第31章

butitisuncalledfor。Wedonotcaretohearaboutwhatthedespotmighthavedone。Weknowwhathediddo，andtherecordissufficientlydamning。ThereisnoharminourgivingtheDevilhisdue，orasLlorentewittilysays，“Ilnefautpascalomniermemel’Inquisition。“ Philipinheritedallhisfather’sbadqualities，withoutanyofhisgoodones；andsoitismucheasiertojudgehimthanhisfather。Charles，indeed，isoneofthosecharacterswhomonehardlyknowswhethertoloveorhate，toadmireordespise。Hehadmuchbadbloodinhim。CharlestheBoldandFerdinandofAragonwerenotgrandparentstobeproudof。YetwithallthisheinheritedfromhisgrandmotherIsabellamuchthatonecanlike，andhisface，aspreservedbyTitian，inspiteofitsfrowningbrowandthickBurgundianlip，isratherprepossessing，whilethefaceofPhilipissimplyodious。Inintellecthemustprobablybecalledgreat，thoughhispolicyoftenbetrayedthepettinessofselfishness。If，incomparisonwiththemediaevalemperorwhosefameheenvied，hemayjustlybecalledCharlestheLittle，hemaystill，whencomparedtoamoremodernemulatorofCharlemagne，——thefirstoftheBonapartes，——beconsideredgreatandenlightened。Ifhecouldlieandcheatmoreconsummatelythananycontemporarymonarch，notexceptinghisrival，Francis，hecouldstillbegrandlymagnanimous，whilethegenerosityofFrancisflowedonlyfromtheshallowsurfaceofamaudlingood-nature。Hespokemanylanguagesandhadthetastesofascholar，whilehissonhadonlytheinclinationsofanunfeelingpedagogue。Hehadaninklingofurbanity，andcouldinameasurebecomeallthingstoallmen，whilePhilipcouldnevershowhimselfexceptasagloomy，impracticablebigot。Itisforsomesuchreasonsasthese，Isuppose，thatMr。Buckle——nofriendtodespots——speakswellofCharles，andthatMr。Froudeismovedtotellthefollowinganecdote:WhilestandingbythegraveofLuther，andmusingoverthestrangecareerofthegiantmonkwhoseteachingshadgonesofartowreckhismostcherishedschemesandrenderhislifeafailure，somefanaticalbystanderadvisedtheEmperortohavethebodytakenupandburnedinthemarket-place。“Therewasnothing，“saysMr。Froude，“unusualintheproposal；itwasthecommonpracticeoftheCatholicChurchwiththeremainsofheretics，whowereheldunworthytobeleftinreposeinhallowedground。Therewasscarcely，perhapsanotherCatholicprincewhowouldhavehesitatedtocomply。ButCharleswasoneofnature’sgentlemen。Heanswered，’Iwarnotwiththedead。’“Mr。MotleytakesalesscharitableviewofthegreatEmperor。Hisgenerousindignationagainstallpersecutorsmakeshimsevere；andinoneofhisearliervolumes，whilespeakingofthefamousedictsforthesuppressionofheresyintheNetherlands，hesomewhereusestheword“murder。“Withoutattemptingtopalliatethecrimeofpersecution，IdoubtifitisquitefairtoCharlestocallhimamurderer。Wemustnotforgetthatpersecution，nowrightlydeemedanatrociouscrime，wasoncereallyconsideredbysomepeopleasacredduty；thatitwasnoneotherthanthecompassionateIsabellawhoestablishedtheSpanishInquisition；andthatthe“bloody“MaryTudorwasawomanwhowouldnotwilfullyhavedonewrong。Withtheprogressofcivilizationthetimewilldoubtlesscomewhenwarfare，havingceasedtobenecessary，willbethoughthighlycriminal；yetitwillnotthenbefairtoholdMarlboroughorWellingtonaccountablefortheliveslostintheirgreatbattles。Westillliveinanagewhenwaris，totheimaginationofsomepersons，surroundedwithfalseglories；andthegreatestofmoderngenerals[32]hasstillmanyundiscriminatingadmirers。YetthedayisnolesscertainlyathandwhentheedictsofCharlesV。 willbedeemedamorepardonableoffenceagainsthumanitythanthewantonmarchtoMoscow。 [32]ThiswaswrittenbeforethedeedsofMoltkehadeclipsedthoseofNapoleon。 PhilipII。wasdifferentfromhisfatherincapacityasadrudgingclerk，likeBoutwell，isdifferentfromabrilliantfinancierlikeGladstone。Inorganizationhedifferedfromhimasaboordiffersfromagentleman。Heseemedmadeofacoarserclay。Thedifferencebetweenthemiswellindicatedbytheirtastesatthetable。Bothwereterriblegluttons，afactwhichpuritaniccriticismmightsetdownasequallytothediscreditofeachofthem。Buteveninintemperancetherearedegreesofrefinement，andtheimpartialcriticoflifeandmannerswillnodoubtsaythatifonemustgetdrunk，letitbeonChateauMargauxratherthanoncommissarywhiskey。Pickledpartridges，plumpcapons，syrupsoffruits，delicatepastry，andrarefishwenttomakeupthedietofCharlesinhislastdaysatYuste。 ButthebeastlyPhilipwouldmakehimselfsickwithasurfeitofunderdonepork。 Whatevermaybesaidofthefather，wecanhardlygofarwronginascribingtheinstinctsofamurderertotheson。Henotonlyburnedheretics，butheburnedthemwithanairofenjoymentandself-complacency。HisnuptialswithElizabethofFrancewerecelebratedbyavastauto-da-fe。Hestudiedmurderasafineart，andwasasskilfulinprivateassassinationsasCelliniwasinengravingongems。ThesecretexecutionofMontigny，neverbroughttolightuntilthepresentcentury，wasaveritablechefd’oeuvreofthissort。ThecasesofEscobedoandAntonioPerezmayalsobecitedinpoint。DarksuspicionshungaroundtheprematuredeathofDonJohnofAustria，histoobrilliantandpopularhalf-brother。HeplannedthemurderofWilliamtheSilent，andrewardedtheassassinwithanannuityfurnishedbytherevenuesofthevictim’sconfiscatedestates。HekeptastaffofruffiansconstantlyinserviceforthepurposeoftakingoffElizabeth，HenryIV。，PrinceMaurice，Olden-Barneveldt，andSt。 Aldegonde。HeinstructedAlvatoexecutesentenceofdeathuponthewholepopulationoftheNetherlands。HeispartlyresponsibleforthemartyrdomsofRidleyandLatimer，andthejudicialmurderofCranmer。HefirstconceivedtheideaofthewholesalemassacreofSt。Bartholomew，manyyearsbeforeCatharinede’Medicicarrieditintooperation。Hisingratitudewasasdangerousashisrevengefulfanaticism。Thosewhohadbestservedhisinterestsweretheleastlikelytoescapetheconsequencesofhisjealousy。HedestroyedEgmont，whohadwonforhimthesplendidvictoriesofSt。QuentinandGravelines；and“withminuteandartistictreachery“heplotted“thedisgraceandruin“ofFarnese，“themanwhowashisnearblood-relation，andwhohadservedhimmostfaithfullyfromearliestyouth。“ContemporaryopinionevenheldhimaccountablefortheobscuredeathsofhiswifeElizabethandhissonCarlos；butM。Gachardhasshownthatthissuspicionisunfounded。Philipappearsperhapstobetteradvantageinhisdomesticthaninhispoliticalrelations。Yethewasaddictedtovulgarandmiscellaneousincontinence；towardthecloseofhislifeheseriouslycontemplatedmarryinghisowndaughterIsabella；andheendedbytakingforhisfourthwifehisniece，AnneofAustria，whobecamethemotherofhishalf-idioticsonandsuccessor。Weknowofnoroyalfamily，unlessitmaybetheClaudiansofRome，inwhichthetransmissionofmoralandintellectualqualitiesismorethoroughlyillustratedthaninthisBurgundianracewhichfortwocenturiesheldthesceptreofSpain。ThesonPhilipandthegrandmotherIsabellaarebothneedfulinordertocomprehendthestrangemixtureofgoodandevilinCharles。ButthedescendantsofPhilip——twogenerationsofidiocy，andathirdofutterimpotence——areasufficientcommentaryupontheorganizationandcharacteroftheirprogenitor。 SuchwasthemanwhofortwogenerationshadbeenconsideredthebulwarkoftheCatholicChurch；who，havingbeenatthebottomofnearlyallthevillanythathadbeenwroughtinEuropeforhalfacentury，wasyetabletodeclareuponhisdeath-bedthat“inallhislifehehadneverconsciouslydonewrongtoanyone。“Ataripeoldagehediedofafearfuldisease。Undertheinfluenceofatyphusfever，superveningupongout，hehadbeguntodecomposewhileyetalive。“Hissufferings，“saysMr。Motley，“werehorrible，butnosaintcouldhavemanifestedinthemmoregentleresignationorangelicpatience。HemoralizedontheconditiontowhichthegreatestprincesmightthusbebroughtatlastbythehandofGod，andbadethePrinceobservewellhisfather’spresentcondition，inorderthatwhenhetooshouldbelaidthuslow，hemightlikewisebesustainedbyaconsciencevoidofoffence。“Whatmoreisneededtocompletethedisgustingpicture？ Philipwasfanaticaluptothepointwherefanaticismbordersuponhypocrisy。Hewaspossessedwitha“greatmoralidea，“theideaofmakingCatholicismtheruleroftheworld，thathemightbetherulerofCatholicism。Why，itmaybesaid，shallthechargeoffanaticismbeallowedtoabsolveIsabellaandextenuatetheguiltofCharles，whileitonlystrengthensthecaseagainstPhilip？BecauseIsabellapersecutedhereticsinordertosavetheirsoulsfromaworsefate，whilePhilipburnttheminordertogetthemoutofhisway。Isabellawouldperhapshavegonetothestakeherself，iftherebyshemighthaveputanendtoheresy。PhilipwouldhaveseeneverysoulinEuropeconsignedtoeternalperditionbeforehewouldhaveyieldedupaniotaofhisclaimstouniversaldominion。HecouldsendAlvatobrowbeatthePope，aswellastooppresstheNetherlanders。HecouldcompassthedestructionoftheorthodoxEgmontandFarnese，aswellasofthehereticalWilliam。Hisunctuouspietyonlyaddstotheabhorrencewithwhichweregardhim；andhishumilityinfaceofdeathisneitherbetternorworsethantheassumedhumilitywhichhadbecomesecondnaturetoUriahHeep。Inshort，takehimforallinall，hewasprobablythemostloathsomecharacterinallEuropeanhistory。Hehasfrequentlybeencalled，byProtestanthistorians，anincarnatedevil；butwedonotthinkthatMephistopheleswouldacknowledgehim。HeshouldratherbeclassedamongthosecreaturesdescribedbyDanteas“aDiospiacentiedainemicisui。“ TheabdicationofCharlesV。leftPhilipruleroverwiderdominionsthanhadeverbeforebeenbroughttogetherundertheswayofoneman。InhisownrightPhilipwasmasternotonlyofSpain，butoftheNetherlands，FrancheComte，Lombardy，Naples，andSicily，withthewholeofNorthandSouthAmerica；besideswhichhewasmarriedtotheQueenofEngland。InthecourseofhisreignhebecamepossessedofPortugal，withallitsvastdomainsintheEastIndies。Hisrevenuesweregreaterthanthoseofanyothercontemporarymonarch；hisnavywasconsideredinvincible，andhisarmywasthebestdisciplinedinEurope。Allthesegreatadvantageshewasdestinedtothrowtothewinds。Inthestrifeforuniversalmonarchy，inthemadendeavourtosubjectEngland，Scotland，andFrancetohisowndominionandthetyrannyoftheInquisition，besidesre-conqueringtheNetherlands，allhisvastresourceswerewasted。TheDutchwaralone，likeabottomlesspit，absorbedallthathecouldpourintoit。Longbeforethewarwasover，orshowedsignsofdrawingtoanend，hisrevenueswerewasted，andhistroopsinFlandersweremutinousforwantofpay。HehadtorelyuponenergeticviceroyslikeFarneseandtheSpinolastofurnishfundsoutoftheirownpockets。Finally，hewasobligedtorepudiateallhisdebts；andwhenhediedtheSpanishempirewasinsuchabeggarlyconditionthatitquakedateveryapproachofahostileDutchfleet。Sucharesultisnotevidenceofastatesmanlikeability； butPhilip’sfanaticalselfishnesswasincompatiblewithstatesmanship。Henevercouldbemadetobelievethathisprojectshadsuffereddefeat。NosoonerhadtheInvincibleArmadabeensenttothebottombythegunsoftheEnglishfleetandthegalesoftheGermanOcean，thanhesentorderstoFarnesetoinvadeEnglandatoncewiththelandforceunderhiscommand！HethoughttoobtainScotland，when，afterthedeathofMary，ithadpassedundertheundisputedcontroloftheProtestantnoblemen。 HedreamedofsecuringforhisfamilythecrownofFrance，evenafterHenry，withfreeconsentofthePope，hadmadehistriumphalentryintoParis。HeassertedcompleteandentiresovereigntyovertheNetherlands，evenafterPrinceMauricehadwonbackfromhimthelastsquarefootofDutchterritory。Suchobstinacyasthiscanonlybecalledfatuity。IfPhiliphadlivedinPagantimes，hewoulddoubtless，likeCaligula，havedemandedrecognitionofhisowndivinity。