Page images
PDF
EPUB

who obferved his conduct; and that he was spoken of most contemptuously, even

[ocr errors]

by

tify the popish party in this kingdom with more than "ordinary favour. He knew no marriage could be "made without the pope's difpenfation, and that the "pope's difpenfation could not be obtained, without "indulging many graces to his catholic fubjects. To "fmooth his way therefore to the point defired, he ad"dreffed feveral letters to the pope and cardinals, in "which he gives him the title of most holy father; (g) (g) See a let "and employs Gage as his agent in the court of Rome, "to attend the bufinefs. At home he dischargeth all James, to "fuch priests and jefuits as had been formerly imprifon- Gregory "ed; inhibiting all proceffes, and fuperfeding all pro- this occafion XVth, on "ceedings against recufants; and in a word, fufpends p. 412. "the execution of fuch penal laws as were made against

❝ them.

"The people hereupon began to cry out generally of

ter in Caba

la, from

a toleration, and murmur in all places, as if he were "refolved to grant it." (b) See here fome of the ef- (b) Heylin's fects of this weak expedition. The fame prince who life of Laud, was for proving to the duke of Sully, that it was an of- P. 109, 111. fence against God, to give the title of holiness to any other than him, now very freely gives it to the pope : (i) and the man who had proclaimed aloud in his wri- (i) See note ting, that the pope was anti-chrift, now dignifies him [**] with the title of moft holy father. But James, I fancy, had forgot to blush, or he could hardly have thus publicly contradicted himself. However, fortune favoured prince Charles in freeing him from the dangers, into which this abfurd and romantic voyage brought him. He got through France, though pursued after; and by the honor and generofity of the Spaniards, was permitted to return safe into England, where, by the inftigation of Buckingham, he fet himself in an abrupt and ungracious manner to break off the treaty of marriage, and earnestly endeavoured to engage the nation in a war with Spain, in which he was fuccefsful. But 'tis very

obfervable,

(*) Oldcaftle's re

299.

by his best friends, Maurice prince of Orange, and Henry the Great of France, [oo) as

[ocr errors]

well

obfervable, "that the reafon given for breaking the match 66 was not the true one. The reftitution of the Palati"nate had been very coolly preised, not to fay neglect"ed, even whilft the prince was at Madrid; and yet "after he came from thence, the king of Spain had figned an act by which he engaged for this reftitution; fo that on the principles on which this negotiation had "been conducted, there feemed to have been no reason "for breaking it off, given by Spain at the time, when "it was broken." (k)-I will conclude this note by obferving, that I do not remember any one writer, who has thought this journey of prince Charles into Spain, prudent or justifiable, and consequently James could not but be blame-worthy for permitting it. For he ought not to have been overcome by the folicitations of his fon, much lefs by the rudeness and infolence of Buckingham. He fhould have adhered to what he could not but fee to be for the intereft of the State, and not have given it up to please fon or favourite. But he weakly gave way to them, and thereby exposed those moft dear to him to the greatest dangers, and involved himself in fuch difficulties as expofed him to the ridicule of foreigners, and the contempt and ill-will of his fubjects.

[ee] He was ridiculed abroad, and contemptuously fpoken of, by Maurice prince of Orange, and Henry the Great of France.] In Sir Walter Rawleigh's ghost, written in 1620, [not 1622, as in the printed copy,] we find him introduced ipeaking to Gondomar, a fryar and a jefuit, concerning the cruel representations that had been made of fome of our princes, fince the reformation, by the Spaniards in their pictures. And after having fpoken of their painting Henry VIII. naked, without a grave, as if a heretic were not worthy to be buried; of the picture of Elizabeth, who was used as

bad

well as by his fubjects, who could not with

out

bad by them for the fame reason, and because she was their mortal foe; after having spoken of these, he adds, "but to come to his majefty, (king James) what have 66 you done by him even of late days? in one place 66 you picture him with a scabbard without a fword; "in another, with a fword fo faft in his fcabbard, that "no body could draw it. In Brussels you made him "in his hofe doublet; his pockets hanging out, and 66 never a penny in his purse. In Antwerp you paint"ed the queen of Bohemia like an Irish Glibbin, her "hair difhevelled, a child at her back, and in a man"tle, with the king (her father) carrying the cradle ❝ for her." (a)—In the year 1609, was the truce (a) Sir Walconcluded between Spain and the United Provinces; un- ter Rawleigh's der the mediation of James and Henry the fourth of ghoft, in France. During the negotiations great complaints were Morgan's made of the partiality of James towards the Spaniards, by the French minifters to their mafter; how justly I 323, Lond. fhall not determine. But in answer to a letter from one 1732, 4to. of his ambaffadors, Henry writes, "that he knew and Wilfon, "James's ill intentions towards the States; and withal Oidys, p. "tells him, his carriage did not break his fleep; end-111. "ing his letter with this word of contempt, rarely "used among princes of that rank, I know his capacity "and the inclinations of his fubjects." (b) And the (6) Comfame Henry, when one called " James a fecond Solomon, pleat hift. Vol. II. p. "replied, that he hoped he was not David the fidler's 683, in the «fon." (c)Nor had Maurice prince of Orange any notes. better opinion of him, than the most chriftian king, as (c) Ofborn, will appear from the following curious relation.

Sir Ralph Winwood being prefent in the council of State, where the fincerity of the courts of Madrid and Bruffels in the treaty [for the truce] was queftioned by the prince, told his highness, that, notwithstanding he thought it the intereft of the republic to go on with it, because if the archdukes fhould at last refuse to comprehend the king of Spain, as well as themselves, an eter

nal

Phoenix Bri tannicus. P.

P 192.

P.511. fee note [A]

(d) Birch's View of the negotia

out indignation behold the empty, infignifi

cant

nal dishonor would light upon them, and the two kings of England and France would have more reason to assist the States. The prince took him up brifkly with these words, we will not go plead a process before the king's: and le Roi voftre maitre n'ofe pas parler au Roi d'Efpagne, (and the king your mafter dares not fpeak to the king of Spain.) Sir Ralph answered,

[ocr errors]

Monfieur, vous avez tort: le Roi mon maitre a & refolution de fe reffentir, & puiffance de fe revencher du Roi & prince qui fe foit. (Sir, you are mistaken. The king, my master, hath both spirit to resent an injury, and power to avenge himself on any king, or prince that shall offer it.) The prince replied,

Comment s'eft-il reffenti de la trahifon du poudre? (How did he refent the gun-powder plot ?) Sir Ralph rejoined,

Comment fcavez-vous, qui le roi d'Espagne s'y foit melé? (How do you know that the king of Spain had any hand in that affair.) Owen en à été. (Owen, had) faid the prince,

Lequel on a demandé; & le Comte de Tyrone eft foutenu par le roi d'Efpagne. (Whom they have in vain required the king of Spain to deliver up; and the earl of Tyrone 'tis notorious is fupported by him.) Sir Ralph replied,

Quant à Owen, ce n'eft pas a vous, a qui le roi mon maistre en rendra conte: & pour Tyrone, tout le monde fcait qu'il eft à Rome, & non pas en Espagne. (As for Owen, his majesty is not accountable to you for his behaviour in regard of him; and for Tyrone, all the world knows he is at Rome and not in Spain.)

(d) Owen here fpoken of by the prince, had been detions, &c. manded of the archdukes and the king of Spain, to be de

P. 286.

4

livered

cant figure the nation was reduced to by his manage

[ocr errors]

Birch's

livered up by Sir Thomas Edmondes, being charged with being privy to the gun-powder plot; and Tyrone who had fed out of Ireland, upon account of his attempting a rebellion, had been asked of them likewise, but both unfuccefsfully. Indeed they were both careffed by the Spaniards; and Tyrone in particular, tho' he refided at Rome, as Winwood said, had a penfion of fix hundred crowns á month from the king of Spain, and therefore the intereft of James was juftly deemed infignificant at the Spanish court, by prince Maurice. (e) (e) See 'Tis true, upon complaint of the English court, prince negotia Maurice, in a very respectful letter, endeavoured to mol- tions, p. lify James's anger; and afterwards in a fecond letter he 249, 275. acknowledged his offence, and cleared himself in the best manner he could, from any malicious intention to impeach his majesty's service, or asperse his character. But 'tis eafy enough to fee that his apologies arofe from the fituation of his affairs, and that what in warmth he had spoken, he indeed thought.-Let us then conclude, that James's best friends, as I obferved in the text, fpoke most contemptuoufly of him; for fuch Henry and Maurice were.-If we would know further in what efteem James was with his neighbours, the following epigram made in France will, in fome meafure, perhaps fatisfy us.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »