kingdom, appeasing or putting down
religious strife and centralizing authority in the king; (2)
Resistance to the power of the House of Austria, which actually and
necessarily carried with it alliance with Protestant German States and
with Holland; (3) Extension of the boundaries of France to the
eastward, at the expense mainly of Spain, which then possessed not
only the present Belgium, but other provinces long since incorporated
with France; and (4) The creation and development of a great sea
power, adding to the wealth of the kingdom, and intended specially to
make head against France's hereditary enemy, England; for which end
again the alliance with Holland was to be kept in view. Such were the
broad outlines of policy laid down by statesmen in the front rank of
genius for the guidance of that country whose people have, not without
cause, claimed to be the most complete exponent of European
civilization, foremost in the march of progress, combining political
advance with individual development. This tradition, carried on by
Mazarin, was received from him by Louis XIV.; it will be seen how far
he was faithful to it, and what were the results to France of his
action. Meanwhile it may be noted that of these four elements
necessary to the greatness of France, sea power was one; and as the
second and third were practically one in the means employed, it may be
said that sea power was one of the two great means by which France's
_external_ greatness was to be maintained. England on the sea, Austria
on the land, indicated the direction that French effort was to take.

As regards the condition of France in 1660, and her readiness to move
onward in the road marked by Richelieu, it may be said that internal
peace was secured, the power of the nobles wholly broken, religious
discords at rest; the tolerant edict of Nantes was still in force,
while the remaining Protestant discontent had been put down by the
armed hand. All power was absolutely centred in the throne. In other
respects, though the kingdom was at peace, the condition was less
satisfactory. There was practically no navy; commerce, internal and
external, was not prosperous; the finances were in disorder; the army
small.

Spain, the nation before which all others had trembled less than a
century before, was now long in decay and scarcely formidable; the
central weakness had spread to all parts of the administration. In
extent of territory, however, she was still gr