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EISE OP THE CONTINENTALwould have made him as undecided as ever. Hence themelancholy part which he took in this eventful period.idle show of assistance was all that his son-in-law receivedfrom him.But if James I. thus betrayed the continental interests ofEngland, this neglect brought its own punishment, and thata severe one. The power which, under his predecessor,had turned the scales in the political balance of Europe,now sank into such insignificance as almost to become theridicule of Europe. Our inquiry thus far has shown, thatthe relations between England and the continent were as yetvery simple, when compared to those of later times ;and yether history, even under James I, clearly shows that a neglectof her continental interests is with her the signal of decline.It is true, that the reign of his ill-fated son began with atwofold war, with Spain and with France ;but the first arosefrom the failure of the scheme of marriage, and was foundedonly on family interests ;the other aimed at the defence ofthe Hugonots in France, who had been disarmed by Richelieu, and therefore the support of religion might be supposedto be involved in it ;but the real cause was hatred of thatAnminister ;while both were carried on in so weak and spiritless a manner, that they only served to embroil Charles I.with his parliament. Although Charles took some share inthe affairs of Germany and of the Palatine family, it was soinconsiderable, that it led to no results; and it was veryevident that he was induced to it, not so much by religiousor national, as by family interests. The true continental interest of England was left out of sight and when the storm;in his own country beganto gather, he had no time to giveany attention to foreign affairs, and England remained as itwere isolated in the European system, until Cromwell (1649)had possessed himself of the helm of state. The government of that bold usurper is distinguished, not only bymore aactive interest in the transient affairs of the continent,but also for the lasting consequences which resulted fromit The stormy times of the revolution had roused a powerin England hitherto unknown ; almost every one who wascapable of it had carried arms, and the spirit of faction hadcreated moral energies, which can be brought into actiononly at such periods.To this must be added the fact, that,