his main strength, had on one
occasion refused to fight, because they had not received their pay. He
himself threw the chief blame on the English for the defeat which he
now sustained at Lutter; and which was the more decisive, as meanwhile
Mansfeld also, who wished to turn his steps to the hereditary
dominions of Austria in order to combine with the Prince of
Transylvania, had been not only defeated, but almost annihilated. The
armies which were to have defended the Protestant cause disappeared
from off the field. The forces of the Emperor and of the League now
occupied North Germany also on both sides of the Elbe.

To Germany the alliance with England had at that time brought no good.
It may be doubted whether the Elector Palatine would have accepted the
crown of Bohemia but for the support which he thought to find in
England. This affair had a great part in bringing on the outbreak of
the great religious conflict. But James I sought to retrieve the
misfortune into which the Elector had fallen, not so much by employing
his own power, as by developing his relations with the Spaniards; and
thus he had himself given them the opportunity of establishing
themselves in the Palatinate, and had caused the Catholic reaction to
triumph in Upper Germany. Without the instigation of England, and the
great combination of the powers in East and West hostile to the house
of Austria, the King of Denmark would not have determined to begin
war, nor would the circle of Lower Saxony have aided him. On this
occasion as on others in England the interests of its own power
outweighed consideration for the allies. The policy of the English had
formerly been ruled by their friendly relations with Spain: it was now
ruled by their hostile intentions towards that country. All available
forces were employed for their purpose, and the movement in Germany
was left to its fate.

Meanwhile another consequence of the breach with Spain came to light,
which King James had always feared. In order not to be forced to fight
both great powers at once, Spain found it advisable to show a
compliance hitherto unprecedented in the affairs of Italy, in which
France had interested herself. After this the irritation against the
ascendancy of the Spaniards evidently abated in France.

For in alliances of great powers it is self-evident that their
political points of view, if for a moment they coincide, must
nevertheless in a short time be again opposed to one anoth