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joint command of Pen and Venables, through

a

and France thereby enabled to give the law to Chriftendom. But Oliver, I prefume, must be acquitted on this head, if it appears that it was imagined at that time that the ballance was on the fide of Spain; that in fact the two crowns were much nearer on an equality than the objectors fuppofe; that Cromwell kept it in his power to turn the scale as he thought fit; and that the Pyrenean treaty in reality placed the two crowns in proper fituations with refpect to each other, and to their neighbours.

1. Spain was not then viewed in that weak state which fhe afterwards appeared. Cromwell's parliaments were not over complaifant to him, nor prone to approve his actions meerly as fuch. Yet the parliament, fays Mr. Thurloe in a letter to general Montague, dated Whitehall, October 25, 1656, declared themselves cordially and unanimously concerning the Spanish war, having after two days debate declared their approbation thereof nemi(u) Orne contradicente: and this before they heard one tittle of monde's your fuccefs (u).' The fame gentleman writing to the State Pageneral, August 28, preceding, fays, The Spaniard Pers, vol. ii. hath had great fuccefs in Flanders this year against the French. To that of raising the fiege of Valenciennes, he had added the taking of Conde, and is very likely to lodge himself this year in France; fo that the cardinal hath not been able to draw any army to the feacoaft, as was intended, being scarce able to defend his (x) Id. p. own country (x).'

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2. There was not in fact that inequality between the two crowns which the objectors fuppofe. It is well known that through feveral preceding reigns, 'twas the houfe of Auftria only had been formidable; that injured our royal family in the Palatinate; and alone threatned the liberties of Europe. France had not yet given occafion to her neighbours to fear. A long war had been now carried on between the two crowns, with various fuccefs. If Spain was weakned by the revolt of Portu

gal

P. 115.

112..

gal and Catalonia, 'tis certain France was diftracted with domeftic contentions even in Paris itself, as well as other parts of the kingdom: contentions the more dangerous, as perfons of the most elevated rank and greateft power were concerned in them. So that Spain carried on the war on a foot of equality, not of defence. If the Prince of Conde had cut off their best veterans at Rocroy, he now himself headed their troops with the acknowledged reputation of being the beft general in Europe, though Turenne figured in the field, and had performed deeds of renown-This equality is vifible through feveral campaigns; but the raifing of the fiege of Arras on one fide, and that of Valenciennes on the other, proves it beyond doubt; to which may be added, that even after the taking of Mardyke in pursuance of () Ram- the league with England, by Turenne, the French met of Turenne, with feveral lofles (y).We feem therefore to deceive ourselves with our after knowledge, when we 303. 8vo. blame Cromwell for overturning the ballance of power. Lond. 1735. 3. It should be obferved, that Cromwell held the bal

fay's Life

vol. i. P.

lance of power in his own hands the more firmly, by his French league. We fee from Thurle's account with what caution he engaged in it. The treaty was but for a year, 'till Dunkirk thould be conquered for England by the help of France, and when Cromwell had got it, he was at liberty, if he faw fit, at the end of that year to make a peace with Spain, and use this very town against France. The English troops conquered little or nothing for the French crown; but France by giving England a footing on the continent just on the confines of the two contending parties, enabled it to hold the bal lance of power fo much the more steadily between them, and become so much the more formidable to France as well as Spain. He found the fcales even, and in poffeffing himself of Dunkirk, he made the French give him hold of the handle of the ballance to keep them fo.

If any after this, fhould condemn Cromwell for weakning the Spaniards by making this conquest of Dunkirk, what must they think of Charles II. who by the advice of his chancellor Hyde fold it to France, and thereby threw

threw fo great a weight into that scale, which then appeared more manifeftly to preponderate.

to

4. The Pyrenean treaty placed the two crowns in proper fituations with refpect to each other, and to their neighbours. In the treaty between the Emperor, Spain, and Holland in 1673, the States-General ftipulated make no peace with France 'till the Catholic King was put in poffeffion of all that his moft Chriftian Majefty had taken in the Low Countries fince the peace of the Pyrenees. In the grand alliance between the Emperor, England and Helland, in 1689, it was agreed, That no peace fhould be made with France, till the peace of Weftphalia, Ofnabrug, Munfter, and the Pyrenean were by the help of God, and common force vindicated, and all things reftored to their former condition, according to the tenor of the fame.' And King William III. when Prince of Orange, though justly warmed with refentment against France, declared,

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That whenever Spain paffed the bounds of the Pyre- (z) See Sit nean treaty, he would become as good a Frenchman as Wm Tem he was then a Spaniard (z). Thefe facts I think ple's Mefully fhew, the Pyrenean treaty to have been well cal- 128. 8vo. culated for the repofe of Europe, and for the advantage of the contracting powers. However, it was not Cromwell's league that produced this treaty and its fatal confequences, as Lord Bolingbroke fuggefts. The propofal of giving the infanta to Lewis XIV. was rejected by Spain, when there was no other heir to that throne; it (a) See Tus was accepted when a fon was born to afcend it (a). renne'sLife, The confequences of this marriage were indeed fatal to vol. i. p. Europe. But they arofe from the ill conduct of Spain, and the injuftice, ambition, and perjury of Lewis, who with the zeal of a bigot, the fuperftition of a priest, and the fenfuality of an epicurean, delighted in facrificing the blood of millions, to his own foolifh idea of glory.I will conclude this note with obferving that Cromwell's irrefolution and delay in choofing his fide in the war feem juftly cenfurable; more especially as he neglected to clofe in with the offers made him by France, even after he had determined, and fent his fleet for the Weft Indies. Bourdeaux, the French embaffador's letters, C G

are

327.

(b) Burchett, P. 387.

(c) Vol. vi. P. 578.

a variety of caufes was (EEE) unsuccessful;

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and

are full of the delays he met with in his negotiation for
this purpofe; and Mr. Thurloe points out the wrong
measures taken on this occafion, when he says above,
• France offered a fum of money, in cafe England would
declare war against Spain in any part of the world;
but many difficulties and delays falling out in this
treaty, the fleet was fent away into the Weft Indies,
and a war followed thereupon between England and
Spain, without the leaft communication of counfells
with France, whereby France had its end for nothing.'
(EEE) The expedition to Hifpaniola mifcarried.] Crom-
well's inftructions to general Venables, commander of
the land forces fent to America, are to be seen in Bur-
chert. From thefe it appears that no particular place
was the object of their destination, but much was left to
the prudence of the commanders. Reafons are therein.
mentioned for attempting the iflands, or leaving thefe,
to attack the main land, more especially Carthagena;
whereby, if conquered, they might be mafters of the
Spanish treafures which come from Peru by way of Pa-
nama in the South-Sea, to Porto Bello, or Nombre de dies
in the North-Sea (b). But where, after all, the defcent
was to be made, the generals with the commiffioners,
or any two of them, were, on proper confultation, to
determine. So that Lord Clarendon was much mistaken
in faying, Their orders from Cromwell were very par-
ticular and very pofitive, that they fhould land at
fuch a place, which was plainly enough described to
them (c). The fleet left England, December 19,
1654, and arrived at Barbadoes, January 29, 1654,
O. S. Here it was fuppofed they fhould meet with
many things they food in need of. But their expec-
tations were not answered. Even a fufficient quantity
of arms and ammunition were wanting. A fad mat-
ter,' fays Venables in a letter to Montague, written from
Barbadoes February 28, following, when we must at-
tempt fo high with little or nothing, or return home

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• and

and fubjected the nation to difgrace; yet the taking

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and do nothing! which few of us had a great deal more chearfully hear the news of death than be guilty of.' The progrefs and ill fuccefs of the fleet and army, I will relate in the words of Venables. • We left, fays he, Barbadoes the last of March, and came to St. Christophers, where we found a regiment formed; ⚫ and not staying to anchor, we failed thence without fetting foot on shore, and in a fortnight's time came to Hifpaniola, where we landed upon Saturday the • 14th of April, near forty miles to the weft of Santo Domingo. The reafon was, our pilots were all abfent; the chief had outftayed his order, being sent out to difcover, and none with us fave an old Dutchman, that knew no place but that: whereas we refolved to have landed where Sir Francis Drake did, except forced off by a fort (faid to be there;) and then in fuch C a cafe to have gone to the other. From our landing we marched without any guide, fave heaven, through woods; the ways fo narrow, that 500 men might have extreamly prejudiced 20000 by ambushes; but this course the enemy held not, fave twice. The weather extream hot, and little water; our feet fco:ched through our fhoes, and men and horfe died of thirst: but if any had liquor put into their mouths, presently after they fell, they would recover, elfe die in an inftant. Our men the last fortnight at fea had bad bread, and little of it or other victuals, notwithftanding general Penn's order; fo that they were very weak at landing; and fome, inftead of three days provifion at landing, had but one, with which they march⚫ed five days, and therefore fell to eat limes, oranges, lemons, &c. which put them into fluxes and fevers. Of the former, I had my fhare for near a fortnight, with cruel gripings, that I could fcarce ftand. Col. Butler was ordered to land to the east of the city, but could not; and therefore he and the Christopher's ⚫ regiment under col. Holdip were landed where we firft

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