AstoFrance，thiseraoftheentirefalloftheSpanishpowerislikewisethatfromwhichwemayreckonthatFrancegrewasformidable，aswehaveseenher，toherneighbors，inpowerandpretensions。HenrytheFourthmeditatedgreatdesigns，andpreparedtoactagreatpartinEuropeintheverybeginningofthisperiod，whenRavaillacstabbedhim。Hisdesignsdiedwithhim，andareratherguessedatthanknown；forsurelythosewhichhishistorianPerefixeandthecompilersofSully’smemorialsascribetohim，ofaChristiancommonwealthdividedintofifteenstates，andofasenatetodecidealldifferences，andtomaintainthisnewconstitutionofEurope，aretoochimericaltohavebeenreallyhis：buthisgeneraldesignofabasingthehouseofAustria，andestablishingthesuperiorpowerinthatofBourbon，wastakenup，abouttwentyyearsafterhisdeath，byRichelieu，andwaspursuedbyhimandbyMazarinwithsomuchabilityandsuccess，thatitwaseffectedentirelybythetreatiesofWestphaliaandbythePyreneantreaty；thatis，attheendofthesecondofthoseperiodsIhavepresumedtoproposetoyourlordship。
Whenthethird，inwhichwenoware，willend，andwhatcircumstanceswillmarktheendofit，Iknownot；butthisIknow，thatthegreateventsandrevolutions，whichhavehappenedinthecourseofit，interestusstillmorenearlythanthoseofthetwoprecedentperiods。Iintendedtohavedrawnupanelenchusorsummaryofthethree，butIdoubted，onfurtherrejection，whethermymemorywouldenablemetodoitwithexactnessenough：andIsawthat，ifIwasabletodoit，thedeductionwouldbeimmeasurablylong。Somethingofthiskind，however，itmaybereasonabletoattempt，inspeakingofthelastperiod：whichmayhereafteroccasionafurthertroubletoyourlordship。
Buttogivesomebreathingtime，Iwillpostponeitatpresent，andaminthemeanwhile，Mylord，yours，&；c。
LETTER7
ASketchoftheStateofHistoryofEurope，FromthePyraneanTreatyinOneThousandSixHundredandFifty-Nine，totheYearOneThousandSixHundredandEighty-EightThefirstobservationIshallmakeonthisthirdperiodofmodernhistoryis，thatastheambitionofCharlestheFifth，whounitedthewholeformidablepowerofAustriainhimself，andtherestlesstemper，thecrueltyandbigotryofPhiliptheSecond，wereprincipallyobjectsoftheattentionandsolicitudeofthecouncilsofEurope，inthefirstoftheseperiods；andastheambitionofFerdinandtheSecond，andtheThird，whoaimedatnothinglessthanextirpatingtheprotestantinterest，andunderthatpretencesubduingthelibertiesofGermany，wereobjectsofthesamekindinthesecond：soanoppositiontothegrowingpowerofFrance，ortospeakmoreproperly，totheexorbitantambitionofthehouseofBourbon，hasbeentheprincipalaffairofEurope，duringthegreatestpartofthepresentperiod。ThedesignofaspiringtouniversalmonarchywasimputedtoCharlestheFifth，assoonashebegantogiveproofsofhisambitionandcapacity。ThesamedesignwasimputedtoLouistheFourteenth，assoonashebegantofeelhisownstrength，andtheweaknessofhisneighbors。Neitheroftheseprincesasinduced，Ibelieve，bytheflatteryofhiscourtiers；ortheapprehensionofhisadversaries，toentertainsochimericaladesignasthiswouldhavebeen，eveninthatfalsesensewhereintheworduniversalissooftenunderstood：andImistakeverymuchifeitherofthemwasofacharacter，orincircumstances，toundertakeit。Bothofthemhadstrongdesirestoraisetheirfamilieshigher，andtoextendtheirdominionsfarther；butneitherofthemhadthatboldandadventurousambitionwhichmakesaconquerorandahero。Theseapprehensions，however，weregivenwisely，andtakenusefully。Theycannotbegivennortakentoosoonwhensuchpowersasthesearise；becausewhensuchpowersasthesearebesiegedasitwereearly，bythecommonpolicyandwatchfulnessoftheirneighbors。eachofthemmayinhisturnofstrengthsallyforth，andgainalittleground；butnoneofthemwillbeabletopushtheirconquestfar；