XXXVIII. tlemen, and some other perfons, were brought to CHAP. their trial for intending to withdraw into France, with a view of foliciting fuccours from the duke of 1561. Guife, of returning thence into Wales, and of proclaiming Mary queen of England, and Arthur Pole duke of Clarence. They confeffed the indictment, but afferted, that they never meant to execute these projects during the queen's life-time: They had Only deemed fuch precautions requifite in cafe of her demife, which fome pretenders to judicial aftrology had affured them they might with certainty look for before the year expired. They were condemned by the jury; but received a pardon from the queen's clemency". b Strype, vol. i. p. 333. Heylin, p. 154. CHAP. 1562. State of CHAP. XXXIX. State of Europe Civil wars of France A FTER the commencement of the religious wars in France, which rendered that flourishing kingdom, during the courfe of near forty years, a fcene of horror and devaftation, the great rival powers in Europe were Spain and England; and it was not long before an animofity, firft political, then perfonal, broke out between the fovereigns of these countries. PHILIP II. of Spain, though he reached not any enlarged views of policy, was endowed with great industry and fagacity, a remarkable caution in his enterprises, an unufual forefight in all his meafures; and as he was ever cool and feemingly unmoved by paffion, and poffeffed neither talents nor inclination for war, both his fubjects and his neighbours had reafon to expect juftice, happiness, and tranquillity, from his administration. But prejudices had on him as pernicious effects as ever paffion had on any other monarch; and the fpirit of bigotry and ty XXXIX. ranny by which he was actuated, with the fraudulent CHA P. AFTER Philip had concluded peace at CateauCambrefis, and had remained fome time in the Netherlands, in order to fettle the affairs of that country, he embarked for Spain; and as the gravity of that nation, with their refpectful obedience to their prince, had appeared more agreeable to his humour than the homely familiar manners and the pertinacious liberty of the Flemings, it was expected that he would, for the future, refide altogether at Madrid, and would govern all his extenfive dominions by Spanish minifters and Spanish counfels. Having met with a violent tempeft on his voyage, he no fooner arrived in harbour than he fell on his knees; and, after giving thanks for his deliverance, he vowed that his life, which was thus providentially faved, should thenceforth be entirely devoted to the extirpation of herefy. His fubfequent conduct correfponded to thefe profeffions. Finding that the new doctrines had penetrated into Spain, he let loofe the rage of perfecution againft all who profeffed them, or were fufpected of adhering to them; and by his violence he gave new edge, even to the ufual cruelty of priests and inquifitors. He threw into prifon Conftantine Ponce, who had been confeffor to his father, the emperor Charles; who had attended him during his retreat; and in whose arms that great monarch had terminated his life: And after this ecclefiaftic died in confinement, he ftill ordered him to be tried and condemned for herefy, and his ftatue to be committed to the flames. He even deliberated whether he should not exercife like feverity against the memory of his father, who was fuf VOL. V. Thuanus, lib. xxiii. cap. 14. pected, 1562. XXXIX. CHAP. pected, during his later years, to have indulged a propensity towards the Lutheran principles: In his 1562. unrelenting zeal for orthodoxy, he fpared neither age, fex, nor condition: He was prefent, with an inflexible countenance, at the most barbarous executions: He iffued rigorous orders for the profecution of heretics in Spain, Italy, the Indies, and the Low Countries: And, having founded his determined tyranny on maxims of civil policy, as well as on principles of religion, he made it apparent to all his fubjects, that there was no method, except the most entire compliance, or moft obftinate refiftance, to escape or elude the severity of his vengeance. DURING that extreme animofity which prevailed between the adherents of the opposite religions, the civil magiftrate, who found it difficult, if not impoffible, for the fame laws to govern such enraged adverfaries, was naturally led, by fpecious rules of prudence, in embracing one party, to declare war against the other, and to exterminate, by fire and fword, those bigots, who, from abhorrence of his religion, had proceeded to an oppofition of his power, and to a hatred of his perfon. If any prince poffeffed fuch enlarged views as to forefee that a mutual toleration would in time abate the fury of religious prejudices, he yet met with difficulties in reducing this principle to practice; and might deem the malady too violent to await a remedy which, though certain, must neceffarily be flow in its operation. But Philip, though a profound hypocrite, and extremely governed by felf-intereft, feems alfo to have been himself actuated by an imperious bigotry; and, as he employed great reflection in all his conduct, he could eafily palliate the gratification of his natural temper under the colour of wisdom, and find, in this fyftem, no lefs advantage to his foreign than his domeftic politics. By placing himfelf at the head of the catholic party, he converted the XXXIX. the zealots of the ancient faith into partifans of CHAP. Spanish greatnefs; and by employing the powerful allurement of religion, he feduced every where the 1562. fubjects from that allegiance which they owed to their native fovereign. THE Course of events, guiding and concurring with choice, had placed Elizabeth in a fituation diametrically oppofite; and had raised her to be the glory, the bulwark, and the fupport of the numerous, though ftill perfecuted, proteftants throughout Europe. More moderate in her temper than Philip, the found, with pleasure, that the principles of her feet required not fuch extreme feverity in her domeftic government as was exercised by that monarch; and having no object but felf-prefervation, fhe united her interefts in all foreign negotiations with those who were every where ftruggling under oppreffion, and guarding themselves against ruin and extermination. The more virtuous fovereign was thus happily thrown into the more favourable cause; and fortune, in this inftance, concurred with policy and nature. DURING the life-time of Henry II. of France, and of his fucceffor, the force of these principles was fomewhat reftrained, though not altogether overcome, by motives of a fuperior intereft; and the dread of uniting England with the French monarchy, engaged Philip to maintain a good correfpondence with Elizabeth. Yet even during this period he rejected the garter which the fent him; he refused to ratify the ancient league between the houfe of Burgundy and England; he furnished fhips to transport French forces into Scotland; he endeavoured to intercept the earl of Arran, who was haftening to join the malcontents in that country; and the queen's wifeft minifters ftill regarded Digges's Complete Ainbaffador, p. 369. Haynes, p. 585. Strype, vol. iv. No. 246. |