4

Dr. Wel-woodV Me-moirs, p. 22

P. 6g.

P. -4> 1 7-

THE LIFE OF

n (to which he had been too long accustom’d) divested him os his own Rea-" son, Judgment and Understanding, and gave Way to that unaccountable" Voyage, which became a fertile Subject of Fear and Jealousy to ourselves at

Home, and of Amazement, as well as Laughter to the . rest of Europe." Never were there a Pair sent Abroad to be expos’d to the Censure of a fo-" reign and capricious Nation so ill suited.

" The Prince was of a grave, and stay’d Deportment, adapted to the Genius" of the Spans) Nation, which had gain’d him there an universal Love ; the“ Marquis (then made a Duke) of a light and Frenchified Garb and Belia-" viour, and given to his Pleasures, and generally, thought to be wanting of those" clear and quick-sighted Intellectuals which were requisite for the Manage-" ment of that high Concern.

" Innumerable were the Mischiefs King James was involv’d in by this" rash and hot-headed Voyage to Spain ; and the King liv’d to see himself a“ true Prophet, the Match by that very means being dash’d to Pieces; for" while the Earl of Bristol, the greatest Statesman we had then left, and who" negotiated the Match, proceeded therein with stow and wary, but yet as" sure Steps as the subtile and intriguing Genius of the Spaniard, and the dif-“ ferent Interests and Sentiments of the Pope, Emperor, and Duke of Bavaria" (who had all their Parts to play in this Affair as well as the King of Spain)" would permit; there was some solid tho’ slippery Ground for the King and" Prince to set their Feet on. The Articles of Religion were agreed on, and" temporal Articles near a Conclusion ; but by the Prince’s and Duke's Arrival" in Spain all was unravell’d, and the subtile Spaniard would not easily grant" that any Match had been before seriously treated of, or intended: So all was" to begin again, and the whole Affair rested on the Duke’s Shoulders, which" (God knoweth) were too feeble to bear the Weight of it. He betook him-" self therefore to a Work more suitable to his Temper and Strength, and" pursuing his Revenge for the Affronts he receiv’d in Spain, ■ diffever’d his old" Master to the highest Degree, (at least in that King’s Opinion) by ravishing" from him his Darling, the Match, and delivering her up to his Parliament ," who made short Work with her, and immediately tore her to Pieces.”

King James, in order to obtain of the Emperor the Restoration of his Son-in-law, the King of Bohemia , was wheedled into that inglorious Counsel ofsending Prince Charles into Spain, for a Match with the Injanta that was eithernever design’d him, or too late : And it was more owing to King Philip theThird’s Generosity, than to King James’s Politicks, that he ever saw Englandagain.

Prince Charles in his Temper was brave, magnificent, liberal, and constant.—> It was his noble and generous Behaviour, that took so much with the Kingof Spain, when he went thither to court the Infanta, that he rejected the re-peated Solicitations of his Council to seize him ; and paid him more Respectthan could have been well expected, if he had been King of England at thatTime.

When the Parliament of England was zealous to restore the Palatine-Fa-tnily by force of Arms, as the most effectual Means to do it, and had offer’dgreat Supplies for that Purpose ; yet King James was so lull’d asleep with theInsinuations of Gondomar , the Spanijh Ambassador, that he could be broughtto no other Methods but those of Treaty : And when several Princes were uponentering into a League for Recovery of the Palatinate, and the House ofÆjlria was beginning to doubt the Success, Gondomar play’d this Engine,among others, to break their Measures, by proposing a Match with the In-fanta of Spain for the Prince of Wales, as the easiest and surest Way to re-store the Palatine-Family ; which, like ail the rest, was only to amuse King

James ,