Let. y. A Sketch of the History, &c. 153

of his neighbours. Neither of thefe princes wasinduced, I believe, by the flattery of his courtiers,or the apprehenfions of his adverfaries, to entertainfo chimerical a defign as this would have been,even in that falfe fenfe wherein the word univerfalis fo often underftood: and I miftake very muchif either of them was of a charadter, or in circum-ftances, to undertake it. Both of them had ftrongdefires to raife their families higher, and to extendtheir dominions farther; but neither of them hadthat bold and adventurous ambition which makesa conqueror and a hero. Thefe apprehenfionshowever were given wifely, and taken ufefully.They cannot be given nor, taken too foon whenfuch powers as thefe arife; becaufe when fuchpowers as thefe are befieged as it were early, bythe common policy and watchfulnefs of theirneighbours, each of them may in his turn offtrength fally forth, and gain a little ground; butnone of them will be able to pulh their conqueftsfar, and much lefs to confummate the entireprojedtsof their ambition. Befides the occafional oppofi-tion that was given to Charles the fifth by ourHenry the eighth, according to the differentmoods of humor he was in; by the popes, accord-ing to the feveral turns of their private intereft;and by the princes of Germany according to theoccafions or pretences that religion or civil libertyfurnifhed, he had from his firft fetting out a rivajand an enemy in Francis the firft, who did np.tmaintain his caufe “ in forma pauperis, ” if I mayufe fuch an expreffion: as we have feen the houfe