the unseen world and other essays-第42节

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ific　methods　of　interpreting　natural　phenomena。　The　sixteenth　century　has　to　us　therefore　the　interest　belonging　to　a　rounded　and　completed　tale。　It　contains　within　itself　substantially　the　entire　history　of　the　final　stage　of　the　theological　reformation。

This　great　period　falls　naturally　into　two　divisions；　the　first　corresponding　very　nearly　with　the　reigns　of　Charles　V。　and　Henry　VIII。；　and　the　second　with　the　age　of　Philip　II。　and　Elizabeth。　The　first　of　these　periods　was　filled　with　the　skirmishes　which　were　to　open　the　great　battle　of　the　Reformation。　At　first　the　strength　and　extent　of　the　new　revolution　were　not　altogether　apparent。　While　the　Inquisition　was　vigorously　crushing　out　the　first　symptoms　of　disaffection　in　Spain；　it　at　one　time　seemed　as　if　the　Reformers　were　about　to　gain　the　whole　of　the　Empire；　besides　acquiring　an　excellent　foothold　in　France。　Again；　while　England　was　wavering　between　the　old　and　the　new　faith；　the　last　hopes　of　the　Reform　in　Germany　seemed　likely　to　be　destroyed　by　the　military　genius　of　Charles。　But　in　Maurice；　the　red…bearded　hero　of　Saxony；　Charles　found　more　than　his　match。　The　picture　of　the　rapid　and　desperate　march　of　Maurice　upon　Innspruck；　and　of　the　great　Emperor　flying　for　his　life　at　the　very　hour　of　his　imagined　triumph；　has　still　for　us　an　intenser　interest　than　almost　any　other　scene　of　that　age；　for　it　was　the　event　which　proved　that　Protestantism　was　not　a　mere　local　insurrection　which　a　monarch　like　Charles　could　easily　put　down；　but　a　gigantic　revolution　against　which　all　the　powers　in　the　world　might　well　strive　in　vain。

With　the　abdication　of　Charles　in　1556　the　new　period　may　be　said　to　begin；　and　it　is　here　that　Mr。　Motley's　history　commences。　Events　crowded　thick　and　fast。　In　1556　Philip　II。；　a　prince　bred　and　educated　for　the　distinct　purpose　of　suppressing　heresy；　succeeded　to　the　rule　of　the　most　powerful　empire　which　had　been　seen　since　the　days　of　the　Antonines。　In　the　previous　year　a　new　era　had　begun　at　the　court　of　Rome。　The　old　race　of　pagan　pontiffs；　the　Borgias；　the　Farneses；　and　the　Medicis；　had　come　to　an　end；　and　the　papal　throne　was　occupied　by　the　puritanical　Caraffa；　as　violent　a　fanatic　as　Robespierre；　and　a　foe　of　freedom　as　uncompromising　as　Philip　II。　himself。　Under　his　auspices　took　place　the　great　reform　in　the　Church　signalized　by　the　rise　of　the　Jesuits；　as　the　reform　in　the　thirteenth　century　had　been　attended　by　the　rise　of　the　Cordeliers　and　Dominicans。　His　name　should　not　be　forgotten；　for　it　is　mainly　owing　to　the　policy　inaugurated　by　him　that　Catholicism　was　enabled　to　hold　its　ground　as　well　as　it　did。　In　1557　the　next　year；　the　strength　of　France　was　broken　at　St。　Quentin；　and　Spain　was　left　with　her　hands　free　to　deal　with　the　Protestant　powers。　In　1558；　by　the　accession　of　Elizabeth；　England　became　committed　to　the　cause　of　Reform。　In　1559　the　stormy　administration　of　Margaret　began　in　the　Netherlands。　In　1560　the　Scotch　nobles　achieved　the　destruction　of　Catholicism　in　North　Britain。　By　this　time　every　nation　except　France；　had　taken　sides　in　the　conflict　which　was　to　last；　with　hardly　any　cessation；　during　two　generations。

Mr。　Motley；　therefore；　in　describing　the　rise　and　progress　of　the　united　republic　of　the　Netherlands；　is　writing　not　Dutch　but　European　history。　On　his　pages　France；　Spain；　and　England　make　almost　as　large　a　figure　as　Holland　itself。　He　is　writing　the　history　of　the　Reformation　during　its　concluding　epoch；　and　he　chooses　the　Netherlands　as　his　main　subject；　because　during　that　period　the　Netherlands　were　the　centre　of　the　movement。　They　constituted　the　great　bulwark　of　freedom；　and　upon　the　success　or　failure　of　their　cause　the　future　prospect　of　Europe　and　of　mankind　depended。　Spain　and　the　Netherlands；　Philip　II。　and　William　the　Silent；　were　the　two　leading　antagonists　and　were　felt　to　be　such　by　the　other　nations　and　rulers　that　came　to　mingle　in　the　strife。　It　is　therefore　a　stupid　criticism　which　we　have　seen　made　upon　Mr。　Motley；　that；　having　brought　his　narrative　down　to　the　truce　of　1609；　he　ought；　instead　of　describing　the　Thirty　Years'　War；　to　keep　on　with　Dutch　history；　and　pourtray　the　wars　against　Cromwell　and　Charles　II。；　and　the　struggle　of　the　second　William　of　Orange　against　Louis　XIV。　By　so　doing　he　would　only　violate　the　unity　of　his　narrative。　The　wars　of　the　Dutch　against　England　and　France　belong　to　an　entirely　different　epoch　in　European　history；a　modern　epoch；　in　which　political　and　commercial　interests　were　of　prime　importance；　and　theological　interests　distinctly　subsidiary。　The　natural　terminus　of　Mr。　Motley's　work　is　the　Peace　of　Westphalia。　After　bringing　down　his　history　to　the　time　when　the　independence　of　the　Netherlands　was　virtually　acknowledged；　after　describing　the　principal　stages　of　the　struggle　against　Catholicism　and　universal　monarchy；　as　carried　on　in　the　first　generation　by　Elizabeth　and　William；　and　in　the　second　by　Maurice　and　Henry；　he　will　naturally　go　on　to　treat　of　the　epilogue　as　conducted　by　Richelieu　and　Gustavus；　ending　in　the　final　cessation　of　religious　wars　throughout　Europe。

The　conflict　in　the　Netherlands　was　indeed　far　more　than　a　mere　religious　struggle。　In　its　course　was　distinctly　brought　into　prominence　the　fact　which　we　have　above　signalized；　that　since　the　Roman　Church　had　abandoned　the　liberties　of　the　people　they　had　found　a　new　defender　in　the　reformed　religion。　The　Dutch　rebellion　is　peculiarly　interesting；　because　it　was　a　revolt　not　merely　against　the　Inquisition；　but　also　against　the　temporal　sovereignty　of　Philip。　Besides　changing　their　religion；　the　sturdy　Netherlanders　saw　fit　to　throw　off　the　sway　of　their　legitimate　ruler；　and　to　proclaim　the　thrice　heretical　doctrine　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people。　In　this　one　respect　their　views　were　decidedly　more　modern　than　those　of　Elizabeth　and　Henry　IV。　These　great　monarchs　apparently　neither　understood　nor　relished　the　republican　theories　of　the　Hollanders；　though　it　is　hardly　necessary　for　Mr。　Motley　to　sneer　at　them　quite　so　often　because　they　were　not　to　an　impossible　degree　in　advance　of　their　age。　The　proclamation　of　a　republic　in　the　Netherlands　marked　of　itself　the　beginning　of　a　new　era；an　era　when　flourishing　communities　of　men　were　no　longer　to　be　bought　and　sold；　transferred　and　bequeathed　like　real　estate　and　chattels；　but　were　to　have　and　maintain　the　right　of　choosing　with　whom　and　under　whom　they　should　transact　their　affairs。　The　interminable　negotiations　for　a　truce；　which　fill　nearly　one　third　of　Mr。　Motley's　concluding　volume；　exhibit　with　striking　distinctness　the　difference　between　the　old　and　new　points　of　view。　Here　again　we　think　Mr。　Motley　errs　slightly；　in　calling　too　much　attention　to　the　prevaricating　diplomacy　of　the　Spanish　court；　and　too　little　to　its　manifest　inability　to　comprehend　the　demands　of　the　Netherlanders。　How　should　statesmen　brought　up　under　Philip　II。　and　kept　under　the　eye　of　the　Inquisition　be　expected　to　understand　a　claim　for　liberty　originating　in　the　rights　of　the　common　people　and　not　in　the　gracious　benevolence　or　intelligent

policy　of　the　King？　The　very　idea　must　have　been　practically　inconceivable　by　them。　Accordingly；　they　strove　by　every　available　device　of　chicanery　to　wheedle　the　Netherlanders　into　accepting　their　independence　as　a　gift　from　the　King　of　Spain。　But　to　such　a　piece　of　self…stultification　the　clear…sighted　Dutchmen　could　by　no　persuasion　be　brought　to　consent。　Their　independence；　they　argued；　was　not　the　King's　to　give。　They　had　won　it　from　him　and　his　father；　in　a　war　of　forty　years；　during　which　they　had　suffered　atrocious　miseries；　and　all　that　the　King　of　Spain　could　do　was　to　acknowledge　it　as　their　right；　and　cease　to　molest　them　in　future。　Over　this　point；　so　simple　to　us　but　knotty　enough　in　those　days；　the　commissioners　wrangled　for　nearly　two　years。　And　when　the　Spanish　government；　unable　to　carry　on　the　war　any　longer　without　risk　of　utter　bankruptcy；　and　daily　crippled　in　its　resources　by　the　attacks　of　the　Dutch　navy；　grudgingly　a　reed　to　a　truce　upon　the　Netherlanders'　terms；　it　virtually　acknowledged　its　own　defeat　and　the　downfall　of　the　principles　for　which　it　had　so　obstinately　fought。　By　the　truce　of　1609　the　republican　principle　was　admitted　by　the　most　despotic　of　governments。

Here　was　the　first　great　triumph　of　republicanism　over　monarchy；　and　it　was　not　long　in　bearing　fruits。　For　the　Dutch　revolution；　the　settlement　of　America　by　English　Puritans；　the　great　rebellion　of　the　Commons；　the　Revolution　of　1688；　the　revolt　of　the　American　Colonies；　and　the　general　overthrow　of　feudalism　in　1789；　are　but　successive　acts　in　the　same　drama　William　the　Silent　was　the　worthy　forerunner　of　Cromwell　and　Washington；　and　but　for　the　victory　which　he　won；　during　his　life　and　after　his　untimely　death；　the　subsequent　triumphs　of　civil　liberty　might　have　been　long；　postponed。

Over　the　sublime　figure　of　Williamsaevis　tranquillus　in　undiswe　should　be　glad　to　dwell；　but　we　are　not　reviewing　the　〃Rise　of　the　Dutch　Republic；〃　and　in　Mr。　Motley's　present　volumes　the　hero　of　toleration　appears　no　longer。　His　antagonist；　however；the　Philip　whom　God　for　some　inscrutable　purpose　permitted　to　afflict　Europe　dur