And never had such immense results hung on his resolve. Great
as was the importance of the struggle at home, it was for a while to be
utterly overshadowed by the greatness of the struggle which was opening
abroad. The dangers which Cecil had foreseen in Germany were fast
drawing to a head. Though he had failed to put England in a position to
meet them, the dying statesman remained true to his policy. In 1612 he
brought about a marriage between the king's daughter, Elizabeth, and the
heir of the Elector Palatine, who was the leading prince in the
Protestant Union. Such a marriage was a pledge that England would not
tamely stand by if the Union was attacked; while the popularity of the
match showed how keenly England was watching the dangers of German
Protestantism, and how ready it was to defend it. But the step was
hardly taken when Cecil's death left James free to pursue a policy of
his own. The king was as anxious as his minister to prevent an outbreak
of strife; and his daughter's bridal gave him a personal interest in the
question. But he was far from believing with Cecil that the support of
England was necessary for effective action. On the contrary, his quick,
shallow intelligence held that it had found a way by which the Crown
might at once exert weight abroad and be rendered independent of the
nation at home. This was by a joint action with Spain. Weakened as were
the resources of Spain by her struggle in the Netherlands, she was known
to be averse from the opening of new troubles in Germany; and James
might fairly reckon on her union with him in the work of peace. Her
influence with the German branch of the House of Austria, as well as the
weight her opinion had with every Catholic power, made her efforts even
more important than those of James with the Calvinists. And that such a
union could be brought about the king never doubted. His son was growing
to manhood; and for years Spain had been luring James to a closer
friendship by hints of the Prince's marriage with an Infanta. Such a
match would not only gratify the pride of a sovereign who in his
earlier days in his little kingdom had been overawed by the great
Catholic monarchy, and on whose imagination it still exercised a spell,
but it would proclaim to the world the union of the powers in the work
of peace, while it provided James with the means of action. For poor as
Spain really was, she was still looked upon as the richest state in the
world; and the kin