that feared any other fauoured him So the interests of Italie were diuided Emanuel Duke of Sauoy as the most interessed of all in the businesse vses all meanes to diuert this Tempest He solliciteth the King of Spaine not to forsake him and gaineth the Popes Nephew Cardinal Aldobrandin to procure the Popes fauour But being exceedingly confident of his dexteritie and adresse he resolued to goe into France to the end that vnder the pretence of treating this affaire he might gaine some of the principall Ministers of Henry and raise a broile within the Kingdome herein he was at great cost and vsed such sleights that he failed but very little of his purpose Neuerthelesse being too confident of a thing vncertaine and hauing too much neglected the meanes of his true assurance he became so surprised that within three Moneths he was dispoyled of all Bresse and Sauoy This rude beginning awak'd him He continues his practises in France he hasteth the succour of Spaine and seekes the intercession of the Pope who to this effect sendeth the Cardinall Aldobrandin towards Henry for to treate the same In the meane while euery one armeth some to assault Piemont others to defend it but the mediation of the Peace was the strongest For it was concluded in the yeare 1600. wherein Sauoy was render'd to the Duke and Bresse remained to Henry for exchange of the Marquisdome of Saluces That which made Henry commit this errour against his interest was the desire he had to tast of repose it being a thing certaine that a man ordinarily flatters himselfe in that whereunto his fancie carries him This Prince naturally loued his pleasures and the necessitie of his affaires allwaies engaged him to labour So as now seeing himselfe at peace in his Relme and beleeuing he had done enough for his honour he chose rather to take a recompence for the said Marquisate then to imbarke himselfe in a long warre This Peace touched Ferdinand great Duke of Tuscanie so much to the heart for the prejudice that it brought to the libertie of the Princes of the Italie that he offered to breake it by the meanes of 200000. crownes wherewith He and the States of Venice should furnish the Cardinall Aldobrandin But Henry would not hearken to it In this affaire and the sequele thereof there are two things remarkable Viz. The losse which France hath sustained by leauing the Marquisate of Saluces and the aduantage that one gets by gaining the Nephewes of the Pope By the first the French-man has lost all credit in the affaires of Italie and the Spaniard remaines Master
perpetuated and because shee would not be violently incountred hereafter shee has essayed to put downe those who had lawfull right to interrupt that course endeauoring likewise to lift vp her selfe by abolishing the lawes of the Empire and by vsurping the principall States and Townes thereof The first euident occasion that has manifested in our time this designe was vpon the succession of Cleues and Iulliers which happened in the beginning of March the yeare 1609. occasioned by the death of Iohn William who hauing noe children of his owne left this goodly heritage to his foure sisters married to the Elector of Brandebourg to the Duke of Neubourg to the Duke of Deu ponts and to the Marquesse of Turgaw The first of these laied claime to the succession entire as indiuisible hauing married the eldest The second makes the same claime because the eldest sister died before the brother and his wife was the eldest of the sisters liuing The two other say that it ought to be equally parted betwixt them all foure Moreouer the Electour of Saxonie reuiued an old title and also the Duke of Neuers another Brandebourg and Neubourg enter in possession the Emperour becomes offended thereat pretending that the whole heritage ought to be sequestred into his hands and each of them to vndergoe his ordinance He sends thither Leopold a Prince of hie owne House who seiseth on Iulliers the principall fortresse of the Country The Princes that were in possession seeing such an obstacle judged well that this sequestration tended to an vsurpation and not thinking themselues able enough to resist in regard of the neighbourhood of Flanders and of the best forces of Spaine who in an occasion so aduantageous for the House of Austria would not faile to helpe her kinseman they haue recourse to those who were principally interessed to impeach the amplification of the said House They rallie to their defence France England and the Low-countries with the most part of the Protestant Princes of Germanie who made such a mightie warlike prouision to recouer Iulliers seised by the said Leopold that notwithstanding the vnexpected death of Henry which happened before the execution yet the designe was happily accomplished Spaine not daring to oppose it One may see in this affaire euery one 's true interest That of the Emperour was to make vse of the occasion to catch hold of such an Estate in Germanie That of the King of Spaine to assist him therein as well for the principall end which is the aduancement of the whole House as for the neighbourhood of the said State to Flanders That of the lawfull successours was to maintaine their owne right That of the Germaine Princes not to suffer that Power whereof they were jealous to be strengthened by their owne weakening And the interests of France England and Holland were not to permit the amplifying of all the House of Austria Hitherto euery one played his game aright but Marie for to support the interests of Spaine that promised her to maintaine hers euen to the end abandonneth those of France and againe secondeth the trouble about this succession The occasion was offred by the imprudence of the Princes that held the possession which caused the King of Spaine to reattempt the businesse The sonnes of Brandebourg and Newbourg did joyntly gouerne this faire Estate The forteresses were guarded by equall garrisons they dwelt in the same Pallace and managed their affaires with one common hand But this lasted not long it being no easie matter to gouerne a State long time after this manner without dissension especially between two Princes of diuerse houses where there is also diuersitie of Religion They beganne to enter into jealousie one of another Those that were friends to them both and interessed in their subsistence perceiuing the same and fearing least their misintelligence should increase perswaded them to make an alliance together Newbourg agrees thereto goes to the Electour Brandebourg and requires of him his daughter in marriage But as the best meates being corrupted turne into the strongest poison so in the most wholesome counsell giuen to these Princes to confirme their amitie there was found occasion of a most implacable hatred which caused the ruine of them both in the said succession For whil'st they were in the deboshes of their feastes the Electour vpon some discourse that did not please him offended Newbourg so farre euen in his owne house and at the table as to giue him a boxe on the eare for which he would not afterward make him any teasonable satisfaction In such wise that in stead of a wife he carries backe an offence so engrauen in his heart as he admitteth noe other counsell but that of reuenge This spirit thus exasperated being vpon returne to Cleue-land it was easie for the Spaniards to gaine him to them They made meanes to marrie him with the sister of the Duke of Bauaria perswaded him to turne Catholike for to make all the Catholike league of Germanie to be on his side they take him into protection and giue him a pension The vnited States seeing how prejudiciall this change would be to them they supported Brandebourg These Princes from suspicions doe come to attempts Newbourg seiseth on Dusseldorp Brandebourg on Iulliers from whence the King of Spaine takes a pretexte to stirre and armeth powerfully to recouer the same The States on the other side prepare to defend it They furnish it with men and munition fitt to sustaine a great siege The true interests of France being forsaken they had nothing from thence but words and Embassages England seeing France had giuen off was contented to doe the like in sending her Embassadours The Princes of Germanie seeing themselues forsaken of these two Crownes and diuided amongst themselues both by Religion and by the different affections that they bore to those two Princes they therefore stirre not at all Spaine finding now noe other opposition but onely from the vnited States prosecuteth her intentions and whilst shee amuseth the Ambassadours of these two Kings shee sends Spinola into the country with a puissāt Armie who in stead of setting vpon Iulliers which was then but a rude entreprise he goes to inuade the States he passeth the Rhine assaults and takes wezel within foure dayes Maurice seeing this exploit he delayes no longer leaues the Ambassadours in their negociation takes Rez and Emerik and at length a thing neuer before seene these two Armies seize vpon this heritage without impeachment one of another without breaking the Truce and also without making any skirmish at all For when one of these Captaines had possessed a place the other still retired not pretending any thing there So as he that was most diligent made the most progression The reason of this gentle dealing was because Spinola knew well the Armie of Maurice to be better then his owne Maurice likewise well vnderstood that the safeguard of the States consisted in the subsistence of his Armie So as he beleeued he
peace likewise but so much the better by reason of the Turk's protection Here was the issue of the second reuolution of the affaires of Germanie which proceeded chiefely from this that France prostituted her interest to the greatnesse of Spaine Wee should come now to the third reuolution It is oftentimes more difficult to gouerne ourselues well in great prosperitie then in aduersitie because that the one ingenders neglect and lulles vs in idlenesse but the necessitie of the other keeps vs waking and makes vs search the meanes of our restauration Such was the case of the House of Austria who seeing herselfe from such a heauie blow authorised beyond her hopes absolute Mistresse of Germanie of innumerable armies entertained at the cost of her ennemies France not stirring against her proceedings and besides imbroiled in Ciuill warres England yet forgetting her interest Holland hauing enough to doe to conserue her owne and Italie without appearance of being able to defend it selfe Shee therefore feareth nothing but despiseth all in such wise as without hiding any more her designe vnder the pretence of Religion wherewith shee had so well serued her purpose euen to the present shee openly inuades the Territories of the Duke of Mantua being a great Catholike vaunting shee could not suffer a Prince that was French borne to possesse any State in Italie which is the first remarkable errour that shee committed against her owne interest For this vsurpation gaue all the Princes of Italie to vnderstand that the tempest would come whirling vpon them insomuch as the Duke of Mantua was assisted by the most resolute amongst them Louys cannot digest this affront and being assisted with a Counsell whose prudence and resolution was necessarie in such a perillous conjunction of affaires he fortunately imployed his Armes in his defence Which was the first occasion of importance wherein he recouered the vsage of his true interest But seeing that diuersions in Germanie were needfull for him and not finding the same amongst the Germains being oppressed with the burden of so grieuous a subjection he goes to seeke them in the cold Northerne parts The renowne of Gustavus King of Swede-land had beene carried euen vnto him This Prince his desire of glorie made him easily surmount any difficulties he could imagine likewise his vast and great designes he surpassed as it were by such a courage in execution as made him not dishearken to any enterprise The conquests of Walstein Generall of the Emperour's armie vpon the Balticke sea and the prouisions which he made to render himselfe Master there made the King of Swede-land know that he might well be in suspicion of the House of Austria and that his interest was to oppose the same He therefore allieth himselfe with France and prepares to enter into Germanie for to deliuer it from the thraldome whereunto it was reduced Here is the second fault that Spaine committed against her true interest to wit the contemning of this Prince For whilst that on the one side he enters into Germanie the Emperour at the sollicitation of the King of Spaine sendeth his best troupes into Italie against the Duke of Mantua which welmost all perished there without any great effect And the successe of Gustavus in Germanie was such as that those of the Emperour's side and the Spaniards were faine to conclude a peace in Italie with the French at the expence of what they had gotten and of that reputation whereof they make so great esteeme for to draw back the remainder of their scattered troupes to the succour of Germanie leauing in the hand of the French Cazal for a place of armes in Italie and Pignerol as a port to enter therein So as the desire to conquer Italie before they were well assured of the conquest of Germanie made them loose both the one and the other This happie exploite of Loüys made him acknowledge his former errours and wholly embrace his true interest He deliuers the Grizons from their seruitude diuerteth the vnited States from accepting a Truce maintaineth the Swedish partie notwithstanding the death of Gustavus defendeth the Electour of Trâ—â—â—s against the persecutions of the Spaniards and chastiseth the Duke of Lorraine for adhering to the Emperour In a word he does brauely recouer his place which his ill Counsellours had made him forgoe Pope Vrbâ—n seeing himselfe deliuered from the apprehension of the Spaniards and Germains hauing likewise vnderstood by the inuasion made vpon the Duke of Mantua that they would deale noe otherwise with the Catholike States then with the Protestants he thereupon opposeth them The Republike of Venice that considers better then any other State what belongs to her true interest and which neuer failes but in too much circumspection as ordinarily those Common wealthes doe which are not founded by Armes shee continueth neuerthelesse her assistance to the Duke of Mantua Amedis Duke of Sauoye receiuing instruction by the danger that he and his Father were in to loose their Estates through neglecting their true interest does now rejoyne himselfe to France The other Princes of Italie seeing the aide of France could be noe impeachment to them let goe the apprehension which they had of the Spaniards The Germane Princes and Imperiall Townes seeing themselues supported by the armes of France and Swedeland assisted by the diuersion of their other allies and reassured by the prosperous successe of their affaires they take courage againe England alone as if shee were in another world remaines without medling at all On the other side Spaine failes not to animate her cause takes vp againe the pretence of the Catholike Religion which shee had as it were left off and perceiuing the errour shee committed thereby crieth more then euer against the Protestants exceedingly vrgeth the Pope to haue of him his money and his fulminations maketh much of the Venetians courteth the English intertaineth dissension in the house Royall of France mightily endeuoureth to draw the vnited Prouinces to a Truce laboureth to disengage the Duke of Saxonie from the Swedish partie neither is shee cast off by any repulse And yet notwithstanding shee spares neither men nor money for to raise new armies to oppose her ennemies In briefe necessitie has reduced euery one to follow his true interest which is the reason that in this last reuolution the contestation about these affaires is of longer continuance THE SEVENTH DISCOVRSE VPON THE commotions that happened in Italie for the succession of the Dutchies of Mantua and Montferrat ITALIE enjoyed a profound peace and fouÌ„d it selfe wholly exempt from suspicioÌ„s which are woÌ„t to disturbe the repose of States when on a sudaine happened the death of Francis Duke of Mantua which one may say produced the seeds of all those troubles that haue at seuerall times since disrested this Country For Charles Emanuel Duke of Sauoye quarrelling in right of his grand child Marie for tâ—e Dutchie of Montferrat with Ferdinand so inkindled the fire of warre in Italie as since it was neuer so