Page:History of the Thirty Years' War - Gindely - Volume 1.djvu/193

 Carron, the Dutch ambassador in England, against whose urgent appeals James could defend himself only by the evasion that he must await Lord Doncaster’s report of his mission before taking further steps. The Dutch ambassador allowed himself to be deceived with this evasion, for he carried away from the audience the impression that the King would not long delay with his aid, but would merely allow a certain time to elapse, and then fully attach himself to the Palsgrave’s cause. This hope proved to be vain, for in the final audience with Dohna (October 6th, 1619) there was no thought of aid, but simply a pouring forth of complaints that his son-in-law’s unjustifiable and hasty acceptance of the Bohemian crown had placed him in a false light with Spain and the Emperor. To this expression corresponds also his instruction to Lord Doncaster, according to which the latter was to declare to the States-General that his honor would not allow him to take any part in the Bohemian quarrel, since, if he did, it might be thought that an understanding between him and his son-in-law had led the latter to accept the crown. He charged his ambassador in Spain to convey to King Philip a copy of the entire correspondence which he had carried on with the Union in relation to German affairs, in order to show Philip how greatly his counsels had differed from the course pursued, and that the foreknowledge of this had not been confided to him. The result of his peculiar attitude was that the States-General, who were ready to support his son-in-law by the monthly payment of 50,000 florins, declared that they would discontinue this payment in case of James’ refusing his aid.

After the Palsgrave had decided to accept the Bohemian crown, he gathered up in Heidelberg the most of his ac-