hemians: in conversation he advocated the right of Austria.

Spain and the League, as was inevitable, joined forces with Austria.
In the first instance the Palatinate itself was the object of their
joint attack. How could men have helped thinking that King James would
resolutely take the inheritance of his grandsons under his protection?
The Union invited him to do so, reminding him of the obligation
imposed on him by his connexion with them mentioned above: they said
it was no favour, but justice which they demanded of him. But James
replied that he had pledged himself only to repel open and
unjustifiable attacks, but that in the present case the Palatinate was
the attacking party, and that Austria stood on the defensive. The
Union presently saw itself compelled to conclude a treaty with the
League, which left that power free to act against Bohemia. The
Palatinate however was not secured thereby against the Spaniards.[405]
To effect this, it would have been deemed advisable to make an attack
from Holland on the Spanish Netherlands; for if a single fortified
place had been occupied there, the Palatinate would have had nothing
more to fear from Spain. But to this measure also James refused his
consent: he thought that this would be equivalent to beginning war,
which he did not wish.

The general sympathy of the nation was strong enough at last to cause
a large English regiment of 2500 men, under Horace Vere, to be sent on
the continent, in order that the Palatinate, on which the Spaniards
now advanced, might not become utterly a prey to them. The Earls of
Essex and Oxford, who had contributed most to raise the regiment,
themselves took part in the campaign. They were joined by many other
young men of leading families, who wished to learn the art of war. But
they had received from the King positive commands to commit no act of
hostility. The troops of the Union, who showed themselves quite ready
to fight the Spaniards, were withheld by the threat that in that case
the King would recall these troops instead of sending two more
regiments to join them, the hope of which he held out to them in the
event of their obedience. It was enough for the King that the English
troops occupied the most important places. Vere held Mannheim, Herbert
Heidelberg, Burrows Frankenthal; while the greater part of the country
fell into the hands of the Spaniards.

Europe had reason to be alarmed at the advantage which accrued to the
Spanish mo