WILLIAM AND MARY.

75

dull and bigoted. His mind misgave him that the war against chap.France was, in some sense, a war against the Catholic religion; - ‘^ 2 —and the war against Turkey was a crusade. His recent cam-paign on the Danube had been successful. He might easilyhave concluded an honourable peace with the Porte, and haveturned his arms westward. But he had conceived the hope thathe might extend his hereditary dominions at the expense of theInfidels. Visions of a triumphant entry into Constantinopleand of a Te Deum in Saint Sophia’s had risen in his brain. Henot only employed in the East a force more than sufficient tohave defended Piedmont and reconquered Loraine; but heseemed to think that England and Holland were bound toreward him largely for neglecting their interests and pursuinghis own - *

Spain already was what she continued to be down to our Spain,own time. Of the Spain which had domineered over the landand the ocean, over the Old and the New World, of the Spainwhich had, in the short space of twelve years, led captive aPope and a King of France, a Sovereign of Mexico and aSovereign of Peru, of the Spain which had sent an army to thewalls of Paris and had equipped a mighty fleet to invade Eng-land, nothing remained but an arrogance which had onceexcited terror and hatred, but which could now excite onlyderision. In extent, indeed, the dominions of the CatholicKing exceeded those of Rome when Rome was at the zenith ofpower. But the huge mass lay torpid and helpless, and couldbe insulted or despoiled with impunity. The whole administra-tion, military and naval, financial and colonial, was utterlydisorganized. Charles was a fit representative of his kingdom,impotent physically, intellectually and morally, sunk inignorance, listlessness and superstition, yet swollen with anotion of his own dignity, and quick to imagine and to resent

* Burnet, it. 82, 83.; Correspondence of William and Heinsius, passim.