Cadiz, captured several rich galleons, and re.:/ duced the duke de Medina Sidonia to the sadz necessity of burning a fleet of merchantmens which must otherwise have been taken by the invaders. This circumstance struck such ter ror into the inhabitants of the other maritime [ towns, that they unanimously deserted their residences; while the successful sons of Albion enriched themselves with plunder, searched the harbours, and bade defiance to the Spanish arms. Philip resolved to revenge these insults by an fresh invasion of Elizabeth's kingdom, and i actually fitted out a powerful fleet for that pur-to pose: but this, like his great armada, became !+ the prey of raging winds and waves; and the few vessels which escaped absolute destruction 1 were driven back, in a most wretched condition, to the port of Ferrol.

A.D.

4

Shortly after the conclusion of peacet with the crown of France, Philip breath1597. ed his last at the Escurial, in the seventy-f first year of his age and in the forty-second of his reign. In his dying moments, he delivered a paper of instructions to his successor; expressed the most earnest solicitude for the wel! fare of his favorite daughter; and ordered some state prisoners to be set at liberty Hisev ruling character appears to have been ambition, + and he seems to have aspired at universal moḤCTI narchy; but, though he formed the most po litic schemes for reducing England, becoming king of the Romans, and placing the diadem of s France upon the head of Isabella, the events were extremely mortifying; and at the close of a long and busy reign, his power and his trea sures were equally exhausted. He is said to

have been remarkably haughty, gloomy, and reserved; and his pretensions to religion were, in all probability, merely political. He was styled "Philip the Prudent" from the general tenor of his conduct in the cabinet; but in private life he was certainly vicious, and his greatest abilities were exerted on such occasions as rather derogated from than added lustre to his royal dignity an

Philip III. ascended the throne in the twentyfirst year of his age; and a celebrated historian has justly observed, that his favorite, the duke of Lerma, obtained a more than equal share in the administration. At the king's marriage two statues were erected, one of Jupiter and the other of Philip, bearing a globe upon their shoulders. This was an excellent opportunity for a display of malevolence against the new minister; and an inscription was accordingly fixed upon the statue of the deity to the following effect This Jupiter is the duke of

Lerma."

A. D.

1599.

After ratifying the peace with France, and ceding the Netherlands to Donna Isabella, in consequence of her marriage with the archduke Albert, the Spanish government sent a fleet of seventy galleys against the Turks; but, though the enemy's fleet was much inferior, this expedition proved entirely fruitless.

Upon the demise of queen Elizabeth, Philip sent an ambassador into England to compli ment king James upon his accession; and in the ensuing year peace was concluded between the nations. The earl of Nottingham was received, upon this occasion, at Madrid, with all possible

demon

demonstrations of respect; and the joy of the Spanish courtiers was considerably augmented by the birth of an infánt, who was named Don Philip after his royal parent. LINO SV61 01

Meanwhile the enemies of his majesty's fåvorite busied themselves in contriving hemous charges against the object of their envy, and magnified every unlucky accident into a wilful and premeditated crime. Among a variety of other things, they alleged that the 'duties upon oil and wine had brought in twenty-three) millions; that the fleets from the Indies were la Iden with extraordinary riches; and that, notwithstanding this prodigious income, the royal coffers were almost empty. These clamours, however, were soon silenced by the dismissal of state spies, and the termination of a destructive war with the United Provinces, which were afterward acknowledged as independent. 211

The latent sparks of animosity being A. D. now rekindled in the breasts of the Spa1609. nish ecclesiastics, a resolution was passed for the general expulsion of the Morescoes; and a royal edict was promulgated for that purpose, on pretence that those unbelievers had invited the king of Morocco to make a descent upon his catholic majesty's dominions, and that they had formed a dangerous conspiracy against the Christians. These imputations were indeed void of foundation; and many of the nobles remonstrated on the impolicy of acting with such rigor against a race of men who contributed most essentially, by their industry to the support and aggrandisement of the country: but every remonstrance proved ineffectual; the Moors were, at several times, transported

into Africa; and Spain sustained a loss of about six hundred thousand useful subjects.

The news of the death of Henry IV. is said to have been very acceptable to Philip and his minister, as that accident concurred precisely with their interests. However, the court was ordered to go into mourning, and a messenger was dispatched to Paris with compliments of condolence to the queen regent, as well as to remind her of the marriages which had been proposed between the infanta of Spain and the young king Louis, and between the princess Isabella and the prince of Asturias. The ne gociations upon these subjects were crowned with complete success; and the projected marriages were, soon afterward, solemnly confirmed.

Upon the report of some great military preparations among the Turks, the Spanish ministers deemed it expedient to fit out a powerful fleet for the security of their coasts: but the grand signior suddenly laid up his naval armament, and turned his arms against the Persians. Hereupon the duke of Lerma ordered Don Lewis Faxarada to make a descent upon Barbary, and to erect a strong fortress on the gulf of Marmora, to prevent the Moorish pirates from taking shelter there, and disturbing, from thence, -the commerce of Spain. This scheme was happily effected; and, though it would scarcely have excited attention in the time of Charles V. or Philip II. it was one of the greatest exploits performed during this reign. About the same time, his catholic majesty concluded a treaty of peace with some of the Italian states; and consented to a general renunciation of all his rights to

the

the succession of any part of his dominions be longing to the German branch of the house of Austria.

Meanwhile the duke of Lerma in.A. D. troduced his son, the duke of Uzeda, 1618. to his sovereign, that in case of ne cessity he might succeed him in the royal favor; whilst his nephew, count de Lemos, was placed near the prince of Asturias, in order that he might contemplate that rising sun, and rise with it above the political horizon. The minister triumphed, for some time, in the accomplishment of these schemes, which promised to establish his authority in the present, and to revive his credit in the ensuing reign. But he had, eventually, cause to regret his arrangements: for his son felt offended because he had destined -him to act the part of a courtier; the confessor whom he had recommended to his majesty found that it would be more advantageous to -hold his place by a minister of his own creation than by a man on whom he was merely a dependent; and, by the intrigues of these ingrates, the count de Lemos was driven from his new employment, and Lerma himself was, soon afterward, dismissed from his majesty's service.

It is highly probable that the enemies of this great man would have continued their persecu tions after he had retired from the helm of state, had he not provided for his personal safety by procuring a cardinal's hat. However, the blow with which he was threatened fell upon his favorite, Don Roderigo Calderona, count of Oliva. This person, who was the son of a poor soldier and a Flemish woman, rose from the