for the maintaining of the Saliqu◠Law to which the wisest of the League yielded Philip the II. of Spain in that Assembl◠of the States set up his Daughters Title an◠presented her to be Queen But presently perceiving the weaknesse of that Title and th◠aversion of the French from the Government of a woman he offered to marry her either with a Prince of the house of Austria or with one of the House of Lorraine Whos◠imaginary rights were at the same tim◠pleaded And to strengthen all these rights he said that the Election by the State would supply all defects in the Right o◠succession It appeared that Philip acknowledged th◠weaknesse of his Daughters right since h◠presented her to be elected The Salique Law is fundamentall in France wisely instituted and observed twelve hundred years together As for Philips allegation that Princes are not to be tied by municipall Laws but by th◠Laws of Nature it is utterly false For in th◠discussion of the rights of all Soveraigns the municipall Lawes are alwaies examined and none can have right to an Estate from which he is excluded by the Law of the Land The decision of all suits for Estate is taken out of the customes of the Land where the Estate lyeth but where those customes written or unwritten are wanting the case is to be decided by reason onely The French think they have both Law and Reason on their side Howsoever that Isabella in whose favour that Right was set up dyed childlesse an 1633. Whose right if she had any should be devolved since to the Children of her second sister Katherine wife to Charles Emanuel Duke of Savoy from whom all the House of Savoy that now is is descended 4. Besides these imaginary Rights to the whole Kingdom the Empire hath a weake pretended right to some parts of it Whereupon we must observe That by the partage between the Sons of Lewis the Meek 843. all the Countries that lye between the Rivers of Rhosne and Saone and the Alpes viz. Provence Daulphine Savoy and Franch County remained Imperial Lands And the French Kings in the second Race yea and very far in the third Race pretended nothing to them till Daulphine came to them in the time of Philip de Valois and Provence in the time of Lewis the XI And that part of the Empire being held by Lothary the eldest Son of Lewis the Meek and after him by his Son Lewis the Young who dyed without Heirs Male a State was erected in favour of his Daughter Hermengard between these two Rivers and the Alpes which was called the Kingdom of Arles or the second Kingdome of Burgundy which continued under its proper Kings whose pedegree was fully described by the Historian Du Chesne unto the death of Rodolphus the last King who dying without issue an 1036. left his Estate to the Emperour Conrad the II surnamed the Salique who had married his sister Grisel or as some say was his Nephew by her By that gift besides the antient pretence of the Empire upon that Kingdome at least for the soveraignty the Emperours became Masters of the same both by soveraignty and propriety and annext it to the Empire At which time the Arch-bishop of Treves tooke the name of Chancellor per regnum Arelatense But the Authority of the Emperours coming to a great decay out of Germany especially during the Warres betweene the Emperour Henry the IV. and the Popes four Principalities were framed in that Kingdom of Arles of the Counts of Provence the Dolphins of Viennois the Counts of Moriurre called since Dukes of Savoy and the Counts of Burgundy which without question depended from the Empire as long as there was any vigour in it But time hath worne out that title and prescription is past upon it not to be broken and the old title revived unless the Emperour will together question most part of the Principalities of Italy and the East and North Gaules Of these four Principalities that of Savoy subsisteth to this day Franch County is fallen to the House of Flanders and so to the house of Austria Daulphiné was given to Philip de Valois by Imbert Dolphin about the yeare 1343. And Provence to Lewis the XI an 1482. by Charles Count of Maine Heir to René King of Naples and Duke of Anjou All these changes and gifts as for the propriety only the Soveraignty being still pretended by the Emperours which they may well be accounted to have lost by weaknesse desertion and by prescription as many other Principalities at this side of the Rhine Besides the French Histories relate that in the year 1377. the Emperour Charles the IV being come into France to visit King Charles the V gave to his God-son Charles who since was Charles the VI the right which the Emperours pretended in Daulphiné which was no great gift And Theodorick à Niem an Historian of that age saith That the same Emperour being come to Avignon to visit the Pope gave to Lewis Duke of Anjou brother to Charles the V. of France the whole Kingdome of Arles which had been under the jurisdiction of the Empire in recompence of the magnificent entertainment which the said Lewis gave him at Villeneufue near Avignon So all these Rights of the Empire are lost either by prescription or donation These are all the rights that can be imagined to be pretended by the Emperours and the House of Austria upon the Soveraignty of France Paragraphe II. Of the Rights pretended upon Provence Let us now examine some pretences of the House of Austria upon some Dutchies and other Dominions in France beginning at Provence 1. I shewed before how Provence before the partage betweene the Sons of Lewis the Meek a fundamental and famous Date in our History was part of the Kingdome of France And when it was divided into Tetrarchies it was a member of the Kingdom of Mets Austrasia or Burgundy But when before that famous division all France was reunited in the second Race under these two great Princes Pepin and Charlemagne Provence was a part of it 2. By the partage betweene the Sonnes of Lewis the Meek Provence with all that was beyond the Rivers of Rhosne and Saone was cut off from the portion given to Charles the Bald and was since called the Kingdome of Arles All these pieces given to Lothary the eldest brother were called the Empire and Imperial grounds and to this day the Lands beyond the Rhone towards Italy are called Terres d' Empire Lands of the Empire and the Lands at this side Terres de France French Lands Since that partage the Emperours have alwayes pretended a Soveraignty to those Countries a right strengthened by the donation made of the propriety of it to the Emperour Conrad the Salique by his Uncle or Brother in law Rodolphus the last King of Burgundy 3. Lewis the II. Emperour Son to that Lothary left but one Daughter called Hermengarda which being incapable of the Title of
The Dutchy of Montferrat sometimes the patrimony of the house of the Paleologi is at this time in the hands of the Duke of Mantua There stands Cazal of St. Vaast the so much disputed place The small Common-wealth of Luca in Toscana between the two States of Florence and Genoa Besides these two estates are attributed to Italy though far from it the one is the Common-wealth of Ragousa in Slavonia upon the Golph in old time called Epidaurus It is soveraign yet payeth to the Turk her next neighbour a tribute of fifteen thousand Sequins yearly The other Estate is Malta with the next Iland Goza possest by the Religion of Saint John of Jerusalem But that Prince hath but the shade of a Soveraigne being as for his person a Religious depending of the Pope and punishable by the Pope and the Iland of Malta acknowleding the King of Spain as a dependance of Sicily In all these States of Italy there is no exercise of any Religion but the Roman Although all these Princes will be acknowledged Soveraign there is none properly so but the Pope the Venetians and the Common-wealth of Genoa All the others are either Imperial Lands as Mantua Milan Montferrat Piemont Modena Mirandula Florence or depend of the Pope as Naples Sicily Parma and Placentia Paragraphe VI. In the end of the Golph of Venice Eastward lyeth Greece possest by the Turk who holds all that was comprehended in the names of Peloponnesus Achaea Epirus Macedonia Thracia with the great City of Constantinople Nearer to the River of Danubius and above the mountaines of Thracia he hold Bulgaria and Servia which were the ancient Misiae Bossena great part of Hungary as farre as Gran or Strigonium near the Towne of Commorra and part of Slavonia and Dalmatia By those more Occidentall Countries he toucheth the Lands of the Venetians and the the House of Austria Beyond Danubius he is acknowledged by the three Vaivodes or Princes of Transylvania Moldavia and Walachia The Turk holds also all the Ilands of the Mediterranean Sea from Candia to Pontus Euxinus Beyond the mouth of Danubius and the coast of Pont Euxin he holds as farre as the River Tyrus or Niestra And higher in Taurica Chersonesus the Town of Cafa in old time Theodosia His Dominion on that side buts upon the River Tanais where his Frontier is the Town of Assou taken about ten years ago upon the Muscovite In all that Tract though the Turk and the Mahometan Religion govern most part of his People profess the Religion of Christ under he Patriarch of Constantinople Yet thereare many of the Roman Religion in Hungary Bossena and Servia Transylvania is Protestant Paragraphe VII Above Pont Euxin towards Meotides Paludes there is a great extent of Countries bordering upon Podolia and Muscovia And within that Sea is that Peninsula sometimes called Taurica Chersonesus now Precops All that Tract is called Tartaria Precopensis or the Crim Tartar or about four hundred years ago a Herd for Army of Tartars invaded that Country It is now one of the considerable States of Europe possest by a Mahumetan Prince named Cantemiro It bordereth upon the Turks towards Pont Euxin and is in league with them Westward it joyns with Poland Northwards with Muscovia and hath War almost continually with these two Nations Paragraphe VIII Beyond the dominions of Poland there is a River called Danambra in old time Borysthenes which severeth Sarmatia now called Poland from the old Scythia Europea which comprehends that large tract of Land between Borysthenes and Tanais and Northward ward unto the frozen Sea This is that great Estate of Muscovia denominated from the Capitall City Mosko The Prince the great Duke of Moscovia besides that part of Enrope stretcheth his Dominion very far into great Asia He that reigned when the Author writ this Book which was in the year 1644. was Michael Fedorowitz who was elected in the year 1612. in the confusion of Civil Wars after the extinction of the antitient Royall Family That People is Christian but of the rudest sort acknowledging the Patriarch of Constantinople Westward they join with Poland Southward with the Crim Tartar and with each of them have alwaies some war Paragraphe IX All the Country from the River of Odera in Germanie or at least from the River of Vistula or Weissell as far as Borysthenes and Northward as far as the point of the Baltique Sea above Livonia All that Country I say called antiently Sarmatia containeth now the Kingdom of Poland consisting of the greater and lesser Poland Russia alba the Country of the Cossacks Podolia and other Provinces with the great Dutchy of Lituania near Borysthenes That State of Poland whose capital City is Cracovia joyneth Southward with the Lands of the Empire and Hungary sâ— much as belongs to the House of Austria and with Transylvania and Moldavia East ward it joines with the Tartar and Moscovitâ— The Court of Poland hath been of the Romaâ— Religion hitherto What it will be hereafteâ— the successe of the present Warrs will shew That State tolerates all sorts of Religions Livonia or Liefland in the Baltick Sea is accounted as an appurtenance of Poland Yet because three Estates meet there Poland oâ— the South Muscovia on the East and North and Sweden on the West it is al waies disputed between these three Crowns and is thâ— occasion of great Warrs which were appeased in some part by the peace between Polanâ— and Sweden An. 1635. but newly revived Paragraphe X. By an arm of the great Ocean that Mediterranean Sea of the North is formed which is called the Baltique Sea There the Dominions of Sweden and Denmark are seated two considerable States The Kingdom of Sweden comprehendâ— great part of the antient Gotthia the Towâ— and Dutchy of Stockholm the great Dutchy of Finland and Northward Botnia Scrifinia and other unknown Countries The presenâ— King is Carolus Gustavus by the cession of hiâ— Cosen German Christina Daughter to the famous Gustavus Adolphus The whole Kingdom of Sweden is Lutheran Yet in the North there â—s some remnant of the antient Idolatry of Pagans The other State is that of Denmark composed of the Hanse Teutonique called antientâ—y Cimbrica-Chersonesus which is a corner of great Germany containing the Dutchy of Holstein Juitland and Schleswick A second part of that Estate lyeth in Ilands the chiefe of them Zeland where Coppenhagen is seated â—he Capitall City of the Kingdom The third part is in the Peninsula of the Baltique Sea â—nd herein the Kingdom of Norway and Finmarch To that State also belong the Ilands of Friesland and Island far in the North. They are all Lutherans The strength and wealth of that Kingdom lieth in the passage of the Sund which makes it considerable to all that â—raffick to or from the Baltique Sea Paragraphe XI From thence sailing Westward one comes â—o the great Brittanique Ilands of which we â—hat inhabit them know more then this Auâ—hor and therefore leave that little
slain Ottocarus Son of Wenceslaus King of Bohemia gave to his Son Albert the Dutchie of Austria where Vienna stands the Dutchie of Stiria where the Town of Gratz stands the Lordships of Carniola and Windismark otherwise the March of Slaponia and Portenan in the Country of Friuli wherein the house of Austria is a neighbour to the Venetians This is the first Patrimony of the house of Austria of which Albert was invested by his Father at Ausburg by the consent of the Generall States of Germany 2. In the year 1283. Henry Marquesse of Burgan in Suevia between Vlm and Ausburg being dead without Children the same Emperour Rudolphus gave that Marquisat to his Son 3. Albert the III. Duke of Austria Grandthild to the first Albert was made Heir with his brothers of the Dutchy of Carinthia and â—he Dutchy of Tirol within the Alpes neare â—taly by Margaret Daughter to Duke Henry â—s her nearest kinsman by their Grandmoâ—her Elizabeth Sister to the said Henry and Wife to Albert the first and because the house of Bavieres laid a claim to the County of Tirol the said house renounced it by agreement Ann. 1362. 4. The County of Ferretta is a little Country above the French County near Basel and on this side of the Rhine It came tâ— the house Austria by Jane Wife to Albert thâ— II. Duke of Austria Daughter and Heir oâ— Ulrich Earl of Ferretta about the yeaâ— 1358. 5. Leopold Duke of Austria bought of Agoâ— Count of Friburg in Brisgau towards Alstia the Signory of that Town and some other towards the Grisons 6. Friderick the third in the year 1458. ater the death of Ulrich Count of Cibey deaâ— without Children seized upon that County and united it with the Dutchie 〈◊〉 Stiria 7. Maximilian the First in the year 1501 seized upon the County of Goricia vacanâ— by the death of Count Leonard So all thesâ— pieces make up the antient Patrimony of Austria which hath many times been distracted and divided for to make Portions to thâ— youngest And yet at this time the Count of Burgau is in the hands of a Branch of that house which bears the Title of Marquesses Burgau And the County of Tirol belongs tâ— the children of the late Archduke Leopold brother to the Emperour Ferdinand the II. Paragraphe IV. To make up the greatnesse of Austria six of the greatest houses of Europe have met in one Austria Burgundy Castilia Arragon Hungary and Portugal 1. Of that of Austria we have spoken before 2. The house of Burgundy was founded in the person of Philip fourth Son to King John of France who dying in the year 1363. left to his Son Philip the Dutchy of Burgundy He and his three Successours John Philip the Good and Charles slain before Naney gathered many Provinces by Marriages Purchases Gifts and Usurpations whence that great Estate of the house of Burgundy was framed four main pieces whereof depended from the Soveraignty of France Namely the Dutchy of Burgundy the County of Flanders with the Towns of Lilo Doway and Orches the County of Artors and that of Charalois The rest he held from the Empire Franch County the four Dutchies of Netherlands Luxemburg Limburg Brabant and Gueldres The Counties of Hainault Namur Holland Zealand Zutsen Mechlen West-Fresland Over-Issel and Groninghen And in the year 1528. the Bp. of Utrecht yielded to the Emperour Charles the V. the Lordship of Utrecht and his claim in Over-Issel because he was not strong enough to maintain it against the Duke of Guelders his Enemy After the death of Charles killed before Nancy Mary his onely Daughter pretended to his whole succession But Lewis the XI King of France seized upon the Dutchy of Burgundy pretending that it was a masculin fee given by King John to his Son Philip le Hardy for him and his Heirs Male for the reasons which we shall represent in the following Chapter All the rest by right remained with Mary of Burgundy even the County of Charolois almost inclosed within the Dutchy of Burgundy although the French would have it to be a fee of the same Nature as the Dutchy Yet because it was found that it had been purchased from the house of Armagnae by the Dukes of Burgundy it was left to Mary And since that time during the civill confusions and the Wars with Spain the French having seized upon it yet they restored it to the house of Austria by the Treaty of Vervins Ann. 1598. saving onely the resorâ— and dependance upon the Parlament oâ— Dijon 3. The house of Castilia is an offspring oâ— that of Navarra For Sanchez King of Navarra divided all that he held in Spain to hiâ— three children Garcias the eldest had Navarra Sanchez King of Navarra divided all that he held in Spain to his three Children Garcias the eldest had Navarra Ferdinand Castilia and Ramires Arragon Of these Kings the lives and actions must be seen in the History of Spain In the year 1472. that House fell to Isabella sister to Henry the IV. called the Impotent Isabella was married to Ferdinand King of Arragon From that marriage issued Joane the second Daughter and Heir which brought all these Estates to the House of Austria by her marriage with Archiduke Philip. These Estates contained the two Castilia's Gallicia Leon Asturia Biscay Mursia Cordova Andalusia Estremadura Since that time an 1492. under the conduct of Christophorus Columbus the Castilians discovered many Ilands of West-Indies Hispaniola Cuba Jaimaica and others Americus Vespucius discovered the Western continent an 1500. Fernando Cortez subdued the great State of Mexico an 1518. and Francis Pizarro the Perou an 1525. All that is comprehended under the name of Castilia and is fallen to the House of Austria by that marriage 4. As for Arragon many Kings reigned in it of the line of the foresaid Ramires and that family past through many changes In the end that estate fell into the hands of Ferdinand the Catholique at the same time that the Kingdom of Castilia fell to Isabella whom he married So his estate came to consist of four parts 1. Of the patrimoniall inheritance of his House Arragon Catalonia Roussillon Valentia Marjorca Minorca Ivica Promentera Sardinia and Sicily 2. The Kingdom of Naples which he tooke from the French An. 1503. as we shall say afterwards 3. The Kingdom of Granada which he and his wife Isabella got from the Saracens Anno 1494. 4. The Kingdome of Navarra out of which he dispossest John of Albret An. 1512. All these Estates fell to his Daughter married with Philip Arch-duke of Austria 5. Hungary had her Kings well known in the Histories especially since the year 1000. the time of King St. Steven That family fell to that of the Kings of Naples descended from the Royall House of France by the marriage of the inheritrice of Hungary with Charles the Lame Son to Charles brother to St. Lewis Finally after many great changes that Crown fell to Lewis the last King of Hungary
comprehended indeed all the West and herein the Gaules That Empire was made up of the ruine of many Nations by right or wrong Howsoever long prescription and the consent of Nations with the extinction of the royall Families made up a reasonable right which continued in the Roman Emperours till the year of Christ 400 when by the inundation of many Northern Nations Goths Vandales Franks and others the whole Empire was dismembred and the severall Conquerors of each part made themselves Soveraign So did the Franks in Gaules A beginning not to be excused of violence and usurpation But the ruine of the Romans prescription and the consent of the conquered people did since authorize their dominion and towards the end of the first age of these invasions they were all justified and the Conquerours remained just possessours especially when the Roman Empire ended in Augustulus An. 475. And when Charlemagne restored the Western Empire an 800. that promotion did not alter the former Title he had to the Kingdome of France It was but a Title of honour which he and after him his Sonne Lewis the Meek possest with that of King of France Afterwards by the partage made An. 843. between the Sons of Lewis the Meek each of the three brothers had his portion independent from the others and Lothary the Eldest who had the Title of Emperour pretended no right over Charles the Bald who had France for his Portion much as it is now Since which time all that would ascribe any Superiority to the Emperours over the Princes of Christendom that are acknowledged Soveraign have with good reason bin hissed out as ridiculous Only the precedence was left to the Emperour as the eldest among the brethren But the subjection which he yields to the Pope and the small right which he retains over the Lands and Princes of the Empire weaken his authority very much and make it unworthy of that precedence over all the Princes of Christendom Wherefore he doth not stir those antient pretences over all the Kingdomes of the West 2. Some Germane Historians as Trithemius Lazius Munster Fiesdorpius make the house of Habsburg which is that of Austria to descend from the first race of the French Kings a fable invented since 120. years and newly taken up again by the flatterers of that house Especially by Fiesdorpius a name either true or forged by the Spaniards To understand this we must know that the Kingdom of France was often divided into Tetrarchies under the first race Kings of Paris of Orleans of Soissons and Mets. In the last of these Brunehault reigned with great power that abominable woman so much renowned in our Histories which confounded and destroyed that house by her ordinary murthers That State of Mets being fallen into the hands of two brothers Thierry and Theodebert who contended for it Therry joyning with his Grandmother Brunchault overcame Theodebert in battell and put him cruelly to death And by Brunehaults order the two Sons of Theodebert were slain in her presence This Tragedy was acted An. 617. But these Historians to flatter the house of Austria say that of these two Sons of Theodebert the one called Sigebert escaped the hands of his great Grandmother and fled into Germany to Godfrey and Genebald Dukes of Franconie his Uncles by the Mother by whose intercession he obtained of Lothary King of France his Cosin some lands in Switzerland upon condition that he should renounce all his rights to the Crown of France That he or his Son or one of his more remote descent built the Castle of Habsburg and founded that family And upon that account the house of Austria descends from that of France That relation is a blind tale for all antient Historians affirm that both the Sons of Theodebert and he had no more were slain by Brunehault And the first that mentions that escape of Sigebert is Trithemius who lived about six score yeares ago And as it is false it is ridiculous in the ordinary vicissitude of the affairs of the world and the continuall changes of Possessions to set up Titles after an interruption of a thousand years For upon that account there is no Prince in Europe but may be degraded and no mean man but may be intitled to some principality It is with great reason that the Title of prescription is every where preferred before all Titles And though the tale were a true story that Rodolphus of Habsburg the head of the house of Austria was descended from the Family of Habsburg by the women his masculine extraction was from the house of Tiestein So this pretence is so ridiculous that it is not worth speaking 3. The branch of the house of Valois hath continued from male to male from Pphilip de Valois who came to the Crown An. 1328 to the death of Henry the Third An. 1589. males failing in that branch the Crown by the fundamental laws of the Land was to pass to the next branch of the Males which was that of Bourbon and so did in the end A Title so known to all the French that even in the heat of the War of the League against the house of Bourbon as professing a contrary Religion yet they crowned the Cardinal of Bourbon and called him Charles the Tenth In these confusions Philip the Second King of Spain seeing the party of the League inclined to the Election of a King claimed the Kingdom for his Daughter Clara Eugenia Isabella as Daughter of Elizabeth of France his third wife sister and Heir of the three last Kings Francis II. Charles IX and Henry III. and of Francis Duke of Alenson the eldest of three Sisters of which the Second was Claude married to Charles Duke of Lorrain and the third was Queen Margaret wife to Henry the Fourth then only titular King of Navarra He alleadged then that representation being a good Title by the Laws of France his Daughter entred into all the rights of her Mother Elizabeth which should have inherited of her brothers and that her right extended even to the Crown as the Patrimony of her Family That the pretended Salique Law of the French was imaginary yea and against Nature against Humanity and the right of Political successions which require that all Inheritances may go to the next Heirs And though that Law had force among the French that his Daughter being not a subject nor borne in France could not be tied by these municipall Laws That between Soveraigns the Law of Nature not the particular Laws of Nations should be the rule That all Laws of Nature reject this principle that the successions should be for males only as though females were unreasonable creatures or the excrements and sweepings of mankind and no part of human society When the States of the League were assembled in Paris An. 1593. some unadvised anâ— rash heads moved the Election of a King and the excluding of the house of Bourbon whicâ— stirred the Parliament to make that famouâ— Arrest
Emperour had instead of it that Country between the Rivers of Saone and the Rhone the Alpes and the Sea which Dominon was erected to the Title of a Kingdom by Charles the Bald King of France and Emperour in favour of that Hermengarda whom Bozon one of the Court of Charles and his wives kinsman took away These two Bozon and Hermengarda gave a beginning to that second Kingdom of Burgundy or the Kingdom of Arles about the year 875. which continued under these Kings among many alterations to that last Rodolphus an 1036. All that time Provence was part of that Kingdome of Arles 4. Which Kingdom being extinct in that Rodolphus and united to the Empire by Conrad the Salique shortly after by the weakness of the Emperours and the disorders risen in the Empire four Principalities were framed out of it as we said before That of Provence under the title of a County was the most considerable as being full of good Towns and of great commerce by reason of the Sea It was possest by the family of Berengers with the title of Counts whose History was written by Nostradamus 5. That House of Berengers kept the County of Provence till the time of St Lewis when Raymond Berenger the last Count left four Daughters the eldest whereof Margaret was married to St Lewis The three others were also married to Soveraign Princes Eleonor to Henry the III. King of England Fancie to Richard his brother who was since created King of the Romans and the fourth Daughter Beatrix to Charles Count of Anjou brother to St Lewis Raymond dying an 1231. left that Beatrix Heir of all his Estate leaving Legacies onely to the three others to each three thousand marks Another Raymond Count of Thoulouse would have taken away that Beatrix to marry her But St Lewis prevented him sending an Army into Provence and taking her gave her to his brother Charles to wife to whom he gave the County of Anjou And thirty yeares after the same Charles was invested by the Pope with the Kingdome of the two Sicilies as we shall see hereafter The County of Anjou returned to the Crown of France being given as a portion to Margaret Grand-child to that Charles who was married to Charles Count of Valois Father to King Philip de Valois And many yeares after that first Branch of the Kings of Naples and Counts of Anjou pretended no right to that County it was given to Lewis brother to King Charles the V. who founded the second House of Anjou now erected to a Dukedome But the two other pieces of that Estate which Charles brother to St. Lewis enjoyed with his wife Beatrix which was Provence and the Kingdom of the two Sicilies remained alwayes united and the Kings of Naples and Sicily whether of the first House of Anjou or of the second or of the family of Arragon have alwayes claimed a right to the County of Provence so that Naples and Provence go under one right as we shall more fully expound when we shall speak of the claim of France upon Naples 6. Jane Queen of Naples of the first house of Anjou went out of Italie An. 1379. with Pope Clement VII and retired to Avignon when that great Schism began which contitinued forty years Since which time although there have been many disputes for the succession of Naples between the Families of Charles de Duras the Dukes of Anjou and the house of Arragon and that portion of Italie past through many changes yet Province into which that Jane retired was soon after put in the hands of Lewis first Duke of Anjou brother to Charles the V. and both he and his descent enjoyed it peaceably without any disturbance from the houses of Hungary and Arragon who were fighting for the Kingdom of Naples although both pretended that Province belonged to them by the same right But the conveniency of the place as lying under the wings of France which might assist it at any time kept the possession thereof to the house of Anjou And finally from the house of Anjou it past to that of France being left to Lewis the XI by Charles Count du Main Heir and Nephew to Rene titular King of Naples and reall Possessor of Province Lewis the XI though he knew the right of the French in Naples which his Son Charles the VIII and his other successours have pursued yet he neglected it and contented himself to take Provence By this discourse it appears that who so hath the lawfull Possession of the Kingdom of Naples which we shall examine afterwards hath also a lawfull right to Province 7. Besides that claim of the Possessors of Naples upon Province disputable between that house first of Anjou and that of Arragon Austria there is a more particular claim of the Dukes of Lorraine against the French Kings Heirs to that Charles du Main The Lorriners pretend that René having a Daughter named Yoland from which the house of Lorrain is descended could not lawfully dis-inherit his Grandchild to give his Estate to Charles du Maine his Nephew To which the French answer two things 1. That Province was a purchase of René who could dispose of it 2. And that Province useth the Civil or Roman Law by which testaments are free But the discussion of that point is for another place Howsoever this remains That the Dukes of Anjou and the French Kings after them have peaceably enjoyed the County of Province above 270. years and the invaders of Naples never had any thing in it Which indeed hinders not but that they may have a right to it But the reason whereby we shall exclude them hereafter from any right to the Kingdome of Naples will serve also to invalid their claim upon Province Paragraphe III. Of the Dutchy of Burgundy 1. The Burgundians came out of Germany or some other Nation of the North in that great inundation of Northern people over the Roman Empire about the year 400. founded a State under the name of the first Kingdom of Burgundy about the Rivers of Saone and Rhone and near the Alpes And that State having begun An. 407. was ruined by the children of the great Clovis about the year 527. and lasted about six score years 2. Since which time under the first race of the French Kings Burgundy was part of the Kingdom of Orleans some part of it also belonging to the Kingdom of Mets and Austrasia And in the end the Kingdom of Mets and that of Burgundy became all one till by the partage between the children of Lewis the Meek that part of Burgundy which is beyond the River of Saone remained with the Empire and in the portion of Lothary the eldest Son The other on this side of the River of Saone was allotted to France and was a considerable member of the same Before the institution of Fees made in the beginning of the third race Burgundy was governed by Dukes and three Brothers of Hugh Capet the first of
frontiers of Spain the Duke de l' Infantasqua and the Cardinall of Burgos came to receive her in the Abbey of Roncevaux which was in Navarra There King Antony protested that the Queen was not delivered upon the frontires of Spain but in the heart of his own Kingdom that none should believe hereafter that Roncevaux did belong to the King of Spain Under Charles the IX All this reign past among civill confusions about Religion and scarce any dispute was between the two Crowns Yea Philip furnisht Charles many times with Forces to subdue his Protestant subjects Only these things are to be remembred for our purpose 1. After the first peace with the Protestants an 1564 Charles made a progress about his Kingdom and saw his sister Elizabeth Queen of Spain at Bayonne There the Queen-mother had an earnest and secret conference with the Duke of Alba. It is thought they agreed about a mutuall assistance between the two Crowns against the Protestants of France and Netherlands for in that year 1565. they began to stir in those Dominions of the Spaniard Philip assisted Charles with some Troops which kindness Charles could not return the fire being kindled in all the parts of his Kingdom 2. An. 1566. two things were near to have made a breach between the two States Bertrand de Montlue whom his Father in his Commentaries calleth Captaine Peyrot seeing peace in France undertakes to make some conquest upon the Sea comes to the Isle of Madera subject to Portugal and desiring to take water is repulsed with Canon-shot upon which he makes a descent into the Iland with strong hand besiegeth the Town takes it but is slain in that exploit A complaint is made of this to Philip as Uncle to the King of Portugal as an infraction of the Treaty in which Portugal was comprehended Philip incenseth Charles against his own subjects about this but the Admiral appeaseth Charles shewing that it was but a mis-understanding among private persons Another businesse of that nature was that of Gourgues Dominique de Gourgues was a Captain of Gascony who in the Wars of Italy had been taken by the Spaniards and ill used in prison To be avenged of them he went to Florida in the West-Indies besieged the Fort which the Spaniards kept there takes it by force kills or hangs all the Souldiers then returnes into France Of this Philip makes high complaint unto Charles and Gourgues was in great danger of his life but he was protected by the Admirall of Chastillon a Protestant and an enemy to the Spaniards He represented unto the King that it was an Act of private revenge Also that a llttle before Melander a Spanish Captaine nad expelled out of the same Fort in Florida John Rebaut of Diepe with five hundred French-men whom he had killed or hanged every man with this inscription Not as to French-men but as to Lutherans The wisest French Historians affirm and so did Gourgues himselfe That not any private revenge but the desire to punish that horrible treachery and murther upon his Country-men made him undertake and atchieve that high enterprise An. 1570. Charles married Elizabeth daughter to the Emperour Maximilian a vertuous Princess much beloved of her Husband Shortly after Philip married another daughter of the same Emperour This double affinity did confirm the friendship betwixt the two Crowns Under Henry the III. Henry the III. returning out of Poland an 1574. passeth through Vienna where he is wel received by the Emperour Maximilian although one of his Sons had been Henries competitor for the Crown of Poland Yea the Emperour gave him wholsome counsels for settling peace in his State An. 1577. The Protestants of Netherlands being opprest by the Spaniard and little helped by Matthias brother to the Emperour Rodolphus whom both Papists and Protestants had chosen for the expulsion of the Spaniard the States of those Provinces called Francis Duke of Alanson the French Kings brother who in his way thither made himselfe Master of the City of Cambray but being ill used by the Dutch he returned home without doing any thing But in the yeare 1583. he came againe with the title of Duke of Brabant and Count of Flanders but he made no long stay there having made a malicious attempt upon Antwerp and other Towns and returning full of shame he dyed at Chasteau Thierry an 1584. These enterprises of the Duke of Alanson bred great jealousies between the two Crowns and were taken for a breach of the peace Wherfore also Philip assisted the League of France against the Royal house with great eagernesse An. 1579. Sebastian King of Portugal being dead in Africa Philip King of Spain got the Kingdom an 1580. Among his Competitors was Antony bastard of Lewis Prince Constable of Portugal but pretending himselfe a lawfull Son as legitimated by the Pope Antony expelled by Philip retired into England where finding no countenance he passeth into France agreeth with Katherine the Queen-mother who as I shewed in the third Chapter had great pretences to the Crown of Portugal and for some Lands in Portugal which he promiseth her she gives him helpe and raiseth an Army of French-men under Peter Strozzi They go to the Terceras where some Ilands hold for Antony where they had very ill success That enterprise exasperated Philip very much so that he was one of the first that signed the League Some think it began at the death of the Duke of Alanson when none remained of all the house of Valois but Henry the III who had no Children and was not like to have any and the house of Bourbon saving onely the old Cardinall of Bourbon was Protestant or favourer of Protestants This encouraged the Spaniard to trouble the State of France and the house of Guise to set up for themselves under pretence of zeal of Religion Paragraphe VIII From the death of the Duke d'Alanson 1584. to the Treaty of Vervins 1598. This date comprehends the end of Henry the III. and the beginning of Henry the IV. Under Henry the III. Without examining the severall designes of the Beague this onely we must know that after the death of the Duke of Alanson the Duke of Guise having formed the League made a Treaty with Philip the II of Spain at Joinville whereby Philip promist him a monthly pension of fifty thousand Crowns to foment the League which being not openly against the King but after the killing of the Guises at Blois and the King himselfe having entred into the League under the title of Holy league against the Heretiques the animosities and designes of the King of Spain against the State of France were not plainly detected under this raigne Under Henry the IV. Here the League did rage and civill War was in all parts of France In these troubles Philip had a great hand and Henry being once acknowledged King was eeven with him and powerfully Warred against him But these things must be seen in order Henry the III being stabbed an
A VIEW Of the Differences between FRANCE AND SPAIN IN Which is Shown THE PRESENT POSTURE OF THE Affaires OF EUROPE English't by a Person of Honour LONDON Printed for H. Herringman and Sold by Jos Knight and Far. Saunders at the Blew Anchor in the Lower-Walk of the New-Exchange 1684. A CHARACTER OF this Worke. THis is the Map of the present interesses of Princes the quintessence of the History of five or six Ages and of as many Kingdoms the State-resolve of a deep and consummate Polititian perfected by the perusing of many Volums of Histories and by the experience of many years I am inclined to believe that these were private Notes of some great Statesman gathered for readiness in his publique employments And that they were publisht without his name makes me suspect that they came out without his leave Howsoever this is a Treasure for all that desire to know the world and penetrate into the infide of businesses a help of memory for them that have read many Histories and an ease of labour for such as want leisure to read them The true case of the businesses which are at this time between the two Houses of France and Austria PREFACE THe two Houses of France and Austria are the greatest and most important of Christendom and such as draw to their motion all the other Crowns Between these two Houses there hath been many Warres Alterations Treaties Truces and Peaces since the rising of that of Austria of which we may assigne the beginning at the marriage of Maximilian Son to the Emperor Frideric 3. with Mary the inheritrice of Charles the last Duke of Burdundy Prince of the seventeen united Provinces of Netherland dead before Nancy in the year 1477. For the intellience of all their Divisions Truces and Alliances I frame this discourse which shall consist of five Chapters In the first The whole state of Europe shall be set down the severall Princes thereof their Religion and what neighbourhood and dependance they have among themselves In the second It shall be examined by what degrees the House of Austria is entred into the Empire and into all those great estates which she now enjoyeth by her two Branches of Spain and Germany In the third The differences between the two Crowns shal be discuss'd what right the House of France hath in Catalonia Portugal Navarra Naples Milan c. Also what claim the House of Austria hath to Burgundy Brittain Provence c. These are those disputable Rights which have begot so many Divisions and Wars between the Princes and an unreconcilable hatred between the Nations In the fourth Chapter The businesses shall be presented which past between the two Kingdoms from the Treaty of Arras in the year 1435. to the Treaty of Vervins in 1598. Wars Battels Treaties Truces and Peaces The fifth shall relate all that past from the Treaty of Vervins till now CHAP. I. The Princes that govern Europe Paragraphe I. EUrope the least of the three parts of the world known to the ancient Geographers and the most Northerly but the most populous and that within which almost all Christendom is comprehended hath on the South the Mediterranean Sea and part of the Ocean and begins at the Cap St. Vincent in the extremity of Portugal in the Kingdom of Algarba near the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean Sea begins which takes several names as it toucheth upon severall Provinces as Spain France Italy Sicily Greece The Isle of Candie is the utmost of Europe that way and it is divided from Africa by the Mediterranean Sea Eastward ascending to the North Europe is bounded again by the Mediterranean Sea under the names of the Aegean Sea called now Archipelago Hellospont now Burdanelles or the Strait of Gallipoli Propontis now Mar de Marmora Bosphorus Thracius now the Strait of Constantinople Pontus Euxinus now the black Sea or Mar major Higher it is bounded by Meotides Paludes and the River Tanais now Don remounting to its spring And thenceforward a line is imagined drawne to the North butting either at the Golph of St. Nicholas or some such other place thereabout in the great Duke of Moscovia's Country for that nothern Tract unknown to ancient Geographers is yet so little knowne that the limits of Europe that way could never be well assigned On all the East-side Europe neighboureth upon the great Asia and is Occidentall to it On the North-side ancient Geograhpers have set no limits to Europe but have comprehended these Nothern extremities either under the name of Hyperborean hills although there be no hills in that Tract or under the name of Mare Glaciale or the frozen Sea which we may take from the Golph of St. Nicolas or the mouth of the River Oby unto the Sea which is about Norway and Finmarch and so towards the Isles of Freezland and Island On that side Europe buts upon the Pole and is not near any considerable Lands some few Ilands onely ill inhabited as Nova Zembla and Niewland On the West-side Europe hath the great Ocean from the Iles of Freesland and Is-land to the Cap of St. Vincent which is the extremity of Portugal And that Ocean takes divers names according to the divers Countries that it toucheth as the Britannique Ilands Norway Denmark Germany Holland Zeland Flanders the Strait of Calais the coasts of Normandy Brittain Poitou Saintonge Guienne the golph of Bayonne the coasts of Biscay Gallicia Portugal Algerke to the Cap St. Vincent These are the limits and as it were the four walls which inclose all that is comprehended under the name of Europe The length whereof may be taken from the Cap St. Vincent to the golph S. Nicholas or the mouth of the River Oby which is two thousand French common leagues or as far north-ward as one will The breadth from Morea towards the Isle Cythera to the North towards Finmarch and Lapland which is twelve of fifteen hundred leagues A more exact description of the Topography of each Country is not for this place Here only we will enumerate the States contained within that extent and that but in the great as much as is necessary to understand that which belongs to the two Houses of France and Austria the most considerable of Europe of Christendom at least We shall be begin that enumeration by the West and from thence passing to the East we shall turn to the North and there end Paragraphe II. The first Prince on the West of Europe is the King of Spain who beares the name of the House of Austria besides that which he hath in Africa and in the East and West Indies Besides a number infinite of Ilands Caps Havens from the Isles Azores to the Cap of good hope and from that Cap to the extremity of the East towards the Molukes and Philippine Ilands 1. That which he holds in Europe is comprehended in that Peninsula enclosed within the Ocean the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenean hills under several names of
and Bohemia slain by the Turks in the battel of Mohats An. 1526. He dying without Children the Crowne fell to his sister Anne whom Charles the V. her brother in law presently caused to be married to his brother Ferdinand So the two Kingdoms of Bohemia and Hungary entred into the House of Austria To Bohemia were annext also Moravia Silesia and the two Lusatia's Under the name of Hungary was contained also Transylvania with part of Bulgaris Croatia Slavonia Dalmatia But the greatest part of these is now in the hand of the Turks 6. The State of Portugal began about the year 1090. in the person of Henry a French Prince of the House of Burgundy and continued among many changes to the death of King Sebastian An. 1579. after whom in the raign of his great Uncle Cardinal Henry there was a dispute between many contenders for the succession But Philip the II. King of Spain got it by Arms An. 1580. claiming right to it by his Mother Isabella Daughter to King Emanuel for the reasons which we shal speak of in the next Chapter From that Kingdom depends that of Algarba the Towns of Ceuta Tanger and Marsagan in Africa An infinite number of Ilands and Caps from the Cap of good Hope the Kingdoms of Congo Angola Bresia And beyond the Cap of good Hope an infinite number of Towns Isles Countries and Forts as far as China and the extremity of the East All that is comprehended under the name of East-Indies discovered at severall times since Vasco Gamma a Gentleman of Portugal past the Cap of good Hope An. 1497. under Emanuel King of Portugal It is then by the right of Isabella wife to the Emperour Charles the V. that the great Estate of Portugal was devolved to the House of Austria To which Estate they have since added several pieces by conquest or otherwise Charles the V. got the Lordship of Utrecht from the Bishop as we said before The soveraignty of Flanders and Artois was appropriated to them as they pretend by the Treaties of Madrid An. 1525. Of Cambray An. 1529. Of Crespy An. 1544. The same Charles got the Town of Mastricht An. 1530. although the Bishop of Liege pretended the halfe of it to belong to his jurisdiction In the year 1530. he invested Ludovic Sforza with the Dutchy of Milan upon condition that if he dyed childlesse Philip the II. King of Spain should succeed him which happened five years after An. 1536. he got the Dutchy of Guelders the County of Zutsen and the Lordship of Groning by a Treaty with Charles the Duk of Guelders who dyed an 1538. An. 1543. he made himselfe Master of the Town of Cambra as Protector of that Imperiall Town which being since got by the French and lost again was confirmed to the Spaniards by the Treaty of Vervins An. 1538. the same Charles having got the Town of Siena gave it to Cosmo Duke of Florence to be an homage for it to the King of Spain paying six thousand Ducats of entry at every change of Duke Philip the II. King of Spain took from the Turks an 1554. the Fort of Pignon Veles and Gomera in Africa An. 1571. he wrested the Marquisat of Final from the House of Carreto Philip the III. took from the Moores in Africa the Townes of Arrach and Mamora These are the principal pieces of that great State of vast extent And I think one may truly say that the House of Austria holds more ground then ever any Prince did But these pieces being scattered that State is not strong glorious and formidable according to its extent That House of Austria was divided into two branches the Spanish and the German between Charles and Ferdinand brothers and successively Emperours Sons to Archiduke Philip and Jane of Spain Charles was the head of the Spanish branch which holds in Europa and out of it all that we said before Ferdinand brother of Charles was the head of the German branch which now holds the Empire To him Charles yeelded the ancient patrimonial Estate of the House of Austria within the limits of Germany The same Ferdinand by his marriage with Anne inheritrix of Hungary and Bohemia united those two Crowns to his States These two Branches at this present hold these Estates saving that which Gustavus the King of Sweden hath taken from them and what the French have got in these Warres from the Spaniard In the Low Countries Hesdin Arras Bapaume Landrecy Thionville Quesnoy c. Towards Spain the County of Roussillon and Penpignan Then the Catalonians have revolted and given themselves to the French Portugal also hath shaken the yoak and chosen a King of the House of Braganza Of elder date part of the Low-Countries have cantonned themselves and are now Soveraigns The Turk hath got the most part of Hungary and Transylvania acknowledgeth no more the House Austria CHAP. III. A discussing of the Rights now in dispute betweene the Houses of France and Austria THe contentions between these two Families these 150 yeares and of the Nations subject unto them especially the French and the Spaniards comes not onely out of naturall antipathy and contrary inclinations but chiefly out of the pretences that the one house hath upon the other For as between private persons so among Princes the neighbourhood of grounds breeds quarrells And these severall pretences yet undecided ought to be examined to know the ground of all the late and present Wars Of these large volumes of Histories and Polemical writings might be and have been written but here I undertake no more but faithfully to set down the grounds of pretences on both sides Which though I will do briefly and summarily yet will I omit nothing essential and fit to decide the differences To do this orderly we will divide this Chapter into two points The first of the pretences of the house of Austria upon France The second of the pretences of France upon the house of Austria First Point The pretences of the house of Austria upon that of France AL though the house of Austria both the Spanish and the German have pretences different from that of the Empire which they hold only by Election and upon Condition of yielding and depositing it again in the hands of the Electours after the death of each Emperour Yet their interesses are now so united that the Imperial rights and those of the house of Austria can hardly be separated Wherefore we will examine them together All the pretences of that Family are either upon the Soveraignty of the Kingdom of France or part thereof especially upon the propriety of Province the Dutchy of Burgundy the Towns of Mets Thoul and Verdun the Towns upon the River of Somme and the Dutchy of Britain These must be examined Paragraphe I. The pretended Rights of the Empire upon the Soveraignty of France Concerning that Right now stale and indeed ridiculous four things are to be considered 1. The Roman Empire which began in Julius Caesar or Augustus
successively Dukes of Burgundy This last was Grandfather to Philip the last Duke who ended the masuline line But that Robert the II. had three Daughters besides Margaret wife to King Lewis Hutin whence came the house of Navarra Jane wife to King Philip de Valois and mother to King John and Mary wife to Edward Count of Bar. They say then that after the death of Philip the last Duke King John took that Dutchy by the right of his mother Jane which right he transported to his Son Philip le Hardy without any mention of masculine apanage wherby they will have it evident that femals may inherit it 8. Against that pretended right which was very much disputed in the Treaty of Madrid the French have strong exceptions The first is That from the time of Philip de Valois within which that gift was made no Son of France had any great Apanage but with that restriction against which whatsoever King John may have said or done and he was a very imprudent and rash man he could do no valuable deed to the detriment of the State or against the fundamental Lawes The second Reason is That since we see by the example of Hugh the IV. that females are excluded from that succession we must acknowledge that John did not succeed by right of his mother but as King receiving an apanage devolved unto him The third Reason is That King John was not the next Heir in blood for by proximity of blood the children of the eldest Daughter which was Margaret wife to King Lewis Hutin should have succeeded not King John who was Son to the second Now that succession fell when that wicked man Charles King of Navarra Grandchild to that Margaret was in his strength who if there had beene any life in that title would not have failed to have set it up for Burgundy was better then all his Navarra and the rest of his estate And yet that stirring man did not stirre that point or it was so slightly that he left off presently but hotly pursued a recompence for the Counties of Champagne and Brie which by right belonged to his mother Jane Daughter to Lewis Hutin Sonne to Jane Countess of Champagne and Brie Queen of Navarra wife to Philip le Bel. By all this it is evident that the Dutchy of Burgundy was setled upon Phillip le Hardy his Son in the nature of a true masculine apanage Paragraphe IV. Of the Towns of Metz Thoul and Verdun By the partage so famous among the Sons of Lewis the Meek an 843. it is certaine that all that was beyond the River Mosa towards Germany was cut off from that which retained the name of Kingdome of France and that these three Towns remained Imperiall But Mosa being the bound of these two States the Empire and the Kingdome yet by an infinity of Warres Usurpations and Treaties that bound and other limits between the two States were often changed In the time of the weakness and declination of the House of Charlemagne most part of the Cities and Lordships of the Empire did canton themselves and made themselves particular Dominions under the protection of the Empire and some remained free others were subjected to especial Lords some Lay some Ecclesiastical All these make up now the great body of the Empire Of that nature were these three Towns Metz Thoul and Verdun upon which the French Kings pretended no right till the time of Henry the II. An. 1550. the Protestants of Germany called Henry the II. to their help against the Emperour Charles the V. Henry sent them great Auxiliary forces by Ann de Montmorency Constable of France who in his way seized upon Thoul and Verdun put Garrisons into them to assure the passage of the French Forces into Germany The Government of Thoul was given to Monsieur d'Esclavoles Lieutenant of the company of the Duke of Guise And Charles Cardinall of Lorrain was restored to his Lordship annext to the Bishoprick of Verdun the King retaining the soveraignty for himselfe which he thought he could lawfully doe because the Lord of it was his subject and had an estate in France and because the Emperour was his declared enemy whose Estate he might invade In the same expedition the Constable seized on the City of Metz which the Emperour Charles the V. besieged towards the end of the yeare 1551. but in vain since which time the French have enjoyed these three Cities yet finding their right somewhat weak they used it at the first with great moderation calling themselves only Guardians and Protectors of the same till Lewis the XIII caused them to be altogether incorporated with France and in them hath establisht a soveraign Court of Parliament Indeed these three Townes have of long continuance been Imperial and being got by subtilty upon pretence of the surety of the passage the right of the French Kings in them should be much more disputable then in many other places as themselves have confest in many of their instructions for the generall Treaties Yet it may be said for the French that Henry the II. took them as his enemies estate when he made War against the Emperour That the Emperour never made since any stipulation for the restitution of them in any Treaty That the rights of the Empire on this side of Rhine are so vanisht and lost that the Countries seem now to be primum occupanti That Holland also Lorraine Switzerland Savoy Franch County Daulphinée Provence were Imperiall Lands and yet all these are slipt from the Empire by a prescription grounded upon the weakness and neglect of the old Soveraigne Also that the French Kings at the first declared themselves onely Protectors and Guardians of these Towns which if afterwards they have incorporated to their State it was by the consent of the people seeing themselves deserted and neglected by the Empire Finally in that point the French think they may use the right of Represals And that if the Emperour and the House of Austria should do them right about all their pretences there would be some reason why the Emperour should be contented about these Towns Paragraphe V. Of the Towns on the River of Somme and other contained in the Treaty of Arras The four Dukes of the last House of Burgundy were Philip le Hardy John Philip le Bon and Charles John after the death of his Father Philip le Hardy an 1404. caused great troubles in the State of France and caused his Cousin German Lewis Duke of Orleans to be slain an 1407. whence sprung those great Divisions and Wars between those two Houses of which the Histories are full That John was slain at Montereau foult-Ronne by the command of Charles the Dolphin an 1419. His Son Philip de Bon pursued with great power and eagernesse the vengeance of that death made league with the English and distressed very much the Kingdom of France In the end seeing himself ill used by the English he grew weary of their
Mother thus composed the difference Ferdinand the usurper of Castilia over Blanch and St Lewis was Father of Alphonsus the X. King of Castilia and Leon against whom St Lewis having an Action for Castilia one of the two Kingdoms married his Daughter Blanch Grand-daughter of Blanch the inheritrice of Castilia an 1267. with Ferdinand surnamed De la Cerda eldest Son to that Alphonsus the X. By the contract of marriage it was agreed that S. Lewis yielded all his rights over Castilia to his Daughter Blanch and her Children after her upon which conditions performed France lost her claime upon that Kingdome but that Ferdinand de la Cerda dyed before his Father Alphonsus and his younger Brother Sanchez usurped the Crown depriving his Nephews Sons to Ferdinand and Blanch of their right From that usurper Sanchez all the Kings of Spain to this day are descended From the dispossest Children of Ferdinand and Blanch of France is descended the House of the Dukes of Medina Coeli who retaining still the memory of that degradation and of their birth-right over the family of Sanchez make their protestations at every change of State that if the family now reigning should fail they might enter upon their right Out of that discourse four things doe result for our purpose 1. That after the death of Henry King of Castilia all the right of the Kingdome belonged to his sister Blanch and after her to her Son St Lewis and that Berengera the younger sister of Blanch and her Son Ferdinand were usurpers 2. That St Lewis indeed yeelded his rights by the contract of marriage between Ferdinand de la Cerda and his Daughter Blanch. One might say that it was more then he could doe for the rights of the Crown cannot be alienated But they had not then such absolute maxims and were not so jealous as now of preserving the union of States which in those dayes were often divided exchanged bought and sold And St Lewis sufficiently perceived the impossibility of governing the French and the Castilians together 3. But that Cession was conditionall requiring that the Children of Ferdinand and Blanch should inherit the Crown That condition having been violated by the usurpation of Sanchez younger Brother to Ferdinand and the poor Princes Children to Ferdinand and Blanch being disinherited and proscribed that cession of St Lewis becomes void by right and the claim of the French might be good if it was not somewhat too old 4. At least all that Right of St Lewis remaines with the descendants of Ferdinand and Blanch the Dukes of Medina Coeli for they have double right the one from Ferdinand as elder Brother to Sanchez the other from Blanch to whom her Father St Lewis had conferred his right And if the House of Medina Coeli would prosecute it they should be well grounded and the French Kings might defend their claim very justly as their successors and fetching their right from them Paragraphe II. Of the Kingdome of Portugal Portugal a part of the old Lusitania is one of the Provinces of Spain near the great Ocean cean under Gallicia between the Rivers of Duerno Minio and Tajo To which also belongs a little State called the Kingdom of Algarba which is the point of the Cap St Vincent next to the Isle of Cadiz and the Strait of Gibraliar That Country was wasted and conquered by the Saracens as the rest of Spain by that great inundation of those barbarous Nations an 713. All the Christian Princes and all the Nobility and Gentry of the Kingdomes of the West even after the time of Charlemagne and Lewis the Meek who were there in person very willingly went to make Warre in Spain against these Saracen Moores Especially an 1090. a little before the enterprise of the holy Warre Philip the I. reigning in France Alphonsus the VIII in Spain many Princes and Noblemen consederated themselves and went into Spain against them The most eminent was Henry of the first Royal House of Burgundy for although there hath been much dispute about his Origine now all Historians acknowledge that he was Grand child to Robert Brother to King Henry the I who had Burgundy given him for his apanage This Henry of Burgundy having done great exploits against the Moores married Teresa naturall Daughter of Alphonsus who gave her for her portion the Townes of Coimbra Braga and others in Portugal with forces to conquer the rest of which he quitted himself so well that he expelled the Infidels from great part of Portugal of which he was called Comes or Count and no other title did he bear all his life time He dyed an 1112. and left a Son named Alphonsus who took Lisbone and much Country besides and was called the first King of Portugal an 1139. From that Alphonsus is descended the whole House of Portugal till the death of Henry the Cardinall King an 1580. at which time Portugal was united with Spain The great difficulty about the succession of that Kingdom whether it belong to the house of Spain or to that of Braganza or to that of Parma is nothing to this purpose It hath wearied the reasoning of the greatest Polititians for threescore yeares and finally hath ended in a generall revolt of Portugal and a bloody War Certainly although such as are most jealous of the growth of Spaine will vote for the House of Braganza and that of Parma the question is not without difficulty But France hath a further pretence to the Kindom of Portugal for which we must remount higher Alphonsus the II King of Portugal had two Sons Sanchez the II surnamed Capel and Alphonsus Sanchez raigned after his Father but with small vigour and was despised by his subjects Alphonsus living then in the Court of St Lewis where he received much honour as being his kinsman by Blanch of Castilia the Kings Mother By his meanes he married Mahaut of Dampmartin Widow to a Prince of the blood an 1235. and by her had Children The people of Portugal weary of their King Sanchez desired Alphonsus to come home and take the tuition of the State which he did leaving his wife Mahaut in France And his Brother being degraded and himselfe made King he forgot his wife and children in France and married Beatrix naturall Daughter of Alphonsus the IX King of Castilia who gave her for her portion the Kingdom of Algarba Because his first wife was living that 2d marriage was accounted unlawful yea Alphonsus was excommunicated for it by Pope Alexander the IV. and hated by all the Princes and Mahaut coming into Spain made a heavy complaint against him Who was so hardened in that sin that he protested that if a hundred wives would have him he would marry them all Yet being a great Warriour and a wise and prosperous King he maintained himself by the love of his subjects insomuch that Mahaut being dead the Bishops of Portugal obtained his absolution of Urban the IV. and the confirmation of that second marriage
the Counts of Catalonia How and in what time precisely I find not Onely I find that in the time of St Lewis Alphonsus his Brother Count of Toulouse and the King of Arragon being in suit about the County of Roussillon St Lewis was chosen Umpire as bearing himselfe for Soveraign of both who therefore ought to be their Judge and he did adjudge it to the King of Arragon against his own Brother It seems that holy King acknowledged the justice of their possession For as that County was united with that of Barcelonia it was held also by the same right Since the union of these with the Crown of Arragon it ran the same fortune with Arragon and was conquered by Philip le Hardy by vertue of the Interdict of Pope Martin the IV. Philip died at Perpignan and soon after all was lost and quited by Charles de Valois his second Son But of that right all the pretences of the house of Anjou upon Roussillon as upon Arragon and Catalonia the French themselves make no great account But upon Roussillon the French have a Title altogether singular John King of Arragon that lived in the time of Lewis the XI of France being in War with his subjects of Arragon and Catalonia as maintainers of his Son Charles Prince of Vienna and the true Heir of Navarra against him and finding his Subjects too hard for him as assisted by Henry King of Castilia desired Lewis the XI to assist him which he did with great might having sent him a good Army under the conduct of Charles d' Armagnao Duke of Nemours who confirmed the Crown to John and composed the difference between him and his Subjects At which time John engaged the County of Roussillon and the Town of Perpignan unto Lewis the XI for three hundred thousand Crownes which he borrowed of him Lewis notwithstanding many treacheries and attempts of the Arrogenese maintained himself in that Country and Charles the VIII his Son after him untill the design of the Conquest of Naples It was in the year 1492. that Charles the VIII began the enterprise of Naples And fearing least Ferdinand King of Arragon Son to that John would assist the house of Naples which was a branch of that of Arragon or should enter into France in his absence he returned unto him that County of Roussillon gratis not quitting but not demanding the three hundred thousand Crowns the King of Arragon having promist and sworn upon the holy Crosse and upon the Gospels that hee would serve the King against all his Enemies in that expedition of Italy The Governour of Perpignan did not yield but after many iterated commands seeing the importance of that restitution and fearing the infidelity of Arragon The French Historians blame James Maillert a Franciscan Frier Confessour to Charles the VIII saying he was won by Ferdinand to perswade the King to that restitution But Ferdinand instead of helping Charles in his expedition of Italy helped his Enemies in Italy and disturbed his enterprise of Naples Since which time the French have often redemanded that County as not redeemed with the three hundred thousand Crownes and represented that they were circumvented by Ferdinand but in vain till finally the sword hath done what reason and justice could not Perpignan being besieged and taken by Lewis the XIII of late years Thus of those six rights which the French pretend within the limits of Spain Those of Castilia Portugal and Arragon are old and stale That of Navarra is in its full force by their ordinary protestations That of Catalonia and Roussillon are no more pretended rights the French having the real possession of them Paragraphe VII Of the Kingdom of Naples Out of the limits of Spain the French have three great pretences upon the house of Austria 1. Upon the Kingdom of Naples 2. Upon the Dutchy of Milan and the Common-wealth of Genoa 3. Upon the Counties of Flanders Artois Because they pretend that these rights are in their full force they must be exactly examined Wee will begin at Naples 1. That part of Italie which is beyond Capagna de Roma and comprehends these antient Provinces Samnium Appulia Hydruntum Magna Graecia Campania Calabria and others all these I say which is well nigh one half of Italie make up the Kingdome of Naples Compania now Terra di Lavoro the River of Aufidus now Ofanto in Puglia and the River of Liris now Cantigliano near Capua were made the limits between the Empires of the East and West An. 803. Nicephorus then being the Emperour of the East and Charlemagne of the West So that part of the Kingdom of Naples and all that is on this side of the two Rivers remained with the Empire of the West The part beyond them with the Iland of Sicily remained with the Emperour of the East Not long after the Saracens invaded Italie The height of their fury was about the year 850. and in the parts about Sicily and Sicily it self where they setled themselves And for many Ages those Countries were the sad stage where the Latins on the one side and the Greekes on the other and the Saracens enemies to both acted a bloody Tragedy 2. About the year 1000 forty Norman Gentlemen returning from the Pilgrimage of the Holy Land gave a powerfull assistance to the Christians of the Kingdome of Naples against the Saracens and being returned home undertook not long after an expedition to Naples with more might under the conduct of Tristan Cistel a Norman These gave the beginning to the State of Naples partly by conquest partly by marriage under the names of the Counts of the Crosse of Puglia and Dukes of Calabria and in time advancing their conquests as far as Sicily they were crowned Kings of the same To that Family of Normans succeeded that of the Germans in the persons of Henry the VI. and Friderick the II Emperours and Kings of Naples That Friderick being fallen into the hatred of the See of Rome which is Soveraign of that Fee he was deprived of that State After his death his Son Conrard and his bastard Manfred and Conradin Son of Conrard having laboured to maintain himself in it finally the house of France was called to it after this manner about the year 1262. 3. By the falling out of all these Princes with the Popes great confusions happened in Italie The Pope Innocent the IV weary of the German race presented the Kingdome to Saint Lewis for his brother Charles Count of Anjou and Provence who was reputed a great Warriour And two years after Vrban the IV invested them with it An. 1264. That Country which he held from the Church contained the Kingdom of Naples and the great I le of Sicily and was called Sicilia ultra extra Farum because of the Far or Streight of Messina which separates the I le from the Continent But that Country was so given him by the Pope that he was first to conquer it before he could
made Governour instead of Lude he delivered it basely to the Spaniards for which he was degraded of Nobility With this the French lost all Navarra and never came into it since For Milan Francis having given the Government of it to the Constable Charles de Bourbon he removed him and gave it to Lautree of the house of Foix a great Captain in the field but an ill Politician in a State Hee so misused the people of Milan both by himself and by his brother the Marshall de Lescun and together was so ill assisted with money from the Court that the Emperour had an easie entry into the Country Milan is taken and plundered by the league of the Pope and the Emperour and the French expelled out of the Dutchy At which they say that the Pope died for joy an 1621. Soon after the battell of la Bicoque was fought which the Freneh lost by the stubbornesse of the Switzers Lautree being returnd into France the Admiral de Bonnivet was sent to Milan where hee did no better and was forced to forsake all In that retreat Chevalier Bayard was killed an 1523. These prosperities of the Emperour were much helpt by the revolt of the Constable of Bourbon 1522 who was incensed by the little account that Francis made of him the incroaching of the Duke of Alanson and the Marshall of Bonivet upon his Office of Constable by the Kings favour the hatred of Lovise the Kings mother and the Chancellour du Prat against him and the small justice which hee expected in a suit which concerned almost his whole Estate Being turned to the Emperours party he helped him to conquer Milan and to give the chase to the Admiral of Bonivet past into Provence with the Imperiall Army besieged Marseille where he is repulsed by Renso de Cera a Roman Baron and Philip de Chabot that kept it for the King He repasseth the Alpes and the King after him who comming to Milan recovereth presently the whole Dutchy Pavia only accepted While Francis is besieging Pavia defended by Antonio de Leva Charles de Bourbon brings Troops out of Germany to relieve it The battell of Pavia is fought where the victory being already on the Kings side he would follow in person the Enemy which was retiring and had no sooner overtaken them but hee was taken by them an 1524. upon Saint Mathias day Francis having been kept a while in the Castle of Pissigitun is carried into Spain and there kept Prisoner His Kingdom labours for his deliverance for peace This brought forth the Treaty of Madrid an 1525 where Gatinara Chancellour to the Emperour and John de Selva first President of Paris who were the two learned among the Deputies disputed at severall times the rights of their Masters Selva claimed Naples Navarra and the Soverainties of Flanders and Artois Gatinara claimed the Dutchy of Burgundy and the Dutchy of Milan which the Emperour then possest In the end the Treaty of Madrid was made where among other things it was concluded Febr. 14.1525 1. That within the 20. day of the month of June next the King will put the Dutchy of Burgundy into the Emperours hands with all the appurtenances and dependances thereof and all that he holds of the Franch County 2 That he shall renounce the Soveraignty of that Dutchy and County and of the Counties of Flanders and Artois 3. That he shall renounce all his claim to the Kingdom of Naples the Dutchy of Milan Genoa Ast Doway L' Isle Tournay and Hesdin 4. That the King with all his power shal procure that Henry d' Albret forsake his claim to Navarra in the Emperours behalf or if Henry refuse it that the King shall not assist him with his forces 5. That the Emperour shall likewise disclaim all his right to the Counties of Ponthieu Bullen and Guines and to the Townes of Montdidier Roye Peronne and other Towns and Lordships of Picardy Paragraphe IV. From the Treaty of Madrid to that of Cambray That period containes but four or five years in which many considerable things did happen 1. The King is delivered out of prison giving his two Sons for Ostages the Dolphin Francis and Henry Duke of Orleans goeth to Bayonne and Bordeaux stayeth at Angoulesme and Cognac accompanied with Charles de Lanoy Viceroy of Naples to be present at the execution of the Treaty But that Viceroy saw in short time three actions repugnant unto it 1. The first that the King having caused the Articles to be read in presence of the States of his Kingdom they told him that they were unjust contrary to the fundamentall Lawes of the State and that he was not obliged to observe them although the King did protest of his willingnesse to see them observed Two things made these Articles unjust 1. The right of Nations whereby all Treaties made by one kept in prison are accounted void as extorted by violence 2. The fundamentall Lawes of the State by which the King is alwayes a Minor as for the alienation of the royal patrimony The second opposition to the Treaty in the presence of the Viceroy of Naples was that the Deputies of the Dutchy of Burgundy protested before the King that he could not alienate them without their consent and refused to submit themselves to the Emperour The third That he saw a league made at Cognac for the expelling of the Emperour out of Italy The Emperour having made himselfe formidable to all Princes to the Italians especially and going about to devest Francesco Sforza from Milan which he had conferred upon him after the battel of Pavia the Pope Clement the VII King Francis the Venetians the Switzers the Florentines make a league which was called the Sacred league to deliver Italy from oppression without naming the Emperour who also in a scorn was invited to make one in it upon condition that he should restore the two Sons of France suffer the Duke Sforza to live in peace and give over the siege of the Castle of Milan By that league the War was to be maintained with common charges And because the Italian Princes might be afraid of the power of the French in Italy no lesse then of that of the Emperour King Francis was to renounce his right to the Dutchy of Milan in favour of Sforza for a pension which should be arbitrated by the Pope and the Venetians not under fifty thousand Ducats That the County of Ast should remaine to the King with the Soveraignty of Genoa under the Government of Antonio d' Adornat with the title of Duke if he would subscribe to that league The Kingdom of Naples was to be put into the Popes hands he paying for it sixty thousand Ducats of yearly pension That league was publisht and proclaimed at Cognac in presence of Lanoy to whom the King made excuses for the inexecution of the Treaty of Madrid shewing how he was disabled and declared Minor by the State 3. Lanoy being returned into Spain