If, in the other matter Cecil did not moderate the religious zeal of James, he appears to have seconded it rather coldly. This was the well-known case of Vorstius, who, for his Armenian doctrines, was removed, at the instigation of James, from his professional chair at Leyden. This unjustifiable interference was the act of James himself; and Cecil, in his correspondence with sir Ralph Winwood, through whom it was conducted, referred to the communications of the king, without expressing any concurrence or opinion of his own, either on the propriety of the interference, or on the controverted questions. This forbearance relieves me from the necessity of entering into the controversy.* In March, 1609, the death of the duke of Cleves and Juliers † gave to Cecil a fresh opportunity of displaying the principles of his foreign policy. The succession was disputed between the elector of Brandenburgh and the palatine of Newburgh on the one part, and the emperor Rodolph on the other, who claimed, as lord paramount, the right of adjudication, and sent the archduke Leopold to occupy the territory, in sequestration. The claim of the emperor, as lord paramount, was espoused by the pope; and, as the other pretenders were both protestant, the dispute assumed the character of a struggle between the protestant and catholic religion; and a question, "whether," in the words of sir Ralph Winwood, "the house of Austria and the church of Rome, both now in the wane, should recover their lustre and greatness in those parts of Europe." The protestant claimants agreed to await the issue of a judicial decision or an amicable arrangement: the English government resolved, at an early period, to support them in the maintenance of this compact, and to render them active assistance, in the case of an actual attack.§ Ib. iii. 78. quoted by Hallam, Constitutional History, i. 455. The council, (Salisbury signing first) to Winwood, 14th November, 4609. For his majesty to engage himself more particularly at this time, were This resolution appears to have originated partly in a general desire to maintain the protestant interest, and partly in an apprehension of the detriment which the Austrian neighbourhood might cause to the United Provinces. On this occasion, jealousy of the house of Austria united the policy of France and England; and, perhaps, some leaning in Henry IV.* to the religion of his youth, induced the French king to espouse warmly the interests of the protestant claimants. Henry's great demonstrations in the favour of the protestant interest occasioned some surprise. "That the French king will make himself a formal party of the religion, and join with princes protestant (and that in solemn and public treaty), against the pope, is a deeper mystery than every man's capacity can conceive."+ In order to reconcile the exertion which, notwithstanding his general desire of peace, he thought politic on the present occasion with the embarrassed state of the king's finances, Cecil proposed to employ in this affair only to strike the drum already, and to make himself an auxiliary, a direct author of a war, which was neither becoming the condition of his state (as he stands in amity or friendship with all other princes) nor the quality of his disposition, being a prince, that out of religion and christianity, thought himself rather bound to purchase peace than to be a stirrer of war, the consequence whereof would happily (haply ?) draw with it a greater partaking in Europe than is convenient. In respect whereof, his majesty would advise these princes, first to endeavour themselves to come to some honourable composition by way of treaty, whereto his majesty would as effectually employ himself; and if this could not be obtained, it was represented unto them that his majesty (howbeit, by reason of the distance of his kingdom from the countries now in question, he could not make such proffers and shows, by sending to their frontiers such a number of men as others did, that were more contiguous unto thein, and as of late the French king had done, without putting himself to charge, or breaking with his friends, there being many other means to colour these actions, yet) whensoever these princes should be in imminent danger (being actually assailed by any other), they may rest assured that his majesty will be as ready to assist them as any other of their friends whatsoever."-Winwood, iii. 85.; and see 185. 190. Cecil wrote thus of Henry:-"Although that great king (who hath means to value himself by many outward things) may have no more meaning to engage himself à bon escient than he shall find cause, yet he maketh advantage towards the world by his fair paradoes. And indeed, to do him right, he is one of the greatest politics of a king for managing causes of this nature that liveth at this day, having such a mixture of correspondency as he has a pretext for every action, though he frames intents sometimes upon hollow grounds; which I do not note in this, for certainly one of the house of Austria there established, might be an ill neighbour to all that are jealous of him." 14th of August, 1609. Winwood, iii. 57. + Winwood, 2d of November, 1609. p. 83. those English troops which were still in the Netherlands.* France was at once told that England could not keep peace with her, though well inclined to act with her in the present emergency. † And hints were given of the necessity of paying her debts, which France took unfavourably, not wishing to buy at so high a price an alliance of which the duration was very uncertain.‡ The preparations of France herself were made upon a more extensive scale, and even induced a suspicion, that Henry had more in view than Cleves and Juliers §; and he has generally been supposed to have contemplated the humiliation of the house of Austria. Whatever may have been his projects, they were cut short by the hand of the assassin. After his death.||, the preparations of France slackened; they were again so much renewed as to revive the suspicion of ulterior designs; but they were finally reduced to a more proportionate scale, so as to augment the desire of Cecil for an amicable adjustment. Nevertheless, he proceeded in his measures for supporting the interests which he had espoused. The English troops co-operated with the Dutch in retaking the town of Juliers, which had been occupied by the emperor; and Winwood, whose letters do not generally mark him as a courtier, ascribes much of this success to sir Edward Cecil ††, the nephew of Salisbury. ** A league among the protestant princes of Germany was afterwards projected, in which England and France were to join ; but dissensions arose among the princes for whose more immediate benefit it was intended, and France declined to enter into it. Cecil then also withdrew; * Instructions, 8th of February, 1609-10. Winwood, p. 112-126 + 8th and 18th of February, 1610. Boderie, viii. 37. and 54. + P. 58. Winwood, iii. 17th of November, 1609. 88, and 154. Winwood to Salisbury, 15th of June, 1610. 185. ** 23d of July, 1610. p. 196. ++ Winwood, iii. 210. 22d of August, 1610. He was the third son of Thomas, first earl of Exeter; and was in 1626, created viscount Wimbleton. Collins, ii. 602. + 28th of September, Winwood, 222. "For," he said, as his majesty doth not profit any thing by this league, but merely undergoeth it for to countenance and strengthen the union made amongst the princes, and to give them reputation towards others from undertaking so easily against them: so his majesty would be loath (if they cannot agree amongst themselves) to have any thing further to do with them; and so thinketh fittest (howsoever his disposition remaineth firm and constant towards them, to do all things that may beseem a true friend, and professor with them of God's true religion) to defer the handling of this league till some further occasion.” * Upon the questions of alliance and repayment of debt, there was a lengthened negotiation. A part of the money was paid, and an alliance, strictly defensive, was contracted between England and France. If James had really that overweening partiality for Spain which it has been the fashion to attribute to him, this alliance may be taken as an indication of the superior influence of Cecil; but I do not claim for him any peculiar merit, because I am not satisfied that James was, at this time, inclined towards Spain. Engagements of this nature are seldom politic, but, under all the circumstances of Europe at the moment, it was perhaps advisable to adopt a measure desired by France, which appeared to give additional solidity to a connection which was favourable to the protestant interest, and to the independence of the United Provinces. During the lifetime of Salisbury, the affairs of Juliers and Cleves remained unsettled; but neither English interests nor Dutch interests suffered any detriment. The alliance with France came not into active operation; but a good understanding subsisted between the two countries. While these affairs were in progress, there were various proposals for matrimonial alliances between England, *Lords of the council, 30th of September, 1610. p. 224. + 29th of August, 1610. Dumont, v. pt. ii. 149. France, and Spain; but, as Cecil took no special part in these, and the development belongs to a later and very interesting period of history, I do not dwell upon them here. Lord Salisbury did not live to the close of the parliament, in which the "great contract" was discussed. In February, 1612, he began to show an indifference to public affairs, which particularly appeared in the case of Vorstius.* He had a complication of disorders, and a great depression of spirits, occasioned, perhaps, not more by those disorders than by the uncomfortable position of public affairs. At the end of April he left London for Bath, accompanied by his chaplain, John Bowles, afterwards bishop of Rochester, and his secretary, John Finett†; and others of his official followers either accompanied or joined him. The journey occupied six days, a period probably not much exceeding that which would, in 1612, have been occupied in it by a person in health. But it was a most painful journey; nor did frequent changes of posture or carriage afford " any ease that lasted," as his chaplain tells us, "longer than his imagination." The dying minister was received, each night, at the house of one of the principal persons of the country through which he passed: on the first night he got no farther than lord Chandos's at Ditton; on the second he slept at Caussam, lord Knowles's §, and then at Mr. Dole "My lord treasurer's malady doth daily increase, to the great discomfort of his friends and followers. He hath, besides an ague, a defluxion of rheum upon his stomach, and withal difficultatem respirandi; and, which is worst of all, he is melancholy and heavy-spirited, so that it is on all hands concluded that his lordship must shortly leave this world, or at least disburthen himself of a great part of his business." More to Winwood, 17th of February, 1611-12, iii. 337. + Afterwards knighted, and master of the ceremonies. + Cobham Park is said to have become the property or John Bridges, esq in the first half of the eighteenth century. Possibly, the date is wrong, and it was, in 1612, the property of Gray, fifth lord Chandos. Britton's Surrey, xiv. 206. I think, Caversham, near Reading, must be meant, though I knew not that lord Knowles (afterwards earl of Banbury) lived there. It was afterwards the seat of the Cadogans, who sold it in the reign of George II., I believe. |