1623 Olivares' anxiety about the Palatinate. His conversation with the Nuncio. OLIVARES AND THE NUNCIO. 25 That the secret was not communicated to the majority of the Spanish ministers there can be little doubt. It was a private arrangement between the favourite and the King. Knowing what was impending, Olivares, constant to his original policy, began to show renewed anxiety on the subject of the Palatinate. The war with England which, in any case, was probable enough, would be inevitable unless he could manage to smooth matters down in Germany. The news of the actual transference of the Electorate had by this time reached Madrid, and Buckingham had been speaking warmly about it. Olivares hurried to the Nuncio, begging him to urge the Pope to put forward his influence in favour of peace, and to invent some scheme by which the Catholic religion might be promoted, and the promise given by the King of Spain to James in favour of his son-in-law might be at the same time fulfilled. The best thing, he said, would be that the Emperor should deposit the whole of the Lower Palatinate in the hands of the Infanta Isabella, with a view to its restitution either to Frederick or to his son. hoped that the Emperor would give an express engagement that after Maximilian's death the Electorate should return either to the Count Palatine or to the young Prince, leaving, however, the selection between the two an open question, till it was known what were the final wishes of the King of England. He Olivares was now to learn once more how little a Roman ecclesiastic cared for the interests of Spain apart from the interests of the Church. De Massimi answered coldly that the Pope would doubtless do everything in his power to keep up a good understanding between the Emperor and the King of Spain, but that it would never do to treat the new Elector of Bavaria with disrespect. It would be well if Oñate received instructions to congratulate him on his advancement.1 Two or three days after this interview the subject came on de' principali negotii che portasse il Duca di Pastrana." Soranza and Zen to the Doge, July, Venice MSS. Desp. Roma. Compare note to p. 32, and the extract from Zen's former despatch quoted at Vol. IV. p. 395. March 29. Discussion in the Council of State. for discussion in the Council of State. It would be in vain to look for an original or statesmanlike view of affairs from any one of the members of that body. There was a general feeling that a continuation of the war was almost unavoidable, and that the only chance of averting the calamity lay in getting as much of the Palatinate as possible into Spanish hands, in order that James might in due time be propitiated by its surrender. Olivares concurred in this advice; but he added an opinion that a great error had been made in form, if not in substance, by the irritating language which Oñate had used in dealing with the Emperor. It would have been far better to have acted in harmony with Ferdinand and Maximilian; and he would now recommend that whilst the fortresses in the Palatinate were brought as far as possible into Spanish hands, their surrender to the King of England should be made a matter of friendly negotiation with the Emperor.1 Olivares' faith in the possibility of patching up the peace of Europe was not yet completely overthrown. April. News that the dispensation will probably be granted Scarcely had Pastrana left Madrid when news arrived from Rome that, though the dispensation was not yet drawn up, the Cardinals had made up their minds not to withhold it any longer. It was a sad blow to Olivares, for he could not now hope, by throwing blame upon the Pope, to soften down in the Prince's eyes the asperity of the impending announcement that the marriage was impossible, excepting upon conditions to which even he could hardly expect a Protestant to consent; and the effect of the intelligence was easily to be perceived in the spasmodic efforts which he once more made to smooth away the almost insuperable obstacles by which the progress of the match was obstructed. The Infanta, as was well known to the few who were allowed to penetrate the secrets of her domestic life, had fallen into a 1 Consulta of the Council of State, fol. II. March 29 2 Aston to Carleton, April 2, S. P. Spain. Simancas MSS. 2404 1623 Continued the Infanta. Arguments of Olivares. THE INFANTA'S RESISTANCE. 27 profound melancholy. She warmly protested that, unless the Prince became a Catholic, she would never conreluctance of sent to be his wife. To Olivares and Gondoinar she spoke in terms of the strongest condemnation of the mischief they had done both to the King and to herself. Olivares, who seems merely to have wished to extricate himself from the entanglement in which he was involved, did his best to quiet her. He tried to impress upon her a sense of the merit which she would acquire, both in this world and in the next, by assisting in the spread of the faith. It was not impossible, he added, that the Prince might still become a Catholic, although he was too much in dread of his father to make a public acknowledgment of his conversion.1 To the Infanta such arguments were addressed in vain. Strong in her own feelings of right, she was not left without warm sympathy from other members of the Royal family. The Queen, Elizabeth of France, took up her cause, and the King himself was disposed to share her ideas. But her stoutest champion was her second brother, Charles, who threw himself with all the ardour of his boyish nature into the struggle, and who saw clearly how little reality there was in the supposition that the Prince of Wales intended to become a Catholic. Already, when after his first interview with the Prince, Philip expressed his belief that his guest had come with the intention of acknowledging his conversion, the boy had muttered that it would be well for his Majesty to take care that his sister were not carried away into heresy; and he now lost all patience when he heard some one telling the Infanta that she was elected by God to be the means of redeeming England. "I hope," he said, "that the devil may not tempt us to send her there to her own destruction.2 In despair of prevailing with the Infanta, Olivares turned once more to the Prince, hoping that he might win from him at "Et segli da anco speranza, che il Prencipe possa anchè inclinar ad essere Cattolico; ma che, per timor del Padre, non lo pubbliche." Corner to the Doge, April Venice MSS. Desp. Spagna. 14' 2 Ibid. least a private acknowledgment of a change of religion. His first step was to appeal to the Nuncio. If the Prince, he said, would give the private assurance required of him, would it not be possible to proceed with the marriage at once without waiting for the dispensation.1 Olivares hopes for a private conversion of the Prince. The Nuncio replied in the negative, but Olivares was not discouraged. He determined to make his first attempt upon Buckingham, who had, whilst repelling the overtures of the Spaniards, been doing his best to simulate the appearance of one who was not unwilling to be converted, whenever the proper time should arrive. He had taken good care never to attend the Protestant service, which was regularly celebrated at the English Embassy by Bristol's chaplain. When he visited a church he did not omit to bow the knee reverently before the Sacrament on the altar.2 So successful had he been in conveying the desired impression, that the Imperial Ambassador, writing to his master about this time, informed him that the English were assuming, as much as possible, the appearance of Catholics.3 Thus encouraged, Olivares lost no time in talking to Buckingham on the subject. What a pity it was, he said, that the Prince should not seize the opportunity of informing himself on the doctrines of the Catholic faith. No compulsion was intended; but it could not be taken otherwise than as an insult, if he refused even to listen to what was to be said in its favour. Buckingham was all politeness. Truly or falsely, he asserted that he had brought orders not to throw obstacles in the way of a discussion upon religious subjects. He should be glad, however, to try the effect of such a conversation upon "Il Conde de Olivares nondimeno ha ricercato Monsignor Nuntio, se il matrimonio si poteva effetuare senza permissione del Pontefice, mentre il Prencipe occultamente abjurasse o di segreto professasse la nostra religione, non comportando gli interessi suoi pubblica professione 1. palese culto." Corner to the Doge, April Venice MSS. Desp. Spagna. 2 Articles against Buckingham, State Trials, ii. 1288. 4 8 "Stellen sich sehr Catholisch." Khevenhüller to Ferdinand II., April 7, Khevenhüller, x. 79. 1623 ATTEMPT TO CONVERT BUCKINGHAM. April 4. Religious discussion with Buckingham. 29 himself before he recommended it to Prince. It did not occur to Olivares that all that Buckingham wanted was to gain time. The offer was thought to be a serious one, and on April 4 the Marquis was carried in profound secrecy to the monastery of San Geronimo, to engage in a theological disputation with Francisco de Jesus, a Carmelite friar, who had taken a principal part in the discussions upon the marriage treaty. For four hours the debate lasted. Buckingham listened patiently, said something whenever he could find anything to say in a paper which he had brought with him, and when he could not find an argument to the purpose held his tongue. At last the friar began to suspect that he had taken all his trouble for nothing. Buckingham did not appear to understand that he had been well beaten according to all the rules of logic, and that it was his business to surrender at discretion.1 A few days before this curious scene was enacted, the Marquis of Inojosa, the Viceroy of Navarre, was ordered to prepare to go as Extraordinary Ambassador to England,2 ostensibly to thank James for allowing his son to visit Madrid. He was, however, privately instructed to urge James to make yet further concessions to his Catholic subjects.3 Inojosa ordered to go to England. It was impossible any longer to sion on a point still more delicate. April 7. The Prince allowed to visit the Infanta. avoid coming to a concluAs yet Charles had never been allowed to see the Infanta except in public, and had never had an opportunity of speaking to her at all. Every excuse which Spanish customs could suggest had been made without giving the slightest satisfaction. The knotty point was seriously debated in the Council of State, and it was at last decided that on Easter Day the long-desired visit should take place. Accordingly the King, accompanied by a long train of grandees, came to fetch the Prince, and led him to the Queen's apartment, where they found 1 Francisco de Jesus, 58. * Aston to Carleton, April 2, S. P. Spain. • Corner to the Doge, April Venice MSS. Desp. Spagna. |