fitting out a considerable fleet, under an keeper Williams, by his majesty's order, told them, "that the king's main reason of calling this parlia ment, was to mind them of the great engagements for the recovery of the Palatinate, and to let them understand that the subsidies granted in the last parliament were already spent, together with as much of the king's own revenue."It must be confessed this address of Charles was very proper, and calculated to make the parliament readily and powerfully support him. But however it was, two subsidies only were granted; nor could the king, either at London, Dor Oxford, (where the parliament, on account of the plague, was ordered to be assembled after its adjourn→ ment) obtain more. The commons had their grieva ances; and their touching on them was unacceptable to the court, especially as Buckingham began to be severely inveighed against; and rather than be forced to redress them, his majesty chose to dissolve the parliament, though money was never more wanted by - a king for his own private use, and to carry on the wara. But notwithstanding the dissolution of the parlia ment, Charles having raised money by way of loan, though contrary to law, determined to carry on the war against Spain. "To this end, a fleet was fitted tout for an expedition against that kingdom. The * command thereof, instead of being bestowed on Sir Robert Mansel, an old and experienced seaman, and vice-admiral of England, was given to Sir Edward Cecil, a soldier trained in the Low-country wars, who, for the honour of the enterprize, was created viscount Wimbledon; and agreeable to the choice of the general * See Sidney's State-papers, vol. II. p. 360, 363. unexperienced sea-commander, the viscount was the success. of this expedition. His fleet con sisted of eighty sail, of which number some were ships of the States General; and the earls of Essex and Denbigh were his vice and rear admirals; with which. setting sail from Plymouth, when he was got some few leagues at sea, he was encountered with a violent storm, which dispersed the fleet, so that they were many days before they got together at their appointed rendezvous off cape St. Vincent. From thence pro-;/ ceeding to the bay of Cadiz, they found there, near, the Puntal, fourteen great ships, and twelve gallies, which, through neglect and mismanagement, they suffered to escape; for though the earl of Essex, pursuant to the general's orders, did very resolutely and bravely attack them, yet the rest of the fleet not coming up timely to his assistance, the Spanish ships, after having given the earl a warm salute or two, retired over to Port Real: to which place it was not thought fit to follow them, whether through the igno rance of the pilots, or unskilfulness of the general, is hard to determine. So that failing in this enterprize, they attacked the castle of Puntal, and with the loss of a great many men, made a shift to atchieve the reduc tion of that place: after which, having made some ineffectual efforts against the town of Cadiz, the troops were reimbarked, and the fleet set sail for cape St. Vincent, to craize in the offing of that place for the Flota from America, where having waited for some time in vain, the men began to grow very sickly; when, to complete the miscarriages of this expedition, the sick men were distributed through the whole fleet, two to each ship, by which means the sickness was increased to such a degree, that there were scarce hands enough left to carry the fleet home, which, in the month of Wimbledon; which, after a fruitless expe- Décember, returned ingloriously to England"." This was the only expedition against Spain, this the fruit of it! which, we may be sure, tended not greatly to the reputation of the British arms, or the honour of the British monarch. However, this dishonourable expedition to Cadiz did not sit easy on Charles. He testified his resentment of Wimbledon's conduct, by calling him to an account before his council, and afterTM wards forbidding him his presence. Wimbledon, however, stood stoutly in his own justification, and laid the blame on Sir Michael Gerce and the earl of Essex, "who," says he, "let pass the king of Spain's ships that offered him fight, which would have been the chief service, having instructions not to let any flie, or break out, without fighting with them." After this, in a letter to Buckingham, he adds, " I hold myself "I clear of all imputations, in despight of all malice and practice that hath been against me, to obscure all my endeavours, which my adversaries in their consciences can best witness, that when they slept, I waked;' when they made good chear, I fasted; and when they rested, I toiled. And besides, when they went about to hinder the journey at Plymouth, by railing at the beggarliness of it, and discrediting of it, I was contented to take it upon me, though against my judgment, as I did secretly deliver both to his majesty and your grace, before I departed from the coast: nominating in my letter to his majesty all the inconveniences that did after happen unto the fleet; for had it not been in obedience to his majesty, and my good affection to your excellency (that I did see so much affect it, and was so far engaged), I would rather have been torne * Burchet's Naval History, p. 370. fol. Lond. 1720. See also Acta Regia, p. 555. fol. Lond. And Howel's Letters, p. 168. dition to Cadiz, returned home most igno in pieces, than to have gone with so many ignorant and malicious people, that did shew so little affection or courage to his majestie's service, or any affection at all to your excellency. Yet for all this, all hath been laid upon me, having had rather hard courses taken against me, than any way maintained in my com→ mission which was given me, which no state, that I ever heard of, did before. I pray God, his majestie's future service do not suffer for it; for where his majestie's officers are not obeyed, he can never be served."-I suppose Wimbledon was not believed; for after this he was not employed, though he had been a creature of Buckingham's.. 1 About this time likewise Charles sent the duke of Buckingham and the earl of Holland ambassadors to the United Provinces, where they met those of France, Holland, and Denmark, and concluded a league against the Emperor and the king of Spain, for the restoring the Palatinate and the liberties of Germany. Whereupon the king of Denmark took up arms, and was assisted by six thousand men from England, under the command of Sir Charles Morgan. But he was soon defeated by Tilly the imperial general, and forced to make peace with the Emperor; by which means the hope of restoring that country was lost, and Charles was moreover reflected on for not giving the assistance he had promised". After these ill successes, arms were no more recurred to against the Emperor or Spain; but a peace was concluded with the latter, and proclaimed at London, November 27, 1631. Whoever calls to mind the zeal the parliament in James's time expressed for a rupture with Spain, and a Cabala, p. 405. See Nani's History of Venice, p. 255. fol. Lond. 1673. and Acta Regia, p. 555. miniously; and nothing against that nation the recovery of the Palatinate by force of arms, may well enough wonder at the small supplies given by Charles's parliament for these ends. Lord Clarendon reflects on this parliament for refusing to supply the king, according to his desire, out of hatred to Buckingham, "whom they called the corrupter of the king, and betrayer of the liberties of the people, without," says he, "imputing the least crime to him, to have been committed since the time of that exalted adulation [when he returned with the prince from Spain, and was called our saviour], or that was not then as much known to them as it could be nowa " But in answer hereunto, lord Bolingbroke remarks, "that the parliaments, which met after the accession of king Charles, became incensed, as they discovered more and more that the account given by the duke of Buckingham, in the reign of king James, and on which the resolutions of that parliament had been taken, was false in almost every point. A system of lies, dressed up to deceive the nation, and imposed on the parliament, could neither remain undiscovered, nor escape the resentment and indignation it deserved, when discovered. Besides, that parliament, and the nation too, when they expressed so much joy at the breach with Spain, flattered themselves that, by preventing the marriage with the Infanta, they had prevented all the dangers which they apprehended from that marriage; whereas it appeared soon afterwards, that they stood exposed to the very same dangers by the marriage concluded with France; nay, to greater; since the education of the children by the mother, that is, in popery, had been confined to ten years by the former treaty, and was extended to thirteen by the * Clarendon, vol. I. p. 26. |
