List | next: The imitation of Christ
The History of England, from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution in 1688
by David Hume
- Login or register to forward title to your Kindle or delivery email
- download the converted book to your desktop.
- Enter rr2.mobi/bw4 in your Kindle browser to download
- Click on cover to see Google Books preview
- There is a used print copy of this title at alibris.com
Excerpt:
A Parliament Havre lost Affairs of Scot'
land the queen of Scots marries the earl of
Darnley Confederacy against the Protestants
Murder of Rizzio A parliament ■
Murder of Darnley S>ueen of Scots marries
Bothwel Insurrections in Scotland Imprisonment of Mary Mary flies into England
Conferences at York and Hampton Court.
AFTER the commencement of the religious wars in France, which rendered that flourishing kingdom, during the course of near forty years, a scene of horror and devastation, the great rival powers in Europe were Spain and England; and it was not long before an animosity, first political, then personal, broke out between the sovereigns of these countries.
Philip II. of Spain, though he reached not any enlarged views of policy, was endowed with great industry and fagacity, a remarkable caution in his enterprizes, an unusual foresight in all his measures; and as he was ever cool and seemingly unmoved by passion, and possessed neither talents nor inclination for war, both his subjects and his neighbours had reason to expect justice, happiness, and tranquillity, from his administration. But prejudices had on him as pernicious essects as ever passion had on any other monarch; and the spirit of bigotry and tyranny by which he was actuated, with the fraudulent max
!ms which governed his counsels, excited the most violent agitation among his own people, engaged him in acts of the most enormous cruelty, and threw all Europe into combustion.
After Philip had concluded peace at Cateau-Cambresis, and had remained some time in the Netherlands, in order to settle the affairs of that country, he embarked for Spain; and as the gravity of that nation, with their respectsul obedience to their prince, had appeared more agreeable to his humour than the homely familiar manners, and the pertinacious liberty of the Flemings, it was expected that he would, for the suture, reside altogether at Madrid, and would govern all his extensive dominions by Spanish ministers and Spanish counsels. Having met with a violent tempest on his voyage, he no sooner arrived in harbour than he sell on his knees; and, after giving thanks for his deliverance, he vowed that his lise, which was thus providentally faved, should thenceforth be entirely devoted to the extirpation of hcresyc. His subsequent conduct corresponded to these prosessions. Finding that the new doctrines had penetrated into Spain, he let loose the rage of persecution against all who prosessed them, or were suspected of adhering to them; and by his violence he gave new edge, even to the usual cruelty of priests and inquisitors. He threw into prison Constantine Ponce, who had been consessor to his father, the emperor Charles; who had attended him during his • retreat; and in whose arms that great monarch had terminated his lise: And after this ecclesiastic died in confinement, he still ordered him to be tried and condemned for heresy, and his statue to be committed to the flames. He even deliberated whether he should not exercise like severity against the memory of his father, who was suspected, during his later years, to have indulged a pro
. Thuar.ui, lib. xxiii. cip. 14..
Vol. V. F pensity Chap. pcnsitv towards the Lutheran principles: In his unrelent
XXXIX
t_ y ing zeal for orthodoxy, he spared neither age, sex, nor
]56a' condition: He was present, with an inflexible countenance, at the most barbarous executions: He issued rigorous orders for the prosecution of heretics in Spain, Italy, the Indies, and the Low Countries: And, having founded his determined tyranny on maxims of civil policy, as well as on principles of religion, he made it apparent to all his subjects, that there was no method, except the most entire compliance, or most obstinate resistance, to escape or elude the severity of his vengeance.
