Soo The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. II. Kingjames L cap o from your head, and put it on the king of Spain's. The Spaniards ' b gave out, that the defign of the prince's journey was to reconcile himfeif wilfon, . to the church of Rome. It is certain the pope wrote to the bifhop of p. 233. Conchen, to lay hold of this opportunity to convert him ; and direéted a Rapin, molt perfuafive letter to the prince himfeif to the fame purpofe, dated P. 535 April 20, 1623, which the prince anfwered June loth. in a very obliging manner, giving the pope the title of MOST HOLY FATHER, and encou- raging him to expert, that when he came to the crown there fhould be but one religion in his dominions, feeing, fays he, that both catholicks and proteflants believe in one Jefus Chrift. He was ftrongly folicited to change his religion by fome of the firft quality, and by the moft learned priefts and jefuits, who careffed his highnefs with fpeeches, dedicated books to him, invited him to their procefiîons, and gave him a view of their moft magnificent churches and reliques; by which artifices, though he was not converted, he was confirmed in his refolution of attempting a coa- lition of the two. churches; for the attempting of which he afterwards loft Ib. 558. both his crown and life. It was happy, after all, that the prince got fafe rideNate. out of the Spank territories, which as Spanheim obferves, that politick court would not have permitted, had they not confidered, that the queen of Bohemia, next heir to the crown, was agreater enemy to popery than her The match brother. But after all, when this memorable treaty of marriage had been brake al; upon the carpet feven years, and wanted nothing but celebration, the portion being fettled, the pope's difpenfation obtained, the marriage ar- ticles fworn to on both fides, and the very day of confummation by proxy appointed, it was broke off by the influence of the duke of Buckingham upon the prince, who ordered the earl of Brol not to deliver the proxy till the time limited by the difpenfation was expired; the king of Spain fufpeéting the defign, in order to throw all the blame upon the king of England, figned a promife with his own hand and delivered it to the am- baffador, wherein he obliged himfeif to caufe the Palatinate to be reftored to the elector Palatine, in cafe the marriage took effe6t; but his high- nefs was immoveable, and obliged the king to recai his ambafl'ador. i624. From this time theprince and duke feemedto turn puritans, the latter R newPar- having taken Dr. f ohn Pre/ion, one of their chiefminifters, into his fervice, Lament. to confult him about alienating the dean and chapter lands to the purpofes ofpreaching. They alfo advifed the king to convene a parliament, which his majefty did, and made fuch a fpeech to them, as one would think impoflible to come from the fame lips with the former. " I affure you, (fays he, fpeakingof the Spani/h match). on the faith ofa chriftian king, " that it is res integra prefented unto you, and that I ftand not bound, nor " Ó either way engaged, but remain free tó followwhat (hail be beft advifed." His majefty adds, " I can truly fay, and will avouch it before the feat of
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