A. C. 1618. ftill he was at a great diftance from the accomplish ment of his wish. The fucceffion of Cleves, which was the first motive of Philip's diffimulation, was now fettled; but the affairs of Germany took fuch a turn as was likely to produce a war of religion; and therefore the houfe of Auftria continued to amufe James with the marriage, left he fhould espouse the cause of the proteftants in Bohemia.

The states of Bohemia

the empe

ror.

The emperor Matthias having adopted his nerebel against phew Ferdinand of Auftria, refolved to raise him to the throne of Bohemia. But as he expected oppofition from the proteftant incorporated countries of Silefia, Moravia, and Lufatia, he forbore fummoning their deputies, when he convoked the ftates of Bohemia; and Ferdinand was crowned at Prague by the catholic intereft. The ftates including the proteftant deputies, were afterwards convoked by the defenders, a certain number of perfons chofen and appointed to enforce the execution of edicts; and this affembly having prefented a petition to the emperor, demanding the exe/ cution of the laws of the kingdom, and a reparation for the injuries they had fuftained, adjourned itfelf to another day. The emperor, instead of anfwering their petition, ordered his lieutenant in Bohemia to prevent the next meeting of the states, which had been convoked without his permiffion : but the deputies, inftead of obeying his command, repaired to the chancery, threw three of the em peror's officers out of the window, and expelled the jefuits from the city. Then they published an apology for their conduct; and engaged in an af fociation for their mutual defence. Upon advice of the emperor's preparing to attack them, they chofe four and twenty protectors, whom they impowered to levy troops, and impofe taxes for the maintenance of the war. The cardinal infant prepared an army in the Low-Countries for the service

of

of the emperor, who bestowed the command of it A. C. 1618. upon Charles de Bucquoy count de Longueville, while the states pitched upon the counts de Manffeldt and De la Tour for their generals. On this eve of a bloody war, no wonder that the king of Spain was interested in behalf of the younger branch of the house of Auftria, and used all his Hift de la artifice in diffuading the king of England from de- de Boheme. claring in favour of the German proteftants. Count Gondemar fet out for Spain, with the articles figned by James; and, though he loitered fo much time in his voyage, as plainly demonstrated, that his defign was to protract the negotiation, the king still continued to believe in his fincerity.

Rebellion

The Bobe

elector pa

In the month of March the queen died, in the A. C. 1619. forty-fixth year of her age; and James himself was mians chufe feized with a dangerous malady that brought him Frederick to the brink of the grave. The emperor Matthias latine their dying about the fame time, his nephew Ferdinand king. caufed himself to be proclaimed king of Bohemia; but as he had no occafion for the intereft of the proteftant electors to raise him to the imperial throne, he expreffed a defire of terminating the war which had already begun, by offering fatisfaction to the ftates of Bohemia, with regard to their privileges. James, who piqued himfelf upon the title of the Pacific king, fent the lord Hay, lately created vifcount Doncaster, to mediate a pacification in the empire but Ferdinand would fcarce favour him with an audience; and the embaffy produced no effect. The elector of Mentz fummoning Ferdinand as king of Bohemia, to the election of an emperor, the states of that kingdom protested against the citation, as Ferdinand was not in poffeffion of the throne. But, notwithstanding their oppofition, he was acknowledged king of Bohemia at the diet; and elected emperor in the month of Auguft. Then N° 62.

F

the

A C. 1619. the ftates took an oath that they would never own him as their fovereign; and chofe Frederick elector palatine their king. That prince accepted their offer without hesitation; difpatched the baron D'Aulna to folicit the advice of his father-in-law the king of England. But this was no more than a fimple compliment; for, without waiting his anfwer, he affembled a body of troops; and repairing to Prague, was there crowned on the fourth day of November..

James dif avows the

conduct of his fen in

law.

Before the arrival of Frederick's envoy, James hearing of his election, affembled his council to deliberate upon the fubject; and they were of opinion, that the king should exhort his fon-in-law to refuse the crown of Bohemia. They were influenced by the fentiments of the king, who confidered the conduct of the ftates as rebellious and puritanical; and dreaded that Frederick's oppofition to the house of Austria might prejudice the darling match of his fon, and the projected alliance between the kings of England and Spain. James was fo incensed against the elector, when he heard he had accepted the crown, that he refused to grant an audience to his envoy: by his ambaffadors in foreign courts, he difavowed the step which his fonin-law had taken, and even refufed to honour him with the kingly title. He attempted to perfuade him to renounce the crown, and influence the ftates of Bohemia to acknowledge Ferdinand. With this view he fent two ambaffadors to Prague; but his admonitions were of no fignification. Mean while the court of Madrid did not fail to encourage James in his pacific difpofition. There the whole converfation turned upon the justice, generofity, and moderation of the English monarch. The negotiation for the marriage, which had been interrupted on account of the pope's hefitating to

grant

grant a difpenfation, was now refumed; and Cot- A. C. 1619. tington was given to understand, that fhould it be much longer delayed, they would either conclude the marriage without it, or fall upon means to extort the pope's compliance. That minifter did not fall into the fnare. Being well acquainted with the views and fentiments of Philip, he exhorted his majefty to break off the negotiation, affuring him the defign of the court of Spain was to amufe him with vain pretences. James was of another opinion: he ordered Cottington to declare to the king of Spain, that he had no fhare in the affair of Bohe mia; that the elector had acted without his knowledge; and that he difapproved of his conduct in accepting the crown.

Gondemar

While Ferdinand and Frederick were employed A. C. 1620. in forming alliances, and making preparations for Great inwar, James adhered to a neutrality, not without fluence of hope of being chofen arbitrator of the difference; at the Engbut, both parties fufpected him of partiality, and lifh court, refolved to decide the quarrel by force of arms. Frederick's affairs at firft wore a promifing afpect. Annals of Several princes of Germany engaged in a league K. James I, for his fupport; Bethlem Gabor prince of Tranfylvania excited the Hungarians to revolt against Ferdinand; and the greatest part of Austria had followed their example. The elector of Saxony had embraced a neutrality; but the emperor gained him over by ceding to him the conqueft of Upper Lufatia. The duke of Bavaria, and the three ecclefiaftic electors declared for Ferdinand; the pope supplied him with a fum of money, and the king of Spain fent to his affiftance those troops which were in Naples and the dutchy of Milan. Gondemar was fent back to London, on pretence of putting the laft hand to the marriage, though, in reality, to maintain the delufion. That artful minifter, by means of his infinuating manners, and a large

F 2

A. C. 1620. large fum of money judiciously diftributed, foon gained the afcendency over the king, the favourite, and the minifters; fo that, in effect, he governed the whole kingdom.

A fmall

lish troops

Frederick having marched into Bohemia with body of Eng- ten thousand of the Palatine troops, the archduke Albert levied an army of thirty thousand men in the fervice the Low-Countries, in order to attack the Palatitor Palatine, nate. The Dutch communicated the defign of

engage in

of the elec

this armament to the court of London; but James, instead of taking effectual methods for the prefervation of his daughter and her family, contented himself with ordering Edmonds his ambaffador at Bruffels, to demand the meaning of thefe levies. The archduke replied, that the troops were raised by the exprefs order of the Spanish king; and that perhaps he might learn their deftination from Spinola, who was appointed general of the expedition. This officer being interrogated on the fame fubject, pretended ignorance, alledging his orders were fealed, and that he could not open them until the troops should be upon the march; but, he told the ambaffador that if he would accompany him in his route, he might foon be informed. The defign was fo palpable, that the people of England began to exclaim against the king's indolence and infenfibility. Nevertheless, he ftill perfifted in his fcheme of neutrality; and the nation was certainly obliged to him for preventing their being involved in a war, which would have not only confumed their treasures, but alfo deprived them of an advantageous commerce with the Spaniards both in Europe and America. His forbearance, however, was owing to other reflections. By dint of folicitations, he was prevailed upon to allow one regiment of two thousand four hundred men, to be raised for the fervice of the elector Palatine. It was commanded by Horatio Vere, who had ferved with reputation