صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

But it is time to pass from the private to the public character of Charles. Abroad he made little figure; his wars being ill conducted, and unfuccefsful: witnefs the war with Spain (EE), which he found himself

engaged

• look graciously on the ingenious pupils of art. Or · were it the custom of their prime minifters to have any fuch regard, it would of itself be fufficient to change the face of affairs. A fmall degree of favour would • infure the fortunes of a diftreffed and ruinous tribe, • whose forlorn condition has helped to draw difgrace upon arts and sciences, and kept them far off from that politeness and beauty, in which they would foon ' appear (o).'

(0) Charac teristicks, vol. i. p.

(EE) Witness the war with Spain, &c.] Charles, by attefting the narrative of the duke of Buckingham, 193. concerning the Spaniards behaviour in the match with the Infanta, and the reftitution of the Palatinate, was the occafion of the parliament's defire that the treaties fhould be broken off, and arms made use of to recover the patrimony of the king of Bohemia. King James, against his inclinations, feemed to comply with the voice of his people, declared by their representatives; and preparations were made for war. In the mean while James died; and Charles, intent on carrying on what by Buckingham's inftigation he had began, quickly affembled a parliament; in which, at the opening of it, he was pleased to say, My lords and gentlemen, I hope you remember you were pleased to employ me to advise my father to break off thofe two treaties that were on foot; fo that I cannot fay I came hither a free unengaged man. It's true, I came into this business willingly and freely, like a young man, and confequently rafhly; but it was by your intereft, your engagement; fo that though it were done like a young man, yet I cannot repent me of it, and I think none can blame me for it, knowing the love and fidelity you have borne to your king, having myself likewife fome little expeK

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

⚫rience

(p) Frank

land's an

nals, p. 109.

(9) See Sidney's state

papers, vol.

ii. p. 360, 363.

engaged in on his acceffion to the throne, March

⚫rience of your affections. I pray you remember that this being my first action, and begun by your advice and intreaty, what a great difhonour it were to you, and me, if this action, fo begun, fhould fail for that 'affiftance you are able to give me. Yet knowing the

[ocr errors]

conftancy of your love, both to me and this bufinefs, I 'needed not to have faid this, but only to fhew what 6 care and sense I have of your honours and my own.• Wherefore I hope you will take fuch grave counsel, as you will expedite what you have in hand to do: which will do me and yourfelves an infinite deal of honour; you, in fhewing your love to me; and me, that I may perfect that work which my father hath fo happily begun (p).' After this the lord-keeper Williams, by his majefty's order, told them, that the king's main reafon of calling this parliament, was to mind them of the great engagements for the recovery of the Palatinate, and to let them understand that the fubfidies granted in the laft parliament were already spent, toge⚫ther with as much of the king's own revenue."- -It must be confeffed this address of Charles was very proper, and calculated to make the parliament readily and powerfully fupport him. But however it was, two fubfidies only were granted; nor could the king, either at London, or Oxford, (where the parliament, on account of the plague, was ordered to be affembled after its adjournment) obtain more. The commons had their grievances; and their touching on them was unacceptable to the court, especially as Buckingham began to be feverely inveighed againft; and rather than be forced to redress them, his majesty chose to diffolve the parliament,`thơ' money was never more wanted by a king for his own private ufe, and to carry on the war (q).

But notwithstanding the diffolution of the parliament, Charles having raifed money by way of loan, though contrary to law, determined to carry on the war against Spain. To this end, a fleet was fitted out for an expedition against that kingdom. The command thereof, ' instead

I

March 26, 1625: a war which began with

[ocr errors]

fitting

inftead of being beftowed on fir Robert Manfel, an old ⚫ and experienced feaman, and vice-admiral of England, 6 was given to fir Edward Cecil, a foldier trained in the 'Low-country wars, who, for the honour of the enterprize, was created viscount Wimbledon; and agreeable to the choice of the general was the fuccefs of this ex6 pedition. His fleet confifted of eighty fail, of which ' number fome were fhips of the States General; and 'the earls of Effex and Denbigh were his vice and rear ⚫ admirals; with which fetting fail from Plymouth, when • he was got fome few leagues at fea, he was encoun⚫tered with a violent ftorm, which difperfed the fleet, fa that they were many days before they got together at ⚫ their appointed rendezvous off cape St. Vincent. From thence proceeding to the bay of Cadiz, they found there, near the Puntal, fourteen great fhips, and twelve gallies, which, through neglect and mifmanagement, they suffered to escape; for though the earl of Effex, pursuant to the general's orders, did very refolutely and bravely attack them, yet the reft of the fleet not coming up timely to his affiftance, the Spanish fhips, ' after having given the earl a warm falute or two, retired over to Port Real: to which place it was not thought fit to follow them, whether through the ignorance of the pilots, or unfkilfulness of the general, is hard to determine. So that failing in this enterprize, they attacked the caftle of Puntal, and, with the lofs of 6 a great many men, made a shift to atchieve the reduction of that place: after which, having made fome ineffectual efforts againft the town of Cadiz, the troops were reimbarked, and the fleet fet fail for cape St.Vincent, to cruife in the offing of that place for the Flota from America, where having waited for fome time in vain, the men began to grow very fickly; when, to ⚫ complete the mifcarriages of this expedition, the fick · men were distributed through the whole fleet, two to each fhip, by which means the fick nefs was increased to fuch a degree, that there were fcarce hands enough

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

K 2

• left

fol. Lond.

fitting out a confiderable fleet, under an un

'

experienced

left to carry the fleet home, which, in the month of (r) Burchet's December, returned ingloriously to England (r).'naval hifto- This was the only expedition against Spain, this the fruit ry, P. 370, of it! which, we may be fure, tended not greatly to the 1720. See reputation of the British arms, or the honour of the Britifh monarch. However, this difhonourable expedition Regia, p. to Cadiz did not fit eafy on Charles. He teftified his Lond. And refentment of Wimbledon's conduct, by calling him to an Howel's let- account before his council, and afterwards forbidding ters, p. 168. him his prefence. Wimbledon, however, ftood ftoutly in

alfo Acta

555, fol.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

his own juftification, and laid the blame on fir Michael Geree and the earl of Effex, who, fays he, let pafs the king of Spain's fhips that offered him fight, which ⚫ would have been the chief fervice, having inftructions not to let any flie, or break out, without fighting with them.' After this, in a letter to Buckingham, he adds, I hold myself clear of all imputations, in defpight of all malice and practice that hath been against me, to obfcure all my endeavours, which my adverfaries in their confciences can beft witness, that when they flept, 'I waked; when they made good chear, I fafted; and when they rested, I toyled. And befides, when they ⚫ went about to hinder the journey at Plimouth, by railing at the beggarliness of it, and difcrediting of it, I was 6 content to take it upon me, though against my judgment, as I did fecretly deliver both to his majesty and C your grace, before I departed from the coaft: nomi6 nating in my letter to his majefty all the inconveniences that did after happen unto the fleet; for had it not been ' in obedience to his majesty, and my good affection to your excellency (that I did fee fo much affect it, and was fo far engaged), I would rather have been torne in pieces, than to have gone with fo many ignorant and malicious people, that did fhew fo little affection or < courage to his majeftie's fervice, or any affection at all to your excellency. Yet for all this, all hath been laid upon me, having had rather hard courses taken against < me, than any way maintained in my commiffion which

[ocr errors]

<

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

" was

experienced fea-commander, the viscount

Wim

was given me, which no ftate, that I ever heard of, did before. I pray God, his majeftie's future fervice do not fuffer for it; for where his majeftie's officers are not obeyed, he can never be ferved (s).'-I fuppose (5) Cabala, Wimbledon was not believed; for after this he was not P. 405. employed, though he had been a creature of Bucking

bam's.

() See Na

ni's history of Venice,

p.

About this time likewife Charles fent the duke of Buckingham and the earl of Holland ambaffadors to the United Provinces, where they met thofe of France, Holland, and Denmark, and concluded a league against the Emperor and the king of Spain, for the reftoring the Palatinate and the liberties of Germany. Whereupon the king of Denmark took up arms, and was affifted by fix thousand men from England, under the command of fir Charles Morgan. But he was foon defeated by Tilly the Imperal general, and forced to make peace with the Emperor; by which means the hope of reftoring that country was loft, and Charles was moreover reflected on for not giving the affiftance he had promised (t). After these ill fucceffes, arms were no more recurred to against the Emperor or Spain; but a peace was concluded with the latter, and proclaimed at London, November 27, 1631. Whoever calls to mind the zeal the parliament in James's time expressed for a rupture with Spain, and the 555recovery of the Palatinate by force of arms, may well enough wonder at the small supplies given by Charles's parliament for thefe ends. Lord Clarendon reflects on this parliament for refufing to fupply the king, according to his defire, out of hatred to Buckingham, whom they • called the corrupter of the king, and betrayer of the liberties of the people, without, fays he, imputing the leaft crime to him, to have been committed fince the ⚫ time of that exalted adulation [when he returned with the prince from Spain, and was called our faviour], or ❝ that was not then as much known to them as it could

255, fol. Lond. 1673 and Acta

Regia, p.

be now (u). But in answer hereunto, lord Bolingbroke (4) Clarenremarks, that the parliaments, which met after the don, vol. i。.

K 3

• accef

P. 26

« السابقةمتابعة »