ELISABETH FARNESE. * ELISABETH FARNESE took her place on the throne
of Spain at the end of the year 1714, after a scene which astonished all Europe, which was only the prelude to a career that always in- terested diplomatists and exercised the curiosity of historians. Daughter of Odoardo Farnese ; and by her sharp-spolcen mother's remarriage, stepdaughter of his brother, the reigning Duke of Parma; Queen-Consort of Spain from 1714 to 1746; by character and circumstances standing sharply out as a gigantic personality in great concerns, Elisabeth was a woman who sacrificed even herself to get her own way, a diplomatist and ruler who disliked, but immersed individuality in, work with * Elisabeth ramose : the Termagant of Spain. By Edward Armstrong, Yellow of Queen's College, Oxford. London and New York; Longman; Green, and Co.
which every statesman in Europe had to reckon. The histories of the personal diplomacies of the age, when there were nations, but no peoples, have a little fallen into oblivion since Waterloo crowned the series of naval, military, and diplomatic events which forced into new channels the commercial and foreign policies of the European circle, particularly as to the re- lations of France, Spain, and England. But some of them are vividly and clearly set forth in this scholarly monograph, which will doubtless be acceptable to the student of the period.
When Philip V. of Spain lost his young Queen, and it was imperative to supply him with another, he was fortunate enough to be guided into marriage with one content enough to satisfy his requirements, provided that she gained her own ends. Two were extremely practical,—always, that she should not be left like the ordinary penniless and powerless Queen-Dowager, and that her own children should be in time
provided for. But, beyond these aims of a personal character, she had also an immense love of power for the sake of power, such as is shown by many like women with smaller spheres of action. Mr. Armstrong sums up a comparison between Elizabeth of England and her of Spain (1692-1766), on whose head— "Bests the crown of conjugal fidelity. Both had a somewhat masculine temperament, leading them to prefer men to women. Both were characterised in a high degree by the quality which ambassadors term vivacity, and laymen a violent temper. Yet in each case passionate outbreaks had an element of art, or were at least under the control of reason. Both Queens, finally, were shifty in their means, but resolute in their ends. The life of Elisabeth Farnese, as a woman, was undramatically dull ; in her Royal capacity, it was a sensational success. The moral to crowned heads is not a good one. It is unnecessary to be educated, or even industrious. Unselfishness is disadvantageous. A reputation for bad temper furthers the fulfilment of desire. The end desired must be constantly in sight ; inconsistency has its place only in the choice of means. In the cricket-field, there was once a maxim that the successful bowler keeps on the wicket, but varies pace and pitch. This, in the game of politics, is the lesson learnt from the successes of Elisabeth."
Mr. Armstrong's book, therefore, although it has a personal title, is practically a political, or rather diplomatic study of the times when this woman occupied the attention of all Europe, employing all its forces to her own ends, and none the less making use of the nation she governed and the husband whom she ruled. She ruled at the highest price that woman can pay for power,—never to be weary: never literally
to let one hour—scarcely one minute—pass without pro- ceeding with her method of constant watchfulness, playing an apparently secondary (that she might actually have the primary) part in all national and international affairs in the perhaps most complicated, though it was thought to be the most absolute, monarchical system of Europe. She was an extraordinary woman. Adding to the studies of previous workers, and summarising the various and multifarious fragments of her contemporary and subsequent portrayers, Mr. Armstrong takes what we suppose is a more just view of her education and ability than is usually the case. The former has been greatly lauded as if it accounted
for the latter, and writers have forgotten that no woman who ever worked with her brains more objected to using them, unless her own advantage were in immediate ques- tion; though, in many ways, she proved the truth of the adage : "Idle folks take most pains." Elisabeth was greatly devoted to her stepfather, the reigning Duke of Parma ; and in letters from and about her to him, we get a vivid picture of the girL We are told what she was expected to do, and we see clearly in their earlier forms the defects and powers of the ripened woman. She had to rule, for Spain required a Queen, since Philip V. was on the throne. She would not apply herself to learn her work, and yet she used and wore out the brilliant abilities which forwarded her aims, and shattered the personalities which crossed her path with equal effect,—indeed, as no man could have done ; yet she never could reign except through her temporary instruments, to whom her gratitude was never shown.
To epitomise the history— even the personal history—in this study is almost impossible. Its compact, scholarly writing covers subjects upon which diffuseness might be ex- cused, but that would only add to the difficulty of making even the dominant character stand out from masses of detail and ,suggestions fraught with recollections (or, as some readers may discover, want of recollections) of the decisive events of Europe. The Princess Orsini and the abbot Alberoni, whose names meet us on the threshold of the story, must thus be taken for granted. Yet, without some knowledge of that woman's power and that statesman's boldness, we can scarcely measure what must have been the capacity of the young girl who so carefully pondered upon and so marvellously executed the man's advice, which resulted in the woman's eviction. No one in Europe hitherto but had repented any offence given to Madame des Ursine, yet, scarcely on the throne, by sheer strength of will Elisa- beth absolutely routed her would-be critic and governor. Never, in a civilised State, was downfall more complete in its disgrace and discomfort. If, as Mr. Armstrong tersely puts it, when the Princess "passed the mountains, the Pyrenees recovered their existence, and Spain and France were separate," then, also, the new Queen effectually took her unique place, and cat herself off from the policies of her predecessor. Mr.
Armstrong proves what has frequently been debated, that the King was ignorant of what was to occur, though (royally and humanly) delighted with the accomplished fact. It was a good beginning, and Elisabeth preserved to the end complete ascendency over one who, from henceforth, is but an unpleasing puppet in the European show. Their relative value was precisely that of the chess king and queen. He was indispensable—the game was over with his life—but offence and defence rested with her. She remodelled her Court, arranged her domestic life, and acquired practical, if never theoretical, knowledge of the cum- brous machinery of Council-ordered Spain. As a century earlier military, so now, it may be said, diplomatic mer- cenaries were in fashion ; as Mr. Armstrong quotes : "In Spain was formed an Italian government, in England a German, in Poland a Russian, in Germany a Spanish, in Italy an Austrian, in Portugal an English, and in Russia everything but a Russian." The Spaniards had many forms and laws in their governing bodies ; perhaps they learnt nothing else but the manipulation of this procedure, and, therefore, it was the more possible for the foreign Queen to work to her own pattern. Provided she did all by means of the King, she was safe so long as he lived. But she needed men to do her bidding. She used them one after another. She was always indolent, but never idle; ever successful, but finally left in the position she had dreaded,—for twenty years of widowhood. Mr. Armstrong thus summarises his ideas as to her idiosyn- crasy :—
" Her character was a compound of ambition, jealousy, and mis- trust. It was a common saying that she only loved her children as the objects of her ambition. Never was any one so suspicious ; she was to an extraordinary extent, even in the merest trifles, in- capable of examination and discussion. If she willed, the object of her will must be taken as passed. This quality was accentu- ated by an incredibly high opinion of herself A curious contradiction was her timidity; fear had a softening influence upon her ; she seemed to be then quite another person ; she became pliant and insinuating. She had the talent of making her wrongs pathetic, of persuading those who spoke to her that she gave them her complete confidence and genuine gratitude. In her character all extremes appeared to meet. She would pass from the greatest violence of manner to the most extreme in- difference without a moment's interval : anger, prayers, tears, and
fits of fury would rapidly succeed each other For herself, she only cared to be absolute in the present By his [the
King's] side always stood the Queen, knowing nothing of diplo- macy or war, but giving the decisive word in each. Yet she had the habit of affecting reference to the King."
The above specimens will show the style in which Mr. Armstrong puts down his conclusions after having examined their numerous, and multifarious, and opposing data. He anticipates in his introduction some criticisms that might be made as to his disproportionate treatment of earlier and later events in Elisabeth's career, and of the discussion of diplo- matic questions. But there is no doubt that Mr. Armstrong has given us an original, well-arranged, and well-written monograph on a person, and of a period, which few but specialists are able to focus for themselves. In the introduc- tion, there is a valuable discussion of the sources from which materials have been drawn, including those still unedited, and some lately published works of various nationalities. Mr. Armstrong regrets that Baudrillart's Philippe V. et la Cour de Prance has appeared since the manuscript of The Termagant of Spain was sent to press.
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