gross the King of France ridicul'd him asking How long he intended to lie in to whom William sent this Answer That as soon as he could go to Church after his lying in he had vow'd to sacrifice a thousand Candles in France and he was as good as his word for he was no sooner recover'd but he invaded France and burnt all where-ever he came But he having overheated himself he fell ill and died leaving by his last Will to his eldest Son Normandy but to the second called William the Crown of England § 6. William II. sirnamed Rufus met at first with some Disturbances occasioned by his Brother Robert who pretending to the Crown was back'd by a great many of the Nobility but he appeased him by promising to pay him yearly the Summ of 3000 Marks and that he should succeed him after his death But the Nobles who had dispersed themselves up and down in the Country he partly by fair means partly by force reduced to Obedience This Rebellion proved very beneficial to the English the Rebels being most of them Normans wherefore the King afterwards rely'd more upon the English as the most faithfull He waged War twice with Malcolm King of Scotland whom he forced in the first to swear him Fealty but in the last he killed both him and his eldest Son He also subdued the Province of Wales Among other Inventions to get Money one was remarkable for he summon'd together 20000 Men under pretence to go with them into Normandy but when they were just agoing to be shipp'd off he caused Proclamation to be made that every one who was willing to pay ten Shillings should have leave to stay at home unto which every one of them readily consented He was kill'd by a random shot in hunting Him succeeded his younger Brother Henry who being present when the King died seized upon his Treasures whereby he procured himself a great many Friends so that he was preferr'd before Robert his elder Brother who at that time assisted in the taking of Jerusalem which proved no less than the loss of a Crown to him For Henry the better to establish himself in the Throne remitted not only several Taxes which were laid upon the People by the former Kings but also secured unto his Interest the King of Scotland Edgar his most dangerous Neighbour by marrying his Sister Maud. 'T is reported that this Maud had vow'd Castity and that when her Brother forced her to marry she wish'd that such Children as should be born out of this Marriage might never prove fortunate which wish was afterwards sufficiently fulfilled in her Children and a great many of their Posterity Notwithstanding this Robert landed a great Army in England but Henry and Robert by the mediation of some Friends and a Promise of a yearly Pension to be paid to Robert from Henry were reconcil'd which Pension also afterwards Robert remitted to Henry But afterwards repenting of what he had done Henry was so exasperated against him that he made a Descent in Normandy with a great Army and vanquish'd him in a bloody Battel wherein he took him Prisoner He kept him not only a Prisoner all his life time but also at last put his Eyes out uniting Normandy to the Crown of England But King Lewis of France sirnamed Crassus being very jealous of the Greatness of Henry undertook with the assistance of Fulco Earl of Anjou and Baldwin Earl of Flanders to restore unto William Son of Robert the Dukedom of Normandy whereupon a bloody War ensued which was at last composed under this condition That William Son of Henry should swear Fealty to France for this Dukedom of Normandy And it obtained afterwards as a Custom That the King 's eldest Son was called Duke of Normandy as long as this Province was united to England The new Duke of Normandy did also marry the Daughter of the Earl of Anjou And William Son of Robert being then made Earl of Flanders and endeavouring a second time to regain Normandy was slain in that War It is related by some tho' others contradict it That this King was the first who admitted the Commons unto the Grand Council of the Kingdom unto which the Nobility and Bishops only were admitted before it came to be divided into the Higher and Lower House His Son William being by the carelessness of a drunken Master of a Ship drowned at Sea with a great many other persons of Quality of both Sexes as they were coming back from Normandy to England he endeavoured to settle the Crown upon his Daughter Maud and her Heirs she being at first married to the Emperour Henry IV. by whom she had no Children and afterwards to Geoffrey Plantagenet Son to Fulk Earl of Anjou Her Father made the States of England take Oaths of Fealty to her in his life time He died in the Year 1135 and with him ended the Male Race of the Norman Royal Family in England § 7. After the death of Henry Stephen Earl of Boulogne Henry's Sister's Son did by great Promises obtain the Crown of England notwithstanding that both he and the States had taken the Oaths to acknowledge Maud for their Sovereign which they endeavoured by a great many frivolous pretences to prove to be of no force The better to establish himself in the Throne he gained the Affection of the States with Presents and discharged the People of several Taxes giving Authority to the Nobility to build fortify'd Castles which afterwards proved very mischievous to him He also married his Son Eustace to Constantia the Daughter of Ludovicus Crassus King of France This King's Reign was overwhelmed with continual Troubles For the Scots at first and afterwards a great many of his Nobles trusting in their strong Castles raised great Disturbances yet he bridled the Insolence of the Scots giving them a signal overthrow But his greatest Contest was with the Empress Maud for she landing in England was received by a great many and King Stephen in a Battel fought near Chester was taken Prisoner But she refusing to restore to the Londoners King Edward''s Laws they sided with her Enemies and besieged her very closely in the City of Oxford from whence she narrowly escaped and King Stephen also got an opportunity to get out of Prison These Troubles continued till Henry Son of Maud came to the nineteenth Year of his age who being Lord of four large Dominions as having inherited Anjou by his Father's Normandy by his Mother's side Guienne and Poictou by his Wife Eleonora Daughter and Heiress of William the last Duke of Guienne he also endeavoured to obtain the Crown of England for which purpose he landed with an Army in England But he obtained his End without any great opposition for Eustace King Stephen's Son dying suddenly an Agreement was made betwixt them whereby Stephen adopted him and constituted him his Heir and Successour and died not long after in the Year 1124.
conceiv'd against his Father And the Earl of Pembroke to whose Tuition he was committed having totally routed the French near Lincoln and destroyed the French Forces at Sea that were sent to their assistance Lewis did renounce all his Pretensions upon the Crown of England and retir'd into France This King's Reign was very long but also very troublesom occasion'd chiefly by the great concourse of Foreigners into England who crept into all places of profit For the Pope sent at one time 300 Italians who being admitted into Church Benefices did so lay about them that their yearly Rents amounted to 60000 Marks of Silver which was a greater Revenue than the Crown had at that time And by reason of the Prodigality of the King tho' constantly burthening the People with Taxes he was always in great want of Money He married besides this the Daughter of the Earl of Provence who having abundance of poor Kindred they enrich'd themselves out of the Treasury of the King This caused at last an open War betwixt the King and the principal Men of the Kingdom in which Henry resign'd to the King of France all his Pretensions upon Normandy Anjou Poictou Touraine and Mans in consideration of the Summ of 300000 pounds paid him by the French King and he was himself taken Prisoner in the first Battel But his Son Prince Edward gathered another Army and killed the General of the Rebels Simon of Monfort Earl of Leicester delivering thereby his Father and suppressing the whole Rebellion He did nothing worth mentioning abroad except that he undertook two Expeditions into France both which prov'd fruitless He died in the Year 1272. Him succeed his Son Edward who was at that time in the Holy Land and tho' he did not come into England till a Year after his Father's death yet took quiet possession of the Crown This King entirely united the Principality of Wales to the Crown of England the last Prince Lyonel being slain in a Battel Under his Reign also began a bloody War and an implacable hatred was raised betwixt the English and Scotch Nations which for 300 Years after caused abundance of bloodshed betwixt both Nations The occasion was thus After the death of Alexander III. King of Scotland who died without Heirs there were several that pretended to the Crown of Scotland wherefore King Edward took upon him the Arbitration of this matter that Crown having depended on his Predecessours and the Scots being still obliged to do Homage to the King of England The matter being examined it so proved that John Baliol Earl of Galloway and Robert Bruce were found to have the best Title to that Crown But these two having contested for the same during the space of six whole Years Edward sent under hand to Bruce telling him That he would decide the difference concerning the Crown of Scotland in favour of him if he would swear Fealty to England which Bruce refused answering That he was not so fond of the Crown as to purchase the same with the prejudice of the Liberty of his Native Country But John Baliol receiving the same offer was made King of Scotland There was about that time a capital Quarrel in Scotland betwixt the Earl of Fife and the Family of Alberneth who had kill'd the Earl's Brother and the King of Scotland had by his Sentence absolv'd the latter The Earl therefore appeal'd to the English Court whither King Baliol was called to appear and to sit with the King in Parliament But as soon as this matter came under debate he was admonished to rise from his Seat and to give an account concerning his Sentence He pretended to answer by his Advocate which being denied him he was obliged to answer in person from the same place where others used to plead their Causes Which both he and the Scots resented as so signal an affront that no sooner was he returned home but he renounced his Oath to King Edward pretending the same to have been unjust and that it was not in his power to make such a promise and renewing the ancient Aliance with France he denounced War against England King Edward therefore enter'd Scotland with an Army took the best strong Holds and forced the Scots and their King to swear fealty to him their King he sent a Prisoner into England leaving considerable Forces in Scotland which were nevertheless soon after beaten out of Scotland by the Scots under the Conduct of a Gentleman of a mean Fortune whose name was William Wallis But King Edward soon returned kill'd 40000 Scots in a Battel near Torkirke and forced them to swear Fealty to him a third time Notwithstanding all these Oaths Robert Bruce who had been John Baliol's Competitour took upon him the Crown who was several times worsted but also beat the English at other times particularly when King Edward going with an Army against Robert in person fell sick and died This King Edward had also had some Differences before with France For some of his Subjects in Aquitain having done considerable mischief by Privateering on the Coast of Normandy King Philip sirnam'd the Handsome summon'd Edward to appear at his Court as his Vassal and to answer the same which Edward refusing to do he declared all his Possessions which he held from the Crown of France to be forfeited taking from him by force of Arms Bourdeaux and some other places against whom Edward enter'd into a Confederacy with the Earl of Flanders and the Emperour Adolphus But coming into Flanders with an Army and finding every thing in confusion and disorder he made a Truce with King Philip promising That his Son Edward should marry Isabella Philip's Daughter This King caused likewise all the Jews to be banished out of England not allowing them to carry away any thing more than what they could carry themselves § 10. Him succeeded his Son Edward II. who at the very beginning of his Reign married Isabella Daughter of Philip sirnamed the Handsom with whom he had for a Dowry Guienne and the County of Ponthieu the greatest part whereof had been taken from his Father by the French This King was very unfortunate in his Wars against the Scots who in the Battel fought near Bannoksborough with an Army of 30000 Men defeated 100000 English which struck such a terrour among them that 100 English durst scarce face three Scotchmen And the English were continually beaten by the Scots except in Ireland where they beat the Scots out who had enter'd that Kingdom so that Edward was at last obliged to make a Truce with them He met also with great Disturbances at home the great Men of the Kingdom pressing him without intermission to leave to their Mercy his Favourites Gaveston and after him the Spencers which he refusing to consent to they fell into open Rebellion in which they proving unsuccessfull several of the Nobility paid with their lives for it But the Queen
Intentions Some of the Nobility made the first beginning who enter'd into an Association which they called the Compromise whereby they engag'd themselves to oppose the Inquisition and to stand by one another if any one should be molested for his Religion but solemnly protested That they had no other Aim by so doing but the Glory of God the Grandeur of the King and the Peace of their native Country This Association was drawn up by Philip Marnix Lord of Aldegonde and subscrib'd by 400 Persons of Quality among whom the chiefest were Henry of Brederode Lewis Earl of Nassau Brother of the Prince of Orange the Earls of Culenburgh and Bergh These met at Brussels and deliver'd a Petition to the Regent wherein they desir'd That the Proclamations issu'd forth touching Religion might be annull'd The Regent answer'd them in courteous but general terms telling them That she would know the King's Pleasure in the Matter 'T is said That the Earl of Barlemont who stood then near the Regent did tell her That they were no ways to be fear'd because they were only Geusen or Beggars which has render'd the Name of the Geusen very famous afterwards they having had a Beggars Pouch the Coat of Arms of that Confederacy In the mean while abundance of Pamphlets were spread abroad which did more and more exasperate the People And because Philip had given but a very indifferent Reception to those Deputies which were sent into Spain to pray for a Mitigation of these Proclamations and had refus'd to comply in the least with the Sentiments of the People it came to an open Insurrection So that the new Religion was not only publickly profess'd and taught in a great concourse of People but the Rabble also fell to plundering of Churches and pulling down of Images And tho' the Prince of Orange and the Earl of Egmont did what they could to appease this Tumult yet had the King conceiv'd a shrewd Suspicion as if they had been in the bottom of it wherefore they were consulting their own safety but could as yet not come to any Resolution In the mean time the Regent having rais'd some Troops and endeavour'd either by Fear or fair Words or any other ways to reduce the dissatisfy'd Party to Obedience some of whom did by Submission and other Services endeavour to be reconcil'd to the King And this Design succeeded so well that without any great trouble and the punishment of a very few the Country was restor'd to its Tranquility Nevertheless because it was rumour'd abroad that a great Army was marching out of Spain against them a great many of the Inhabitants and especially of the Handycrafts Trade did retire into the neighbouring Countries The Prince of Orange himself disliking this calm retir'd into Germany § 4. It was then the Advice of the Regent that the King should come in person without any great Force into the Netherlands and by his Presence and Clemency endeavour entirely to heal the ulcerated Minds of the People But he follow'd the Advice of the Duke of Alva who advis'd to make use of this Opportunity to bring the Netherlands under the Yoak and to strike Terrour into the rest he march'd with a brave Army through Savoy and Burgundy into the Netherlands and having immediately taken into Custody the Earls of Egmont and Hoorn whom he pretended to have been underhand the Authors of these Troubles declar'd all those guilty of High Treason that had had any hand in the Association the Petition and pulling down of the Images And a Court was erected of twelve Judges from which no Appeal was to be allow'd where Judgment was to be given concerning these Matters this Court was commonly call'd The bloody Council Before this Court the Prince of Orange and some other Lords who were fled were summon'd to appear and upon non-appearance they were declar'd guilty of High Treason and their Estates Confiscated The same Severity was us'd against others of less note This caus'd such a Terror among the Inhabitants that they left their Habitations in Troops He caus'd also Citadels to be built in several great Cities among which one of the chiefest was that of Antwerp In the mean time the Prince of Orange had brought together considerable Forces in Germany some of which under the Command of Lewis his Brother falling into Friesland beat the Count of Arembergh the Governour of that Province But soon after the Duke of Alva having first caus'd the Earls of Egmont and Hoorn to be beheaded march'd against him in person Not long after the Prince of Orange fell with a great Army into Brabant but was beaten back by the Duke of Alva and his Forces dispers'd The Duke of Alva puff'd up with this great Success did not only cause a most magnificent Statue to be erected at Antwâ—rp but having also form'd a Design to conquer the Netherlands with their own Money he impos'd a Tax upon them of the hundredth Penny to be paid of the whole value of all Estates and besides this the twentieth Penny to be paid of all Moveables but the tenth of all Immoveables as often as they were sold This did exasperate the Netherlanders to the utmost degree And whilst the Duke of Alva being in great want of Money was busie in squeezing out these Taxes and was upon the point of forcing the Inhabitants of Brussels who refus'd to pay it News was brought That the banish'd Netherlanders who were turn'd Privateers and had about 24 Ships of indifferent Strength had under the Conduct of the Earl of March taken the City of Briel in Holland Then most Cities of Holland out of a Hatred to the Spaniards and the tenth Penny revolted from the Spaniards except Amsterdam and Schonhoven which remain'd for some time under the Obedience of Spain It was a grand mistake in the Duke of Alva that during his Regency of four Years he had not secur'd the Sea Coasts The revolted Places chose for their Governour the Prince of Orange swearing to him Allegiance as the King's Stadtholder as if they had only revolted from the Duke of Alva and not the King A great many Privateers then join'd from France and England who within the space of four Months made up a Fleet of 150 Ships who had their Rendezvouz at Flushing and afterwards did great Mischiefs to the Spaniards The Duke of Alva was not in a condition to resist this Storm because the Earl of Bergh had not only at the same time taken a great many places in Gueldres Friesland and Over-yssel but also Lewis Earl of Nassaw had with the Assistance of the French surpris'd Mons Which City the Duke of Alva endeavour'd to recover by force of Arms and the Prince of Orange who with an Army newly rais'd in Germany had made prodigious havock in Brabant had in vain endeavour'd to relieve it was retir'd into Holland Wherefore this City was surrender'd upon Articles to the Duke of Alva He then
as an Instruction to young Men Viz. That this Interest may be divided into an Imaginary and Real Interest By the first I understand when a Prince judges the Welfare of his State to consist in such things as cannot be perform'd without disquieting and being injurious to a great many other States and which these are oblig'd to oppose with all their Power As for Example The Monarchy of Europe or the universal Monopoly this being the Fuel with which the whole World may be put into a Flame Num si vos omnibus imperare vultis sequitur ut omnes servitutem accipiant If you would be the only Masters of the World doth it thence follow that all others should lay their Necks under your Yoke The Real Interest may be subdivided into a Perpetual and Temporary The former depends chiefly on the Situation and Constitution of the Country and the natural Inclinations of the People the latter on the Condition Strength and Weakness of the neighbouring Nations for as those vary the Interest must also vary Whence it often happens that whereas we are for our own Security sometimes oblig'd to assist a neighbouring Nation which is likely to be oppress'd by a more potent Enemy we at another time are forc'd to oppose the Designs of those we before assisted when we find they have recover'd themselves to that degree as that they may prove Formidable and Troublesome to us But seeing this Interest is so manifest to those who are vers'd in State-Affairs that they can't be ignorant of it one might ask How it often times happens that great Errors are committed in this kind against the Interest of the State To this may be answer'd That those who have the Supream Administration of Affairs are oftentimes not sufficiently instructed concerning the Interest both of their own State as also that of their Neighbours and yet being fond of their own Sentiments will not follow the Advice of understanding and faithfull Ministers Sometimes they are misguided by their Passions or by Time-serving Ministers and Favourites But where the Administration of the Government is committed to the Care of Ministers of State it may happen that these are not capable of discerning it or else are led away by a private Interest which is opposite to that of the State or else being divided into Factions they are more concern'd to ruin their Rivals than to follow the Dictates of Reason Therefore some of the most exquisite parts of Modern History consists in this that one knows the Person who is the Sovereign or the Ministers which rule a State their Capacity Inclinations Caprices Private Interests manner of proceeding and the like Since unpon this depends in a great measure the good and ill management of a State For it frequently happens That a State which in it self consider'd is but weak is made to become very considerable by the good Conduct and Valour of its Governours whereas a powerfull State by the iâ—l management of those that sit at the Helm oftentimes suffers considerably But as the Knowledge of these Matters appertains properly to those who are employ'd in the management of Foreign Affairs so it is mutable considering how often the Scene is chang'd at Court Wherefore it is better learn'd from Experience and the Conversation of Men well vers'd in these Matters than from any Books whatsoever And this is what I thought my self oblig'd to touch upon in a few Words in this Preface THE TABLE A. ANcient State of Mankind p. 1 The Assyrian Empire 3 Alexander the Great 9 America discovered 44 Peace made at Aix la Chapelle 244 An Association of the Nobility in the Netherlands 259 The Duke de Alva is sent into the Netherlands 261 He causes the Earls of Egmont and Hoorn to be beheaded 261 Don John de Austria made Governour of the Netherlands 264 The Duke of Alenson constituted Sovereign over the Netherlands 266 Archduke Albert Governour of the Spanish Netherlands 269 Avignon why once the seat of the Popes 410 The House of Austria most zealous for Popery 424 Albert Duke of Meclenburgh King of Sweden 475 B. THE Duke of Braganza proclaimed King of Portugal under the Name of John IV. 65 92 Brasil first discovered in America 90 〈◊〉 near Crecy betwixt the English and French 191 118 Battle near Poictiers betwixt the English and French p. 192 119 The Battle of St. Quintin betwixt the English and French 140 The Battle of Agincourt 198 Brittainy united with France 204 Battle of Pavia betwixt Charles V. Emperor of Germany and Francis I. King of France 212 Mareschal de Biron's Conspiracy against Henry IV. King of France 233 Briel taken by the banish'd Netherlanders 262 Battle near Nieuport betwixt the Spaniards and Dutch 270 The Bohemian Tumults under the Emperour Ferdinand I. 301 The Crown of Bohemia offered to Frederic Elector Palatine 301 Boteslaus Chrobry the first King of Poland 335 The Battle fought near Warsaw in Poland 351 Boris Goudenaw Czar of Muscovy 362 Of making Bishops 383 Battle fought near Leipzick in Germany 520 Battle fought near Lutzen in Germany 524 Battle of Norelingen in Germany 527 A second Battle fought near Leipzick 530 Battle fought in the Island of Fuhnen 534 C. CArthage 12 Constantinople the Imperial Seat of the Eastern Emperors 26 Castile made a Kingdom 33 Castile and Arragon united under Ferdinand and Isabella 42 Charles V. 46 His Wars with France 47 Charles V. takes Rome 48 Charles V. wages Wars against the Protestants in Germany 52 Charles's Abdication 53 His Death 53 Catalonia rebels against Spain 63 Charles II. King of Spain 66 The Canary Islands 73 The Corfew Ball 106 Calais taken by Edward III. King of England 119 Charles I. King of England 148 His Wars with France 149 His Wars with Spain 148 Commotions in England and the true Causes thereof 149 The Conduct of King Charles I. 151 He is made a Prisoner 158 He is sentenced to death and executed 159 Charles II. Son of King Charles I. routed near Worcester 160 Cromwell made Protector of England 161 Charles II. Restauration to the Kingdom 162 His Wars with Holland 163 Charles sirnamed the Great King of France 179 Is proclaimed Emperour of the Romans 179 The Carlinian Family extinguish'd in France 182 Charles VI. King of France 195 Charles VII King of France 199 Charles VIII King of France 204 Conquers Naples 205 Loses Naples 206 Charles IX King of France 221 The first second third fourth and fifth Huguenot Wars under his Reign 221 222 223 224 Charles the Great 282 Charles IV. Emperour of Germany causes the Golden Bull to be compiled 295 Charles V. Emperour of Germany 297 He resigns the Empire 299 Christian I. the first King of Denmark out of the Owen burgh Family 322 Christian II. King of Denmark crowned King of Sweden 323 He is driven thence and afterwards out of his own Kingdom 324 Christian IV. King of Denmark his defeat near Kings-Luttern 325 The Siege of Copenhagen 326 Christian
V. the present King of Denmark 327 He maketh War upon Sweden p. 327 Makes a Peace with Sweden 328 The Christian Religion is proper for all the World 370 Is not contrary to civil Government 371 No other Religion or Philosophy comparable to it 372 Concerning the outward Government of Religion 372 The consideration of this Question according to the Nature of Religion in general and of the Christian Religion in particular 374 375 First Propagation of the Christian Religion and by what methods it was established 376 Persecution of the first Church and the Câ—lumnies raised against the Primitive Christians 378 The first Church Government 379 Constantine the first Christian Emperour 382 Could not quite alter the former State of the Church 382 Of presiding in Councels 383 Abuses in Councels 384 Riches of the Church 394 Croisado's by what Politicks carried on 395 How the Church was freed from all power over it 399 General Councels to bridle the Popes power 409 Cardinal Cajetan and his ill Conduct 418 Calvin and Zwinglius 421 The Conclave 431 The College of Cardinals 433 Cardinal Patroon 434 Celibacy of the Clergy 435 Their Number 436 Ceremonies 439 Half Communion 440 Vnion made at Cilmar betwixt Sweden Denmark and Norway 478 Christopher Duke of Bavaria made King of Sweden Denmark and Norway 482 Church Lands reduced in Sweden 494 Christina Queen of Sweden 525 Continues the War in Germany 526 Makes an Alliance with France 528 Is engaged in a War with the Elector of Saxony 527 And afterwards with Denmark 530 Charles Gustave King of Sweden 533 Siege of Copenhagen 534 Charles IX the present King of Sweden 534 His Forces routed by the Elector of 〈…〉 534 D. THE Dutch sail to the East-Indies 92 The Danes first come into England 102 Dauphine united with France 192 Denmark a very ancient Kingdom 316 The Genius of the Danish Naâ—ion 328 Neigbours of Denmark 330 Disputes in England about the investiture of Bishops 403 E. THE first Sea Voyage into the East-Indies under Emanuel King of Portugal 89 Ancient State of England 99 England conquered by the Romans 99 Edward the Confessor King of England 103 Edward I. King of England 114 His Wars with Scotland 115 His Wars with France 116 Edward II. King of England 116 Edward III. King of England 117 His Pretensions to the French Crown 117 His expedition into France 118 The English decline in France 201 1â—5 The English driven out of France 202 127 Edward IV. of the House of York King of England 128 Edward V. King of England 130 Edward VI. King of England 139 Elizabeth Queen of England 141 She assists the Huguenots 144 Refuses the Soveraignty over the Netherlands twice offered to her 145 The Constitution of the English Nation 164 The English form of Government 169 The Power and Strength of England 171 The East-India Company in Holland 283 270 England and France declare War against the Dutch 279 Evangelical Vnion in Germany 301 Erick declared King of Sweden Denmark and Norway 477 321 Of Episcopal Jurisdiction 384 Concerning Excommunication 385 Encrease of the Ecclesiastical Soveraignty 391 What contributed to it 391 Disputes in England about the Investiture of Bishops 403 Erasmus favours Luther 416 Excommunication and Inquisition 445 Erick XIV King of Sweden introduces the Titles of Earls and Barons in that Kingdom 498 F. FErdinand the Catholick and Isabella 42 France and its ancient State 174 The Franks came out of Germany 175 France is divided 177 French Pretensions upon the Kingdom of Naples 187 French Pretensions upon Milan 196 Francis I. King of France 210 He aspires to the Empire 210 His Italian Wars 211 212 His defeat at the Battle of Paviae where he is taken Prisoner and set at liberty upon very hard terms 212 Francis II. King of France 218 The Nature and Constitution of the French 247 The Government of France 250 Strength of France in regard to England and the other Neighbouring Princes 251 252 Frederick Henry I. Prince of Orange 274 Frederick Elector Palatine's ill Success 302 Ferdinand I. Emperour of Germany his Proclamation concerning Church-lands 302 Frederick I. King of Denmark 324 Frederick III. King of Denmark his Wars with Sweden 326 Is declared absolute and the Crown hereditary 327 Battle fought in the Island of Fuhnen 534 G. GReece p. 6 Gothick Empire and its downfall in Spain 29 Granada taken 43 Gaul subdued by the Romans 174 by the Barbarian Nations 174 Germany divided from France 180 The Gabel first introduced into France by Philip of Valois their King 192 The Treaty of Ghent betwixt the Prince of Orange and the Netherlanders 264 Germany and its ancient condition 282 The Gvelfs and Gibellin Factions in Italy 291 German Wars and their Origin under Matthias 300 Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden his death 303 The Genius of the Germans 306 Form of Government in Germany 307 Its Commodities 307 Its Strength and Weakness 308 Its Neighbours 312 Gregory Pope of Rome excommunicates the Emperour Henry IV. 402 Endeavour to subject the Emperour 403 The German Princes dissatisfied with the Pope 417 The Gothick Nation and its first Founders 461 The Goths and Swedes united in one Kingdom 461 Gustavus I. King of Sweden 489 Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden 511 Makes Peace with the Muscovites 512 Carries on the War against the Poles in Ponâ—ria 513 Engages in the German War 515 Lands his Forces in Germany and makes an Alliance with France 517 Is killed 525 H. HEnry III. King of England 113 The War with the Barons 114 Henry IV. of the House of Lancaster invades England 121 After great difficulties surmounted becomes King of England 122 Henry V. King of England 122 He invades France to prosecute his claim to that Crown 123 The Battle betwixt him and the French fought near Agincourt 123 Henry VI. King of England 124 Is proclaimed King of France 125 Is crowned in Paris 125 Henry VII Earl of Richmond invades England 131 Is made King and unites the White and Red Roses 132 Henry VIII King of England 133 His divorce with Queen Catharine 135 He abrogates the Popes Supremacy 136 Marries Anna Bullen 136 Demolishes the Monasteries 137 Causes Anna Bullen to be beheaded 138 His other Wives 138 Hugh Capel the Founder of the present Royal Family in France 182 Henry II. King of France 215 His Expedition into Germany 216 His Project to unite Scotland with France miscarried 217 Huguenot Wars in France under Charles IX the first second third fourth and fifth 221 222 223 224 Henry III. King of France 224 The Holy League under his Reign 225 Huguenot Wars in France the sixth seventh and eighth 225 226 227 Henry III. forced from Paris by the League 227 He makes use of the Huguenots against the League 228 Henry IV. King of Navarre comes to the Crown of France 228 His difficulties an Account of his Religion 228 Is excommunicated by the Pope 230 Changes his Religion 231 Is assaulted and wounded by a Russian 231
Is assassinated by Ravillac 234 Henry IV. Emperour of Germany 286 His troubles with the Pope 287 His Son rebells against him 288 Henry VII Emperour of Germany poisoned by a Monk 294 Henry of Valois Duke of Anjou made King of Poland 342 St. Hierom's Dream 387 I. JEsuites sent first into the Indies under John III. King of Portugal 90 Ireland conquer'd by the English 111 John King of England 112 Loses Normandy 113 James I. King of England 146 The Independents become Masters in England 158 Ireland conquer'd by the Parliament Forces of England 160 Constitution of the Irish Nation 166 Jesuits banish'd out of France by King Henry IV. 231 The Spanish Inquisition in the Netherlands 257 The long Inter-regnum in Germany 292 Insurrection of the Boors in Germany under Charles V. 299 John Casimir King of Poland 349 John Pobeiski the present King of Poland 352 Constitution of the Jewish Religion 369 Ignorance contributed to the Popes Authority 386 Causes of this Ignorance 387 Ignorance of Luther's Adversaries 415 The Jesuits why they have taken upon them the Education of the Youth 443 Inquisition and Excommunication 445 L. LEwis XI King of France 202 His politick methods 203 Lewis XII King of France 206 Conquers Milan 206 Conquers Naples 207 Loses it again 207 Lewis XIII King of France 234 Takes Lorrain from that Duke 237 Lewis XIV the present King of France 238 Is forced to leave Paris 240 His differences with the Pope 243 His Wars in Flanders 243 244 Takes Mastricht 245 Leopold the present Emperour of Germany 305 His Wars with the Turks 305 With France 305 Lithuania united to Poland 339 Luther gives a great blow to the Grandeur of the Pope 412 Pope Leo his Vertues and Faults 413 Luther opposes Indulgencies and afterwards the Popes power 414 Is favoured by Erasmus 416 I 'll conduct of Pope Leo and Cardinal Cajetan 418 Why Luther's doctrine was not spread farther 419 Laity debarr'd from reading the Scriptures 437 The licensing of Books 444 Battle fought near Leipzick 520 Battle fought near Lutzen 524 A second Battle fought near Leipzick 530 M. MAcedonian Empire 8 Its fall 11 Massanello's Rebellion at Naples 65 The Maid of Orleans 200 125 Mary Queen of England 139 She restores Popery 139 Marries Philip of Spain 140 Mary Queen of Scotland 142 She marries Bothwel who murther'd her husband 143 She is made a Prisoner in England 143 Is beheaded 144 The Merringim Family loses the Crown of France 178 Mazarine ' s Ministry under Lewis XIV K. of France 238 Mazarine banish'd France 241 And recall'd by the Queen 241 Peace of Munster 275 239 Mazarine's death 242 Archduke Matthew made Governour by the Netherlanders 264 Maurice Son to William Prince of Orange made Stadtholder of the united Provinces 267 Matthias Emperour of Germany 300 Muscovy and its ancient State 361 The Genius of the Muscovites 363 Their Form of Government Strength and Neighbours 365 What Commodities Muscovy affords 364 Concerning Marriages 385 Metropolitans 390 Mendicants order and the Motives to embrace this manner of Life 396 Is prejudicial to the regular Clergy 397 Merits of good Works 439 Marriage made a Sacrament 440 Maydeburgh taken by the Imperialists 519 N. NAvarre conquered by Ferdinand the Catholick 46 Normandy annexed to the Crown of England 108 The Norman Race extinct 109 Navarre taken and lost again in a few days by Francis I. King of France 210 The Edict of Nants 232 Peace made at Nimwegen 305 246 67 The ancient State of the Netherlands 254 Their condition under the Emperour Charles V. 255 Causes of the Wars in the Netherlands under Philip II. King of Spain 256 They were fomented by Elizabeth Queen of England 258 Constitution of the united Netherlands 280 Their Genius 281 Of their Country Shipping and Commerce 282 283 Their Strength and Weakness 285 Their Form of Government 286 Their Defects 288 The Genius of the Norwegians 328 Battle fought near Noringen in Germany 327 O. THE Original of civil Societies 2 Origin of the Kingdom of Navarre and Arragon 3â— The Original of selling Offices in France 202 Siâ—ge of Ostend 271 Orders of Fryars and Nunâ— in general 396 P. THE Persian Empire 4 Philip King of Macedon 8 Peace made at Cambray betwixt Charles V. and Francis I. 213 49 Peace made at Crespy betwixt Charles V. and Francis I. 215 52 Peace betwixt Spain and France 53 Treaty at Passaw 299 52 Philip II. King of Spain 54 His Wars with England 55 Peace made at Vervin betwixt France and Spain 232 57 Portugal falls to Spain 91 59 Philip III. King of Spain 59 Philip IV. King of Spain 91 Portugal falls off from Spain 64 92 Pyrenean Treaty 242 65 Peace with Portugal 66 Peace made at Aix la Chapelle 66 Peace made at Nimwegen 246 67 The Phillippine Islands 74 The Kingdom of Portugal and its Origin 81 The first Project of sailing into the East-Indies 88 The Portugueses banish the Moors and Jews 88 Peace betwixt Holland and Portugal 93 The Humour of the Portugueses 94 A Persecution raised on the Christians of Japan 96 Strength of Portugal 97 Peter's Pence 101 Peace made betwixt the English and French 119 Of no long continuance 120 Another Peace with France under R. II. K. of Eng. 170 The Powder Plot under James I. King of England 147 Pharamond the first King of France 175 Pipin proclaimed King of France 178 The Parisian Massacre 223 Pignerol bought from the Duke of Savoy by Lewis XIII King of France 236 Peace of Munster 275 239 Peace made at Aixla Chapelle 244 The Duke of Parma Governour of the Netherlands 265 Protestants and the rise of that Name 298 Protestant League at Smalkald 298 The differences betwixt the Protestants in Germany 312 The Kingdom of Poland and its Origin 333 Twelve Vaivodes or Governours in Poland 333 The Poles defeated in Moldavia 346 Poland invaded by Gustavus Adolfus K. of Sweden 347 The Poles defeated by the Cosacks 349 Poland invaded by Gustavus Adolf a second time 350 Poland invaded by Ragezi Prince of Transilvania 351 The Genius of the Polish Nation 352 The Kingdom of Poland its Strength and Weakness Form of Government its Commodities Revenues c. 353 354 355. Of the Pope of Rome 368 The Popes Authority and its Origin 386 Pedantry introduced into the Schools 388 The Greek and Roman Politicians prejudicial to Monarchy 388 Patriarchs 390 Of the Popes Power 390 The Popes Confirmation of Bishops 391 How the Popes withdrew themselves from their Subjection to the Emperours 399 The Pope seeks for protection in France 400 The Pope establishes an ecclesiastical Sovereignty 402 The Pope pretends to a power over Princes even to depose them 404 How this power is colour'd over 405 The Papal Authority opposed and weakned by Schisms 407 Divisions among the Protestants and the Licentiousness of some Protestants 420 The Vniversity of Paris 420 The Popish Soveraignty recovered 422 Popish Clergy more regular and learned than before 422 How
the Queen afterwards had another Bastard begotten by another person To remove this shame and to exclude Joan from the succession of the Crown the Nobles of Spain enter'd into an Association and putting the Image of Henry upon a Scaffold they there formally accus'd him and afterwards having taken off his Ornaments threw it from the Scaffold at the same time proclaiming Alfonso Brother of Henry their King From hence arose most pernicious intestine Wars which ended in bloudy Battels During these troubles Alfonso died About the same time Ferdinand Son of John II. King of Arragon whom his Father had declar'd King of Sicily props'd a Marriage with Isabella Henry's Sister to whom the rebellious Castilians had offer'd the Crown and forc'd Henry to confirm the right of Isabella to the Crown whereupon the Nuptials were celebrated but privately Yet would Henry by making this Concession void have afterwards set up again the Title of Joan whom he had promis'd in marriage to Charles Duke of Aquitain Brother to Lewis XI King of France but he dying suddenly Henry at last was reconcil'd to Ferdinand and Isabella and died in the Year 1472. § 9. From this match of Ferdinand whom the Castilians call The V. or The Catholick with Isabella sprang the great Fortune and Power of Spain it under his Reign arriving to that pitch of Greatness which ever since has made it both the Terrour and the Envy of Europe This Ferdinand also met with some obstacles at the beginning of his Reign the States of Castile having limited his Power within too narrow Bounds And Joan the late King Henry's suppos'd Daughter having contracted a match with Alfonso King of Portugal who entring Castile with a puissant Army caus'd her to be proclaim'd Queen but the Portugueses being soundly beaten the whole design vanish'd and Joan retiring into a Monastery the civil Commotions were totally suppress'd The next care of Ferdinand was to regulate such Disorders as were crept into the Government in the former Reigns wherefore he caus'd that Law-book to be compil'd which from the City of Toro where it first was publish'd is call'd Leges Tauri In the Year also 1478 the famous Spanish Inquisition was first instituted by him against the Moors and Jews who having once profess'd themselves Christians did afterwards return to their Idolatry and Superstitious Worship This Court of Inquisition is esteemed an inhuman and execrable Tribunal among other Nations and carries the greatest Injustice with it in ordering the Children to bear the Guilt of their Parents nor permitting any body to know his Accusers to clear himself against them But the Spaniards ascribe to this Inquisition the benefit which they enjoy of one Religion the variety of which has brought great Inconveniencies upon other States 'T is true by those means you may make Hypocrites not sincere Christians After he had order'd his Affairs at home and after the death of his Father taken upon him the Government of Arragon he undertook an Expedition against the Moors of Granada which lasted ten Years wherein the Spaniards were routed near Mallaga but quickly reveng'd themselves upon their Enemies taking from them one place after another till they at last besieg'd the City of Granada with 50000 Foot and 12000 Horse and having forc'd the King Boabdiles to a surrender they put an end to the Kingdom of the Moors in Spain after it had stood there for above 700 Years And to prevent the possibility of their ever encreasing again in Spain he banish'd 170000 Families of Jews and Moors out of Spain by which means the Kingdom nevertheless was despoil'd of vast Riches and of a great number of Inhabitants After this he took from them Mazalquivir Oran Pennon de Velez and Mellilla situated upon the Coast of Barbary Ferdinand also made use of this opportunity to teach his Nobles who were grown overpowerfull their due Respect and Obedience to the King and took upon himself the Sovereign Disposal of all the Spanish Orders of Knighthood which were grown to that excess of Riches and Power in Spain that they were formidable to its Kings Much about the same time Christopher Columbus a Genouese discover'd America after his Offers had been refus'd by the Kings of Portugal and England and after he had been seven Years solliciting at the Court of Castile for a supply to undertake the Voyage At last 17000 Ducats were employed in equipping three Vessels out of which Stock such prodigious Conquests and Riches have accru'd to Spain that ever since it has aim'd at the Universal Monarchy of Europe How easily the Spaniards did conquer these vast Countries and with what Barbarity they us'd the Inhabitants is too long to be related here Not long after a War was kindl'd betwixt Spain and France which has been the occasion of inspeakable Miseries in Europe after these two Warlike Nations were freed from that Evil which had hitherto diverted them from medling with Foreign Affairs the French having rid themselves from the English and the Spaniards from the Moors For when Charles VIII King of France undertook an Expedition against the Kingdom of Naples Ferdinand did not judge it for his Interest to let the French by conquering this Kingdom to become Masters of Italy especially since by marrying his Daughters he was in aliance with England Portugal and the Netherlands and besides the then kings of Naples descended from the House of Arragon And tho France lately enter'd with him into a Confederacy by vertue of which the French gave up Roussilion to Spain hoping thereby to bring over Ferdinand to their Party nevertheless when he perceiv'd That by all his Intercessions he could not disswade him from undertaking of this Expedition he enter'd into a Confederacy with the Pope Emperour Venice and Milan against France He also sent to the assistance of the Neapolitans Gonsalvus Ferdinand de Câ—rdua afterwards sirnam'd The Grand Captain under whose Conduct the French were beaten out of the Neapolitan Territories whilst he himself made an inrode into Languedock In the Year 1500 the Moors living in the Mountains near Granada rebell'd and were not without great difficulty appeas'd Afterwards an Agreement was made betwixt Ferdinand and Lewis XII King of France concerning the Kingdom of Naples under pretence to make War from thence against the Turks which being soon conquer'd by their joint Power they divided it according to their Agreement But because each of them would have had this delicious Morsel for himself they fell at variance concerning the Limits and some other matters which interven'd betwixt two Nations that had an animosity against one another Wherefore they came quickly to Blows and Gonsalvus routed the French near Ceriniola took the City of Naples beat them again near the River Liris or Garigliano and taking Cajeta drove the French a second time out of the Kingdom of Naples But Gonsalvus was not rewarded by Ferdinand according to his Deserts
extraordinary conceit of their own Abilities and taking the Netherlanders for Cowards did not think they had Courage enough to oppose their Designs The Spaniards also were well pleas'd to see the Netherlanders to begin first hoping the King would thereby take an opportunity to clip their Privileges and by making them all alike obtain an absolute Dominion over them This done they hoped to make these Countries their Armory and Store-house from whence they might with more ease invade France and England and raise the Spanish Monarchy to the highest degree of Greatness But the Netherlanders on the other side were resolv'd not to part with their Liberty nor to be treated as a conquer'd Nation And when Philip at his departure would leave Spanish Garrisons in the Netherlands and to soften the matter constituted the Prince of Orange and Earl of Egmont Generals over them yet could they not be persuaded to accept of the same alledging That the Netherlanders had got but very small Advantages by the Peace with France which they had procur'd by their own Valour if they now should be in danger of being subdu'd themselves by a foreign Power The neighbouring Princes also but especially Elizabeth Queen of England took an opportunity by these troubles to empty the vast Treasures of Spain and to exhaust its Strength The Protestant Princes also of Germany who hated the Spaniards were glad of this opportunity and assisted the Prince of Orange upon all occasions And the Emperours thought it more convenient to be at quiet and to please the Germans than to be too forward to assist their Cousins These Commotions in the Netherlands did also occasion the War betwixt Philip and Elizabeth Queen of England she not only affording assistance to the Netherlanders but also the English Privateers doing considerable mischief to the Spanish West-India Ships and the famous Francis Drake plunder'd the very Southern Coast of America On the other side Philip by supporting the Rebels in Ireland proved very troublesome to Queen Elizabeth At last Philip did resolve with one stroke to put down the whole Strength of England to which purpose he was equipping a great Fleet for several Years together which he call'd The Invincible the like never had been seen before those times The Fleet consisted of 150 Sail of Ships which carried 1600 great pieces of Brass Cannon and 1050 of Iron 8000 Seamen 20000 Souldiers besides Volunteers the Charge amounted daily to 30000 Ducats but the whole Preparations to twelve Milions of Ducats The Pope Sixtus V. also excommunicated Queen Elizabeth assigning her Kingdom to Philip. But all these Preparations came to nothing the greatest part of this Fleet being destroy'd partly by the English and Dutch partly by Tempests few return'd home and that in a most miserable condition so that there was scarce a Noble Family in Spain but went into Mourning for the loss of some Friend or another But the evenness of Temper is much to be admir'd in Philip who receiv'd this bad news without the least alteration giving only this Answer I did not send them out to fight against the Winds and Seas Afterwards the English and Dutch Fleets being joined beat the Spanish Fleet near Cadiz taking from the Spaniards not only a great many Ships richly laden but also the City of Cadiz it self which nevertheless was again left by the English General the Earl of Essex after he had plunder'd it to the great dishonour of the English who might from thence have done a great deal of mischief to the Spaniards Neither did Spain get any advantage by having entangled it self in the Troubles and as it was call'd the holy League made in France Philip 't is true propos'd to himself to have met with a fair opportunity by excluding the Bourbon Family to annex the Crown of France to his House or by raising Divisions in this Kingdom to swallow up one piece or another or to assist one of his Creatures in obtaining that Crown or at least by dividing it into so many Factions so to weaken its Strength as that it should not be able to recover it self for a considerable time But by the Courage and good Fortune of Henry IV. all these Measures were broke and he declaring himself a Catholick took away the Foundation whereupon the League was built Thus Philip lost his vast Expences and besides this suffer'd extreamly in his Affairs for in the mean time that he sent the Duke of Parma Governour of the Netherlands to the assistance of the League in France the Confederate Netherlanders had leisure given them to put themselves and their Affairs into a good posture Philip acted in this business according to the old proverb That he who hunts two Hares at once commonly catches neither of them Besides Henry IV. after he had restor'd his Affairs in France declar'd War against Philip which was nevertheless carried on in the Netherlands with various success the Count de Fuentes taking Cambray in the Year 1595 and in the Year next following the Archduke Albert Calais On the other side Henry recover'd Fere from the Spaniards In the Year 1597 the Spaniards took Amiens by surprise which Henry recover'd not without great difficulty At last a Peace was concluded in the same Year betwixt France and Spain at Vervin because Philip was unwilling to leave his Son who was but young entangl'd in a War with so great a Captain as Henry was and Henry was sensible that the Kingdom of France being enervated did greatly want a Peace Philip also waged several Wars against the Turks for the Pyrate Dragutes had taken from the Spaniards Tripoli after they had been in possession of it for forty Years To retake this Philip sent a strong Army which took the Isle of Gerbis but being afterwards beaten by the Turkish Fleet he lost together with the Island 18000 Men and 42 Ships In the Year 1564 Philip retook Pegnon de Velez In the Year 1566 Maltha was besieg'd by the Turks during the space of four Months which was reliev'd by Philip he forcing the Turks to raise the Siege with great loss In the Year 1571 the Confederate Fleet of Spain Venice and other Italian States under the Command of Don John of Austria did obtain a most signal Victory over the Turkish Fleet near Lepanto whereby the Turkish Naval Strength was weaken'd to that degree that they were never afterwards so formidable in those Seas as they were before But else the Spaniards had got no great Reputation in this War for by their delays that considerable Island of Rhodes was lost before In the Year 1573 Don John of Austria pass'd with an Army into Africa to retake Tunis which succeeded so well that he forc'd the City and added a new Fortification to it But in the Year next following the Turks sent a puissant Army thither and retook the City its Fortifications being not quite perfected as also Goletta which being not very well
Catalonians which they would in no ways consent to unanimously agreed to shake off the Castilian Yoak and secretly sounded the Inclinations of the Duke of Braganza As soon as he upon the perswasions of his Lady had reâ—olv'd to accept of the Crown they broke loose and surprising the Garrison in the City Palace and Fort seiz'd the Ships kill'd the Secretary of State Vasconcello who had carried himself very proudly among them and proclaimed the Duke of Braganza King under the Name of John IV. purging the whole Kingdom within eight days of the Castilians and that with the loss only of two or three persons Which may serve as a remarkable instance to convince the World how easily a Kingdom is lost where the Peoples Inclination is averse to the supream Head Thus the Spanish Monarchy received a great blow and its Power being distracted it could not act effectually on all sides They also lost Perpignan tho the French could not go further into Spain for the Prince of Conde besieged Lerida in vain In the Year 1641 the Prince Monaco driving the Spanish Garrisons out of his Territories put himself under the protection of France There also happen'd a most dangerous Rebellion at Naples the Head of which was a poor Fisherman whose Name was Massanello who might have put the whole Kingdom into a flame if the French had been at hand to give him timely assistance but by the prudent management of the Governour the Earl of Ognato the Tumult was appeased Spain then being forc'd to quench the flames on all sides it could not be so mindfull of Holland as the most remote having all hands full to resist the dangers threatning them nearer home And the Spaniards had the good fortune to reduce as we said before Catalonia under their Subjection and to chase the French out of Piombino and Porto Longone but the English took from them the Island of Jamaica in the West Indies At last France being re-established in its former Tranquility the Spaniards thought it most convenient to make Peace with that Crown Which was concluded betwixt the two great Ministers of State the Cardinal Mazarini and Don Lewis de Haro in the Pyrenean Mountains By vertue of which France got Roussilion and several considerable places in the Netherlands Spain having thus concluded a Peace with all the rest of its Neighbours it began in earnest to make War against Portugal The Spaniards therefore enter'd Portugal with a great Force taking from the Portugueses several places but were also at several places soundly beaten The Battel near Entremos where Don Juan and that near Villa Viciosa where Caracena received a fatal Defeat are most famous The obtaining of which two Victories on the Portuguese side is chiefly ascribed to the French General Schomberg Philip IV. died in the Year 1665. § 14. He had for his Successour his Son Charles II. a Child of four years of age who under the Tuition of his Mother negligently prosecuted the War against Portugal and at last by the Mediation of England was forc'd to make Peace with that Crown renouncing his right to the same because the French at that time made a grievous havock in the Netherlands For tho' Mary Teresia Daughter of Philip IV. at the time when she was married to the King of France had renounc'd all her right of Succession to her paternal Inheritance yet the French taking the opportunity of their flourishing condition and the decay'd state of Spain England also and Holland being engaged in a War with one another who would else not have left the Netherlands to be devoured by them they enter'd Flanders with a vast Army using among other things for a pretence that which in Brabant is called Jus devolutionis by which the real Estates of private persons fall to the Children born during the time of the first marriage as soon as the Father marries again The French took in this War without much resistance a great many considerable Cities and Forts viz. Charleroy Tournay Lisle Douay Oudenarde and some others they conquer'd also the whole Franche Compte which hastened the Peace betwixt England and Holland and occasioned the Tripple Alliance as it is called made betwixt England Sweden and Holland for the preservation of the Spanish Netherlands In the following Year France made a Peace with Spain at Aix la Chapelle restoring to Spain the Franche Compte but keeping what places he had taken in Flanders But when Holland in the Year 1672 was attack'd by the French Spain sided with the Dutch knowing that the loss of the Vnited Provinces must draw after it that of the Spanish Netherlands So it came again to an open War wherein at first Spain lost Burgundy The rebellious Messineses threw themselves under the protection of France but were afterwards deserted by them France also got Limburgh Conde Valencienne Cambray Ypres St. Omer Aeth and Ghent But a Peace was concluded at Nimmegen by virtue of which France kept the Franche Compte and most places taken in the Netherlands restoring only to Spain Limburgh Ghent Cortryck Oudenarde Aeth and Charleroy § 15. Having thus given a brief History of the Kingdom of Spain we will also add something concerning the Genius of the Spaniards and the extent of their Territories as also of the Strength and Weakness of this Kingdom and its Condition in reference to its Neighbours The Spanish Nation therefore is commonly esteem'd to be very wise and to take remote prospects throughly weighing a thing before it undertakes it Whereby nevertheless the Spaniards being overcautious and exact in their Counsels do often lose the opportunities of action Besides this the Spaniards are very constant to their Resolutions and tho' they fail once in an Attempt they will try their Fortune again endeavouring to overcome its frowns by their Constancy They are very fit for War and not only brave at the first attack but also will hold out till the last their sober way of living and spare Bodies make them fit to bear Hunger and Thirst and to be very watchfull But this the Spaniards are extreamly blamed for that they maintain their Gravity by high-flown Words and a proud Behaviour Tho' those that converse with them do declare that this Gravity which appears so odious is not so much the effect of their Pride as of a melancholy Constitution and an ill Custom they never being fond to converse much with Foreign Nations They are in general very zealous for the Roman Catholick Religion and abominate all others They are seldom fit for any Trade or Business where any hard labour is required such as Husbandry or any Handycraft Trades wherefore these are chiefly managed among them by Foreigners It is credibly reported That in Madrid alone there are above 40000 Frenchmen being for the most part Merchants Artists Handycrafts-men and Labourers who go under the Name of Burgundians
Henry II. therefore succeeded him who among other memorable Actions demolish'd such fortify'd Castles of the Nobility and Bishops as were built with the consent of King Stephen After he had reigned near eighteen Years in Peace and Quietness he had a mind to have his Son Henry crowned the better to secure the Succession he received him as his Copartner in the Government but he being married to Margaret the Daughter of Lewis the younger King of France this proved the cause of great Disturbances afterwards For some persuaded young Henry That his Father having abdicated himself from the Government had committed thereby the same to his management France envy'd that a King of England should have such vast Possessions in France The Scots wish'd for nothing more than to have an opportunity of committing Depredations in England Wherefore the French and Scots joining with young Henry fell upon Henry II. all at one time but were as vigorously repulsed by him the Scots especially suffered the most in this War and lost all Huntingtonshire A Peace was also concluded with France Adela Daughter of Lewis King of France being promised in marriage to Richard second Son of Henry But the old King as 't is reported falling in love with her privately kept her company and therefore opposed the consummation of the marriage betwixt her and his Son Richard This so exasperated Richard who after the death of his eldest Brother Henry was now the next Heir to the Crown that he made Head against his Father and Philip Augustus King of France taking hold of this opportunity took the City of Muns King Henry seeing himself besides this deserted by his Friends Wife and Children died in few days of Grief This Henry also conquer'd Ireland and united it to England which he and his Successours govern'd under the Title of Lords of Ireland till the time of Henry VIII who after he had withdrawn himself from the Obedience of the Pope to nettle him the more assumed the Title of King of Ireland because the Pope pretends to the sole right to bestow the Title of King in Christendom and that none ought to take it upon him without his consent wherefore the Pope afterwards to make his Pretence the more plausible freely gave the same Title to Mary Queen of England Henry also had some differences with Thomas Backet Archbishop of Canterbury who pretended it was derogatory to the Glory of God that the Priests according to the King's Commands should be subject to the Civil Judicatures There is a fabulous Relation concerning this Archbishop Thomas That he riding a Horse-back one time through a Village the Country Fellows cut off the Tail of his Horse and that their Children afterwards were born with such Tails § 8. Richard I. who succeeded his Father Henry in the Kingdom did out of a preposterous Zeal undertake an Expedition into the Holy Land with 35000 Men being accompained by Philip Augustus King of France In this War he took the Island of Cyprus which he gave to Guido Lusignanus who in consideration thereof resigned his Right to Jerusalem and in the Year 1192 he was present at the taking of Ptolemais where the Standard of Duke Leopold of Austria being set up first he pull'd it down again putting his own in the place But when they were in great hopes of gaining Jerusalem Philip returned home engaging himself by a solemn Oath that he would not injure Richard in any of his Dominions Hugo Duke of Burgundy afterwards followed his example which greatly encouraged Saladin And Richard understanding that the French were fallen into Normandy he also made a Peace with Saladin and taking his way by Land incognito was discovered in his Journey through Austria where Duke Leopold remembring the affront done to him near Ptolemais took him Prisoner and delivered him to the Emperour who after fifteen Months Imprisonment made him pay 100000 Pounds for his Ransom After his return home he found every thing in confusion the French having not only ravaged Normandy and other Provinces belonging to him but also his Brother had made a Pretension to the Crown but he obliged the latter to implore his Pardon and beat the French back into their own Country He died not long after of a wound which he received in a Siege of some inconsiderable place in France After his death his Brother John took upon him the Crown of England who was opposed by Arthur Earl of the lesser Britainy his elder Brother's Son who finding himself alone not strong enough sought for Aid of the King of France who was ready upon all occasions to create Troubles in England He took a great many Cities in Normandy and Anjou Wherefore King John was obliged to make a dishonourable Peace with him giving in marriage to Lewis King Philip's Son Blanch Daughter of Alfonsus King of Castile and of his Sister Eleonora to whom he gave as a Dowry all the Cities which Philip had taken from him except Angiers Then he married Isabella Daughter and Heiress of the Earl of Angoulesme who was promised before to Hugh Earl of Marche He to revenge this affront join'd his Forces with the King of France and Prince Arthur of Britainy and fell into Touraine and Anjou But King John falling upon them unawares routed the Enemy and took Prince Arthur Prisoner who died not long after a Prisoner in Roan But Constantia the Mother of Arthur made her Complaints to Philip King of France whose Vassal King John was on the score of such Provinces as he was possess'd of in France and the King of France summon'd King John to appear before him and to answer for the death of Arthur But he not appearing it was declar'd that King John had forfeited what Fiefs he was possess'd of in France and King Philip took from him Normandy 316 Years after Rollo the Norman had conquered the same But the French afterwards attack'd also Angiers where they were repulsed with great loss by King John whereupon a Truce was concluded betwixt them for two Years During which time he routed the Scots and suppressed the Rebels in Ireland and Wales The Truce being expired the War began afresh with France and King John's Army being routed he made another Truce with France But this ill success had much diminished his Authority among his Nobles who also hated him because he had imposed heavy Taxes upon them wherefore they with joint consent demanded from him the restitution of their ancient Privileges but perceiving that he only intended to give them fair Words for Deeds they called to their aid Lewis Son of Philip King of France who landing with a great Army in England was received with a general applause and whilst King John endeavoured to make Head against him he died overwhelm'd with Troubles § 9. Him succeeded his Son Henry III. whose tender Age wrought Compassion on most and extinguish'd the Hatred which had been
pretending that the Spencers had diverted the King's Love from her retir'd first into France and from thence into Hainault and returning with an Army took the King Prisoner and caused the Spencers to be executed The King was carried from place to place and greatly abused during his Imprisonment having been forced before by the Parliament to resign the Kingdom to his Son Edward At last about six Months after his Deposition he was miserably murther'd § 11. Edward III. was very young when the Crown was conferr'd upon him wherefore the Administration of the Government was during his Minority committed to his Mother and managed under her chiefly by her Favourite Roger Mortimer She immediately at the beginning made a dishonourable Peace with Scotland whereby Edward renounced the Sovereignty and all other Pretensions upon that Kingdom and the Scots renounced their Title to Cumberland and Northumberland This and some other matters laid to their charge was the reason why some Years after the Queen was condemned to a perpetual Imprisonment and Mortimer was hanged Afterwards a most cruel War broke out betwixt England and France for Lewis Philip and Charles all three Sons of Philip sirnamed the Handsom dying without Issue Edward did pretend a right to the French Crown as being the late King 's Sister's Son alledging That if his Mother as being a Woman might be thought incapable of governing the Realm the same ought not to be prejudicial to him as being a Man But Philip de Valois notwithstanding he was a degree farther of as being the late King's Father 's Brother's Son yet prevailed with the States who under pretence of the Salick Law and the hatred they bore to a Foreign Sovereign being besides this encouraged thereunto by the Earl of Artois set him upon the Throne Edward being afterwards summon'd by Philip to come in person and to do Homage for the Dukedom of Aquitain went thither in person he being then but young and England full of intestine Commotions notwithstanding this seemed to be very prejudicial to his Pretensions And King Edward appearing in the Church at Amiens with the Crown upon his Head his Sword and Spurs on was ordered to lay them aside and to take the Oath upon his Knees which so exasperated Edward that France afterwards felt the effects of it Not long after Edward Baliol Son of John Baliol made pretensions to the Crown of Scotland against the young King being assisted by King Edward notwithstanding King David of Scotland had married his Sister During which Commotions the English recovered Barwick upon Tweed and in one Battel killed 30000 Scots whereupon Edward Baliol did do Homage to the King of England for the Crown of Scotland By this time King Edward being come to his riper years upon the instigation of Robert Earl of Artois undertook an Expedition into France and taking upon him the Title and Arms of France renewed his Pretensions to that Crown In this Expedition he entirely routed the French Fleet near Sluys which was sent to hinder his landing and defeated 30000 Men. and after he had besieged Tournay he made a Truce with them for twelve Months In the mean while the English were engaged in a War with the Scots who under the Conduct of their former King David had driven out Edward Baliol. The time of the Truce being expir'd the War began afresh in France where among other places the English took Angoulesme King Edward himself came with a great Army into Normandy and took both there and in Picardy a great many places from the French At last a bloody Battel was fought betwixt them near Crecy in Picardy wherein the English tho' but 30000 strong fought against 60000 French killing 30000 upon the spot among whom were 1500 persons of Quality The next day after 7000 French were cut to pieces by the English who not knowing what had happened the day before were upon their march to the French Camp In this Battel no Quarter was given on either side Much about the same time King David of Scotland enter'd England with an Army of 60000 Men to make a Diversion in behalf of France but he was defeated in a great Battel and himself taken Prisoner The English had no less success the same Year in Britainy and Guienne In the Year next following King Edward took the City of Calais which he fill'd with English Inhabitants Prince Edward Son to Edward III. whom his Father had sent with an Army into Guienne behaved himself very valiantly making great havock where-ever he came John King of France drew out an Army against him of 60000 Men tho' the Prince was not above 8000 strong upon this the King thinking he had catch'd the Bird in the Net would not accept of any Conditions tho' never so advantageous But Prince Edward having posted his Men betwixt the Bushes and Vineyards from thence so gall'd the French Horse with his long Bows that they being repulsed put all the rest in confusion King John himself was taken Prisoner as also his youngest Son and above 1700 persons of Quality were slain This Battel was fought about two Leagues from Poictiers At last after King Edward had with three Armies over-run the greatest part of France a Peace was concluded by the Mediation of the Pope at Bretaigny not far from Chartres The Conditions of this Peace were That England besides what it had before in France should be put in possession of Poictou Zaintogne Rochelle Pais d' Aulnis Angoumois Perigord Limoisin Quercy Agenois and Bigorre with an absolute Sovereignty over the same besides this the City of Calais the Counties of Oye Guisnes and Ponthieu and three Millions of Crowns were to be given as a Ransom for the King and that King John should give his three younger Sons his Brother and thirty other persons of Quality as Hostages for the payment of the said Summs But that on the other side the English should restore all the other places which they had taken from the French and renounce their Right and Title to the Crown of France The Peace being thus concluded Prince Edward to whom his Father had given the Dukedom of Aquitain restored Peter King of Castile to his Kingdom But in his Journey the Souldiers being very mutinous for want of Pay he levyed an extraordinary Tax upon his Subjects which they complaining of to the King of France he summon'd the Prince to appear before him who answer'd He would suddenly appear with an Army of 60000 Men therefore Charles V. King of France denounced War against the English pretending that the promised Sovereignty at the last Peace was void because the Prince had not fulfilled the Articles of the same and had committed Hostilities against France But whilst Prince Edward was busie in making great Preparations against France he died suddenly and with him the English good Fortune for the French took from them all the Dukedom of
Aquitain except Bourdeaux and Bayonne The King was so troubled at the loss both of so brave a Son and his Conquests in France that he died within ten Months after his Son § 12. Him succeeded Richard II. Son of that brave Prince Edward who being but eleven Years of Age when he came to the Crown was despised by the French who burnt several places on the English Coast The Scots also made an Inrode on the other side of England and the War being carried on with various Fortune after several Truces expired a Peace was at last concluded There were also great commotions in the Kingdom under this King's Reign For in Kent and other neighbouring Counties there was an Insurrection of the Rabble occasioned by the Insolence of one of the Receivers of the Poll Tax This Rabbles Intention was to have murthered both the Nobility and Clergy except the Mendicant Fryars but were soon restrained by the King's Valour But there were continual Discontents betwixt the King and the Lords the King being resolved to rule according to his Pleasure and to maintain his Favourites against the Lords who were for removing his Favourites and bringing his Royal Power into a more narrow compass by the Authority of the Parliament But it was the King's custom as soon as the Parliament was dissolved to reverse all that was concluded upon before yet once the Parliament got him at an advantage when it forced him to permit most of his Favourites to be either kill'd or banish'd and obliged him by an Oath to promise That he would administer the Government according to the Advice of his Lords Not long after a Conspiracy among the Lords was discovered against him a great many of them paid for it with their Heads the King seemed at last to have master'd his Enemies but he was nevertheless ruin'd at last which was occasioned thus Henry Duke of Lancaster accused the Duke of Norfolk as if he had spoken ill of the King and the latter giving the lye to the former they challenged one another but the Duel was prevented by the King's Authority who banish'd them both out of the Kingdom Henry of Lancaster retired into France raising there a Faction against the King by inviting all dissatisfy'd persons to him who promised to set him on the Throne of England He landed but with a few in England but at a time as King Richard's ill Fortune would have it when he was in Ireland and the Wind proving contrary he could not have notice of his Enemies arrival in England till six Weeks after which gave them opportunity and leisure to strengthen their Party The King also committed a great errour for that he afterwards against his Promise tarry'd so long in Ireland which was the cause that such Forces as were brought together by his Friends whom he had sent before were again dispersed before his arrival in England Coming afterwards in person into England and being informed how powerfull his Enemies were he despair'd of his Affairs and having dismiss'd his Forces that were ready to fight for him till the last gasp he was made a Prisoner Henry of Lancaster calling immediately hereupon a Parliament a great many things were objected to Richard and he was declared to have forfeited the Crown But before this Resolution was published he resign'd himself and was not long after miserably murthered in Prison § 14. Thus Henry IV. of the House of Lancaster came to the Crown he being after the Deposition of King Richard declared King by the Parliament tho' if the Pretensions of Henry together with the Power of the Parliament be duely examined the Title of Henry IV. to the Crown of England will be found to have a very ill Foundation For what some pretend that Edmund from whom the House of Lancaster descended was the eldest Son of Henry III. and that he being very deformed was obliged to give way to his Brother Edward I. is rejected as a frivolous Fable by the English Historians This King did labour under great difficulties at the beginning of his Reign all which he at last overcame For the Design of the French to restore Richard ended with his death And a Conspiracy of some Lords against him was discover'd even before Richard died The Scots who made War on him got nothing but blows The Welshmen also in hopes of having met with an opportunity to shake off the English Yoke joined with a discontented Party out of England and rebell'd against him but before they could join all their Forces the King came suddenly upon them and overthrew them in a great Battel wherein 't is said the King kill'd six and thirty with his own Hands Yet the discontented Party did not rest but enter'd into a third Conspiracy against him which was soon discover'd A great many of them retir'd afterwards into Scotland where they stirr'd up the Scots against England for these never used to miss an opportunity of being troublesome to England but they got nothing but blows again for their pains This King died in the Year 1413. § 15. After him reigned his Son Henry V. who in his younger Years did not promise much but after he came to the Crown shew'd himself one of the most valiant Kings the English ever had And as he was very Aspiring and Ambitious so he thought he could not meet with a better opportunity of gaining Glory than by entring into a War with France and renewing the ancient Pretensions upon that Crown He sent therefore his Ambassadours to Charles VI. to lay claim to that Crown and to make this Proposition to him That if he would resign to him the Crown of France he would marry his Daughter Catharine But it being not usual that Princes are persuaded to part with a Crown thus the next way was to try their Fortune by Arms. Henry therefore enter'd France with an Army took Harfleur and obtained afterwards a most signal Victory near Agincourt in Picardy against the French who according to the English Historians were six times stronger than the English Ten thousand of the French were kill'd upon the spot and as many taken Prisoners not above some Hundreds being slain of the English Yet at that time Henry did not pursue his Victory But not long after the French Fleet having first been beaten by the English near Harfleur Henry made a second Descent upon France taking one place after another in Normandy and at last the City of Roan it self He met with very little opposition in France at that time because all was in confusion at the French Court the King Charles VI. being not in his right Wits and the Queen being fallen out with her Son the Dauphin who had taken from her all her Jewels and Money alledging That they might be better employ'd upon the Souldiery Which was the reason that the Queen siding with John Duke of Burgundy did promote him to the place of chief
and afterwards persuaded the King to ratifie the same This Match was mightily opposed by the Duke of Gloucester the King's Uncle who alledged That her Father had only the bare Titles of King and Duke and that besides this great Injury was done thereby to the first Bride viz. to the Daughter of the Count of Armagnac Notwithstanding this the Match went forward and to obtain the Bride of the French Anjou and Maine were given them as a Recompence The King being thus led away by the Queen and his Favourites her first design was to revenge her self upon the Duke of Gloucester whom she accused of Male Administration and after she had got him committed to Prison caused him privately to be murther'd The death of so innocent a Man did afterwards fall heavy upon the King For the French not long after took from them all Normandy the English by reason of a Rebellion in Ireland not being in a capacity to send thither speedy and sufficient Relief They were also beaten out of Aquitain so that they had nothing left them in France but Calais and some neighbouring places neither could they afterwards ever get footing again in France This sudden loss was occasioned by the carelessness of the English Garrisons that were not provided with able Governours as also by the Pride of the English whereby they were become hatefull to the French Subjects But the chief cause was Richard Duke of York who had underhand raised intestine Commotions in England For he being sensible of the King's Weakness and how ill satisfy'd the People were with the Queen's management of Affairs hoped by fomenting and raising Troubles in the Kingdom to make way for himself to obtain the Crown and this he did principally because he pretended to have the best right to the Crown being descended by his Mother's side from Lionel Duke of Clarence third Son of King Edward III. whereas Henry was descended from John of Gaunt fourth Son of the said Edward III. but publickly he profess'd That his Intention was only to remove from the King's Person his pernicious Favourites and especially the Duke of Somerset Having therefore got an Army on foot he fought with the King's Forces in which Battel the Duke of Somerset was slain and the Duke of York thereupon declared Protector of the King's Person and the Kingdom But this Agreement did not last long and things came quickly again to an open War wherein the Duke of York being worsted was forced to fly into Ireland But not long after the Earl of Warwick did beat the King's Army and taking him Prisoner the Duke of York was again declared Protector of the King and Kingdom and lawfull Heir of the Crown under condition that Henry should retain the Title of King during his life But Matters did not remain long in this condition for the Queen who was fled into Scotland marched with a great Army against the Duke of York who was kill'd in the Battel and all the Prisoners were executed But his Son in conjunction with the Earl of Warwick raised another Army and marching up to London the young Duke of York was there proclaimed King by the Name of Edward IV. § 16. Thus Edward IV. came to the Crown but could not maintain it without great difficulty For Henry had got together a very powerfull Army in the North against whom Edward fought the most bloody Battel that was ever fought in England there being 36796 Men killed upon the spot because Edward knowing his Enemies to be superiour in number had ordered not to give Quarter to any of them After which Battel Henry retired into Scotland from whence he returned with another Army and being again defeated with much adoe got safely into Scotland But returning again incognito into England he was taken Prisoner and committed to the Tower This Prince would have made a better Priest than a King of such a Nation that was distracted by the Animosities of several Factions But the Tragedy did not end here The King had sent the Earl of Warwick into France to conclude a Match betwixt him and Bona the Daughter of Lewis Duke of Savoy But the King having in the mean time suddenly married Elizabeth the Widow of John Gray the Earl was so dissatisfy'd at it that he declared for King Henry and having brought over to his Party the Duke of Clarence the Brother of King Edward he fell upon a sudden upon Edward and took him Prisoner but by the carelessness of his Keepers he escaped not long after And tho' an Agreement was then made betwixt them yet was it of no long continuance for the Earl of Warwick's Forces were routed and he forced to fly into France As soon as he had recover'd himself a little he returned into England where he was so well received that he forced King Edward to fly into the Netherlands to Charles Duke of Burgundy And King Henry after he had been nine Years a Prisoner in the Tower was again set upon the Throne But Edward having received some Assistance from the Duke of Burgundy returned again into England but perceiving that but few came in to him he made an Agreement with King Henry which he confirm'd with a solemn Oath That he would not undertake any thing against him but be contented with his own Estate Yet notwithstanding his Oath he underhand gathered what Forces he could The Earl of Warwick therefore marched towards him when the Duke of Clarence being reconcil'd to his Brother King Edward went over with all his Forces to him This gave a signal blow to the Earl of Warwick who being now not strong enough to oppose him was forced to let him march up to London where he was joyfully received by the Londoners to whom as 't is said he owed much Money and was very acceptable to their Wives but King Henry was committed again to the Tower Then King Edward attack'd the Earl of Warwick where a bloody Battel was fought the Victory seeming at first to incline on the Earl's side But some of his Troops by reason of a thick Fogg charged one upon another which lost him the Battel he remaining with a great many other persons of Quality slain in the Field There happened also this misfortune That King Henry's Lady and his Son Edward having got together very considerable Forces in France could not come time enough to his assistance having been detained by contrary Winds and coming afterwards into England she was taken Prisoner and her Son kill'd and King Henry also was murthered by the Hand of the bloody Duke of Gloucester England being thus restor'd to its Tranquility at home Charles Duke of Burgundy who was in hopes of getting an advantage by a War betwixt England and France stirr'd up King Edward against Lewis XI King of France But King Lewis who was not ignorant how mischievous the Confederacy of England and Burgundy might prove to him did endeavour to detain
the English King with fair words and to render the Duke of Burgundy suspected to him which had the design'd effect with Edward who considered with himself That Charles Duke of Burgundy having besieged Nuys did not send him the promised Succours so that the Peace was easily concluded the French having been very liberal to the English To confirm this Peace King Lewis proposed a Congress to be held betwixt him and Edward at a certain place where he without making any further difficulty appeared first in person and bestowed a good quantity of Wine upon the English Souldiers who soon after returned with their King who had got but little Honour in this Expedition into England But he behaved himself better against the Scots to whom he did considerable mischief In the mean time the Duke of Gloucester had rid himself of his elder Brother the Duke of Clarence thereby to advance himself one step nearer to the Crown At last King Edward being now resolved to enter again into a War with France since King Lewis made a very slight account of what he had promised in the last Peace after he was once rid of his Enemy he fell sick and died in the Year 1483. § 17. After the death of Edward IV. his Son Edward V. a Child of eleven Years of Age was proclaimed King but scarce enjoyed this Title ten Weeks For his Uncle Richard Duke of Gloucester the most bloody and wicked Man that ever the World beheld immediately made it his business to set the Crown upon his own Head Wherefore he first of all secured to himself the Tuition of the King 's and his Brother's Persons by making away their most trusty Friends Afterwards by the help of some Impudent Priests he got it spread abroad That Edward IV. was born in Adultery and that consequently the Crown did of right belong to himself as being the most like his Father At last the Duke of Buckingham did insinuate into the Lord Mayor of London That the Crown ought to be offered to Richard and his Proposal being approved by the Acclamations of a few Villains set on for that purpose it was divulged That the People had conferr'd the Crown upon Richard Having by these Intrigues obtain'd the Crown Richard III. got himself proclaimed King and having been crowned he caused the innocent King Edward V. and his Brother miserably to be murthered But soon after his Coronation a difference arose betwixt him and the Duke of Buckingham who had been chiefly instrumental in helping him to the Crown He therefore leaving the Court began to make a Party against the King with an intention to set the Crown upon the Head of Henry Earl of Richmond who was then an Exile in Britainy And tho' the Duke of Buckingham's Plot was discovered and he beheaded yet was not the Design stopt For the Earl of Richmond set fail with a great Fleet out of Britainy but being driven by contrary Winds on the Coast of Normandy he sought Aid of Charles VIII King of France which he readily granted him A great many English also went over to him who swore Allegiance to him he promising them upon Oath That he would marry the Princess Elizabeth Daughter of Edward IV. But Henry was within an ace of having been delivered up to Richard by the Treachery of one Pieter Landois Treasurer of the Duke of Britainy who had received a great Summ of Money from Richard for undertaking it for which reason he was afterwards hang'd by his Master's order Richard also had an Intention of marrying the Princess Elizabeth and therefore had privately made away his former Lady but was obliged to delay the consummation of the Match by reason of the approaching danger from Henry Who to prevent this intended Match did in all haste sail out of France and landing in Wales was kindly received by most Not long after he gave Battel to Richard where William Stanley with some thousands of Men went over to Henry and besides this a great many of Richard's Souldiers refusing to fight Richard himself was slain in the Field and the Crown being immediately there put upon Henry's Head he was proclaimed King § 18. Hitherto England had been miserably torn to pieces by the bloody Wars betwixt the Houses of York and Lancaster the first whereof bore a White the latter a Red Rose in their Shields For Henry IV. of the House of Lancaster had driven Richard II. from the Throne Edward IV. of the House of York dethroned again his Grandson Henry VI. And Henry VII of the House of Lancaster took from Edward the IV th's Brother Richard III. both his Crown and Life This King Henry marrying the Daughter of Edward IV. united the Red and White Roses and by his singular Wisdom did again settle the State of the Kingdom Yet was he not altogether free from Disturbances at home For first of all one Lambert Symnel Son to a Baker taking upon him the Name and Person of Edward Earl of Warwick caused himself to be proclaimed King in Ireland This Comedy was first invented by a Priest and encouraged by Margaret the Widow of Charles Duke of Burgundy Sister to Edward IV. who to spite Henry gave them all the Assistance she could This Symnel transported an Army out of Ireland into England but was routed by Henry and being taken Prisoner was made a Turnspit in the King's Kitchin In the Year 1491 Henry undertook an Expedition against France and besieged Bologne But the Emperour Maximilian failing in his promises of giving him Assistance he in consideration of a good Summ of Money made a Peace with France In the mean time Margaret Dutchess Dowager of Burgundy had set up another Impostor whose Name was Perkin Warbeck He pretended to be Richard a younger Son of King Edward IV. and knew so well how to act his part that he got a considerable Party in Ireland From thence he went to Paris where he was very well received France being then engaged in a War with England But a Peace being concluded betwixt them he retir'd to the Dutchess Margaret's Court. From thence he returned into Ireland and afterwards came into Scotland where being splendidly received by that King he was married to one of his Kinswomen and enter'd England with a confiderable Army This business might have proved very dangerous to England since there were at the same time great Tumults in England arisen about some new Taxes But the Rebels were beaten and the Scots obliged to retire with great loss into Scotland The Scots made thereupon a Peace with England promising among other things not to uphold by any ways the Impostor Perkin who fled from thence into Ireland and so came into Cornwall where he caused himself to be proclaimed King But perceiving that few came over to his side and the King's Forces coming upon him he took sanctuary in a Church and surrender'd himself to the King who committed
God and having once more by his Ambassadours sollicited the Pope but in vain to decide the matter the King had the same adjudged in Parliament and divorced himself from her yet conversed with her in a very friendly manner ever after till her death except that he did not bed with her since the time when this scruple first arose Some Months after he was married to Anna Bullen by whom he had Elizabeth who was afterwards Queen Anno 1535 the King caused himself to be declared Supream Head of the Church of England abrogating thereby all the Pope's Authority in that kingdom and John Fisher Bishop of Rochester and Thomas Moor the Lord Chancellour refusing to acknowledge him as such it cost them their Heads Yet would Henry never receive the Doctrine of Luther or Zwinglius but continued in the Roman Communion because he was mightily exasperated against Luther For Henry had formerly got a Book to be published under his Name against Luther in favour of the Pope for which he acquired the Title of Defender of the Faith which Title the Kings of England retain to this day But Luther setting aside all the Respect due to a King writ an Answer to the same full of Heat and bitter Reflections Yet because he esteemed the Monks as a sort of people that were not only useless but also such as depending on the Pope might prove very pernicious to him at home he gave free leave to all Monks and Nuns to go out of the Convents and Nunneries and by degrees converted unto his own use the Revenues of all Nunneries and Convents Colleges and Chappels as also those of the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem nevertheless he employed some part of them in erecting six new Episcopal Sees and Cathedral Churches and to the advancing of Learning in the Universities A great part also he gave away or sold for a little Money to great Families intending thereby to oblige them for the future to maintain the alterations he had made It is reported that these Church Revenues which were so reduced did amount yearly to 186512 l. or as some others will have it to 500752 l. He also abolished the superstitious worship of Images and made some other alterations in Religious Worship so that in effect he laid the Foundation of the Reformation Nevertheless England was at that time in a miserable condition for a great many Roman Catholicks that would not acknowledge the King for the Supream Head of the English Church were executed And a great many more Protestants received the same punishment because they would not own the Corporal presence of the Body of Christ in the Sacrament tho' this effusion of blood was not so much caused by the King as by the Bishops who had first brought in use such rigorous Laws and now executed them with as much severity In the Year 1543 another War happened with the Scots who making an Inrode into England were beaten by a few English which did grieve King James V. to that degree that he died for trouble leaving behind him one only Daughter Mary whom Henry would have engaged to his Son Edward thereby by to unite these two Kingdoms and the business was like to have succeeded very well if the Archbishop of St. Andrews had not opposed it Henry also enter'd into a League with the Emperour against France wherein it was agreed to join their Armies of 80000 Foot and 22000 Horse near Paris to plunder that City and to ravage the whole Country as far as the Loire But neither of them acted according to the Agreement for Henry wasted his time in the Siege and taking of Boulogne which he afterwards by the Peace concluded in the Year 1546 promised to restore to France within the space of eight Years in consideration of the Summ of 800000 Crowns to be paid him for the same which was performed accordingly under Edward VI. Neither do I believe that Henry was in good earnest by ruining the French to give such great advantages to Charles V. After his Divorce with Catharine of Arragon he was very unfortunate in his Marriages for Anna Bullen was beheaded for Adultery and Incest tho' some are of opinion that it was more the Protestant Religion than the Crime which proved fatal to her It is certain that the Protestant Princes of Germany did so resent this matter that whereas they intended to have made Henry the Head of their League they afterwards would hold no correspondency with him After Anna Bullen he married Jane Seymour Mother to Edward VI. who died in Child-bed Then he married Anna of Cleves whom he also pretending I know not what bodily infirmity in her quickly dismiss'd The fifth was Catharine Howard who was beheaded for Adultery The sixth Catharine Parre Widow of the Lord Latimer who outlived him Henry died in the Year 1547. § 20. Edward VI. was nine Years of age when he came to the Crown during whose Minority his Uncle the Duke of Somerset had the Administration of Affairs His first design was to force the Scots to agree to a Match betwixt Edward and their young Queen Mary wherefore he fell into Scotland and overthrew them near Muskelborough in a great Battel Nevertheless he miss'd his aim for the Scots sent their Queen into France who was there married to the Dauphin afterwards King of France by the Name of Francis II. Under this King Edward the Reformed Religion was publickly established in England and the Mass quite abolished which occasioned great disturbances in the Kingdom which were nevertheless happily suppress'd In the Year 1550 there was a Peace concluded betwixt England France and Scotland when also Boulogne was restor'd to the French But King Edward falling sick the Duke of Northumberland who had before destroyed the Duke of Somerset persuaded King Edward under pretence of settling the Protestant Religion to exclude by his last Will and Testament his two Sisters Mary and Elizabeth for of the Queen of the Scots they made but little account at that time from the Succession of the Crown and to settle it upon Jane Grey Daughter of the Duke of Suffolk whom he had by Mary Daughter of Henry VII which afterwards proved fatal both to Jane and the Author For after the death of Edward the Duke of Northumberland caused Jane to be proclaimed Queen in the City of London but Mary eldest Sister of Edward did immediately lay claim to the Crown in her Letters to the Privy Council And Letters proving ineffectual they began to come to blows but most of the Nobility unto whom Mary promis'd not to make any alteration in Religion did side with her and a part of the Army and Fleet most of the Privy Counsellors and the City of London taking her part proclaimed her Queen Northumberland himself being now willing to go with the tide did proclaim Mary Queen in Cambridge notwithstanding which he
to make Head against the dissatisfy'd people Notwithstanding all which the King pursued his Resolution and having ask'd the Opinion of Men skill'd in the Law who told him That it was allowable for the publick benefit to levy Money by his own Authority he imposed several new Taxes whereby he augmented his yearly Revenue from 500000 l. to 800000 l. Besides this he laid a Tax for maintaining of a Fleet which amounted to 200000 l. All which caused great dissatisfaction among the Subjects against the King Besides the King was thought by the Puritans to deal hardly with them and too mildly with the Papists by the Counsel of Archbishop Laud a Man of great Resolution who at that time apprehended that Faction very dangerous both to Church and State which was by the Puritans interpreted as if the King was resolved by suppressing of them to introduce Popery to insinuate this into the Multitude abundance of Libels and scurrilous Papers were scatter'd abroad against the King and the Bishops and Commissioners being appointed to inquire into them they were rather exasperated than appeas'd by its Severity § 26. Both Nations being therefore full of Discontents the Flame first broke out in Scotland For the King endeavouring to root out Puritanism there to establish the Authority of the Bishops and an Uniformity in Religion he order'd a Church Liturgy to be composed abrogating all Presbyteries Classes and Provincial Synods and enjoining every one under severe penalties to conform to the same there was a general Insurrection raised by that party in Scotland There was also another reason for at the time of the first Reformation the Revenues of a great many Church Benefices were appropriated to the use of the Crown but without any remarkable advantage for they were lett out for the most part to younger Brothers of Noble Families These having found the benefit of them had by getting from time to time the Survivorship continued the same in their Families and kept them as their own Propriety Nay they did more than this for during the Minority of King James VI. they had obtained the Titles of Lordships for some of the most considerable of these or some lesser Benefices joined together King James afterwards perceiving that thereby they had bound him up from rewarding such with these Benefices as deserved well of him would have recall'd the beforesaid Grants but met with such opposition in the Nobility that he desisted from it But the King undertook the business effectually employing the said Revenues towards the augmenting of the Salaries of the Clergy These therefore who had been losers by this Revocation joined with such Ministers as were mortal Enemies of the Liturgy did with all their might help to stirr up the Rebellion Alexander Lesley also who had been a Commander in the German Wars and having refused to serve under John Banniers there was returned into his native Country in hopes to make his advantage of these Troubles He put himself at the Head of the Rebellious Party and by persuading the Nobility that the King intended to take away their ancient Privileges stirr'd up a great many against the King And to make a fair shew to the common people they made use of the Religious Cloak of Conscience ordering a Directory to be compos'd by the Ministers quite opposite to the former Liturgy They thereupon enter'd into an Association confirm'd by solemn Oaths That they would maintain the same against all even the King himself This Association was called the Covenant which being subscrib'd by the greatest part of the Nobility and Clergy a Council was constituted unto whom was committed the supream direction of their Affairs To suppress these Commotions the King sent the Marquiss of Hamilton into Scotland who dealing mildly with them only encouraged the adverse party For the King calling a Parliament in hopes to remedy these Disorders the Covenant was by its Authority confirm'd the Episcopal Authority quite abolish'd and Puritanism establish'd in defiance of the Royal Authority There being then no other way left to reduce the Rebellious Party to Obedience but force and the King being in want both of Money and a sufficient number of faithfull Subjects he was forc'd to make some use of the Papists to obtain both wherefore he did not only raise an Army wherein were some Papists but also was assisted by them with some Summs of Money all which however was in no ways sufficient to supply the want of the King and a Supply being demanded from the Subjects very few except the King's Servants and Officers were for contributing any thing And it being divulged that a great many thousand of Irish Papists and Germans were ready for the King's Service to try whether by this way the Subjects could be frightened out of some Money it served only to exasperate the Minds of the people Yet the King's Forces might in all probability have been successfull against the Scots if they had fallen upon them immediately But because they had leisure given them they did not only settle a Correspondency with France and Holland from whence they were supply'd with Money and Ammunition but also sent their Deputies into England who so well knew there to represent the state of their Affairs that the King being persuaded by the English made a dishonourable Agreement with them Which nevertheless did not last long the Court being asham'd of the Agreement and the Scots not trusting the King the King had in the mean while intercepted a Letter wherein the Scots had sollicited for some Officers and Money to be sent them from France this he hoped might prove an inducement to the English to oppose the Treachery of the Scots and to furnish him with some Supplies of which he stood in great need at that time He calling therefore a Parliament the Letter was read but to no great purpose the Members of the House of Commons being most of them Puritans who were great friends of the Scots so that the Parliament was a little while after dissolv'd by the King's Authority The King had caused to be made Prisoner in London the Scotch Commissioner who had subscribed the abovementioned Letter whereupon the Scots took up Arms and took the Castle of Edinburgh The King having with great difficulty for want of Money got together an Army went in person against the Scots but as a party of his Army endeavouring to force their passage was beaten back with loss which augmented the Discontents of his Subjects the Souldiers for want of Pay being to be maintained by those Counties where they were quartered Besides this ten thousand Men which were raised by the Parliament in Ireland for the King's service were forc'd to be disbanded for want to Pay There was then no other remedy left but to make a Truce with the Scots and to call a new Parliament in England which began to sit in November in the Year 1640. § 27. But in the
several Opinions he prevented their easily joining against him § 30. After the death of Cromwell this unlawfull and violent form of Government could not be of a long continuance For tho' his Son Richard succeeded him in the Protectorship this was the Title used by Cromwell having refused the Name of King yet was he in no ways capable to bear such a weight Wherefore he was soon deposed by the Parliament which being divided within it self Monk who was then Governour of Scotland took this opportunity and marching with an Army out of Scotland into England possess'd himself of the City of London dissolv'd the Military Parliament and recall'd King Charles II. into his Kingdom This King did restore the ancient Form of Government in the Kingdom both in Spiritual and Temporal Matters for his Subjects were ready to gratify him in most respects as having been taught by Experience That the Frogs who despised to have a Block for their King got afterwards a Stork for their Master This King who judg'd that the Greatness of England did chiefly depend on the Dominion of the Seas and Commerce which was disputed by no body but the Dutch did in all probability bend all his Thoughts that way viz. How to make these proud Merchants more pliable his hopes being grounded upon what he had seen Cromwell do against them Wherefore he began a War with Holland which was carried on at first with equal losses on both sides But the English at last taking a Resolution to tire out the Dutch without coming to an Engagement they ventur'd at a bold stroke and to the great dishonour of the English enter'd the River of Thames firing some Ships at Chattam This obliged the King to make a Peace with them by the Mediation of Swedeland tho' the great success of the French Arms in Flanders may probably have contributed a great deal towards it Yet it seems as if ever since he had kept up a Resolution of Revenging himself upon them he being also again exasperated by the Rable in Holland who affronted him afterwards He therefore in the Year 1672 attack'd the Dutch at Sea whilst the King of France made War against them by Land But this War did not succeed according to his expectation for the Dutch did not only take from the English a great number of Merchant-ships but also the English could not master the Dutch in any of these Sea fights partly because the French would not fall on in good earnest partly because the Dutch acted very circumspectly not giving any opportunity to the English to make a Descent either on Holland or Zealand It is possible that the King's Intentions may perhaps have been frustrated by some Intrigues at home And because the English Nation began to grow very jealous of the great Successes of France the King was obliged to make a separate Peace with Holland and afterwards was receiv'd as a Mediatour betwixt the Parties then engag'd in War against one another § 31. The English Nation is very populous and fruitfull There are some who have reckoned that in England are 9913 Parishes in each Parish 80 Families which make 778183 Families and seven persons reckoned to each Family amounts to 6470800 Souls among which number it may be suppos'd to be above a Million of Men capable of bearing of Arms. This Nation is also very fit to settle Colonies in Foreign Countries because the English as soon as they are in the least settled in a place they quickly marry and remain there for their life time Whereas other Nations if they go into far distant Countries go only with an intent to get a little Money which they afterwards love to spend in their Native Country The English are also Courageous Brave not fearing Death For in former times their Land forces were much superiour to the French and ever since the times of Queen Elizabeth when they first began to apply themselves in earnest to the Sea they have not been inferiour in Skill and Courage to any Nation in the World except that the Dutch may be compared with them in Sea Affairs But this is to be observ'd of the English Valour that they commonly are very Furious and Brave at the beginning yet great Hardship Famine and other Inconveniencies they are not so well able to endure with Patience as being us'd to live in great Ease and Plenty in their own Country Wherefore Maurice Prince of Orange us'd to put the English that were sent to his assistance upon desperate Enterprizes before as he us'd to say they had digested the English Beef They are also very dexterous in Woollen and Silk Manufacturies and are generally great Improvers of other Arts and Mysteries Yet they are also somewhat Highminded inclining themselves to Diversion which is the reason that they do not so much Work as otherwise they might and yet they expect to be paid for their idle Hours as well as the rest which is the reason why they sell their Wares at a higher rate than others and that they envy such French Handycrafts-men who live among them and are seldom diverted from their daily Labour by any Pleasures They being generally of a melancholy temper makes them very Ingenious and when they apply themselevs to any Science they make great progress in the same if they hit the right way But by the same rule because there happens often to be an ill mixture of this melancholy temper abundance of Fanaticks and Enthusiasts are to be found among them who having form'd to themselves Opinions out of ill-grounded Principles adhere so stedfast to them that they are not by any ways to be removed from them Wherefore there is not any Nation under the Sun where more different and more absurd Opinions are to be met withall in Religion than in England The loose sort of people are addicted to Thieving and Robbing upon the High-way wherefore the Hangmen are always busie in England This Nation also loves to eat and drink extreamly well tho' there are some who will have it that the English have got their way of drinking so plentifully from the Netherlanders in the Wars of the Low-Countries and from thence have brought that ill Custom over into England which before they say was not in use there Their own Histories are sufficient evidences that they have been always inclined to Rebellion and intestine Commotions Wherefore their Kings can never be secure except they keep a watchfull Eye over the restless Spirit of the People § 32. The Scots are reported to have a share of Pride and Envy in them They are very apt to propose to themselves great Matters and to delight in their own Inventions They are good Land-Souldiers and can endure more hardship than the English neither are they so much addicted to their Belly both which they have from the barrenness of their Native Country They are very Revengefull and intestine Broils among the Noble Families were formerly very common
it relates to France or Spain of Poland and other such like States so it is easie for him to curb the Pirates on the Barbary Coast Which Nests of Pirates might have been easily destroyed long ago if they had not been let alone on purpose to render the Trade in the Mediterranean difficult to the Hamburgers and some others England has nothing to fear from Portugal and this must rather hope for assistance from England and Holland against Spain The Naval Strength of the Northern Crowns England need not be jealous of as long as the same is divided Yet it cannot be for the Interest of England if one of those Kings should become absolute Master of the East Sea or that they should be fain to depend on the Discretion of the Dutch Since the Naval Strength of Spain is mightily decay'd England need not fear any thing from thence Yet does it not seem to be the Interest of England to fall out with that Kingdom considering what a vast Trade the English have into Spain for Spain does either consume the English Commodities at home or else exchanges them for Silver by sending of them into America There are some who have computed that in case of a War with Spain the English would lose in effects above thirty Millions and besides this their Trade into the Levant and other places would be greatly endangered by the Privateers of Ostend Biscay Majorca and Minorca who at the time of the Wars under Cromwell took 1500 Merchant-ships from the English Tho' the Land Forces of France are now-adays much superiour to the English this Island both for its bigness and strength making up not above a third part of France yet the Naval Strength of France has hitherto not been able to come in competition with the English It is the chiefest Interest of England to keep up the Balance betwixt France and Spain and to take a special care that the King of France do not become Master of all the Netherlands for it is visible that thereby his Power at Sea would be encreas'd to that degree that he might enter on a Design of being even with England for what they have formerly done to France Holland seems to be the only obstacle that the English cannot be sole Masters of the Sea and Trade tho' for the rest they have no reason to fear the Dutch by Land but only at Sea because the Dutch Land Forces are not so considerable as to be able to undertake any thing of great moment Nevertheless how desirous soever the English are to be sole Masters at Sea yet does it not seem to be the Interest of England frequently to engage it self in Wars with Holland it having been observ'd that the Dutch since the Wars with England are rather increased in Valour Experience and Power at Sea And because other Nations are not likely to suffer that Holland should be swallow'd up by the English or that one Nation should have the Monopoly of Europe it seems therefore the best method for the English to let the Dutch trade as well as themselves and to set some others upon their Backs which may give them so much work as thereby to give a check to their growing Greatness and in the mean while take care to establish their own Power at Sea and Commerce abroad But least of all it would be for the Interest of England if Holland should be brought under the Yoak of the French King who without question by the additional Sea Forces of Holland and the advantage of the East India Trade would be superiour in Power to any in Europe CHAP. V. Of FRANCE § 1. AS far as we can search into the most ancient Histories it is evident from thâ—nce That Gaul now call'd France has been a very powerfull and populous Country For the Gauls in ancient times had conquer'd a great part of Italy where they settled themselves who also when they had over-run Greece and some other neighbouring Countries inhabited a part of the Lesser Asia which was called from them Galatia or Gallo-gracia Yet formerly this so powerfull Country did never either rightly understand or exert its own Strength against other Nations because it was not then under the Government of one Prince but divided into a great many pâ—â—â—y States which were always at variance with one another This much facilitated the Conquest of the Romans over them who else stood not in fear of any Nation so much as the Gauls And tho' the incomparable Valour of Julius Caesar was chiefly instrumental in subduing this Nation yet with tâ—n Legions he had work enough to effect it in ten Years time But as soon as the Romans had brought this fair Country under their Subjection they employ'd all means to suppress the Martial Spirit of this Nation in which they succeeded as well in this as in other Nations it being their Custom to civilize and refine the Manners of these Nations thereby to render them soft and eâ—â—eminate After France had been near 500 Years under the Domâ—nion of the Romans it fell under the Reign of the Emperour Honorius into the Hands of the Barbarous Nations For the Goths after they had over-run Italy settled themselves in Gallia Narbonensis and the Burgundians conquer'd a considerable part of the rest But the Franks entring this Kingdom settled and maintained themselves in it giving it the Name of France after their own Name These Franks were for certain Germans tho' some of our Modern French Writers pretend to demonstrate That this Nation was a Colony of the ancient Gauls who being overstock'd with People at home passed over the Rhine and having settled a Colony in Germany after several hundred Years return'd into their Native Country But it is more probable That the Franks are the same Nations which were formerly encompass'd by the Rivers of the Mayn the Rhine the Weâ—er and the Sea and which in Tacitus's time were call'd Salii Bructeri Trisii Angrivani Chamari Sigambri and Chatti and who having enter'd into a mutual Confederacy against the Romans called themselves in spite of their Power Franks or a free People as not doubting but to be able to defend their Liberty against them And it is certain that they did transplant the German Tongue into France which was for a great while after in fashion among persons of the best Quality till at last they used themselves by degrees to the Latin Tongue formerly introduced by the Romans which being corrupted by the German Tongue produced the modern French Language It is also evident that the Race of the ancient Gauls was not quite extinguish'd but that both Nations were by degrees united in one yet with this difference that the Frankish Families made up the Body of the Nation § 2. But howsoever this be all Historians agree in this That the Franks did choose for their King about the Year 424 Pharamond who established among them wholsome Laws and
two Sons Charles and Carolomannus who divided the Kingdom betwixt them But Carolomannus dying quickly after the whole Kingdom fell to Charles This Charles was justly sirnam'd the Great he having carried the French Monarchy to the highest pitch of its Greatness none of his Successours having been able to attain to the like tho' some of 'em have aim'd at it For having routed Desiderius the last King of the Lombards who endeavour'd to recover what was formerly taken from Aistulphus he conquer'd the Kingdom and brought it under his Subjection He also subdu'd Germany having routed Tassilo who had taken upon him the Title of King of Bavaria He also waged War against the Saxons for the space of 32 Years whom he at last brought under his Obedience obliging them to embrace the Christian Faith For which purpose he erected several Episcopal Sees and Monasteries by the help of the Priests to reform the baâ—barous Manners of this Savage People He also beat the Sclavonians Danes and Huns and took from the Saracens a part of Spain as far as to the River Iberus tho' his Forces in their return home were overthrown near Ronceval where was also slain the famous Rowland This Charles was in the Year 800 at Christmas being then at Rome proclaim'd Emperour by the People by the Instigation of the Pope in St. Peter's Church Tho' he gain'd nothing by this Title except it was the Sovereignty or Protection of the Roman Church and the Patrimony of St. Peter if both did not belong to him before for all the rest he enjoy'd before under other Titles He died in the Year 814. § 5. After the death of Charles the Great the French Monarchy began to decline again because his Son Lewis sirnamed the Pious was more fit to be a Priest than a Souldier And it is certain that so vast a Kingdom where the new Conquests were not yet well settled did require a Prince of a Military Spirit And notwithstanding he had the good Fortune to force some of the Rebellious Nations to return to their Duty yet he committed afterwards two fatal Oversights when in his life time he gave to his Sons the Titles of Kings and divided the Kingdom betwixt them The first of which proved pernicious to himself the second to the Monarchy For these impious and ungratefull Sons were not for staying for their Father's Death but Rebelling against him and made him after he was deserted by every body their Prisoner The Bishops who were by him kept under strict Discipline after they had condemn'd him forc'd him to resign the Government But the great Men of the Kingdom quickly repenting restor'd him to his Throne and he also pardon'd his Sons He died in the Year 840 having before his Death made a new Division of the Kingdom betwixt his Sons the Effects of which appear'd soon after to the World when Lotharius the elder Brother who also had the Title of Emperour undertook to take from his Brothers their Portion against whom the two other Brothers Lewis and Charles entring into a Confederacy forced him to divide the Monarchy with them having first obtain'd a bloody Victory near Fountenay unfar Auxerre in which Battel were slain above 100000 Men and among them the Flower of the French Nation In this Division Germany fell to Lewis's share which ever since has continued separate from France and has made a distinct Empire But the younger Brother Charles sirnamed the Bald got for his Portion the greatest part of France viz. all that part which lies betwixt the Western Ocean and the Meuse but the eldest Brother obtain'd Italy Provence and all those Counties which are situated betwixt the Meuse Rhine and the Some Under the Reign of this Charles the Bald the Normans so they call'd the Danes and Norwegians fell with a considerable Force into France making great Havock where-ever they came And the Kingdom was weakned to that degree by the last bloody Battel and its being divided into so many Principalities for the Sons of Lotharius had also shared their Father's Provinces among themselves that it was not strong enough to chase out of its Dominions these Robbers but was oblig'd under Charles sirnamed the Simple to give into their possession the Province of Neustria which they called after their Name Normandy The Sons of Lotharius dying without Issue Charles the Bald and the Sons of Lewis shared their Part betwixt them out of which Charles got Provence At last Charles obtain'd the Title of Emperour and died in the Year 877. His Son Lewis sirnamed Balbus succeeded him who dying soon after left the Kingdom to his two Sons who were very young viz. to Lewis III. and Carolomannus from whom Lewis King of Germany took Lorrain Lewis dying in the Year 882 as did Carolomannus in the Year 884 none was left but a Brother of theirs by the Father's side viz. the Son of Lewis sirnamed Balbus who being then a Child of five Years of Age was afterwards called Charles the Simple For at that time the Authority of the Kings of France was decay'd to that degree that it was a common custom to give them Sirnames according to the several defects of Body or Mind as were obvious in them He was during his Minority committed to the Tuition of his Cousin Carolus Crassus who also had the Title of Emperours who not long after because he was very infirm both in Body and Mind was deposed and died in the Year 888. The Royal Authority being thus decay'd and nothing but Divisions found in the Kingdom the great Men of the Kingdom mightily increased their own Power so that whereas they used formerly to be Governours of their Provinces under the King's Command they now began to claim them as a Propriety belonging to themselves independent of the King It is related by some That the Kings at that time had nothing left but Rheims and Laon which they could really call their own which Evil could not be totally suppress'd by the following Kings till several hundred Years after After the Death of Carolus Crassus Eudo Count of Paris got himself to be crowned King and waged War with Charles the Simple but died in the Year 898 Yet Charles the Simple quickly found another Rival for the Crown For Rudolf King of Burgundy got himself to be crowned King of France making Charles the Simple his Prisoner who died during his Imprisonment After the Death of Rudolf which happen'd in the Year 936 reign'd Lewis IV. sirnam'd Outremer because he had during the Imprisonment of his Father shelter'd himself in England This King's Reign was full of intestine Commotions he died in the Year 954 leaving for his Successour his Son Lotharius who likewise reign'd in continual troubles till the Year 985 leaving behind him his Son Lewis sirnamed the Faint-hearted of whom the French Historians only say this that
Aquitain and Poictou was immediately after married to Henry Duke of Normandy afterwards King of England the second of that Name who by this Match annexed these fair Countries to the Crown of England In fine having been kept in a continual alarm by his petty Vassals but especially by Henry II. King of England He died in the Year 1180. § 7. His Son Philip II. sirnamed Augustus or the Conquerour was at first engaged in a War against Henry II. King of England from whom he took several considerable places which however he restored afterwards to his Son Richard with whom he enter'd into a League to retake Jerusalem from the Saracens pursuant to which both the Kings went thither in Person with a considerable Force But a Jealousie arising betwixt these two Kings nothing was done worth mentioning for Richard accused Philip that he had an ill design against him in Sicily in their Voyage besides that he had refused to consummate the before intended Match betwixt his Sister and Richard Wherefore as soon as Ptolemais had been taken by their joint Forces Philip under pretence of Sickness returned into France leaving only with Richard Hugh III. Duke of Burgundy with some Troops who envying Richard hinder'd the taking of the City of Jerusalem After his return from that unfortunate Expedition to the Holy Land he undertook a War against Richard which he also carried on against his Brother John wherein Philip had much the better of the English for he took from them Normandy the Counties of Anjou Maine Touraine Berry and Poictou He was very instrumental in deposing the Earl of Tholouse who because he had taken into his Protection the Albigenses was excommunicated by the Pope Philip also obtained a great Victory near Bouvines betwixt Lisle and Tournay against the Emperour Otho IV. who being joined with the Earl of Flanders attack'd him with an Army of 150000 Men whilst the King of England was to fall into France on the side of Aquitain This King was so successfull in his Wars against England that his Son Lewis was very near obtaining the Crown of England And tho' he was chased again out of England yet did he after his Father's Death pursue his Victories against the English in France taking from them among others the City of Rochelle But this Lewis VIII did not reign long for he died in the Year 1226 leaving for Successour his Son Lewis IX sirnamed the Holy during whose Minority his Mother Blanch of Castile had the Supream Administration of Affairs and tho' some of the Nobility raised great Troubles against her she subdued them all by her singular Prudence In the Year 1244 the City of Jerusalem was ransack'd by some Persians who called themselves Chorasmii Lewis being about the same time dangerously ill made a Vow That if he recovered he would undertake an Expedition against those Infidels which he afterwards perform'd But before his departure he issued out his Proclamation throughout the Kingdom intimating that whoever had received any damage by his Souldiers should have Restitution made him which was performed accordingly In this Expedition he took the strong City of Damiata but the overflowing of the River Nile hindered him from taking Grand Cairo After the River was returned to its usual Bounds he vanquish'd the Enemy in two Battels but they having receiv'd new Reinforcements cut off the Provisions from the French who were also extreamly pester'd with the Scurvy The King then resolv'd to retreat towards Damiata but in his March thither they attack'd him gave him a terrible overthrow and took him Prisoner yet released him again for a Ransom of 400000 Livres he being obliged to restore also to them the City of Damiata Thus he marched with the Remainders of his Army which from 30000 Men was moulder'd away to 6000 to Ptolemais where after he had given what Assistance he could to the Christians he at last returned home Under the Reign of this King France got first an Opportunity to intermeddle in the Affairs of Italy from whence yet this Kingdom never reapt any great Benefit Manfred natural Son of the Emperour Frederick II. having first kill'd King Conrad his Brother made himself King of Naples and Sicily But the Pope on whom this Kingdom depended as a Fief being dissatisfy'd with Manfred offer'd the same to Charles Earl of Anjou Brother of Lewis IV. King of France which he having accepted of was crowned at Rome with Conditon that he should pay to the Pope 8000 Ounces of Gold make a yearly Present of a White Horse as an acknowledgment and if he was chosen Emperour that he should not unite that Kingdom with the Empire the Pope being unwilling to have any one more powerfull than himself in Italy Charles thereupon vanquish'd Manfred and having murthered him and his Children took possession of the Kingdom The young Conradin Duke of Swabia came with an Army to recover the Kingdom which was his Inheritance from his Grandfather but having been overthrown in a Battel near the Lake of Celano was made a Prisoner and in the Year next following had his Head cut off at Naples upon the Instigation of the Pope who being ask'd by Charles What he had best to do with his Prisoner answer'd Vita Conradini mors Caroli Mors Conradini vita Caroli i. e. The Life of Conradin is the Death of Charles The Death of Conradin the Life of Charles And as by the Death of this young Prince was extinguish'd the Noble Race of the Dukes of Swabia so this Charles laid the first Pretensions of France to the Kingdom of Naples In the mean while King Lewis being not satisfy'd with his former unfortunate Expedition against the Infidels resolved to try again his Fortune against Tunis either because he found that this place lay very convenient for his Brother's Kingdom of Sicily or because he hoped thereby to open a way for the Conquest of Egypt without which all the Expeditions into the Holy Land were likely to prove ineffectual But in this Siege he lost a great part of his Army by Sickness and he died himself there in the Year 1270. From a younger Son of this Lewis IV. viz. from Robert Earl of Clairmont sprang the Bourbon Family which now sways the Scepter of France § 8. His Son Philip sirnamed the Hardy succeeded him under whose Reign that considerable Earldom of Tholouse was united to the Crown of France Alfonsus Son of Lewis IX who had married the only Heiress of this Country happening to die without Issue in an Expedition into Africa Under the Reign also of this King fell out the so much celebrated Sicilian Vespers whereby all the French were at one blow extirpated out of Sicily The Business was thus Some Frenchmen had ravish'd the Wife of John of Porchyta born at Salerno who enflam'd with Revenge did seek for Aid of Pieter King of Arragon hoping by his Assistance to drive Charles
out of Sicily the Sicilians also being very averse to the French who had committed great Outrages in that Kingdom Pope Nicholus V. lent a helping hand who stood in fear of the Power of Charles as did also Michael Paleologus the Constantinopolitan Emperour because Charles had made some Pretensions to that Empire John therefore disguis'd in a Monks Habit travell'd about from place to place till he had brought his Design to Perfection It was next to a Miracle that the Design was not betray'd in three years time it having been so long a forming in several places At last it was put in Execution it being agreed upon that in the second Holyday in Easter at that very time when the Bells rung in to the Vespers all the French throughout the whole Kingdom of Sicily should be massacred at once which was done accordingly within two Hours time with great Barbarity no person having been spared in the Massacre Which being done Pieter King of Arragon possess'd himself of the Kingdom of Sicily And tho' the Pope order'd the Croisade to be preached up against Pieter and declared Charles the second Son of Philip King of Arragon and this Philip marched with a great Army to put his Son into possession yet it did prove labour in vain and Philip died in the Year 1285. His Son and Successour Philip sirnamed the Handsom upon some frivolous Pretences began a War with the English taking from of them the City of Bourdeaux and the greatest part of Aquitain which however they soon after recover'd by vertue of a Peace concluded betwixt them Not long after he attack'd the Earl of Flanders who by the Instigation of the English had enter'd into a Consederacy with a great many neighbouring Lords against him from whom he took most of his strong Holds But the Flemings being soon tired with the Insolencies committed by the French cut in pieces the French Garrisons whereupon the King sent an Army under the Command of Robert Earl of Artois to reduce them to Obedience but he was defeated near Courtray there being 20000 French slain upon the Spot which happened chiefly by a Misfortune that the Cavalry was misled into a moorish Ground It is related that the Flemings got above 8000 gilt Spurs as a Booty from the French And tho' afterwards there were 25000 killed of the Flemings yet they quickly recollecting themselves raised another Army of 60000 Men and obliged the King by a Peace made betwixt them to restore them to their ancient State This King Philip also with consent of the Pope suppress'd the rich Order of the Knights Templers and died in the Year 1314. Whom succeeded his three Sons each in his turn who all died without Issue and without doing any thing of moment The eldest Lewis X. sirnamed Hutin died in the Year 1316 whose Brother Philip sirnamed the Tall had a Contest for the Crown with his deceased Brother's Daughter Joan she being supported by her Mother's Brother the Duke of Burgundy but it was determined in favour of Philip by vertue of the Salick Law Under this King the Jews were banish'd out of France they having been accused of poisoning the Fountains He died in the Year 1322. Him succeeded the third Brother Charles IV. sirnamed the Handsom under whose Reign all the Italians and Lombards who being Usurers did exact upon the People were banished the Kingdom A War also was begun in Aquitain against the English but these Differences were quickly composed by the Intercession of Queen Isabella Sister of Charles He died in the Year 1328. § 9. After the Death of this King France was for a great many years together torn in pieces by very unfortunate and bloody Wars which had almost prov'd fatal to this Kingdom For a Contest arose about the Succession betwixt Philip of Valois Philip the Handsom's Brother's Son and Edward III. King of England the above-mention'd Philip the Handsom's Daughter 's Son The former pretended a right by vertue of the Salick Law which excludes the Females from the Succession But the latter tho' he did not deny the Salick Law yet did he alledge That this Law did not barr from the Succession the Sons born of the King's Daughters And it was certain that he was nearer a kin to the deceased King than Philip neither could any Precedent be brought where a Son of the King's Daughter had been excluded from the Succession to admit his Brother's Son Yet the Estates of France declared for Philip partly upon the persuasion of Robert Earl of Artois partly because they were unwilling to depend on England And tho' King Edward did dissemble at first this Affront and came in person to do homage to Philip for his Provinces which he was possess'd of in France yet not long after he began to show his Resentment the French having obliged him at the time when he performed the Ceremony of Homage to lay aside his Crown Scepter and Spurs Besides the States of England did persuade him not so easily to let fall his Pretensions and Robert Earl of Artois being fallen out with Philip about some Pretensions concerning the County of Artois did stir up King Edward to undertake a War against France In the mean time while Philip had defeated the Flemings who were risen in Rebellion against that Earl to that degree that of 16000 Men not one escaped the Sword In the Year 1336 the English began to make War against France which was carried on for some Years with equal Advantage on both sides and was interrupted by several Truces till at last Edward landed with an Army in Normandy and outbraving the French approach'd to the very Gates of Paris But Edward making soon after his Retreat through Picardy towards Flanders was overtaken by Philip near Albeville where a bloody Battel was fought betwixt them The French Forces being extreamly tir'd by a long March gave the English an easier Victory Besides this some Genoese Foot retreated immediately their Bows having been render'd useless by the rainy Weather which the Duke d' Alenzon perceiving and thinking it to have been done by Treachery fell with a Body of Horse in among them which caused the first Confusion The English also made use of four or five pieces of great Cannon against the French which being never seen before in France caused a great terrour in the French Army Several French Lords also being not well satisfy'd with the King were glad to see him defeated This Victory is the more remarkable because according to the French Historians the English were not above 24000 strong whereas the French were above 100000. Out of which number 30000 Foot Souldiers were slain and 1200 Horsemen among whom was the King of Bohemia This King tho' he was blind yet charg'd the Enemy on Horseback betwixt two of his Friends who had ty'd his Horse to theirs and they were all three found dead together The next day
there was a great slaughter made among some French Troops who not knowing what had pass'd the day before were on their March to join the French Camp After this Battel the English took Calais Philip having in vain attempted its relief with 15000 Men. This unfortunate King however received this one Comfort That the Dukedom of Dauphine was annexed to the Crown of France by a Gift of Hubert the last Duke with Condition that the eldest Son of the Kings of France should bear the Title of Dauphin This Hubert having conceived a mortal hatred against the then Earl of Savoy had before put himself under the Protection of France but when afterwards by an unfortunate Accident he kill'd his only Son he retir'd into a Monastery giving to the King of France the Possession of his Country This King Philip also bought Roussilion and Montpelier and was the first who imposed that so much abominated Tax in France upon Salt called the Gabell whereby the Subjects are obliged to pay for the Sun and Sea Water at so dear a rate Wherefore King Edward used to call him in jest The Author of the Salick Law He died in the Year 1356. § 10. His Son and Successour John was more unfortunate in his Wars against the English than his Father For the Truce being expir'd the War began afresh wherein Prince Edward made an Inrode with 12000 Men out of Aquitain destroying all roundabout him King John intending to cut off his Retreat overtook him with all his Forces near Maupertuis two Leagues from Poictiers The Prince offered the King Satisfaction for the Damage sustained which he refusing to accept of attack'd Prince Edward in his advantageous Post he being surrounded with Hedges and Vineyards but the English by the help of their Bows soon broke through his Van-guard and afterwards the whole Army which consisted of 50000 Men put them in Disorder killing upon the Spot as it is related by the French Historians 6000 French among whom were 1200 Gentlemen the King and his youngest Son were both made Prisoners The three eldest had the good Fortune to escape During the Father's Imprisonment Charles the Dauphin took upon him the Administration of Affairs but the People which had been sorely oppress'd hitherto being unwilling to obey it caused great Disorders in the Kingdom The Peasants rise up against the Nobility and the Citizens of Paris made heavy Complaints The Souldiers for want of Pay lived at Discretion and made a miserable havock in the Country Charles of Navarre added Fuel to the Fire in hopes to make his own Advantage by these Troublesome times and did not stick to make Pretensions to the Crown yet Matters were composed with him at last And the Estates of France refusing to accept of such Conditions as were proposed by the English the King of England enter'd France with a great Army and over-run the greatest part of it yet could not make himself Master of any fortify'd place Then a Peace was concluded at Bretigny a League from Chartres by vertue of which the French were to surrender to the English besides what they were possess'd of before Poictou Xaintonge Rochelle Pais d'Aulnis Angoumois Perigord Limosin Quercy Agenois and Bigorre with the Sovereignty over them besides this Calais and the Counties d'Oye Guisnes and Ponthieu and three Millions of Livers as a Ransom for the King's person This Peace was very hard for France and continued not long King John forced by Necessity was oblig'd to do another thing little becoming his Grandeur for he sold his Daughter to Galeas Viscount of Milan for 600000 Crowns giving her in Marriage to the said Viscount This King presented his youngest Son Philip sirnamed the Hardy with the Dukedom of Burgundy it being vacant by the Death of the last Duke From this Philip descended the famous Dukes of Burgundy whose Territories at last devolved to the House of Austria This King died in England whither he was gone to make satisfaction for his Son who being a Hostage there had made his escape Some say that he went to see a Lady there with whom he was much in love § 11. King John was succeeded by his Son Charles V. sirnamed the Wise who prudently made amends for the Rashness of his Grandfather and Father never engaging himself in Battels with the English but by protracting the War and secret Intrigues endeavoured to tire out their Courage The disbanded Souldiers had mutineer'd and were become so Insolent that no body durst oppose them These he sent into Spain where Pieter sirnamed the Cruel and Henry I. fought for the Crown of Castile These Forces had put the Pope in such a fear that in their March he presented them with 200000 Livers and a good store of Indulgences to divert them thereby form taking their way near Avignon Prince Edward also engaged himself in this War but got nothing by it but a sickly Body and great want of Money Wherefore he pretendâ—ng to lay a Tax upon his Subjects in Guienne to pay off his Souldiers they complained thereof to the King of France who having well prepared himself and being informed that the Prince languished under a mortal Disease summon'd him to appear in Paris pretending that the Peace made at Bretigny was of no force since the English had not performed the Conditions and had since that time committed Hostilities wherefore he insisted upon his former right of Sovereignty over Aquitain And Prince Edward having sent him a disdainfull Answer King Charles denounced War against the English A great many Fast-days and Processions were kept by the King's Order in France and the Priests made it their business to represent the Justice of the King's Cause and the Injustice of the English to the People By this way he insinuated himself into the Favour of the French that lived under the English Jurisdiction and persuaded his own Subjects to be more free in paying their Taxes The Archbishop of Tholouse alone did by his cunning Persuasions bring over to his Party above fifty Cities and strong Castles The Constable Bertrand du Guesolin did also great mischief to the English with small Parties and worsted them not only in several Rencounters but also beat them out of Perigord and Limosin But in Guienne especially the English Affairs were in a bad condition after the Spanish Fleet which was sent to the Assistance of the French by Henry King of Castile had ruin'd the English near Rochelle After which exploit Poictiers was taken from them and Rochelle upon very advantageous Conditions surrender'd it self to the King of France And King Edward being detained by contrary Winds not being able to bring over timely Relief Xaintonge Angoumois and some other places followed the Example of the former The English not long after with an Army of 30000 Men marched from Calais cross the Country as far as Guienne ravaging and plundering by the way where-ever they
Which so incensed the Queen that she having conceiv'd an implacable Hatred against her Son sided with the Duke of Burgundy whose Party was thereby greatly strengthen'd Thus commenced the intestine Wars wherein both Parties were so exasperated against one another that they had little regard to the great Success of the English who in the mean time conquer'd all Normandy and Roan it self The Dauphin intending at one blow to root out the Evil of these intestine Commotions cunningly invited the Duke of Burgundy to come to an Agreement with him when at their second meeting at Monterau he caused him to be kill'd But this stroke had a quite contrary effect For the generality of the Nation abominated the fact and the Queen took from hence an Opportunity totally to ruin her Son and to exclude him from the Succession Wherefore entring into a League with the murther'd Duke's Son Philip a Peace was concluded with Henry V. King of England by vertue of which he was to marry Catharine the Daughter of Charles VI. and during his Life to be Regent of France and after his Death to be put into the full possession of the Crown of France That both the Crowns of France and England should be united yet that each Kingdom should be ruled according to its own Laws Besides this a Sentence was pronounc'd against the Dauphin in Paris That by reason of the Murther committed by him upon the Duke of Bargundy he was declared incapable of the Crown and that he for ever should be banish'd the Kingdom He appeal'd from this Sentence to God and his Sword and set his Court up at Poictiers so that at that time there was in France two Governments and two Courts But the Affairs of the Dauphin were in a very ill condition very few of the Provinces siding with him those that did were Anjou Poictou Tours Auvergne Berry and Languedock but all of them mightily exhausted of Money But it was happy for him that the brave King Henry V. died in the very Flower of his Age and good Fortune as likewise did not long after Charles VI. whose Life by the Infirmities of his Mind being incapable of governing the Kingdom had greatly obstructed the Welfare of the Kingdom § 13. Charles VII whom we hitherto have call'd the Dauphin caused himself immediately after his Father's Death to be proclaim'd King with the Assistance of the Bravest among the French nevertheless his Affairs at the beginning were under very ill Circumstances For the Duke of Bedford who was constituted Regent in France having caused young Henry VI. of England to be proclaimed King of France in Paris in conjunction with the Dukes of Burgundy and Britainy try'd all ways to expell him quite out of France His Forces were several times miserably beaten by the English the greatest part of the Cities abandon'd him so that the English used to call him in derision the King of Bourges because he used commonly to reside there He was at last become so poor that he rarely could dine in Publick and it was observ'd that one time he had nothing for his Dinner but a piece of roasted Mutton and a couple of Fowls Besides this most of the great Men about him being dissatisfy'd with the ambitious Proceedings of the Constable Richmond had left the Court and were driving on their own Intrigues The only Comfort left to Charles was that there was a misunderstanding betwixt the English and the Duke of Burgundy else if they had with their joint Forces vigorously attack'd Charles he in all probability could not have held out long against them The occasion happen'd thus Jaqueline Countess of Hennegau Holland Zealand and Friesland being divorced from her Husband John Duke of Brabant a Cousin of the Duke of Burgundy was married again to the Duke of Gloucester Brother of Henry V. The Duke of Burgundy taking his Cousin's part it caused great Heart-burning betwixt him and the Duke of Gloucester The Duke of Bedford endeavour'd to appease them yet did the Duke of Burgundy from that time entertain a Grudge against the English which encreased afterwards when the English refused to put the City of Orleans into the Hands of the Duke of Burgundy This City being besieged by the English was reduc'd to the utmost Extremity the French which attack'd a Convoy which was going to the English Camp having been entirely beaten Which Engagement is called la journée des Haranes or the Battel of the Herrings Charles's Affairs were then become so desperate that he had resolv'd to retire into Dauphine when upon a sudden an unlook'd for help was sent him For a Country Maid born in Lorraine whose Name was Joan did pretend that she was sent from God to relieve Orleans and to see the King crowned at Rheims Both which she effected striking thereby great terrour into the English whereas on the other side the French being greatly encouraged by this Success saw their Affairs from henceforward mend every day But this poor Wench following the Wars longer as it seems than she had in Commission was taken Prisoner making a Sally out of Compeigne and being deliver'd to the English was with great dishonour burnt as a Witch at Roan The English perceiving their Affairs not to go so forward as formerly resolv'd to give them new Life and Vigour by bringing over the young King Henry and having him crowned in Paris And to keep fair with the Duke of Burgundy they gave him the Counties of Brie and Champaigne yet all this proved insufficient The War therefore having been thus carried on for several Years only with light Skirmishes both Parties being tir'd out a Treaty was at last propos'd by Mediation of the Pope at Arras but the English rigorously insisting upon their Pretensions which were very hard they were deserted by the Duke of Burgundy who made a separate Peace with Charles upon very advantageous Conditions There befell also the English another Misfortune by the Death of the Duke of Bedford who hitherto had administred the Affairs in France with great Prudence After this the Cities of France surrender'd themselves one after another to Charles among which was Paris which submitted it self to its natural Lord. But because the English had made miserable havock throughout France and the French Souldiers themselves being ill paid had committed great Depredations without any Order or Discipline a great Famine ensu'd and afterwards a great Plague It is related that the Wolves did snatch the Children out of the Streets of the Suburbs of St. Anthony in Paris The War having been thus protracted for a considerable time a Truce was concluded for some Years The King to be rid of the Souldiers sent them into Alsace under pretence to disturb the Council at Basil They killed at once 4000 Swiss but having lost double the number soon after returned home again In the mean time the English were degenerated from their former Valour their
Forces were extreamly diminish'd in France and the Souldiers for want of Pay had given themselves over to Plunder They wanted good Officers their Places were not well provided and their Subjects weary of the Government England at home was divided within it self and the English weakened by two Overthrows which they had received from the Scots Charles therefore having met with this Opportunity resolv'd to beat the English at once out of France He took for a Pretence of the War that they had broken the Truce in Britainy and with the Scots and attacking them with great Vigour in several places at once he drove them within the space of thirteen Months out of Normandy The next Year after he took from them Aquitain Bayonne being the last which surrender'd it self so that the English had nothing left on the Continent of France but Calais and the County of Guines Bourdeaux soon after revolted from the French and sought for Aid of the English but the brave Talbot having been kill'd in an Engagement it was retaken and re-united to the French Crown after it had been 300 Years in the possession of the English Thus did this King re-unite the mangled Kingdom having expell'd the English out of its Bowels Nevertheless he did not entirely enjoy the Fruits of his good Fortune living at variance with his Son who for the space of thirteen Years came not to Court. And being at last persuaded that a Design was formed against his Life it so disturb'd him that for fear of being poisoned he starved himself § 14. Him succeeded his Son Lewis XI a cunning resolute and malicious Prince who laid the first Foundation of the absolute Power since exercised by the Kings of France whereas formerly the Royal Power was kept under by the Authority of the great Men of the Kingdom He began with reforming his Court and Ministers according to his Pleasure Of which the great Men of the kingdom foreseeing the Consequence they enter'd into a League which they called La Ligue du bien public the League for the publick good wherewith they pretended to defend the Publick against the King's arbitrary Proceedings Among these were the Dukes of Burgundy and Britainy who were willing to keep the King within bounds In the Year 1465 Charles the young Duke of Burgundy enter'd France with an Army and fought a Battel with the King near Montlehery wherein the Advantage was near equal but because the King retreated a little backwards the Night following the Duke of Burgundy pretended to have gained the Victory which put him upon those Enterprizes which afterwards cost him his Life The King extricated himself with a great deal of Cunning out of this danger for he released the Taxes and with great Promises and fine Words appeased the People all which as soon as the danger was pass'd he revok'd at pleasure To dissolve the knot of this Faction he made Divisions betwixt the most powerfull the bravest he brought over to his side by giving them particular Advantages the rest he ruined by his Policy especially by bribing their Friends and Servants And being in great want of Money he borrow'd great Summs of his Servants and such as refused to lend were put out of their Employments Which 't is said gave the first occasion that the Offices were afterwards sold in France But the Duke of Burgundy persisted in his Opposition who had in the Year 1468 hem'd him in at Peronne which danger he however escaped At last Lewis was rid of this his troublesome Enemy who had laid so many Designs against him he being kill'd by the Swiss near Nancy Lewis taking advantage of the great Confusion which was occasioned by the Death of the Duke in that Country took possession of the Dukedom of Burgundy under pretext that the same was an Appanage and brought over to his side the Cities situated on the River Some which had been under the Jurisdiction of Charles It was generally believ'd That Lewis by way of Marriage might easily have annexed the whole Inheritance of this Duke unto France if he had not conceived such an implacable hatred against this House that he was resolved to ruin it Two Years before the Death of the Duke of Burgundy King Edward IV. landed with a great Army in France whom Lewis with Presents and fair Promises persuaded to return home again He united to the Crown Provence Anjou and Muns having obtained the same by the last Will and Testament of Charles d' Anjou Count de Maine who was the last Male Heir of the House of Anjou notwithstanding that Rene Duke of Lorraine Son of Ygland d' Anjou pretended a Right to the same by his Mother's side In his latter days he lived miserably and grew ridiculous being in continual fear of death He died in the Year 1483. § 15. His Son Charles VIII had at the beginning of his Reign his Hands full with the Duke of Britainy and was marching with an Army to unite that Province by main force to the Crown But understanding that Maximilian of Austria had concluded a Match betwixt Anna the only Heiress of this Dukedom and himself the French King did think it no ways adviseable to let such a delicious Morsel fall to the share of the House of Austria but obliged the Bride partly by force partly by fair words to renounce Maximilian and to be married to himself whereby this Country was united to France And tho' Henry VII King of England did not look with a good Eye upon the growing Power of France and therefore with a great Army besieged Boulogne yet in consideration of a good Summ of Money he was prevailed upon to return home again especially since Maximilian who had received a double affront from Charles who had not only taken his Bride from him but also had sent back his Daughter Margaret which was promised to him in Marriage did not join his Forces with him according to Agreement Maximilian took Arras and St. Omer but being not able to go further he consented that his Son Philip Lord of the Netherlands might make a Truce with Charles On the other side Charles gave to Ferdinand the Catholick the Counties of Russilion and Cerdagne some say to engage him thereby not to oppose his intended Expedition against Naples Others say that Ferdinand corrupted Charles's Confessour to persuade him that he should restore that Country to its lawfull Sovereign France being thus by the Union with Britainy become an entire Kingdom it began to contrive how to obtain the Sovereignty over Italy Charles had a Pretension because the Right and Title of the Family of Anjo and Naples was by the Death of the last Duke of Anjou and Earl of Provence devolv'd to Lewis XI and consequently to himself But this young King received the greatest Encouragement from Lewis sirnamed Morus or the Black Duke of Milan who having Tuition of his Nephew
Emperour clapt up a Peace with the Turks fearing lest the King of France might make use of this Opportunity to fall into the Netherlands Yet those Forces which were sent to the Assistance of the Venetians into Candie did not acquire so much Glory they being too forward and hot in the first Onset where they lost the Duke of Beaufort In the Year 1665 the King of France kindled a War betwixt the English and Dutch thereby to weaken their Naval Force which was so formidable to him and in the mean while to get leisure to conquer the Netherlands In the Year 1667 he enter'd the Netherlands in person and took Charleroy Lisle Tournay Doway Courtray Oudenarde and some other places pretending that the Netherlands did belong to him in right of his Queen by vertue of the jus devolutionis or right of devolution in Brabant notwithstanding that in the Marriage Contract she had renounc'd all her Title to it He also conquer'd the County of Burgundy but after having demolish'd the Fortifications he restor'd it again but kept those places which he had taken in the Netherlands by vertue of the Peace concluded at Aix la Chapelle The tripple Alliance as it is call'd made betwixt Sweden England and Holland which was intended for the Preservation of the Netherlands did greatly hasten this Peace tho' France afterwards found out a way to draw the English Court from this Alliance and to join with him in humbling the Hollanders who he said were too proud For tho' France all along had been in the Interest of Holland yet the King took it very ill that the Dutch had made a Peace at Munster without including France and that they had been so bold as to undertake the Preservation of the Netherlands and when afterwards the King put strong Garrisons into the conquer'd places they sent a Fleet on these Coasts as it were to brave him The tripple Alliance also was displeasing to him and some are of Opinion that the King of England who had not forgot the Business at Chatam and that the Peace concluded at Breda was not according to his wish had engag'd himself in this Alliance only to draw in the Dutch thereby and so to exasperate the King of France against them At last France in conjunction with England made War on Holland with prodigious Success at first for he took three Provinces viz. Gueldres Over-yssel and Vtrecht besides that he had already possess'd himself of some Passes leading into Holland But his Confederate the Bishop of Munster had not the same Success in the Siege of Groningen and afterwards lost Coeverden again And the Dutch had better Success at Sea where they behaved themselves bravely in four several Engagements whereas the French Fleet as the English say did not engage heartily Besides England grew Jealous of the great Success of the French which was one reason why the Parliament did in a manner oblige the King to make a separate Peace with Holland fearing that France after England and Holland had destroy'd one another at Sea might also at last fall upon them The Emperour and Elector of Brandenburgh endeavour'd immediately at the beginning of the War to give a Diversion to France but to no great purpose since they did nothing but ruin several Provinces in Germany and drew Turenne with his Army thither who ravag'd the Country but especially Westphalia The Elector of Brandenburgh made a Peace with France at Vossem whereby he got the Restitution of his strong Holds in the Dutchy of Cleves but as soon as he got them into his possession he made no great account of the Peace In the Year next following France took the strong City of Mastricht where the French both shew'd their Bravery and Dexterity in attacking of places On the other hand the Imperialists had good Success against Turenne who pretended to oppose their March for they trick'd him and having march'd to the lower Rhine in conjunction with the Spaniard and Prince of Orange took Bon This and the loss of Narden which the Dutch took caus'd the French to leave Vtrecht and all the other places in the United Provinces except Grave and Mastricht For it seem'd very difficult to maintain so many Garrisons and at the same time to have a sufficient Army in the Field to oppose the Enemy since it might easily have happen'd that all Correspondency with these places in the United Provinces might have been cut off by the Enemy Afterwards Spain and the whole German Empire declar'd against France and a great many were of Opinion That the joint Power of Spain Holland and Germany would be sufficient to curb the French and to carry the Seat of the War into France it self but this could not be effected 'T is true the Germans did take from the French Philipsburgh and beat them out of Treves where Mareschal de Crequi receiv'd a Defeat But on the other hand the Germans were several times also especially near Sintsheim and in Alsace worsted by the French and oblig'd to repass the Rhine And in the Year 1675 there was a great probability that it would not have gone very well with them on this side of the Rhine if the brave Turenne had not been kill'd by an accidental Shot which oblig'd the French who were ignorant of his Design after a sharp Engagement to retire on the other side of the Rhine For the rest Spain lost most by this War for the Franche Compte was taken from them Messina receiv'd voluntarily a French Garrison and the Dutch Fleet which was sent to the Assistance of the Spaniards into Sicily got nothing but Blows the brave Admiral de Ruyter being there slain tho' afterwards the French quitted Messina on their own accord Besides this the French took from them these strong holds Limburgh Conde Valenciennes Cambray Yper St. Omer Aire and several others The Prince of Orange retook Graves but in the Battel of Seneffe and St. Omer he was worsted and sustained a considerable loss before Mastricht At last France ended this War very gloriously for it self restoring to Holland what it had taken from those Provinces but kept Burgundy and a great many strong places in the Spanish Netherlands In Germany in lieu of Philipsburgh it got Friburgh and for the rest the Westphalian and Copenhagen Treaties were renewed by Virtue of which Sweden was restored to its own again § 25. To consider the French Nation whose History we have briefly related it must be observ'd That it is swarming if I may so speak with People and sow'd thick with Cities and Towns Under the Reign of Charles IX it is related That above twenty Millions of People paid the Poll Tax Some say That Richlieu affirm'd that by Computation France could bring into the Field 600000 Foot and 150000 Horse provided every Man that was able to bear Arms did go into the Field This Nation also has been always warlike nevertheless in
good number of Towns and Villages to be met withal The Switzers have also some other Confederates viz. the Abby and City of S. Gall the Grisons the Vallesins the Cities of Rotweil Munthusen Bienne the Biel Geneva and Newburgh on the Lake There are also among them several Cities and some Counties which are either subject to the whole Confederacy or to some particular Commonwealths § 5. The Switzers were also obliged to fight against the Emperor Maximilian I. for their Liberty he having stirr'd up the Swabian League against them hoping by this way to chastise them But the Switzers for the most part got the better of their Enemies till through the mediation of Lewis Duke of Milan a peace was made betwixt them Not to relate here some intestine Commotions among them scarce worth mentioning they have done great Actions abroad under the Conduct of other Nations and more especially under the French For Lewis XI having whilst he was Dauphin sufficiently tryed their Valour in the engagement near Basil sought by all ways after he was King to make use of the Switz in his Wars wherefore he allowed them a certain yearly Pension And his Son Charles VIII made use of the Switzers with good success in his Expedition against Naples for the Italians when they saw the Switzers make such a prodigious havock among them by the help of their Battel-Axes and large Back-Swords they were so surprized at it that they counted the former Wars but like Childrens play in comparison of this and look'd upon the Switzers more like some Monsters than Soldiers Lewis XII also employ'd the Switzers in his Service in his Italian Wars tho they lost great part of their Reputation there For these Switzers which were listed in the Service of Lewis Menis Duke of Milan refusing to fight against their Countrymen that were in the French Army thereby betray'd this Prince into the hands of the French § 6. But in the year 1510. the Switzers left the French Service for the time of agreement with France being expired they demanded a larger Pension and which Lewis XII refused to pay them thinking it unbecoming the grandeur of a King to be imposed upon by these Highland Peasants as he used to call them he having therefore dismissed them took into his Service some of the Grisons and Germans in their stead But this proved very disadvantageous to France for they listed themselves under Pope Julius II. and did great Service against France They attack'd the French who were much more numerous with such fury near Novara that after a bloody Fight they not only routed them but also quite beat them out of Italy Afterwards they fell into Burgundy and besieged the City of Dijon where the Duke of Tremoville was obliged to make a very dishonorable agreement with them and was glad to send them home with fair promises of great sums of Money and if he had not stop'd their progress they would certainly have put France into the utmost danger the King of England being at the same time faln into France on the other side The Switzers attack'd Francis I. in his Camp near Marignano the fight lasted two days and after a great deal of bloodshed on both sides the Switzers retired in good order Wherefore Francis I. in the year next following gained their Friendship by a great sum of Money whose example the succeeding Kings have followed ever since Their antient Reputation is much diminished of late years partly because they are not altogether so furious now partly because other Nations have found out a way to bring their Infantry into a better condition And besides this those great Back-Swords which the Switz used to handle with so much dexterity by the extraordinary strength of their Arms are quite out of use in Europe § 7. As to the qualifications of these Countries which are Inhabited by the Switzers they are very different for in the mountainous parts scarce any thing else but Pasture Grounds are to be met withal but tho the Valley and flat Country produce Corn and Wine in considerable quantities yet among so vast a number of Inhabitants there appears no great plenty here since Foreign Commodities cannot be imported without great difficulty and what is deficient in the native Soil is not repaired by Traffick and Manufactories 'T is therefore accounted a common calamity among the Switzers if once in some years the Plague does not come among them to rid them of so many superfluous Mouths Yet they enjoy this benefit by the situation of their Country that by reason of the high Mountains and narrow Passages it is almost inaccessible especially on the Italian side and in the midst of the Country for some of the outward parts are of a very easie aocess § 8. The Switzers pretend to be downright honest and true to their word and indeed they are generally Simple and Plain-Dealing without any great Cunning or By-Designs but they are couragious and soon provoked to wrath They are steadfast in their Resolutions from whence they dont easily recede their valour constancy talness and strength of Body has so recommended them to a great many Princes that they choose their Guards among them and the King of France maintains a considerable number of Switz Foot Souldiers They are very forward to fight but not to undergo any other hardship or labour they expect to have duely their pay if that fail they return home as fast as they can from whence comes the Proverb No Money no Swisse They do not love to bear hunger or hardship in other Countries because they have enough of that at home It is one of the Articles of Agreement made with France that that Crown shall never have less than 6000 at a time in pay and that these are not to be separated That in case these Articles should not be perform'd they may be in capacity to assist one another They also never will be imploy'd in any Sea service § 9. The main strength of this Confederate Commonwealth consists in the number of its Inhabitants For in the City of Bern which has the greatest Territories pretends alone to be able to send into the Field 100000 fighting Men. And it is not to be questioned but that if they had been ambitious of making Conquests at that time when their Glory was at the highest pitch or had not wanted Conduct they might easily have brought under their Subjection the Franche Comte and a great part of Lombardy but the reason why they did not aim at Conquests was partly their Inclination which did not prompt them to encroach upon their Neighbouâ—s partly the constitution of their Government which seems to be unfit for great and suddain Enterprises For each Canton by itself considered is a Democracy the highest Power being lodged in the Guildes and it is certain that such as are of little Understanding and Experience are always very positive in their opinions and
mean while the Dutch sent a Fleet to Relieve Copenhagen against whom the Swedes fought with great bravery But in the year next following the Swedes did in vain storm Copenhagen and besides this lost the Battel in Funen Bornholm revolted and Druntheim was retaken And tho the Danes endeavour'd to carry on the War against the Swedes hoping to have now after the death of their King Charles Gustavus met with an opportunity to revenge themselves for their former losses yet acccording to a Project concluded upon by France England and Holland a Peace was made near Copenhagen almost upon the same Conditions with that concluded formerly at Roshild except that Bornholm and Druntheim remained in the possession of the Danes in lieu of which some Lands were assigned to the Swedes in Schonen A Peace being thus concluded the King at the Dyet held at Copenhagen was declared an absolute Sovereign and the Crown Hereditary whereby the great Privileges of the Nobility were abolished and a new Form of Government introduced where the whole Management of Affairs depends absolutely on the King's pleasure This King died in the year 1670. Him succeeded his Son Christian V. who after he had put his Affairs into a good Posture entred into an Alliance with the Emperor Holland and their Confederates And seeing that the Swedes had been worsted in the Country of Brandenburgh he hoped to have met with a good opportunity to break with Sweden He began therefore with the Duke of Holstein who not foreseeing the Design came to him at Rensburgh whom he forced to quit all his Advatanges which he had obtained by the Peace of Roshild and to surrender into his hands the Fortress of Tonningen which he caused to be demolished and afterwards took Wismar from the Swedes In the year next following he entred Schonen where he took Helsingburgh Landscrone and Christianstad as also the Isle of Gotland with little Resistance But he having detach'd some Troops to invest Halmstad they were surprized by the King of Sweden who routed them and such as were not slain were all made Prisoners Not long after the whole Danish Army was beaten out of the field in a bloody Battel fought near Lunden In the year 1677. King Christian besieged Malmoe but having miscarried in a Storm which he made upon the place he was forced to raise the Siege and soon after received another Overthrow in a Battel fought near Landscrone betwixt him and Charles King of Sweden In the Year next following the Danes were obliged to raise the Siege of Bahus and to surrender Christianstadt which reduced to Extremity by Famine but at Sea they had better Success yet by virtue of a Peace made betwixt them they restored all such places as they had taken from the Swedes § 10. It is evident out of antient History That this Nation has been formerly very warlike but in our age the Danes have lost much of their antient Glory because the Nobility have been rather for enjoying their Revenues in Plenty and Quietness than for undergoing the fatigues of War and the Commonalty have followed their Example This may also perhaps be alleged for a reason that they having seldom been engaged in any Wars but with Sweden except that Christian IV. made war in Germany which however was carried on chiefly by German Souldiers which could not be of any long Continuance the Danes often wanted opportunity to keep themselves in exercise especially since they had the conveniency of making use of the Germans whom they listed for money and the number of Inhabitants seem'd to be but proportionable to the Country which is of no great extent Since the King has been declared Soveraign all means have been employed to improve the Military force of the Nation but it seems that the National Forces without the help of the Germans will not be of any great Consequence as to Land-service Neither is it the King's interest to put his Nobility upon Martial Exploits or that they should grow famous in War for fear they should make an Effort to recover their former Privileges The Norwegians undergo all sorts of hardship with more Courage and Vigour whereunto they are inured by their Climate and Air. But the Danes since they have been Masters of Norway have always endeavoured to keep under this Nation by taking from them all opportunities of exerting their vigour and there are very few left of the antient Nobility in Norway Yet the Norwegians are now adays very good Seamen and the Dutch make good use of them in Sea-service and a great many of the Inhabitants of North-holland where they are addicted to Fishing were originally of Norway § 11. The country of Denmark is of no great extent yet it is generally very Fertile and fit both for Tillage and Pasturage for a great number of Oxen and Horses are yearly Transported out of Denmark to other places And a considerable quantity of Corn is sent out of Denmark into Norway and Island The Seas near Denmark are pretty well stock'd with Fish which however are rather for the benefit of the Inhabitants than for exportation There are little or no Manufactories there the Inhabitants being not fitted for such works neither is there any Commodities fit for Exportation in great quantities On the other hand the Danes are oblig'd to Import Wine Salt good Beer and Woollen Manufactury for Cloaths They have begun to bring Spices themselves out of the East-Indies where they have a small Fort upon the Coast of Cormandel The Toll which is paid by Foreigners in the Sound in ready money is a very good Revenue in Denmark Which is the reason why the Danes can scarce forgive the Swedes that they do not pay this Tributary Toll to Denmark Norway is for the most part a very raw Country yet it produces several Commodities fit for exportation viz. dry'd and salted Fish in great quantity Timber Board Masts Tar Pitch and the like There are also in Norway Silver Copper and Iron Mines But it produces not Corn sufficient in quantity for the maintenance of its Inhabitants nor to brew Beer besides it wants also the same Commodities which are wanting in Denmark As for its situation it s very commodious to Export and Import Merchandises to and from other Sea-Coasts in Europe Island is stock'd with Fish some salted Flesh and very good Down Feathers which the Inhabitants are fain to exchange for such Commodities as are besides Fish and Flesh requisite for the sustenence and convenience of Life The Fenock Islands do for the most part live on their Sheep and Fish Besides that Denmark cannot raise a considerable Army of its Natives this is also a great weakness to this Kingdom that not only Norway and Denmark are separated by the Sea and cannot keep correspondency together but by that way but also that this Kingdom is divided into so many Islands so that if an Enemy once becomes Master
that the Poles in the mean time should keep in their Possession the Dukedom of Severia Zernigo and Novogrod which they had taken during these Troubles in Muscovy In the mean time George Farenbach did surrender several places in Livonia to the King of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus but it was suspected that he intended to betray the King for soon after the same Farenbach was reconciled to King Sigismund unto whom he restored all the places except Pernau In the Year 1620. the Poles were engaged in a War against the Turks that were as 't is supposed stirred up by Betlem Gabor Prince of Transylvania for Sigismund having assisted the Emperour against him Betlem Gabor was for making them a Diversion by the help of the Turks The Turks therefore entred Moldavia with an Intention to banish that Duke who sided with the Poles the Polish General Zolkieuski coming to the Assistance of the Duke of Moldavia advanced too far into the Country and as he was marching back was totally routed and himself slain upon the Place In the Year next following the Turks marched with their whole Froces against Poland who were met by the Poles near Chocim under the Command of Prince Vladislaus The Polish Army was about 65000 strong but the Turks 392000 Men commanded by the Turkish Emperour Osman in Person The Turks did attempt three times to take the Polish Camp by Storm but were as often repulsed with great Loss But the Poles in the mean while suffered extreamly for want of Ammunition and Provisions and were mightily weakened by Sicknesses and the Mortahty among their Horses Nevertheless the Turkish Emperour made a very honourable Peace with them after he had lost 60000 Men in these several Storms made upon their Camp and a greater Number in his march back to Constantinople In the mean time King Gustavus Adolphus falling into Livonia took the City of Riga without any great Resistance And the rest of Livonia except Dunneburgh was Conquered by the Swedes in the Year 1625. King Gustavous entred Prussia with an Army in the Year 1626. where he took the Cities of Marienburgh and Elbing besides some other Places This War was thus carried on without any General Engagement till the Year 1629. when Hans Wrangel the Swedish General defeated the Poles near Gorzno Then the Emperour sent some Forces to the Assistance of the Poles who in a Battel fought near Stum were very near having made King Gustavus their Prisoner But the Polish Affairs being after this Battel fallen into great Confusion a Truce was concluded by the mediation of France and England till the Year 1634. the Swedes being in the mean while to keep in their Possession Elbing Memel Braunsberg Pillâ—u and what else they had taken in Livonia Sigismund died in the Year 1632. § 11. After his Death his Son Vladislaus IV. was declared King who in the Year next following obtained a signal Victory over the Muscovites that had besieged Smolensko for he not only forced them to raise the Siege but also brought the Muscovite Army into such streights that they were forced to surrender themselves And the Turks who would have made a Diversion to him were also bravely repulsed At last Vladislaus made a very advantageous Peace on his side with the Muscovites by vertue of which these renounced all their Pretensions upon the two large Dukedoms of Smolensko and Ozernichow This begot such a Terrour among the Turks that they freely made him Restitution for the Damages sustained in their last In-road having also caused the Bashaw who commanded these Forces to be strangled The Truce with Sweden was prolonged at Stumdorf in Prussia for 26 Years where the places possessed before by the Swedes in Prussia were restored to the Poles because the Swedish Affairs in Germany were then after the Battel of Norlingen in a very ill Condition and besides this the English and Dutch were extreamly dissatisfied with the Tolls that were paid in Prussia In the Year 1637. the Foundation was laid of the War with the Cosacks which has brought unspeakable Mischiefs upon the Poles The business happened thus As the number of the Cosacks was greatly encreased by the great number of Boors which frequently ran into them so the great Men in Poland had purchased great Estates in the Vkraine who were of Opinion that their Revenues would be considerably encreased if the Liberty of the Cosacks were reduced into more narrow bounds Wherefore they having advised the King that they ought to be more restrained for the future the Polish General Konicepoliski did cause the Fortress of Hudack to be built just at a point where the River of Zwamer falls into the Dnieper or Borysthenes The Cosacks endeavoured to prevent the perfecting of this Work by force but being routed by the Poles were obliged to surrender their General Pauluck and some of their Chief Men among them who were all notwithstanding a Pardon was promised them before hand beheaded Besides this it was decreed in the Dyet that all their former Priviledges and the Fortress of Techtimorovia should be taken from them and that in their stead a new body of Militia should be settled there To put this Decree in execution the Polish Army marched into the Vkraine against which the Cosacks fought with great bravery promising nevertheless that they would be faithful to the Crown of Polana if their ancient Priviledges were confirmed to them which the Poles did promise them bur did not perform nay did even treat some of them very ill For among other oppressive Methods they took also from them some of their Greek Churches Their General Chmielinski was also grosly Affronted for which he could obtain no Satisfaction For the King having granted him a Priviledge to build some Mills a certain Gentleman whose Name was Jarinski burnt the same having also ravished his Wife and afterwards killed both her and her Son § 12. In the mean time Vladislaus died whom succeeded his Brother John Casimir Then Chmielinski to revenge himself stirred up the Cosacks against the Poles who with Burning Plundering and Ravishing did what Mischief they could to the Polish Nobility And the Senators having desired the King to march out into the Field against them they were answered by him That they ought not to have burnt down their Mills Whereat the Poles being extreamly dissatisfied brought together an Army of 50000 Men which being defeated by the Cosacks there were killed 10000 upon the Spot and besides this they took the City of Kiovia To revenge this Affront the Poles summoned the seventh Man throughout the whole Kingdom and marched against the Cosacks without the Consent of the King but were again miserably beaten by them But Chmielinski celebrating the Nuptials of his Son with the Daughter of the Prince of Vallachia the Poles surprised the Cosacks thereabouts plundered the City and took the Grecian Patriarch prisoner The Cosacks then sent to the King to know
1479. John II. A Project of sailing to the East Indies Emanuel Moors and Jews banish'd out of Portugal The first Sea-voyage into the East Indies 1497. The reason why the Venetians opposed the Portugueses settling themselves there The Progress of the Duke â—f Albuquerque in the East Indies The discovery of Brasil in America John III. The Jesuites sent to the Indies Sebastian His fatal Expedition into Africa Henry Portugal united to Spain The Dutch sail to the East Indies 1620. 1630. The Portuguese shake off the Yoak of Spain The Duke of Braganzâ— proclaimed King John IV. 〈◊〉 League between Portugal and Holland A War breaks cut betwixt them A Peace in 1661. Alfonsus VI. 1668 1666. Don Pedro. The Humours of the Portugueses Fruitfulness of Portugal Brasile Africa The East Indies A horrible Persecution raised on the Christians of Japan and the occasion of It. The Strength of Portugal How it stands with regard to Spain To France To Holland The ancient Sate of England The Romans conquer England The Saxons come into Britainy â—450 689. The Saxon Kings in England The Saxon Heptarchy Peter's 〈◊〉 The Kingdom of England 818 Dancs first come into England 1002. The Danes driven out but return again King Edmund treacherously murther'd Canute the Dane King of England 1017. Harald Hardiknut Edward the Consessor 1066. Wâ—lliam the Conquerour Willam conquers England October 14 1066. The Corfew Bell. Edgar Atheling makes an attempt His Son Robert Rebels He acts as a Conquerour Robert Rebels again 1088. William Rufus 1100. Henry I. Robert makes a Lesient in England Normandy annexed to the Crown of England The Norman Race extinct Stephen Maud makes War on him Henty II. Hâ—s Son with the French and Scots join in a War against him 1189. Ireland conquered Richard I. He makes an Expedition into the Holy Land In his return â—e is taken Prisoner 1199. John His Nephew Arthur opposes him The King of France dispossesses him of Normandy The Dauphin invited by the Barons invades England 1216. Henry III. The Dauphin is forced â—ome again A War with the Barons He quits his Pretensions on Normandy for a Summ of Money Edward I. The causes of the Differences betwixt the English and Scots A War with Scotland 1307. With France 1297. He banishes the Jews Edward II. Vnsuccessfull 〈◊〉 his War with Scotland 〈…〉 1327. Edward III. His Pretensions to the French Crown He is successfull against Scotland His Expedition into France 1340. The Battel near Crecy 1346. The Scotch defeated He takes Calais 1356. The Battel near Poictiers A dishonourable Peace to France Another War with France 1377. Richard II. A Peace with France Troubles at home The occasion of his Ruin Henry Duke of Lancaster invades England 1399. Henry IV. of the House of Lancaster He had great Difficulties which he surmounted Henry V. He invades France to prosecute his claim of the Crown The Battel uear Aguicourt 1419. 1420. The Administration of France to be in Henry during Charles's life and after his death the Crown to descend to him 1422. Henry VI. Proclaim'd King of France 1423. 1424. The Maid 〈◊〉 Orleans He was crowned in Paris 1432. The English decline in France 1435. The Duke of Burgundy leaves the English and is reconciled to Charles 1436. The occasion of the Troubles in England 1449. The English driven out of France The occasion of this sudden loss 1460. Edward IV. of the House of York A bloody Battel betwixt Edward and Henry Henry taken out of Prison and set on the Throne Edward returns into England Henry a second time Prisoner 147â— and murther'd by the Duke of Gloucester Edward V. Richard III. 1483. Murthers his Nephews He murther's his Wife Henry Earl of Richmond invades England 1485. Henry VII He united the White and Red Roses Lambert Symnel He makes an Expedition inâ—â— France Perkin Warbeck He marries his Daughter Margaret to the King of Scotland Henry VIII He enters into League with Ferdinand and the Pope 1512. His Expedition against France A second An Invasion of the Scots He makes a second War against France The Divorce of Henry VIII The fallâ— of Woolsey 1532. He marries Anna Bullen He abrogates the Pope's Supremacy Monasteries demolished Protestants and Papists executed War with Scotland He enters into a League with the Emperour against France 1550. Anna Bullen beheaded His other Wives Edward VI. 155â— Lady Jane Grey proclaimed Queen Mary Restores Popery Marries Philip of Spain Lady Jane c. beheaded The reason why Philip interceded for the Lady Elizabeth The Battel of St. Quintin Calais lost 1558. Elizabeth Philip desires her in marriage Papists and Paritaus Poreign Seminaries Mary Queen of Scotland The Queen of Scots married Bothwell who murthered her Husband She was made a Prisoner in England 1572. 1586. Beheaded 1587. Queen Elizabeth assists the Huguenots 1562. 1559. The Sovereignty of the Netherlands twice offered her 1595. The Armado defeated Essex heheaded 1600 She was jealous of her Power at Sea James I. Cobham's Conspiracy 1603. The Powder Plot. 1604. 1626. Foreign Plantations Charles I. 1626. War with Spain War with France A Peace concluded with both Causes of the intestine Commotions in England The different Conduct of Queen Elizabeth and King James as to the State The Occasions that were taken from Religion The Conduct of Charles I. Troubles in Scotland and England 1637. 1567. 1617. 1633. The Scotch Covenant A Letter intercepted wherein the Scots desire Succour from France The Parliament is sactious and favours the Scots The Parliament of England directly oppose the King 1642. The Rebellion begins Their Behaviours The King made a Prisoner The Independents become Masters The King is sentenced to death and executed 1648. Ireland conqâ—er'd Charles II. râ—â—ted The Scots câ—nquered Cromwell made Protectour 1652. 1660. King Charles II's Restauration 1660. War with Holland 1665. 1674. Constitution of the English Nation Constitution of the Scotch Nation Of the Irish The Condition of Great Brittainy The Form of the Government in England The Power and Strength of England With relation to other States To the Northern Crowns To Spain To France To Holland The most ancient Stare of France Gaul subdued by the Romans By the Barbarous Nations That the Franks came out of Germany The origin of the French Language Pharamond the first King Clodion Merovaeus Childerick Clouis I. 496. France is divided Clotarius II 614. Dagobert Charâ—es Martell 714. 732. Pipin proclaim'd King The Merovingian Family loses the Crown 751. Pipin's Expeditions He assists the Pope against the Lombards Charles the Great 774. He is proclaimed Emperour of the Romans Lewis the Pious He divides his Kingdom His Sons Rebell 833. Germany divided from France Charles the Bald. The Normans make an Irruption into France 912. Ludovicus Balbus Ludov. III. and Carolomannus Charles the Simple The decay of the Royal Authority The Excessive Power of the Nobles Eudo Count of Paris crown'd King of France 923. Rudolf of Burgundy crown'd King 929. Lewis Outremer Lotharius Lewis the
they make Converts 423 The Popes temporal State his Dominions Forces how he stands with relation to Germany Spain and France 424 425 Popish Monarchy as spiritual its particular Constitution 426 Why it was to be exercised in the Form of a Monarchy 429 Why it must be elective 430 Why the Pope was to live in the State of Celibacy 431 Popish Doctrine suited to the State 436 Penance 439 Purgatory 441 Prayers to Saints 441 The main Pillar of the Popish Monarchy 451 The Popes Inclination towards the Protestants 452 No Peace to be expected betwixt the Roman Catholicks and Protestants 453 Strength of the Protestants and Papists 454 The Protestant Religion estabished in Sweden 495 R. ROme a Warlike City 13 It s military Institutions 15 Religion of the Romans 17 Roman Kings expelled and a new form of Government erected 19 Defects of the Roman Commonwealth 21 In Rome were two distinct Bodies 23 The Rom. Monarchy could not be of long continuance 25 Rome taken by Charles V. 49 The Romans conquer England 99 Richard I. King of England 111 His expedition into the Holy Land 111 Richard II. King of England 120 Richard III. King of England 131 Rebellion begins in England under Charles I. 157 Richlieu made chief Minist of State under Lew. III. 235 Rochelle taken from the French Huguenots 235 Rudolf Earl of Habsburgh the first Founder of the present House of Austria 292 The Reformation in Germany 297 The Roman spiritual Monarchy 368 The Romans and their politick Reason against the Primitive Christian Church 378 Rome why it was made the Place of Residence of the Ecclesiastical Monarchy 389 Reliques 441 Reformation begun in Sweden 491 S. SParta 7 Spain and its ancient State 28 Spain conquer'd by the West Goths 28 By the Saracens 30 Great Divisions in Spain 34 The Sicilian Vespers 188 39 First Beginning of the Spanish Inquisition 43 Spanish Armado destroyed 145 56 The Nature of the Spaniards 67 The Spanish West-Indies 69 It s several sorts of Inhabitants and Its Riches 71 72 Sardinia and Sicily 74 Spanish Netherlands 74 Strength and Weakness of Spain 75 Its condition in reference to its Neighbours 77 The Saxons come into Britany 100 The Saxon Heptarchy 101 The Scotch defeated by the English 119 The Scotch Covenant 154 The constitution of the Scotch Nation 165 Spain enters into the Holy League in France 226 The Slingers in France 239 The Switzers and the first original of their Commonweal 273 Their first Union 274 Their Genius 279 Their Strength and Weakness 279 League at Smalkald 298 Stephen Batori made King of Poland 342 He puts the Cosacks in good Discipline 342 Sigismund III. King of Poland 343 His Wars with the Muscovites 343 His oversight during the troubles in Muscovy 345 Siâ—â— Venial and Mortal 438 States that are tyed by a particular Interest to the Church of Rome 448 449 Sweden the most ancient Kingdom in Europe 461 The Christian Doctrine first taught in Sweden 464 Celibacy of Clergy introduced in Sweden 468 The Kingdom of Sweden made hereditary and the Popish Religion abolished 497 A new Swedish Liturgy introduced 504 Sigismund King of Poland and Sweden 506 Is deposed 510 The Nature and Qualification of the Swedish Nation 535 Their Condition Strength and Neighbours 536 537 T TRuce with Holland made by Philip III. K. of Spain 60 The Tripie Alliance 66 The Templers suppressed in France 189 Truce betwixt the Emperour Charles V. and Henry II. King of France 216 The Tartars make the first inrode into Poland 338 Theodore Ivanowitz Czar of Muscovy 362 Traditions 438 First Translation of the New Testament into Swedish 492 V. THE Union of Utrecht the Foundation of the Common-wealth of the seven United Provinces 265 They enter into a Confederacy with the English 267 Uladislaus IV. King of Poland obtains a signal Victory over the Muscovites 348 The causes of the War with the Cosacks under his Reign 348 The Universities have promoted the Popish Sovereignty 442 W. WArs betwixt France and Spain and their first rise 44 Wars betwixt Charles V. and France 47 Wars betwixt Holland and Portugal 93 William the Conqueror 104 He conquers England 184 105 Intestine Wars in France under King Francis II. 218 William Prince of Orange 256 Is murthered at Delft 267 William II. Prince of Orange 275 He makes the two de Wits Prisoners 276 They are murthered 280 William III. Prince of Orange 277 Wars betwixt the English Parliament and the Dutch 277 A second War betwixt the English and Dutch 278 Wars betwixt Charles duke of Burgundy and the Switzers 276 Wars betwixt France and the Switzers 277 The Westphalian Treaty 304 Winifred the Monk 393 Wars betwixt the Muscovites and Swedes 5â—2 War betwixt the Swedes and Poles in Livonia 511 Zwinglius and Calvin 421 An Introduction to the History of the Chief Kingdoms and States now in EUROPE CHAP. I. Of the Ancient Monarchies and more especially of the Roman out of whose Ruines arose several Kingdoms and States § 1. NO Man of Common Sense imagines that at the first Propagation of Mankind there were such Governments as are among us at this time But in those Times each Father without being Subject to any Superiour Power governed his Wife Children and Servants as a Sovereign Nay it seems very probable to me that even to the time of the Deluge there was no Magistracy or any Civil Constitution but that the Government was lodged only in each Father of his Family For it is scarce to be imagined that such abominable Disorders could have been introduced where the Power of Magistrates and Laws was exercised And it is observable that after once the Rules of Government were Constituted we do not find that Mankind in general did run into the same Enormities of which God Almighty was obliged to purge the World by an Universal Punishment though the Root of the Evil was remaining as well after as before the Deluge It seems also that for a considerable time after the Deluge this Paternal Government continued in the World § 2. But the reason why the Fathers of Families left this Separate way of living and joyned in a Mutual civil Society seems to be That among the Neighbouring Families sometimes Quarrels used to arise which being often decided by Force drew along with them very great Inconveniencies to prevent which it was thought necessary for the Preservation of Peace and Quietness among Neighbours to referr the Decision of such Matters to the Judgment of some of the wisest and most Considerable among them After the increase of Mankind it was also easily to be observed how difficult it would prove for a Single Family to defend it self against the Joint Conspiracy of a malicious Party to Oppose which the Neighbours living so near as to be able to assist one another in case of Necessity did enter into a Society Mutually to defend themselves against their Common Enemies That they might do this with the better Success the
be landed its Provisions which must come by Sea might easily be cut off For in such a case all the States of Italy would be obliged to side with the Spaniards to keep this cruel Enemy from their Borders and their Naval Strength joined together much surpasses the Turks in every respect From the Italian States the Spaniards have little to fear it being a maxim with them to preserve the Peace of Italy thereby to take away all opportunity from France to get a footing in Italy which is also a general maxim among all the States of Italy Nevertheless this is most certain That if Spain should endeavour to encroach upon the rest of the Italian States they would unanimously oppose it and if they should find themselves too weak to oppose their Designs they might be easily wrought upon to call France to their aid The Pope perhaps might be willing enough to be Master of the Kingdom of Naples Spain holding the same in Fief of the Papal Chair and thereby the Popes might have a fresh opportunity to enrich their Kindred But the Pope wants Power to execute such a Design and the rest of the States of Italy would not be forward to see so considerable a Country added to the Ecclesiastical State and the Pope's Kindred are more for gathering of Riches out of the present Ecclesiastical Revenues than to bestow the same upon an uncertain War On the other side Spain having found it very beneficial for its Interest to pretend to the chief Protectorship of the Roman Religion and that the Pope's good or bad Inclinations towards it may either prove advantageous or disadvantageous Spain has always endeavoured by all means to keep fair with the Popes France on the contrary having taken part with the Protestants whom Spain and the House of Austria have sought to oppress has demonstrated sufficiently to the Roman Court that it is not so fond of that Religion as to neglect an opportunity to enrich himself with the Possessions of the Protestants and to make way for attaining to the so long projected Design of the Universal Monarchy which done he might easily make the Pope his Chaplain Wherefore the chief aim of the wisest Popes has been to keep the Power of Spain and France in an equal Balance this being the most proper method to keep up the Authority and provide for the Security of the Popedom It being the principal maxim of the Venetians to reserve their Liberty and State by maintaining the Peace of Italy Spain has no reason to be jealous of them as long as it undertakes nothing against them It is also the Interest as well of them as of all the other Italian States that the Spaniards remain in possession of Milan for fear if France should become Master of this Dukedom it might thereby be put in a way to conquer all the rest of Italy On the other side if Spain should shew the least Inclination to undertake any thing against the Liberty of Italy it cannot expect but that the Venetians if not by an open War at least by their Counsels and Money would oppose it For the rest this State endeavours to remain Neuter betwixt France and Spain and to keep fair with both of them as long as they do not act against their Interest Genoua is of great consequence to the Spaniards from which depends in a great measure the Security and Preservation of the Milaneze Wherefore when Charles V. could not effect his Intention of building a Castle being opposed therein by Andreas Doria whereby he intended to make the Genoueses dance after his Pipe the Spaniards found out another way to make them dependent on their Interest by borrowing vast Summs of Money from the Genoueses upon the security of the King's Revenues in Spain Besides this they are possess'd of the Harbour of Final on the Coast of Genoua whereby they have taken away the power from them of cutting off the Correspondency betwixt Spain and Milan Spain has great reason to give in a good Correspondency with Savoy for if that Prince should side with France against it the Milaneze would be in eminent danger of being lost But because it would be very pernicious for Savoy if the King of France should become Master of Milan since Savoy would be then surrounded on all sides by the French it is easie for Spain to maintain a good Correspondency with Savoy Florence and the rest of the Italian Princes have all the reason to be cautious how to offend Spain yet as much as in them lies they would scarce suffer Spain to encroach upon any of them It is also of consequence to the Spaniards to live in friendship with the Suiss partly because they must make use of such Souldiers as are listed among them partly because they may be very serviceable in preserving the Milaneze and their Friendship is best preserved by Money But because the Suiss are of several Religions Spain is in greater Authority with the Roman Catholick Cantons but France with the Protestant Cantons which being the most potent yet have either cajolled by fair Words or Money or out of Fear conniv'd at the Frenches becoming Masters of the County of Burgundy in the last War whereas formerly they used to take effectual care for its preservation The Hollanders were before the Peace of Munster the most pernicious Enemies to Spain but since the Conclusion of that Peace there is no cause that Spain should fear any thing from them since I do not see any reason why these should attack Spain or endeavour to take any thing from them having enough to do to maintain what they have already got And if they should be tempted to attempt any thing against the West Indies they would not only meet with great resistance from the Spaniards there but also France and England would not easily suffer that both the East and West Indies the two Fountains from whence such vast Riches are derived should be in possession of the Dutch And the Dutch as for their own Interests obliged to take care that France by swallowing up the rest of the Netherlands may not become their next Neighbour on the Land or that it should obtain any considerable advantage against Spain The Power of Germany Spain may consider as its own as far as the same depends on the House of Austria And it is not long ago since the States of Germany were persuaded to take upon them afresh the Guaranty of the Circle of Burgundy whereby Spain hoped to have united its Interest with that of the German Empire against France since whenever a War happens betwixt these two Crowns it is scarce possible that this Circle should escape untouch'd it being the most convenient place where they may attack one another with vigour England is capable of doing most damage to the Spaniards at Sea and especially in the West Indies But England in all likelyhood would be no great
Minister of France who was more intent to maintain his private Interest and Greatness against the Dauphin than to make Head against the English A Congress was proposed to be held betwixt the two Kings but this Design was frustrated by the cunning of the Dauphin who gave the Duke hopes of an entire Reconciliation to be made betwixt them both And Monterau being named for the place where they should meet the Duke of Burgundy was there questionless by instigation of the Dauphin miserably murther'd For this reason his Son Duke Philip being resolved to revenge his Father's death declared openly for the English and by his Mediation obtain'd That King Henry should marry the Princess Catharine and during the life of his Wife's Father administer the Government in his name but after his death should succeed him in the Throne The Nuptials were afterwards celebrated at Troyes in Champaigne After the Treaty had been confirmed by solemn Oaths on both sides which was also ratify'd by the three Estates assembled in Paris where the Dauphin was summon'd to appear to answer concerning the death of the Duke of Burgundy But he not appearing Sentence was given against him That he should for ever be banish'd out of France There were also some who design'd to make him away and he was forced to go from place to place but his common place of Residence was Bourges wherefore they used to call him by way of ridiculing The King of Bourges In the mean time the English took one place after another from him At last King Henry being upon his March to raise the Siege of the City of Cosne on the Loire which was besieged by the Dauphin he fell sick in his Journey thither and being carried to Bois de Vicennes there died in the flower of his Age and Felicity leaving the Administration of France to his Brother the Duke of Bedford and the Administration of England to his second Brother the Duke of Gloucester § 15. Him succeeded his Son Henry VI. a Child of eight Months old who after he was grown up degenerated from his Father's Martial Valour and by his ill management lost what his Father had got eclipsing thereby the English Glory He was after the death of Charles VI. who died not long after Henry V. proclaimed King of France in Paris In opposition to him the Dauphin Charles VII also declared himself King of France with whom sided the Bravest among the French and a great many Scots were sent to his assistance But Philip Duke of Burgundy and John Duke of Britainy held to the Confederacy with the English which was renewed at that time And then they began to fall upon one another with great fury For the French received a great Defeat near Crevant in Burgundy and were soundly beaten near Verneuil In the Year 1425 the French had besieged St. Jaques de Beuveron with Forty thousand Men the Garrison being reduc'd to great extremity prayed with a loud voice to St. George of Salisbury The Besiegers hearing the name of Salisbury very frequently among the Besieged supposed that the Earl of Salisbury was coming to raise the Siege whereat the French were so terrify'd that they run away for fear of his Name This is certain that the English for a while were Masters where-ever they came but before Orleans the carreer of their Fortune was first stopt For tho during that Siege they beat the French who came to cut off their Provisions which Battel is commonly called the Battel of the Flemmings and the City would have surrender'd it self to the Duke of Burgundy which the English would not accept of yet did they not only lose in that Siege the brave Earl of Salisbury but also the French being encouraged by a Maid called Joan that was born in Lorraine beat the English from before Orleans This Maid did several great exploits against the English and led her self in person King Charles to his Coronation in Rheims At last she was taken Prisoner by the English in an Encounter who carried her to Roan where they burnt her for a Witch But because the English perceived that after the Coronation of Charles a great many Cities sided with him they also called over their King Henry out of England and crowned him King of France in Paris About the same time a Truce was concluded by Mediation of the Pope for six Years but it lasted not long for the French during the time of the Truce possess'd themselves of several places which they had brought over to their side by cunning Insinuations pretending That any thing gained without open violence did not violate the Truce And King Charles's Maxim was Not to fight with the English but to strive to get Advantages over them rather by Policy than open force But that which gave a great blow to the English was That the Duke of Burgundy having taken a distaste at the English upon some slight occasion was reconciled to King Charles There were some small Differences arisen betwixt the Duke of Bedford and the Duke of Burgundy to compose which a meeting was appointed at St. Omer But the time being near at hand a Dispute arose which of them should appear there first it being supposed that he who should come first did thereby yield the Precedency to the other wherefore the Duke of Bedford refused to come first alledging That he being Regent of France ought not in that Quality to give preference to a Vassal of France But the Duke of Burgundy stood upon his right of being Sovereign of the place where they were to meet so that the meeting being set aside the Duke of Burgundy broke quite off with the English and afterwards assisted King Charles against them The death of the Duke of Bedford proved another Misfortune to the English For the Duke of Somerset and the Duke of York both pretended to his place and tho' the latter did obtain it yet did the first always oppose his Designs so that before the new Regent arrived Paris which had been seventeen Years in the possession of the English and a great many other Cities did surrender themselves to King Charles Yet did the Duke of Gloucester beat the Duke of Burgundy before Calais making great havock in Flanders Artois and Hainault and the brave Talbot did considerable mischief to the French But when afterwards by a Truce made with France the fury of the War ceased for a little time there was a Foundation laid in England for intestine Commotions The King had promised marriage to the Daughter of the Earl of Armagnac to prevent which the French King had made both the Earl and his Daughter Prisoners The Earl of Suffolk who was then Ambassadour in France did propose thereupon without having received any Instructions to that purpose from the King a Match betwixt the King and Margaret Daughter of Renè Duke of Anjou and King of Naples and Sicily
him a Prisoner to the Tower but he having twice made an attempt to escape was at last hang'd according to his demerits In the Year 1501 a Marriage was concluded betwixt James IV. King of Scotland and Margaret the Daughter of Henry which afterwards united England and Scotland under one King Arthur also eldest Son of Henry married Catharine Daughter of Ferdinand the Catholick But the Prince dying a few Weeks after the Wedding in the sixteenth Year of his Age and Henry being unwilling to give back the Dowry and desirous to maintain the new Alliance with Ferdinand married the said Catharine to his second Son Henry who was then but twelve Years of Age having obtained a Dispensation from Pope Julius II. under pretence that there had been no carnal knowledge betwixt them which afterwards proved the cause of great Alterations This King is reckoned among the wisest of his Age and the only thing which is reprehended in him is That he had a way by false Accusations against the rich to squeeze out of them great Summs of Money from them He died in the Year 1509. § 19. Henry VIII immediately upon his first accession to the Throne celebrated the Nuptials with his Brother's Widow more to fulfill his Father's Will than out of his own Inclination yet as long as he lived with her in Wedlock he govern'd the Realm very laudably and in the Court nothing was seen but Plays and Diversions As to his Transactions abroad upon the persuasions of Pope Julius II. and Ferdinand the Catholick he enter'd into a Consederacy with them against France which Confederacy was pretended to be made for the defence of the Holy See Ferdinand also put him in hopes of recovering Guienne wherefore Henry sent an Army into Biscay to fall in conjunction with the Spaniards into Guienne But Ferdinand having rather his Eye upon Navarre and being negligent in sending timely Succours to the English they returned home without doing any thing In the Year 1513 Henry enter'd France with a great Army where he lost his time in the taking of Terovane and Tournay which was wholly destroyed in spight of all the Attempts of the French to relieve it tho' Tournay was redeemed by Francis I. with a good Summ of Money But at that time Henry did not pursue his Advantage partly out of carelessness incident to young Men partly because he had carried on this War not so much for his own Interest as in favour of the Pope and so returned into England During the absence of Henry James IV. King of Scotland upon instigation of the French invaded England but received a great overthrow himself being killed in the Battel In the Year next following Henry perceiving that his Father-in-law Ferdinand did only impose upon him concluded a Peace with France giving his Sister Mary in marriage to King Lewis XII In the Year 1522 Henry again denounced War against Francis I. and sent considerable Forces into France which nevertheless both in the same and next following Year did nothing of moment and the Scots on the other side obtained not any advantages against the English But after Francis was taken Prisoner near Pavia it seem'd that Henry had met with a fair opportunity to give a great blow to France more especially since he had before prepared a Fleet which lay ready to make a Descent in Normandy yet he left Charles and made Peace with France And Charles after he thought he had obtained his aim did not make any great account of England leaving the Princess Mary Daughter of Henry to whom he had promised Marriage for the Princess of Portugal whom he married And whereas he used formerly to write to the King with his own Hand and subscribe himself Your Son and trusty Friend he now caused his Letters to be writ by his Secretary subscribing only his Name Charles And truly it seemed very necessary for Henry to keep a little the Ballance Tho' a great many are of opinion That Cardinal Woolsey had a great hand in this business who was no great Friend of Charles V. because he had not promoted him to the Papal Dignity and had denied him the Archbishoprick of Toledo of which he had put him in hopes at first neither did he subscribe himself any more Your Son and Cousin as he used to do But however it be Henry at that time saved France from an imminent danger After he had lived very peaceably and well with his Queen for the space of twenty Years he began to have a scruple of Conscience Whether he could lawfully live in Wedlock with his Brother's Widow which scruple he pretended was raised in him first by the President of Paris who was sent to treat concerning a Marriage betwixt Mary Daughter of Henry and the second Son of Francis Some say that he being weary of her was fallen in love with Anna Bullen and found out this way to be rid of her Yet this seems not so probable to some since he did not marry the said Anna Bullen till three Years after he pretended to the scruple of Conscience whereas the heat of Love does not usually admit of such delays Some will have it that Cardinal Woolsey raised this scruple first in him on purpose to nettle Charles V. and to please Francis I. in hopes after this Divorce to make up a Match betwixt Henry and the Dutchess of Alenson Sister of Francis But however it be the business was brought before the Pope who gave a Commission to the Cardinal Campegius to enquire in conjunction with Woolsey into the matter 'T is said That the Pope was willing to gratify Henry and for that purpose had sent a Bull to Campegius yet with this caution to keep it by him till further order But when he afterwards saw Charles V. to prove so successfull he durst not venture to do any thing that might displease him wherefore he ordered Campegius to burn the Bull and to delay the business to the utmost The Queen also refused to answer to their Commission but appealed to the Pope in person besides Charles V. and his Brother Ferdinand had protested against this Commission Woolsey did also perceive that the King was fallen in love with Anna Bullen which being likely to prove prejudicial to his Authority he persuaded the Pope underhand not to give his consent unto this Divorce Henry being informed what Intrigues the Cardinal was carrying on against him humbled the greatness of this haughty Prelate who died in the Year next following in great misery And Henry being made sensible that the Pope regarded more his own Interest than the merits of the Cause he forbid that any body should hence forward appeal to Rome or send thither any Money for Church Benefices He therefore sent to several Universities in France and Italy to desire their Opinions in this matter who all unanimously agreed in this That such a Marriage was against the Laws of
afterwards lost his Head § 21. Queen Mary caused the Roman Catholick Religion and Mass which were abolished in her Brother's time as also the Pope's Authority to be restor'd in England she used the Protestants very hardly of whom a great many were punished with death Yet was she not able to restore the Church Revenues for fear of exasperating the greatest Families who had them in their possession The Pope did also send Cardinal Poole to re-unite the Kingdom to the holy See of Rome This Queen Mary was married to Philip Son of Charles V. who was afterwards King of Spain yet under these Conditions That she should have the sole disposal of all Offices and Revenues of the Kingdom and if a Son was born he should besides the Crown of England inherit Burgundy and the Netherlands Don Carlos who was born of a former Wife should be Heir of Spain and all the Italian Provinces and in case he died without Issue this should also inherit his part But no Children came of this marriage Mary being pretty well in Years for she was thirty Years before proposed in Marriage And there were some who being dissatisfy'd at this Match raised Tumults among whom was the Duke of Suffolk Father of Jane who had hitherto been a Prisoner in the Tower but she and her Husband Guilford and her Father paid with their Heads for it It was within an ace but that Elizabeth who was afterwards Queen had also undergone the same fate if Philip and the Spaniards had not interceded for her not out of any affection to her person but because they knew that after her the next Heir to the Crown of England was Mary Queen of Scotland who being married to the Dauphin of France they feared lest by this means England and Scotland might be united with France Among other Articles in the Marriage Contract of Queen Mary it was agreed That she should not be obliged to engage her self in the Wars which her Husband Philip should carry on against France Notwithstanding which when Philip afterwards was engaged in a War with France she sent to his assistance some of her best Forces who by their Bravery chiefly obtain'd the Victory near St. Quintin for which reason Philip gave the City to be plundered by the English Henry II. King of France taking hold of this opportunity assaulted the City of Calais under the Command of the Duke de Guise which being not well Garrison'd he took in a few days and obliged all the Inhabitants to quit the City and to leave behind them all their Gold Silver and Jewels He also took afterwards the two Castles of Guisnes and Hammes and thereby drove the English quite out of France Not long after this loss Queen Mary died § 22. Elizabeth who after the death of her Sister was unanimously proclaimed Queen maintain'd her Authority and govern'd with great Prudence and Glory in the midst of a great many threatning dangers to the very end In the beginning Philip endeavoured by all means to keep England on his side for which reason he proposed a Marriage betwixt Elizabeth and himself promising to obtain a Dispensation from the Pope which was nevertheless opposed by the French in the Court of Rome Elizabeth was very unwilling to disoblige so great a Prince who had well deserved of her yet on the other side the same scruple which had caused her Father to be divorced from Catharine of Arragon by a parity of reason did remain with her she considered especially that the said Divorce must needs be esteemed unjust if the Pope's Dispensation was allowed of since it had been alledged as a fundamental reason of the said Divorce that the Pope had no power to dispense in any cases which were contrary to God's Law She resolved therefore not to have any further concerns with the Pope and to give a friendly refusal to Philip. Then she by an Act of Parliament constituted the Protestant Episcopacy yet not at once but by degrees taking away from the Papists the free exercise of their Religion and under several Penalties and Fines obliged every one to frequent the Protestant Churches on Sunday Every body also was obliged by a solemn Oath to acknowledge her the Supream Governour in England even in Spiritual Matters which Oath was among 9400 who were possess'd of Church Benefices taken by all except 189 who refused the same among whom were fourteen Bishops She kept stedfast to the established Episcopal Church Government tho' she met with great opposition from two sorts of people viz. the Papists and Puritans These having conceived a great hatred against Episcopacy and all other Ceremonies which had the least resemblance of Popery were for having every thing regulated according to the way of Geneva Tho' their number increased daily yet the Queen kept them pretty well under But the Papists made several attempts against her Life and Crown for her envious Enemies did erect several Seminaries or Schools for the English Nation in foreign Countries viz. at Douay at Rheims at Rome and Valedolid all which were erected for the Instructing of the English Youth in these Principles viz. That the Pope had the Supream Power over Kings and as soon as a King was declared a Heretick by him the Subjects were thereby absolved from their Allegiance due to him and that it was meritorious work to murther such a King Out of these Schools Emissaries and Priests were sent into England whose business was there to propagate the Roman Catholick Religion but more especially to instruct the People in the abovementioned Doctrines To these associated themselves some Desperado's who after Pope Pius V. had excommunicated the Queen were frequently conspiring against her Life But most of them got no other advantage by it than to make work for the Hang-man and occasioned that the Papists were stricter kept than before Mary also Queen of Scotland raised abundance of troubles against Queen Elizabeth she being the next Heiress to the Crown of England did with the assistance of the Duke of Guise endeavour to have Queen Elizabeth declared by the Pope Illegitimate which the Spaniards underhand opposed and both she and the Dauphin assumed the Arms of England which undertaking proved afterwards fatal to Queen Mary For Elizabeth sided with the Earl of Murray natural Brother of Queen Mary whose main endeavour was to chase the French out of Scotland and to establish there the Protestant Religion both which he effected with the assistance of Queen Elizabeth This Queen Mary being after the death of Francis II. returned into Scotland was married to her Kinsman Henry Darley one of the handsomest Men in England by whom she had James VI. But her Love to him grew quickly cold for a certain Italian Musician whose name was David Ritz was so much in favour with the Queen that a great many persuaded Henry that she kept unlawfull company with him He being thus
forc'd to fly into Italy Notwithstanding the English had made an Inrode into Picardy Francis sent again an Army into the Milaneze under the Command of the Admiral Bonnivet which was beaten back with considerable loss by the Duke of Bourbon This Bonnivet persuaded the King to go in Person into Italy with this prospect that if Things succeeded well he should have the Glory of having been the Adviser but if they succeeded ill the Misfortune would be cover'd by the King's Person Francis therefore went with a good Resolution into Italy because he saw the Duke of Bourbon who in the mean time having enter'd Provence had besieged Marseilles did retreat before him and having laid Siege to Pavia he for two Months together harrass'd his Army in that Siege In the mean while the Imperialists drew their Forces together and march'd against him who was encamp'd in the Parks with an Intention either to sight him or to relieve Pavia Francis engaged with them in a Battel but was defeated and taken Prisoner And thus the French were again driven out of Italy Francis was carry'd into Spain and kept very hardly so that he fell sick for Grief which hastened his Liberty it being fear'd that he might die through Vexation Besides that England and the Italian Princes enter'd into a Confederacy to hinder the growing Power of Charles The Conditions upon which he obtain'd his Liberty we have touch'd upon in another place but besides this Francis gave his Parole of Honour if the said Conditions were not fulfill'd That he would return a Prisoner But the wiser Sort did sufficiently foresee that Francis would not perform the Agreement wherefore Gattinata the Chancellour refused to sign the Treaty alledging That Charles could get nothing else by this Treaty but the implacable Hatred of the French and to be ridicul'd by every Body that he had been bubbl'd and disappointed in his covetous Designs And Francis having obtain'd his Liberty after thirteen Months Imprisonment pretended That what had been done was done in Prison and contrary to his Coronation Oath which he had taken at Rheims That the Kingdom was not in his disposal he having only the use of the same for Life The same was alledged by the Estates and especially by the Burgundians who would in no ways consent to be separated from the Crown of France If Charles was so much for having Burgundy he ought to have taken care to have been put into possession of the same before he set Francis at liberty As soon as Francis had got his Liberty he made it his first Business to renew the League with England and the Italian States And the new Treaty having proved fruitless which was set on foot with the Emperour both Kings denounced War against him Charles afterwards accusing Francis of not having kept his Parole the latter gave the first the Lye sending him also a Challenge which Matters were look'd upon by the World as very unbecomming the Grandeur of such Princes Francis sent after this an Army into Italy under the Command of Odet de Foix Lautree which having made considerable progresses in the Milaneze enter'd the Kingdom of Naples and having taken a great many places there laid Siege before the Capital City it self But the French Affairs receiv'd the first Shock there when Andrew Doria the Admiral leaving the French side went over to the Emperour he being dissatisfy'd that the King had refus'd to conferr upon him the Government of his Native City Genoua and to restore to the Genouese Savona This Doria is deservedly praised for that when he might have been Lord of his Native Country he chose rather to procure its Liberty which it enjoys to this Day But Doria leaving the French side was the occasion that the City of Naples could not be cut off of their Communication by Sea And the Plague began to reign in the Army during this long Siege which devoured the greatest part of it and the General himself The Remnants of the Army were miserably treated the Officers being made Prisoners and the common Souldiers disarmed the French were also oblig'd to quit Milan and Genoua At last the Emperour having obtained his Aim and Francis being very desirous to see his Children at Liberty again a Peace was concluded betwixt them at Cambray by vertue of which Francis pay'd two Millions of Ducats as a Ransom for his Sons and renounced the Sovereignty over Flanders Artois Milan and Naples And this was all the Benefit which this King and his Predecessours had reapt from the Italian Wars Nevertheless some Years after the War began afresh at which time Francis found a new way to make himself Master of the Milaneze by first securing to himself the Dukedom of Savoy Wherefore he made Pretensions upon Charles Duke of Savoy concerning the Inheritance of his Mother descended out of the House of Savoy and for some other Reasons he fell upon him and took most of his strong Holds In the mean time died Francis Sforza Duke of Milan wherefore the Emperour was resolv'd to annex this Country to his House but Francis could by no means digest the loss of it Charles therefore entered Provence in person with an Army of 40000 Foot and 16000 Horse ransack'd Aix and besieged Marseilles which however he could not take his Army being in a Month's time greatly diminish'd by Sickness An Army of 30000 Men also enter'd Picardy from the Netherlands which took Guise but was beaten from before Peronne yet afterwards took St. Pol and Monstrevil Francis summoned the Emperour before him as his Vassal concerning Flanders and Artois alledging that the Sovereignty of these Provinces was inseparable from the Crown and made an Alliance with the Turks The first seemed to be very ridiculous to most People the last very unbecoming a Christian Prince The French however reply That this Alliance was eagerly sought for by the Emperour himself At last by the Mediation of the Pope the Truce which was the Year before made at Nissa in Provence was prolong'd for nine Years and these two great Rivals gave afterwards one another a Visit at Aigues Mortes And when in the Year next following the City of Ghent rebell'd Charles had such a Confidence in Francis that he took his Journey through France tho' Charles in the mean while had cunningly given Francis some Hopes of the Recovery of Milan which however afterwards he would not acknowledge because upon the Persuasions of the Constable Montmorency the King had not taken from him any Security under his Hand during his stay in Paris which some alledge to be one reason why Montmorency afterwards fell into Disgrace But the Truce was broke again under pretence That the Governour of Milan had caused to be kill'd Caesar Fregosus and Anthony Rinco the Ambassadours of Francis as they were going along the River Po in their Way to Venice the first of whom was to have gone
French Army in Germany having declar'd for that side but he was fain to leave the Army which was kept in Duty by the help of a good Summ of Money And tho' Matters were afterwards reconcil'd a second time at St. Germains yet the Design against Mazarin was not laid aside the Prince of Conde who had brought over the Slingers to his Party not ceasing to stir them up against him But because they had a different Aim for the Slingers were for totally pulling down of the Cardinal but the Prince of Conde would only have humbled him the Cardinal cunningly rais'd a misunderstanding betwixt them by setting the Prince of Conde against the Slingers Whereupon the Slingers were reconcil'd with the Cardinal The Cardinal taking hold of this Opportunity caused the Prince of Conde and his Brother the Prince of Conti and their Brother-in-law the Duke of Longueville to be taken into Custody This was putting Fuel into the Fire every body being dissatisfy'd at the Imprisonment of the Princes The City of Bourdeaux openly rebell'd The Spaniards upon this Occasion took from the French Piombino and Porto Longone in Italy The Archduke Leopold struck Terrour into the City of Paris it self on the side of the Netherlands And tho' the Cardinal beat Turenne near Rethel he being gone over to the Spaniards yet the Hatred against him encreas'd daily and the Faction of the Slingers the Parliament and the Duke of Orleans were absolutely for having the Princes set at Liberty The Cardinal therefore perceiving that nothing was to be done by open Violence resolv'd to avoid the Storm by setting the Princes at Liberty And he himself retir'd to Bruel the Court of the then Elector of Collen Then he was by a Decree of the Parliament for ever banish'd the Kingdom of France Mazarini being thus remov'd the Prince of Conde began to disturb the publick Quiet with more freedom having engag'd himself with the Spaniards and being gone to Bourdeaux he began to make open War against the Government And the Spaniards taking hold of this Opportunity recover'd Barcellona and with it all Catalonia Then the Queen recall'd the Cardinal who having strengthen'd the King's Army by such Troops as he had got together fought several times very briskly with the Prince of Conde But seeing that the Hatred which the Faction of the Slingers and the Parliament had conceiv'd against him did not diminish he took this Course that he publickly declar'd he was willing to leave the Kingdom to re-establish the publick Quiet He hoped by so doing to lay the Blame of the Intestine Divisions upon the Prince of Conde alone which Design prov'd successfull for thereby the Eyes of the People were opened who now plainly perceiv'd that the Cardinal sought the Good of the King and Kingdom but the Prince of Conde his own Interest Dunkirk and Graveling being lost in the Fray The Prince of Conde therefore perceiving that he had lost the Favour of the People retir'd with his Troops into the Spanish Netherlands Then the Cardinal return'd to Court and ever after had the Administration of the chiefest Affairs of the Kingdom till his Death without any further Opposition The City of Paris return'd to its due Obedience the Faction of the Slingers was dissolv'd the Duke of Orleans left the Court Rez was taken into Custody and Bourdeaux forc'd to submit In the Year next following the French began again to make War on the Spaniards they took Mommedy with great difficulty and fortunately reliev'd Arras But they were beaten from before Valenciennes and Cambray France having just made an Alliance with Cromwell the joint Forces of France and England besieged Dunkirk under the Command of Turenne And the Duke John d' Austria and Prince de Conde who came with an Army to relieve it being repuls'd with great loss the City was taken and deliver'd to the English from whom the King afterwards redeem'd it for four Millions About the same time Graveling was also retaken At last a Peace was concluded between France and Spain near the Pyrenaean Mountains by the two chief Ministers of State on both sides viz. by Mazarini and Don Lewis de Haro by vertue of which France was to keep Roussilion and the greatest part of the places which were taken in the Netherlands Mary Theresa the Daughter of Philip IV. was to be married to the King and the Prince of Conde to be receiv'd into Favour again This last point met with great Opposition for a considerable time In the Year next following died Mazarini who as 't is said left the King among others this Lesson That he should govern himself and not trust entirely to any Favourite The first thing of moment which the King undertook was to settle his Revenues in a good order He began with the Lord High Treasurer Fouquet whom he took into Custody and made a strict Inquisition against all such as having had hitherto the management of his Revenues had enrich'd themselves therewith The Sponges which were swell'd up with Riches being soundly squeez'd out brought an incredible Treasure into the King's Coffers In the Year 1661 a Difference arose betwixt the French and Spanish Embassadours in London about the Precedency at the solemn Entry made by Count Nile Brake the Swedish Embassadour where the French Embassadour's Coach was put back by Violence This might easily have prov'd the Occasion of a War if the Spaniards had not given Satisfaction to the French and agreed That where-ever there were any French Embassadours resident the Spanish should not appear upon any publick Occasions Which the French do interpret as if Spain had thereby declar'd That the Spanish Ministers were always to give place to the French of the same Character In the Year 1662 the King made an Agreement with the Duke of Lorrain according to which he was to exchange his Dukedom for an Equivalent in France and his Family to be the next in right of Succession if the Family of Bourbon should happen to fail Which Agreement the Duke would fain have annull'd afterwards but the King who did not understand jesting in such a point forc'd him to surrender to him Marsal In the same Year the Duke de Crequi the French Embassadour at Rome was grossly affronted there by the Corsi Guards which the King resented so ill that he took from the Pope the City of Avignon But the Difference was compos'd by the Mediation of the Grand Duke of Tuscany at Pisa and the Pope was fain to send a splendid Embassy to give Satisfaction to the King About the same time the French would have got footing at Gigeri on the Coast of Barbary but were repuls'd with considerable loss by the Moors The King also sent some Troops to the Assistance of the Emperour against the Turks who behav'd themselves bravely in the Battel fought near St. Gothard and contributed much to the Victory Notwithstanding which the
former times it has been objected to them That they were very brave at the first Onset but after their first Fury was a little cool'd their Courage us'd to slacken if they met with a stout and brave Resistance wherefore they us'd to make great Conquests but seldom kept them very long And after they had good Success they us'd to grow careless insult over the conquer'd and put them to great Hardships under their Government But in our last Wars they have shewn sufficiently that they as little want Constancy at last as Heat and Fury at first There is a great number of Nobles in France who make Profession of the Sword and make no difficulty to expose themselves to any Hazards to gain Glory In former times the French Infantry was good for nothing wherefore they always us'd to employ Swiss and Scotch but now a-days their Foot are very good and in attacking of a place they are to be preferr'd before all other Nations This Nation always hath a great Veneration and Love for their King and as long as he is able to maintain his Authority is ready to sacrifice Life and Estate for his Glory The French are also brisk forward and of a merry Constitution as to their outward appearance in their Apparel and Behaviour they are generally very comely and some other Nations whose temper is more inclined to gravity and do attempt to imitate them appear often very ridiculous there being a vast difference in these matters betwixt what is natural and what is affected They are of a Genius fit to undertake any thing whether it be in Learning Trade or Manufactures especially in those things which depend more on ingenuity and dexterity than hard labour On the other side the levity and inconstancy of the French is generally blam'd which is easily to be perceiv'd by such of them as are raw and unpolish'd and a great many of them glory in amorous Intrigues oftentimes more than is true and under Pretence of Freedom they commit great Debaucheries § 26. The Country which is possess'd by this potent Nation is very conveniently situated almost in the very midst of the Christian World wherefore this King may conveniently keep Correspondence with them all and prevent Europe from falling into the hands of any one Prince On the one side it has the Mediterranean on the other the Ocean and on both sides a great many pretty good Harbours and is well water'd with Rivers besides that great Channel with twelve Sluces by which the present King has joyn'd the Rivers of Garonne and the Aude and consequently the Mediterranean with the Ocean which proves very beneficial for Trade It is also very near of a circular Figure and well compacted so that one Province may easily assist another On the side of Spain the Pyrenaean Mountains and on the Italian side the Alpes are like a Bullwark to the Kingdom but on the side towards Germany and the Netherlands it lies somewhat open For out of the Netherlands Paris it self has often been hard put to it And this is the reason why the French have been so eager in getting a good part of these into their Possession in which they have been successfull in the last War and thereby have mightily strengthen'd their Frontiers and for the same reason they have made themselves Masters of Lorrain to fortify themselves on the side of Germany and by degrees to become Masters of the Rhine the ancient boundary of Gaul which seems the only thing wanting to the Perfection of France Next to this France may be one of the most happy and most fruitfull Countries not only for the equal Temperature of its Climate betwixt an immoderate Heat and an excessive Cold but also because it produces every thing which seems to be requisite for the Sustenance and Conveniency of Mankind so that scarce a spot of Ground is to be found in France but what produces something or other for the benefit of Man And its Product is not only sufficient for its Inhabitants but also plentifull enough to be exported into foreign parts The Commodities exported out of France are chiefly Wine Brandy Vinegar Salt innumerable sorts of Silk and Woollen Stuffs and Manufactures Hemp Canvas Linen Paper Glass Saffran Almonds Olives Capers Prunello's Chesnuts Soap and the like Yet in Normandy and Picardy grow no Vines but the common people drink Cyder Scarce any Metals are to be found in France and not Gold or Silver Mines But this want is supplied by the ingenuity of the French and the folly of Foreigners For the French Commodities have drawn Fleets of their Money into France especially since Henry IV. set up the Silk Manufactury there There are some who have computed that France sells Stuffs A-la-mode yearly to Foreigners only to the value of 40 millions of Livres Wine 15 millions Brandy 5 millions Salt 10 and so proportionably of other Commodities Mr. Forcy an Englishman says that about the year 1669 the Commodities which were brought from France into England exceeded what were carried from England to France in value 1600000 lib. Sterl And it is notorious that by help of such Commodities as they send into Spain they get a great part of their West-India Plate-Fleet Yet Navigation does not flourish so much in France as it might The reason seems to be that the French Nation is not so much addicted to the Sea and that other Nations have been before-hand with them in the East and West-Indies Which is the reason that the King tho' he has above 100 Capital Ships yet cannot set out so great a Fleet hitherto as the English and Dutch as some think wanting able Seamen For it is not sufficient to Man out a Fleet once but in time of War Recruits must also be had Nevertheless it may be this King will first settle his Maritime Affairs and afterwards take his opportunity to surprize his Neighbours France has very few Plantations abroad except what is in the Caribby Islands the Isles called Tartuges and on the North-side of Hispaniola They apply themselves also to fishing upon the great Sand Bank before Newfoundland and catch in Canada and New France good store of Bevers They have set several Projects on foot for the East-India Trade but without any great success hitherto the Dutch who are so powerfull there opposing them with all their might Lastly the great strength of France may be judged of by this that the Revenue of the Clergy which is possess'd of two fifth parts as 't is said of the Kingdom amounts to 104 millions and 500000 Crowns yearly The King's Revenues are computed to amount now to 150 millions of Livres whereas in the last Age it did not amount to above 9 or 10 millions At the time of Henry IV. to 16 millions and in the year 1639 to 77 millions which vast difference is in part to be ascribed to the different value of Money since those times and
the great Taxes which are imposed upon the Subjects but without question the chief reason is that France since that time has found out new ways to draw Money out of other Countries § 27. As to the Form of Government of France it is to be observ'd That anciently there were very potent Dukes Earls and Lords in France who tho' they were Vassals of the King yet they us'd to pay no further Obedience to him than was consistent with their own Interest except the Kings were in a Condition to oblige them to it But all these in process of Time were extinguish'd and their Countries united to the Crown Now-a-days the Dukes and Earls in France are nothing else but bare Titles annex'd to some considerable Estate without any Sovereignty or Jurisdiction And whereas formerly certain Countries used to be assign'd to the King's Sons whereof they bore the Title now-a-days only a certain yearly Revenue is allotted them with the Title of a certain Dukedom or County wherein perhaps they have not a Foot of Ground And after the ancient Sovereign Dukedoms and Earldoms were abolish'd some of the great Men of the Kingdom had taken upon themselves great Authority in the Kingdom but by the Policy of Richlieu and Mararini they were reduc'd to such a Condition that they dare not utter a Word against the King The Assembly of the Estates there being three of them viz. The Clergy Nobility and the Citizens they making up the third Estate were also formerly in great Veneration whereby the King's Power was much limited But they having not been conven'd since the Year 1614 their Authority is quite suppress'd Those of the Reform'd Religion did prove also very troublesome to the Kings of France as long as they were in a Condition to take up Arms but with the loss of Rochelle they lost the Power of giving their Kings any Disturbance for the future And tho' the King hitherto does not force their Consciences yet he draws off a great many from that Party by hopes of his Royal Favour and Preferments Heretofore the Parliament of Paris us'd to oppose the King's Designs under pretence that it had a right that the King could not do any thing of great moment without its consent but this King hath taught it only to intermeddle with Judicial Business and some other Concerns which the King now and then is pleas'd to leave to its Decision The Gallick Church also boasts of a particular Prerogative in regard of the Court of Rome she always having disputed with the Pope some part of his Authority over her and the King has the Nomination of the Bishops and Abbots all which contributes much to the Strength and Increase of this Kingdom if a wise and good King sits upon the Throne § 28. When we duely weigh the Power of France in comparison with its Neighbours it is easily perceiv'd that there is not any State in Christendom which France doth not equal if not exceed in Power 'T is true in former Ages the English reduc'd the French but at that time they were possess'd of a great part of it themselves there were then several Demi-Sovereign Princes the French Infantry was then inconsiderable and the English Bows were terrible to them All which is quite otherwise now and the English Land-forces are now not to be compar'd with the French neither in Number nor Goodness since the English are unexercis'd and their Civil Wars have rather been carried on by Armies rais'd on a sudden than well disciplin'd Troops and these Wars have not a little weaken'd this Nation On the other hand the English have chiefly apply'd themselves to Sea Affairs and in this the French cannot hitherto be compared with the English yet England can scarce reap any great Advantages from France at Sea For suppose they should beat the French Fleet yet they would scarce venture to make a Descent upon France as having not any footing there and the French Privateers would certainly do great mischief to them But if the English should once miscarry at Sea an that the French should once get footing in England it might perhaps prove fatal to that Kingdom since the fate of the War must be then decided by the Issue of one Battel England having no Inland strong Holds In the last Age Spain prov'd very troublesome to France the French scarce being able to defend themselves against it and having several times been oblig'd to make Peace upon disadvantageous Conditions But besides that at that time the French Infantry was good for little and the Spanish Nation was then at its heighth whereas now the Spanish Nobility is more for Debauchery Gaming and such like Intrigues than for acquiring Glory in War they were then in full possession of all the Netherlands and Charles V. had a great Advantage by being Emperour But now-a-days the Netherlands are miserably torn to pieces they being scarce able to Garrison the places that remain Naples and Milan are almost in the same condition and France may easily secure the Coast of Provence against the Spaniards who may be well satisfy'd if the French don't by the way of Roussilion Navarre or Bayonne enter Spain Italy is neither willing nor powerfull enough to hurt France but these Princes are well satisfy'd if France does not pass the Alpes and disturb their Repose The French are not powerfull enough for the Dutch at Sea if they have an Opportunity to make use of all their Naval Strength yet the French Privateers may do them considerable Mischief wherefore I cannot see what benefit Holland can reap from a War with France without an absolute necessity For the Dutch Land-forces gather'd out of all Nations are not likely to do any great Feats against it The Swiss also neither can nor will hurt France they being well satisfy'd if they can get Money Wherefore the French need not fear any thing from them except they should make them desperate when in Confederacy with others they might prove very troublesome Germany seems to be the only Country which alone might be able to balance France for if these Princes were well united they are able to bring more numerous Armies into the Field and that in no ways inferiour in Goodness to the French and perhaps they might be able to hold it out with France But considering the present State of Germany it seems next to an impossibility that all the Members of the Empire should unanimously and resolutely engage themselves in a long War and prosecute the same with Vigour For it is not to be imagined that all of them should have an equal Interest in the War and some of them must expect to be ruin'd tho' the War in the main should prove successfull but if it should succeed otherwise they must be great losers by it without reprieve § 29. But if it should be suppos'd that France may be attack'd by a great many at once it is to be consider'd
that it is absolutely against the Interest of some States to join themselves against France For as Affairs now stand Portugal is not likely to join with Spain Sweden with Denmark Poland with the House of Austria against France Neither is it probable that the Italian Princes will be desirous to assist the Emperour and Spain in subduing of France except we must suppose them to be willing to promote their own Ruin Neither is it likely that England and Holland will agree in a War against France for whilst one of them is engag'd in a War against France it seems to be the Interest of the other to stand Neuter and to promote its own Trade and Navigation It is also not very probable that the Princes of Germany especially those of the Protestant Religion should be willing to see France fall before the House of Austria since both their Power and Religion would stand upon slippery Ground if not supported by a Foreign Power Wherefore it seems to be no difficult task to persuade some of the Protestant Princes at least to sit still The Swiss also are not likely to co-operate with Spain and the House of Austria in the Conquest of France and therefore it would not be so difficult for France to defend it self against the House of Austria and all its Confederates Not to mention here that in such a case Sweden and Poland would not leave France if they were in a Condition to assist it But it is not probable that France should make any account upon an Alliance with the Turks except in the greatest Extremity for the Mahometan Princes have learn'd by Experience that where-ever they have intermedled with the Christians in their Wars these commonly have clapt up a Peace without including them or having any regard to their Interest On the other hand France seems not to be strong enough to overturn all the States of Europe by his Conquests For France may be the most potent Kingdom in Christendom but not the only one and by extending its Conquests too far it would be weaken'd within In the mean time those lesser States bordering upon France are in great danger to be devour'd by so flourishing a Kingdom CHAP VI. Of the United Provinces § 1. THat Country which is commonly call'd the Netherlands or the Lower Germany was anciently comprehended partly under Gaul partly under Germany according as they were situated either on this or the other side of the Rhine which was the ancient Boundary of these two vast Countries That part which was situated on this side of the Rhine was by Julius Caesar together with the rest of Gaul reduc'd under the Obedience of the Roman Empire Afterwards the Batavi and the Zealanders did also submit to the Romans yet so that they were rather esteem'd Allies than Subjects And when in the Fifth Century after the Birth of Christ the Francks establish'd a new Kingdom in France these Provinces were also at first united to it But at the same time when Germany was separated from France most of them fell to Germany few remaining with France The Governours of these Provinces did in process of time under the Names of Dukes and Earls make themselves Demi-Sovereigns as did also other Princes of Germany and France yet so that it was a general Maxim among them To rule the People with Mildness And for the Security of their Liberty they us'd to grant them great Privileges in the maintaining of which this Nation was always very forward The Estates also which consisted of the Clergy Nobility and Cities were always in great Authority and would not easily suffer that any new Impositions should be laid upon the People without their consent These Provinces according to the common computation are Seventeen in number viz. Four Dukedoms of Brabant Limburgh Luxemburgh and Gueldres Seven Earldoms of Flanders Artois Hainault Holland Zealand Namur and Zutphen Five Lordships of Friesland Malines Vtrecht Over-yssel and Groningen Antwerp has the title of a Marquisate of the Roman Empire These Provinces were anciently ruled each by its Prince or Lord but afterwards several of them were either by Inheritance Marriages or Contracts united together till most of them fell to the share of the House of Burgundy from whence they came to the House of Austria by the Marriage of Maximilian I. who had marry'd Mary the only Daughter of Charles surnamed The Hardy And were afterwards all united under Charles V. who govern'd them in Peace and Prosperity 'T is related that he had once taken a Resolution to make them one Kingdom which however he could not effect their Laws and Privileges being so different and they so jealous of one another that none of them would remit any thing of their Pretences in favour of the rest But the Reign of Charles V. over the Netherlands proved so very fortunate because he bore an extraordinary Affection to them and they to him For Charles was born in Ghent educated amongst them and liv'd a considerable time there His Humour suited very well with theirs he conversed with them in a friendly manner without haughtiness employing the Netherlanders frequently in his Affairs whereby this Nation was in great esteem at his Court But under the Reign of his Son Philip II. these Provinces were torn to Pieces by intestine Commotions and civil Wars which occasion'd the Rise of a potent Commonwealth in Europe This Government having prov'd the occasion of great Alterations it is worth our while to search both into the cause of these Commotions and the Origin of this new Government § 2. Philip II. therefore was not a little to be blam'd as being partly himself the cause of these civil Troubles for he being born in Spain and educated after the Spanish Fashion did favour only the Spainards representing in all his Behaviour a perfect haughty Spaniard which did mightily alienate the Minds of the Netherlanders especially after he resided altogether in Spain and did not so much as honour the Netherlands with his Presence thinking it perhaps below his Grandeur that he who was Master of so great a Kingdom and had such great Projects in his Head should trouble himself much about the Affairs of the Netherlanders Tho' in all Probability these might have been kept in Obedience by his Presence for his Father the sooner to appease a Tumult which was only risen in the City of Ghent did venture to take his journey through France and the Territories of Francis who was but lately reconcil'd to him Moreover William Prince of Orange a crafty thorough-pac'd and ambitious Man did not a little foment these Divisions For when Philip had taken a Resolution to go into Spain and to commit the Administration of the Netherlands to a Governour this Prince was contriving how Christina Dutchess of Lorrain might be constituted Regent of the Netherlands and how he by marrying her Daughter might bear the greatest sway in the Government But he miscarrying in both
because Philip constituted Margaret of Parma natural Daughter of Charles V. Regent of the Netherlands and refus'd to give his consent to the Match was so dissatisfy'd thereat that by doing of Mischief he resolv'd to show his own Strength The Earls of Egmont and Hoorn were also very much dissatisfy'd as also a great many others who being in great esteem with the People were all very jealous of the Spaniards A great many also of the Nobility were for a Change partly out of a hatred to the Spaniards partly because they were naturally of a turbulent Spirit and were become poor and over Head and Ears in Debt as having endeavour'd to outvie the Spaniards in Splendour at Court and thereby spent more than their Incomes would allow of The Clergy besides this was somewhat discontented because Philip having created several new Episcopal Sees would have employ'd the Revenues of several Abbies for the Maintenance of them which did not only dissatisfie such as were in present Possession of these Abbies but others also who were in hopes of them for the future for the Abbots were chosen by a free Election of the Monks in each Monastery but the Bishops were nominated by the King But all this could not have furnish'd sufficient Fuel for so great a Flame if Religion had not been joyn'd to them which proves most efficacious in disturbing the Minds of the Common People and always serves for a specious Pretence to such as are for alterations in a State There were great numbers in the Netherlands who had relinquish'd the Roman Catholick Religion some of them professing the Augsburgh Confession some the Doctrine of the Huguenots others fell into the Errors of the Anabaptists Charles V. had by severe Proclamations and Punishments been very hard upon them which had serv'd for nothing else than to exasperate the Minds of the People and to promote the new Religion Wherefore it was the Opinion of Mary Queen of Hungary the Sister of Charles V. and then Regent of the Netherlands That they ought rather to be treated more mildly But Philip had taken a Resolution to root out by force this Heresie either out of a Zeal for the Roman Catholick Religion or because he hoped thereby to oblige the Pope whose Favour he stood in need of at that time He renewed therefore his Father's Proclamation and that with more Severity against these Hereticks and to put them in Execution he was for setting up a Court of Judicature according to the Model of the Spanish Inquisition the very Name of which was terrible to every body And in effect this Inquisition is a very cruel Constitution whereby the Life Estate and good Name of every Subject is put into the Hands of unmercifull Priests whose chief Glory is to be Inhuman and Rigorous in their proceedings and who have a power to take up and punish any person upon Suspicion only and tho' a Man is wrongfully accus'd he is not to know either his Accuser or Crime and tho' he makes his Innocence appear yet he seldom escapes without some punishment The Netherlanders were the more frightned not only because in this Court no Privileges no Favour of the King nor Intercessions did avail but also because they knew the Netherlanders to be free in their Speech carrying as it were their Hearts upon their Tongues and that by way of Trade they were obliged to be conversant with those of other Religions Whereas on the other hand it was natural and easie for an Italian or Spaniard to keep his Thoughts within himself Some are of Opinion That the Spaniards were glad to see that the Netherlanders did begin the Fray hoping thereby to get an Opportunity to force them to Obedience and by suppressing their Liberty and Privileges to rule over them at pleasure They hoped that this Country might serve them one day for a Magazine from whence they might conveniently attack France England and the Northern Kingdoms Yet it is also most certain that some foreign Princes did administer Fuel to nourish and augment the Flame especially Elizabeth Queen of England whose Intention was by this means to cut out so much Work for the Spaniard that he might not be at leisure to think of Conquering others his great Power being at that time become terrible to all Europe § 3. Thus the Seeds of Civil Commotions were sown in the Minds of the Netherlanders about which time Philip II. went into Spain having so constituted the Government that the supream Administration of Affairs should be in the Hands of the Regent and the Council of State of which Council besides the Prince of Orange were the Earl of Egmont and others the Cardinal Granville a Burgundian a wise Man and much rely'd on by the King who had given secret Instructions to the Regent to rule according to his Advice But the Netherlandish Lords quickly perceiving that the whole Government was manag'd according to the Counsels of the Cardinal did sufficiently shew their Discontent in opposing themselves against it especially when the Cardinal press'd hard to execute the King's Commands concerning the Establishment of the Bishops and rooting out of the new Religion the Netherlandish Lords advis'd a Toleration of the same and to deal more gently with the People This rais'd a general Hatred against the Cardinal whereupon the Prince of Orange and the Earls of Egmont and Hoorn writ to the King That if he was not remov'd it would be impossible to preserve the Peace of the Netherlands neither did they rest stisfy'd till Philip did consent to their Demands But because the Regent was after the removal of the Cardinal sway'd by the President Vigilius and the Earl of Barlemont who in every respect follow'd the footsteps of the Cardinal this Joy did not last long but the old Discontents being renew'd it was said That the Body of the Cardinal was remov'd from the Council but his Spirit remain'd in it Thus the Divisions continu'd in the Council of State nor could the Proclamations against the new Religion be put in Execution because the People began more and more to oppose them It was therefore with consent of the Regent and Senate agreed upon to send the Earl of Egmont into Spain who was to give an account to the King of the whole state of Affairs and to see whether the King could find out another Remedy The King receiv'd him very courteously as to his person but would not remit any thing from his Severity as to Religion And imagining that the cause why this Evil had taken so deep root was the Mildness of the Regent he caus'd his Proclamation to be renew'd commanding withall That the Counsel of Trent should be introduc'd in the Netherlands Besides these Severities a Rumour was spread abroad That Philip had agreed with Charles IX at Bayonne by all Means and Ways to root out the Hereticks which was the cause why it was resolv'd to oppose the King's
endeavour under-hand to be Soveraign over the United Provinces which was prevented only by a very few Voices Then after his Death his Son Maurice pursued the same Design but was opposed by the chief Men among them who alledged That their Labour was very ill bestowed if in place of a great One they should be brought under subjection to a little Prince Among these one of the chiefest was John of Olden Barneveldt Pensionary of Holland who had been always for upholding the publick Liberty But because the Authority of the Captain-General was more conspicuous during the War Maurice endeavoured to set aside the Treaty with Spain but Barnevelt did as much as he could promote the Truce with Spain knowing that in time of Peace the Authority of the Captain-General would be diminish'd which Maurice kept in good remembrance In the mean time Arminius a professour of Divinity in the University of Leyden had defended several Propositions concerning Predestination and some other Articles relating to the same with less rigour than the rest of the Reform'd Churchs had hitherto generally taught His Opinion was after his death oppos'd by one Francis Gomarus This Dissension being spread abroad most of the Clergy sided with Gomarus but the chief States-men with Arminius But because the generality of the People followed the footsteps of the Clergy Maurice who after the Death of his elder Brother was become Prince of Orange declared himself for the Gomarists And there happening great Tumults in several places viz. at Alckmaer Leyden and Vtrecht the Prince took this opportunity to displace up and down such Magistrates as adhered to the Arminians Barnevelt Hugo Grotius and some others where under the same pretext taken into Custody the first by a Sentence of the States-General lost his Head in the 72d Year of his Age Grotius was condemned to a perpetual Imprisonment out of which he afterwards made his escape by means of his Wife who had enclosed him in a Chest And tho' at the Synod of Dort the Doctrine of Arminius was condemned as erroneous yet this Violence of the Prince against a Man who had deserved so well was very ill resented by a great many And these two Factions have ever since taken so firm root there that it is not improbable but at last they may occasion the ruin or change of the State § 14. But Dangers from abrâ—ad did afterwards appease these inward Dissensions For the time of the Truce being expired the War began a-fresh with Spain In the Year 1622 Spinola took Juliers but was obliged to raise the Siege from before Bergen op Zoom because the Count of Mansfeld and Christian Duke of Brunswick having defeated the Spanish Army near Fleury march'd to the Assistance of the Hollanders To revenge this Affront Spinola besieged Breda and Prince Maurice having in vain endeavour'd to raise the Siege and besides this his Attempt upon the Castle of Antwerp having proved unsuccessfull he fell into a deep Melancholy and died Breda being not long after forc'd by Famine to surrender it self To Prince Maurice succeeded in the Stadtholdership and all other Offices which had been in his possession his Brother Frederick Henry who took Groll In the Year 1628 Pieter Heyn took the Spanish Silver-fleet and in the Year next following the Prince took Bois le Duc. During this Siege the Spaniards made an Inrode into the Velaw hoping thereby to give the Hollanders a diversion who were put into a great Consternation But the Hollanders on that very day surprized the City of Wesel which oblig'd the Spaniards to repass the River Yssel as fast as they could And from that time forwards the Spaniards despair'd of ever reducing Holland under their Obedience In the Year 1630 the Hollanders got first footing in Brasile In the Year 1631 they surprized some Thousands of Spaniards near Bergen op Zoom who were gone out in Shallops upon some secret Enterprize In the Year next following the Prince took Venlo Ruremond Limburgh and Macstricht and Pappenheim endeavouring to relieve the last was soundly beaten In the Year 1638 the Prince took Rhinebergh but in the Year next following the Spaniards Limburgh An Offensive Alliance was made betwixt France and Holland wherein they had shar'd the Netherlands betwixt them But this Alliance prov'd fruitless the Hollanders being very well satisfy'd that this Design did not succeed being glad not to have the French for their Neighbours on the Land-side But the Spaniards surpriz'd Shenkenshantz which the Hollanders retook not without great trouble In the Year 1637 the Prince retook Breda but the Spaniards Venlo and Ruremond In the Year 1638 the Hollanders were bravely beaten near Callo but in the Year 1639 Martin Tromp entirely destroy'd the Spanish Fleet which lay in the Downs and was intended to attack Sweden in conjunction with the Danes In the Year 1644 Ghent and in the Year next following Hulst was taken by William II. who had succeeded his Father It is thought that he might also have taken Antwerp if the Province of Zealand and Amsterdam had not oppos'd it they being grown powerfull out of its Ruins At last a Peace was concluded at Munster betwixt Spain and Holland wherein it was declar'd a free Common-wealth to which Spain should for the future make no Pretensions whatsoever And tho' France and the Prince did oppose this Peace with their utmost Endeavours yet the Hollanders did consider that the Spaniards having granted all that they could desire the Cause of the War ceas'd They fear'd besides this that Spain might be brought too low and France grow too powerfull and the Province of Holland was considerably indebted Thus Holland ended this tedious War with great Reputation but the Spaniards with great Dishonour having besides this quite enervated themselves Tho' this is observable that as long as the Hollanders were engag'd in the War against Spain they were favour'd by every body except the Spanish Party but immediately after the Peace was concluded both France and England by whom they had been hitherto uphâ—ld gave manifest proofs of their Jealousie of them § 15. But the Hollanders could not enjoy Peace very long for soon after Brasile rebell'd against them submitting it self to the Portuguese which prov'd very disadvantageous for the West-India Company but the East-India Company drew great Advantage from it for this having occasion'd a War with Portugal which lasted till the Year 1661 the Hollanders took from the Portuguese almost all the places which they were possess'd of in the East-Indies In the Year 1650 a remarkable Dissension arose in Holland which might have prov'd the cause of great Calamities For the War with Spain being now at an end some of the States and especially the Province of Holland were of Opinion That to ease the Publick their Forces should be diminish'd which the Prince oppos'd under pretence that it would not be adviseable to be without an Army as long
as France and Spain were engag'd in a War And the Opinion being divided concerning this Business it was agreed upon by the Majority of the States-General who were great Friends of the Prince that the Prince should visit in person these Cities to try whether he could convince the Magistrates in this point Against this petition'd some of the Cities in Holland and especially Amsterdam fearing that if the Prince should come in person to them he might by changing the Magistrates and other Alterations do something which might prove prejudicial to their Liberty The Prince being dissatisfy'd at these proceedings reply'd That this was done to affront him and his Office and therefore desir'd that Reparation should be made him but the Cities insisted upon their former Resolution alledging that it was according to their Privileges Then the Prince took into Custody six of the States of Holland whom he suppos'd to be chiefly against him among whom the chiefest were the Sieur the Witt Burghermaster of Dort whom he sent all together Prisoners to the Castle of Louvesteyn He also privately order'd some Troops to march towards Amsterdam to surprize that City but some of these Troops having lost their way in the Night-time the Design was discover'd by the Hamburgher Post-boy And the Amsterdamers perceiving that the Prince intended to force them to a Complyance open'd their Sluces and put the Country round about it under Water At last the Business was agreed and the Prince had this Satisfaction given him that the Sieur Bicker Burghermaster of Amsterdam was depos'd and the Prisoners in the Castle of Louvestein were set at liberty under condition that they should be discharg'd from their places But this Business was likely to have been the occasion of more troubles if the Prince had not died soon after Soon after his death viz. in the Year 1650 on the 13th day of November his Princess was brought to Bed of William III. the present Prince of Orange In the Year 1651 the United Provinces held a grand Assembly where they renew'd the Union being now destitute of a Governour § 16. Not long after the Hollanders were engag'd in a heavy War with the English Parliament which at the beginning being very ambitious of their Friendship sent one Dorislaw to the Hague who before he had his publick Audience was murther'd by some Scots who were all mask'd And the Parliament having receiv'd no Satisfaction upon this account began to look with an ill Eye upon them which they little regarded till Cromwell had reduc'd the Scots And tho' the Parliament sent other Embassadours to the Hague yet the Dutch were not very forward but were for protracting the Treaty till the Embassadours having been affronted by the Rabble departed dissatisfy'd Whereupon the Parliament gave out Reprisals against them declaring withal That no Merchandises should be transported into England except in English Bottoms and the English Privateers began to fall every where upon the Dutch Merchant-ships The Hollanders who were not very unanimous among themselves did resolve at last to try first whether the Business might be compounded by fair means and if that did not succeed to begin the War in good earnest and for this purpose Embassadours were sent into England Tromp in the mean while was sent out with a Fleet to secure their Commerce and meeting with the English Admiral Blake and refusing to strike a bloody Engagement ensu'd which ended with equal loss on both sides The Hollanders pretended that this had happen'd by accident both Parties however made great Preparations for War and fought twice the Advantage remaining on the English side notwithstanding they were beaten near Lâ—ghorn But in the last Engagement the Hollanders having lost their Admiral Tromp and seven and twenty Men of War they were oblig'd to conclude a Peace with Cromwell which was very advantageous and glorious on his side they being among other Articles oblig'd for the future never to make any one of the House of Orange their Stadtholder It was observ'd that the Dutch Ships were not large enough which Error the Hollanders corrected afterwards In the Year next following the Hollanders were grown jealous of the great Success of the Swedes against Poland and being desirous to prevent the Swedes from becoming Masters of Prussia they stirr'd up the King of Denmark against them But the Danes having been worsted in this War the Hollanders sent a Fleet to relieve Copenhagen which was besieg'd by the Swedes A bloody Battel was fought in the Oresound betwixt the Swedish and Dutch Fleets wherein the Hollanders lost two Admirals but nevertheless gain'd their point in relieving of Copenhagen And in the Year next following they also bore their share in the Battel of Funen till at last a Peace was concluded before Copenhagen to the small Satisfaction of the Danes who accused the Hollanders that they had not been zealous enough in their Assistance against the Swedes but the Hollanders were afraid that England and France might declare for Sweden and under that pretence fall upon them besides that they thought it their Interest not to let Denmark grow too powerfull § 17. Holland was then for a few Years at Peace till a bloody War broke out betwixt them and the English who could not but think the flourishing Trade and great Power of the Hollanders at Sea to be very prejudicial to them France blew up the Coals being desirous to see these two mighty States weaken one another's Power In this War the English had the Advantage in the first and third Engagements but the Hollanders in the second But the English at last being willing to save Charges did resolve only to infest the Hollanders by their Privateers and not to equipp a Fleet which the Hollanders taking an advantage of ventur'd to enter the River of Thames and having landed near Chattam they burn'd several Ships in the Harbour This oblig'd England to make a Peace with them which was by mediation of the Crown of Sweden concluded at Breda In this War Holland recover'd its Reputation which it had lost in Cromwell's time and shew'd it self not to be inferiour in Strength at Sea to England but they discover'd their Weakness on Land the Bishop of Munster having been very troublesome to them § 18. At last in the Year 1672 a prodigious Storm fell upon Holland which at first threaten'd its ruin France attacking it by Land and England by Sea It was surprising to see how the French in a few days time took the Provinces of Gueldres Over-yssel and Vtrecht which occasion'd so general a Consternation that some are of Opinion they might have taken Amsterdam it self if they had immediately gone towards it whilst the first Consternation lasted Some lay the fault upon Rochford who having receiv'd Orders to make an attempt upon that City tarry'd two days at Vtrecht which he bestow'd in receiving of Complements the Amsterdamers getting thereby time to take a Resolution for
their Defence It serv'd also for a great Encouragement to the Hollanders that the Bishop of Munster was forc'd to go away from before Groningen he having together with the Elector of Collen taken the French side In the Year next following the French took Maestricht from the Hollanders But the Hollanders having behav'd themselves bravely in four Sea Engagements and the Parliament of England being become very jealous of France a separate Peace was by the Mediation of Spain concluded betwixt Holland and England The Emperour and Spain having then declar'd for Holland the French King took his Garrisons out of all the conquer'd Places having first exacted from them great Contributions except Naerden and Grave which were retaken by force Thus the Hollanders got all their places again except Maestricht Rhinebergh which belong'd to the Elector of Collen being restor'd to him and the Country of Cleves to the Elector of Brandenburgh This War also restor'd the Prince of Orange to the same Dignity and that under better Conditions than they had been in the possession of his Ancestors For the Common People which already favour'd the House of Orange being put quite into a Consternation by the prodigious Success of the French and being persuaded that this Misfortune was occasion'd by the Treachery of some who sat at the Helm and that no body but the Prince could restore the decay'd State did raise Tumults in most Cities which the Prince was forc'd to appease by deposing the former Magistrates and putting in their room such as he knew were favourers of himself In one of these Tumults Cornelius and John du Witt two Brothers were miserably murther'd by the Rabble in the Hague though a great many are of Opinion That especially the last of these who had so long sat at the Helm had better deserv'd of his native Country Tho the Prince had been not a little instrumental in appeasing the Commotions whereby Holland was put in a condition to recover it self yet he was not so successfull in his War against France For he receiv'd a considerable loss near Seneffe he was repuls'd before Maestricht and endeavouring to relieve St. Omer he was defeated by the French and the Dutch Fleet which was sent to the Relief of Sicily had no great Success At last their Fear that through long War their Liberty might be endanger'd by the Prince influenc'd them to make a separate Peace with France by virtue of which Maestricht was restor'd to the Hollanders § 19. The Seven Provinces of the Vnited Netherlands are fill'd with a prodigious number of People there being some who have computed that in the Province of Holland the Number amounts to two millions and 500000. And unto this vast Number of People is to be attributed their Industry increase of Trade and great Riches for in a Country which is not the most fruitfull and where every thing is very dear they must else of necessity perish by Famine But most of the Inhabitants were transplanted thither out of other Countries out of France during the times of the Civil Commotions out of England under the Reign of Queen Mary out of Germany during those long Wars there but chiefly out of the other Provinces of the Netherlands at the time of their revolting from Spain These Strangers were invited into this Country by its convenient Situation the Liberty of Religion and the Government by its extraordinary Constitutions and Conveniencies for Trade and Correspondency in all Parts and at last by the great Reputation which the States have gain'd abroad by their wise Management at home and Success of their Arms abroad And because every body who either brings some Means along with him or has learn'd something to maintain himself withall finds a good Reception in Holland even those who are prosecuted in other places find a certain Refuge in this Country The Netherlanders are commonly very open-hearted down-right and honest very free in Words and Conversation not easily to be mov'd or stirr'd up but if once made soundly angry not easily to be appeas'd If you Converse with them without Haughtiness and with Discretion so as to accommodate your self a little to their Inclinations you may do with them what you please Charles V. us'd to say of them That there was not a Nation under the Sun that did detest more the Name of Slavery and yet if you did manage them Mildly and with Discretion did bear it more patiently But the Rabble here is very bad it being a common Custom to speak ill and despicably of their Magistrates as often as things do not answer Expectation The Hollanders are very unfit for Land-service and the Dutch Horse-men are strange Creatures yet those who live in Gueldres and upon the Borders of Westphalia are tolerably good But at Sea they have done such Exploits that they may be compar'd with any Nation in the World And the Zealanders are esteem'd more Hardy and Venturous than the Hollanders They are also generally very parsimonious not much addicted to the Belly it being not the Custom here to spend their yearly Income but to save every Year an overplus This saving way of living upholds their Credit and enables them to bear such heavy Taxes without being ruin'd by them They are very fit for all sorts of Manufactury and very much addicted to Commerce not refusing to undergo any Labour or Danger where something is to be got and those that understand Trade deal very easily with them They are very punctual in every respect pondering and ordering a thing very well before they begin it And there is scarce any Nation in the World so fit for Trade as the Dutch this being very praise-worthy in them that they always choose rather to get somewhat by their own Industry than by Violence or Fraud But especially the greatest Liberty which they enjoy is a great Encouragement for Trade The chiefest Vice among them is Covetousness which however is not so pernicious among them because it produces in them Industry and good Husbandry There is a great many who have been amaz'd at the great Conduct which has appear'd in the management of their Affairs notwithstanding that the Hollanders in general are rarely of extraordinary Wit or Merits Some alledge this for a Reason That a cold Temper and Moderation of Passions are the fundamental Qualifications of such as intend to manage State Affairs § 20. The Seven Vnited Provinces are not very large in Extent they being to be reckon'd but for one Corner of Germany but they are fill'd up with so considerable a Number of beautifull large and populous Cities that no other place of the same bigness is to be compar'd to it Besides the Seven Provinces they are possess'd of some Cities in Flanders and Brabant viz. Hulst Sluce Ardenburgh Bois le Duc Maestricht Breda Bergen op Zoom Grave and some others They also keep a Garrison in Embden thereby to secure the River of Embs.
are seven Common wealths which by the Union at Vtrecht are joined into one Confederacy they have their Deputies constantly residing at the Hague whose business it is to take care of such Affairs as concern the whole Union and if any thing of moment is to be decreed they send to the several Provinces and according to the Approbation of these they make their Decrees these Deputies are called the States-General Nay it seems that each Province is rather a Confederacy than one City or Common-wealth because the several Members of each Province do treat with one another like Confederates and not like one Body where one is superiour to the other or the majority of Votes determines a business For even in the Provincial Assemblies a great many things cannot be determined by the Plurality of Votes but every Member's consent is required Which shows that these Provinces and Cities not united by so strong a Tye as those who are govern'd by one Soveraign except as far as Necessity obliges them to keep together And the great Cities are fill'd with Rabble which if once put in motion uses to make strange work among them It is therefore the great Care of the Magistrates that they are kept in constant Employment to get Bread for Famine would quickly be the occasion of great Tumults here There is also a Jealousie betwixt Holland and the other Provinces the latter pretending to some Prerogative as being the most Powerfull and contributing most to the Publick whereas the others are for maintaining their Liberty and Equality All the rest of the Cities are especially jealous of Amsterdam because this City draws abundance of Trade from the rest and puts them in apprehension as if She were ambitious to domineer over them But the greatest Irregularity happens in their Constitution by means of the Prince of Orange who having the Favour of the Common people of the Land-Souldiers and the Clergy for the Clergy hate the Arminians who being of the Barnefelt Faction are Enemies of the Prince seems to endanger their Liberty Wherefore the chief Men in the Cities to whom belongs the Magistracy there possess their places in continual fear except they will be pliable to the Prince of Orange Whose interest is also inconsistent with that of the State because no Land way can be advantageous for Holland whereas in time of War his Authority is much greater than otherwise And therefore according to this Form of the Government scarce a firm Peace can be establish'd at home It may easily happen that the Prince may aspire to be their Soveraign And when the Province of Gueldres did offer to him the Soveraignty he did give them to understand That if all the rest were of the same Opinion they should have no occasion to look for him behind the Wine-pipes as the Jews did for Saul yet the wiser sort are of opinion that he would reap no great benefit from this Soveraignty since it would be scarce possible to keep so many great Cities in Obedience against their Will For Cittadels and Garrisons would prove the Ruin of Trade which never flourishes where absolute Power controuls the Subject Wherefore it seems more adviseable for the Prince to be satisfied with what Power he has it being certain that if he knows how to manage the Humour of the People he is almost able to do what he pleases It has been a great Dispute whether it be for the advantage of these Netherlands to have a Governour General Those who are for the Affirmative alledge That this Country having been from ancient Time under the Jurisdiction of a limited Soveraignty has been used to that Form of Government That it conduces to the outward Splendour of the Common-wealth and to uphold the Authority of the Magistrates in the Cities That thereby Factions and Tumults are kept under and suppressed That thereby are prevented a great many Inconveniences in executing any designs of moment which were incident to an Aristocratical and Democratical State viz. Slow and divided Counsels in Consultations delays in Executions and the divulging of secret Designs all which we will leave undetermin'd here This is also to be esteemed one of the Weaknesses of this Common-wealth that so great a number of Inhabitants cannot be maintained by the Product of the Land but must get their Bread from abroad and by the help of Foreigners Wherefore the certain Ruin of this Common-wealth is at hand when-ever its Trade and Navigation should be stopt which however is not altogether impossible to happen The difference of Religion is commonly reckoned among the weaknesses of a State But some make this one of the main Pillars of the flourishing Condition of Holland because it contributes greatly to the Strength and Encrease of this State The Reformed Religion is here the Establish'd Religion all the rest being only tolerated The Papists are connived at but also they keep over them a strict Eye for fear the Priests who all depend on the Pope should enter into a Correspondency with Spain Yet it is rarely seen in Holland that one Subject hates the other or prosecutes him upon the Score of Religion It has been the Saying of some that in other Countries Religion doth more good but in Holland less harm It is also very inconvenient for the Inhabitants that all sorts of Victuals are sold at so excessive a Rate The reason of which is That the greatest Revenues of Holland are raised by way of Excise upon these Commodities and it is a common Saying That before you can get a Dish of Fish ready dress'd upon your Table at Amsterdam you have paid above Thirty several Taxes for it And notwithstanding all these heavy Impositions the State is much in debt There are some also who pretend that the Traffick of the Dutch does grow less and less for which they alledge several Reasons viz. That since the Peace concluded at Munster other Nations have also applied themselves to Trade That the Price of the East-India Commodities does fall every Year and yet the Charges of the Company increases daily For whereas formerly five or six East-India Ships coming home yearly were reckon'd very considerable now eighteen or twenty do return which so over-stocks them with these Commodities that they are obliged to lay them up in their Ware-houses for a considerable time before they can vent them without Loss They alledge allso that Corn has been of late years so abundant in France Spain Italy and England that the Hollanders have not sent much of it into these Parts it being their custom to fetch Corn from off the East-Sea where they vent in exchange of it most or their Spices That the great Addition of Fortifications and sumptuous Buildings to the City of Amsterdam have taken up a great quantity of Ready-money which might have been better employed in way of Trade and that Luxury and Debauchery does encrease daily in that City But the Reason why the Hollanders had
such ill Success at the beginning of this War seems to be that by the great Eagerness of Gain and Trade their Martial Heat was almost extinguish'd and that after the Peace concluded at Munster they being not apprehensive of any Invasion by Land they only applied themselves to strengthen their Power at Sea and having dismissed their best Officers they had supplied their place with their own Relations whose Motto was Peace and a good Government For at the time of the War with England they had dismissed the Old English Bands and in the Year 1668 the French Troops both which were the flower of their Armies which of necessity must have been reduced into a very ill condition since the Prince of Orange had no more concern with them Besides this they thought themselves very secure not imagining that France would either dare or be able to attempt a Conquest over them as long as they were sure that the Emperour and Spain would side with them neither did they imagine that the English would join with the French against them And at last they hoped they would beat the English out of the Sea before France should be able to take three or four Places They relied upon the old Way of making of War when a whole Company was taken up with the Taking of one Place and when whole Books were composed of the Taking of Groll or the Sar of Ghent It is also believed that some of the Hollanders were not sorry that they had no great Success by Land hoping thereby to bring into discredit the Conduct and to diminish the Authority of the Prince whom they had been obliged to make their Captain-General against their Will § 22. As for the Neighbours of Holland and what it has to fear or to hope from them it seems that the English are the most dangerous Neighbours to the Hollanders they being the only Nation that have been formidable to them hitherto against their Pretensions to the Dominion of the Seas and Trade who are extreamly dissatisfied that this new Common-wealth which when it was in a very tottering condition was strongly upheld by them has now been before-hand with them in the East-Indies and daily spoil their Markets almost every-where For because an English-man is naturally proud and loves to live well whereas a Hollander minds nothing so much as his Gain being satisfied with an indifferent share nor spends any thing idly a Hollander can sell cheaper than an English-man and Strangers will always rather deal with the first than the last It is therefore in all probability the chief Interest of Holland not to irritate England and rather to allow them some Ceremonial Prerogatives at Sea such as striking and the like but withall to strengthen their Power at Sea that in case England should really contest with them for the Trade and Fishing it may be able to make head against them The Hollanders must also as much as is possible endeavour to encourage the same sort of Manufacture as is in England and either to make these Commodities better or at least to sell them cheaper thereby to get the advantage from them The Hollanders ought to stand in great fear of France on the Land-side especially since that King is their great Enemy having opposed for a considerable time all their Designs It is therefore very necessary to be in a good posture on the Land-side and to keep fair with the Princes of Germany who else would permit the French to march through their Territories or else perhaps join with him They must endeavour the Preservation of the Spanish Netherlands which they ought to consider as their Frontiers and whereby Spain is obliged always to Side with Holland against France They must take care to be provided with good Officers and to put the Province of Holland into a better Posture of Defence on the side of Gueldres It is not easie to be supposed that England and France will join again against Holland which may be prevented by the Hollanders It is also the Interest of Holland to take care that the Naval Strength of France do not increase too much and to prevent as much as in them lies that they do not settle a Trade in the East-Indies And because France draws the Riches of all Europe to it self by its Manufacturies the Hollanders must try to imitate them and furnish other Nations with the like From Spain Holland need fear nothing either by Sea or Land since that time that this Kingdom has lost all its labour against them Nay it is their Common Interest now that they cultivate a mutual good Understanding to stop the Progresses of the French in the Netherlands And the Spaniards have scarce any thing left them from which the Dutch could have any prospect of Benefit they being not in a Capacity to conquer or to maintain the West-Indies And though the Hollanders may be very troublesome to the Spanish Silver Fleets yet the Spanish Privateers may also do them considerable mischief Portugal has no Pretensions against Holland and it ought most to stand in fear of the Hollanders because these would be glad of an opportunity to take from the Portuguese Brosile and what they have left in the East-Indies which however they would not so easily be able to execute because the Hollanders are obliged to fetch their Bread out of the East-Sea they have always taken care that neither of the Northern Kings should be Master alone of the East-Sea which Balance is the easier kept now since the Sound is divided betwixt Sweden and Denmark And it is notorious enough what Game they have play'd with these two Kings For the rest it is the general Interest of Holland to keep fair with all other Princes thereby to maintain a free Commerce every-where And in these Places where they cannot Trade alone it is the Interest of the Hollanders either by goodness or cheapness of their Commodities and an easie Deportment to endeavour to draw the chief Benefit of Trade to themselves For this is the easier and less odious Way to heap up Riches than if they should attempt publickly to mix the Foreign Trade of all other Nations since it would prove impossible for them alone to maintain a general Monopoly CHAP. VII Of the SWITZERS § 1. THese Countries which are possess'd now by the Switzers belonged formerly to the German Empire but that they were united in one Commonwealth was occasioned thus the three small Counties of Vry Switz and Vnder-Walden which commonly are call'd the three Forest Towns enjoy'd very antient Privileges which they pretended to have been granted them by the Emperor Lewis Surnamed the Pious yet so that the Emperor used to send thither an Imperial Judge or Vicar who had the supreme Jurisdiction in criminal Affairs There were also some Monasteries in those Countries which tho they enjoy'd particular Privileges yet did they not interfere with their Liberty of the People
at Sea he must needs prove very troublesom to Denmark § 12. As to the Neighbours of Denmark it Borders on one side upon Germany for Holstein which belongs to the present Royal Ramily is a Fief of the Empire And tho the Land Forces of Denmark do not come to any comparison with those of Germany and Jutland lies quite open on that side yet the Islands are very secure from the Germans who are not provided with Shipping except it should happen that the great and lesser Belt should both be frozen which happens very rarely Neither is there any great probability that these two States should differ except the pretensions upon Hamborough which the King of Denmark will not easily let fall should furnish an occasion for War And to speak truly it is so delicious a morsel that it may easily provoke an Appetite But it will be a very difficult task for the King of Denmark to attain his aim by open force except there should happen a very strange juncture of Affairs or that the inward Divisions or else by treachery this City should give an occasion for its Ruin In the mean while it is not easily to be supposed that the Neighbouring German Princes should suffer that a City of so great Consequence should fall into the hands of a Foreign Prince In fine it is of vast Consequence to Denmark to hold a good understanding with Germany since from thence it must draw the greatest part of its Land-Forces wherewith to defend itself against Swedeland With the Swedes Denmark had been in continual Broils for a considerable time and it seems that there is an old grudge and animosity betwixt these two Nations arising chiefly hence that the Danes have formerly always endeavour'd to make themselves Masters of Sweden and to reduce this Kingdom into the same condition as they had done Norway Besides that afterwards they have made it their business by ruining their Shipping and Trade to prevent the growing Greatness of Sweden But Sweden has always vigorously defended itself and in latter times has gain'd great advantages upon Denmark for the Swedes have not only recover'd Schonen and secured West Gothland by the Fortress of Bahus but they have also a way open into Jutland out of their Provinces in Germany On the other hand the Danes have made it their business hitherto by making Alliances with the Enemies of Sweden to get from them these Advantages But if we consider that these two Kingdoms are now divided by their natural Bounds to preserve which France England and Holland seem to be mutually concern'd and that as in human probability Denmark cannot conquer or maintain itself in Swedeland so the other States of Europe are not likely to suffer that Sweden should become Master of Denmark It seems therefore most convenient that these two Kingdoms should maintain a good understanding and be a mutual security to one another against their Enemies From Holland Denmark may expect real assistance in case it should be in danger of being Conquered since the prosperity of Holland depends partly on the free Trade of the Baltic and if one should become Master both of Sweden and Denmark he would questionless keep these Passages closer than they are now But the Danes also are sensible enough that the Hollanders will not engage themselves any further in their behalf than to keep the ballance even for fear they should with an increase of Power attempt hereafter to raise the Toll in the Sound at pleasure But as long as Holland sides with Denmark England will not be fond of the Danish Party but rather declare for the other side for the preservation of Denmark and the Trade in the Baltic is not of so great consequence to England as it is to Holland The Muscovites may prove very serviceable to Denmark against Sweden yet cannot the Danes make any great account upon an Alliance with them because it is very difficult to maintain a Correspondency with them especially if the Poles should declare for Sweden Besides that the Muscovites as soon as they have obtained their aim commonly have but little regard to Alliances or the Interest of their Allies Denmark can have no great reliance upon Poland except that Crown should be engag'd in a War against Sweden France has hitherto shewn no great concern for Denmark because it has always been in Alliance with its Enemies yet France would not willingly see it ruin'd because no State of Europe would desire the two Northern Kingdoms should be under the Subjection of one Prince But I cannot see any reason why an offensive Alliance with Denmark should be profitable to France Spain is more likely to wish well to Denmark than to assist it except it should happen that Swedeland was engaged in a War against the House of Austria or any other Allie of Spain CHAP. X. Of POLAND § 1. THE POLES who anciently were called Samartians and afterwards Slavonians derived their Name from the Nature of the Country which they possess which lies most upon a Plain for Pole signifies in their language a Plain tho some are of opinion that the Word Polacki is as much as to say the Posterity of Lechus This Nation formerly did inhabit nearer to the Country of the Tartars but after vast Numbers out of Germany entred the Roman Provinces their places were supplied by the nations living behind them And it seems that Poland being in the same manner left by its Inhabitants which were then Venedi or Wends they made room for the next that took their Place These then as 't is said having taken possession of this Country about the year 550 did under the Conduct of Lechus lay there the Foundation of a new State Lechus resided at Gnicsen being encouraged thereunto by an Eagles Nest which he found there and taking it as a good Omen put an Eagle into the Arms of the new Commonwealth giving to that City the name of Gnicsen which in the Polish Language signifies a Nest This Nation first setled it self in that part of the Country which now goes by the name of the great and lesser Poland neither did their Limits extend any further tho since that time they are mightily encreased § 2. The first Governours of this Nation did not assume to themselves the Title of Kings but only that of Dukes and the first form of Government was very inconstant for after the Race of Lechus was extinguished tho it is uncertain how many of them and for how long a time they Ruled or what were their Atchievments twelve Governours which in their Language are called Vayvods did administer the Government who having at first regulated and refined this barbarous People by good Laws and Constitutions at last were divided among themselves Wherefore the Poles elected for their Prince one Cracus who having restored the Commonwealth to its former State built the City of Cracovia so called after his
they made use of the Examples of Ambrose and Theodosius they used to relate how the Spanish Bishops had obliged King Wamba by way of penance to lay down the Crown As also how the Bishops of France had deposed Lewis Surnamed the Pious who afterwards could not recover his Crown without the Consent and Authority of another Assembly of Bishops They alledged for another Example how Fulco then Archbishop of Rheims had threatened Charles Sirnamed the Simple to absolve his Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance if he made an Alliance with the Normans who were then Pagans They supposed that it was without question that the Pope's Power did extend it self beyond that of all other Bishops since it was not limited by any thing except by the express Canons of Councils and Decrees of the Popes wherein nothing was contained against this Power of deposing of Kings and they say it was not to be supposed that they could have been forgetful of this point And because they had assumed a Power to give the Name and Title of a King to some who either prompted by their Ambition or Superstition had begged the same from them they supposed that by the same Right they might take away the Crown from such as they esteemed unworthy of wearing it They also had forbid to marry within the seventh degree of Consanguinity and the fourth of Affinity whereby they often met with an opportunity to be troublesome to Princes For because it seldom happened among those of so high a Rank but that one side or other was within one of these degrees they stood in continual fear lest the Pope should disturb their Negotiations except they humbly begged for a Dispensation and in both cases the Popes knew how to make their advantage of them Lastly the Popes having abundance of Business to dispatch did thereby draw the best and most refined Wits to their Courts who used to go thither to look for Imployment and to perfect themselves in the great School of Europe These were always for promoting the Pope's Interest and Designs from whom they expected their promotion besides that the whole Clergy did adhere to him as to their supreme Head Pope Boniface VIII did clearly give us to understand his meaning at the Jubilee kept in the year 1300. when he appeared sometimes in the Habit of an Emperour sometimes in that of a Pope and caused two Swords to be carried before him as the Ensigns of the Ecclesiastical and Civil Power § 23. But the Popes could not long enjoy this unsufferable Usurpation in quiet for it was so often called in question till they were obliged to draw in their horns and to make their pretensions a little more plausible 'T is true in the Business with the Emperours the Henrys and the Fredericks they got the upper hand nevertheless they met betwixt while often times with very indifferent entertainment and such things were sometimes publish'd against them as were little to their Honour and from whence it might easily be judged by those that were impartial that not the Glory of God but their own Grandeur was the chief aim of their undertaking But when Boniface III. pretended to play the same Game with Philip Surnamed the Handsome King of France he watched his opportunity so well and gave him such a blow that the Pope felt the smart of it And to avoid the Scandal which the common People might take at these so severe proceedings against the Pope use was made of this pretext that what was done against his Person was not intended against the Vicar of Jesus Christ but against a pernicious Person who by unlawful means was got into the Chair and that a general Council ought to be called to free the Church from his Oppressions But the ensuing Schisms have proved the most pernicious to the Popes Authority as also the double Elections which have been made at several times when the Cardinals being divided set up two Popes at once who used by turns to excommunicate and revile one another and to maintain themselves in the Chair were fain to flatter the Kings and acknowledge that they were beholding to them This Division was an evident sign that the Elections of these Popes had not been guided by the Holy Spirit but been influenced by some ill Designs and Intrigues Wherefore it was also the Opinion of the Wiser sort that in such a case neither of them ought to be acknowledged as Pope but that a new one ought to be chosen which was also put in execution at the Council of Constance The first Schism arose according to my Opinion in the year 1134. or as some will have it 1130. when after the death of Honorius II. Innocent II. and Anacletus were both chosen Popes And tho' the first had the greater party on his side yet did the King of Sicily and Duke of Aquitam vigorously uphold the latter and his adherents did after his death choose another in his stead who called himself Victor with whom Innocent made an agreement so that he voluntarily relinquished his pretension and acknowledged him his Superiour But after the death of Adrian IV. two Popes were again elected at one time viz. Alexander III. and Victor IV. To the first adhered France England and Sicily to the latter the Emperour Frederick I. all Germany and the Clergy of Rome And after his death those of his party chosen three successive Popes all whom Alexander out-lived These used to make a common Trade to excommunicate and revile one another and each of them were fain to behave themselves towards their Protectours more like a Client than a Master But much greater was the Schism after the death of Gregory IX when again two Popes were elected at once whereof one resided at Rome the other at Avignon This Schism lasted through several successions near the space of Forty Years during which time both parties excommunicated one another very frequently and committed great Cruelties France Scotland Castile Savoy and Naples were of the side of the Pope that resided at Avignon but all the rest of Christendom declared for the other at Rome Both parties took great pains to set out the great numbers of Saints that were of their party and what Miracles and Revelations were made concerning their approbation And both sides knew how to produce such Reasons that at last there was no other remedy left them but to force both the Anti-Popes to abdicate themselves at the Council of Constance and to choose a new one in their stead The last Schism of all arose when the Council of Basil having deposed Eugenius IV. did in his stead elect Felix V. Pope unto whom the former would not submit And these Dissentions were continued till after the death of Eugenius when Nicholas V. was chosen in his stead unto whom Felix for quiet sake did resign the Chair upon very advantageous terms in the year 1488. It is very easily to be imagined how these Divisions did
of their Care or at least only their by-work Whereas the Monks and Jesuits gain great applause by their Missions in the East and West-Indies and tho perhaps they brag more than is true of their great Success there yet is this Institution in the main very praise-worthy Besides this there is such an implacable jealousy betwixt some of the Protestant States that it is not probable that they will be one and all against the Papists not to mention others here such a jealousy is betwixt Sweden and Denmark as likewise betwixt England and Holland Tho' on the other hand there is as great a jealousy betwixt France and Spain which will always be an obstacle to any union betwixt these two Crowns against the Protestants So that notwithstanding the unequality betwixt the Papists and Protestants these need not fear the Pope's Power Nevertheless there is a great difference to be made as to those Protestants that live in a Protestant State independent on any other and those who live under the jurisdiction of a Roman Catholick Prince the latter of which are not so very well assured of the free enjoyment of their Religion For the Hugonoes in France have no other Security but the King 's bare Word and the Edict of Nantes which would stand them but in little stead if the King of France should be overcome with a Zeal like to that of the Spaniards or the House of Austria Yet does it not seem probable to me that the King of France should easily pretend to force them to another Religion as long as they are quiet since he ought to consider what great Services the Hugonots have done to Henry IV. without whose Assistance he would in all likelihood not have been able to obtain the Crown It is not easily to be supposed that the Poles should raise a persecution against the Protestants in Curland and Prussia especially as long as the City of Dantzick maintains her Liberty The Protestants in Germany are so considerable that they may be esteemed equal in strength to a Kingdom But their being divided under several Heads and that of a different Interest much abates their strength And the Emperours within the space of a hundred Years have twice reduced them to that extremity that both their Religion and Liberty which are so link'd together that one cannot be lost without the other seemed to be near gone if France and Sweden had not prevented it 'T is true there has of late Years a new Maxim been set up viz that the Protestants of Germany are now in a capacity to maintain themselves without the assistance of the two above-mentioned Crowns and that the Elector of Brandenburgh is the most fitly qualified to be their Head and to have the Direction among them And as it is the Interest of the House of Austria to uphold them in this belief so Brandenburgh and Luneburgh make use of this supposition to cover their designs of getting into their possession those Provinces that were given to Sweden as a recompence for having been so instrumental in preserving the Religion and Liberty of the Protestants of Germany But suppose they should compass their Design it is most certain that those two Houses by the addition of those Countries would be much less formidable to the Emperour than they were at that time when they were upheld by Sweden And it is a great mistake if they perswade themselves that what assistance they may exspect from Denmark and Holland can countervail what they had from France and Sweden If the Emperour should obtain his Ends and drive those two Nations out of Germany and restore the Spanish Interest and then tire out the Estates by sending great Armies against them it would be a question who would be able to oblige the Emperour in such a case to disband his victorious Forces Or whether the Emperours might not under some pretence or another keep his Army on foot and oblige the States to provide for them in their Territories Whether Brandenburgh and Lunenbuhgh would be able alone to oppose the Emperour's design But if the Protestant Estates should find themselves not strong enough to resist his Power it would be the Question whether these Crowns would be immediately ready at their demands or whether the circumstances of their Affairs would be such as to be able to undertake such a task Or whether at the time of imminent danger such a one as Gustaous Adolfus would be sent down from Heaven who could act with the same Fortune and Success For he that believes that the Religion is sufficiently secured by Seals and Deeds or that the Emperours have laid aside all thoughts of making themselves Sovereigns of Germany if an occasion should present it self especially since Religion and the recovery of the Church possessions furnishes them with so specious a pretence must needs have lost the memory of all past transactions But the last Peace made at Nimmeguen has sufficiently convinced the World that these designs could not be put in execution Those Protestant States therefore that are Independent on other Princes need not fear the power of the Roman Catholicks For as two States that are of the same Religion nevertheless differ in State Interests and are jealous of one another which is plainly to be seen betwixt France and Spain and betwixt England and Holland so though States are of a different Religion it is not from hence to be concluded that if a Potent Prince of the Roman Catholick Persuasion should attempt to ruin a Protestant State the other Roman Catholick States would not prevent it if it was for their Interest to see that Protestant State preserved The best way then to preserve the Protestant Religion is that each of these States take effectual care how the same may be well preserved in their several States And this may be done without any crafty inventions as the Roman Catholicks are obliged to make use of but only by plain and simple means One of the main Points is that both the Churches and Schools may be provided with persons fitly qualified for that purpose That the Clergy by their wholesome Doctrine and a good Life may shew the way to the rest That the people in general but more especially such as in all likelyhood one time or another may have a great sway in the State be well instructed in the true and Fundamental Principles of the Protestant Religion that thereby they may be proof against the Temptations of the Court of Rome especially when they are to Travel in Popish Countries That the Clergy may be so qualified as to be able to oppose the devises and designs of their Eâ—â—â—ies who every day busie themselves in finding out new Projects against them Some are of Opinion that the Protestant Party would be mightily strengthned if the two Chief Factions among the Protestants that besides the difference in their Doctrine are also of a different Interest which seems to floâ—â—
himself Master of the said Fort having first beaten the Poles that came to its relief who nevertheless in the mean while had forced Meve to a surrendry Soon after both Armies encamped near Dirshaw where King Gustave having drawn out his Forces in Battel array the Poles did the like having a boggy Ground before them which the King did not think fit to pass with his Army but when the Poles began to draw off again into their Camp the King falling into the Rear killed them a great number of Men. But some days after attacking them in their Camp he received a shot in his left Shoulder with a Musquet Bullet which his Forces being dismayed at they returned without any further Action into their Camp Towards the latter end of the year a new Treaty having been set on foot betwixt the two Kings the Treaty was so far advanced that King Sigismund had resolved to sign it the next day if the Austrians who did promise to send 24 Men of War and 12000 Men to his assistance had not prevented it After the Treaty was broke off King Gustave before his Army went into Winter-quarters took several places from the Poles and at the beginning of the year next following attacked a Fort near Dantzick but was repulsed with loss Soon after he had a smart Engagement with the Poles wherein 3000 of them were killed upon the spot the Swedes having taken four pieces of Cannon and fourteen Standards tho' not without great blood-shed on their side Then the King advanced nearer unto Dantzick having sent eight Men of War to block up that Harbour but the Dantzickers with ten Men of War having attacked the Swedish Squadron they killed the Swedish Admiral Nils Sternshield took his Ship forced their Vice-Admiral to blow up his own Ship and put the rest to flight tho' the Dantzickers also lost their Admiral and 400 Men in this Engagement King Gustave then having detached 1000 foot Souldiers who passed the Veixel in Boats they surprised Niewburgh which being a Magazin of the Poles they took most of their Baggage and 600000 Crowns in Money But in the year next following he gave them more work for Herman Wrangel raised the Blockade of Brodnitz where 3000 Poles were killed 1000 taken Prisoners with five Pieces of Cannon and 2000 Waggons with Provision The Poles being frightened at this Defeat were very desirous then to receive the Imperial Forces which were sent to their Assistance under the command of Arnheim who with 5000 Foot and 2000 Horse joined Koniccpoliski the Polish General near Graudentz King Gustave on the other hand encamped with an Army of 5000 Horse and 8000 Foot near Quidzin and tho' the Swedes were much inferiour in number yet did they not refuse the Combate and both Armies soon after having met near Stum there happened a brisk Engagement betwixt them wherein the Swedâ—sh Horse were first repulsed with the loss of five Standards but the King coming up in Person with more Forces soon forced the Poles to retreat who would have passed over a Bridge which they were laying over the River of Nogat But King Gustave endavouring to cut off their retreat that way the Fight was renewed on both sides with great fury so that the King venturing himself too far was taken hold of by his Shoulder-belt which he slipping over his head got free of them leaving his Hat and Belt behind him But immediately after another catching hold of his Arm. would have carried him off if one Erick Soop had not shot the Polander and delivered the King In this Action the Swedes got seventeen Colours and five Standards the Imperial Forces having received the greatest damage Not long after there happened another Engagement about the same Bridge where the Poles were again repulsed and in the attack of Stum they lost 4000 Men of their best Forces The Poles having imputed these Losses chiefly to Arnheim the Imperial General who being a Vassal of the Elector of Brandenburgh was suspected by them to hold a correspondence with the said Prince and being grown quite weary of the Imperial Forces being also pestered with Famine and the Plague by the mediation of France England Brandenburgh and Holland a Truce was concluded for six years by vertue of which King Gustave was to restore to Poland Brodnitz Wormdit Melsack Stum and Dirshaw Marienburgh was committed to the custudy of the Elector of Brandenburgh King Gustave kept the Castle and Harbour of Pillaw and Memâ—l as also Elbingen and Braunsbergh besides all what he was possessed of in Livonia so that King Gustave Adolph had ended both the Russian and Polish War to his eternal Honour and the great Advantage of his Kingdom § 14. But he was not long at rest before Germany was the Scene where he acquired everlasting Glory to his Nation and performed some of the greatest Actions that were ever seen in Europe As soon as the Protestants in Germany began to be jealous of the Roman Catholicks sinister Intentions against them they were then for bringing King Gustave over to their Alliance but he being at that time entangled in the Polish Affairs was not at leisure to engage himself with them But Christian IV. King of Denmark who was ambitious of that Honour having in the mean while received a great Defeat from the Imperialists who since that had made themselves Masters of the Lower Saxony and got footing on the Baltick King Gustave fearing the consequence of it pressed the harder upon the Poles to oblige them to a Peace or Truce and having called together the Estates of Sweden he represented to them the danger which threatened Sweden from the Imperialists who had not only got footing on the Baltick but also made themselves Masters of a part of Denmark whereupon it having been resolved by the Estates that it was not advisable to stay till the Enemy should attack them at home but to meet him abroad and to keep him from getting footing on the Borders of the Baltick the King only waited an opportunity to put this Design in execution which presented it self in the same year For Albert Wallenstein Duke of Friedland the Imperial General having laid a Design against the City of Strahlsund the King who was then in Prussia offered his Assistance to that City and having sent them voluntarily some Ammunition and exhorted them to a vigorous Defence the Citizens accepted of the King's offer making an Alliance with him for the Defence of their City and Harbour and to maintain their Commerce in the Baltick Pursuant to this Treaty the King sent some of his Forces to their assistance who were very instrumental in defending that City against the Imperialists but he did not think fit to attempt any thing further at that time because Wallenstein and Tilly were with two considerable Armies not far off But as soon as the â—olâ—sh War was ended he resolved not to make any further delay Having therefore in vain proffered
six Books By the Famous Monsieur de la Quintinye Chief Director of all the Gardens of the French King To which is added his Treatise of Orange Trees with the raising of Melons omitted in the French Editions Made English by J. Evelyn Esq illustrated with Copper Plates The Commentaries of Julius Caesar of his Wars in Gallia and the Civil Wars betwixt him and Pompey with many Excellent and Judicious Observations thereupon By Clement Edmonds Esquire To this Edition is now added at the end of every Book those Excellent Remarks of the Duke of Rohan also the Commentaries of the Alexandrian and African Wars Written by Aulus Hirtius Pansa now first made English with a Geographical Nomenclature of the Antient and Modern Names of Towns together with the Life of Caesar and an account of his Medals The Roman History from the building of the City to the settlement of the Empire by Augustus Caesar being 727 years for the better understanding of the Roman Authors and Roman Affairs By Lawrence Etchard A. M. The Life of the Famous Cardinal Duke de Richlieu Principal Secretary of State to Lewis XIII A new Voyage to Italy with a Description of the Chief Towns Churches Tombs Libraries Palaces Statues and Antiquities of that Country with useful Instructions for those who shall travel thither By Maximilian Misson Gent. Adorned with Figures BOOKS printed for Tho. Newborough at the Golden Ball in St. Paul's Church-Yard THE Great Historical Geographical and Poetical Dictionary being a Curious Miscellany of Sacred and Prophane History containing the Lives of the Patriarchs Judges and Kings of the Jews of the Fathers of the Church of the Popes c. of Heresiarchs with an Account of their principle Doctrines of Emperours Kings and Illustrious Princes c. of Philosophers Inventors of Arts and those that have recommended themselves to the World The Genealogy of several Illustrious Families in Europe the Fabulous History of the Heathen Gods c. the Description of Empires Kingdoms Commonwealths Islands Mountains and Rivers and other considerable Places of Geography c. Collected from the best Historians Chronologers and Lexicographers by Lewis Morery D. D. The Sixth Edition Corrected and Enlarged by Monsieur l' Clarke To which are added the Lives and most Remarkable Actions of the English Scotch nad Irish Nobility Gentry Clergy and Artificers c. by several Learned Men with the five Years Historical and Geographical Collections of Edmund Bohun Esqiure never yet published Geographia Universalis The Present State of the whole World Giving an Account of the several Religions Customs and Riches of each People The Strength and Government of each Polity and State The Curious and most Remarkable Things in every Region with other Particulars necessary to the understanding History and the Interest of Princes Written Originally at the Command of the French King for the use of the Dauphin by the Sieur Duval Geographer in Ordinary to his Majesty The Third Edition Corrected and Enlarged by R. Midgley M. D. The most ancient State of Mankind The Original of Civil Societies At what time the first States were constituted The first States were very small and imperfect The Assyrian Empire By what means this Empire was maintained It s Fall The Persian Empire By what means it was maintained Greece Sparta Macedon The Politick Conduct and great Actions of Philip. Alexander the Great He dies young Great Troubles after the Death of Alexander The Fall of the Macedonian Empire Carthage Rome a Warlike City Bywhat means Rome became so populous Several other Military Institutions Of the Religion of the Romans The Expulsion of their Kings and the Erection of a new Form of Government Reasons of the fall of the Roman Greatness The Defects of the Roman Common-wealth Two distinct Bodies in Rome Factious Tribunes Citizens too powerfull The Constitution of the Roman Monarchy The Roman Monarchy could not be of a long continuance 〈…〉 Anno 1453. The ancient State of Spain West Goths conquer Spain 410. 554. 572. 586. 646. 677. The Ruine of the Gothick Empire in Spain 713. 714. The Saracens câ—nquer Spain Kings in Oviedo Pelagius 726. Favila Alfonso I. 737. Favila Aurelius Silo. Alfonsus I Veremundus 791. Ramirus Ordonius I. Alfonso III. Garsias 910. 913. The Origin of the Kingdoms of Navarre and Arragon Favila II. Alfonso IV. Ramirus II. 931. Ordonius III Sanctius 955. 965. Ramirus III. 967. Veremund II. 982. Alfonso V. 999. Veremund III 1025. Castile made a Kingdom Sanctius II. Major The perniciâ—us Division of Spain 1038. 1045. 1053. Sanctius III. 1067. Alfonso VI. 1073. 1085. Alfonso VII Alfonso VIII 1118. 1122. 1134. 1137. Sanctius IV. Alfonso IX Henry Ferdinandus Sanctus 1230. 1230. 1240. 1248. Alfonso X. 1256. 1284. Sanctius V. The Sicilian Vespers Ferdinand IV 1312. 1297. Alfonso XI 1324. 1350. Peter the Cruel 1366. 1369. Henry II. John II. 1390. Henry III. John II. 145â— 1442. Henry IV. 1468. 1469. Ferdinand the Catholick and Isabella The Kingdom of Castile and Arragon united The first beginning of the Spanish Inquisition 1497. 1481. 1483. Granada taken 1492. 1494. America discover'd The first rise of the War betwixt France and Spain 1504. Philip. 1506. 1512. Ferdinand conquer'd Naâ—â—arre Charles 1519. Wars betwixt Charles and France 1524. 1525. Rome taken by Charles V. 1527. A Peace madâ— at Cambray 1538. 1542. Peace made at Crespy 1544. Charles wages War against the Protestants in Germany 1547. 1550. Treaty at Passaw 1554. Abdication of Charles Peace betwixt Spain and France 1559. Charles dies Philip II. War with England The Spanish Armado destroyed 1588. 1596. 1594. Peace made at Vervin 1551. 1560. 1592. Portugal falls to Spain 1579. 1595. Philip III. Trucâ— with Holland 1609. 1602. Philip IV. 1622. 1628. 1639. Catalonia rebels 1651. Portugal falls off from Spain 1640. 1636. The Portugueses Duke of Braganza proclaimed King of Portugal 1642. 1647. Massanâ—llo ' s Rebellion at Naples 1647. 1650. The Pyrenean Treaty 1662. 1665. Charles II. 1668. Peace with Portugal The Tripple Alliance Peace made at Aix la Chapelle 1668. Peace made as Nimmegen 1679. The Nature of the Spaniards The Constitution of the Spanish Countries The Spanish West Indies Several sorts of Inhabitants in the Spanish West Indies Riches of America 1563. The Canary Islands Sardinia Sicily Naples Milan The Netherlands The Philippine Islands Strength and Weakness of Spain In what condition Spain is in in reference to its Neighbours and especially as to Barbary Turky Italian States The Pope Venice Genouae Savoy The Suiss Holland Germanâ— England Portugal France What may be the consequence of the Extinction of the Royal Family The Origin of the Kingdom of Portugal Henry Earl of Portugal Alfonsus I. King of Portugal 1126. 1139. The Origin of the five Shields in the Arms of Portugal 1179. 1185. Sanctius I. Alfonsus II. Sanctius II. 1246. Alfonsus III. Dionysius Alfonsus IV. Pieter Ferdinand 1373. Interregnum Some call in the King of Castile 1385. John the Bastard 1399. 1415. 1420. Edward Alfonsus V. 1476. 1479.
Fainthearted 987. The Carolinian Family extinguish'd Hugh Capet the first of the present Race Robert The Pope excommunicates him and his Kingdom Henry I. Philip I. Will. Duke of Normandy conquers England Expedition into the Holy Land Lewis the Fat Lewis VII His unfortunate Expedition to the Holy Land Philip II. the Conquerour Another Expedition to the Holy Land War betwixt France and England 1223. Lewis VIII Lewis IX A third Expedition to the Holy Land without Success 1254. The first Pretensions of the French upon the Kingdom of Naples 1261. 1268. An unfortunate Expedition of S. Lewis Philip the Hardy The Sicilian Vespers 1282. Philip the Handsom 1292. He has ill Success in Flanders 1302. 1304. He suppress'd the Templers Lewis X. Philip the Tall. Charles IV. Philip of Valois His Title conteâ—ted by Edward III. of England and in what ground War with England Battel near Crecy The English take Calâ—is 1347. Dauphine annexed to France 1349. Philip introduced the Gabell John Vnfortunate in his Wars against the English Battel near Poictiers 1356. A dishonourable Peace to France 1360. 1364. Charles the Wise He declares War against the English After the Death of Edward Charles attacks the English with Advantagâ— Charles VI. 1384. 1382. The first rise of the French Pretensions upon Milan◠〈…〉 1404. The Duke of Orleans assassinated by the Duke of Eurgundy 1407. The English take advantage of these Troubles 1415. Battel of Agincourt 1419. The Duke of Burgundy assassinated 1422. Charles VII Henry VI. of England proclaim'd King of France Misunderstandings betwixt the English and the Duke of Burgundy the only Advantage Charles had left The Maid of Orleans 1431. The English Power declines in France 1435. 1436. He drives the English out of France 1449. 1451. 1453. 1461. Lewis XI He reduces the excessive power of the Nobility A League against him The King's 〈◊〉 â—â—thods The Original of selling the Offices of France Duke of Burgundy slain 1477. Charles VIII Britainy united to France 1491. An Expedition to Naples end the Preâ—â—â—sions of it 1494. Charles conquer'd Naples 1495. The League of Italy against the French He losâ—th Naples 1498. Lewis XII 1499. He conqâ—ers Milan He conquers Naples 1501. Loses it agaiâ— 1503. The Venetian War Lewis joins in the League against thâ—â— 1508. 1509. A League against Lewis 1512. He conquers Milan agaiâ—n He is attack'd by several Princes at once Francis 1. He aspires to the Empire In a few Days he takes and loses the Kingdom of Navarre 1521. A War 〈◊〉 in Italy The French driven out of Milan 1521. The Duke of Bourbon revolts to the Emperour 1524. Franc's desired at the Battel of Pavia and taken Prisoner 1525. He is set at Liberty on hard Conditions which he did not perform He with the King of England declare War against the Emperour He sends an 〈◊〉 my into Italy Peace made at Cambray 1529. 1535. The War breaks out afresh The Truce prolong'd for nine Years Francis breaks the Truce 1542. A Peace concluded at Crespy 1544. 1546. Henry II. 1548. 1549. 1550. His Expedition into Germany 1552. 1555. A Truce between Charles V. and Henry II. 1557. A Project to unite Scotland with France misscarried Francis II. The Causes of the intestine Wars of France 1527. The House of Guise rises and that of Bourbon declines Divisions about the Administration of the Government 1560. Charles IX The Conferenec of Poissy 1562. The first Huguenot war 1563. The Second War 1568. The Third War 1569. The Prince of Conde being slain the King of Navarre is declar'd Head of the Huguenots 1570. The Parisian Massacre The Fourth War 1573. The Fifth War Henry III. The Holy League 1577. The Sixth War Spain enters the League The Seventh War 1585. The Eighth War 1587. The League force the King from Paris 1588. The Duke and Cardina of Guise assassinated by the King's Order at Blois The King makes use of the Huguenots against the League Aug. 2. 1589. Henry IV. His Difficulties on the account of his Religion The Pope Excommunicates Henry Proposals about setting up another King 1593. The King changes his Religion 1593. Several Cities surrender to him 1594. The King assaulted and wounded by a Ruffian The Jesuits banish'd The Edict at Nants The Peace of Vervins He takes from the Duke of Savoy all that he possessed on this side the Alpes 1600. The Conspiracy of the Marshal de Biron 1602. He introduces Manufacturies His Design to put a stop to the growth of the House of Austria He is Assassinated by Ravillac May 14. 1610. Lewis XIII 1617. 1619. Richlieu comes in play Made chief Minister of State Rochelle taken The Effects of the Civil Wars A War in Italy 1628. The first Occasion of Mazarini's Greatness How Pignerol came into the hands of the French The Queen Mother raises Troubles 1642. The King takes Lorrain from that Duke 1634. 1636. 1638. May 14. 1643. Lewis XIV Mazarini ' s Ministry 1644. Peace of Munster The intestine Commotions 1648. The Slingers The King forc'd to leave Paris 1649. The Imprisonment of the Princes 1651. The Cardinal banish'd France The Queen recalls him 1653. 1658. 1662. The Pyrenaean Peace 1659. The Death of Mazarini 1661. A Dispute about Precedency between the French and Spanish Embassadours A Treaty with the Duke of Lorrain A Differance with the Pope 1664. He attacks Flanders Peace made at Aix la Chapelle 1668. 1667. He invades Flanders 1672. 1673. Mastricht taken by the French The Death of Turenne The Losses of the Spaniards in this War Peace at Nimmegen The French Nation Full of Nobility Their Natural Qualities The Nature of the Country It s Situation It s Fertility Its Plantations The Government of France The Strength of France with reguard to England To Spain To Italy To Holland To the Swiss To Germany The Strength of France in regard of a Confederacy The ancient State of the United Provinces The Division of the 17 Provinces The Vnion of the 17 Provinces Tâ—eir Coâ—ditiâ—n than under Charles V. The cause of the Wars in the Netherlands under Philip II. William Prince of Orange Discontents of the Nobility and Clergy Change of Religion Spanish Inquisition Queen Flizabeth â—â—mented their Revolt 1559. The Cardinal Granville 1564. Count Egmont sent into Spain An Association of the Nobility 1566. Breaking of Imâ—ges The Duke of Alva 1568. The Earls of Egmont and Hoorn beheaded Briel taken April 1. 1571. Duke of Alva recall'd Lewis Requesenes Governour 1574. 1576. The Treaty of Ghent Don John d' Austria made Governour Archduke Matthew 1577. Alexander Duke of Parma Malecontents The Duke of Parma The Vnion of Utrecht the Foundation of the Common-wealth 1579. The Duke of Alenson 1583. 1584. Prince of Orange murthered His Son Prince Maurice made Stadtholider The English Confederacy 1616. 1586. The Regency of the Earl of Leicester The State of Affairs in Holland legias to mend 1588. 1590. 1592. Arch-Duke Albert Governour of the Spanish Netherlands 1602. The East-India Company Isabella Clara Eugenia Battel
first Church The Calumnies against the Primitive Christians The Politick Reasons of the Romans against it The first Church Government What persuasions arise thence Constantine could not quite alter the former State of the Church Of making Bishops Of Presiding in Councils Abuses in the Councilâ— Of the Episcopal Jurisdiction Concerning Marriages Concerning Excommunication The Origin of the Authority of the Popes Barbarity and Ignorance contributed to it The Causes of this ignorance S. Hierom's Dream The Pedantry introduced into the Schools The Greek and Roman Polititians prejudicial to Monarchy Why Rome was made the place of Residence of the Ecclesiastical Monarchy Metropolitans Patriarchs Of the Popes Power Further Increase of the Ecclesiastical Sovereignty What contributed to it The Popes Confirmation of Bishops Of the Monk Winifred Annals Riches of the Church The Policies of the Popes in the Croisade Multitude of Ecclesiasticks Fryars and Nuâ—â— Mendicants The Motives to embrace this manner of Life Prejudicial to the regular Clergy How the Church was freed from all Power over it How the Popes withdrew themselves from their subjction to the Emperours The Pope seeks for Protection in France The Pope withdraws himself from the Obedience of the Emperours and establishes an Ecclesiastical Sovereignty Pope Gregory excommunicates Hen IV. The Pope endeavours to subject the Emperour 1122. Disputes in England about the investiture of Bâ—shops 1107. The Pope prâ—tends to a Power over Princes even to depose them How they colour over this Power The Papal Authority opposed The Schisms much weakned their Power 1433. Hence an occasion taken to bridle the Popes Power by general Councils Concerning the Seat of the Popes being transferred to Avignon Luther gives a great blow to the Grandeur of the Pope The Vertues and Faults of Leo. Luther opposes Indulgences Afterwards the Popes Power The Circumstances of these times The Ignorance of Luther's Adversaries Erasmus favoured Luther The Princes of Germany dissatisfied with the Pope The ill Conduct of Leo and Cardinal Cajetan Why the Doctrine of Luther was not spread farther Divisions among the Protestants The Licenciousness of some Protestants The University of Paris Zwinglius and Calvin The Popish Sovereignty recovered The Bishops Priests and Monks more Regular and Learn'd than heretofore How they make Converts The House of Austria most Zealous for Popery The Temporal State of the Pope His Dominions His Forces How he stands with relation to Germany Spain and France Particular Constitution of the Popish Monarchy as Spiritual Why the Popish Sovereignty was to be exercised in the Form of a Monarchy Way it must be an elective Monarchy Why the Pope was to live in a State of Celibacy The Conclave What Qualifications are necessary for one that is to be chosen Pope College of the Cardinals The Popes enrich thâ—ir Kindred Cardinal Patroon Concerning the Celibacy of the Popish Clergy Their Number The Popish Doctrine suted to the Sâ—â—e As that of the Popâ—â—s Power The prohibition of the Laietya reading the Scripturea Traditions Venial and Mortal Sins Penance Merit of good Works Ceremonies Half Communion Marriage made a Sacrament Extreme Unction Purgatory Reliques Prayers to Saints The Universities have promoted the Popish Sovereignty Why the Jesuits have taken upon them the Education of the Youth Licensing of Books Excommunication and Inquisition Some Reasons why the People remain in the Communion of the Church of Rome What States are tied by a particular Interest to the Church of Rome Italy Poland Portugal Germany Spain France Formalities observed by the Nuncio ' s in France The main Pillar of the Popish Monarchy The Pope's Inâ—lination towards the Protestants No Peace is to be exspected betwixt the Roman Catholicks and Protestants Strength of the Protestants and Papists Divisions of the Protestants Other Inconveniencies The Hugonoâ—s of France to Protestants of Poland Of Germany The best way to preserve the Reformed Religion Whether the Lutherans and those of the Reformed Religion are likely to agree Socinians and Anabaptists Sweden the most antient Kingdom in Europe First Founders of the Gothick Nation Othin or Woden Frotho Battel fought near Brovalla Ingellus Bero. A. C. 829. The Christian Doctrine first taught in Sweden Amund Olaus A. C. 853. Ingo A. C. 890. Erick Erick Seghersell Stenchill the Mild. Olaus The Swedes and Gothes united in one Kingdom Amund Amund Slemme Haquin the Red. Stenchill Ingo the Pious Halstan A. C. 1086. Philip. Ingo A. C. 1138. Ragwold Knaphofde Swercher II. Erick the Holy A. C. 1154. 1160. Charles the Son of Swercher 1168. Cnut Erickson Swercher III. 1207. 1208. 1210. Erick Cnutson 1219. Erick Lespe Celibacy of Clergy introduced in Sweden 1250. Waldemar 1251. 1263. 1266. 1275. Magnus 1279. 1288. 1290. Birger II. 1292. 1298. 1303. 1305. 1308. 1317. 1319. Magnus Smocck 1357. 1361. 1363. Albert Duke of Mecklenburgh 1364. 1365. 1371. 1376. Margaret 12. Sept. 1388. The Battel of Talâ—oping 1394. 1395. Erick Duke of Pomerania Union made at Calmar betwixt Sweden Denmark and Norway 1396. 1410. 1412. Charles Cnutson 1436. 1437. Christopher Duke of Bavaria 1439. 1448. Charles Cnutson Christian I. 1458. 1464. Erick Axelson 1466. 1468. 1470. 1471. 1481. John II. 1497. 1503. 1504. 1511. Steen Sture the younger 1512. 1513. 1520. Gustavus I. 1523. Reformation begun in Sweden First Translation of the New Testament into Swedish 1527. Church Lands reduced in Sweden 1528. The Protestant Religion Established in Sweden 1533. 1542. 1544. The Kingdom of Sweden made Hereditary and the Popish Religion abolished 1556. 1559. Eriâ—k XIV 1561. The Titles of Earls and Barons introduced John III. 1568. 1571. War with the Moscovites 1577. New Liturgy introduced 1582. 1587. 1592. Sigismund 1594. 1598. 1599. 1600. Sigismund deposed 1604. Charles IX Warbetwixt the Swedes and Poles in Livonia 1611. Gustavus Adolphus 1613. Peace with the Muscovites 1617. 1617. 1620. 1626. The War carried on against the Poles in Prussia 1627. 1629. Truce with Poland German War 1626. 1623. 1630. Charles Gustave lands with his Forces in Germany 1631. Alliance made with France The City of Magdeburgh taken by the Imperialists 10 May. Battel near Leipzick 7. Sept. 1637. Battel near Lutzen Nov. 6. King Gustave Adolfe killed Christina 1633. 1634. Aug. 27. Battel of Nordlingen Truce prolonged with the Poles War betwixt the Swedes and Elector of Saxony 1637. 1638. Alliance with France 1641. May 10. 1642. Battel fought near Leipzick Oct. 23. War with Denmark 1644. 1645. Peace with Denmark 1643. July 16. Peace made at Munster and Osnabrug 1654. Jun. 6. Charles Gustave The War with Poland renewed 1656. War with Denmark 1658. Siege of Copenhagen Battel in Tuhnen 1666. Charles IX Peace made with the Poles May 3. May 23. Peace made with Denmark 1674. The Swedes routed by the Elector of Brandenburgh 1678. The nature and qualification of the Swedish Nation Condition of the Country and its Strength Neighbours of Sweden Muscovites Poles Germany Denmark France Holland England Spain and Portugal
might not be devoured by the House of Austria he was resolved to prevent with all his Might This is certain that his Preparations were greater than seem'd to be requisite only for the business of Juliers for he and his Allies had got 120000 Men together and prodigious Summs of Money The House of Austria on the other hand did not make the least Preparations just as if it had fore-known the fatal Blow which happened soon after The Army was marching towards the Netherlands and the King ready to follow in a few days having caused the Queen to be Crowned and constituted her Regent during his absence When the King going along the Street in Paris in his Coach which was fain to stop by reason of the great Croud of the People was by a desperate Ruffian whose Name was Francis Ravillac stabb'd with a Knife in his Belly so that he without uttering one word died immediately There are some who make no-question of it but that this Villain was set on to commit this fact and that it was not done without the knowledge of the Spaniards and the Queen her self And so fell this great Hero by the hands of a profligate Wretch after he had surmounted great Difficulties in ascending the Throne and had avoided above fifty several Conspiracies which being most contrived by the Priests against his Life were all timely discovered His Death proved very pernicious to the Kingdom because during the Minority of his Son the Power of the Great Men and also of the Huguenots did extreamly encrease § 23. His Son Lewis XIII succeeded him being scarce nine Years of Age and under the Tuition of his Mother Mary de Medicis she endeavour'd to preserve Peace abroad by Alliance and at home by Clemency and Liberality towards the great Men of the Kingdom who nevertheless several times raised Disturbances whereby they made their own advantage the Queen-Regent being not Powerfull enough to keep them in Obedience by force As soon as the King had taken upon himself the Management of Affairs he caused Concini Marshal d' Ancre who was born a Florentine to be killed he having been in great Power during the Queen's Regency and by his Pride Riches and Power drawn upon himself the Hatred of the Subjects by his Death he hoped to appease the dissatisfied Multitude The Queen-Mother was sent away from Court to Blois from whence she was carried away by the Duke d' Espernon And these Commotions were at last appeased by bestowing liberal Presents among the Great Men. About the same time Richlieu afterwards made a Cardinal began to be in great Esteem in Court who advised the King to establish his Authority and to take up by the Roots the intestine Evils of France He laid this down as a fundamental Principle That he should take from the Huguenots the power of doing him any mischief considering that such as were dissatisfied at any time or that were of a turbulent Spirit took always refuge and were assisted by them The first beginning was made in the King 's Patrimonial Province of Bearn where he caused the Catholick Religion to be re-establish'd The Huguenots being greatly dissatisfied thereat began to break out into Violence whence the King took an opportunity to recover several Places from them but sustained a considerable Loss in the Siege of Montauban till at last Peace was made with the Huguenots under condition that they should demolish all their new Fortifications except those of Montauban and Rochelle In the Year 1625 Cardinal Richlieu was made Chief Minister of France about which time also the second War with the Huguenots was ended But this Peace did not last long because those of Rochelle would not bear that the Fortress called Fort-Lewis should be built just under their Noses Richlieu therefore having taken a resolution at once to put an end to this War by the taking of Rochell besieg'd it so close both by Sea and Land that the English who had had very ill Success in the Isle of Rhée where they Landed could bring no Succours into the place Their Obstinacy was at last over-come by Famine of 18000 Citizens there having been not above 5000 left for they had lived without Bread for thirteen Weeks With this stroke the Strength of the Huguenots was broken Montauban upon the persuasion of the Cardinal having demolished its Works The cunning Duke of Roan also at last made his peace after he had been sufficiently troublesome to the King in Languedoc under condition that the Cities of Nismes and Montpelier should demolish their Fortifications but for the rest enjoy the free Exercise of their Religion And thus the Ulcer which had settled it self in the very Entrails of France was happily healed up It is related by some that these Civil Wars have devoured above a Million of People that 150 Millions were employed in paying of the Souldiers that nine Cities 400 Villages 20000 Churches 2000 Monasteries and 100000 Houses were burnt or laid level with the ground Then France applied all their care towards Foreign Affairs The King assisted the Duke of Nevers in obtaining the Dukedom of Mantua which belonged to him by Right of Succession but whom the Spaniards endeavour'd to exclude from the same as being a French-man In this War the Siege of Casal is most famous in the defence of which place the French gave incredible proofs of their Bravery At last the business was through the wise Management of the Popish Nuncio Mazarini who then laid the first Foundation of his future Greatness in France composed and the Duke of Nevers afterwards by the Treaty made at Chierasco establish'd in the Dukedoms of Mantua and Montferrat The King also bought Pignerol of the Duke of Savoy that so the French might not want a door into Italy France had also before taken part with the Grisons against the Inhabitants of the Valteline who had revolted being assisted by the Spaniards whereby he prevented this Country from falling into the Hands of the Spaniards and so Matters were restored to their former State In the Year 1631 France made an Alliance with Sweden allowing to that King a yearly Pension to assist him in opposing the Greatness of the House of Austria But when King Gustavus Adolphus began to be formidable on the Rhine he took the Elector of Treves into his protection putting a Garrison into Hermanstein which nevertheless in the Year 1636 was forced to a Surrender by Famine In the mean time the Queen-Mother and the Kings Brother the Duke of Orleans envying the Greatness of Richelieu had raised some tumults With them also sided Montmorency who paid for it with his Head and put an inglorious end to his noble Family which boasted to have been the first noble Family that embrac'd the Christian Religion in France And tho' this business was afterwards Composed the Queen Mother being received into Favour again yet was she so
dissatisfied because she could not Act according to her own Will that she retired into Flanders and from thence into England where she made some stay and at last died in a very low Condition in Cologne In the Year 1633. the King took from the Duke of Lorrain his Countrey because he had declared himself for the Emperour And when afterwards viz. after the Battel fought near Nordlingen the Swedish Affairs were in a very low Condition and the House of Austria began to hold up its Head again France broke out into open War with Spain to balance the growing Power of the House of Austria He took for a pretence that the Spaniards had surprized the City of Treves and taken the Elector of Treves Prisoner who was under French protection And then the War began in Italy Germany the Netherlands and Roussilion which was carried on with various Fortune yet so that the French got the better of it at last To touch upon some of the most remarkable Actions The first Attack which the French made in the Netherlands did not succeed very well they having been forced to raise the Siege of Lovain with great Loss In the Year 1636 Piccolomini marched into Picardy and Galias into Burgundy but did nothing of moment On the other hand the French beat up the Siege of Leucate in Roussilion and the brave Duke Barnhard of Saxen-Weimar took the Fortress of Brisac he carrying on the War with French Money And after the Death of this Duke which happened not long after the King of France brought both that Fortress and his Army over to its side with Money Yet the French miscarried in the same Year before St. Omer and Fontarabia before the last of which Places the Prince of Conde sustained a considerable Loss In the same Year viz. on the 5th of September Lewis XIV was almost by a Miracle born of a Marriage which had proved unfruitfull for twenty Years before In the Year 1639 the French were beaten before Thionville In the Year 1640 they took Arras and in the same Year Catalonia revolting from Spain threw it self under the French Protection In the Year 1641 a great Misfortune hung over Richlieu's Head the Count the Soissons having raised a dangerous Rebellion but he being killed in an Engagement wherein otherwise his Party had the better establish'd by his Death the Cardinal's Authority and the Quiet of France In the Year 1642 Perpignan was taken at which Siege the King and Richlieu were both present Monsieur Cinqmats did about that time first insinuate himself into the King's favour hoping thereby to undermine Richlieu And the better to balance the Cardinal he had made some under-hand Intrigues with Spain But the Cardinal having discovered the business caused his Head to be cut off as also de Thou the younger's because he had been privy to the business tho' he had advised against it yet had he not discover'd it From the Duke of Bouillon who had been also of the Cabal he took for a Punishment his strong Hold Sedan In the same Year Richlieu died to his great good fortune the King being grown quite weary of him notwithstanding he had laid the first Foundation of the Greatness of France which is now so formidable to Europe The King also died not long after § 24. Lewis XIV was but Five years of Age when he came to the Crown his Mother 't is true bore the name of Regent of France but in effect the Cardinal Julius Mazarini had the chief Management of the Kingdom which was then in a very flourishing Condition but every Body was for enriching himself out of the Kings Purse during his Minority and Mazarini was very liberal thereby endeavouring to make them in love with his Government But the Treasury being become empty new Taxes were of necessity to be imposed upon the People which caused a great dissatisfaction against the Government Nevertheless for the first Five years every thing was pretty quiet at home and War carried on abroad At the very first beginning of this new Government the Duke d' Austria obtained a signal Victory against the Spaniards near Rocroy after which he took Thionville and Gaston the Kings Uncle Graveling Anguin revenged the loss which the French had sustainded the Year before near Dutlingen and having first beaten the Bavarian Forces near Friburg in Brisgaw he took Philipsburg in the Year 1646. he beat the Bavarian Troops near Norlingen and afterwards took Dunkirk But in the Year next following he in vain besieged the City of Lorida In the Year 1648. a Peace was concluded at Munster in Westphalia betwixt the Emperour and France by Vertue of which the latter got the two Fortresses of Brisac and Philipsburg the Countrey of Puntgau and part of the upper Alsatia But as France by this Peace was freed from one Enemy so on the other hand the intestine Commotions put a stop to its great Progresses The chief reason of these Troubles was that some envying Mazarini as being a Foreigner they would by all means have him removed from the Helm and this they sought with the greater Importunity because they were not in awe of the King who was but a Child neither of his Mother she being an outlandish Woman Some of the great Men also were for fishing in troubled Waters But above all the rest the Prince of Conde would fain have been Master and have made the Cardinal dance after his Pipe The Cardinal was for bringing of him over to his Party by a Marriage propos'd to him but the Prince of Conde perceiving that the Cardinal was for maintaining his old Post nor would depend on him rejected the Offer as unbecoming the Grandeur of his House There were also some Women of a restless Spirit concern'd in these Intrigues among whom was Mad. de Longueville Sister of the Prince of Conde Mad. Chevreuse Mombazon and others The first beginning was by slanderous Papers and Libels which were daily dispers'd in Paris There was also a certain Faction set up who called themselves the Slingers because they openly undertook to knock down the Cardinal as David struck down the Giant Goliah by the help of his Sling The Heads of this Faction were the Duke of Beaufort and Guadi the Archbishop of Paris afterwards call'd the Cardinal de Rez With this Party also sided the Parliament of Paris which did pretend to have a great Authority against the Government at that time The first Insurrection was made in Paris occasion'd by the taking into Custody of one Braussel a Member of the Parliament whereupon the King left the City Yet the Business was compos'd for that time some things having been granted to the mutinous Party But the Faction of the Slingers renewing their former Disturbances the King left the City a second time The Parliament having then publickly condemn'd the Cardinal grew every day stronger Turenne who then commanded the