into execution by the duke d'Espernon, whose power had first exalted her to the regency. The court, for a time, talked loudly of violent measures: but it was judged proper, in 1619, to conclude a treaty advantageous to the malecontents, and avoid proceeding to extremities. This lenity encouraged the queen-mother to enter into fresh cabals; and a new treaty was agreed to by the court, no less indulgent than the former18. These cabals in opposition to the court were chiefly conducted by Richelieu, bishop of Luçon. He had risen to notice through the influence of Galligai; he had been disgraced with Mary of Medicis, the queen-mother, and with her he returned into favour, as well as consequence. At her solicitation, he obtained a cardinal's hat, a seat in the council, and soon after a share in the administration'. But hypocrisy was necessary to conceal, for a season, from envy and jealousy, those transcendant abilities which were one day to astonish Europe. In the mean time a new civil war was kindled, more violent than any of the former. Lewis XIII. having united by a solemn edict, the principality of Bearn, the hereditary estate of the family, to the crown of France, in 1620, attempted to re-establish the Catholic religion in that province, where there were no Catholics20, and to restore to the clergy the church lands, contrary to the stipulations of Henry IV. The Hugonots, alarmed at the impending danger, assembled at Rochelle, in contempt of the king's prohibition ; and concluding, that their final destruction was resolved upon, they determined to throw off the royal authority, and establish a republic, after the example of the Protestants in the Low Countries, for the protection of their civil and religious liberties. Rochelle was to be the capital of the new commonwealth, which would have formed a separate state within the kingdom of France". 18. Mezeray, ubi sup. J. du Card. Rich, Fie du Duc d'Espernon. 19 Auberi,id. 21. Id. ib. The The constable Luines, equally ignorant and presumptuous, imagining he could subdue this formidable party, had immediately recourse to arms. Nor was intrigue neglected. After seducing by bribes and promises, several of the Protestant leaders, among whom was the duke of Bouillon, and reducing some inconsiderable places, the king and Luines laid siege to Montauban in 1621. The royal army consisted of twenty-five thousand men, animated by the presence of their sovereign; but the place was so gallantly defended by the marquis de la Force, that Lewis and his favourite, in spite of their most vigorous efforts, were obliged to abandon their enterprize. Luines died soon after this shameful expedition; and the brave and ambitious Lesdiguieres, who had already deserted the Hugonots, on solemnly renouncing Calvinism, was honoured with the constable's sword22. The loss which the Protestant cause sustained by the apostacy of Lesdiguieres, and the defection of the duke of Bouillon, was made up by the zeal and abilities of the duke of Rohan and his brother Soubise; men not inferior (especially the duke) either in civil or military talents, to any of the age in which they lived. Soubise however was defeated by the king in person, who continued to carry on the war with vigour. But the duke still kept the field; and Lewis having laid siege to Montpelier, which defended itself as gallantly as Montauban, peace was concluded with the Hugonots, in 1622, to prevent a second disgrace. They obtained a confirmation of the edict of Nantes; and the duke of Rohan, who negociated the treaty, was gratified to the utmost of his wish23. The French councils now began to assume more vigour. Cardinal Richelieu no sooner got a share in the administration, which in a short time he entirely governed, than, turning his eyes on the state of Europe, he formed three mighty projects; to subdue the turbulent spirit of the French nobi22. Hist. du Connetable de Lesdig. 23. M.m. de Duc, de Roben. lity, to reduce the rebellious Hugonots, and to curb the encroaching power of the house of Austria. But in order to carry these great designs into execution, it was necessary to preserve peace with England. This Richelieu perceived, and accordingly negociated, in spite of the courts of Rome and Madrid, a treaty of marriage between Charles prince of Wales, and Henrietta of France, sister of Lewis XIII. He also negociated between the two crowns, in conjunction with the United Provinces, that alliance which I have already noticed, and which brought on hostilities with Spain. In consequence of these negociations, a body of six thousand men was levied in England, and sent over to HolJand, commanded by four young noblemen, who were ambitious of distinguishing themselves in so popular a cause, and of acquiring military experience under so renowned a captain as Maurice. Count Mansfeldt was engaged in the English service; and an army of twelve thousand foot, and two thousand horse, under his command, was embarked at Dover, in order to join the League, formed in Low Saxony, for the restoration of the Palatine, and of which Christian IV. king of Denmark, was declared chief. About the same time a French army, in concert with the A. D. 1625. Venetians and the duke of Savoy, recovered the Valteline, which had been sequestered to the pope, and restored it to the Grisons24. Meanwhile the house of Austria was neither inactive nor unfortunate in other quarters. Spinola reduced Breda, one of the strongest towns in the Netherlands, in spite of all the efforts of prince Maurice, who died of chagrin before the place surrendered. The English had failed in an attempt upon Cadiz: the embarkation under A. D. 1626.' count Mansfeldt had proved abortive; and the king of Denmark was defeated by the Imperialists near Northen 5. 24. Auberi. Dupkix. ubi sup. 25. Heiss. Le Clerc Rushworth. The The miscarriages of the English cooled their ardour for foreign enterprizes; and cardinal Richelieu found, for a time, business enough to occupy his genius at home. He had not only to quiet the Hugonots, who had again rebelled, and to whom he found it necessary to grant advantageous conditions, but he had a powerful faction at court to oppose. Not one prince of the blood was heartily his friend. Gaston duke of Orleans, the king's brother, was his declared enemy; the queen-mother herself was become jealous of him, and Lewis XIII. was more attached to him from fear than affection. But the bold and ambitious spirit of Richelieu triumphed over every obstacle: it discovered and dissipated all the conspiracies formed against him, and at length made him absolute master of the king and kingdom. A. D. 1627. During these cabals in the French cabinet, the Hugonots shewed once more a disposition to render themselves independent; and in that spirit they were encouraged by the court of England, which voluntarily took up arms in their cause. The reason assigned by some historians for this step is very singular. As Lewis XIII. was wholly governed by cardinal Richelieu, and Philip IV. by Olivares, Charles I. was, in like manner, governed by the duke of Buckingham, the handsomest and most pompous man of his time, but not the deepest politician. He was naturally amorous, bold, and presumptuous; and when employed to bring over the princess Henrietta, he is said to have carried his addresses even to the queen of France. The return which he met with from Anne of Austria, whose complexion was as amorous as his own, encouraged him to project a new embassy to the court of Versailles ; but cardinal Richelieu, reported to have been his rival in love as well as in politics, made Lewis send him a message that he must not think of such a journey. Buckingham, in a romantic passion, swore he would "see the queen, in spite "of all the power of France26 :-and hence is supposed 26. Clarendon, Hist. vol, i, Mem. de Mad. Motteville, tom. i. to 97286 to have originated the war in which he involved his mas ter. Rash and impetuous, however, as Buckingham was, he appears to have had better reasons for that measure. Cardinal Richelieu was still meditating the destruction of the Hugonots: they had been deprived of many of their cautionary towns; and forts were erecting in order to bridle Rochelle, their most considerable bulwark. If the protestant party should be utterly subdued, France would soon become formidable to England. This consideration was of itself sufficient to induce Buckingham to undertake the defence of the Hugonots. But independent of such political forecast, and of his amorous quarrel with Richelieu, the English minister had powerful motives for such a measure. That profound statesman had engaged the duke to send some ships to act against the Rochelle fleet, under promise that after the humiliation of the Hugonots, France should take an active part in the war between England and Spain. This ill-judged compliance roused the resentment of the English commons against Buckingham, and had been made one of the grounds of an impeachment. He then changed his plan; procured a peace for the hugonots, and became security to them for its performance; but finding the cardinal would neither concur with him in carrying on the war against Spain, nor observe the treaty with the Hugonots, he had no other course left for recovering his credit with the parliament and people (especially after the miscarriage of the expedition against Cadiz) but to take arms against the court of France, in vindication of the rights of the French Protestants27. Buckingham's views, in undertaking this war, are less censurable than his conduct in carrying them into execution. He appeared before Rochelle with a fleet of an hundred sail, and an army of seven thousand men; but so ill-concerted 27. Clarendon. Dupleix. were |