intercourse. For politics as a serious occupation she had no aptitude; but, in middle age, she felt a woman's pride in attaching to herself the strong heads by which the world was ruled, as in youth she had attached to herself the witty courtier or the agile dancer. It was worth a statesman's while to cultivate her acquaintance. She could make him a power in society as well as in council, could worm out a secret which it behoved him to know, and could convey to others his suggestions with Lady assured fidelity. The calumny which treated Strafford, as it afterwards treated Pym, as her accepted lover, may be safely disregarded. Neither Strafford nor Pym was the man to descend to loose and degrading debauchery. But there can be no doubt that purely personal motives attached her both to Strafford and Pym. For Strafford's theory of monarchical government she cared as little as she cared for Pym's theory of parliamentary government. It may be, too, that some mingled feeling may have arisen in Strafford's breast. It was something to have an ally at Court ready at all times to plead his cause with gay enthusiasm, to warn him of hidden dangers, and to offer him the thread of that labyrinth which, under the name of 'the Queen's side,' was such a mystery to him. It was something, too, no doubt, that this advocate was not a grey-haired statesman, but a woman, in spite of growing years, of winning grace and sparkling vivacity of eye and tongue. The Queen supports Leicester. The Queen, too, was enlisted on Leicester's side, probably through Henry Percy, Northumberland's brother, who was also a brother of Lady Carlisle and Lady Leicester, and who stood high in her favour. Yet, in spite of his wife's pleading, Charles would not hear of her candidate. Whatever the cause may have been, Northumberland singled out Laud as the author of the "To think well of the reformed religion," he wrote, "is enough to make the Archbishop one's enemy."1 Leicester rejected. mischief. A new combination was now proposed. At Hamilton's Northumberland to Leicester, Nov. 21, Dec. 13, Sydney Papers, 618, 623. 1640 Vane proposed. A NEW SECRETARY. 87 suggestion the Queen put forward Vane. Strafford knew him as an inefficient, self-seeking courtier. He had also. given Vane personal offence, which was not likely to be forgotten. Though the estate of Raby was in Vane's possession, Strafford had chosen the barony of Raby to give a subsidiary title to his earldom. Rather than see Vane in office, Strafford urged that Coke should be retained. He was borne down by the influence of Hamilton and the Queen, and on February 3 Vane became Secretary of State.2 Vane's son had been brought, in the preceding spring, to some outward show of conformity, and, as Joint Treasurer of the Navy, was engaged, amongst other occupations, in reckoning up the payments of ship-money as they came slowly in. Feb. 3. Becomes Secretary. Valentine The appointments which had just been made were not likely to smooth away the real obstacles to a good understanding January. between Charles and his people. He could hardly, Release of however, venture to face a Parliament without libeand Strode. rating Valentine and Strode, the two of the companions of Eliot's imprisonment who still remained in custody. They had been the confessors, as Eliot had been the martyr, of the Parliamentary faith. After a seclusion from the world of almost eleven years they stepped forth into freedom.3 anxious about the Catholics. Whilst Charles was calculating the chances of a Parlia mentary grant for his Scottish war, the Queen was, naturally enough, alarmed at the probability that Parliament' 1639. The Queen would ask for a renewal of the persecution of the Catholics. Con, who had pleaded their cause with her so successfully, had left England in the preceding autumn, and had died soon after his arrival in Rome. His successor was an Italian prelate, the Count Rossetti. Rossetti's first impression of England had Court. been one of amazement at the liberty enjoyed by September. the Catholics, and more especially at the language of Windebank, who, though ostensibly a Protestant, spoke to him like a zealous Catholic,' and offered to give him every August. Rossetti at Cave to Roe, Feb. 7, S. P. Dom. ccccxliv. 54. 2 Clarendon's account is borne out by Rossetti's despatches. Rossingham's News-Letter, Jan. 24, Add. MSS. 11,045, fol. 87. the Parlia ment. Plans for securing the 1640. information of which he might stand in need.' As soon as he heard of the approaching meeting of Parliament, he appealed Asks protec. to the Queen for protection against the very probable tion against demand of the Commons for his own dismissal. The Queen carried his representations to her husband, and returned with comforting assurances. Charles had told December. her, that if the point were raised he would reply that her right to hold correspondence with Rome was Catholics. secured by her marriage treaty. "This," she explained to Rosetti, "is not true, but the King will take this pretext to reduce to silence anyone who meddles with the matter." ."2 Before long this precious scheme broke down. The necessary secrecy was not observed, and the project reached the ears of Coke. Coke, who was out of humour at February. his own dismissal, went about assuring all who would listen to him that the treaty did not contain a word about a correspondence with Rome. Another scheme which presented itself to the Queen's mind was still more unwise. Many of the The Catho- Catholic peers were prevented from taking their seats lic peers to in the House of Lords by their refusal to take the sit and vote. Oath of Allegiance. It was now suggested that the lords had no right to impose this qualification, and it was hoped that, if it was abandoned, the Catholics would be better represented in Parliament than had hitherto been the case. The Queen Yet the Queen could not but feel that, even if she had her wish in this matter, the prospects of the Catholics were very unfavourable. She applied to Strafford for help. Strafford answered civilly, but his civil answers did not inspire confidence. He was always an enigma to the Queen and her friends. Rossetti was not quite sure whether he was a Protestant or a Puritan, but was inclined, on the whole, to regard him as a Puritan.3 If he meant, as he probably did, that Strafford be allowed to March. applies to Strafford. Rossetti to Barberini, Sept. R. O. Transcripts. 6 16' 2 "Il che se bene non è vero, vuole nondimeno valersene il Rè per pretesto per ribattere chiunque sarà per trattarli di questo fatto." Rossetti to Barberini, Jan. 6 Rossetti to Barberini, Dec. 27 ibid. Jan. 24, Feb. 28 March 13 23, ibid. had no wish to favour the Catholics, he was doubtless in the right. 1639. December. Charles's relations with France, So slight were Charles's hopes of a successful issue of the Parliament which he had summoned, that he was already looking abroad for the support which was likely to fail him at home. Since the sea-fight in the Downs and the detention of the Elector Palatine, he was more alienated from France than before, and more convinced that Richelieu was at the bottom of his Scottish troubles. His relations with the States-General were equally unsatisfactory. Aerssens, indeed, had arrived on a mission of explanation; but his explanations consisted simply in an assertion that Tromp had been doing good service to Charles by destroying the fleet of the common enemy; and that, at all events, he had only followed the precedent set by Charles himself in 1627, when he seized a French ship in the neutral harbour of the Texel.1 Charles showed his displeasure in his reception of a proposal made to him at this time for a marriage between his eldest daughter Mary and the only son of the Prince of Orange. He told Heenvliet, the confidential and with the Netherlands. Proposed marriage of an English princess with a son of the Prince of Orange. 1640. agent of the Prince, that if he asked for his second January. daughter, Elizabeth, he might take the request into consideration. As the child was only four years old, the change was not likely to give satisfaction at the Hague.2 Charles had, in fact, another alliance in view. That veteran intriguer, the Duchess of Chevreuse, had suggested that Charles's February. Proposed Spanish marriage. eldest son and daughter should be united to the daughter and the son of the King of Spain. It was known that a new Spanish ambassador, the Marquis of Velada, would soon be in England to join Cardenas in urging Charles to avenge the insult which had been offered him by the Dutch. Sir Arthur Hopton, the English agent at ΙΟ 20' 1 Aerssens and Joachimi to the States-General, Dec. Add. MSS. 17,677, fol. 146. See Vol. VI. page 187. 2 Heenvliet to the Prince of Orange, sterer, Archives, Sér. 2, iii. 159, 169. Dec. 27 3 Jan. Groen van Prin 13' Feb. 7. instructions. It Madrid, was instructed to hint that if Velada brought proposals for a new Spanish marriage, they would be favourably received.1 It was not, indeed, likely that the overture would be really made. As usual, Charles took care to make the Spaniards. understand how little his alliance was worth. Hopton was to say that his master found himself in a great strait’ Hopton's in consequence of the occurrence in the Downs. would be as dangerous to show 'a sense equal to the affront' as to show 'none at all.' If he demanded reparation from the States, there would be no course open to him, in the probable event of a refusal, short of a declaration of war; and, as matters stood, a declaration of war was simply impossible. What he wanted, in short, was that Philip should help him out of his present difficulty, on the understanding that he would help Philip in turn when he was in more prosperous cir cumstancés. Feb. 18. Olivares. The reply made by Olivares was not encouraging. He would hear nothing of an alliance unless Charles would actually declare war against the Dutch. In that case the old Answer of secret treaty, negotiated by Cottington for the partition of the Netherlands, should be revived, and Charles might choose any part of the Dutch territory which suited him best. If this offer was accepted, the King of Spain would do that which had been asked in vain in the preceding summer. He would lend Charles eight or ten thousand veterans in exchange for the same number of recruits. On the subject of the marriage Olivares was extremely reserved. In reporting this conversation Hopton warned Charles that he had little to expect from the Spaniards. They had now but few ships and less money. Their habit was to promise mountains and perform molehills.2 March 12. These overtures to Spain were perhaps to some extent owing to Charles's prior conviction that the Scottish troubles Dec. 31 1 Aerssens to the Prince of Orange, Groen van Prinsterer, Jan. 10' Archives, Sér. 2, iii. 165. 2 Windebank to Hopton, Feb. 7; Hopton to Windebank, Feb. 18, March 12, Clarendon MSS. 1,351, 1,353, 1,362. |