History of the United Netherlands, 1604-05 | Page 9

of
the Spanish ambassador--Effect of James's peace-treaty on the people
of England--Public rejoicings for the victory at Sluys-- Spinola
appointed commander-in-chief of the Spanish forces-- Preparations for
a campaign against the States--Seizure of Dutch cruisers--International
discord--Destruction of Sarmiento's fleet by Admiral
Haultain--Projected enterprise against Antwerp--Descent of Spinola on
the Netherland frontier--Oldenzaal and Lingen taken-- Movements of
Prince Maurice--Encounter of the two armies--Panic of the
Netherlanders--Consequent loss and disgrace--Wachtendonk and
Cracow taken by Spinola--Spinola's reception in Spain--Effect of his
victories--Results of the struggle between Freedom and Absolutism--
Affairs in the East--Amboyna taken by Van der Hagen--Contest for
possession of the Clove Islands--Commercial treaty between the States
and the King of Ternate--Hostilities between the Kings of Ternate and
Tydor--Expulsion of the Portuguese from the Moluccas-- Du Terrail's
attempted assault on Bergen-op-Zoom--Attack on the Dunkirk pirate
fleet--Practice of executing prisoners captured at sea.
I have invited the reader's attention to the details of this famous siege
because it was not an episode, but almost the sum total, of the great war
during the period occupied by its events. The equation between the
contending forces indicated the necessity of peace. That equation
seemed for the time to have established itself over all Europe. France
had long since withdrawn from the actual strife, and kept its idle
thunders in a concealed although ever threatening hand. In the East the

Pacha of Buda had become Pacha of Pest. Even Gran was soon to fall
before the Turk, whose advancing horse-tails might thus almost be
descried from the walls of Vienna. Stephen Botschkay meantime had
made himself master of Transylvania, concluded peace with Ahmet,
and laughed at the Emperor Rudolph for denouncing him as a rebel.
Between Spain and England a far different result had been reached than
the one foreshadowed in the portentous colloquies between King James
and Maximilian de Bethune. Those conferences have been purposely
described with some minuteness, in order that the difference often
existing between vast projects and diametrically opposed and very
insignificant conclusions might once more be exhibited.
In the summer of 1603 it had been firmly but mysteriously arranged
between the monarchs of France and Great Britain that the House of
Austria should be crushed, its territories parcelled out at the discretion
of those two potentates, the imperial crown taken from the Habsburgs,
the Spaniards driven out of the Netherlands, an alliance offensive and
defensive made with the Dutch republic, while the East and West
Indies were, to be wrested by main force of the allies, from Spain,
whose subjects were thenceforth to be for ever excluded from those
lucrative regions. As for the Jesuits, who were to James as loathsome as
were the Puritans to Elizabeth, the British sovereign had implored the
ambassador of his royal brother, almost with tears, never to allow that
pestilential brood to regain an entrance into his dominions.
In the summer of 1604 King James made a treaty of peace and amity
with the archdukes and with the monarch of Spain, thus extending his
friendly relations with the doomed house of Austria. The republic of
the Netherlands was left to fight her battles alone; her imaginary allies
looking down upon her struggle with benevolent indifference. As for
the Indies, not a syllable of allusion in the treaty was permitted by
Spain to that sacred subject; the ambassador informing the British
Government that he gave them access to twelve kingdoms and two seas,
while Spain acquired by the treaty access only to two kingdoms and
one sea. The new world, however, east or west, from the Antilles to the
Moluccas, was the private and indefeasible property of his Catholic
Majesty. On religious matters, it was agreed that English residents in
Spain should not be compelled to go to mass, but that they should kneel
in the street to the Host unless they could get out of the ways. In regard

to the Netherlands, it was agreed by the two contracting powers that
one should never assist the rebels or enemies of the other. With regard
to the cities and fortresses of Brill, Flushing, Rammekens, and other
cautionary places, where English garrisons were maintained, and which
King James was bound according to the contracts of Queen Elizabeth
never to restore except to those who had pledged them to the English
crown--the king would uphold those contracts. He would, however,
endeavour to make an arrangement with the States by which they
should agree within a certain period to make their peace with Spain.
Should they refuse or fail, he would then consider himself liberated
from these previous engagements and free to act concerning those cities
in an honourable and reasonable manner, as became a friendly king?
Meantime the garrisons should not in any way assist the Hollanders in
their hostilities with Spain. English subjects were forbidden to carry
into Spain