That learned and eloquent author, Estelle Calvete, even filled the greater part of a volume, in which he described the journey of the Prince, with a minute description of these feasts and jousts, but we may reasonably conclude that to the loyal imagination of his eulogist Philip is indebted for most of these knightly trophies.  It was the universal opinion of unprejudiced cotemporaries, that he was without a spark of enterprise.  He was even censured for a culpable want of ambition, and for being inferior to his father in this respect, as if the love of encroaching on his neighbor’s dominions, and a disposition to foreign. commotions and war would have constituted additional virtues, had he happened to possess them.  Those who were most disposed to think favorably of him, remembered that there was a time when even Charles the Fifth was thought weak and indolent, and were willing to ascribe Philip’s pacific disposition to his habitual cholic and side-ache, and to his father’s inordinate care for him in youth.  They even looked forward to the time when he should blaze forth to the world as a conqueror and a hero.  These, however, were views entertained by but few; the general and the correct opinion, as it proved, being, that Philip hated war, would never certainly acquire any personal distinction in the field, and when engaged in hostilities would be apt to gather his laurels at the hands of his generals, rather than with his own sword.  He was believed to be the reverse of the Emperor.  Charles sought great enterprises, Philip would avoid them.  The Emperor never recoiled before threats; the son was reserved, cautious, suspicious of all men, and capable of sacrificing a realm from hesitation and timidity.  The father had a genius for action, the son a predilection for repose.  Charles took “all men’s opinions, but reserved his judgment,” and acted on it, when matured, with irresistible energy; Philip was led by others, was vacillating in forming decisions, and irresolute in executing them when formed.

Philip, then, was not considered, in that warlike age, as likely to shine as a warrior.  His mental capacity, in general, was likewise not very highly esteemed.  His talents were, in truth, very much below mediocrity.  His mind was incredibly small.  A petty passion for contemptible details characterized him from his youth, and, as long as he lived, he could neither learn to generalize, nor understand that one man, however diligent, could not be minutely acquainted with all the public and private affairs of fifty millions of other men.  He was a glutton of work.  He was born to write despatches, and to scrawl comments upon those which he received.