most desperate affairs, and of pushing on the

war

"fhip's exceeding wifdom, your lordship out of your true noble difpofition, hath ever equalled the 66 care of the faftie and honor of your countrie with your own life. I verily perfuade myself that the "king's own chriftian and earnest inclination to peace, "lead on the treaty with speedy feet. But by "thofe collections that I have made, and relations of "others well practised in this state, I find that England "never loft fuch an opportunity of winning honor and "wealth unto it, as by relinquishing the war with Spain. "The king and kingdom were reduced to fuch an eftate, as they could not in all likelihood have endured "the space of two years more; his own treasurie was "exhausted, his rents and cuftoms fufigned for the most

part for the payment of money borrowed, his nobi66 lity poor and much indebted, his merchants wafted, "his people of the countrie in all extremitie of necef"fity, his devices of gaining by the increase of the "valuation of money, and other fuch of that nature,

all plaid over; his credit in borrowing, by means of "the incertaintie of his eftate during the war with "England much decayed, the fubjects of his many "distracted dominions held in obedience by force and "feare, not by love and dutie; and therefore rather a "care and burthen, than a relief and ftrength to him. "Himfelf very young, and in that regard with his "people in no great veneration; and the lefs for fuf

II. p. 75

fering himself to be wholly governed by a man ge"nerally hated of his own country; his ftrength at "fea not able to fecure his ports at home, much less "his Indies, or his treasure homewards (g)." This is (e) Winrather a ftronger picture of the deplorable frate of Spain wood, Vold than Sir Walter Raleigh's, and from it, it clearly appears that we needed not have been afraid to have infifted on almost any thing from it; and confequently much Jefs have fubmitted to a deprivation of the Indian trade and to the inquifition. But James's carneft inclination

for

181.

(i) Win

II. p. 26.

war with the Dutch, against whom they

were,

for peace, and the king of Spain's money procured this treaty for money was diftributed in abundance among the English courtiers who promoted the peace, as appears not only from what is afferted by Sir Charles Cornwallis in the above letter, but from other unqueftionable authorities. In the memoirs of Sully we read, "That no fooner was the Spanish ambaffador arrived "in London, than he multiplied the number of his "creatures, by his extraordinary liberalities to all those (b) Sully's "whom he confidered as neceffary to be gained (b)." memorials, And Sir Henry Neville in a letter to Mr. Winwood, da Vol. II. P. ted Aug. 19, 1604. writes, "We fay the Spanish am"baffadors have taken up many jewels here (we fup"pose to bestow upon our grandees; fo not to leave << any advantage to the French, who began that ang"ling fashion unto them) with the king's privity and "all men's wonder (i).”- And after the peace was wood, Vol. made, the earl of Nottingham, lord admiral, ambaffador extraordinary into Spain, had beftowed on him at his departure, in plate, jewels and horfes, to the value of twenty thousand pounds, by that king. And to fome other of his principal attendants were given chains and jewels of great value (k). And it appears from Sir Charles Cornwallis's letter to the earl of Salisbury, out and Birch's of Spain, that there were many penfions given in the negotia - court of England (1). Oborn, therefore, feems to have (4) Id. p. 96. reafon for faying," that James caft himfelf as it were "blindfold into a peace with Spain, far more deftruc"tive to England than a war; for it hath not only "found that prince an opportunity to recover his "ftrength (much abated by the queen's happy fucceffes "at fea) but gave him a fair advantage to establish "himself in the kingdom of Portugal, and quiet the "diftempers of his own people. And as this peace, "adds he, was of infinite confequence to the Spaniard, "fo he fpared for no cost to procure it: and to prevent "the inferting any article that might obstruct his re

(A) Win

wood, Vol. II. p 89.

tions, p. 223.

❝ courfe

were, in a manner, implacable, on account of their revolt for religion and liberty. But

not

course to or from the Indies (the magazine of ftrife) either on this fide or beyond the line (thought by the "English commiffioners not included, however the contrary was after pretended, and no farther difputed by "King James, than with patience and a quiet fubmif

fion of his fubjects to their fenfe, not rarely punish❝ing fuch as tranfgreft, at their coming home) he pre"fented all, both Scotifh and English with gifts, and * thofe no small ones; for by that the earl of Northamp"ton, brother to Suffolk, had, he was alone able to "raise and finish the goodly pile he built in the strand.-" Nor are there a few others no lefs brave houfes freth "in my memory, that had their foundations, if not "their walls and roofs, plastered with the fame mortar.-"This I shall add as no improbable conjecture made by "many in those days, that his catholic majefty was fo "frighted by the apprehenfion of a poffibility that our "king, according to the nature, no lefs than the obli "gation of his country, might fall into a conjunction "with France, that he would fcarce at that time have de"nied him any thing, to the half of his Indies. And from "hence all princes may calculate the vaft difference that "lies between a council fuborned, and one free "from corruption." (a) This laft reflection, appears (a) Oborn's to me very judicious. "A gift blindeth the wife, and 470. tc perverteth the words of the righteous," fays the great Hebrew legiflator (b). No prince can ever be fafe (b) Exod. who permits his counsellors to take presents from foreign 23, 8. princes. For their judgments will be biaffed, their affections be engaged, and they be disposed to serve others, more than their own mafter; fo that of the utmost confequence is it to have minifters depend wholly on their prince, if they receive presents from others, they must earn them; by giving counsel fuitable to the inftructions they receive, or by divulging thofe refolutions which ought most of all to be concealed. They must be spies

L

to

works, P.

(e) AntiMachiavel, P. 316.

notwithstanding, the articles of the peace were but poorly obferved by them, [KKK] and produced not the effect expected in point of

to those who bribe them, and unfaithful to their mafter by whom they are intrufted. So that 'tis amazing that James fhould confent to his grandees receiving the Spanih prefents; for a moment's reflection would have fet before him the pernicious confequences of it. The prince who would preferve his reputation, and accomplifh his ends, fhould keep his councils fecret. He should have a strict eye on the ambassadors sent to him, that they gain not the weak by their addrefs, the proud by their fawning, or the interested by their bounty. For nothing is more certain than that by flattery, cunning and feduction, they endeavour to delude minifters into a discovery of the fecrets of state. In fhort, as a great writer expreffes it," they do all the mischief they "can; their profeffion allows them to tranfgrefs; they "fin out of duty, and are fure of impunity: 'tis against "the wiles of thofe fpies that princes ought to be chiefly on their guard (c).”

[KKK] The articles of the peace were but poorly obferved by them, &c.] My authorities for this will not be difputed. Sir Henry Neville, in a letter to Mr. Winwood, dated London, December 8, 1604, writes, "It "is commonly reported that our merchants are ill-used "in Spain by the inquifition; and befides that, that the "trade proves nothing fo beneficial as was expected; 66 partly by reason that the merchants there are become 66 poor by these wars, and not able to buy but upon days, "and many of those that have been trusted, have play"ed bankrupts, infomuch as fome of ours have brought "back their commodities, rather than they would fell "upon credit; and partly, by reafon, that in this time "of long restraint of trade, they have been forced to "betake themselves to the making of cloth there, and " do make it now in that quantity, as they care not "much

of profit, by the English, to whom the peace foon became very difagreeable, by reafon of the

"much for ours, which was wont to be our chiefest "trade thither. And as for corn, the French, both by "reafon of their nearness and abundance, will ever fur"nifh them better cheap than we can. So as there apEC pears little hope of any fruit of our peace in that regard; which joined with fome other confiderations "of ftate, that have reference to your affairs there, ત [Holland] begins to cool that ardent affection which "carried us fo strongly to that treaty, and begets fome "difcourfes, (even amongst our greatest governors) "that this will be but a thort peace." (a)

II. p. 143.

(4) WinAnd Sir Charles Cornwallis in a letter to the earl of wood, Vol. II. p. 38. Salisbury, dated Valludolid, October 18, 1605. O. S. and Cabala, tells him," the Spaniards had made a general stay of p. 199. 86 justice to all or any of the king his matters fubjects." (b) And the fame gentleman, in a letter written from (6) WinMadrid, in May 1606, tells lord Salisbury alfo, "that wood, Vol. " 'tis written to him from Sevill, that Don Lewis Firar*do, in his voyage, met with certain fhips from Eng"land, loaden with corn and bound to Sevill. That he "first took the mafters, and first fet their necks in the "stocks; after removed them to the Admiral, and "there with his own hands did as much to their leggs; "revileing them, and calling them heretiques, Lutheran dogs, and enemies of Chrift, threatning to hang “them; and in conclufion having taken from them "what he thought fit, returned them into their own ‹‹ ships. Befides the cruelty he fhewed to thofe of Mr. "Edward's fhip in the Indies, he holdeth ftill in the "gallies all the marriners of Mr. Hall's and Mr. El"drid's fhips, alfo thofe of Mr. Bromley." (c) The (c) b. p. letters of Sir Charles are full of the wrongs the English 23 alreceived, and the endeavours he ufed in order to get fa- p. 201. tisfaction, tho' many times in vain. When he complained to the duke of Lerma, prime minifter of Spain, of the behaviour of Firardo with regard to confifcating

cr

213. fee

lo Cabais,