1620 GONDOMAR AND JAMES. 347 Gondomar. The Spaniard hit the mark in saying that it attempted to combine the advantages of peace and war at the same time. When he ended, Buckingham acknowledged that he could not deny that in many things the ambassador had spoken truly. Digby knew that there was another side to the question. If James, he said, granted to the Catholics all that Gondomar wished, England would be Catholic, and mass would be said publicly in the churches. Whether this was true or not, at all events it was the prevalent belief in England that it was true. May 6. interview with the On May 6, Gondomar had an interview with the King himself, at which the Prince was present as well as Buckingham. James complained much of his misfortune in having to Gondomar's deal with the troubles in Germany, and assured the ambassador that the Catholics should in future be as King. little molested as his other subjects. He pressed Gondomar to say what it was that would content the King of Spain in matters of religion. Gondomar did not venture to say that nothing short of liberty of worship would be accepted. All that he could do, as he informed his master in describing the scene, was so to frame his answers as to prevent James from imagining that he was well satisfied with the proposal to which he had been listening. Gondomar knew that if he could win the Prince to change his religion it would matter little what James might say or do. He was, however, obliged to confess that he could, at present, see no likelihood of this. Charles, he said, was on terms of the closest familiarity with him, and assured him that he would never persecute the Catholics; but he had had a bad education, and was a confirmed heretic. Gondomar's opinion of the Prince. Nevertheless, the Spaniard was inclined to put more trust in the son than in the father. No one could be sure that what James's James said one day he would not unsay the next. language Though at one time he assured Gondomar that he about perse cution. meant to do much more for the Catholics than he had promised, at another time, in the presence of some Protestants, he expressed his surprise that the Spanish ambassador should have talked about persecution as existing in England. It was not persecution, he said, to carry out the laws. Gondomar replied that it was persecution to take away life and estate from those who were living honestly and as loyal subjects. At all events, if these laws were to be executed, it was needless to take any further trouble about the marriage treaty. Gondomar's master. What to recommend to Philip, Gondomar hardly knew. He foresaw the evil result of a breach, and yet he did not see how a breach could be averted. On the whole, he advice to his recommended that Lafuente should go to Rome for the dispensation. It was impossible even in this way to gain very much time, as James was sure to be impatient. Still, in the mean time, the King might die, and his son might be converted. If this did not happen the Pope might make it a condition of the dispensation that James should summon T'arliament to confirm his concessions to the Catholics, and to agree that these concessions should be actually put in force for a whole year before the Infanta arrived. In giving this advice, Gondomar unwittingly revealed the unreal nature of the compact which he was striving to effect. He knew how to deal with persons, but he did not know how to deal with a nation. He expected great things from the hope which the Prince had already held out to him, of coming in person to Madrid to claim his bride. He did not understand the national feeling in England, and he fancied that it was enough that the greater number of the old nobility of England were either openly or secretly Catholics. Gondomar, however, was made to feel that the good-will of James was not everything in England. He pleaded against the support which had been given of Captain May. to Captain North's expedition to the Amazon, and his Expedition objections were supported by Digby, who was wise North. enough to see that no good could come of an attempt to establish an English trade in the midst of the Spanish Indies. But North, like Raleigh, had powerful friends at Court, and before the order for stopping his voyage was issued, he had slipped out of Plymouth harbour, and was well on his way across the Atlantic. When it was too late, a proclamation was Gondomar to Philip III., May 12 Madrid Faiace Library. 1620 APPEAL FROM THE UNION. 349 issued to arrest him, and his brother, Lord North, was imprisoned for a few days, on the charge of complicity with his evasion.' Gondomar p'eads for Lake. Even Gondomar's influence with the King had its limits. He was extremely anxious to see his old friend and pensioner Lake restored to office. But though James consented to re-admit Lake to Court, and to a certain degree of favour, he resolutely refused to give him back the Secretaryship.2 To a request that he would show indulgence to Lady Lake, who had not yet acknowledged the justice of her sentence, he was equally deaf. "As for my Lady Lake," he said, “I must both confess to have pronounced an unjust sentence, and break my promise to my Lady Exeter in a matter of justice, if I grant her any ease at this time. Besides this cause hath no respect to religion, except the Romish religion be composed of the seven deadly sins, for I dare swear she is guilty of them all. If Spain trouble me with suits of this nature, both against my justice and honour, their friendship will be more burdensome than useful to me." "3 The Princes of the Union were not likely to be content with James's reception of their appeal for help. Towards the end of April they applied to him again. The Duke Fresh application from of Bavaria, it was now known, had come to terms th.. Union. with the Elector of Saxony, and they had every reason to fear the worst. Nothing, however, could induce James to take a decided course. In private he assured Dohna that if the Princes were really attacked he would send twenty or thirty thousand men to help them; whilst to the Princes 1 Sanchez to the King, Feb. 19; Sanchez to Buckingham, Feb. 19, S.P. Spain. Chamberlain to Carleton, Feb. 26, S.P. Dom. cxii. 104. 12, 18. Salvetti's News Letter, May Proclamation, May 15, Rymer, xvii. 215. The Council to the Warden of the Fleet, May 21, 1620, Council Register. 22, 28. 18. 28. 2 Salvetti's News-Letter, May Woodward to Windebank, May 22, S.P. Dom. cxv. 50. The King to Buckingham, Halliwell's Letters of the Kings of England, ii. 149. The letter is without a date, but it may be safely assigned to April or May, 1620. themselves he despatched a long scolding letter, warning them not to make an unprovoked assault upon their neighbours, but entirely omitting all reference to the point at issue—the anticipated invasion of the Palatinate. conversation with Gon In Gondomar's presence James forgot everything except the wickedness of his son-in-law's usurpation. "You have good James's cause," he one day said to him, "to complain of the treatment of the English Catholics, of Captain North's domar. voyage, and of the aid which has been given to the Palatinate. But it is not my fault. It is all the doing of the traitors around me. For the wrongs of the Catholics you must lay the blame upon the Archbishop, who is a godless Puritan. North was permitted to escape by that traitor Buckingham. He is young and inexperienced, and he sold him a passport.” Buckingham was then called into the room. "George," said the King, "why did you sell a passport without telling me?” "Because," answered Buckingham in the same jesting tone, "you never give me any money yourself." James pulled his hair, kissed him twice, and told him to leave the room. All this was sufficiently undignified; but its impolicy was nothing to what followed. "The Palatine," said James, "is a godless man, and a usurper. I will give him no help. It is much more reasonable that he, young as he is, should listen to an old man like me, and do what is right by surrendering Bohemia, than that I should be involved in a bad cause. The Princes of the Union want my help; but I give you my word that they shall not have it.”1 Such language was not likely to pass unchallenged. James was daily urged by the war party to issue a declaration of his intention to preserve from invasion the hereHe is urged to defend the ditary dominions of his son-in-law. Let an army of Palatinate. ten or twelve thousand men, it was said, be sent to Heidelberg or Mannheim, with strict orders to take no part in the struggle in Bohemia. If this was impossible, let a garrison of a thousand men be thrown into Heidelberg: the mere May 26, 1620, Raumer, Briefe aus Paris, ii. 300. Tillieres' Despatch, June 5, 1620 THE VOLUNTEERS ENROLLED. 351 presence of the English flag would be enough to deter the Spaniards from their purpose. His refusal. contribution and the volunteers for the This proposal was certain to be rejected by James. It was the more unpalatable to him as he was asked to give the command to Southampton whom he thoroughly detested. As usual he fell back upon half-measures. He would allow Dohna, if he wished it, to levy a body The general of volunteers at his own cost, and to issue a circular to the whole kingdom, calling upon the gentry to imitate the example of the London citizens by Palatinate. contributing to the expenses of the force.1 He would think seriously of sending ambassadors to bring about a pacification, and he would order Trumbull to put a direct question to the Archduke Albert as to the future movements of the army which was preparing to take the field under Spinola's command. At the same time he assured Gondomar privately that he did not expect much from the ambassadors, except that the sending of them would serve to keep quiet those who were giving him so much trouble at home. After this it is no wonder that Gondomar wrote home at once, recommending an immediate attack on the Palatinate.2 June. the Arch Gondomar had no reason to be dissatisfied. If, for form's sake, he uttered loud protests against the enrolment of the volunteers, he was inwardly congratulating himself Answer of upon this fresh evidence of James's weakness.3 The duke Albert. fears of English intervention, which had been the object of so much consultation at Madrid in the previous year, had ceased to be seriously entertained. The Court of Brussels had learned to treat James as disrespectfully as Gondomar himself had ever done. It was not till June 19 that the Archduke deigned to reply to Trumbull's inquiries. He had always Dohna to the Lord Lieutenant of Northampton, May 31, 1620, S. P. Germany. 2 Gondomar to Philip III., June 8, June 27, Simancas MSS. 2601, fol. 31, 36; Dohna to Packer, May 27, • Buckingham to Gondomar, June Simancas MSS. 2601, fol. 36. 18, July 7, 20; 30; Gondomar to Philip III., June 27, July 7. |