CHAP. laft finished in Germany; and by the treaty of WestLXII. phalia, were compofed thofe fatal quarrels, which had been excited by the Palatine's precipitate acceptance of 1655, the crown of Bohemia. The young Palatine was reftored to part of his dignities and of his dominions P. The rights, privileges, and authority of the feveral members of the Germanic body were fixed and ascertained: Sovereign princes and free ftates were in fome degree reduced to obedience under laws: And by the valour of the heroic Guftavus, the enterprizes of the active Richelieu, the intrigues of the artful Mazarine, was in part effected, after an infinite expence of blood and treasure, what had been fondly expected and loudly demanded from the feeble efforts of the pacific James, feconded by the fcanty supplies of his jealous parliaments. SWEDEN, which had acquired by conquest large domis nions in the north of Germany, was engaged in enterprizes, which promised her, from her fuccefs and valour, ftill more extenfive acquifitions on the fide both of Poland and of Denmark. Charles the tenth, who had mounted the throne of that kingdom after the voluntary refignation of Chriftina, being ftimulated by the fame of the great Guftavus as well as by his own martial difpofition, carried his conquering arms to the fouth of the Baltic, and gained the celebrated victory of Warfaw, which had been obftinately difputed during the space of three days. The Protector, at the time his alliance was courted by every power in Europe, anxiously courted the alliance of Sweden; and he was fond of forming a confederacy with a proteftant power of such renown, even though it threatened the whole north with conqueft and fubjection. THE tranfactions of the parliament and Protector with France had been various and complicated: The emiffaries of Richelieu had furnished fuel to the flame of rebellion, when it first broke out in Scotland; but after the conflagration had diffused itself, the French court, observing the materials to be of themselves fufficiently combuftible, found it unneceffary any longer to anime the British • In 1648. P This prince, during the civil wars, had much neglected his uncle and paid court to the parlia ment: He accepted of a penfion of 8oool. a year from them, and took a place in their affembly of divines. LXII. British malcontents to an oppofition of their Sovereign. On CHA P. the contrary, they offered their mediation for compofing thefe inteftine diforders; and their ambaffadors, from decency, pretended to act in concert with the court of 1650. England, and to receive directions from a prince with whom their mafter was connected by fo near an affinity. Meanwhile, Richelieu died, and foon after him, the French king, Louis the thirteenth; leaving his fon an infant four years old, and his widow, Anne of Auftria, regent of the kingdom. Cardinal Mazarine fucceeded Richelieu in the miniftry; and the fame general plan of policy, tho' by men of fuch oppofite characters, was ftill continued in the French councils. The eftablishment of royal authority, the reduction of the Auftrian family, were pursued with ardour and fuccefs; and every year brought an acceffion of force and grandeur to the French monarchy. Not only battles were gained, towns and fortreffes taken; the genius too of the nation feemed gradually to improve, and to compose itself to the spirit of dutiful obedience and of steady enterprize. A Condé, a Turenne were formed; and the troops animated by their valour, and guided by their discipline, acquired every day a greater afcendant over the Spaniards. All of a fudden, from fome intrigues of the court, and some discontents in the courts of judicature, inteftine commotions were excited, and every thing relapfed into confufion. But these rebellions of the French, neither enobled by the fpirit of liberty, nor difgraced by the fanatical extravagances, which diftinguished the British civil wars, wereconducted with little bloodfhed, and made but fmall impreffion on the minds of the people. Tho' feconded by the force of Spain, and conducted by the prince of Condé, the malcontents, in a little time, were either expelled or fubdued; and the French monarchy, having loft a few of its conquefts, returned again, with fresh vigour, to the acquifition of new dominion. THE queen of England and her fon, Charles, during thefe commotions, paffed most of their time at Paris; and notwithstanding their near connexion of blood, receiv ed but few civilities, and ftill lefs fupport, from the French court. Had the queen regent been ever so much inclined to afflift the English prince, the diforders of her own affairs, for a long time, would have rendered fuch. intentions abfolutely impracticable. The banished queen LXII. CHAP. had a moderate penfion affigned her; but it was ill paid, and her credit ran fo low, that, one morning, when the cardinal de Retz waited on her, the informed him, that 1655 her daughter the princefs Henrietta, was obliged to lie a-bed, for want of a fire to warm her. To fuch a condition was reduced, in the midft of Paris, a queen of England, and daughter of Henry the fourth of France ! THE English parliament, however, having affumed the fovereignty of the ftate, refented the countenance, cold as it was, which the French court gave the unfortunate monarch. On pretence of injuries, of which the English merchants complained, they iffued letters of reprifal upon the French; and Blake went fo far as to attack and feize a whole fquadron of fhips, which were carrying fupplies to Dunkirk, then closely befieged by the Spaniards. That town, difappointed of thefe fupplies, fell into the enemies' hands. The French ministers soon found it requifite to change their measures. They treated Charles with fuch affected indifference, that he thought it more decent to withdraw, and prevent the indignity of being defired to leave the kingdom. He went first to Spa, thence he retired to Cologne; where he lived two years, on a small penfion, about 6000 pounds a year, paid him by the court of France, and on fome contributions fent him by his friends in England. In the management of his family, he discovered a difpofition to order and œconomy; and his temper, cheerful, careless, and fociable, was more than a fufficient compenfation for that empire, of which his enemies had bereaved him. Sir Edward Hyde, created lord-chancellor, and the marquis of Ormond, were his chief friends and confidents. If the French miniftry had thought it prudent to bend under the English parliament, they deemed it still more neceffary to pay deference to the Protector, when he affumed the reins of government. Cardinal Mazarine, by whom all the councils of France were directed, was artful and vigilant, fupple and patient, false and intriguing defirous rather to prevail by dexterity than violence, and placing his honour more in the final fuccefs of his meafures than in the splendor and magnanimity of the means, which he employed. Cromwel, by his imperious character, rather than by the advantage of his fituation, acquired an afcendant over this man; and every proposal made by the Protector, however unreasonable in itself, and urged with whatever infolence, met with a ready com pliance pliance from the politic and timid cardinal. Bourdeaux CHA P. was fent over to England as minifter; and all circum. LXII. ftances of refpe&t were paid to the daring ufurper, who had imbrued his hands in the blood of his fovereign, a 1655. prince fo nearly related to the crown of France. With indefatigable patience did Bourdeaux conduct this negociation, which Cromwel feemed entirely to neglect; and tho' privateers with English commiffions committed daily depredations on the French commerce, Mazarine was contented, in hopes of a fortunate iffue, ftill to submit to these indignities ". THE Court of Spain, less connected with the unfortunate royal family, and reduced to greater diftress than the French monarchy, had been ftill more forward in their advances to the profperous parliament and Protector. Don Alonzo de Cardenas, the Spanish envoy, was the first public minifter, who recognized the authority of the new republic; and in return of this civility, Afchain was fent envoy into Spain by the parliament. No fooner had this minifter arrived in Madrid, than fome of the banished royalifts, inflamed by that inveterate hatred, which animated the English factions, broke into his chamber, and murdered him together with his fecretary. Immediately, they took fanctuary in the churches; and affifted by the general favour, which every where attended. the royal caufe, were enabled, most of them, to make their efcape. Only one of the criminals fuffered death; and the parliament feemed to reft contented with this atonement. SPAIN, at this time, affailed every where by vigorous enemies from without, and labouring under many internal disorders, retained nothing of her former grandeur, except the haughty pride of her counfels, and the hatred and jealousy of her neighbours. Portugal had revolted, and established its monarchy in the houie of Braganza : Catalonia, complaining of violated privileges, had delivered itself over to France: Naples was fhaken with popular convulfions: The Low Countries were invaded with fuperior forces, and feemed ready to change their master: P Thurloe, vol. iii. p. 103, 619, 653. In the treaty, which was figned after long negociation, the Protector's name was inferted before the king's in that copy which remained in England. Thurloe, vol. vi. p 116. See farther, vol. vii. p. 178. CHAP. master: The Spanish infantry, antiently fo formidable, LXII. had been annihilated by Condé in the fields of Rocroy: And tho' the fame prince, banished France, fuftained by 1655. his activity and valour, the falling fortunes of Spain, he could only hope to protract, not prevent, the ruin, with which that monarchy was visibly threatened. War with HAD Cromwel understood and regarded the interefts of his country, he would have supported the declining condition of Spain against the dangerous ambition of France, and preferved that balance of power, on which the greatnefs and security of England fo much depend. Had he ftudied only his own interefts, he would have maintained an exact neutrality between thofe two great monarchies; nor would he have hazarded his ill-acquired and unfettled power, by provoking foreign enemies, who might lend affiftance to domeftic faction, and overturn his tottering throne. But his magnanimity undervalued danger: His active difpofition and avidity of extenfive glory, made him incapable of repofe: And as the policy of men is continually warped by their temper, no fooner was peace made with Holland, than he began to deliberate what new enemy he should invade with his victorious arms. THE extenfive dominion and yet extreme weakness of Spain in the Weft Indies; the vigorous courage and great naval power of England; were circumstances, which, when compared, excited the ambition of the enterprizing Protector, and made him hope, that he might, by fome gainful conqueft, render for ever illuftrious that dominion, which he had affumed over his country. Should he fail of thefe durable acquifitions, the Indian treafures, which must every year cross the ocean to reach Spain, were, he thought, a fure prey to the English navy, and would fupport his military force, without his laying new burthens on the difcontented people. From France a vigorous refiftance must be expected: No plunder, no conquefts could be hoped for: The progress of his arms, even if attended with fuccefs, muft there be flow and gradual: And the advantages acquired, however real, would be lefs ftriking to the ignorant multitude, whom it was his intereft to allure. The royal family, fo clofely connected with the French monarch, might receive great affitance from that neighbouring kingdom; an army of French |