Page:A General Sketch of Political History from the Earlist Times.djvu/304

 292 THE BOURBON AGE whereas England went on the principle of conceding privileges in return for cash, and leaving the development of commerce to the enterprise of the Companies, France went to the opposite extreme of making the state a controlling partner j and the event demon- strated the superiority of the English methods. Further, the development of a great over-seas commerce carried with it the necessity for a fighting navy; and under Colbert's regime a navy was created, which for a short time was actually able to rate itself as on an equality with the navy of Holland or England. Beside Colbert's activity in these directions, more system was brought into the organisation of the army, and special attention was given to what are called the scientific branches, artillery and engineering, with notable results. When Cromwell was ruling in England and Mazarin in France, the Lord Protector had made up his mind that the cause of 2 The Protestantism would be furthered by his alliance English with France against Spain, since France accepted Restoration. the theory of toleration, and Spain did not. To all appearance Charles n. was continuing the Protector's policy, by preserving friendly relations with his French cousin. But Charles was actuated by wholly different motives, while the French king's ambitions were taking a direction which would very soon have brought him into collision with Cromwell. Louis had married the Spanish Infanta with an eye to the Spanish succession. The French law of male succession did not 3. Louis XIV. a PPty m Spain, and between the bride of Louis and aggressive. the Spanish throne there stood only a sickly youth. It was true that she had renounced all her claims in consideration of a substantial dowry; still, until that dowry was paid, the re- The Nether- nunciation might be repudiated. But apart from the lands. possibility of putting forward a claim to the Spanish throne, Louis had discovered a technical plea on which he intended to claim on behalf of his wife sundry provinces of the Spanish Netherlands; on the ground that, according to the law in those provinces, the daughter of a first wife, as she was, suc- ceeded in priority to the son of a second, as was her brother Charles, the heir to the Spanish throne. In short Louis intended to have the Netherlands for himself, while holding in reserve a