CHAPTER X. GROWING ESTRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE COURTS OF EVEN if the Cadiz expedition had not ended in so complete a failure, the difficulties resulting from the French alliance would have been likely to cause Charles serious embarrassment. Every step which he had taken since the meeting of his first Parliament had been in the direction of a closer understanding with the Protestant powers. He had begun again to execute the penal laws. He had signed a treaty with the Dutch, and he was about to send Buckingham to the Hague to sign another treaty with the King of Denmark and the Princes of North Germany. When Parliament met again, he hoped to be able to stand forth in the character of a leader of the Protestantism of Europe. Oct. 6. At Salisbury, on his way back from his visit to the fleet at Plymouth, he was reminded of the old engagements which he had contracted with France. Blainville, the new French ambassador, presented himself Blainville before him, and Buckingham, who had already started bury. for the Hague, was summoned back to take counsel on the French proposals. at Salis overtures. Those proposals, as far as the war was concerned, The French ought not to have been unacceptable. Lewis was ready to furnish 100,000l., payable in two years, to the King of Denmark. He would also join Charles in X. 1625. Oct. CHAP. giving support to Mansfeld's army, and he consented to an arrangement, already in progress, for transferring that force to Germany, and placing Mansfeld under the command of Christian.1 If Lewis, however, was prepared to do as much as this, he was prepared to ask for something in return. He could hardly avoid asking for the fulfilment of Charles's promise to free the English Catholics from the penal laws; and now that Soubise had been defeated he would be likely to press for the entire submission of Rochelle, though he was ready to promise that the Huguenots should enjoy religious liberty, a privilege, as he wrote to Blainville, which was not allowed to the Catholics in England.2 Buckingham's plans. Such questions, however, difficult as they were to settle, were far from forming the whole of the barrier which stood in the way of the maintenance of the French alliance. Lewis's idea of that alliance was evidently that of a man who wishes to play the first part. But Buckingham wished to play the first part too. He would refuse to negotiate on the war with Blainville. He would cross over at once to Holland, and then, when the foundations of a great Protestant alliance had been surely laid, he would pass on to Paris. Once more he would summon the King of to France. France to join England in open and avowed war against Spain and her allies. And he would summon him, not as he had done in May, as the representative of England alone, but as the leader of a mighty Protestant confederacy, offering to France the choice between the acceptance of English leadership or the isolation of neutrality. His pro posed visit Buckingham, indeed, had no difficulty in persuading 25 1 Lewis XIII. to Blainville, St.; Blainville to Lewis XIII., Oct. ; King's MSS., 137, p. 274, 350; Villermont, E. de Mansfeldt, ii. 321. 2 Lewis XIII. to Blainville, Oct. 1; King's MSS., 137, p. 385. BUCKINGHAM'S PROPOSAL TO VISIT FRANCE. himself that the offer which he made was worthy of Lewis's acceptance. The Spanish treasure of which Wimbledon had gone in search was already his by anticipation. When the fleet returned there would be enough to keep up the war in Germany for many a year, and the Flemish ports, the objects of his desire for so many months, could at last be snatched from Spinola's tenacious hold.1 329 СНАР. 1625. Oct. 7. objects. There were reasons enough why the husband of Lewis Anne of Austria should be unwilling to receive a visit from the audacious upstart who had ventured to pay public court to the Queen of France, and Lewis, as soon as he heard of the proposal, peremptorily instructed Blainville to refuse permission to Buckingham to enter his kingdom.2 But politics had undoubtedly as much part as passion in the matter. The 1 The views of the English Government may be gathered from a passage in the instructions drawn up as a guide to some one whom it was intended to send to Gustavus. "And because we are seated most properly and best furnished for maritime actions, we have undertaken that part, though it be of greatest cost, and which will, in a short time, by the grace of God, render all the land service easy and profitable to those that shall attempt it. And therefore we shall expect that both our dear uncle the King of Denmark and the King of Sweden will, upon your reasons heard, go on cheerfully for the stopping of the progress of the enemy's conquests by land, without calling to us for contribution in that, wherein principally must be regarded the present conservation of all the sea towns which might any way give Spain a port of receipt for their ships that may come from thence that may be bought or built in these parts, or may correspond with the ports of Flanders. And it will not be amiss when you shall fall into deliberation with that king, to consult and consider with him the great importance of taking away the harbours of Flanders from the King of Spain, and to prove how far he might be moved to join with us, our uncle of Denmark, and the States, to make one year's trial to thrust the King of Spain from the seacoasts of Flanders." Instructions for Sweden, Oct. 17; Rymer, xviii, 212. 2 "Je me passionne de sorte pour votre contentement que je ne crains point de vous mander si franchement mon avis, et vous êtes assez du monde pour pénétrer ce qui ne me seroit pas bienséant d'écrire," is Villeaux-Clercs' explanation on giving the orders to Blainville, F.; ; King's MSS., 137, p. 313. Sept. 24 CHAP. X. 1625. Oct. question between Lewis and Buckingham was the question of the leadership of half Europe. And Lewis had to guard against the interference of England nearer home. Buckingham was instructed, as soon as he reached Paris, to demand the immediate restoration of the English ships which had been used at Rochelle, and to ask that an end should at once be put to the unnatural war between the King and the Huguenots. 66 The demand, that Charles should be empowered to interfere between Lewis and his subjects, was to be made in the most offensive way. Buckingham's instructions ran in the following terms :-"To the end they," that is to say, the French Protestants, may not refuse the conditions offered them for the only doubt of not having them kept, you shall give them our Royal promise that we will interpose our mediation so far as that those conditions shall be kept with them; and if this will not satisfy them, you shall give them our kingly promise that if by mediation you cannot prevail for them, we will assist them and defend them." In other words, when Lewis had once given his promise to the Huguenots, it was to be considered as given to the King of England, and if any disputes again arose between him and his subjects, the King of England would be justified in intervening in their favour if he thought fit so to do. Buckingham, in fact, not content with taking the lead in Germany, was to dictate to Lewis the relations which were to exist between himself and his subjects; and that too at a moment when the English Government was fiercely repudiating a solemn contract on the ground that it did not become a king of England to allow a foreign sovereign to intervene between himself and his people.1 1 Conway to Carleton, Oct. 7; S. P. Holland. Instructions to Buckingham; Rymer, xviii. BLAINVILLE IN ENGLAND. 331 CHAP. X. 1625. Oct II. audience. On October 11 Blainville was admitted to an audience. To the Frenchman's remonstrances about the English Catholics, Charles at first replied that he had only promised to protect the Catholics as long as they Blainville's behaved with moderation. It was for himself to interpret this promise, and he took upon himself to say that they had not behaved with moderation. He then added the now familiar argument that the secret article had never been taken seriously, even by the French Government. Falmouth. The tone of the conversation mutually grew warmer, and a fresh demand of the ambassador did not serve to moderate the excited feelings on either side. Soubise The St. had brought with him to Falmouth the 'St. John,' a fine John' at ship of the French navy, which he had seized at Blavet.1 This ship Lewis naturally claimed as his own property which Charles was bound to restore. Charles, on the other hand, being afraid lest it should be used, as his own ships had been used, against Rochelle, hesitated and made excuses. Queen's The state of the Queen's household, too, ministered The occasion of difference. Charles wished to add English hold. officials to those which had been brought over from France, and he peremptorily refused to discuss the question with Blainville. He intended, he said, to be master in his own house. If he gave way, it would be from the love he bore to his wife, and for no other reason. Oct. 12. visits ham. The next day the ambassador waited on Buckingham. The conversation was carried on in a more friendly Blainville tone than that of his conversation with Charles. But Buckingin other respects it was not more satisfactory. Buckingham treated all the subjects in dispute very lightly. If anything had gone wrong the fault was in the necessities of the time. Instead of troubling himself with such trifles, the King of France ought to treat at 1 P. 151. |