departure the States were advised by the Kings of England and France with both whom they had made a most streight Allyauce for the maintaining of the Peace in case it were concluded to renew the Treaty of a Truce And to this effect it was again taken into deliberation by the said Embassadours at Antwerp in the moneth of March The Treaty renewed at Antwerp whether the States likewise sent their Deputies namely Count William of Naffaw and the Lord of Brederode the â—5 of the same moneth and they concluded a Truce for twelve yeares upon the ninth of April 1609 which caused great rejoycing every where as well amongst the Neighbours as the Parties themselves concerned Truce made and the Embassadours were regaled and honoured with great presents During this Treaty many libels were made and dispersed some with reasons to countermine this sweet Peace and others to advance it Birds of mischief seck the dark and like Owlas blame the light as hurtfull and discovering their actions And so their fluttering was despised And here we see the end of this war for a while which sprung up at the beginning of the reign of King Philip the second and that upon divers pretexts as namely that of liberty of conscience and priviledges and under various Governours of different humours fomented by ambition Religion and diffidence under the Princess of Parma the Duke of Alva Don Lewis Don Iohn of Austria on the one side and Prince William and the States-Generall on the other the latter whereof made a strong union amongst themselves at Vtrick the Articles of which namely for the free exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion have been much altered They formed their Common-Wealth under the Arch-Duke Matthias and the Duke of Alanson under the Prince of Parma they begged the assistance of the King of France and the Queen of England They continued the Warre with much success against Count Mansfeld and Cardinall Andrew They repaired what was amiss in their Republick by the factions which arose under the Earl of Leicester They valiantly defended themselves against the Arch-Duke Albert and the Brave Spinola even till the very publication of the Truce We will now stay awhile and repose our selves in the rest of the Low-countries which we so much desired as being the part where the War was so long time carried on with so much expense and no lesse industry then good discipline though it were often disturbed by the frequent mutinies of the Spaniards for want of pay from whence the Confederares knew how to draw most considerable advantages CHAP. IX The State of France The King goes to Sedan Troubles in Austria and Bohemia A Conjuration discovered in Spain and the Mores banished thence THe hast we had to see an interruption of the misfortunes wherewith the Belgick * The Low-countries Lion had been tormented above fifty years together and his roaring heard throughout the whole Universe to the astonishment of all the greatest States of the world made us slight the reasons of them who partly out of hatred to the House of Austria and partly for the Roman Catholick Faith the utter abolition whereof they passionately desired endeavoured to hinder the Truce We will therefore turn back a little towards France which flourished now as if there had never been any warres at all Courtesie the essential vertue of that Nation together with the Beauty Bounty and Fertility of this kingdome founded upon most excellent Lawes fine Sciences and laudable Exercises attracted the Nobility of all Europe thither as to a School of vertue and glory In effect there was no remarkable Commotion able to give any apprehension or disturbance to the Publick Rest For the Warre of Savoy and the conspiracy of the Marshall Biron were almost as foon smoothered as known It was a kind of Terrestrial Paradise where they who were enemies about the difference of Doctrines lived in friendship by the authority of their Master who maintained peace both abroad The death of Charles Duke of Lorraine and at home Charles Duke of Lorraine a Prince loaden with age adorned with singular vertue and piety lest his Sonne Henry his Heyre to retire himself to the Coelestiall lerusalem in the yeare 1608. The King of France goes to Sedan with an Army In brief the fruits of Peace were most delicious when the King suddenly raised a great Army and conducted it to Sedan For there were some misunderstandings between him and the Duke of Boüillon which were taken away by the intercession of the forrain Embassadours However this Cavalcada gave no small jealousie to the Spaniards who found themselves obliged thereby to put strong Garrisons through all the country of Luxemburgh and the Confederates reaped great profit from it For it made men believe that it was but a fiction or rather a prelude of that huge preparation which we shall shortly relate However much talke there was of it and great indagation into the reasons thereof by men of curiosity The Duke of Boüillon feeling the pulse of the Protestant Princes his neighbours judged it not necessary to draw blood yet and that which was differred shall be found in sit time LEWIS THE XIIII KING OF FRANCE AND NAVARR Now these divisions between Brothers and Cousin-Germans of the same House were taken by such as meddle not a little to pick out the actions thereof but for artifices or tricks and men said it was the only right way to preserve Hungary Moravia Bohemia and other Provinces depending upon the said kingdome from falling into the hazard of a new Election A conjecture grounded upon probabilities of consideration enough Spain in the mean while looked not only upon the troubles of the Low-countries and means to bring them to an end but she had likewise a particular care to steer her Indian Fleets into a good Port For as for the rest there had in some years passed nothing which could disturb the tranquility of that kingdom But in the year 1609. there was discovered a Conjuration which had it taken effect would have involved it in a totall ruin supplanted Christian Religion and reduced the King to fly for Sanctuary elsewhere But the greatest storms are those which often do least hurt and are diverted by slight causes Yea a gentle rain often allayes the most furious windes The Mores implored the assistance of the Grand Signior The Conjuration of the Mores discovered in Spain and other Mahometan Princes the Doctrine of whom they followed in effect though in apparence Christians and they had also for a long time been heaping up Arms and with the slight succour of twenty thousand men they being already at the least a hundred thousand in Spain combatants they promised themselves to bring all Spain under their subjection But being detected They are banished into Africa the King of France having refused them his ayde they were all embarked in the kingdom of Valencia and transported into Barbary by the Kings
against them for the bad treatment of the Priests and Officers of the Queen they were easily brought to break as well by the arguments of Soubize as of the whole Body together The English enter the Isle of Ray 1627. and so the English Fleet made a descent or disembarkment in the Isle of Ray in the moneth of July of the year 1627 and besieged the Fort of St. Martin which was not yet quite finished This Warre which in outward appearance had no other scope at all then that of Religion with many other petty punctilios which merited not so much as an ill look from either to the other proved fatall to the English and glorious to the French Are beaten off with shame by the enterance which they made into the Island and the chase they gave their Enemies from thence but yet more glorious to Monsieur de Toir as who defended the Fort neer four moneths both against them and famine and most glorious to the Marshal of Schoenbergh who put in the succour and forced them after they were lustily beaten to retyre to their ships So that upon the matter the English went away with the shame and the Rochelers stayed with the losse And this warre helped to forward the King of Denmarks ruine in regard that these Kings gave him not the assistance they had promised him by the Contract and so he struck a ground Rochell The Confederated States after the reduction of Rochel were saine to hear as well the reproaches and calumnies of the whole Body of the Hughenots of France as the taunts and raylings of the English Where blinde Passion rules there is no roome for Reason For it was not their fault that this difference was not decided by some other meanes then that of armes But let us now note the successe of this siege Rochell is a Town situated in the Country of Asins which is grown to have great traffick and riches through the convenienie of the Haven The growth of the Towne and by consequence insolent against the Kings authority The Inhabitants mutined under Francis the first but as soon as they saw him in Arms and that he would be obeyed their audacity quickly turned into humility After they embraced the Reformed Religion they became by little and little so powerfull and so considerable that the Kings through that the necessity of their affaires were often obliged to make a shew not to see or connive at that which was not invisible to any When we cannot correct Vice we must seem to be ignorant of it For having the principall Key of the Kingdome they made themselves chief of the Party and all such as for any discontentment absented themselves from Court and bent themselves against the King and his Authority could never faile to be welcome unto Rochell It is besieged by Henry the 3. They were once besieged by Monsieur who was afterwards Henry the Third but upon request of the Embassadours of Poland the siege was drawn off just at the time when they were in hazard of being tamed But since that their strength together with their Intelligence both within and without the Kingdome is so much augmented they have relyed upon their fortifications and have subtracted themselves from the yoke nor more nor lesse then the Imperiall Towns have done from that of the Emperour Cardinall Rechelieu having gotten full possession of the Kings favour for having dissipated some tumults and found out the Mine whereof the Count of Chalais payd the whole score as a Complice for all the rest had no more left to do then to acquire also that of the Clergie and People by some remarkable service to the State whereof he could not faile by the reduction of Rochell And then by Lewis the 13. in the year 1627. Now the King being informed of the descent of the English in the Isle of Ray commanded his Troops to march and as soon as he was recovered of a dangegous sicknesse which he had at that time he made them also intrench and advance all the shipps of France to stop the Haven even the Spaniards themselves comming to take possession of the place which the Hollanders had left under a specious pretext of mending their Vessels The Damme being perfected and the shipps sunk in the deepest and hollowest place of the Channell the besieged were reduced to a famine which exceeded that of Jerusalem All their hope was in the English and Buckingham made all the haste he could to succour them who had furnished him with victualls for his Army and now with most instant and urgent supplications begged some back againe from him but he being assassinated by a certaine Englishman Buckingham killed by Felton called Felton who went expresly out of Holland to sacrifice him to the hatred of the People the Fleet was retarded This murderer committed this fact by the meer and onely impulse of zeal to the Religion and so by thinking to forward the businesse he hindered it We very often aspire to that which is against us and reject that which is for us This Duke of Buckingham had entirely disposed of King James and was no lesse in the favour of the King his Sonne though neither his good countenance nor his gracefull carriage nor his liberality nor his courtesie was ever able to winne the People who held him still for the Authour of all imaginable mischief to the Kingdom The Reason of State whereby Princes maintaine Now the King of England being in some misunderstanding with his Brother in Law the King of France sent the Lord Montalgue to the Dukes of Lorraine and Savoy to animate them to a powerfull diversion thereby to withdraw him from this siege What cannot reason of State work upon Princes who ought to have a care to preserve their interests by all rationall meanes By this same reason have the Kings of France maintained the Hollanders and the Protestants By this might it seem lawful to these two Princes to passe by the consideration of Religion By this do the Swissers and the Venetians uphold themselves And the two aforesaid knew well enough that the French having fastened this pinne would not faile to trouble their Neighbours upon the very first occasion since there wanted no pretext besides that perswasion whereby some flatterers will needs make them believe that all Europe belongs to them The Cardinall to whom all these plots and practises were not unknown as having his Pensioners in England as well as elsewhere provided himself for them The Aequinoctiall brought the Fleet which was to break the Damm and put some food into the famished Towne The Damm The Nobility posted thither to serve their King and purchase glory All was hemmed in with Artillery and Souldiers and the passage so stopped as well by the said Damm and variety of Engines as also by the Vessels that the English not seeing any meanes to penetrate retyred The Rochelers of whom there was not
design drawn from those revolutions Luther writes against the Pope The Rebellion of the Peasants in Germany Page 24. CHAP. XV. The Anabaptists at Munster The Reformates in France A change of Religion in England by what means The King repudiates his wife The Queens Speech He makes himself Head of the Church Luther writes to him His miserable death Page 10. CHAP. XVI Queen Elizabeth banishes the Catholick Religion out of England again by degrees The Protestant Religion goes into Scotland under the Bastard Murrey who swayes the Scepter It is called the Congregation fortified by Queen Elizabeth and the Hughenots of France Page 29. CHAP. XVII Religion gives divers pretexts causes jealousies The Latin and Greek Religion Page 32. THE SECOND BOOK CHAP. I. THe Queen and the States refuse peace The Arch-Duke returns from Spain Henry polishes his Kingdom makes war upon the Duke of Savoy Page 34. CHAP. II. King Henry gives his sister in marriage to the Marquis du Pont. Marries Mary of Medicis wages war against the Duke of Savoy The Enterprise of the said Duke upon Geneva Page 35. CHAP. III. The Jubily Biron put to death The Battail of Flanders La Burlotte killed Rhinbergh yeelds Page 37. CHAP. IV. The Siege of Ostend Maurice endeavours to surprize Boisleducq besieges Grave and takes it Page 38. CHAP. V. Peace between the Spaniards and the English King Henry establishes the Jesuits Father Cotton hurt The war is carried on about the Rheyn Page 41. CHAP. VI. The difference which happened between Pope Paul the fifth and the Republick of Venice and why the peace is made The Duke of Brunswick endeavours to surprize the town The King of Denmark goes into England The continuation of the war in the Low-Countries Page 42. CHAP. VII The taking of Ringbergh The mutiny of the Spaniards The Siege of Grol raised by the promptitude of the Marquis The first overture for a Truce rejected Page 44. CHAP. VIII The defeat of the Spanish Armada The Enterprize upon Sluce failed The continuance of the Treaty Spinola arrives at the Haghe The Treaty being broaken again is renewed at Antwerp where the Truce is made for twelve yeares Page 46. CHAP. IX The State of France The King goes to Sedan Troubles in Austria and Bohemia A Conjuration discovered in Spain and the Mores banished Page 48. CHAP. X. A brief description of the Kingdomes of Spain and France Page 50. CHAP. XI The King of France arms The Spaniards do the same All is full of joy and fear He is killed His education Page 53. CHAP. XII The difference which happened about the Dutchy of Juleers or Gulick Iealousie between the Catholicks and Protestants why A tumult at Donawerdt an Imperiall town about a Procession Gulick besieged by Prince Maurice and the French yeelds The Princes will not admit of a Sequestration Page 56. CHAP. XIII A tumult in Poland and why They suddenly arme The Swedes and Muscovits serve themselves of this occasion against the Polanders who loose Smolensko Treason discovered in England The troubles at Paris appeased Rodolph dies Page 58. CHAP. XIV The war between the Danes and Swedes the reasons why Colmar taken Charles dies The Queen-Regent purchases a double marriage in Spain The town of Aix taken and Newburgh succoured by Spinola Page 60. CHAP. XV. The differences which happened in the United Provinces Barneveldt is beheaded and the Religion of Arminians condemned King Lewis humbles the Hughenots and reduces Bearn Page 62. THE THIRD BOOK CHAP. I. THe Prodigies which preceded the wars of Germany A description of the Kingdom of Bohemia Ancient differences about Religion The warres of Zisca compared to this Page 66. CHAP. II. The Bohemians take Arms and why All the Princes interest themselves in this war Ferdinand elected Emperour Page 69. CHAP. III. The following of the war of Bohemia The Battel of Prague Frederick flies and forsakes the town together with his people Page 71. CHAP. IV. War against the Hughenots and why A new difference betwixt the House of Austria and the Venetians Page 80. CHAP. V. The War of Austria of Lusatia of Moravia and of the Palatinat Page 76. CHAP. VI. The War of Transylvania The King of Poland treacherously wounded War between the Poles and the Turks Page 78. CHAP. VII War in the Palatinat Tilly beaten takes his revenge and defeates the Marquis of Baden The Bishop of Halberstadt makes himselfe known in Westphalia is beaten passes with Mansfeldt through Lorraine and incamps before Sedan Page 73. CHAP. VIII The continuance of the war betwen the Polanders and the Turks The Tragical end of young Osman The Death of some Lords Page 82. CHAP. IX Sadnesse in the United Provinces for the ill success of Fredericks affaires The war begins again between them and the Spaniards Gulick and Pape-mutz yeeld themselves Count Henry suspected and why Page 83. CHAP. X. Berghen is besieged Mansfeldt and his Bishop beaten by Cordua come to succour the Hollanders The Duke of Boüillous death and a summary of his life Spinola quits the siege Mansfeldt goes into Freezland The third war in France Page 85. CHAP. XI Of the Swissers and Grizous and their Government The fall of a Mountain Soubize breakes the Peace The death of the Great Priour and of the Marshal of Ornano Page 88. CHAP. XII Mansfeldt seeks succour every where puts an Army on foot again The marriage of the Prince of Wales with a Danghter of France after his returne from Spain Page 91. CHAP. XIII The siege of Bredà Enterprises upon Antwerp Page 93. THE FOURTH BOOK CHAP. I. The war of Denmark The Allyances of the Kings of England France and Denmark as also of the States of Holland against the Emperour Page 96. CHAP. II. The prosecution of the second war against the Hughenots The Peace is made by the intercession of the King of England the Venetians and the Hollanders War between the English and the French and why The beginning of the third and last war against the Hughenots Cardinal Richelieu makes himselfe known admired and feared The siege and reduction of Rochell Page 99. CHAP. III. The following of the war of Denmark unfortunate to the Danes Wallenstein besiedges Stralsund in vain The peace is made Page 103. CHAP. IV. The war of the Peasants or Country-people of Austria Page 105. CHAP. V. The death of Prince Maurice and of the King of England The siege of Groll The state of Lorraine The Jubily at Rome Bethleem Gabor makes war against the Emperour and obtaines peace Page 106. CHAP. VI. Gustave King of Sweden attacks Broussia or Prussia The Imperialists succour the Poles Truce is made for six years Page 108. CHAP. VII The siege of Boisleducq or the Bosse The Imperialists under Montecuculi joyne with the Count of Bergh who enters the Velaw The taking of Wesel Page 110. CHAP. VIII The following of the last war against the Reformates in France The Duke of Rohan makes his peace All the Townes stoop and throw down their
before the Elective of Poland three moneths after his arrivall he secretly departed leaving the Polanders the repentance of having chosen him and the trouble to choose another Stephen Batorins succeeds who sell out to be Stephanus Batorins Prince of Transylvania He reigned ten yeares reduced Dantsick to her obedience kept the bordering places within their duty and rejoyned Livonia to the Crown He governed the Kingdome both happily and wisely died in the resolution he had taken to subdue Muscavy to Poland left great grief for his so sudden death amongst tho Poles and a good odour of his vertues to posterity The Polanders after the decease of King Stephen found themselves in a dangerous sicknesse by a division which threatned utter ruine to the Crown The great Chancellour Samotskie the Bishops and many other of the great Lords elected Sigismund of Sweden sonne of King John and Queen Katherine of Poland daughter to Sigismund of Jaguellonne The other party had chosen Maximilian of Anstria who entring 〈◊〉 Poland with an Army made up in haste besieged Warsaw from whence being repulsed Maximilian forces and recruting his forces in Silesia he was the second time defeated and taken prisoner by the Great Chancellour aforesaid After these two victories was crowned Sigismund in the year 1587 and called by the name of Sigismund the third He married Anne of Austria who brought him a sonne named Vladislans who afterwards was King of Poland And this is that which we thought very sit to recount and which must serve us for the present History of this Age. Let us now passe into Sweden and hear what the Swedes alledge against the Polanders with the reasons and arguments both of the one and the other CAROLVS GVS'TMVS ' King of S'wethens Goths Vandalls greate mince of Finland Duke of Esthonia Carelia Lot of Jâ—â—ria Ciou'ned An Dom 1654. CHAP. V of Sweden The discords happening between King Sigismund and his Uncle Charles and why The successe of their Arms. SIgismund King of Sweden endeavouring to put two Crowns upon his head lost the Hereditary one See how all passed This young Prince had been brought up in the Roman Catholick Religion though yet he were the sonne of King Erick who embraced the Confession of Ausbourgh and introduced it into his Kingdome This Erick was sonne to King John and Nephew to Charles Duke of Sudermanic whom he left in Sweden to govern that Kingdome in his absence in the quality of Vice-Roy Now it often chances that Princes who have more then one kingdom grow by little and little to loose the affections of their remote subjects and their authority comes also by degrees to be eclipsed in regard that their said subjects are not warmed by the heat of their favour and prudence and so others grow insensibly to take place as well because their presence winnes the affections of the said subjects as also for that reasons are never wanting to such as have no will to obey And besides every one stands in fear of forraine Rule But the most powerfull argument of the coldness of subjects towards their Soveraigne is diversity of Religions which causes a change in State and alters and shakes it so as that many Princes for the strengthening and fixing of theirs have believed that they neither could nor ought to permit any more then one Sigismund goes into Sweden King Sigismund hearing many complaints from Sweden and conceaving some jealousies of his Uncle Charles resolved with leave of the States of Poland to transport himself thither with some Polish and German forces He departed from Dantsick with a fleet of sixty Sayle and was well received by the Governour of Colmar from whom he went to see his sister at Stebourgh Duke Charles hastened towards him from Finland with an Army to defend the kingdome against the King himself Sigismund beaten who as it was published came to take the vice-Vice-King prisoner and change the State by subverting Religion So there occurred a fierce skirmish wherein the Vice-King had the better and Sigismund the King was forced to retite himself towards the Confines of Denmark In fine he was beaten again near Lincopin and his Fleet taken Upon which seeing his Uncle thus courted by Fortuâ—e through the mediation of some Lords he was fain to make peace with him under certain conditions by vertue whereof his Fleet was restored to him to go by Sea to Stockholm Makes Peace and Duke Charles in whose hands were put the prime Lords of Sweden who had been to fetch the King in Poland went thither by land Sigismund instead of going to the Assembly of States at Stockholm went secretly out of the kingdom which he thereby lost He retires our of the kingdom and regained Dantsick Some Authors have written that he had been advertised of some ill design of his Uncle Charles against him and a certain person who was then at Stockholm affirms that he sighed for his having let slip the bird which he had in his hand However those Lords were beheaded and their heads set upon stakes which were since taken away upon the request of a great Wanyer Duke Charles quickly recovered those places of strength which were in the Kings possession chastised the Citizens of Lubeck who had favoured him caused the States to approve of all his actions and ranged the Finlanders who held the Kings party under obedience to himself Some months after the States deposed the King by a publick Decree declaring him fallen from the Rights he had in the kingdom and renouncing all fidelity to him though yet still they were ready to receive his sonne Vladislans for King of Sweden in case he would forthwith send him thither to be bred in the Religion and customes of the Country But these conditions not seeming receivable were not accepted by the King and the proceedings of the States of Sweden cryed down by the Poles who resolved to take an account of them with the sword This is the summe of what is known of that difference which is yet remaining between the Heires of these two Princes and which is debated by very contrary reasons according to the predominancy either of Passion or Religion and according to the knowledge also of the Right of the Parties concerned The Polanders reproach the Swedes for that without any available reason and upon some ill grounded suspicions only yea even against all Right both Divine and Humane they took the kingdom from Sigismund to give it to Charles To which the Swede answer that the King against his promise had endeavoured under hand to bring in the Jesuits so to replant the Roman Catholick Religion and strangers to check and curb them and many other arguments there are both upon the one side and the other which I let passe in silence and which are found at large elsewhere Now you have had the words take also some effects of their arms Duke Charles after the reduction of Finlande went into
not at all the death of his Mother Mary who was beheaded in England preferring the hope of succession to the said kingdom before revenge courting the favour of the Queen and treading all other considerations under foot But heaven left nothing unpunished which often revenges innocence upon the Innocent themselves to chastise them who have not revenged it He married Anne Sister to Christian King of Denmark and lived in peace which yet was disturbed by dreadful conspiracy of a certain Earle called Gore whose Father was beheaded in the end of the said Kings minority Now this Gore returning from travel sent his brother to the King as he was hunting whom when he had made believe that there was a certain man who had found a great pot full of gold he led him into his said brothers Cabinet or Closet where had he not been succoured by his followers he had been unhappily murthered The Tragedy was afterwards acted upon them who intended themselves to have been the actors thereof and the murtherers were justly murthered In this tragedy they who were curious found such mysteries as their modesty kept in silence The Scots are held good souldiers but they were never very fortunate against the English Ireland is an Island both big and fruitfull between Spain and England where the English have exercised great power and authority as well in respect of Religion as for the Rebellion of the Irish against Queen El'zabeth calling the Spaniards to help them But they grew at length to be conquered and have long been governed since by Deputies or Vice-Kings under a most austere Disciplipe which hath constrained some of them to flye to the main Land and others to retire themselves into the Woods and Forrests amongst the wild beasts to seek their liberty after their own fashion This Island was heretofore conquered by the Saxons and a long time after by the Norman under William the Conquerour Their lawes have some resemblance to those of Normandy and Guienne which they had some ages in their possession where the Eldest sonnes take almost all the succession of their Parents leaving but very little to their Brothers and Sisters A very rough Law and almost quire contrary to that of Poland where when the Eldest hath divided the said succession the younger takes the first Portion and after him the other so that the last of all is left to the Eldest The English are good Souldiers both by Sea and Land not in valour and courage inferiour to any one Nation whatsoever and are more apt to offend by temerity and overmuch forwardnesse then cowardise Inghilterra bona terra mala gente The Nobility is generally very courteous and chiefly such as have travelled England sayes a famous Italian is a good Country but the Inhabitants are very bad The English are little affected to other Nations and especially to the French from whom they have a great aversion nor can the French or Scots on the other side endure the incompatible humour of the English After they had lost what they possessed in France and all the intelligence they had there they fell for a long time to Civill Warres But since under the reign of four Kings and two Queens they have seen various persecutions not only about Religion but for matter of State too where of we will speak in the sequel of this History The women are incomparably beautifull and consequently have a great influence upon the men yea the Queens have commanded there more absolutely and have been much better obeyed and respected then the Kings They treat their servants and horses very roughly which gave birth to the Proverb That England is Heaven for Women Purgatory for servants and Hell for horses King James to smother the hatred and partiality which had alwayes been between the people of these Islands by laudable advice entituled himself King of great Britain The Title of King of France which was possessed by many Kings of England hath alwayes checked the Salick Law which excludes the Heyres Femall of France from the Crown so that though the English possessed almost the whole kingdom of France it was more by the right of Arms then by that of the Lawes and Customes Let us now leave Great Britain and look upon Italy where there are many Seates and Republicks whereof we shall make but little mention to shun superfluities and keep our selves within the limits prescribed in this History CHAP. VIII Of Italy Lorraine and Savoy POpe Clement the 8 th held the Chaire and by the prudent administration of him the Venetians and the Great Duke of Tuskany there flourished a Peace throughout all Italy Every one preserved himself within his own interests nor could any little jealousies take root to the loss of the publick Quiet but it was suddenly strangled in the Cradle by wise conduct and most subtile policy The Popes as well by donation as other practises have not onely augmented the Patrimony of St. Peter but drawn also all the Soveraign Authority to themselves by removing the Emperours from the knowledge of the Affaires of Italy The Faction of the Guelphes for the Popes the Gibelms for the Emperours reigned there long and was not consopited or quieted but by eclipsing almost the whole Majesty of Emperours by endeavouring to constrain them to receive the Crown from their hands A difference not quite extinguished yet Besides that they have ever been unhappy enough in pursuing their Right by Arms the Italians cutting them out work enough amongst themselves and often hindring their coming out of Germany so that all the splendour of the Empyre remaines there and is no otherwise known throughout almost all Italy then only by name Under the Reign of Valentinian the Western Empire was much tottered by the Barbarians which forced most of the principall Families near the Sea to retire into the Islands of the Adriatick Streights and there lay the Foundations of that most puissant City of Venice and of that most Serene Republick which hath encreased maintained and conserved herself these twelve ages by an unparallelled blessing by the most perfect observance of the Lawes and by a policy worthy of admiration This gives just cause to judge that they who began her were of the most elevated and prime of all Italy and not slaves as they were who laid the first stone to the Common-wealth of Rome In the Peace which was made between the Emperour Charlemayne and the Emperour of Constantinople it was concluded than that Common-wealth which had already stood more then three ages and a halfe should serve for a bound and gate to the two Empyres They had for a long time in their possession the kingdom of Gypres which the Turks have now taken from them They have had many enemies and have often by their great prudence diverted the storms which have been ready to fall upon them and by the dexterity of their mannagements regained that which they had lost by the fate of Arms.
his stroakes be heavie and the justice of his wrath will reduce this wretched world into dust In Germany they who laboured to revive the Gospel fell to oddes principally about the Sacrament of the last Supper It is easier to pull down an old Building then to set up a new one Erasmus of Rotterdam that great Wit flourished at this time and contented himself only by scoffing the Monks without medling with the party of the Reformers For he well knew that the abuses came from men and manners and not from the 〈◊〉 Doctrine heretofore taught by the Church The horrible Rebellion which arose about this time did not a little deform Doctor Luthers new-born Doctrine For the Peasants thinking all things lawfull to them for the liberty so called they this new Reformation of the Gospel took arms and assayled the Church-men Cloisters and Gentry Their number was growne to be a hundred thousand men and their chief leader a Minister called Muntzer The holy Scripture teaches us to obey our Magistrates and not to exterminate and cast them out But ambition dwells both in Cabans in Churches and even under ragged Cloakes They are defeated They were routed in three distinct Battails the first by the Lord Trueses the second by Philip Landgrave of Hassia and the last by Anthony Duke of Lorrain who cut them off when they were endeavouring to enter France where they hoped to play Rex by meanes of the Confusion which they imagined they should find there by the Kings captivity who was carried into Spain Charles endeavours to humble the Protestants Now the greatness of the Emperour Charles being reconciled to the Pope and counselled by him to reduce the Protestants for so were the Princes and States termed who had received Luthers Doctrine into the lap of the Church either by threats or force gave no small apprehension to the German Princes And he being glad of any subject to establish his power in Germany was not willing to lose this fair occasion So the Armies marched into the Field and Francis the first after him his sonne Henry were requested to give relief for the maintaining as they styled it of the German liberty now like to be lost under the Spanish Domination which was granted by the French foâ— State-interest though they were enemies to the Religion But neither Arms nor Victories nor Disputes nor the Majesty it self of the Emperour was able to deracinate or root out this Doctine and so in fine it was permitted by his Authority at the Diet of Ausbourgh Now it was not Luther alone who rose against the Popes authority For a certain Revolted Monk called Menno began also to preach a Doctrine different enough from his and his Adherents were called Anabaptists Besides that learned man Iohn Calvin carried on that Reformation much farther then Luther as well in France as elsewhere and fixed his Chayre at Geneva They agreed well about combating the Pope and some other points but yet since they remained not in perfect unity of Doctrine In so much as that this party and that of Luther are very little better friends amongst themselves then either of them is with the Roman Catholicks as we shall see in the sequel of these Tragedies CHAP. XV The Anabaptists at Munster The Reformers in France The Change of Religion in England and by what meanes The King repudiates his Wife The Queens Speech The King makes himself Head of the Church Luther writes to him His unhappy death NOw we have seen the Lutherans established in Germany let us see what the Anabaptists do at Munster an Episcopall Town in Westphalia which was to be the Head of a Chimerical Kingdom and serve for a precious testimony of the wrath of that great God which for a time suffers his Word to be abused and the wicked to cover their pernicious Designes under the Cloak of Religion and the mask of Hypocrisie Oh Lord Thou dost hourâ—ly admonish us by so many prodigies and monstrous accidents but our eyes are shut our eares stopt and our hearts hardened John de Leide King of Munster John of Leiden by trade a Taylor and his adherents seized upon the aforesaid Town and he was made King thereof and fought long against the Bishop by whom they were at length subdued and chastised according to the measure of their crimes The extremity of their rigour was against the Church men a clear argument of the indignation of God against them because they had deviated from their duty and were lulled asleep in ignorance idlenesse and pleasures They likewise desclaimed the Authoriry of the Pope and brake down the Images without sparing the very Pictures of the Church-windowes A zeal too violent to proceed from the Holy Ghost and of little conformity with that of the Primitive Christians These insolencies being once repressed at Amsterdam returned there no more The Anabaptists which are now in the united Provinces and the Confines thereof disown the proceedings of the former and count them in the number of Hereticks The Reformed Religion in France Now the Doctrine of Martin Luther passed into France under the reign of Francis the first though yet it could not take fast root enough there as well because of the persecutions and the Kings aversion from it as also for that it was too far distant from the Author and Teacher thereof And so it quickly grew to be transformed into that of John Calvin and his Disciple Theodore Bezâ—â— and so much encreased in few yeares throughout the greatest part of the Country during the troubles caused by Envies of State and the League that the Kings after many bloody Wars were constrained by various Edicts or Proclamations to grant them free exercise of their Religion through all the Kingdom King Francis was a great persecutor of the said Doctrine Obtains free exercise and made open protestation that he would not spare even his own Arm if it were infected with Heresie And yet the â—â—â—lousie which he had conceived against the prosperity of Charles the Empeâ—our moved him neverthelesse to succour the Protestants King Henry succeeded in his Fathers hatred to them but being sent to his grave by the thrust of a Lance they began to respire saw the end of their persecutions lost the smell of the Fagot and propped by some Princes of the Blood rendred themselves at length no less considerable in France then the Protestants are in Germany The Protestant Church in England Let us now make a step into England and see how the Protestant Church hath sowen her first seed supplanted the ancient Doctrine and established her self as Mistress there King Henry the eighth for writing a Book against Luther in defence of the Roman Church and her seven Sacraments was honoured by the Pope with the Title of Defender of the Faith His prime Minister was that great Cardinal Wolsey who ruled all So that it is not only from this day that Cardinals have introduced them selves into
four Primitive ages that Lay men were forbidden to read the holy Scriptures that so they might remaine in darknesse and not see the light of evangelicall truth c. The Queen assembled a Parliament which acted to abolish what Queen Mary had done by the authority of the Pope and against the Protestants The Bishops and some secular men also opposed it A specious conference was offered in which there was forced upon them a Judge who was an enemy to their Cause They complained of this proceeding and said that they were very hardly dealt with and that they had been advertised of the Theses or Argument but two days before In fine not being able to agree about the form of the Dispute the Protestants before the combat cried victory and the other When shall we be assured of our Faith if there be always leave to dout and dispute Some of them were so much moved that they would have excommunicated the Queen But others being better advised alledged that the disposal thereof must be left to the Pope See Cambden Reformation in England by degrees The Queen proceeds to a change by degrees She prohibits to speak ill of the Sacrament of the Altar and suffers the Communion to be given under both kindes A little while after both Masse and Pictures were banished out of the Churches and then the Oath of superiority was tendered to the Bishops and other Roman Catholicks and in case of refusal they were dismissed from their charge All this passed without any tumult and hitherto the Reformation was carried on very conform with the Confession of Ausbourgh And in Scotland under the Bastard Murrey who weildes the Scepter About the end of the year 15â—8 the Protestant Religion began also to spring up in Scotland and the Authors of it styled themselves the Brethren of the Congregation They carped at the Kingly Authority as much as they did at the lives of the Priests and the abuses of the Church They refuâ—ed to pay their duty to the Queen-Mother-Regent a most wise and modest woman The Head and Ringleader was James Priour of Sr. Andrews since called Earl of Murrey natural Brother to the Queen who gave very great suspicions of his intending by favouring these changes to make himself Master of the Scepter of Scotland They wanted no pretext to cloak their Design For James protested that he sought nothing but the glory of God and the liberty of the kingdome oppressed by the French and the Queen-Regent who was daughter to the Duke of Guise Hammelton and divers other Gentlemen raised by the Possessions of the Church ranged themselves in their Party Complaints against Religion are ordinarily accompanied by those of the violation of Priviledges They draw up theirs For there will never be wanting such as seek their advancement in the change of the State and implore the assistance of the Queen who alwayes attentive to her profit and fearing the power of France undertakes the defence of the said Congregation promises to expell them out of Scotland and by consequence the Roman Faith with them Whilâ—st this was in agitation the Queen-Regent died and her Daughter Mary Widow to Francis the second departed from France towards Scotland Her Brother aforesaid who was a meer Bastard both in blood and heart counselled Queen Elizabeth to surprize her at Sea so to secure both her person and Religion But she being arrived at Edeâ—bourgh made no change at all but expressed great clemency towards her subjects thereby to give the lye to those false reports which those Rebels had dispersed of her and to convince them also of cruelty and treachery But the Queen of England stopped not there For she made a Law by which all were declared guilty of High Treason who refused to make Oath that she had full power and absolute authority in all spiritual things and over Ecclesiastical persons O good God! How little comparison is there between those times and these Was not this to force mens consciences The Hugenots of this present Age would be ashamed to accept such a Law as was received with so much alacrity by these first Reformers The Scots during these Interludes cast the Archbishop in prison for saying Masse and astronted another Priest for the same subject even within the Court and before the very face of the desolate Queen who neverthelesse with teares in her eyes took them out of the hands of their enemies though yet all her clemency mingled with so many sweet charms as accompanied her Majesty was never able to soften the hearts of these mutiners who never left till she had her Head cut off from her shoulders as we shall hereafter shew together with a part of those misfortunes which have since happened to her posterity Now Queen Elizabeth who thought not her authority sure unless she put her helping hand to the supplantation of the Roman Catholick Religion in Scotland as well as in England strengthened so well the party of the Congregation that the Queen no longer able to endure so many indignities nor to disintangle her selt from the snares which the perfidious Crue had laid for her was fain at length to betake her self to flight She also did for the Hugenots in France that which hath been so much condemned in the King of Spain For she took them into her protection assisted them with men and money and shewed her self every whit as zealous for the exaltation of her Religion as the Catholick King did for his So that she rendred her self as odious at Rome and to the Roman Catholicks as he did in the Low-countries amongst the Calvinists and Lutherans The Reformation came into the Low-countries The Confession of Ausbourgh entered on the one side into the Low-countries and the Reformed Religion from Geneva from the Palatinate and from England on the other the one by the communication of German soul-diers and the other by that of the Nobility which had travelled the Ministers who came from France and the Merchants who daily arrived at the Islands opposite to it It slipped in at first very secretly found favour in the Houses of some great persons and affection in the hearts of some people But being at length discovered and the Inquisition of Spain intervening it grew to be much thwarted But Fire and Sword cannot extinguish a doctrine nay rather the patience of such as suffer Racks and Torments begets compassion to them and hatred to their persecutors In fine both parties arm and ambition being the one half of the game the Spaniards regained ten of the Provinces by the sword the others who vaunted themselves to have had recourse to these extremities by the violence and cruelty of the Spaniards for their priviledges liberty of conscience embraced through all the Towns and Villages the Reformed Religion as it is taught at Geneva in some Cantons of Switzerland in the lower Palatinate and in the Distinct of Hassâ—â— The Roman Religion was sent packing contrary to
last King of the race of Valois Now the Royall race of the Valois being extinguished by the death of Henry the third son to Henry the second he succeeded to the Crown though with much dispute and repugnancie but his justice was accompanied by his valour and so by rejecting that which was most prejudiciall to him to wit the reformed Religion he quieted all his subjects and reduced them to their duty CHAP. II King Henry gives his sister in marriage to the Marquis du Pont espowses Mary of Medicis and wages warre with the Duke of Savoy The enterprizt of the said Duke upon Geneva Henry gives his sister to the Marquis du Pont THe King not content with giving the Hughenots all they had ever desired intended besides to obliege the house of Lorraine by allying the Princes thereof with his own And so he matched his sister to the Marquis du Pont who retained the exercise of the reformed Religion lived in most perfect amity with her husband and deceased without issue The Kings marriage being declared null and Madame Gabriell by whom he had many children the eldest whereof is the Duke of Vandosme ending her dayes by suddain death Marries Mary of Medicis he married Mary Medicis sister to the grand Duke of Florence who arrived in France in the moneth of December being the last of the precedent age Upon the delay of the Duke of Savoy to restore him the Marquisat of Saluces he prepared himself for warre And the Duke to divert the storm came to him at Lyons with store of presents and promised to render him the said Marquisat Makes war upon the Duke of Savoy or else the County of Bresses within the term of six moneths But the effect thereof not following the King quickly made himself master of all Savoy There is no amusing or retarding a potent creditor who hath both will and meanes to make himself payd In fine by the mediation of the Pope a peace was made whereby the Duke remained in possession of the Marquisat and the King of the aforesaid Country of Bresses Through this peace Italy was delivered from a great oppression and so the Troops of the Conde de Fuentes marched out of the Duchy of Milan towards Flanders During the civil wars a little before the terrible execution at Blois the aforesaid Duke easily recovered the said Marquisat by vertue as it was believed of Pistolls Gold He caused money to be coined with a Centaur treading under his feet a Gawlish Hercules with this Motto Opportunè But Henry after his Conquest and the accomplishment of his Pretensions stamped another sort representing a Gawlish Hercules treading upon a Centaur with this Opportunius We must never let our hearts be too much puffed up with prosperity but consider that the conquered grow often to be Conquerours We will not leave Savoy till we shall first have spoken of the enterprize Which the Duke had upon the City of Geneva The City of Geneva She is situated upon the Rhine neer a great Lake and was before that reformation the Seat of a Bishop She changed her Religion in the yeer 1535 since when no Romane Catholick as it is published is tollerated there above three dayes Now Charles Emanuel the aforesaid Duke attempred to make himself Lord of her by surprize He secretly listed twelve hundred men under the command of Monsieur d' Aubigny who by meanes of great store of ladders and other instruments got to the number of two hundered into the Town whilest the Duke was following with some Regiments of recruit But being discovered and the Citizens running to their armes they were strucken with terrour and returned the same way they came without having been able to seize upon so much as one of the Gates to let in the forces Thus this great designe so long premeditated so secretly carried so well begun and almost compleatly executed at last failed But whether through the valour of the townsmen or the cowardlinesse of the Savoyers I know not they were so nettled by this fright that Father Alexander a Scottish Jesuite with all his remonstrances and exhortations could never infuse any courage into their hearts But this hot Camisado or assault made them of Geneva stand upon their guard for their own preservation and to this effect they raised some souldiers and implored the assistance of the King who declared them comprized within the Peace of Vervin and gave them a pension since which time they have kept themselves in peace The Princes of the aforesaid family affirm that the said City is seated within the district of Savoy and consequently belongs to them But that which cannot be gotten by force will not be acquired by allegation of right CHAP. III. The Jubile Biron executed The battell of Flanders La Bourlotte killed Rinberg taken The Iubile THe first yeer of this age Pope Clement celebrated a Jubile at Rome whether there flocked an infinite number of people from all parts some out of curiosity and to see Italy and others out of devotion and to gaine the Indulgences But let us now return towards the Low Countries in regard that France grew to be even steeped in delights the fruits of peace and no body in motion but Mareschal de Biron Biron beheaded who attainted and convicted of the crime of high Treason for having kept correspondency with a forraigne Prince was beheaded in the Court of the Bastill Indeed that infinity of brave actions which had crowned his head with lawrell ought methinks to have saved him from this stroake But what Fortune had elevated him very high so to tumble him down headlong into this precipice The Archduke Albert seing it was but labour lost to solicite the States of Holland to a reconciliation and that all the exploits of the Admiral did more sharpen the bordering provinces then fright the confederates and that the enterprize upon Bommel proved as fruitlesse as that of La Bourlotte upon some places thereabouts yea and that one part of his forces mutinied and had taken up their quarter apart under the conduct of one Eelcto The mutiny of the Spaniards he began to lay about him to find money to content them and reduce his Militia to a good discipline but he could never be brought to pardon them who sold the Fort of St. Andrew The States upon the other side and Prince Maurice having shut up their Common wealth by the taking of such places as gave them enterance to the enemy and by consequence deprived him of all meanes of drawing contribution out of the said Provinces resolved to keep one foot in Flanders the most fertile Province of all thereby the more to incommodate the Archduke who hearing that the Prince was entered with a puissant army neer Newport made his troops march with all speed cut off seven or eight hundred Scots who kept the Bridge and being prowd upon this happy encounter advanced to affront his enemies
usually happen about that season of the year withdrew themselves likewise into Harwich and Yarmouth Roades Let us leave them both labouring to repayre their ships without examining the number of the dead and wounded or lending eare to the cries and groanes of Widows and Orphanes which ring even to heaven it selfe in all parts of Europe to see what passed at that time in Guyenne and we shall meet by the way some Vessels richly loaden The French â—â—bes some ships of the Spaniands which Mons. de la Mâ—ilheraye carried in triumph from Spain to Nantes We have told you already that Bourdeaux had recourse to the Kings clemencie The reasons why Bourdeaux yealds the cause of which change was this The length of the siege the Plague Famin and more then all secret Intelligence and the Act of Oblivion prevayled for the King The â—pâ—nish Fleet â—â—rives too late In such sort as the Spanish Fleet which arrived two dayes after the accommodation returned into Spain to see the Admiral thereof beheaded and the Princesse of Condè retyred into the Low-Countries to her husband who after this reduction had no body lest in those parts who sides with him Indeed the tardity of the Spaniards and the proceeding of the Prince of Conty gave France glory and such as knew the affayres of the world matter to examine the reasons thereof All these successes were attributed to the Cardinals prudence who by destroying the Princes Party fortifyed his own and prepared himself to have the King annointed The tumult in Languedock passes like a flash for that tumult of Languedock between the Count of Rieux and them of the Religion which looked as if it would have caused an embarassement proved but a flash and forthwith disappeared so that the troubles were allayed in those two great Provinces and they in condition to see thenceforth no other forces there then they that are usually raysed for Catalunia The heat of the English recalls us speedily towards the North besides there passed nothing worthy of memory in the County of Rossillion After that bloody Navall Battail which makes the haire stand on the heads of such as hear it related and which looked as if it must needs have cooled the courage of these Champions for entring the lists any more which all Christendome beheld with terrour the English were the first who endeavoured to resume the Dance A tempest indâ—â—â—ages the English Fleet. but a horrible tempest arising made them repent their temerity and sent them back to their ports many of their ships being much incommodated In fine these most valorous Sea-souldiers gave the Belgick Lyon so many jerks and â—hogs that almost all the States of Europe foreseeing and apprehending this terrible Power desired to gain their amity amongst which the Swedes were not the last The Swedes make Amity with England to evidence that interest of State was not less near their hearts now then the pretext of Religion was formerly from which they drew so great advantage The Hollanders fearing lest the prosperity of their enemies should make them enterprize somewhat upon them by land as well as by water made the Country people take Arms and keep good Guard every where without neglecting what belonged to the Sea and the furnishing of Ships The Country people take Arms in Holland about which they laboured incessantly But this was not sufficient for they must chuse an Admirall who fell out to be Opdam of the most ancient House of Wassenaer who forthwith transported himself to Amsterdam Opdim Admirall and thence to Texel at the mouth of the North Sea to put all things in good order Eukhayse drawn out of the hands of the Rabble At the same time the Town of Enkâ—sen seated upon the South-Sea seven Leagues from Amsterdam was drawn out of the hands of the Rabble by means of some souldiers who entred very craftily whilest they were all running to the Town-house to heat a Proclamation This tumult was of so dangerous a consequence that it had dismounted the Magistrates but that of the Haghe about the young Prince A tumult at the Haghe and was begun by Children and augmented by some malicious persons who brake the glass-windowes of many houses made the Burghers or Townsmen run to their Arms and the Nobility get on horse-back to stop these petulances which deserved somewhat more then the rod. at Alckmaer That of Alckmaer had the same issue and was refrenated by the prudence of the Magistrates All which seditions had but one and the same Cause and their Pretexts were also very little different Indeed the Red-Lyon had very much to do both at home and abroad by the strength of his enemies Murmur against the States and by disunion of wills amongst his friends and such as were bound to the Helme were not a little exposed to the venimous traducements of evill tongues A tumult in England England felt also some Commotion for want of pay but that was smothered and no body stirred but some certain Seamen some whereof payd the score for all In the moueth of November the Holland Fleet having conducted another towards the Sownd and being fallen too near the Coasts was surprised by a suddain storme which cast many of the Ships so a ground A tempest afflicts the Holland Fleet. that they could not ger off into the Main and many poor Seamen miserably perished about a Musket-shot from the Mountains of Sand so that Fortune treated both parties alike in sight of the Coast laughed at their Enterprises but the more judicious sort of men foreseeing that at long running the Traffick would be utterly annihilated and the ruine of Holland advanced which was so much envied for her riches considered that a Peace though little glorious was better then a thousand triumphs The Embassadours of Holand return into England to begin the treaty of peace again Wherefore the States sent their Embassadours again to London to begin the Treaty for the last time and in case of refusal to tell the English that they would enter into a Confederation against them with some other Princes thereby to bring them to reason The confusion which was made by the plurality of voyces and the roaring of the Red Lyon rung so loud that the most considerate Lord Protector and his Parliament who regorged with booty taken from the Hollanders opened their ears to the Propositions of Peace But whilest these things were in agitation who would have believed but that many should needs be well disposed for the Kings eldest Son For the High-landers in Scotland had taken Arms and had received some from Holland the French spighted at the taking of their Fleet without a denunciation of war arrested all the English Merchants goods in Normandy the Hollanders made a shew of preparing themselves in good earnest for the war which yet notwithstanding they endeavored to shun as most pernicious to them Some beleeved
THE HISTORY OF THIS IRON AGE VVherein is set dovvn the true state of EUROPE as it was in the year 1500. ALSO The Original and Causes of all the VVarres and Commotions that have happened Together with A Description of the most memorable Battels Sieges Actions and Transactions both in Court and Camp from that time till this present year 1656. Illustrated vvith the lively Effigies of the most renowned Persons of this present Time Written Originally by J. PARIVAL and now rendred into English by B. HARRIS Gent. LONDON Printed by E. TYLER and are to be sold by J. Crook S. Miller and T. Davies at the Ship and at the Starre in Pauls Church yard 1656. TO THE HONOURABLE JOHN RVSSEL Esquire c. Brother to the Right honourable THOMAS Earle of Bedford c. Honourable Sir AS the Sun by the circumfusion of his corruscant beames doth not onely extrinsically discover the vast extent of the Vniverse but intrinsically foment and nourish all the particular productions thereof by the infusion of heat the same doth Nobility and Vertue in great Persons the reputation of whose worth and merit being carried through the World by the nimble and happy wings of Fame makes them not onely known but engenders an Admiration of their vertues and a certain kinde of respect also and reverence to their Persons even in such as never saw them This Noble Sir is the principal motive which not onely animates but instigates me to consecrate this Translation to you with as much assurance of your benigne acceptation as if Fortune had been as favourable to me in making me knowne to your most worthy Person in England as Fame hath been liberall in making me participant of the report of your high Birth and Qualities abroad Wherefore being upon the matter a kinde of halfe-stranger to my Country not to the Idiom thereof to whom should I addresse the first fruits of my small labours after my late return into it but to so worthy a Branch of the most illustrious and Heroick Stock of the Russells And to whom should I dedicate a History which contains the most renowned Exploits and the most remarkable and most imitable Actions Transactions and Examples both in Court and Camp of the bravest Hero's of Europe for so long a Series of years but to him the reputation of whose in vincible Courage in war and whose incomparable Courtesie in Peace together with his singular Generosity Clemency and Benignity to all persons of all conditions and in all occasions in generall gives me sufficient ground to hope that he will not onely vouchsafe to patronize the Worke but pardon the presumption of the Workman whose lively zeals and respect is the onely cause of his ambition Be pleased therefore Most noble Sir to embrave it as propitiously as it is presented to you humbly and excuse the in-elegancie and roughnesse of the stile in regard that besides that the Subject is an Historicall Relation my occasions suffered me not to attend nor correct the Presse If you meet with any Passage in the Booke upon the reading whereof you may thinke fit to entertaine your noble Thoughts in some of your vacant hours as doubtlesse you will there being great variety of all kindes of humane Actions Passions and Accidents it will not onely be an object of present Contentment but a subject also of future Encouragement to me to speake my selfe in other and better Language what the height of my Ambition makes me aspire to be Honourable Sir Your most humble and most devoted Servant B. H. TO THE READER Dear Reader I Have one Request to make thee which thou wilt have much ado to refuse me and it is That thou wilt be pleased to suspend thy judgement till thou shalt have maturely weighed my Work that so nothing may fall from thee which may be too pracipitate or too passionate Thou wilt finde some things which will please thee and will make thee pardon such as will be more for other rains palats then thine But above all I conjure thee by Chriâ—â—an Charity that I have spoken according to my opinion without any flattery at all and if thou findest some things whereof thou art better informed then I thou wilt do me the favour to remember that being in a private Condition and not having been admitted into the Cabinet I am not the first who hath erred through ignorance I praise not vice by praising vicious persons but the vertue which is found in them as a Diamond upon the Dunghill and if I speak not all I know understand that there is more danger to utter all then profit to silence all I call this Age the Iron Age in regard that all the Evills and Prodigies have happened in grosse which were in praecedent Ages but in retail For if disorders were then great in some corners they are so now every where If thou laugh at my opinion Noah was also mocked for having exhorted the people to Repentance and began the Ark about a hundred years before the Deluge No body knowes when the Great Judge will come but the Prodigies advertise us to keep our selves ready that so we may not be found as in the dayes of Noah Eating and drinking without care Farewell A TA. A TABLE Of the Chapters PART I. BOOK I. CHAP. I. THe State of Europe towards the end of the precedent Age. Page 1. CHAP. II. Of the war of Hungary The Mutiny of the French rigorously punished The Duke of Mercoeurs death Whence came the Inhabitants of Transylvania Page 3. CHAP. III. Of Russia or Muscovia the Religion The History of Demetrius Page 5. CHAP. IV. Of Poland the Government the Religion Henry Duke of Ainioü elected King and afterwards Sigismund of Sweden and Maximilian of Austria who was taken prisoner in a Battail Page 6. CHAP. V. Of Sweden The disorder which happened between King Sigismund and his Vncle Charles and why The successe of their Arms. Page 9. CHAP. VI. Of Denmark the description thereof Page 11. CHAP. VII Of great Britain The History of the Earl of Gowrey Page 12. CHAP. VIII Of Italy Lorrain and Savoy Page 13. CHAP. IX The jealousies between the two Crownes and why The House of Burgundy Page 15. CHAP. X. A relation of the evils which have happened in France under the minority of the Kings and by the diversity of Religions The jealousie about the power of the Guisards or the House of Guise Page 17. CHAP. XI Commotions in the Low-Countries and why In fine the Peace of Vervins followes The Donation of the Low-countries to the Infanta Page 18. CHAP. XII The Arch-Duke goes into Spain and the Admirall into the Dutchy of Cleveland The death of King Philip. His admirable patience Page 21. CHAP. XIII The difference which happened between the counts of Freezland and the town of Embden The States put in a Garrison Page 22. CHAP. XIV Of the changes which happened about matter of Religion in the precedent Ages and motives for our
watered with most fair and great Rivers which would make her most flourishing if she had not the Turk in her bowels But she hath an ayer a little too rough for strangers She hath produced a huge number of great Emperours most Religious Kings most holy Persons and men most learned in all kinds of faculties Atilas that scourge of God came from them with his Huns for the affliction of Europe and many other Tyrants who have often rended Germany and made the Emperours pay them tribute a long time to save their Country from the fury of their arms But vice reigns there now with so absolute an Empire as it renders the Hungarians very odious and despicable Ambition made them loose a King a saire Army and Buda the capitall City of the Kingdome Avarice hurries them blindfold upon all wickednesse and makes them sometimes sell the Christians prisoners to the Turks and Tartars without sparing so much as their own neer kindred when the insatiable hunger of mony hath vayled the eyes of their understanding Their Kings have had frequent experiments of their perfidie the Turks of their loosenesse and the Germanes of their cruelty treachery and hatred dangerous both to the one and the other as having made many Fields unfruitful and brought much profit to their enemies The Hungarians saith an old Bishop writing to the Emperour Frederick the first have ugly faces hollow eyes low of stature and barbarous both in manners and speech And yet it must be avowed that there also dwells vertue amongst them as well as amongst other Christians that they defend Christendome and that their bodies are such Bulwarks as the Ottomans have not hitherto been able to leap and which they must first cast to the ground if they intend to assayle Germany They are almost alwayes on horse-back and upon prey with them and they serve themselves of calamity for an aliment to their vertue And indeed that of the valiant Count de Serin amongst so many others shined with so much glory and constancy at the siege of Sigot that it purchased him everlasting praise The Hungarians with their Light Horse do more hurt to the Turks then to the Germanes and in this last Warre of Bohemia they offended more by surprises then by standing Fights In the Battel of Prague not being able to support the rough onset of the Walloons and Germanes they quickly gave ground and so were partly the cause of that remarkable Defeat CHAP. III Of Russia or Muscovia Their Religion The History of Demetrius THis Province which stretches it self to the Icie Sea is of a very large extent governed by an Emperour or Great Duke with most absolute authority after the manner of the Eastern Countries however it lye very near the North. The Muscovits follow the Greek Religion The Greek Religion under a Patriarch though yet it be mingled with very many superstitions which will never be corrected because the Great Duke suffers none of his subjects to travel and see other Countries This people is much tormented by the Turks and Tartars They have likewise waged great warres with the Polas and Swedes but with many losses They were very tyrannically governed by their Prince John Basil who was succeeded by his son Theodore a Prince of small sense for he let both himself and his Country be ruled by his wives brother called Borits Fedorits He died without children and his Brother-in-law was Great Duke after him He had a brother named Demetrius who as many Authors worthy of credit have written The History of Demetrius with great apparences of truth was stolne away in his infancy so to be saved from the evident danger wherewith he seemed to be threatened by the authority of the said Borits and another very like him put in his place was exposed dead to the view of the people Now this Demetrius being brought up in Poland with the Palatine Sandomir after he had travelled in Germany and Italy for the space of twenty yeares gave himself to be known for the son of Basil Brother to Theodore and by the assistance of the said Palatime the Jesnits and the favour of the King himself he entered the second time into Muscovy well accompanied by Germanes Poles and Cosacks Borits raises a most puissant Army to oppose him but the infidelity of his people together with some losses deprived him both of courage and desire of life And so he died the 13 th of April in the year 1605 not without suspicion of having voluntarily prevented his misfortune by despaire His son was received by such as were of his faction But the City of Mosco together with all the Country having admitted Demetrius for their Prince he was forthwith cast in prison Now Demetrius had no sooner made his entry into the said City but they began to murmure and say that he was not the true Demetrius The Lord Basil Chimouskie for having said that he had caused the right Demetrius to be buried brought his head upon a scaffold which yet by special favour he brought back again to weare the Crown and succeed the unfortunate Demetrius O strange effect of Fate The aversion of the people from poor Demetrius appeared yet more when they understood that he had acknowledged the Pope and introduced the Jesuits to work-about a Reformation He married the daughter of his Foster-Father who made her entry into the head City the 26 of April in the year 1606. The persidy of this treacherous people was clearly discovered a moneth after namely the 27 of May and their rage began its first effect upon the Poles and other strangers who yet sold their skins dear enough and others passed on to the Court there to finish the last Act of the Tragedy The Prince hearing of the tumult left the company of his wife wish whom he then was got away and leapt down from the top of a Tower through a window at the foot whereof being found yet alive he was forthwith dispatched This was done under the pretext of Religion He was a Prince of a great wit a lover of hunting and warre he had read much was very ambitious and went much in quest of the allyances of the Kings of Europe and nominatively of that of the Great Henry of France Thus unhappily ended Demetrius his dayes in the very April of his age and the cruelty of the barbarous multitude continued even upon his dead body which they tore in pieces so violent is hatred stirred up by Religion against such as endeavour to change it when fury has gotten the upper hand He was accused by a Declaration to have been a Monk an Heretick and a Witch and to have endeavoured to change the Religion of Russia supplant the Nobility of the Country and introduce that of Poland to have layen with his wife in the presence of an image of our Lady and many other things which are tedious to rehearse A memorable example of the instability of Fortune who when she
Livoma where he gained some advantage upon Samonskie besieged Riga but in vain and returned into Sweden in great danger to be drowned When he had gotten the Crown upon his head he gave the reasons thereof to all Christian Kings and Princes justifying his proceedings the best he could and seeking the allyance of his Neighbours and chiefly that of the States Generall Samonskie the Great Chancellonr aforesaid writ against him and cried our upon his ambition which greatly offended him and gave subject of great grudges between them which grew at length to implacable hatred Chules looset the Battel Fortune frowned upon him at Riga for his Army being much stronger then that of Poland was rooted by General Cockevietz who having senr four hundred of the Livonian horse over a River to attack the Swedes in the Reer wonne the Battel by this stratatagem and so Livonia came to be under the Polanders till the Reign of the Great Gustavus Adolphus who reduced it to his obedience All Livonia hath embraced the Lutheran Religion as well as Sweden where it is held for one of their Fundamentall Lawes as it also is almost through all the North. Sweden is the biggest of all the Northern kingdoms the Head City whereof is Stockholm a Town the Suburbs and Sea-thore or strand comprised of great distent There are many huge Mountains Rocks and Forrests where are sometimes heard great illusions and phancies as there likewise are in the water which are very troublesome and terrible both to men and horses which passe that way The country is not much inhabited and the chief Provinces are West-Gothland East-gothland from whence as also from the rest of Sweden according to the opinion of some Authours came the Goths who so much vexed the Romane Empyre This kingdom is full of Copper and Iron Mines The Swedes are good souldiers both by Sea and Land and have given incredible examples of their valour both in Germany and Denmark they are of a strong Complexion and sit to endure hardnesse and labour The Nobility is very mild and frank loves learning and languages but especially Latin and French travels much abroad is very dexterous at exercises and honours and seeks learned company Yea and they have this vertue above all other nations wherewith I have conversed that they heartily love one another our of their own country hide the vices of their Compatriots and stand much for the honour of their nation The Peasants or Country people send their Deputies to the Assemblies of the States to the end that nothing be coucluded there to the prejudice of their priviledges King Gustave and Queen Christine his Daughter now reigning created much new Gentry which in some sort is disdained by the ancient Families in regard the Nobility of the kingdom was almost exhausted by the Warres CHAP. VI Of Denmark The Description thereof DEnmark is a kingdom the best part whereof consists of Islands as namely Zeland and Fionia The Province of Scania reaches up to Sweden and Jutland to Holstein It was peacefully gouerned by the prudent conduct of King Christian the fourth successour to Frederick the second his Father and Duke of Holstein During his minority he had four Counsellours to help him to bear the charge of the Government He was crowned the 29 th of August in the year 1596. The principal strength of this Kingdom consists of good and stately ships whereof the King hath a considerable number as well for the defence of his said Islands as for that most important passage of the Sownd which is the streight that separates Scania from Zeland and which is of huge advantage by reason of the infinity of ships which must passe over it to go into the Baltick Sea in the same manner that those of all the Havens of the said Sea and bound for the Ocean are forced to passe that way The Nobility of Denmark as also that of Holstein is much more inclined to warres then learning zealous for their liberty and Rights and makes no allyance by marriage with the common people a maxime much observed through all the North Poland and Germany They rufuse Ecclesiastical Honours as below their condition defend their priviledges and make no esteem of others though by their experience and knowledge they may merit the best Offices and Employments in the Country The Government is not much unlike that of Poland in both which Elective Kingdomes the Kings undertake nothing of importance without the consent of the States and Nobility The Gentlemen are all equall and as it were of one Family there being neither Earl nor Baron The Officers of the Crown and Counsellours of the kingdome have the preheminency and assist the King in the most weighty affaires of the Countrey Norway an Hereditary kingdom opposite to Great Britain or England It is very big but very desert and hath no considerable Towns but such as are near the Sea side It yeelds great store of fish wood boards and good skins These three kingdomes were heretofore under the government of the King of Denmark But the Swedes not being able to suffer the tyranny of Christian the second divided themselves from his obedience They all follow the Lutheran Religion and the Capitall City of Denmark is Coppenhaghen a very fair town situated upon the streight of the Sownd near the Baltick Sea a passage of about four leagues most pleasant and recreative by means of a Forrest which borders upon the Sea from Coppenhaghen to Elsener of which passage because it is so much envyed we will hereafter speak more at large The Peasants of Denmark and Poland are treated almost like slaves for the greatest part of the Nobility licentiously abusing their liberty despises all who are not Gentlemen A fault which hath drawn ruine upon many Families which boasted of the story of their Ancestours But it is not enough to be born a Gentleman unlesse it appear by vertuous laudable and generous actions CHAP. VII Of Great Britain The History of the Earl of Gore ENgland is a most fertile and most potent Island as well for scituation as men and ships There reigned Queen Elizabeth a Princesse as happy in her allyances success of arms and love of her subjects as ever was She was Daughter to Henry the 8 th and Sister to Mary and Edward She changed the Religion declared her self Head of the Church She was alwaies well served She sent strong succours to the King of Navarre and her subjects wonne many victories by Sea from the Spaniard against whom she continued her hatred even till her death in favour of the Vnited Provinces of the Low-countries She was a sworne enemy to the Roman Catholick Religion and seemed to have made it her task to destroy that as well as she had the King who bears the surname of it Scotland is a kingdom which makes a part but not the better part of this Island There reigned as King Lames Stewart a Prince esteemed very wise who resented
discovered in his physiognomy that he should one day become the Author of much disturbance to Christendome which afterwards proved true For he caused the Duke of Orleans to be massacred which raised a huge warre between these two illustrious Houses to the great advancement of the English affaires in France But now for the remedy of all those evills a Peace was made and Duke John assassinated in a Conference in the presence of the Dolphin Now this dismal chance this unseasonable revenge and this mad Counsell was the cause why the English assisted by the Burgundians and Flemmings made themselves masters of almost all the kingdome of France For Philip surnamed the Good joyned with the English to revenge the death of his Father against Charles the seventh In fine there happening a civil warre in England between the Houses of Lancaster and York the White and Red Rose and Duke Philip drawing his stake out of the play the English came by degrees to loose all they had gotten in the said kingdome This good Prince instituted and established the Order of the Golden Fleece in the year 1430 and tyed so by succession all those Provinces into one body to which Charles the Combatant annexed the Duchy of Guelders sold to him by Duke Arnolt for the summe of 92 thousand Crowns The pretensions of the Duke of Juleers or Gulick were also granted by consent of the Emperour Frederick in consideration of the summe of eighty thousand Florens in gold He left one only Daughter named Mary of Valois who was a very vertuous Princess and was married to Maxmilian of Austria and her death proved fatall to the Low-countries in respect of the war which followed there Her sonne Philip having renewed his alliance with Henry the seventh went into Spain and married Iane of Castile who brought him Charles of Austria And thus these Provinces being bound first to the House of Burgundy and then to that of Austria came last into the possession of that of Spain which by the discovery and conquest of the Indies happening almost at the same time is become most puissant and terrible as well to other States and Princes as also to the Ottomans themselves who seeing the Romane Empyre governed by a Prince of this Family loaden with so many Crowns and so many potent States take no small pleasure in seeing so many Schismes amongst the Christians Charles being chosen Emperour had Francis the first for his Competitor which kindled great Warres between them The success whereof was that Francis being taken prisoner promised though he performed not to restore the Duchy of Burgundy and renounce the Rights which the Kings of France had had in some Provinces of the Low-countries land Italy so that the Heyres of Charles remained a long time in the quiet and peacefull possession of them France being enough embroyled at home by the tender youth of three Kings all sonnes to Henry the second and by Civill Warre without looking back into old quarrels The House of Austria encreased by Marriages and Navigation And here we may see how by marriages and Navigations the House of Austria is both amplified and elevated which hath maintained her self by arms given jealousies to the Princes of Europe by her victories and struck sear and hatred into the soules of the Protestants who have made Leagues to uphold themselves and put a flea into the eare of France which hath abandoned the interests of Religion to make her self great and check this formidable power From this Knot or Tye of so many Crowns and great States together wherewith the King of Spaines head is burthened sprang that ticklish and indissoluble difference of precedency or preheminency which the Kings of France by the title of Eldest sonnes of the Church and most Christian Kings have alwayes attributed to themselves CHAP. X A Relation of the mischiefs happened in France under the minority of the Kings and by the diversity of Religions The jealousie about the power of the Guilards The Evils in France through State-jealousie FRance by the deplorable death of Henry the second grew in a very short space to sink into calamities which dured to the end of the last Age. The evil began in the minority of Francis the second and under the Regency of Katharin de Medicis through a jealousie which thrust it self in amongst the Princes of the Blood the Constable Montmorency the Counts of Chattillon and Andelot Admiral Caspar de Colligny and other Lords on the one side and the Dukes of Guise the Princes of the House of Laâ—rraine and other Noblemen on the other The Princes complained of the Guisards or them of the House of Guise whom in mockery and to make them odious they termed strangers had the mannagement of all the Affaires of France in their hands They almost all embraced the Reformed Religion which at that time began to encrease much through the whole kingdome whereof they declared themselves Protectors The chief motive of hatred betwixt these two most illustrious and ancient Families grew from a jest which the Admiral de Colligny cast upon the Duke of Guise concerning the taking of Theonnille A prick of a Lance which drew such a deluge of blood as no Chirurgion was able to stench Hatred between these two Houses for a jest The greatest part of the Ecclesiasticks and the most zealous of the Romane Catholicks took the Party of the King and the Guisards Many Battails were fought many Siedges of Townes laid and many Peaces made and no sooner made then broken In fine under Charles the ninth at the Wedding of the King of Navarre at Paris upon the Eve of Saint Bartholomew hapned that abhominable Massacre so much and so justly exclained against by the Protestants and blamed even by the Romane Catholicks themselves In the Reign of Henry the third was made a League called the Holy League for the exclusion of Henry de Bourbon from succession to the Crown as being an Heretick whereof the Duke of Guise a Prince of courage and high esteem was the Head who having routed the Reyters or Germane Horse ented Paris in despight of the King where he was received by the Citizens with excess of honours and when the showes of joy were ended they raised certain Barricadoes which made the King retire himself to a place of safety A Fatall Honour to all subjects how innocent soever they be For redress of these disorders there was a Peace endeavoured betwixt the King and the Duke The place of Treaty was Blois where the King contrary to his Royal Word given him caused both him and the Cardinal his Brother to be treacherously murthered His Children were saved by the Queen-Mother for the King had resolved to extirpate the whole Race thereby to prevent the danger of revenge Paris revolted and in imitation thereof many other Townes besides The King applied himself to the Huguenot Party and sent for the King of Navarre which rendered him still more odious
and caused him to be published for an Heretick He besieged Paris but was unhappily stabbed by a Monk whereof he died having already declared Henry of Bourbon for his true successour and Heyr to the Crown to whom he also left a third Dispute for the kingdome of Navarre This stab extinguished the Race of the Valois ended the life of the Prince and there with also the desire he had to inflict a rigorous chastisement upon the City of Paris CHAP. XI Disturbances in the Low-Countries and why The Peace of Vervin followes The donation of the Low-Countries to the Infanta THe King of Spain was in no lesse trouble about the Low-countries for the conservation whereof he spared not his Treasures brought him from the Indies nor followed lesse the Counsell of Cardinal Granvel then the Roman Catholicks of France did that of the Cardinal of Lorraine But the Prince of Orange assisted by the Protestants of Germany eluded their care in such sort as that neither the wise conduct of the Duchesse of Parma nor the rough proceedings of the Duke of Alva nor the very presence of King Philips Brother himself no nor the inimitable valour of that Great Italian Alexander was able to prevaile so farre but that seven Provinces untied themselves from obedience to the King and formed a potent Common-wealth amongst themselves by the change of Religion without which it is very probable that neither the situation nor the Rivers not all that which could hurt the Spaniards would have been able to secure or defend them against the potency of Spain But now from whence came all these disorders Who laid the first stone and fixed the foundation of so dismal and fatall a Warre There are many causes and divers pretexts thereof to be noted We will therefore go to the fountain since the streams are sufficiently known Under the General Title of Low-countries are comprised seventeen Provinces so rich so well peopled so full of fair Towns and big Villages together with the situation and strength of the Inhabitants that if they were united together I know not who would presume to attach them how powerful so ever he were either by Sea or Land But plenty doth not more disunite people then want and the winde of ambition raises not lesse storm then ill-taken zeal in Religion These Countries have been almost a whole Age the Theater of a most sad and dreadful Warre caused by the two aforementioned Passions which have brought them to this state wherein they are seen at present They had every one their Prince or Goâ—ernour apart but by little and little as well by Marriages and Successions as other means they grew to be devolved under the House of Burgundy and afterwards under that of Austria as we have noted already For during the Warres of the Emperour Charles the sift and Francis the first they were governed by the Queen of Hungary Sister to the aforesaid Charles In fine this good Prince having with an unparallelled example of resolution transferred all his States upon his sonne Philip and the Empyre upon his Brother Fordinand so to retire himself into a private condition the said King Philip his sonne before his departure gave the government of the aforesaid Provinces in generall to his Sister and in particular to some certain Knights of the Golden Fleece who had faithfully served both his Father and himself in the Warres against France Now the Order given to pluck up the tender plants of new opinions in Religion was by such as hunted after a Change in State interpreted for the Spanish Inquisition and the retardment of the forraine Militia for the maintaining thereof The introduction of new Bishops made a double operation by giving an Alarme as well to the Clergy as to them who had embraced the profession of a Religion which excluded both Old and New The Governesse notwithstanding the coldnesse of some prime Ministers stopped the disease with agreeable nutriment and a sleight bleeding and so rendered a superficial kind of health to this Body so much stuffed with ill humours But King Philip irritated by the contemp of his authority and commandments had recourse to the arms of Justice which by violent proceedings applies both Sword and Fire amazes the Good represses the audacity of others inexorably punishes the bad and by demanding the tenth penny reversed or overthrew all that which was no more then shaken before Thus have you the seeds of the Evills which gave birth to those long warres which have had divers qualifications and various successes under many Governours who like unskilfull Physitians either performed not their care or else prescribed all things contrary because the Disease was incurable Some make William Prince of Orange Authour of all those troubles and others impute it to the cruelty of the Duke of Alva But be it what it will this People being very intense upon the conservation of their priviledges and most prone to jealousie motion and surprise was more agitated by the passion of others then by their own so that Ambition urging them to act under the pretence of priviledges and liberty of conscience and rigour falling upon them to make them unseasonably stoop to the commandments of their Master urged them to fly to the Sword Insomuch as sometimes neither naked Justice nor Treaties of Reconciliation were able to soften their exasperated and irritated Hearts And such of these Provinces as are nearest the Sea shewed then another kind of countenance both to the Church and Government and being succoured by their jealous Neighbours continued this warre with much advantage The King gives the Low-countries to the Intanta his Daughter The King therefore being tired with so prolix a warre made over all the the Provinces to his Daughter Isabell but it was after he had sent Alexander twice into France to relieve the Leaguers or Confederates which much advanced their Affaires and gave them meanes to lay about them for the settlement of their Common-wealth And this was the state of things in the Low-countries towards the end of the Age. Now Cardinal Albert was sent from Spain to govern the aforesaid Provinces who brought the Prince of Orange with him and falling in his Enterprise upon Marseilles through the vigilancie of the Dake of Guise he took possession of his aforesaid Government by the resignation of the Conde de Fuentes who had not long before seised upon Cambray and Dourlens Albert hearing that La Fere was streightned by King Henry resolved to make a diversion which might either be able to raise the siege or at least to recompence the losse of the said place in case it were taken Wherefore he sent Monsieur de Rosne to besiege Calis which he quickly took together with the Town of Ardre notwithstanding the succour from England and Holland La Fere rendred it self at the end of seven months siege and that which happened afterwards of most importance for the good of the Crown of France was the Reconciliation
had so much adoe to awaken In sine Whatsoever is profitable in matter of State seems lawfull But what we do our selves we ought not to condemn in others the Peace made 1506. The suspicion daily encreased and that chiefly because Count John of Ritsbergh was become a Roman Catholick But at last by the intercession of the King of England and the States-Generall the Peace was made at the Haghe in the year 1606 as also that of the Christians and Turks and all jealousies which could come from thence quite take off CHAP. XIV Of the Changes which happened in precedent Ages about matter of Religion and the motives of our Design drawn from these revolutions Luther writes against the Pope The Rebellion of the Peasants of Germany THe differences which have happened amongst Christians upon the diversity of Religions the distrusts which have sprung from thence as the fire from the flint and the reasons of State precious covers for manifest wickednesse have proved the cause of the greatest part of all our present mischiefes and languishments Therefore let us seek out the true root of it and leave passion to such as cannot receive any other impressions then those by which they are utterly blinded My purpose is not to dyve into questions of Divinity but only to search in History after the causes of so many alterations and so much hatred drawn from so holy and innocent a subject Pope Julius the second We will therefore begin with Pope Iulius the second who died in the year 1513. This Pope more carefull of the Temporall then of the Spiritual and more studious of propagating the Jurisdictions of the Church then the kingdom of God made an Allyance with the Emperour and the Kings of France and Spain to the utter ruine of the Venetians But he quickly changed his Cards forsook the Allyes reconciled himself with his enemies animated Henry the Eighth King of England against the French and Ferdinand against the King of Navarre whom he spoyled of his kingdom for refusing him passage He embroiles Europe He also dissolved the Allyance between the Emperour and the King of France and called the Swissers into Italy to drive the French out of the Milan In fine having sunk all Europe into inexplicable confusions and scandalized his Flock he made place for Leo the 10 th a man who loved rest and was lesse a souldier then Iulius of whom is written this great praise that he once cast some Keyes into the Tyber saying that St. Pauls Sword should have more power then the Arms of St. Peter The duty of a good shepherd is to keep his sheep in peace and feed them and not scatter them and send them to the shambles Whilest these warres lasted which ruined the Publick and Human Laws the Divine ones were also very ill kept The ignorance of the Prelates caused superstitions and their loose and vicious lives together with their great and vast possessions the hatred of the people The learned desired a redresse in the Ecclesiastical Policy as well as Peace required in the Secular Divorce which continues to this day with as little apparence of Reunion as there is of seeing the Rivers run back to their springs And it is that the Pope published a Iubily for the collection of monies to resist the Turk which was most necessary at that time But the impudence of a certain Monk called Teâ—zel exceeded so farre as to presume to sell the Indulgences or Pardons for the sinnes committed and to be committed I have horrour to recite this cheaâ—erie the companion of superstition ignorance and avarice and forthwith to draw soules out of Purgatory Martin Luther Martin Luther opposes Tyrzel Dector of Divinity at Witembergh and Monk of the Order of St. Austin briskly opposed this Impostor made a Thesis or General Position which he dedicated to the Pope himself to testify the will he had to relye upon his definition But through excess of indignation he passed the limits of Christian modesty and Catholick Truth Insomuch as that at length he grew to write against the Popes authority wherein he was impugned by a Divine called Eckins See Florimoud of Remond He is excommunicated Now Pope Leo desirous to quench this spark excommunicates Luther but that was to cast oyle into that fire and put poison to the wound For Martin raises his Batteries against him and calls him Antichrist which the Pope too much slighting applyed all his thoughts to warre Those enemies who are most despised are very often most hurtfull But the God of Peace drove him out of this world to make room for another more worthy and more vâ—â—tuous though lesse politick then he However Policie be a very convenient Science for such as govern great States and Empyres Pope Adrian the Preceptor or Tutor to Charles the 5. was born at Vâ—rick and promised to bring a wholesom Balsom to the diseases of Christendome For he had already elevated the hopes of the Good by abolishing Simony punishing sins against nature and not alienating the possessions of the Church But his too suddain death declared that God had otherwise disposed of him that his two Predecessors had too much embroyled the Flock that the sicknesse must have its course and that the Body was filled with too many bad humours to be cured by one single purge or one Blood-letting onely His doctrine in Saxony Now Luthers doctrine passed from Saxony into Sweden King Gustave and Frederick of Denmark being leagued together against Christian who deserted by his people was fled and they also forsook the Pope as well as their King and much ranged the authority of the Bishops of their kingdomes And as Luthers Doctrine grew to be received so diffidence and hatred grew equally up with it together with a desire also to maintaine it against all who endeavoured to suppress it There was besides another accident which very much troubled the Church and it was that Charles the Emperour and King Francis the first had very often entreated the Pope and Cardinals to call a General Councill for the reformation of abuses in the Church and Clergy But this song was little lesse unpleasant then the opposition of Luther And so these two Princes laying aside that care they being too nearly tyed to their own interests meditated nothing but warre upon each other Pope Clement successor to Adrian seeing the King of France prisoner made speedily a secret Allyance with his own subjects and almost all the Princes of Italy so to put a limit to the power of the Emperour who in revenge thereof abrogated his Authority in Spain surprised Rome and took him prisoner who was very ill treated by the Germans as being for the most part Lutherans Now these two Monarchs being the chief Pillars of Europe ought to have favoured a Reformation and hindred a separation But what The impiety of the people whets the sword of the Almighty who comes slowly to vengeance though
States to have the total administration of them This man being eminently ambitious hoped to come to be Pope by the recommendation of the Emperour The story of Câ—â—â—inaâ— Wollâ—y But seeing himselt frustrated of his expectation he turned his hate upon him whispered the King in the ear that his marriage with Katharine of Spain Aunt to the said Emperour was incestuous because she had formerly been married to his Brother O! How great is the wickednesse of such as have for saken God to serve their ambition and revenge This Prelate who ought to have framed the reformation of abuses and opposed Heresies since himself held for such all the Doctrines which checked the Pope was not content with so much honour and wealth as he enjoyed without seeing the Emperour thrown down and buried under the very ruins of that Church the Religion whereof he professed with so great Majesty and under the Purple of so great luster The King intangled in love with a young Lady newly come from the Court of France and disgusted with the Embracements of that most veâ—â—â—ous Princess his Wife was glad of this scruple and sollicited the Pope to grant him a Divorcement upon the aforementioned reason But the Pope temporizes and sends in sine his Legat to examin the matter The King and the Legat sir the Queen being summoned appears and in presence of the chief of the Kingdom makes a Speech in Latin to the King which is able to move a very rock to compassion How is it possible Sir sayes she that after having lived almost twenty yeares together in great concord and having had so many children as we have had it should now come into your thought to repudiate me Your Brother Arthur fell sick the very first day of our marriage and some dayes after dyed I take the great God and your conscience to witness that you found me a Virgin And if you are resolved to separate me from your Bed expect at least so long as till I may have advertised my Nephew Charles thereof to the end that I may know how to behave my self in this affliction since I can hope for no support in the equity of my cause here where you are Absolute King If I have offended God since I have been your wife it has been in being a little too curious to please you Ah Vertue This is not the first time that thy adversary endeavours to suppress thee Thy luster is too bright not to dâ—â—le the eyes of the wicked This poor Princesse in this tribulation had this imperfection that in regard Nature had been sparing to her of her rich gifts of beauty she had had recourse to innocent Art thereby to draw her Husband from the levities to which he was too much inclined as well by his own naturall Passion as by the attractive Charms of his fair subjects Her Speech being ended which produced but faint pitty in the soul of the King and some of the Auditory she retired her self together with her Daughter into a private House where the spake thus to this ambitious Cardinal who came to her in behalf of the King to intreat her to yeeld to his will It is thou said she O wicked and disloyal Minister who returnestâ—â—s this recompence To my Nephew for not advancing thee to the Holy Chayre and to me for not being able to suffer thy impudicity and naâ—ghtâ—â—esse The King divorced himself from the Church of Rome because the Pope would not condescend to his demand and from his Wife by whom he had alwayes been so respectfully loved to conjoyn in publick marriage with Anne of Bolein The King leaves his Wife an I the Church of Rome The Cardinal died in the year 1530 being not long before deprived of all his employments and fallen from the favour of his Prince which he had preferred before that of his God as he restified by these words full of christian and holy repentance which issued our of his dying mouth Ah! I would to God said he I had taken so much pains to serve my Creatour as I have done to serve my Prince He put into the Letanies From the tyranny of the Pope good Lord deliver us whose authority was abrogated thorowout the whole kingdome and the King by Act of Parliament declared Head of the Church of England He seized upon the possessions of the Church by the advice of Cromwell and some others who all ended their dayes unhappily Takes away the possessions of the Clergy He also bestowed part thereof upon the nobility for fear of commotion He hanged such as refused to subscribe that he was Head of the Church as aforesaid and condemned the protestants to the fire In fine after having crushed the Church and lived like a tyrant he died miserable and little regretted by his people Sir Thomas More that great Heroe fell under the rigour of his command and so did an infinite number of other noble persons Luther seeing him in ill tearms with the Pope and encouraged by the King of Denmark very humbly beseeched him Luther writes to the King and receives an affront by a letter which he wrote to him to embrace the doctrine of the Gospel but he received such an answer as he little expected namely that he should forsake his apostacie and his wife and return to his Monastery Now the Church of Rome seeing her head disclaimed and his authority banished out of England felt her self much shaken as well by Peter Martyr as orther Protestant ministers in such sort as that Edward Edward establishes the Protestant Religion son to the said Henry having taken the reines of the English Monarchie had no great trouble to throw her quite our and fixe the Protestant But he dying very young and Queen Mary succeeding him she had an intention to pluck up this tender plant and re-establisheth the old doctrin which yet could not recover its full strength before it was exterminated again Young trees by being re-planted get vigour but old ones wither and dye CHAP. XVI Queen Elizabeth banishes the Romane Catholike Religion again by degrees That of the Protestants passes into Scotland under the bastard Murrey who swayes the Scepter It is called the Congregation and is fortified by the above said Queen and the Hugenots of France QUeen Elizabeth who during the life of her sister Mary feigned her self a Roman Catholike and was like to lose her life by giving some suspicions of her being a Protestant being raised to the royall Throne forthwith unmasqued her self and began to treat of the meanes how to annull the one and revoke the other which was easie to be accomplished For the ignorance of the Priests was great the desire of their possessions greater and the curiosity to check a Religion full of ceremonies which few could solidly defend greatest of all It was represented to the People both here and elsewhere that the doctrine was falsified and in no wise congruous with that of the
German Doctor Luther and Calvin whom we have so often mentioned and a French one likewise who first preached against those said superstitions and then ventured to set up their Standards against the Church her self with so universal applause that in a few years even whole kingdomes grew to separate themselves from the communion of that Body which acknowledged the Pope for the Supreme Vicar of Iesus Christ The Iesuits oppose Now at the same time as we have formerly shewed sprang the Iesuits and armed themselves to quell these valiant souldiers who skipped out of their holes so openly to attack a power which all the States of Christendom held in so much veneration They stopped the course of this Torrent which neither Fire Persecutious nor strict Prohibitions were able to effect and they have united to the Body a good part of those people which had untyed themselves from it It is not by fire but by force of Doctrine and not by words but by exemplary life that a remedy must be put to all these disorders which happens amongst Christians Now this Society could not but meet with meet with envy enough amongst the Clergy which felt it self so reprehended and pricked by such new men For Admonitions and in structions how necessary and profitable soever they be leave not to imprint some harshnesse upon the soul of the receivers An exact Captain is displeasing to lazy souldiers Violent remedies served for nothing In fine recourse was had to such violent remedies as so sharpened and stung the parts affected that there will never be meanes to introduce a reconciliation unless perhaps it fall out to be by ways full of suavity and charity For interest took this powerful occasion so fast by his fore-lock and these Divisions are grown so firmly rooted that it is probable they will not finish but with the world And this is the principall source of the evils which we have seen and yet daily see happen to the grief of all good men in this last Age. And thus we have shewed about what when for what reasons and by whom began these Reformations Nor must we wonder at the monstrous effects since they could not be more noble then their Causes If we would reflect often upon it we should find Ministers and instruments enough thereof The holy Scripture sayes that there must be scandals but cursed be they who shall give them THE HISTORY OF THIS IRON AGE THE SECOND BOOK CHAP. I The Queen of England and the States of Holland refuse Peace King Henry of France polishes his Kingdome and makes War against the Duke of Savoy THE Peace of Vervin filled with joy not only the subjects of the Kings but also all such as acknowledged the See of Rome The Protestants invited to the said Peace by Henry the Great shut their eares to the Propositions and studied only how to make most streight Allyances for their preservation Where Diffidence gets the mastery Reason is not understood unlesse it be ushered in by strong and irrefutable assurance It was impossible for the Arch-Duke Albert to bring the States to a very advantageous Peace as the Ministers said for them since the arguments of King Henry could obtain nothing from them For his offers were as stints out of which they drew sire to kindle the warre with so much the greater animosity They sent their Embassadours into England Elizabeth and the states refuse Peace where they sound the Queen most disposed to receive theirs so that it was most facil to draw her to their opinion In the mean while the Arch-Duke receives a Procuration from the Infanta his future Spouse in vertue whereof he was generally and solemnly received and nominatively at Antwerp where the oath of sidelity was payd him by the Deputies of the obedient Provinces Albert goes into Spain 1598. And so he went into Spain but before his departure he signified to the confederated States that he went to marry the Infanta and that he had the Low-conntries for Portion with her and was already acknowledged Lord thereof Therefore he conjured them to associate themselves to the other Provinces in respect that the King had divided them from his other Demaines and that thus all distrusts being taken away he withed nothing more then to see that Body entire and in peace under his Government But all in vain For Religion and liberty were too charming subjects to be abandoned and they who are growne to be Masters abhorre to fall back into forvitude He began his journey in the moneth of September in the yeer 1598 leaving Cardinal Andrew his cosin for his Licutenant and sent his army towards the Rheyn which at his return he found full of confusion and revolt for want of pay He was received in all places where he passed together with the Princess Margaret of Austria spouse of Philip the third whom he conducted in his company with honours due to the greatnes of their quality He stayed not in Spain but as soon as he had married the Princesse Clara Eugenia The King of France repolisheth his Kingdome he brought her into the Low Countries and they made their entry into Brussels in the moneth of September 1599. He brings the Infanta 1599. King Henry of France having given his subjects a peace made it all his care to repolish his kingdom much depraved by the prolixity of the civil warrs to revive the laws strucken dumb by the licentiousness of the souldiers to place good order every where and in fine to establish two Religions in very good union aswel for his own service as for the repose of his people Whereas King Philip on the other side in his would have but one But some persons of very great experience have conceived that if he had embraced the same Maxime he might have preserved the seventeen Provinces though others have beleeved that he would rather have lost them all as being too far distant from them and consequently unable to accommodate himself to all occurrences which required a diversity of temperaments But this Prince namely Henry had been educated in the reformed Religion and so knew the humours the forces of that party not to be contemptible He was Son to Anthony of Bourbon who was slain at the siege of Roüen The Prince of Conde being slain in the battell of Jarnac and the Admiral remaining Generall of the Hughenot army he advised them to nominate for their Generall Henry of Bourbon a young Lord who had ever defended their party and so he being turned Catholick and upon that made King of France had alwayes a particular care to uphold them as a people from which he had received great services But there was very great danger of taking from them that which had been promised them by so many Proclamations or Edicts nor did they indeed forbear to cry up their services and bragg that it was they onely who put the Crown upon his head Henry the 3.
command Now this expulsion of them together with so many Colonies as the Spaniards have in the Indies and an infinite number of other Islands hath much dispeopled the Continent of Spain and greatly retarded the progresse The cause of dispeopling Spain which this Warlike Nation might otherwise peradventure have made upon her enemies And this was very well foreseen by a certain Spanish Don who told King Philip the second that the transportation of the Natives would one day be the ruine of Spain But before we passe any further let us speak a word of this kingdom the power whereof is so great that it gives jealousie to all the States of the Universe CHAP. X A brief discription of the Kingdoms of Spain and France SPaine is separated from France by the Pirenaan hills and from Affrica by the Levant or Eastern Sea which communicates it self with the Ocean by that considerable passage called the streights of Gibelatrar The Romans made two Provinces of Spaine and in those two desperate sieges of Segungum and Numantia as well they as the Affricans tryed the constancy and courage of the Spaniards from whom they received great services in their armies So that it is not now onely that they are valiant souldiers The Goths enter into Spaine 168. The Goths Sweves and Vandals after they had ransacked the Empire made choice of Spaine for the seat of their domination as being very proper to command both Europe and Affrica They entered about the yeer 168. and remained in possession thereof more then four hundred that is till Rodrigues with almost all his nobility was defeated by the Saracons who were brought in by a certain Earl in revenge of the honour of his daughter whom the King had ravished Vengeance is against Christian Religion and yet this young Lady made her own native Country a prey to the Barbarians They maintained themselves there above seven hundred yeers as well against the French as the Spaniards themselves who endeavoured to expell them In precedent ages there were numbered about twelve Crowns or Kingdoms which were all reduced to one by Ferdinand and Isabell in the yeer 1474. except that of Portugal which being subjugated by Philip the second both by armes and right of succession hath been peacefully possessed by him and his heirs till the yeer 1640. when the Portugezes withdrew themselves from obedience to Philip the fourth and chose for their King the Duke of Bragaâ—sa under the name of John the jourth It was in the reign of the aforesaid Ferdinand The Indies found our under Ferdinand of Castill that the Indies and many other Islands were found out the riches whereof hath much augmented the potency of Spaine and made her aspire as her enemies say to the Monarchie of the whole world Philip the iv King of Spaine Now besides tho reasons aforementioned why there are so few inhabitants in a Country of large extent there is yet another which is this Ferdinand and Isabell having finished the Warr with the Moors resolved to expell the Jews also out of the territories under their obedience who transported themselves into Affrion Italy the Levant and Portugal The Jewes vanished out of Spaine and Portugall from whence they were likewise chased some yeers after And besides the women are sterill enough especially towards the south and again the warrs which their Kings have so long had in Germany Italy France and the Low-Countries not forgetting the infinity of Garrisons which they are obliged to keep to containe their people in their duty have so much exhausted Spaine that the King hath given great freedoms and immunities to such as have five or six male Children Yea moreover strangers are invited to come and dwell there under profitable conditions provided still that they be Romane Catholicks for the Inquisition suffers no other Religion then that Now this Inquisition so much cried down and reviled by other Nations was instituted at the first for the rooting out of the Mahometisme The Inquisition and Judâ—â—sme though it now extend it self upon all such as give but the least suspicion of not adhering totally to the definition of the Church of Rome If the said Kingdom were as well peopled as France the King would have made farre greater conquests then he hath and would not have been forced to expose his money and his armies to the infidelity of some strangers In fine the King of Spaine hath so many Kingdoms so many Provinces and so many Islands in all parts of the Universe that it was with good reason that a certaine great person in the yeer 1624 refuted Sleidan concerning the four Monarchies in these tearms Philip the fourth who now reigns saith he upon whose lands the sunne never sets is more potent then was any one of those Monarchs for the continuance of neer four score yeers together This nation walks slowly to conquest but she keeps well what she hath gotten She is tardy to resolve but she stoutly pursues what is resolved She is not frighted at the encounter of any difficulties and accomplishes her ends for the most part by pertinacy and obstinacy She foresees afar off and never looses either patience or hope howbeit that length of expectation makes her often loose good occasions She doth marvels under an Italian Generall which was observable in the Prince of Parma Marquis Spiâ—ola and others The Spaniards constant and haughty This proud Nation better understands the art of governing then all other and she hath in her some witts so subtle and acute that her very enemies themselves who hate her are fain to praise her And now let us come back againe over the hills to take notice of the complexion of that brisk Nation her rivall which hath often stopped her victories in the heigth of their course both in the Low-Conntries Germany and Italy France most populous France is a most large most rich and most populous Kingdome divided from Italy by Savoy and the Alps from High-Germany by Lorraine from England by the Sea and from Low-Germany by Luxemburgh Hennanlt Artoise and French-Flanders The Romans who subjugated the Gawles and distributed them into Belgick Câ—ltick and Aquitanick were beaten out by the opinion of some Authors by Cloâ—â—â—s the first Christian King about the year 500. The Francks passed the Rhein under Pharamond the first King Clodion went not beyond Cambray and was forced to return by Stilicon Aetins cut off his Army made him repass the Rhein und hurried him back in Francony-Meroâ—e laying hold of the advantage of the confusions of the Empyre took Trevers passed into Campagne from thence to Paris and then to Orleans and so then and there began to establish the French Monarchy giving to Gawl which he had conquered Gawl takes the name of France the name of France This kingdom by succession of time hath been been very much augmented and hath soon raised to the Throne Royall two and twenty Kings of the
Crown upon the Head of King Henry And he seeing the disorder which happened in that Family and strengthened by the friendship of some Catholick Princes Paxadge demanded of them of Colem as well as most assured of that of the Protestants leaned visibly that way The Magistrates of Colein being intreated by his Deputies to grant Provisions for mony and passage for his Army were fain to avow that it would be temerity to opposeso great a King who had been alwayes victorious Besides the noises which some scattered up and down that he would allow and maintain three Religions to wit the Roman the Lutheran and the Reformed In brief his Designe seemed to be to extend the bounds of the French Monarchy at the cost of the House of Austria and some neighbour-Princes In the mean time the King Don Philip stood not with his arms a cross at the newes of this terrible Preparative The Arch-Duke puts an Army on foot which rejoyced all such as were enemies to his States The Arch-Duke Albert contracts all his old forces raises new and sends a strong Army towards the Consines of France under the command of Spinola who intrenched himselfe near Gambray In fine men talk of nothing but Armes and Horses in the Countries of both Crownes and the Pope sends his Nuncio to divert the King from his Designe but he was dispatched to Monzon Amazement every where Now all Europe stood amazed and the Princes of Italy seeing the Duke of Savoy in allyance with Henry by meanes of the marriage of his Sonne with the Daughter of France begin to think of their preservation The King in the interim confirms his Intelligences gives the Rendezvous of his Troops in Campagne and after having extraordinarily courted the Embassadours of the United Provinces conjures them to to send Prince Maurice with some Troops to attend his coming at the fronteer of Cleveland The Protestant Princes could hardly dissemble their joy The joy of the Protestants and fear of the Catholâ—â—ks and the Cartholick strangers their fear at the approach of so formidable an Army Infine both friends and enemies were ballancing or staggering in apprehension joy and uncertainty and every one in pain to know what he was either to hope or fear It came so farre as to be published that the King was to march with an Army of forty thousand men and leave as many to guard the kingdome whereof he declared the Queen Regent after her Coronation But he was treacherously murthered in his Coach the fourteenth of May 1610 and this fatall blow put all France in mourning his Corps into the Tomb and his great Designes into Smoak Above all this misfortune was impatiently taken by them of the Religion as also by the greatest part of his Allyes amongst whom his Arms had not as yet moved the least jealousie The most generall opinion was that after having established the Princes in the possession of the Dutchyes of Galick and Cleveland he was to go for Germany And indeed the House of Austria had reason to keep her selfe upon her guard as well knowing how much this Prince was affected to her opposers His death gave matter enough every where for men to inform themselves of who might be the Authour and the Jesuits were not forgotten to be called in question by the Protestants however Ravilliaâ— never confessed any such thing This King was brought up in labour and toyle and noursed in the the Civil Warres His first wife was Margaret of Valois His Life whom when he was come to the Crown he repudiated He had been Head of the Hugenots and wonne many Battails against them of the League When he was become Catholick and after the reconciliation of the Dukes of Mayanne and Mercoenr all stooped and layd down their arms He had a quick wit brave thoughts and excessive high points of judgement had in fine such eminent qualities as would have ranged him in the number of the grearest Kings that ever wore a Crown had ho not been too passionately inclined to handsom women a vicious habit which is familiar to Princes He alwayes loved the United Provinces of the Low-Conntrâ—es and assisted them with men money and counsell notwithstanding the complaints of the Arch-Dukes He was the Restorer of the French Monarchy which was horribly tottered and obtained by generall consent in regard of his heroick actions in arms the surname of Great He was beloved feared and redoubted and amongst all his Kingly vertues none shined more brightly then his Clemencie VVhy suspected to be a Hugenot Many were in doubts of his Religion for the Gâ—genots believed him of theirs and some others also besides in respect of the favour ge shewed to the Protestant Party and for that it was imputed to him to have said that the Crowne of France was well worth a Masse It is onely God who can judge of the Conscience of Soveraigns and therefore men must be silent and abey However it were he much loved Conferences and Disputes as it appeared by that of Cardinall Peronnâ— against Du Plessis Mornay The Confederated States had good reason to love him in regard of the care he alwayes took to conserve them though their seeing him expected by Prince Maurice with the forces of the Low-countries near Wesel and a Letter written by him to the Princesse Dowager of Orange intimating that he would come and visit her at the Hague not as a King but as her kinsman thrust a flea into their eare The said Prince of Orange above all impatiently took this strange and unexpected accident But indeed his death freed a good part of Europe from a great terrour filled the other with sadnesse and amazement gave way to the Prince of Conde to return into France with his wife and so the Armies to retire to rest till another season and another conjuncture which afterwards presented it self in the Warre of Gulick CHAP. XII A difference happening for the Dutchy of Gulick Jealosic between the Catholicks and Protestants and why A Tumult at Donawert an Imperiall Towne about a procession Gulick besieged by Prince Maurice and the French yeelds The Princes will not admit the Sequestration VVE have already shewed how the pretext of the Arms of Hebry the Great was the succour promised to the Princes of Brandeabourgh and Newbourgh therefore let us now look upon the justice of the Competitors since the quarrell is not quite consopited yet Sone weeks before the the conclusion of the Truce Death of the Duke of Gulick deceased John Wolliam Duke of Cleveland and Gulick leaving no Children by the Countesse of Baden his former wife noâ— yet by the sister of the Count of Vandemon his later Now this Princesse passing through Colein was received by the illustrious Magistraces and Citizens of that ancient City with great magnisicence acclamations and wishes of fertility in this match and all this for their interests which are visible enough in themselves without any
need at all to speak thereof Mary Eleonor her eldest sister was married to Albert Frederick Duke of Prussia who died without issue male and left four daughters behinde him Anne who was the eldest was given to John Sigismund Duke of Brandenbourgh and Elector of the Empire The second to the Old Elector The third to the Duke of Courland The fourth to Duke John George of Saxonie brother to the Elector The second sister of the said Duke called Anne in the year 1574. married Philip Lewis Duke of Newbourgh in which marriage she brought Wolsgang William who kept his Court at Dusseldorp and died in the moneth of April in this year of 1653. The third who was Magdalen was made wife to the Duke der Deux-Ponts And Sibill the fourth was bestowed upon Charles Duke of Austria who had no childe Difference for sâ—â—cession Now Duke Iohn William dying without children Iohn Sigismund Elector of Brandenbourgh who married Anne as we have already said eldest daughter to the eldest sister of the said last Duke presented himself to be received by the States of the said Dutchy wherein he was opposed by the Duke of Newbourgh son to the second daughter Magdalen who was then yet living The Dukes of Brandenburgh and Newburgh The Elector of Saxonie and the Duke of Neuers declared themselves also heirs so that the Emperour Rodolph summons the Parties to appear before him endeavours to sequester the Dutchies and to that end dispatches the Archduke Leopold Nâ—wburgh refuse the sequestration and demand relief from France Bishop of Straesbourgh who makes himself master of the Town and Castle of Gulick Whereupon the two first presumptive Heirs upon some articles of governing the Country made an agreement between themselves and in stead of addressing themselves to Prague before the Lord of the Fief who is the Emperour had recourse to the King of France O! How great is the strength of distrust which tyes the hands of justice and gets authority over ber They obtained a promise of strong relief The other Princes both Protestants and Catholicks yea even the Emperour himself sent their Embassadours likewise to Paris where the King sounded them all one after another In the mean time they take Arms make Excursions awaken the Neighbours The Germane Protestants receive the Alarm Germany takes the Alarm and assemble themselves at Hal and the Catholicks on the other side at Hirtsburg there to provide for their safety propose the Election of a new King of the Romanes and bring the said Protestants to a more strict observance of the accord of Passavia These are the first seeds of the divisions which being come to maturity will quickly fill all Germany with horrible disturbances as being watered by strangers for fear least they perish with moisture or humanity drawn out of the essence of Religions as we shall briefly shew in fit place The businesse of Donawerds Atumult at Donawerdt which is proscribed and foreed by the Duke of Bavaria which had already irritated the Protestants passed thus Some Religious or Conventuall men dwelling in the towne and endeavouring to make a Procession were desired by the Magistrates to desist for fear of some tumult But they answered that they would not quit their Rights which depended upon the Emperour In short they make a Procession the people falls upon them and affronts them The Emperour informed of the insolence demands an exemplary punishment wherein being disobeyed he proscribes the Towne and gives the execution thereof to the Duke of Bavaria who by a siege forced it to submit Now this proceeding very much displeased the Protestants and principally such as were grieved to see the Empire so long in a profound Peace But the enmity was not yet grown so strong for it shortly after brake out to the ruine of all this great Body But let us returne to the Country of Gulick The Princes excessively afflicted at the death of the King of France Gulick besieged and taken sollicited Prnice Maurice to besiege Gulick which he did and by the assistance of the French Army under the conduct of Marshall de la Castre constrained Leopold to render the said place into the hands of the said Princes upon an honourable composition Now it is to be observed that they would not admit of a sequestration nor the decision of the Emperour to whom it belongs by right but it looks as if they all endeavoured to weaken the Principall head of Europ And so the Princes were reproached for having ejected the Garrison of Gulick with forraine forces which was immediately to conremne the Imperiall authority and that they had thereby given cause to the Emperour to arme against them The Duke of Saxonie beares also the title of Duke of Gulick Cleveland and Montagues and draws his pretentions from Sibill Aunt to John William and Daughter to William who was given in marriage to Iohn Frederick Elector of Saxonie who lost the Electorac for having taken arms against the Emperour Charles He was admitted by the two Princes to govern the Country till the definitive decision of the difference It seems that diffidence and suspicion in affairs of State authorize the taking up of Arms without any other forme of Iustice and that it is no more lawfull to the Lord of the Fief to dispose of his Right CHAP. XIII A tumult in Poland and why They arme The Swedes and Muscovites serve themselves of this occasion against the Poles and loose Smolensko Treason discovered in England The troubles appeased at Paris Rodolph dies VVE left the King of Poland very busie about recovering his Kingdome of Sweden and the expulsion of the Swedes our of Livonia and now we finde him as busie to maintaine himself in the Elective after having lost the Hereditary Fortune never ceases to trouble Vertue and one disaster comes not without another The begining of the troubles was by a little blast or slash which kindled a fire that carried it self to the very highest loft or story of the building The scholars of the Jesuites through an impious zeale Yuâ—â—â—nlss in Poland rushed one day upon the Church of the Protestants of Posen and set it on fire Prince Radzivil and some other Ranting blades of the Party took arms for the defence as others said of their liberty and to revenge this injury under the vaile of Rakozians Fortune smiling upon them at first and they puffed up with a small victory endeavoured to expell the King and choose another unlesse he would subscribe to some certaine insupportable articles proposed by them Ill intentions grow to be discovered by good successe In a word the Warr was kindled in good earnest and the cloak of Religion not forgotten The Rakozians being beaten make Peace The Rebels or Rakozians being defeated and vanquished returned to be friends and good subjects But some space after the wound having been dressed by too milde a Chirurgion opened and gangroened and could not be shut up without
to the great good of the whole Country But now the women had also a minde to shew that they likewise knew how to handle their arms and gave an experiment thereof at Delpft about some Imposts or Taxes where they so stoutly assailed the Town-House that it was necâ—ssitated to send for both Souldiers and Counsell from the Hagâ—e to make them retire to the distaffe Perhaps there were amongst these some of them who had beaten the Franciscan Friers out of their Cloyster so great a reputation of courage have the good wives of Dâ—lft And these are all the perturbations and whatsoever else of note happened in the confederated Provinces during the Truce Before we contrive our Discourse of the Warres of Germany we will return a little towards France which is the kingdom where Fortune by her various effects of mutability seems rather to have established the Empyre then elsewhere The nature of the Germans is such as not to suffer themselves so easily to be induced to take arms for it costs much trouble to bring them to it and they walk with leaden heels but having once taken them up they lay them not down till they be able to bear them no longer and till all be brought to the extremity of desolation But the French on the other side both easily take them up and more easily lay them down in such sort as their Warres are very often finished and pacified before it be knowne that they were in arms After the consecration or unction of King Lewis during the six first years of his reign there were rather Tumults then Wars The Malcontent the Complaints as well of the Princes as of the Hâ—genots their ill-grounded distrusts and jealousies exercised the mind of that great Queen who dissipated their bad designes sometimes with money and augmentation of Pensions and new Governments and sometimes also by making them exactly observe the Edict of Nantes an interest which the said Prinoes are accustomed to take during the minority of their Kings so to adde to their own power what they take away from that of their Master The Moon and the Starres endeavour to weaken the light of the Sun by borrowing a part thereof of him But that which is to be lamented is that all this is done at the charge of the poor people In effect the great care of this wise Queen dispelled many mists and no lesse preserved the kingdom for her son then the succeeding Ministers who have laboured to augment it France having smothered with the blood of the Marquis d' Ancre all the grievances both of the Princes and people saw likewise the end of that The troubles in France appeased which the Prince of Conde gave the King by the obstacles which he was resolved to put to the confirmation of his marriage The Duke of Guise conducted the young Princesse of France to the Confines of Spain and reconducted the Infanta of Spain and the Prince of France was lodged in the Battail The Constable Luynes became the subject of a new Commotion and his great favour the object of hatred to some Grandees who absented themselves from the Court under pretext of defending the Queen-Mother who was extremely exasperated against Luynes for that he being the Counsellour of the ruine of the Marshall d' Ancre had taken possession of his Place and gotten his spoyles and so she retired her self to Angonlesine to be secured by the Duke d' Espernon Now this fire being kindled by the just disgust of an afflicted Queen begot an opinion that it would be scattered through all France For men began to be active and busie already as well at Metz as within the very middle of the kingdom and the motion being in a fronteer Town gave cause to fear lest perhaps strangers might put themselves into the dance For the Duke d' Espernon departed from Metz to go serve the Queen-Mother to whom he was reconciled by the common necessity of an equall Banishment The Nobility and the Armies began already to march all was full of fear and fury and such as loved novelty The Prince of Conde leapt already for joy But the King assisted by the Counsell of the first Prince of the Blood who was now reconciled to him instantly seased upon the Castle and Town of Caen went and beat the Queenes Troops before the Malcontents joyned with theirs and reduced them all to a necessity of submitting to his Grace From thence he conducted his Army into Bearne Reduction of Bearne and by his presence effected that in few dayes upon the Ministers and chief of that Country which the Edict of the year 1617. had not been able to obtain He reduced the whole Province under his obedience re-established the Exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion rendered the Ecclesiasticall Benefices put other Garrisons into the places of strength and four months after returned to Paris where he was received with an universal applause though he left behind him an immortall disgust amongst the most zealous of the Hugenot party by the re-establishment of a Religion without striking stroake which in sixty years before was not so much as knowne there but by calumnies and reproaches and matter also for a new warre with such stomack and animosity as wanted nothing but the occasion to draw the sword The Marriage of the Lady Christine of France with the Duke of Savoy In the mean time the Cardinal of Savoy arrives at Court to thank the King for the care he had vouchsafed to take of the preservation of his Fathers Dominions as also to mediate a Match of the Lady Christine of France with his eldest Brother He was made very welcom and obtained in fine a favourable grant of all he demanded We will now give to the Hugenots of France leasure to study a way to revenge themselves of so sensible a displeasure and stop the King from getting thenceforth any so great successe as might encrease their diffidence and bring a detriment upon their Religion Let us now pass on to a Warre of much more horrour and larger extent for we can no longer forbear it being high time to speak of it we cannot I say withdraw our selves it furnishing us with matter enough to believe that the Age wherein we live is the most unhappy of all Ages yea the very sink and last of all THE HISTORY OF THIS IRON AGE THE THIRD BOOK CHAP. I The Prodigies which preceded the Warrs of Germany A discription of the Kingdome of Bohemia Old differences about Religion The wars of Zisca compared to these I Abhor to begin the discourse of the longest and most cruell Warr that ever was in Christendome and which drew more blood more altered the Christian Faith and caused more ruine and desolation then all that ever were in Europ Let no man tell me of the Exploits of Atilas with his Huns for he did but passe like lightning Let there be no comparison made of the Warts of the Goths
by the death of the Marquis d' Ancre and by the return of the Princes leagued against the said Marquis and his greatness by that of the unfortunate wife that unhappy Favorite whose Possessions and Goods were liberally bestowed upon him The death of the Marquis d' Ancre by the King He was killed by his Majesties command and by the counsell of this new Minister just as he was entring into the Loüure and his Body torne in pieces by a people which thought it self going into a Golden Age after this Execution And his VVife His wife who had been the companion of his Greatnesse was likewise to be so of his disaster and fall She was cast in prison and notwithstanding she baffled and eluded the vanity of the witnesses who accused her of magick or witchcraft she was neverthelesse condemned to suffer a shamefull death upon the Market-place of Greve Her Exccution caused pitty in the soules of some contentment in others and amazement to strangers the eyes of whose understandings were not dazled by the clowds of passion For it was a strange thing to set a Lady upon a base and infamousscaffold who had been but a little before with so much power and greatnesse at the Court Ah false and treacherous Fortune How much gall dost thou hide under thy honey and how many treacheries under thy favours No marvel if thou destroy what thou hast made since thou overturnest even Kings and Kingdomes themselves which had taken their foundations from the hands of the Almighty himself This tragical Beginning being brought to his desired issue Luynes counselled the King to banish his Mother from the Court whom he knew to be in implacable indignation against him Her Exile which was taken for a Retreat the advancement of his two Brothers companions of his fortune and the total and entire disposal of the favour of the good King cast him into the hatred of the people which he could not faile to inherit as well as of the Queen and into the aversion of the Princes who took his government for a pretext of their discontentments and for a cloak to disguise their interests From the quality of an ordinary Gentleman he rid Post as it were to honours and was created Earl and Viceroy of Picardy Duke and Peer of France and within a very short time after Constable In fine all smiled upon him every one adored this Golden Calfe yea even they who if they could have gotten him in their power would have crushed and shivered him to pieces To secure himself from the Queen-Mother he procured the deliverance of the Prince of Conde but common necessity obstructed the course of his greatness though it hardly extinguished the hatred which all the French bore him and left him but two friends who caused his miserable Body to be secretly interred for fear lest be should receive the same treatment of him whose place he had taken O short felicity full of troubles disquiets cares and vexatious apprehensions O vain Glory so much hunted after so much envied and so dearly and painfully bought how deceitful is thy end O vain Honours How are you steeped and drenched in gall And how different from those which are prepared by Eternity for us On the other side Prince Henry was beloved almost throughout all France as well for his great vertue as for the open hatred he carried to the Constable ended his dayes upon the bed of honour before Montanban for the Catholick Faith and for the restauration of the Authority of his King and the whole Kingdom His life He was son to the deceased Duke of Mayenne so well known in the History of the precedent Age to whom France had this obligation that she was not dismembred and crippled during the fury of the cruell Warres Whilest he courted the Widow of the Count de Soissons she moved both him and the Duke of Nevers 1614. to this pernicious Warre to whom the Prince of Conde and the busie Duke of Boüâ—â—lon joyned themselves also which kindled by some certain Princess who respired nothing but vengeance and terminated by the prudence of that most wise Queen at Saint Menehout He retired from the Court for the hatred he bore to the Constable and followed the party of the Queen-Mother 1620. together with other Princes in regard of the ill treatment she received His choler caused him to commit a great fault before Moissac in Quercy whereof the of a frank and open humour without dissimulation such as is fit for a Prince and not for a Courtier He was also free to speak and deliver his opinion and very courteovs to his inferiours much more intense upon the ruine of the Hugenot Party then upon prolonging the Warre as many have done for their own proper interest In fine a Bullet sent him to his grave put the Army in disorder France into mourning The mourning of all France for his death an end to so many brave exploits which which will cause him to be eternally hurt to the siege of Montaubane and to the fear of the Hugenots who called him the great Butcher and the tears interrupted by sobbes expressed the true love which all the Orders of France really bore him and which was besides most amply decleared by the elegant Orations made at his Funerall The newes of his death being divulged at Paris so much moved the Common-people that they cast themselves upon the Reformates and fired the Church of Charenton yea and the mischief had yet gone further had it not been prevented and stopped by the Queens and the Lords of the Parliament Some dayes after the Pontan Change in English the Exchange Bridge and the Pont des Orfebures in English Goldsmiths Bridge were likewise set on fire with inestimable loss for which the Reformats were much suspected by their enemies thereby to revenge themselves of the affronts which had been done them for vengeance is sweet But much more diligence was used to finde out the riches which was fallen into the River then the cause of two such disasters However it be the Warre grew hot the next year after and the King made himself Master of the Isles St. Martin d'Oleron and Bronage After some small victories gotten upon the Duke of Rohan and his Brother The Peace made at Montpeillier 1622. A Tumult at Paris against them of the Religion The Peace made the Peace was concluded at Montpeillier by which the said Towne more by force then by inclination returned to her duty and all the party which had been attacked by many Armies throughout all the Provinces after frequent losses began to respire and shewed that it was no more invincible This Peace separated the Navies hindered the Duke of Guise from prevailing upon his advantage and the Fort Lewis built upon the Haven of Rochelle gave subject to renew the War as we shall hereafter shew The Venetians to procure reparation of the dammages received from the Croats 1617.
Crosse on the side and the Half-Moone on the other CHAP. VI. The warre of Transylvama The King of Poland treacherously wounded Warre between the Poles and the Turks BEthlem Gabor having made an allyance with Frederick and seeing Ferdinands forces employed in Bohemia began to consider not onely of making a powerfull diversion but also of winning a Crown We have Ambition and we shall also quickly find Religion He raised a great Army under very abstense and farre-fetch'd pretexts thereby to puzzle and baffle such as had power to resist him This man for a fine beginning oppressed Gabriel Batorius his Lord by the assistance of the Turk and so being grown Master of Transylvania and propped by the Ottomans he possessed it in the quality of Prince thereof He made a League with the Archdukes but seeing them entangled in dangerous Wars he pricked up his ears and raised a potent Army to seize upon the Kingdom of Hungarie Convenience moves men to break ally ances as well as necessity and good successe covers the injustice of the Cause or at least urges the doubt that if Right be to be violated it ought to be onely to winne a Crown War of Transylvania In fine he secretly armed took occasion by the fore-lock and cloathed the Lyon with a foxes skin He got possession of Cassovia before the people thought themselves in danger They whose affections he enjoyed were discovered by their Religion The Romane Catholicks and such others also as had any resentment of their duty being frighted some armed Gaber takes Posen and others fled He took Posen under the title of Prince of Hungarie marched to Vienna and joyned with the Confederates to besiege the Town But the Polanders having defeated his Troops which remained in Hungarie Is declared King of Hungarie made him return and mould his businesse after another form so much did he stand in awe of the King of Poland though he went backwards onely to leap the better For he obtained a Truce which he quickly brake proclaimed himself King by them of his Caball entered again into Austria and if Fortune had not turned her back upon the Confederates in Bohemia it is very likely he might fully have accomplished all his pretentions and ruined the said House of Austria it self There is something wanting we rise either too early or too late The Emperour was shut up in the Town and constrained both to hear and suffer the insolency of some seditions Citizens which was repressed by the Count of Dampiere who departed not long after towards Posen with intention to surprize it but he was killed by a Musket bullet Dampiete killed He was by birth a Lorrain had done the Emperour many most considerable services and was much deplored by the whole Patty Bethlem finding this thorn out of his foot and having bought the amity of the Turk with money brake the Truce but his Letters by which he invited the Tartars and wherein he gave them testimonies of what services he would perform to the Grand Signior at the cost of the Empire and all Christendome by allying himself with the Turk being intercepted he disobleiged the prime Lords of Hungarie who cast themselves into the Emperours armes and fell upon Gabors forces and handled them almost as ill as the Polanders had done the year before The Count de Bucquoy in Hungarie Hereupon the Count de Bucquoy entered into Hungarie took many Townes and amongst others Posen it self and the Tartars coming to relieve Gabor were cut in pieces by the Poses under the command of that great Captain Cotqueviets The Emperour had run great hazard of loosing the Kingdome of Hungarie Is killed had not Fortune saved it by the death of the brave Count of Bucquoy who attempting to repulse the Hungarians when they sallyed out of Newhewsel was layd upon the ground with no lesse then sixteen wounds He could not more generously surrender his soul nor finde a more illustrious bed of honour to crown the greatnesse of his actions had not his souldiers so basely forgotten their duty His A my disbands it self and disbanded themselves so ignominiously For they might by carrying the body of this Mars with as much reason have expected to winne Victories as the Spaniards did by that of their Rodrigues but after the losse of their Generall they found themselves without pulse life and motion And so we may easily think how sensible a losse this was to the Emperour and all his family to whom he had rendered so potent services Thus by the death of this one brave Captaine Fortune changed and the Conquered became Conquerours They who before were reduced to a meer feeble and fearfull defensive Warre regained courage and returned to besiege the places which they had lost But Fortune lighter then the winde made Bethlem know how necessary it was for him to make Peace and Ferdinand desirous to remedy so many evils as surrounded him on every side easily suffered himself to be induced to it by his own naturall inclination And so upon the restitution of the Crown and the relinquishment of the Title of King the Peace was made and Arms laid down for a while though Gabor never cast off the desire of moving nor the hatred which he carried to his Lord the Emperour The King ' of Poland hurr Now since we are gotten so neer Poland let us deliver that which hapned there in the year 1620 The King being at Wartsawe where the Diet was held and going into the Church upon the fifteenth of November a Gentleman gave him two blows with a Pole-axe upon the head and another on his shoulder which very much endangered his life But the Parricide received his reward and the King was heard by the standers by with a faint and feeble voice to pronounce these words What said he do the Polanders learne of the French to kill their Kings Let us go hence till we shall first have related the subject for which Osman the Emperour of Turkie with an Armie of above four hundred thousand men attempted to swallow up all this puissant Kingdome which was this The Waywood of Walachia being revolted from the Grand Signior and calling in the Poles to relieve him was attacked by the Tartars and Turks who in the first fight having the worst and in the last the best of the day the Waywode was killed and the Polish Nobility defeated and this Victory so much inflamed the heart of the Great Turk that he shamefully banished the Poland Embassadour from his Court and declared a war upon the King Fortune is the Mistresse of young Princes for by good successes Osmà n attacks Poland she fills them with temerity to destroy them CHAP. VII The warre in the Palatinate Tilly beaten revenges himself and defeates the Marquis of Baden The Bishop of Halberstadt makes himself known in Westphalia and is beaten passes with Mansfeldt through Lorraine and incamps himself before Sedan THe prosperous progresse
Don Lewis had order to march with all speed to Berghen op Zoom and to seize upon Emblee the Haven and the two Forts which defended it but whether out of jealousie or otherwise he want and took Steenbergh giging the Hollanders time to re-inforce the Garrison and secure the Isle of Tertollen The Marquis neverthelesse arrived and besieged the Place Berghen besieged but not being able to gaine the possession of the said Haven he wasted a good part of his Army about it We left Mansfeldt and his Bishop at Sedan in consultation with the Duke of Bouillon Minsfeldt at Sedan and let us now call them from thence since we are sure to learn nothing of their private conferences but onely by conjecture The King of France was then before Montauban and fearing least they might serve themselves of the fair occasion to make a strong diversion in fauour of the Hughenots who were very much weakened he commanded the Duke of Neuers The Duke of Neuers to raise speedily a Body of an Army in Champague and entertaine the said Mansfeldt with Treaties till his Troops were in condition to hinder his passage He also wrote to Don Cordona who promised him to come and relieve him in case the Germans made but the least shew of moving against his service Mansfeldt dares not succour the Hughenots Now this proposition of succouring the Hughenots being found most difficult and of too dangerous a consequence and the meanes of returning the same way they came taken from them they resolved to traverse or passe through Brabaus and go to succour Berghen which Spinola attacked both with Mines and Assaults as he had done Ostend and this so much the rather because they were invited thither by the States Generall and the Prince of Orange And so they marched and by their departure freed Campagne from the great oppressions wherewith they had very ill treated the Lasiere Cordona and Anholt followed them and having overtaken them near Floury compelled them to stop and face about The battail began hotly Is beaten by Cordona and Cordona was in danger of losing it if the enemies horse had stood fast and better seconded the foot which was almost all cut off by the Canon But five hundred Peasants of the Province of Liege who presumed to set upon them were cut in pieces and sacrificed to their displeasure which yet was quite forgotten as soon as they came to the Hollanders Camp The Mansfeldians excused their losse by the necessity they had to get the passage which since they had obtained by the sword the Imperialests said they ought not so much to boast of their Victorie The Bishop was hurt in the arme The Bishop loses his arme which was forced to be cut off which gave the Romane Catholicks ground to publish that that arme which made warre against the Priests had deserved to be struck off It is very likely that if the Protestants had not feared to alienate the King from their Party of whose favour they hoped one day to feel some effects they would have made no difficulty at all to set the Hughenots upon their feet again in such sort as that the King could not lay hold of a more opportune season to humble them then during the decline of the affairs of the Protestants in Germany The Duke of Bouillon after the departure of the Germans being quite crazed with age payed his tribute to Nature and it concerns us to speak briefly of his life that so we may come both to the knowledge of his experience and exploits The death of the Duke of Bouillon and of his right also to Sedan Religion and Nature tied him fast to his Kings service whose secrets and savour he enjoyed for a long time His first wife was the Princesse who was heiress to Sedan and notwithstanding that she died without Childrein and that there was another heir of the same House His life he left not to retaine the said Principat by the support of the Kings favour He marries the heiresse of Sedan He keeps the Principate and passes to the second marriage Believed in Germary 1609 Surprizes Sâ—â—â—â—y In his second marriage he had the daughter of Prince William of Orange by whom he had begat two sons who grew very famous afterwards and by this Allyance he acquired a most streight correspondence with the States Gonerall of the united provinces He much molested the Dutchies of Lorraine and Luxenburgh by arms wherein he purchased great reputation He went and surprised the Cittidell of Sâ—endy the very day of his wedding and was alwayes redoubted by his neighbours and in most high esteem with the Princes of Germany and it is believed that it was chiefly he who counselled the Prince Palatine to take the Crown of Bohemia After his designs and Communications with the Marshal of Bâ—ron were blown up he kept himself alwayes close in Sedan till the King at length came to awaken him But his peace was quickly made in consideration of the good which he was to perform and of the high enterprizes whereof he was both the most worthy and principall instrument After the sad death of Henry the Great the Prince of Conde being returned into France he used his utmost endeavour to tye him to the interests of the Hughenots by describing his to him quite otherwise He embroils France then they were to be understood which were in effect to embroil the Kingdome But the Prince would not revenge the injurie which he pretended was done him to the detriment of Religion and the destruction of the poor people which yet not long after he did against his promise to the Queen though yet that promise were quickly dissipated as well as many other which came out of the shop of his brest more for his particular advantage then that of the Publick which he alwayes pretended Now howbeit he had been brought up in the civill wars and factions he yet refused the generalship He refuses the Generalship of the Hughenot Party 1621. Why of all the Hughenot Armies which was offered him by the Assembly of Rochell and that upon very reasonable reasons as first his age then the Gout wherewith he was much tormented and lastly for the difficulty which he was likely to find to govern so many Heads as composed that popular State Let us return to the siege of Berghen Spinola finding his enemy recruited with so great a Body of Horse and his owne Army much diminished with toyle assaults sicknesse and disbandings speedily raised the siege for fear least the way should be stopped Spinola raises the siege and went and encamped himself three leagues short of Antwerp where having put himself in posture and sent away his sick and wounded men he offered the Prince Battell but he contenting himself with having succoured the Place made answer to some French Lords who advised him to accept the offer that it was better to make a
and gave an Alarme to all Italy But this fine appearance being stopped by a misfortune made the Troops return as being destinated for a supply against the Duke of Soubize and obliged the King by the request of the Pope to give peace to Italy The Valteline in the hands of the Pope and sequester the Valteline into his hands save only that both the Kings were to have their passage with their forces that way About the same time there was discovered a Conspiracie against the King of France and the Duke of Vandosme his Brother the great Priour the Marshall d' Ornano and many others put in prison where the two last ended their dayes without much noise and the Count of Chulois by the hands of a Common Executioner These accidens raised much hatred upon Cardinal Richelieu and produced many Pasquils against him Envy and Harred are ever companions to the vertue of great Ministers and their actions are never free from blame CHAP. XII Mansfeldt hunts every where for relief and sets an Army on foot The Marriage of the Prince of Wales with a Daughter of France after his return out of Spain HAnnibal was no sooner out of his infancy then he vowed the ruine of the Romanes and being revoked from Italy after he had domineered there the space of seventeen yeares to save Carthage he there ran his ship a ground which had been loaden with so many victories against the great Scipio But now what did he when all the strings of his Bow were broken He made to his wits for new ones He remembred his Oath begged succour animiated the Kings of the East against the insatiable ambition of the Romanes and continued his hatred even to the very last gasp of his breath Mansfeldt and his Bishop seemed to have taken the like Oath against the House of Austria and by consequence for the continuance in action against it they must have new forces Holland could furnish them with matter conveniency money and hatred enough England with desire enough to see Frederick again in the Palatmate and France with jealousie enough in regard of the growth of the aforesaid House There wanted no bellowes to kindle this fire mens humours being already disposed that way by diversity of Religions hatred envy self-ends and Maxime of State a Cover which is never either too long or too short and stronger then even Justice it self But now as these Captains had not so much trouble to perswade as that Great Affrican so had they notwithstanding to do with people of much better understanding then those Barbarians They went into France where Mensfeldt received some affronts from some particular persons for ill treatments given the French in Freezland Mansfeldt demands succour in France However he obtained his demand namely some Force the Minister who then began to climb the Horizon of favour being now no more mindfull of the services both asked by and granted to the Imperialists before Sedan in case of necessity Maximes of State are more forcible then obligations and Ministers turn their Allyances that way which their passions carry them Now King James though by the negotiations with Spain he had disgusted many of the Reformed Religion shewed himself neverthelesse willing to have as good intelligence with the Catholick States as the King of France had with the Protestant and so he sent Prince Charles his Sonne into Spain to espouse the Infanta Mary but after the losse of much time he came back into England and demanded in France through which he had passed disguised the Kings Sister who was more easily granted him Men have laboured to penetrate into the Mystery of this Treaty but all by conjecture only The Roman Catholicks of England who began already to feel some warmth of the businesse were extremely afflicted at the breach of the aforesaid Match and the misfortune which befell them was a testimony of the perpetuall Crosse which was ordained for them in the Britannick Islands A misfortune at London for being met in a private Assembly at London to hear masse the Loft overburthened by the multitude sunk down and bruised near a hundred persons together with the Priest When the aforesaid Prince had married the Daughter of Henry the fourth and sister to Lewis the thirteenth he and his Father undertook the care of re-establishing his Brother-in-Law in the Palatinate In such sort as that Mansfeldt had no great difficulty to transport ten thousand English into Holland who almost all of them perished at Gerthrudenbergh and served for bait to the Fish The French Cavalry consisting of three thousand did likewise no very long service for the Generalls marching towards the Rhein and tormenting the Arch-Bishop after their old fashion their Army diminished much by disbandings and themselves fell into a quarrel which had almost brought them to a Duell though at last they returned into Holland and went from thence to the North to warm those people against the Emperour The Spaniards passe the Isel Upon the seventeenth of February 1624. the Spaniards passed upon the Ice over the River Isel and caused a terrour as faire as Holland Whereup-the Prince was constrained again to lay about him and pass to Virick and the States to command the Country-people to break the Ice of the River of Vecht But Count Henry expected neither his enemies nor the thaw which would have made him to be caught in a Pit-fall but retyred himself much faster then he came and many of his souldiers found their graves in the River of Welaw His designe was to fright the Peasants and not to hurt the States CHAP. XIII The Siege of Breda The Enterprizes upon Antwerp SPinola was every moment devising now to wipe off by some notable enterprize the affront he had received before Berghen He marched into the field sent Count Henry towards the Rheyn who made a shew of besieging Grave and Count John of Nassaw with the Horse towards Breda who at his arrivall took a great multitude of Boats loaden with Provisions Himself followed with the Foot and in his Councell of War there was found no more then one Colonell who thought fit to begin the siege The siege of Breda and that upon the same reasons whereby Spinola himself was moved to it On the other side the Prince of Orange glad to see his Rivall engaged before a place so well provided of all necessaries as also of a strong Garrison did not so soon dispose himself to succour it but gave the Spaniards leisure to entrench themselves and they him to repent himself of it But he hoped by the successe of his designe upon Antwerp long before premeditated in his thoughts and held by him infallible The enterprize upon the Castle or Cittadell of Antwerp to unnestle them from thence and cast their state into an irremediable confusion He was well informed that there were but very few Souldiers in the Cittadell and they for the most part dismembred and cripled Wherefore
the Enemy and retyre himself as fast as he could gallop to Wolfenbottel This was a great and bloody Fight and the Imperialists remained entirely victorious in it The Victory of the Imperialists and the death of Generall Fucks Brave Generall Fucks who had disswaded the Battell lost his life in this occasion and gave the King sufficient testimony that it was not through basenesse of heart or cowardize but upon strong arguments that he desired him not to precipitate Many other Officers were also slain together with above six thousand Souldiers Thirty Pieces of Canon three thousand Prisoners fourscore and ten Colours adorned the Conquerours Chariot and all the booty was given to the Souldiers in recompence of their Valour This was that famous Battell of Luther which happened upon the 27 th of August whereby the Emperours authority and the joy of his Allyes was much augmented and their Enemies fear redoubled and after this there followed a continuall thred of Victories and taking of Towns even to the very sea-side Favour flatters Fortune and when there is no more meanes lest to make open resistance against the storme the sailes must be taken in or the Vessel steered for safety to the shelter of some Wood or Rock The Duke of Brunswick quitts the League The Duke of Brunswick followed this Maxime by making his Peace and renouncing the League with Saxonie Tilly lost no time seized upon Rotemburgh and many other places whilest the King recollected the fragments of his Army and put it in Equipage during the Winter but to no purpose For this vessell was too much tottered to do any more service at all In conclusion Tilly having taken Nontheen drew neer the River of Elbe which was also to be conquered after the conquest of so many enemies But we leave France too long in Peace which yet was not all this while quiet CHAP. II The prosecution of the second Warre against the Hughenots The Peace made by the undertaking of the King of England the Venetians and the Hollanders Warre between France and England and why The beginning of the third and last Warre against the Hughenots Cardinall Richelieu makes himself known admired and feared The siege and reduction of Rochell The Duke of Soubize takes some shipps WE have already shewed how the Peace was made in Italy as well upon the request of the Pope as to put a remedy to the inopinated Invasion of the Duke of Soubize who against all expectation and in full peace launched with a Fleet from Rochell came before the Port of Blavet and seized upon some ships which he found there But the Duke of Vandosme who was Governour of the Province transported himself thither with so much promptitude that he hindred the aforesaid Duke from making any farther progresse and forced him to retyre with two or three great Vessels and some of a middle burthen In such sort as that by this invasion The peace is broken the Peace which was made in the year 1622 before Montpellier was broken in that of 1625 and the Duke of Rohan his brother recommenced the Warre in earnest both in High and Low Languedock under pretext that the Treaty of Peace had been ill observed The King sends an Embassadour to the Hague This surprize so much displeased the King that he forth with sent all those Troops which were destinated for Italy towards Brittany and an Embassadour to the Hague to summon the States to his assistance with twenty ships according to the tenour of the Allyance made betwixt them But the Embassadour found some repugnance in the Colledge of the said States in respect of Religion though yet when he had remonstrated to them that the businesse was onely to humble the Kings subjects to their obedience and threatened them also with a breach in case of refusall they granted his demand My Master sayes he is of the same Faith with the King of Spaine and yet he maketh no difficulty to assist you against him And will you in a Warre of State expresse an inconsiderable zeale of Religion He obtaines twenty shipps Soubize being beaten retyres into England Hereupon the States dispatched Admirall Hantain who being joyned with the Kings Navie carried himself like a Mediatour of a Reconcilliation and obtained a Truce of three dayes which yet was ill enough kept by Soubize who hoped to draw some advantage from it but his Fleet was defeated and he forced to retyre into England with six or seven vessels and so the French took the Island of St. Martin and built two Forts there The King upon the intercession of the States pardoned them of Rochell but the Zelanders did not pardon Admirall Hautain who had for his recompence his house demolished by the people which were mad at the losse of the said Place But these were ruled by the passion of Religion and those by that of the preservation of the State The reason why Monsieur de Soubize brake the Peace was because the King had differred the demolishment of Fort Lewis raised near Rochell which served for a bridle to the Town and a Prospective to the Townsmen But the Governour indeed refused to do it upon some informations which he had received from the Town of some sinister designes In fine the Fort still remained entyre for all this and was to prove fatall to the Party illustrate the Kings Majesty throughout all France and cut off the root of all Religion It was believed that the Duke of Rohan had begged succour from the King of Spaine in this discord of the Reformates and his own and his brothers disaster but being pressed by the King of England the Venetians the Hollanders and the Savoyers he expected not the return of his Embassadour The Peace is made by an allyance against the Emperour and so upon the instance of the aforesaid King and States who could not indure the ingrandishment of the Imperiall Majesty in Germany the Peace was renewed the same year thas it was broken and the League was knit up in Denmark as we have lately said in the year 1625. But before that warre which was fatall to the Danes was finished began the disorders which thrust themselves in between the French and English the reason whereof as also of the third warre which consummated the ruine of the Reformed Party you shall forthwith understand King James a peaceful Prince King James jealous of his Royall authority and more prone to study then fight could never be induced to assist the Hughenots in France But after his decease King Charles his sonne by the reasons of Monsieur de Soubize and his Favourite the Duke of Buckingham suffered himself to be perswaded to it manifesting thereby in imitation of his Brother in Law that that Friendship which grew from the allyance of marriage was weaker then that of interest There wanted no pretexts as well of Religion as otherwise and the English being already pricked against the French and these
above the tenth part left so much were they wasted with hunger rendered themselves into the hands of their King Rochell being starved yields who took them into his mercy and granted them the free exercise of their Religion but he discharged his just choler upon the Bastions and Works which he caused to be thrown down Never had the Hughenots a more sensible losse then this nor ever had the Catholicks a more gratefull Victorie Nor was the Cardinall without his share thereof the French every where singing his praises raising him to Heaven making him their Angel Guardian and even a God upon earth But this love was quickly changed and this second Tiberius made them feel that he was a Fox and governed himself meerly by the Maxims of Machiavell CHAP. III. The prosecution of the Warre of Denmark unfortunate to the Danes Wallenstein in vain besieges Stralsund The Peace made Tilly passes the Elbe SInce we have left Tilly near the Elbe let us march on with him and see what resistance he findes The terrour was so universal that every body fled yea the souldiers themselves forsook their Canon Forts Arms and Baggage at the very name of this great General Only the Marquis of Dourlac presumed to face about but the Count of Slick quickly made him turn his back and stick to his heels The number of the Gunnes and Colours much illustrated this victory There were no more left Dourlac Calembergh and Nell are beaten then the Generals Calembergh and Nell who being found intrenched were invested by the said Slick and having no hope at all of succour yeelded themselves to him Three thousand horse and two Regiments of Foot took part with the Conquerors But the Generals having gotten possession of Holstein and Iutland there remained yet some Townes to be subdued so that it was necessary to divide the forces to accomplish the work Papenheim was before Wolfenbottel which after it been long blocked up opened him the Gates Nerbrot defeated by Anholt There chanced yer another misfortune in the Countrey of Bremen which drove the Allyes quite out of the Field and it was that General Nerbrot was attacked and without scarce having fought for it utterly routed by Anholt so great power had fear upon such as were staggered by the puissant Genius of victorious Tilly and the souldiers being deserted by their General forgot their duty and embraced that party to which Fortune most inclined What strange felicity had this man yea even higher then that of Iulius Caesar himself since he could more clearly and truly say I came I saw and I overcame Townes besieged by the Imperialists The Armies finding now no more Armies to combat were employed about the taking of Towns by the resistance whereof many souldiers and much time was lost and leasure given the King to fortify himself in the Isles of Funds and Zeland Stade after a huge opposition yeelded to Tilly and Newburgh to the Duke of Brunswick The Imperialists attempted severall times to passe to the Islands but were repulsed with losse God had put bounds to their victories and would not suffer this generous Prince to be quite dispoyled of his kingdom The Conquerors in Meckelenburgh The Dukes of Meckelenburgh took part with the King for Fate it seems would needs involve them in the same disasters But at the arrivall of the Imperial Troops all gave way all stooped the Towns opened their Gates to receive Garrisons and their purses to sweeten the insolencies of the victorious souldiers A hard condition for that poor people who had so long enjoyed the sweet fruits of Peace But who can resist against the cruel lot of Destiny Having recovered some ships they tryed for the last time to passe and re-invest the poor King but were soundly cudgelled and compelled to make towards Pomerama which was already conquered except Stralsund and Steene the former whereof being a Maritime Town was besieged by Arnhem upon the command of his Generall And here it was that Fortune made the Imperialists confesse that if they could domineer by land Wallenstein besieges Stralsund in vain their enemies could do as much upon the water For Wallenstein thought to terrify the besieged by frequent Assaults but not being able to hinder the entrance of the ships he lost an infinity of good souldiers his own labour and some part also of his glory There was a rumour scattered as if he had vanted that he would take Stralsund The King haâ—cen again even though it were hung in the ayer and tyed with Iron chaines The King regained courage and footing in Pomerania but found still that Fortune was yet but his Step-mother as suffering him again to be benten near Wolgast so that he could do no more then re-inforce the besieged who were ready to yeeld and retyre himself into Denmark Canipo was forced by famin and there it was that the French who came to succour the King manifested their valour Gelucstat a strong place upon the River below Hamburgh was long time beleaguered in vain by Tilly who lost both his time and his labour about that as Wallenstein did his before Stralsund In fine a Peace was treated and a Warre finished in five moneths which had lasted five yeares Peace made 1629. The King abandoned by almost all his Allyes who had work enough at home with a Royall and indemptable heart employed all his abilities and industry not only to defend his Islands but also to expell his enemies out of Holstein But the peace concluded at Lubec put a period to all his troubles dislodged the Imperialists since they had lost the hope of conquering the whole Kingdom out of his Territories and freed all the North from the danger whereby it was threatned of a change both in Church and State By this Peace which a certain French Writer terms shameful for the Conquerours as being with intention to dispossess a Catholick Prince of his lawfull succession the King renounced the Provinces of Saxony and so the amity between the two Princes was renewed The Emperour writing to the King told him formally that their quarrel proceeded from nothing but the craft and practises of some certain Merchants The States Generall being fearfull left by so many losses heaped together and the felicity which accompanied this valorous Count the Imperialists should gain Zeland The Hollanders will defend the Sound and make themselves Masters of that famous Streight which is of so much consequence offered to defend it with their ships But the most desired newes of the Peace and Retreat stifled all these apprehensions Whatsoever was past was sunk into the gulph of oblivion all setled is it had been before the Warre and the Emperour gave sufficient testimony that he knew as well how to restore and pardon as to vanquish and that he had taken armes to defend the Majesty of the Empyre and his own Authority not to strip the King of his kingdoms This Peace was
other purpose then to make the constance of the Townsmen admired augment the story of King Lewis the Inst and elevate that of the Cardinal above the Stars A very great and most acceptable Victory to France had she remained in the same liberty which she enjoyed during the potency of this Town A most damnable victory to the House of Austria which the French themselves accuse of having then forgotten her interest A victory which ruined and brought to a full stand or Non-plus all that Party which divided the Kings Authority A Victory which gave that great Cardinal one half of his honour and upon which he founded the highest and most constant power that ever any Minister had to the ruine of many most illustrious Families and old Priviledges the confusion of all Christendom and even of his own great Benefactresse her self Now since the English had rather hindred then furthered the Party and were accused of being the cause of this irreparable losse a resolution was taken to seek to some other support elsewhere and so an Embassadour was dispatched into Spain to represent to that King that interest he had to keep this Party The Duke of Rohan deâ—â—ands siâ—â—cour in Spain and to beseech him to send mony only and to remember the King of France's Allyance with the Hollander whom he maintained with as much heat and zeal as if they were his own subjects and of his own Religion Whereupon the Spaniards by the permission of the Counsell Conscience resolved upon it thereby to give as many vexations to the King of France within his kingdom as they received from him in the Low-countries But the said Embassadour The death of the Negotiatour or Necessitator though a subject of the King of Spaines was taken and condemned to death by order of the Parliament of Tholosa his innocence founded upon the action of a publick Minister serving him for nothing however this Decree were censured by such as had not their eyes vailed by passion and who could speak freely of it without danger Makes his peace with the King and all obey King Lewis discovered all their plots and prevented them by the prudence of the Cardinal and having made but a slight peace with the said Duke he fell with his Army upon the Vivaret surprised Privas and took it by open force chastised insolence by putting all to sword treated well the Townes which submitted and assured them of the free exercise of their Religion Upon this the Duke had recourse to his clemency and he graciously embraced him and augmented his Pension Castras Niemes and some other places which might have given a long trouble also submitted without any other punishment inflicted upon then the demolishment of their new Fortisications which Commandment was of hard digestion to them of Montauban who were nevertheless disposed to obedience by the Cardinals presence and the force of his eloquence who alledged that the King could not endure any fortified place in his kingdom And so in fine they stooped and with regret enough brake down that which gave the jealousie which could not be obtained from them by violence and the noise of the Canon Time ripens all things and that which in the precedent Age was judged impossible hath been found feasible in this The end of the Hughenot Party This was the end of the Hughenot Party in France which had given so much labour and toyle to the Kings and so divided their jurisdiction It took birth from the doctrine of Luther and Calvin passed infancie under Henry the second got vigour and strength under Francis the second grew to strong youth under Charles the ninth and Henry the third through the favour of the Princes of the Blood enemies to the power and authority of the Dukes of Guise and by the valour of the King of Navarre It obtained free Exercife and some Townes of safety under Henry the fourth and remained quiet and without commotion out of respect and reverence to so great a Prince But under Lewis the thirteenth finding it self abandoned by some of the principall Heads it began to stagger and at last vanished quite away in such sort as that though the Religion be still there there is yet no formed party and the root of the ambition of the Grandies who under the shadow of Religion did very often disturb honest people on both sides is quite cut off Their distrust which is called the companion of safety which they conceived they should not be able to find in the Kings word made them often importune the Queen-Regent and the marriage with the Infanta of Spain a Nation which they abhorre above all other made them joyn to the Prince of Conde to hinder it which much hastened their disgrace The King being declared Maâ—or recovered Bearn more by veneration then by force and more by the brightnesse of his Majesty then by that of his sword He was the pralude of the first warre speeded by their Assembly at Rechel Father Arnour and counselled by Father Arnour who was preferred by the Duke of Luynes to the direction of the Conscience and partly also of the favour of his Majesty But as the said Luynes made the Fortune of this able â—esuit so did he also soon unmake it thereby to free himself from the jealousie it gave him Saumur The taking of Townes Saint Ieand ' Angeli and a great number of other Towns Burghs and Villages fortified were taken with incredible successe There was no more left then Montauban which forced the Conquerours to retreat and in some sort dimmed their Triumph The year following produced the Kings constant resolution to be obeyed and to punish the revolted Towns the reduction of Moutpeillâ—er and the Peace which followed by the counsell of the Constable d' Edignieres Edigniereâ— This Lord being of a mean extraction grew to be elevated to the highest Charge of France through all the degrees of a souldier His life and had heaped up a huge deale of treasure Not with standing his Belief which was the same of the Reformates he alwayes kept his faith inviolable with the King and was by consequence but little loved by the most zealous of the Party Makes himself a Catholiâ—â—â— A little before his death he embraced the Roman Catholick Religion as having promised it in a frollick to Urban as soon as he should come to the Pontificat The second warre made the Hugenots loose the Lordship of the Sea The third being begun with the assistance of a stranger was consummated by the direction of that potent Cardinal and so the whole conduct of that great Vessel was restored into the hands of the just and milde King Lewis Let us go into Hungary to see the end of the fickle and busy Gabor CHAP. IX The Death of Bethleem Gabor Ragoski his Suceessour The Marriage of Ferdinand the third with the King of Spain's Sister The death of Gabor BEthleem Gabor growne wise by
Italy to go against the King of Sweden The Duke of Nevers was fain to ask pardon and Investure which accordingly was performed and peace and rest restored to Italy How many combats how much blood-shed was here for a sume of ambition For Religion had nothing to do in the matter But it is credible that the Spaniards would not suffer so potent a French Prince at the entry into Italy and so near the Dutchy of Milan which they keep as tenderly as the ample of their eyes and that the French on the other side would establish him and uphold him without acknowledging the Emperour God makes justice appear when men will throw it under foot with Arms. Prodigies in Italy This warre had been praemonstrated by many Prodigies and Portents which praeceded it as namely by Earthquakes in Apalia whereby more then sixteen thousand persons were overwhelmed by dreadfull floods streams of blood and the like And really these two Nations after having stoutly wrangled and by sword famin and contagious sicknesses lost above a million of mortals came neither of them to the principal but secret end which they had proposed to themselves and reaped no other salarie then that of vain-glory drawn out of jealousie of State The Countries were destroyed the Neighbours oppressed Christian Religion contemned and altered and in the one of the aforesaid nations by many persons quite annihilated The Ministers who love to fish in troubled waters and blow the bellowes of their Masters ambition so to carry them rashly on to warres which might be diverted by one single conference will one day have much to answer before the fountain of all Equity and Justice The enemies of Cardinal Richelieu But let us leave this point to be picked out by the Casuists and return to France where we shall discover how the Cardinal falls as deep into the hatred of the Grandies as he is strong in the possession of the Kings favour The Queen-Mother repented her self of having promoted a Minister who was to destroy her Gastion was vexed to see the management of all the affaires of France in his hands without participating therein That devout Prelate the Chardinall of Berulles laboured to stop him from forging some designes as pernicious to the Catholicks abroad as they had been to the Hughenots in France But Parca cut off the thred of his life and deprived Richelieu of a most Religious Enemy who survived him to accomplish his end in other yea in all such as gave any jealousie and the Hughenots themselves were grown to sing his prayses when many Catholicks had him in horrour and execration CHAP. XII Cardinal Richelieu makes peace with the English and devises new Allyances to attack the House of Austria WHEN the Cardinal by his great prudence had broaken that puissant Party which in some measure both divided and shocked the Soveraign Power re-established every where the Catholick Religion and a fresh springing Amity amongst the people he perceived himself in danger to be cast out of the Saddle But he had acquired so great an influence upon the mind both of King and People by the good successe of his Counsels that he was not a jot moved at the puissant factions which he saw growing against himself at the Court all which he surmounted afterwards by a certain felicity which alwayes accompanied him and which after the Peace of Italy shined with more force and luster His designes seemed to be carried to a breach between the two Crownes The King makes peace with the English for the more eafie atchievement whereof and to involve the Church in this pernicious warre from which some Grandies were averse by the intermission or mediation of the Venetians he made peace with the English whom he could not attack by land and thought of finding another enemy whom he might lay aboard when he would His Master had deserved and possessed the name of Just by humbling with great moderation the Hughenot Party and there was no better meanes left to obtain it also amongst the Reformates who were yet very hot then by poasting to the succour of the Protestant against the Emperour The King of England after the fall of the Hughenots in whose defence he had lost both many men and much money finding the lot of arms unfavourable which was to be also fatall to him afterwards chose to sit still in Royall vacancie and repose The first war of the King against the Spiniards the second against the French and the third against his Subjects He was unfortunate in the first Expedition he made when he sent that Fleer with the Admirall of Holland who joyned with a great number of ships to surprise Cales For after having suffered many inconveniences and losses it was fain at length to return and the King of Spain remitted many prisoners into England to be punished like Pyrats because their King had not denounced the War One affront was paid by another In his second undertaking against France Fortune favoured him yet lesse and his third and lasi was the ruine of his Family as we will shew towards the end of this Epitome Suddenly after the reduction of Rochel the Cardinal pressed hard for the succour of the Duke of Nevers against the opinion of such as could not endure so glittering a Purple and who apprehended a breach But he began it and ended it as we even now said in the yeare 1633. The said Duke sold his homage and duty to the Emperour which gave contentment to the Duke of Savoy and the Marquis de Guastala in regard of their pretensions to the aforementioned Dutchies Now having already dissipated the smallest and weakest enemies of his Greatnesse he crushed that Party which had been so formidable to the precedent Kings and being confirmed by the assurances which his Master had given him of covering him with his Crown against all such as endeavoured his mine he resolved upon this great designe against the house of Austria A designe I say of huge danger and which could not be undertaken and set on worke The Cardinal disposes the Protestants to War against the Emperour but by means of potent Allyes for fear of incurring the hazard of destroying the State Therefore he thought it fir to awaken the Protestants all the North and all such as hated the Roman Catholick Religion nor were the Hollanders the last though the Spaniards courted them in vaine to a Truce The King of England was easily disposed to it in regard of his Son in Law and so great a Family as wherewith both himself and the Hollanders were burthened in a strange Country however the Communion of Religion and compassion made this charge seem supportable and gentle In briefe for the common interest of upholding themselves and for the apprehension which every one in particular had of this puissant House they were all resolved A powerful Oratour cannot faile to perswade when he pleads the Common cause But now there wanted both
though yet indeed when souldiers are once gotten into a place by force they make no account at all of command But really had they been able to enjoy this victory by an honourable composition they would have been able by the conveniencie of the passage and the Bridge to keep the warre alwayes in Meckclemburgh succour the places besieged and have Westphalia behind them for a little before the taking of this Town they had forsaken the Bridge of Dassaw upon information that the King was coming thither and for fear least he should serve himself of the said passage But however these sparkles incompassed all Germany with a fire which lasted till the year 1649. Change of Religion Commodityes Allyances Situation and Traffick had made this Town very insolent with impunity but the pot goes so often to the water that at length it returns crackt As long as the Relicks of St. Norbert rested there they saved according to the opinion of many the Town from the thunderbolt but after they were secretly stolne way the wrath of heaven fell upon it and crushed it Had not Vlyffes stolne the Image of Minerva Troy had not perished Magdeburgh being lost in her ruins and the poor inhabitants buryed or burnt in their houses nothing was left to the conquerours but a just displeasure to see the desolation thereof Tilly marched with his army entred into Saxonie Tilly goer into Saxonie took many Towns wrote to the Duke and assured him that if he renounced not the League he would compell the Emperour to call strangers into Germany as well as the Protestants had done by inviting the Swedes and all the Princes by choosing Gustave for head of the union and Protectour of the Interests of the said League The Electour was extremly afflicted to see his countrey was become the Theater where all the Armyes were to begin the tragaedie But he was reproached that it was the recompence of the so many and so great services as he had done his Imperiall majesty and that as being a Lutheran he ought to be chased our as well as the rest Wherefore he beseeched the King to make haste but he temporizing and demanding Wittembergh for his retreat he offered him all his Country by which franknesse he gave him so much contentment that he resolved to succour him without any condition at all Before this Gustave worsted Tilly before the Fort of Werben for he suffered him to draw neer him Tilly beaten near Werben under praetext that his Canon was nayled and Tilly having sent spies to his Camp for this effect and understanding that all was quiet conceaved that his enterprize would not faile to succed and so was repulsed with much losse and a little after he lost yet three Regiments more whereby he was taught that he had to do with a man who was neither Novice nor Apprentice and that he must dispute lustily to get any advantage upon him But he was not aware that his mifortune followed him to closely and that his thirteen years Victorie was to be shortly contaminated by the losse of one only Battail a Battail I say which overthrew the house of Austria destroyed so much and so great progresse and exposed the Catholicks to great afflictions Lansbergins foretold There shall come a King from the North who shall cause troubles in Germany Oh Bishops said he how much will you have to suffer c. CHAP. XXI The Battail of Leipsick The flight of the Imperialists The battail of Leipsick the 17 of September 8631 KING Gustave being joyned to the forces of the Electours a resolution was taken to goe and face General Tylly who having the wind favourable and taken the Town of Leipsick incamped himself hard by and stood fast to expect the Armyes of the confederates This Battail wherein were hazarded the Capps of two Electours the liberty of the Princes of Germany the conquests of so many years and the whole hope of the Roman Catholicks was very bloudy and the old bands which had never been scensly gave ground here The Saxons began the Shock or Onser whilest the king enlarged his Camp to get the winde But they withstood it not long before they ran and their very flight made the King winne the Victorie We are taught by hurt and misfortune it selfe is good for something There needed nothing to cause disorder for the Imperialists pursued the Saxons so far that they gave the Swedes occasion to gain with little trouble their Camp their Canon and the Winde and Generall Horne flanking them in their pursuite put them into such confusion that they knew not one another and hindred them from returning to their own Body from whence they had more hotly then wifely unfastened them selves Tilly seeing this rowte gave order for the Canon to be regained whereupon Papenheim with his Horse gave the Swedes two such furious Charges as that had it not been for the presence of brave King Gustave it was likely that they who had alwayes been accustomed to vanquish would also have triumphed now But he exhorting his men both by his Majesty actions and eloquence and a terrible execution being done upon the Imperialists as well by their own Canon as by that of their Enemies their Cavalrie began to fly Tilly followed though he were wounded and thereby gave the lye to such as had impudently published that he was invulnerable by vertue of some certain Characters or Charms If the Imperiall Horse had done their duty as well as the foot theirs the confederates had runne hazard to loose all But the Foot being abandoned The valour of the Imperial Foot fought so valliantly that they were faine to turne the ordnance upon five Regiments which were rallyed and fortifyed a part before they could break them All the Baggage Artillery Munition and sixscore Coulers fel into the Conquerours hands Now who will have forward trust to his own strength and power Who will presume to rely upon the number of his Victories Who will beleeve that fortune can be stopped with a Nayle of Diamant You see that an Army of foure and twenty thousand Caprains that is all old Souldiers were broaken in the plaine and open Field Was iâ— for want of courage or experience By no meanes By whom By Souldiers who understood it better then they Neither shall we finde the cause in the Justice of the Party Least of all for every one thinks he hath equity on his side and besides we must not judge of Right and Valour by ambiguous and underraine events Moreover we are taught by practice that Fortune ranges her self ordinarily with usurpers because they are full of courage and the Countreys they hold of ill humours factions and partialities This bloody battail which was the seventh of September 1631 which was called a Day of blood by the famous Astrologer Horlicins and which changed the countenance of the Affaires of Germany And the news of this victorie which got strength by going unspeakably rejoyced
and all reduced to the same state wherein it was in the year 1627. and all such Ecclesiastical Lands and Goods as the Protestants had appropriated to themselves after the agreement of Pastavia confirmed upon them for forty years and at the expiration of this terme the difference to be composed in an amicable way Which displeases the most zealous But now the most zealous of both Parties not being pleased with this Peace the Emperour perceived that France was cutting some work for him and that of the Empire being but roughly framed he wisely considered that he who will make war abroad must make peace at home Such as would be comprised in this Agreement were obliged to give their forces to the Emperour their Head under paine of being declared Enemies to the Empire and so they resolved though many of them with grudging to enter this holy Temple of Peace from which yet since they could not force it many of them flinched afterwards upon the first occasion with greater animosities then ever as we will shortly demonstrate A Peace constrained is like a rapid Brook which may be stopped for a time by a strong Dam or Sluce though at length it either peirce it or flow over it The Dukes of Meckelemburgh were pardoned and re-invested in their Dutchyes And all participated of this common Good save onely the Lands which had been occupated or seized on by the Swedes and Duke Bernard Duke Bernard goes into France who not having been able to recover what his Ancestours had lost cast his eyes upon the Flower de Luce whose favour with that King had kindled a great jealousie in the Electors Soul which turned into hatred against the Swedes as it appeared in the continuation of the War The scatterings of this Army rallyed neer Francfurt and the Ryngrave who had had his singer in the pye and saved himselfe by swimming was there with the Great Chanceller Oxenstern who did all he could to hinder this Peace or re-Union of the Members with their Head For he pretended that being the Queens Lieutennant the direction of the Affairs belonged to him but neither his arguments nor any such as sounded like them could be heard Indeed if we must seek the justice of a Cause in good successe and argument the complaints of the Swedes seemed in some sort lawful and the reproaches which they cast upon the Germans proceeded from a strong resentment Is this the recompence said they of so many labours and troubles as we have suffered and so many Battels as we have hazarded for your liberty Do you make us this ungrateful payment for the blood which we have shed and for the life which our King hath lost to free you from the oppression of the Spaniards and save your Religion How will you endure to hear that they who have been your Deliverers shall be called your Enemies These notes rung loude every where and found both the eares and the hearts of a multitude of Protestants open to produce a seed the bitternesse whereof was soon tasted however they had to do with a Nation which was but too grateful and acknowledging The Elector of Saxony both in his own name and that of the whole Protestant Body offered them a hundred thousand Rix-Dollars for a reward and ordered them to withdraw A reward offered the Swedes which they refuse but they would have more and stay'd hankering and hunting after many difficulties for they saw that they had yet many good Towns and Provinces and that the whole Empire was not able to beat them out of Pomerania They had the Allyance of France the affections of the people yea and of some Princes alsounder hand who had signed the Peace but by constraint and with regret And so in fine they took a firme resolution to stand it out There is collusion and cheatery as well in Germany as in other Nations and Macchiavels lessons are very much practiced there in this Age. The Chanceller Oxenstern environed by a great number of Counts Barons and great Lords kept his Court at Francfurt but finding the approach of the Conquerours he made a stronger Allyance with the King of France put Philipsburgh and all that which the Swedes held thereabouts into his hands for a huge summe of money and retired himselfe with Rautzaw through France and Holland into Sweden having sent before his departure his Traine of a hundred and fifty brave horses for breed into Pomerania which fell all into his Enemies hands A Vessel loaden with Spoiles makes Shipwrack We must here take notice of the shipwrack of a certain Vessel which departed with a faire winde from Wismar fully loaden with the richest spoiles and principally those of the Churches for besides some silver Organs the twelve Apostles of Wurtzburgh were all shut up in this belly of wood But being neer her time she was delivered without a Midwife and all was lost within a league of Sweden save onely one man who escaped to carry the newes and bid them not expect her The spoiles of the Church produce nothing but misfortune CHAP. II The answer to the complaints of the Swedes The Cardinal of Richelieu will besiege Colein The States refuse succour He endeavours to ruine the House of Lorraine The Dutchesse Nicoll at Paris Prince Francis carried prisoner to the Cittadel of Nancy THe complaints of the Swedes had their answer which was that they had had wages and booty that the Germans did not send for them but that they joyned together amongst themselves The reproaches of the Germans to the Swedes and that the Princes were not obliged to continue the war to glutt their ambition and avarice That they had obtained that for which they took arms That the recompence which was offered them freed the Princes from ingratitude That it was not lawful for them to sell or alienate the Lands and Goods of the Empire and much lesse to draw the French their old enemies into Germany In briefe that their pretexts were but illusions to amuse and battle the Plaicsends of the Germans But let us now bring the French upon the Stage who will peradventure beat down this tottered Building since they are invited to it by the Swedes That great Cardinal the worthy Instrument of all bloody Playes and principal mover of that furious Ball or Revel which was so long danced amongst Christians was alwayes either neer or in Lorraine to provide for all occurrences and remedy the suddain changes of Fortune He was so extreamly angry at the inconstance of the Colonians The Cardinal demands succour of the Hollanders to besiege Colein but in vaine or Citizens of Colein that he could not long dissemble it And therefore he sent to intreat the Sates-General of Holland to assist him in his designe and by vertue of the streight Allyance to succour the French Army which he had destinated to besiege that City with Victuals Munition and some Shallops But they answered that they could
Drummes to be beaten and confirmed a most straight Allyance with the aforesaid Arch-Duke the principall conditions whereof were that neither Party should lay down Armes till the Princes were released the Duke of Lorraine restored to his States Sedan rendered and a firm Peace concluded between the two Crownes Which done they began to raise forces and the Spaniards disposed themselves to put theirs into the field The common opinion that the Spaniard sowes dissention in France refuted It is the opinion of many persons that the King of Spain endeavoured to corrupt the greatest part of the Nobleman of France with money and sowed sedition and revolt amongst them with this glittering mettall as if that Nation were not unquiet and turbulent enough of it self without his being necessitated to draine his Treasures to move it And yet suppose that he did it it was no more then what is ordinarily practised every where when there is an apparence of profit being incited thereto by Reason of State and then what was done by King Lewis the eleventh in England and elsewhere But to what purpose should it serve him save only to spend his mony unprofitably enough as appeared by their inconstance Many of them have often retyred themselves into his Dominions to seek their own security and his protection both which they have found and an honourable maintenance to boot but how have they taken their leave Lewis the eleventh being yet in his Dolphin-age withdrew himself to the Duke of Burgundy and for recompence as soon as he was in the Royall Throne he began and continued a war upon the Burgundlans But let us stay in our Age where we shall finde matter enough The Duke of Orleans twice at Brussels The Duke of Orleans fled twice to Brussels cast himself into the King of Spalnes arms who succoured him protected him and gave him an honourable allowance together with his Mother the Queen But being once reconciled and even after the King his Brothers decease he employed himself with as much heat as the most mortall enemy in the world to make warre in Flanders so to destroy his own Sanctuary And other Lords and spoyl his Protectour when all that people thought he would fix all his thoughts upon Peace The Dukes of Guise and Elbenf followed the same trace the former in Italy and the latter in Flanders And what shall we say of the Marshall of Turenne and the Allyance so solemnly sworne with the Arch-Duke The issue shewed that he returned with the same levity before the work was finished and so rendred that fair Field intructuous This is the profit of the Spanish Cathalicon and this the foundation upon which the King built his Conquests or rather this is the recompence of his liberality I praise the fidelity of the French but I blame their inconstance and presume to say aloud that the first obligation cannot dispense with the second made freely and without constraint Nor are there many such examples to be found amongst other Nations yea and it would be very ill taken in France if a stranger after having found his sanctuary there should after his reconciliation labour to make war against it Maurice Duke of Saxony Albert of Brandenburgh and some others made a League with Henry the second for the Liberty of Germany but findings that the French instead of Liberty layd hold of some Places they reconciled themselves with the Emperour and yet were they taxed of perfidy at the Court of France The Count of Fustenbergh having withdrawne himself from the service of King Francis the first and returned into the Emperours favour was beaten in seeking a passage upon the River of Marne and like to be knocked in the head for his ingratitude But let us returne to our purpose The renduclion of Belle-garde 1650. The King having assured himself of Normandy and many Places held by the Prince of Condes Lieutenants caused Bellegarde to be besiedged which quickly submitted for want of succour and he rendred the Inhabitants their Priviledges Let us passe the Sea Charles Stewart goes into Scotland The Scots being Assembled at Edenburgh resolved to take Charles Stewart for their King to which effect they sent Commissioners to treat with him at the Haghe and proclaimed him King of Scotland and England which extremely offended the Parliament at London He departed from Scheveling and we will let him go in great danger to behold the honour which was done Generall Cromwell for having reconquered almost all Ireland the Natives whereof being moved to take Armes by zeal of Religion and respect to the said Charles implored the assistance of the Pope and some other Christian Princes but not being seconded The Irish tamed and puâ—ished and falling into division amongst themselves they were easily tamed and chastized as well for having taken Arms as for having abused the English The Diet at Nurembergh In the same yeare the Diet was held at Nurembergh where after the agreement was made about the restitution of Places and the Assessement for moncy to pay the souldiers the rest of the time was spent in Visits and sumptuous Banquets Festivities and Fire-works of rate workmanship and skil The Duke of Amalsi formerly Piccolomini was there on the behalfe of the Emperours and acquired great admiration and Duke Charles for the Crowne of Sweden Some Counts were forced to pawne their wives Jewells and other Ornaments to be so much the sooner rid of these troublesome Guests Thus the Germans were whipt and payd for the Rodde for they were faine to give whatsoever they had left to recover that which was growne savage and desert The States of the Empyre sent an Embassadour expresse into Spain to beseech the King to draw his Garrison out of Frankendal which was granted at length that so the Peace might have full vigour as we will shew hereaster But since the Embassadours depart from Nurembergh let us go also out of Germany and hasten downe the Rheyn into Holland to see what passes there concerning the reduction of the Militia and other accidents Who will bee able to hide himselfe from the face of the Lord CHAP. VI Containing what passed in the Summer of this yeare of 1650. The Portugal Embassadours offers The Fleet in the Indies does nothing The Princ 's complaints The Siedge of Amsterdam The Imprisonment of six Lords who were carried to Louvestein The Prince of Oranges death His Prayer THe Zelanders before they would ratifie the Peace which they did with an ill will as well in regard of France as for the profit of some particular persons who were wont to go to the Cape of Grip would needs be assured of a prompt supply for the Company of the little Indies The estates of Orphans in Zeland employed in the Company of the Indies which was grown to decay by the revolt of Portugal Which was granted them because the Goods and Estates of many widowes Fatherless children and other persons of
it is that he is blamed and that upon very probable arguments for not having made peace at Munster for the necessary rest and tranquility of the French and for the superlative advantage of France But Wherefore he did not make Peace he hoped to come to share stakes and conceived that the United Provinces would forsake their interests to follow his passion and his designes But God had otherwise disposed of it Why the Prince retyred himself The Prince of Conde being priviledged by his birth after having performed the Crown such services as surpasse the belief of man after having spilt his blood and exposed his life to so many hazards after having gained so many Battails and forced so many Towns was not able to digest an Imprisoment grounded upon conjectures which the brightnesse of his glory had ingendred in some distrustfull soules It is a great heart-sore to a generous spirit to have any other Guard imposed upon him then that of his â—â—us honour The information which was given him of that designe and then of the attempt projected upon his person as was reported moved him to endeavour to destroy his eneme which not being able to atchieve by almost a generall Insurrection he chose rather to withdraw then to see a man at Court who overshadowed him and made his heart swell with vengeance His Father retyred himself to Brussels The Father to save his honour had retyred himself also to Brussells and depositated his wife in the hands of that most vertuous Princesse the Cardinal Infanta And the Sonne to revenge the affront which he precended to have been done him and for which he could get no satisfaction in France took the same course sound the same protection and the honour to command the Armies The issue will shew us how to judge of the intentions and of the cause by the effects In fine every one would have the superiority and no body would stoop to make place for another For the Citizens of Paris The Cardinal of Râ—tz at the Bois de Vincennes who thought to finde their own interests in those of the Princes seeing the Game in danger to be lost easily disingaged themselves from the affections which they had vowel to them And the Cardinal of Râ—tz And Beaufort with the Duke of Orleans to Blois who had mediated the Kings return to Paris and rendred him superlative service was soon after carried prisoner to the Bois de Vincennes The Duke of Beaufort who had swumme in the affections of the Parisians not finding his safety any more amongst them retyred himself with the Duke of Orleans The reduction of Retel and Bourdeaux 1653. to Blois This last Field began with the taking of Retâ—l saw the Prince of Caâ—â—e with the whole Army in Picardy and the reduction of Bourdeaux God grant that the end therof may produce a peace for which so many people long and earnestly expect It must be looked for from his band for it is only he who can give it in our dayes it is he only who fights for us and who will graciously hear the prayers of his affected people The Duke of Guise returns into France Upon the intercession of this Prince the King of Spain set the Duke of Guise at liberty who was taken in the tumults of Neaples as hath been already said He retured into France but took not his intercessours part because he had not the same interests nor had received the same affronts Before we conclude our work we must passe once more into England to see how that Common-wealth is governed which as soon as it was out of the Cradle sell into a difference with that of Holland which had fought fourscore years for her liberty and in whose preservation the bordering Countries have their interest as we shall forthwith demonstrate The situation of Holland Holland is so situated and her number of shipping is so great that there arrive merchandizes from all the Havens of the world which are transported by the Hollanders to other parts as well by Sea as by the Navigable Rivers which surround it The People are very open and plain and govern their Trade with so much industry craft and cunning I speak in generall that they surpasse all other Nations of the Universe therein Now as the Liver in mans body makes the Chylus or Concocoction and diffuses the blood through all the vaines just so Holland receives the Merchandizes into her bowels and sends them through all the vaines of this world But the Liver being corrupted the body cannot long subsist so the Traffick being spoyled not only this Country but the other also would have too much to suffer Their knowledge in order to the Sea is so perfect and their proevidence so laudable that they seldom make shipwrack The English slight the friendship of the Hollanders All things being well considered it may be asked why that new Common-wealh being yet in her infancy full of danger and in the middle of so many enemies both at home and abroad sought not the friendship of this being almost conform in doctrine with her as also Aristocratical Government To which I answer that two Common-wealths so near one another which have but one and the same scope or ayme i.e. the Traffick are lesse able to agree then Rivals who court one Mistresse or two neighbour-Neighbour-Kings Religion may do much to animate a people but profit mility and gain carries it quite away There is yet somewhat more for ambition makes face of the Piramide which doth not shew it self and is stolne from the eyes of the most clear-sighted persons Rome and Carihage were in perpetual controversies One of these two Republicks must needs perish to open the passage to the other for the Conquest of the Universe Whe prepare themselves for the war I leave the other reasons to be picked out by acuter wits and say that the States not being able to make any profit of theirs were constrained to lay about them for their own defence and to provide all approaches or Inlets They reinforced the Garrison of the Brill and of Zeland gave order to sit a good number of ships and to raise mony upon the people to furnish the expences whilest the English continued their hostilty But a certain faction flipt in amongst the people by such authours as were enemies to the publick quiet and we will first recount some particular misfortunes The tumult at Middleburgh 1653. was soon appeased That at Dort was yet of lesse consequence The fire which happened to the Town-house at Amsâ—erdam The Town house at Amsteâ—dam burnt 1652. brought some dammage and caused the hastening of that which was already begun to be built The audacity of the Seamen who brought back the vessels which remained in Hitland was repressed by the punishment of some amongst them A small â—â—nult appeased But a rash Commandment more unfortunately executed and which cost the life of some
with four thousand Foot and fifteen hundred Horse and he wrought so much by his frequent suites and instances with the Emperour induced thereto by Cardinal Richellen that he procured the Dignity of Generall to be taken away from the Duke of Frithland Frithland disâ— missed from his charge who had alwayes so well served him though by his behaviour he were growne insupportable chiefly to such as loved not the House of Austria Those powers which are trayled by so many puissant Aemulators together run post to destruction This councell proved dammageable to the Emperour and yet more to him who gave it and he who invented it was very likely to overthrow the whole Empyre The King of Sweden invited to come into Germany The King of Sweden being advertised of all which passed in Germany invited by the Germans themselves incited by France England Venice the Vnited Provinces and by occasion which he took up by the Forelock as also by his own peculiar interests began to make his preparatives There wanted nothing for a potent League but Causes and Pretexts whereof there would be found enough though it were no more then every one 's own advantage apart which is so strong that it ordinarily carries the ballance how full soever it be of reason and justice Men of this Age adore it neither is it without ground that a certain learned person calls it the Idoll of these times Towards the beginning of the year 1630. Europe was in a kind of Crisis war in Italy Germany full of old souldiers who struck terrour wheresoever they passed France apprehending lest this storm should fall upon her and that the Eagles should come and nestle again in those three Townes which were taken from them as I have noted already hindied a Treaty of Truce by hindring the acceptation of the Propositions and sent to the very bottom of the North to awaken Gustavus Adolphus to a League Nor needed there much eloquence to pers wade him who looked asquint already upon those puissant Troops upon the Baltick Sea which draw near him But knowing how he had been caught by his Neighbour he would not be content with promises but required a surety at Amsterdani before he would passe any further England besides the generall interest had that of the Prince Palatine which she conuld not handsomely abandon in such a conjuncture and yet was she also fain to give assurance for moneys before she could enter the League of this great Captain The States Generall were much concerned therein since by the growth of the House of Austria they foresaw their certain ruin in regard of the succour which she would be able to give the Spaniards And moreover they might well fear lest all the States of Germany humiliated or joyned to those of the Emperour he might come to redemand some Townes amongst them which are yet noted at the corner of the Eagle or Empyre The Venetians not warmed with the zeal of Religion as the Protestants were as being of the same with this House found for the interest of their State that it was necessary to put the said House into such termes as might not give so much jealousie And so the Protestants being inflamed and incouraged by the Catholicks which were interessed and desirous to see some disorder spring up in this powerful Body undertook the same designe And then it was that the Empire was to be torne in pieces since the Germans themselves conspired her ruine with her Enemies and subtracted themselves from her obedience because they could not endure her Majesty The House cannot faile to be burnt when the very owners themselves as well as the enemies help to set it on fire This unhappinesse was reserved for the latter times Let us see the King of Sweden come in for he will dance better then all who came before him CHAP. XVIII The entry of the King of Sweden into Germany His reasons why Those of the Emperour Allyances with Bogistaus He blocks up the Sea Towns Tilly takes the Generalate against his will VVHere shall I be able to finde tearmes and Inke black enough to expresse and write tragically enough the cruel and dismal effects of this sanguinary and horrible War Where shall I chuse words of energy or force enough to curse the inhuman actions and unnatural Tragedies which have been acted in wretched Europ and which are not yet ended and that onely by the immense ambition of some few persons It is lawful openly to blame Vice but not such as commit it It is God onely who must judge and we poor Subjects must bend our shoulders and expect our deliverance from above About Mid-Summer in the year 1630. the King of Sweden entred Germany with an Army having first cleansed the Isle of Rugia and the borders of Stralsund from the Imperial Garrisons The reasons which he published for his coming as an Enemy were First because his Embassadours had not been admitted to the Treaty of Lubeck Secondly in regard the Imperialists came against him in Prussia And thirdly for that some Letters of his which he sent to Bethleem Gabor had been intercepted in full peace But these were but pretexts for the true and moving grounds were these His reasons First because the Emperour had deprived his kinsmen the Princes of Meckelemburgh of their Dutchyes Secondly for that he had built Forts in all the Havens and made Ships to render himselfe potent upon the Baltick Sea with designe to passe one day further into Sweden then he was to expect that the Eagles would be suffered to coast And lastly in respect there was some apperance of extending his domination in Germany and in a word it is alwayes profitable to fish in troubled waters The answer to the aforesaid reasons The Emperour answered that he himselfe had begun by putting a Garrison into Stralsund and that there could be no treating with him without drawing it from thence As for his Letters besides that all the plots and practices both of himself and his Allyes were already discovered it was impossible but they must tend to his disadvantage being directed to a man who had as often revolted as opportunity was offered him to do it and who never kept his faith but when he wanted occasion to break it In relation to the Baltick Sea he had at least being Chief and Emperour as much to do with it as Gustavus had That the succour which he sent the King of Poland was sounded upon the same Maxims upon which himselfe had succoured the King of Denmark and Stralsund In order to the Dukes of Meckelemburgh he objected that he had nothing to do to controwl him in Germany and that himselfe would not take it well that he should medle with any of his kingdom That his cares were open to Intercessions but not to Commands But all these arguments served for nothing there must be blowes For the King was sure of his Allyes and of the inclination of all the
Protestants whose Cause and Religion he vanted that he came to defend Moreover this generous Prince being brought up in arms was sure that could he but once come to beate that old Captain Tilly. that victorious Rock against which all his Enemies had made shipwrack all the Lutherans would lend him their hands from the one end of the Empire to the other and then what honour and what glory should he obtain And if it hapned otherwise he might consolate himselfe with all such other Warriers as had suffered the like disgrace though yet still with this advantage beyond them that his Enemies could not follow him into his kingdom In brief he wanted but the getting of one General Battel to put into his hands the two thirds of the Empire and one more for all and Italy in to the bargaine King Gustave leagues with the Dake of Pomerania Whilest he was treating the League with Duke Bogislaus who received him in Stetin and driving the Imperialists out of Pomerania and Meckelenbargh being fortunate in many Encounters and chiefly in that which was offered for the succour of Colbergh where the Imperialists were knocked and Torquaro Conty forced to incamp himselfo at Gartz the Protestants assembled themselves secretly at Leipsick from whence they communicated with him and amongst themselves about the means of retaining the Ecclesiastical Lands and Goods in question of maintaining their Religion and reducing and restraining the Empire to the same state wherein it had been before the troubles All kindes of defence are authorized when there is fear of the diminution of estate and State together with that of Religion It seems that in these times men may dispense with their faith or word given even upon meer doubts and that it is lawful upon meer apprehensions onely though without any ground to withdraw ones selfe from obedience But dissidence and power to hurt upon occasion have more weight in State-interest then in Right and they who have not Peace and Justice for the scope of their armes do not make War but commit robberies for the end of War ought to be Peace He blocks the sea Towns Now the King spent all the Summer in blocking up the maritine Places raising new Troops exciting the Inhabitants to expell their Guests and receive their old Masters wherein they shewed themselves so good Servants that their fear effectively appeared in all parts Bogistans wrote complaints and excuses to the Emperour but they brought nothing back but reproaches and condemnations In the mean time the Imperial Army and that of the League were without a Head because the Duke of Frithland had obeyed the Emperours Order and General Tilly had a minde to submit to some pious inspirations which commanded him to leave this Trade and passe the rest of his dayes in the service of his Heavenly Master In such sort as there was much a doe yea and many great Divines were faint to display their eloquence to make him re-admit this Burthen upon his shoulders For he considered that he had alwayes had Fortune as his Handmaid that he had acquired as much glory as any one Captain in the World and that all this might change that in a great Calme a great Storme is to be feared and that it often happens that the soundest and best disposed bodies are those which most easily fall into grevous sicknesses No no said he let another younger then I am untangle this Web It is a faire Field to winne the Lawrel since the dispute is about Religion and the Authority of the Prime man of the World the Cause is just and the more difficulty it hath in it the more glory will it also have Sweat and Dust mingled with blood will alwayes revive and quicken the Palmes and Bayes wherewith his head shall be crowned Mine begin to way old with me and I will now consecrate them to the foot of a Crucifix O how happy had he been had he followed this connsel and put himself into a Monastery as he had projected But his delights were to be mingled with bitternesse his glory was to be obscured and he was to taste the condition of a Conquered as well as that of a Conquerour The Crosse which he had a minde to embrace in a Cloister The praise of Tilly who retakes the Generalate was but exteriour and voluntary but this was to be active and essential There were published of him these three things That be let no day slip without hearing Masse That he had never touched a woman And that he never lost Battel Let us leave him taking the charge and care of ranging the Souldiers again into good order and discipline and see what passed at Magdeburgh since the year 1628. CHAP. XIX The Siege of Magdeburgh The Duke of Lauemburgh beaten and taken neer the Elbe King Gustave takes Francfurt upon the Oder and beats the Imperialists MAgdeburgh is an Imperial Town in the Country of Saxonie situated upon the River of Elbe grown very rich and puissant and by consequence insolent by the conveniency of Trade It put Charles the fisth to much vexation and trouble and he proclaimed an Outlawrie against it and gave Maurice Duke of Saxonie the execution thereof who either through collusion or otherwise forbore to take it and from thence came the German Proverb Magdeburgh the first disturbance thereof Metz and Magd refused to dance with the Empetour After Luthers Doctrine was planted there the Arch-Bishops authority began to be much vilifyed and consequently that of the Emperour But let us now come to the state of the controversie This Town chose Augustus Son to the Elector of Saxonie for her Administratour Ferdinand consented not to this Election and the Pope desirous to restore his credit in that Country together with that of the Emperour established the Arch-Duke Leopold who is at present Governour of the Low-Countries for the King of Spain The Imperialists seized upon some places neer it and extorted a summe of money from it for their Solde or Pay and by continuing to demand a greater provoked the aversions of the Cirtizens and encouraged them to take arms and chase them away They seized also upon some Barkes which went to the Country of Meckelenburgh so that Wallenstein at length was faine to come and revenge that Commotion Appeased by Wallenstem Brief the Town was invested temerity turned into repentance and arms into supplications in conclusion all was pardoned they dispensed with for a Garrison and the Forfeit of a hundred and fifty thousand Riv. -Dollars which was liberally remitted out of respect to some certain Princes though yet all this made them not a whit better Servants to Ferdinand Thus was the first bout past but there followed a second which brought an utter ruine and that the most miserable one that ever fell upon any Town I will be bold to say then that of Troy even though all were true which hath been written thereof by the Greeks and then that