mes justly became
apprehensive, lest so unequal a contest, besides ravaging the palatine's
hereditary dominions, would end in the total alienation of the people's
affections from their ancient sovereign, by whom they were plundered,
and in an attachment to their new masters, by whom they were
protected.[*] He persuaded, therefore, his son-in-law to disarm, under
color of duty and submission to the emperor; and, accordingly, Mansfeldt
was dismissed from the palatine's service; and that famous general
withdrew his army into the Low Countries, and there received a
commission from the states of the United Provinces.

To show how little account was made of James's negotiations abroad,
there is a pleasantry mentioned by all historians, which, for that
reason, shall have place here. In a farce, acted at Brussels, a courier
was introduced carrying the doleful news, that the Palatinate would
soon be wrested from the house of Austria; so powerful were the succors
which, from all quarters, were hastening to the relief of the despoiled
elector: the king of Denmark had agreed to contribute to his assistance
a hundred thousand pickled herrings, the Dutch a hundred thousand
butter-boxes, and the king of England a hundred thousand ambassadors. On
other occasions, he was painted with a scabbard, but without a sword,
or with a sword which nobody could draw, though several were pulling at
it.[**]

* Parl. Hist. vol. v. p. 484.

** Kennet, p. 749.

It was not from his negotiations with the emperor or the duke of
Bavaria, that James expected any success in his project of restoring the
palatine: his eyes were entirely turned towards Spain; and if he could
effect his son's marriage with the infanta, he doubted not but that,
after so intimate a conjunction, this other point could easily be
obtained. The negotiations of that court being commonly dilatory, it
was not easy for a prince of so little penetration in business, to
distinguish whether the difficulties which occurred were real or
affected; and he was surprised, after negotiating five years on so
simple a demand, that he was not more advanced than at the beginning.
A dispensation from Rome was requisite for the marriage of the infanta
with a Protestant prince; and the king of Spain, having undertaken to
procure that dispensation, had thereby acquired the means of retarding
at pleasure, or of forwarding the marriage, and at the same time of
concealing entirely his artifices