works, P. 89, 137. good fubjects, and overcoming his adverfa- (6) James's in his works (b); an epitaph on the chancellor of Scot- P. 411. (4) Great hiftorical dictionary, article Sid Dev (Sir Philip.) When Venus faw the noble Sidney dying, She thought it her beloved Mars had been ; This, I think, is one of the beft of his poetical com- 1603. in 4to." A fight of this, perhaps, might af- (HHH) He had an absolute averfion to war.] greateft gift that our Saviour gave his apoftles, imme diately haftily to conclude a peace with Spain (III), to diately before his afcenfion, was, that he left his "peace with them; he himself having prayed for his "perfecutors, and forgiven his own death, as the proverb is (a)." In the firft audience the duke of (a) King Sully had of James, he told him," that if he had James's found the English at war with the French, his endea "yours would, neverthelefs, have been to live in peace "with a prince, [Henry the fourth] who, like himself, Princes works, P. 590. memoirs, had been called from the crown of Navarre to that. "of France: it being always commendable, faid he, "to overcome evil with good (b)." Thefe are good (6) Sully's fentiments enough for private perfons; but they may vol. II. p. be carried much too far by princes. Forgiveness and 25. impunity from these only draw on fresh injuries; and he who will not at any time avenge wrongs received, will be sure to meet with enough of them. owe protection to their fubjects; but this cannot be afforded many times, unless chaftifement be inflicted on thofe who injure them. Wars therefore are fometimes neceflary; and a warlike prince will be always refpectable to his neighbours. But the known coward will be looked on with contempt. He will be affronted perpetually, and every opportunity will be taken to ridicule and opprefs him. So that though the love of peace in princes be commendable, yet, when it is carried too far, it degenerates into a fault, and gives juft ground for the fubjects complaints. Happy the people who have a prince who neither loves nor fears to draw his fword! They may be fure of being defended in their just rights by him; of being guarded from unjust invafions, and fecured by his valour from the evils which threaten them. His power will make him confiderable in the eyes of his neighbours; they will attend to his reafons, and be influenced by his perfuafions. For they will not flightly provoke one known not tamely to put up injuries. So that the profeffion of fortitude and refolution, of courage and magnanimity, becomes better the (a) Oldcaftle's re (III), to the amazement and great advantage of the mouths of princes, than that of meeknefs and forgiving of injuries: for the former may, poffibly, be of ufe and fervice, but the latter can anfwer no good purpose in the present ftate of the world. (III) This led him to conclude a peace with Spain, &c.] The peace was concluded Aug. 18, 1604. But before this, in a few weeks after James came into England, he revoked the letters of reprifal on the fubjects of Spain, which had been granted by Elizabeth, without staying to be solicited on that head, or to be complimented on his acceffion to the throne, by the king of Spain (a). So that he difarmed his fubjects before he had provided for their better fecurity. He ftopt them in the courfe of doing themselves juftice, before he was fure of obtaining reparation for their paft loffes.The king of Spain had now reduced himself to a very acta regia, low ebb, by his wars with England and the Netherlands, in which, for the most part, he had been unfuccefeful. The king of Spain, fays Sir Walter Raleigh, in his discourse touching a war with Spain, written before the conclufion of the peace, and intended to be prefented to James. "The king of Spain, fays he, is now fo poor, as he employed his Jefuits to beg for him at "every church-door in Spain. marks on the hift. of England, p. 138. and "His revenues are mortgaged in fuch fort, as of "twenty-five millions, he has but five millions free ; "his fhips are worn-out and consumed, and his people "in general exceeding poor. "He hath of late received many affronts and loffes; " and in Peru many of the chiefest and best towns are "recovered from him by the natives. "And commonly, when great monarchies begin "once in the leaft to decline, their diffipation will foon follow after. "The Spanish empire hath been greatly shaken, and hath begun of late years to decline; and it is a prin of the Spaniards; who thereby had an opportunity «ciple in philosophy, that omnis diminutio eft preparatio. "ad corruptionem. That the leaft decay of any part is a "forerunner of the deftruction of the whole. "And though it may be a while upheld, as the state "of Rome was by Vefpafian and Trajan; yet following the former declination, retro ftatim fub-lapfa fer"tur ufque dum plane fubverfa fuit. It presently fell back again, and never left declining till the Roman "ftate was utterly overthrown. But if now the king of Spain can obtain peace "upon any condition reasonable, fo as he may fortify his "weakness, both in Europe and the Indies, and gather "again fufficient riches, putting the English from the "exercife of war in thofe parts, and fo make us to for 66 get his Indies, till thofe be confumed that know "them; he will foon grow to his former greatness and "pride: and then if your majefty fhall leave the Low "Countries, and he finds us by ourfelves, it will not be "long e'er he remembers his old practices and attempts 66 Sir Walter (b).". But no fuch confiderations as these could (6) The have any influence on James. He had revoked the let- works of ters of reprifal, and a peace he was determined to have. Raleigh,Kt. -You fhall now underftand (fays lord Cecyll to Mr. political, Winwood, in a letter dated Ap. 12, 1604.) that the "that the commercial, and philofo"conftable of Caftile is come to Dunkirk, and refolv- phical, by "ed presently to take his passage; fo as there is now Tho. Birch, "nothing fo certain as a treaty, and in my opinion no- II. p. 12. thing more likely than a peace. For as it is most 8vo. Lond. "true, that his majefty's mind is most inclinable there- 1751. "unto, and that in contemplation thereof,, things have been fo carried here, as if a war were now "fomewhat unfeafonable, fo you may fee by the king "of Spain's great defcent from the heighth of his "forms towards other princes, as he is determined to 66 go through with it; being now it feems confirmed in the French pofition, qui a le profit a l'honneur. A "matter I do confefs to you I do clearly foresee he will M. A. Vol. (c) Win- portunity given them of retrieving their al moft « have, unless the eftates of thofe poor countries [the "Netherlands] have fome more adjuvances towards "their fubfifting (c)."The treaty was foon concluded, of friend fhip and amity, and mutual trade to (d) Id. p. 22. each others dominions (d).'Tis very remarkable, that low as the Spaniards were, depending on James's pacific difpofition, they ftiffly denied the English free (e) Id. p. 22. trade and commerce with the Eaft and West Indies (e); and got it inferted in the articles that no aid or aflistance whatsoever thould be given to the enemies or rebels on either part; yea moreover they had the English (ƒ) Id.p.29. in Spain fubjected to the power of the inquifition (f). Cecyll indeed faid it were vanity to have expected more than they had concerning the matter of trade to the Indies, and the inquifition. But it does not appear that he had reafon for his affirmation. For the Spaniards were in fo much want of a peace, that they would have fubmitted to almoft any thing to obtain it; and they themselves were furprized to find that it was made on fo advantageous conditions. Sir Charles Cornwallis, in a letter to the fame Cecyll, lord vifcount Cranborne, principal fecretary to his majesty, from Spain, dated June 2, 1605. has the following remarkable expreffions. "I find here by many arguments that this peace came "opportunely for this kingdom, and is admired of all "Europe, yea of this kingdom itfelf, how it was pof fible with fo advantageous conditions to them, and fo "little profitable to our realm it could be effected. “The duke of Anera difcourfing with one of great 66 privacie and truft with him, after he had heard that "the peace was in fuch forme concluded, faid in plain "termes, that the king and counfellors of England "had not their fenfes when in fuch fort they agreed 86 upon it. And fome Spaniards have lately reported, "that the king of Spain's money purchafed this quiet; "otherwife peace, with fo good conditions could never have been obtained. I know that befides your lord "fhip's |