Virginia Argus

From the London Monthly Magazine

MEMOIRS OF THE PRINCE OF PEACE

Concluded.

This was the most noble and most ancient council in Europe annihilated by the puerile frenzy of a mushroom duke; a council instituted by Alonzo XI. and the conquerors of the Moors in the end of the 15th or beginning of the 16th century; a council too from whose bosom sprung some of the most wise and salutary laws, conceived in a genuine spirit of humanity, justice, and I would say liberty, were the word intelligible. The ancient council, which pointedly admonished the Emperor Charles V. and which repeatedly checked the sanguinary ambition of the Philips, is now no more. True, another under the same name has been called into existence, but it serves only to emblazon the shield of the Prince of Peace, and not to protect the rights and the immunities of the nation. The war with France commenced and during the time that the Spanish soldiers continued advancing into the French territories they behaved with uncommon bravery, often fighting and conquering with two to three. The discordancy in the cabinet councils occasioned them to receive orders to retire immediately into the Spanish territory, and to act for the future on the defensive only. This order struck a panic through the whole army; and they conceived themselves insulted and betrayed, and never after fought with inclination or courage. The frontier towns fell before the French almost on their approach; and there remained no alternative to save the country, but by making peace. This the short-sighted Duke thought could not be bought too dear under the circumstances, and consequently made a treaty, the folly of which posterity will lament. By this treaty the Spanish territory was curtailed; St. Domingo and Louisiana were delivered up to France; and an article was concluded, by which Spain was to furnish France with so many ships of the line, well equipped, whenever the latter power should be at war; and also to pay, support and clothe 35,000 French soldiers to protect Spain whether in war or peace. For this treaty the besotted Charles IV. made our hero "Principe de la Paz, y Capitan General de los Exercitos Espanoles por Tierra y por Mar;" giving him at the same time new dominions, and the revenues of several ruined monasteries. Hitherto the impropriety of the Prince's conduct seems the natural consequence of his ignorance; but as his power and titles increased, his character appears marked with traits of treachery, cruelty and tyranny which never can be erased. I allude to his treatment of Don Gasper Melchior de Jovellanos; a man of taste and genius; a philosopher, statesman and agriculturist, not inferior to any other in Europe. He originally courted, admired and became the assumed friend of this philosopher, and afterwards, without any other cause than his superior talents, which were uniformly directed by wisdom and penetration to the renovation of his unhappy country, became his most cruel and inveterate enemy, condemning him causelessly to a miserable prison in Mallorca, where he was precipitated from the first secretary of state-ship, denied all communication with his friends (even with his wife) and the use of pen, ink and paper, and where he still drags out a miserable, solitary existence. The cruel and unjust sufferings of this most worthy man will forever stain the character of our hero with infamy and detestation. His conduct to two other respectable characters, but of less notoriety, was equally criminal and ferocious, falsely accusing them of partiality to the English. About this period, his whimsical marriage with one of the princesses royal took place. His power now being absolute, and quite independent of the queen, his contempt of her increased daily; which she perceiving, and never being able to discover whether he was married, proposed to her Manuelito (a diminutive of great tenderness in Spanish,) in the public levee, to marry one of the princesses, then present, to whom she pointed. The prince answered, "that he was always ready to receive the favors of her majesty;" and the then archbishop of Toledo (an Italian) being present, the nuptials were celebrated immediately. This was the completion of his power. At the re-establishment of the Pope, he obliged the bishops of Spain, who enjoined the authority of Popes in their respective districts, during the interregnum, to tender their obeisance to the new Pope, who in return constituted him Protector of the Holy Catholic faith; & the archbishop of Toledo, who celebrated his nuptials, was translated to Rome with a cardinal's hat. The present archbishop of Toledo and primate of Spain, Louis de Bourbon, is his matrimonial uncle. On the declaration of the unprovoked and unjust war against Portugal, our hero placed himself at the head of the soldiers, as generalissimo of the army; but his principal and only achievement was the breaking open some convents of women, and dispersing the nuns throughout the country; a conduct not very consistent with a protector of the Catholic faith. Whilst we view his political character we behold it tissue with errors, crimes, and occasionally traits of benevolence; but from his private character we shrink with horror and disgust, at his endless and unlimited debaucheries, unparalleled in any Christian age or country. By amour he acquired his power and honor, and by