t princes, the
extreme difficulties under which they labored at home, and the great
security which they enjoyed from foreign enemies, had rendered them
negligent of the transactions on the continent; and England, during
their reigns, had been, in a manner, overlooked in the general system of
Europe. The bold and restless genius of the protector led him to extend
his alliances and enterprises to every part of Christendom; and partly
from the ascendant of his magnanimous spirit, partly from the situation
of foreign kingdoms, the weight of England, even under its most legal
and bravest princes, was never more sensibly felt than during this
unjust and violent usurpation.

A war of thirty years, the most signal and most destructive that had
appeared in modern annals, was at last finished in Germany,[*] and by
the treaty of Westphalia, were composed those fatal quarrels which had
been excited by the palatine's precipitate acceptance of the crown of
Bohemia. The young palatine was restored to part of his dignities and of
his dominions.[**] The rights, privileges, and authority of the several
members of the Germanic body were fixed and ascertained: sovereign
princes and free states were in some degree reduced to obedience under
laws: and by the valor of the heroic Gustavus, the enterprises of the
active Richelieu, the intrigues of the artful Mazarine, was in part
effected, after an infinite expense of blood and treasure, which had
been fondly expected and loudly demanded from the feeble efforts of
the pacific James, seconded by the scanty supplies of his jealous
parliaments.

* In 1648.

** This prince, during the civil wars, had much neglected
his uncle, and paid court to the parliament; he accepted of
a pension of eight thousand pounds a year from them, and
took a place in their assembly of divines.

Sweden, which had acquired by conquest large dominions in the north of
Germany, was engaged in enterprises which promised her, from her success
and valor, still more extensive acquisitions on the side both of Poland
and of Denmark. Charles X., who had mounted the throne of that kingdom
after the voluntary resignation of Christina, being stimulated by the
fame of Gustavus, as well as by his own martial disposition, carried his
conquering arms to the south of the Baltic, and gained the celebrated
battle of Warsaw, which had been obstinately disputed during the space
of three days. The protector, at the