General desire for peace—­Political aspect of Europe—­Designs of the kings of England, France, and Spain concerning the United Provinces —­Matrimonial schemes of Spain—­Conference between the French ministers and the Dutch envoy—­Confidential revelations—­Henry’s desire to annex the Netherlands to France—­Discussion of the subject—­Artifice of Barneveld—­Impracticability of a compromise between the Provinces and Spain—­Formation of a West India Company—­ Secret mission from the archdukes to the Hague—­Reply of the States- General—­Return of the archdukes’ envoy—­Arrangement of an eight months’ armistice.

The general tendency towards a pacification in Europe at the close of the year could hardly be mistaken.  The languor of fatigue, rather than any sincere desire for peace seemed to make negotiations possible.  It was not likely that great truths would yet be admitted, or that ruling individuals or classes would recognise the rise of a new system out of the rapidly dissolving elements of the one which had done its work.  War was becoming more and more expensive, while commerce, as the world slowly expanded itself, and manifested its unsuspected resources, was becoming more and more lucrative.  It was not, perhaps, that men hated each other less, but that they had for a time exhausted their power and their love for slaughter.  Meanwhile new devices for injuring humanity and retarding its civilization were revealing themselves out of that very intellectual progress which ennobled the new era.  Although war might still be regarded as the normal condition of the civilized world, it was possible for the chosen ones to whom the earth and its fulness belonged, to inflict general damage otherwise than by perpetual battles.

In the east, west, north, and south of Europe peace was thrusting itself as it were uncalled for and unexpected upon the general attention.  Charles and his nephew Sigismund, and the false Demetrius, and the intrigues of the Jesuits, had provided too much work for Sweden, Poland, and Russia to leave those countries much leisure for mingling in the more important business of Europe at this epoch, nor have their affairs much direct connection with this history.  Venice, in its quarrels with the Jesuits, had brought Spain, France, and all Italy into a dead lock, out of which a compromise had been made not more satisfactory to the various parties than compromises are apt to prove.  The Dutch republic still maintained the position which it had assumed, a quarter of a century before, of actual and legal independence; while Spain, on the other hand, still striving after universal monarchy, had not, of course, abated one jot of its pretensions to absolute dominion over its rebellious subjects in the Netherlands.