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p.

89, 137.

good fubjects, and overcoming his adverfaries in literary contefts! but he had an absolute averfion to war (HHH). This led him

haftily

(6) James's in his works (b); an epitaph on the chancellor of Scotworks, P. land, in Spotswood (c); and another on that valiant, po(e) Ch. hift. lite, and learned gentleman, Sir Philip Sydney, in Collier's dictionary. This latter, being but fhort, I will give to the reader, as a fpecimen of James's poetry.

P. 411.

(d) Great hiftorical dictionary, article Sidney (Sir Philip.)

When Venus faw the noble Sidney dying,

She thought it her beloved Mars had been;
And with the thought thereof, fhe fell a crying,
And caft away her rings and carknets clean.
He that in death a goddess mock'd and griev'd,
What had he done (trow you) if he had lived (d).

This, I think, is one of the beft of his poetical com-
pofitions. The reader, after this, need not be told that
James's talents for poetry were not extraordinary. Be-
fides the pieces of poetry I have mentioned, I am in-
formed by the very worthy and learned Dr. Birch, that
there is extant in James's name, another intitled,
"His majefty's lepanto, or heroical ftory, being part
"of his poetical exercises at vacant hours, London,
"1603. in 4to." A fight of this, perhaps, might af-
ford fome diverfion. This book being burnt among
thofe of the honourable Charles York, fq; at Lin-
coln's Inn in the late fire there, Mr. Birch could give
no further account of it.

(HHH) He had an abfolute averfion to war.] " I "know not by what fortune the dicton of Pacificus ' was added to my title, at my coming into Eng"land: that of the lyon expreffing true fortitude, hav"ing been my dicton before: but I am not ashamed. "of this addition; for king Solomon was a figure of "Chrift in that, that he was a king of peace. The "greatest gift that our Saviour gave his apoftles, imme

66

diately

haftily to conclude a peace with Spain

(III), to

memoirs,

"diately before his afcenfion, was, that he left his cr peace with them; he himself having prayed for his "perfecutors, and forgiven his own death, as the pro❝ verb is (a)."——In the first audience the duke of(a) King Sully had of James, he told him, " that if he had James's works, P. "found the English at war with the French, his endea- 590. "yours would, nevertheless, have been to live in peace "with a prince, [Henry the fourth] who, like himself, "had been called from the crown of Navarre to that "of France: it being always commendable, faid he, ❝ to overcome evil with good (b)." These 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 fure to meet with enough of them. Princes owe protection to their fubjects; but this cannot be afforded many times, unless chaftifement be inflicted on those who injure them. Wars therefore are fometimes neceffary; and a warlike prince will be always respectable 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 just 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 juft 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

2

the

(a) Oldcatle's re

marks on the hift. of

England, p. 238. and

acta regia, p. 521.

(111), to the amazement and great advantage of

the mouths of princes, than that of meekness and forgiving of injuries: for the former may, poffibly, be of ufe and fervice, but the latter can answer 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 folicited 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 stopt them in the course of doing themselves juftice, before he was fure of obtaining reparation for their past loffes.The king of Spain had now reduced himself to a very low ebb, by his wars with England and the Netherlands, in which, for the most part, he had been unsuccessful. 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 presented 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.

66

"His revenues are mortgaged in such fort, as of "twenty-five millions, he has but five millions free;

his fhips are worn-out and confumed, 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 fhaken, and hath begun of late years to decline; and it is a prin

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ciple

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 follow"ing 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 66 upon any condition reasonable, so as he may fortify his "weakness, both in Europe and the Indies, and gather "again fufficient riches, putting the English from the "exercise of war in those parts, and fo make us to for"get his Indies, till those be confumed that 'know "them; he will foon grow to his former greatnefs 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

Sir Walter

M. A. Vol.

" (b)." -But no fuch confiderations as thefe 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 shall now understand (fays lord Cecyll to Mr. political, Winwood, in a letter dated Ap. 12, 1604.)" that the commercial, and philofo"constable of Caftile is come to Dunkirk, and refolvphical, by "ed presently to take his paffage; 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 go through with it; being now it feeins confirmed "in the French pofition, qui a le profit a l'honneur. A "matter I do confefs to you I do clearly forefee he will

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(c) Win

wood, Vol.

II. p. 18.

portunity given them of retrieving their al

moft

"have, unless the eftates of those poor countries [the "Netherlands] have fome more adjuvances towards "their fubfifting (c)."The treaty was foon concluded, of friendship 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 East and West Indies (e) ; and got it inferted in the articles that no aid or affiftance whatsoever should 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 (ƒ). 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 viscount Cranborne, principal fecretary to his majefty, 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 itself, how it was pos"fible with fo advantageous conditions to them, and so <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 counsellors of England "had not their fenfes when in fuch fort they agreed "upon it. And fome Spaniards have lately reported, "that the king of Spain's money purchased this quiet; "otherwise peace, with fo good conditions could never "have been obtained. I know that befides your lord66 fhip's

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