men said, the weary time of weakness and vacillation was at an end. "God grant," wrote the Earl of Bedford, "that the King's resolutions may be so propounded to the Parliament, as they may with a general applause be seconded, and not disputed, and that no past distastes breed such variance at home as may hinder the speedy execution requisite for the good success of what is to be done by us abroad."1

Lafuente's

Even now, however, James unhappily did not know how serious the crisis was. If everything else failed, the King of Spain, he fancied, was certain to see him righted. mission to His words had been for the moment the words of Rome. Digby, manly, self-reliant, and far-sighted. His thoughts were his own. Still, as ever, he hated trouble and responsibility. He was the more disposed to confidence in Spain because good news, or what he held to be good news, had lately reached him of the progress of that foolish marriage treaty of which he was so deeply enamoured. Early in the year Lafuente had arrived at Rome, and had soon been joined by George Gage, Conway's Roman Catholic cousin, who had been sent to watch the negotiation on the part of the English Government. There had been a delay at first in consequence of the death of Paul V., and a further delay in consequence of the death of Philip III. These obstacles were now surmounted. A congregation of cardinals was appointed by the new Pope, Gregory XV., to consider the propriety of granting the dispensation asked for. Nor was it long before Gage was able to report that, if only James could make up his mind to make concessions to the English Catholics, no difficulties would be thrown in the way of the marriage by the Pope.2

It was in the frame of mind resulting from his knowledge of the progress which had been made in this affair, that James prepared to meet his Parliament. At a moment message to when he ought to have done his utmost to impress Gondomar with a sense of the firmness of his attitude, he sent him a message, bidding him not to care for any

James's

Gondomar.

1 Bedford to Carleton, Nov. 5, S. P. Holland.

2 Gage to Digby, Sept. 1, S. P. Spain; Francisco de Jesus, 32-35.

1621

GONDOMAR'S PROSPECTS.

231

thing that might be said in Parliament, as he would take good care that nothing was done which would be displeasing to his Catholic Majesty. With the dice thus loaded against him, Digby had a hard game to play.

1

1 Gondomar to the Infanta Isabella, fol. 14.

Nov. 21
Dec. I

Simancas MSS. 2558,

232

Nov. 20. Meeting of the Houses.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

THE DISSOLUTION OF 1621.

ON the appointed day, November 20, the Houses met. On the 21st, the Commons were called up to the House of Lords, to hear a statement on behalf of the King, who was detained at Newmarket by real or affected illness. The proceedings were opened by Williams. He spoke, men said, 'more like a divine than a statesman or orator.' He recommended the Commons "to avoid Speech of all long harangues, malicious and cunning diverWilliams, sions," and to postpone all business, except the grant of a supply for the Palatinate, till their next meeting in February.2

Nov. 21.

of Digby,

Then Digby rose-the one man in England who could avert, if yet it were possible, the evil to come. Of no party, he shared in all that was best in every party. With the Puritans, he would have resisted the encroachments of the Catholic Powers at home and abroad. With the King he was anxious to put an end to religious war, and to grant religious liberty to the English Catholics. On the Continent he would have done that unselfishly, and in the interest of the world, which Richelieu afterwards accomplished selfishly, and in the interest of France. Such designs, so vast and so far-reaching, might easily take root in the brain of a dreamer. But Digby .was no dreamer. He knew that there were times when the road to peace lay through the gates of war, and that that time had

1 Chamberlain to Carleton, Nov. 24, S. P. Dom. cxxiii. 122.

2 Proceedings and Debates, ii. 183.

1621

DIGBY'S STATEMENT.

233

almost come. Now or never Spain must be made to under

stand that she must choose her side.

Digby's statement was a very simple one. He spoke of the King's efforts to maintain peace, of the hopes of success which had attended his own embassy at Vienna, of the terror inspired by Mansfeld's army, of the change which, at the instigation of the Duke of Bavaria, had come over the Emperor's intentions, and of the consequent renewal of the war. The King, he said, must now 'either abandon his children, or declare himself by a war.' The King of Spain had written to the Emperor effectually for peace,' and it was 'the fault of the Emperor that it was not effected.' It remained, therefore, to be considered what course was now to be pursued. The force of twenty thousand men under Vere and Mansfeld, would be sufficient to hold the Lower Palatinate during the winter. But if this were to be done, money must at once be sent. Mansfeld's soldiers were mere mercenaries, and if they were left any longer without their pay, they would soon be in open mutiny. An additional army must be sent in the spring, and the cost of maintaining such an army for a year would not be less than 900,000l.1

and of Cranfield.

Cranfield followed, urging a liberal supply, without naming any precise amount.

The next morning, it was arranged by the Commons that the King's message should be taken into consideration on the Freedom of 26th. In the meanwhile an objection was not undebate. naturally raised to some expressions which had been let fall by Williams. They had been directed, said Alford, to meddle with nothing but the supply for the Palatinate. It would be an evil precedent if the King were permitted to assume the right of prescribing the subject of their debates.2 In the same spirit Digges, whose facile and impressionable nature made him ever ready to adopt the prevalent feeling of those with whom he was acting, drew attention to the late imprisonment of Sandys. He hoped, he said, that in the great debate to which they were look

Sandys's imprison

ment.

1 Proceedings and Debates, ii. 186; Lords' Journals, iii. 167.

ing forward, no exception would be taken to anything which they might say in discharge of their consciences.

Sandys himself was not present, having been detained by illness. Calvert, however, rose to explain that he had not been imprisoned for anything that he had said or done in the House.

The statement, though literally true, was received with general incredulity, and murmurs of dissatisfaction were heard on every side. It was only upon Calvert's agreeing that his words should be entered upon the clerk's book, that calm was restored. It was evident, however, that a question had been raised which, unless it were speedily settled, would give rise to serious perplexities in the future.1

Nov. 26. Debate on

the demand

On November 26, a full House met to take part in the great debate which was to decide the Continental policy of England for years to come. The zeal of the Commons, it is true, may sometimes have outrun for a supply. discretion. Their knowledge of the policy and designs of the Courts of Europe was defective. On the other hand, their single-mindedness was undoubted. In their deliberations, that narrow patriotism which is only a larger selfishness, had no place. All that they asked was to devote themselves to that cause which, as they honestly believed, was the cause of God and man.

The House, it must be acknowledged, approached the question under peculiar difficulties. Digby had told them the truth, but not the whole truth. It is no wonder that there were many amongst his hearers who were incredulous when they heard of the efforts of the King of Spain in favour of peace. What they knew was that it was only by the aid of Spanish troops that the war had been possible. Yet how could Digby offer them the key by which alone the mystery I could be unlocked? Even if he had thought it wise to publish to the world the follies of his master's son-in-law, would not the blame which would deservedly be attributed to Frederick fall in part upon his master himself?

The debate was opened by Digges. He hoped, he said, that

Proceedings and Debates, ii. 198.