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kingdom with confternation; landed without reGlance near Taranto; obliged Caftro, a place of fome ftrength, to furrender; plundered the adjacent country; and was taking meafures for fecuring and extending his conquefts, when the unexpected arrival of Doria, the famons Genoefe ad. miral, together with the pope's galleys and a fquadron of the Venetian Beet, made it prudent for him to retire. The fulta's forces alfo invaded Hungary, where Mahomet the Turkish general, after gaining several inferior advantages, defeated the Germans in a great battle at Elk on the Drave. Happily for Charles and Europe it was not in Francis's power at this juncture either to join the Turks or allemble an ariny ftrorg enough to penetrate into the Milanefe. The emperor, however, was fenfible that he could not long refit the efforts of two fuch powerful confederates, nor expect that the fame fortunate circumstances would concur a fecond time in his favour; he therefore though it neceffary, both for his fafety and reputation, to give his confent to a truce: and Francis chofe rather to run the risk of difobiging his new ally the fuitan, than to draw on b's head the indignation, and perhaps the arms, of all Christendom, by obftinately obstructing the re-cftablishment of tranquillity, and contributing to the aggraudizement of the lafidels. Thefe cor. fiderations inclined the contending monarchs to liften to the arguments of the holy father; but he found it impoffible to bring about a final accom. modation between them, each inflexibly perfifting in affering his own claims. Nor could he prevail on them to fee out another, though both came to the place of rendezvous: fo great was the remains of distrust and rancour, or fuch the difficulty of adjusting the ceremonial! Yet, improbable as it may feem, a few days after figning the truce, the emperor, in his paffage to Barcelona, being driven on the coaft of Provence, Francis invited him to come afhore; frankly visited him on board his galley, and was received and entertained with the warmest demonftrations of Efteem and affection. Charles, with an equal degree of confidence, paid the king next day a visit at Aigues-mortes; where thefe two hoftile rivals and vindictve enemies, who had accufed each other of every kind of baseness, converfing toge ther with all the cordiality of brothers, feemed to vie with each other in expreffions of refpect and friendship.

(30.) SPAIN, HISTORY OF, UNTO THE RECESS OF RATISEON. Beides the glory of having reftored tranquillity to Europe, the pope gained a point of much confequence to his family. He obtained for his grandfan, Margaret of Auftria, the emperor's natural daughter, formerly wife of Alexander de Medicis, whom Charles had raifed to the fupreme power in Florence. Lorenzo de Medicis, the kinfman and intimate companion of Alexander, had affaffinated him by one of the blackeft treafons recorded in history. Under pretence of having fecured him an affignation with a lady of the highest rank and great beauty, he drew him into a fecret apartment of his houfe, and there ftabbed him as he lay carelessly on a couch, expecting the embrace of the lovely fair, whom he had often folicited in vain. Lorenzo, howe

ver, did not reap the fruits of his crime; for though some of his countrymen extolled him as a third Brutus, and endeavoured to feize this occation for recovering their liberties, the government of Florence pailed into the hands of Cofmo II. another kiniman of Alexander. Cotmo was defirous of marrying the widow of his predeceffor; but the emperor chofe rather to oblige the pope, by beftowing his daughter upon Octavio Farnefs, fon of the duke of Parma. Charles had foon farther caufe to be fenfiole of his obligations to the holy father for bringing about the treaty of Nice. His troops everywhere mutinied for want of pay, and the ability of his generals only could have prevented a total revolt. He had depended, as his chief resource for discharging the arrears due to his foldiers, upon the fubfidies which he expect-1 from his Caftian fubjects. For this purpose he affe nbled the Cortes of Caftile at Toledo; and having reprefented to them the great expence of his military operations, he propofed to levy fuch fuppies as the exiency of affairs demanded, by a general excife on commodities; but the Spaniards, who aiready felt themselves opprefied by a load of taxes unknown to their anceltors, and who had often complained that their country was drained of its wealth and inhabi tants, to profecute quarrels in which they had no intereft, determined not to add voluntarily to their own burdens. The nobies, in particular, inveighed with great vehemence against the impofition propofed, as an encroachment on the valuable and diftinguishing privilege of their order. that of being exempted from the payment of any tax. After employing arguments and promifes in vain, Charles di rifled the affembly with indignation; and from that period neither the nobles nor the prelates have been called to the Cortes, on pretence that fuch as pay no part of the public taxes fhould not claim a vote in laying them on. Thefe affemblies have fince confifted merely of the procurators or reprefentatives of 18 cities, two from each; in all 36 members, who are abfolutely at the devotion of the crown. The citizens of Ghent, ftill more bold, broke out not long after into open rebellion against the emperor's government, on account of a tax which they judged contrary to their ancient privileges, and a decifion of the council of Mechlin in favour of the imperial authority. Enraged at an unjuft impofition, and rendered defperate on feeing their rights betrayed by that very court which was bound to protect them, they flew to arms, feized feveral of the emperor's officers, and drove fuch of the nobility as refided among them out of the city. Senfible, however, of their inability to fupport what their zeal had prompted them to undertake, and defirous of fecuring a protector againft the formidabie forces with which they might expect foon to be attacked, they offered to acknowledge the king of France as their fovereign, to put him into immediate poffeffion of their city, and to afft him in recovering those provinces in the Netherlands which had anciently belonged to his crown. True policy fhould have directed Francis to comply with this propofal. The counties of Flanders and Artois were more valuable than the duchy of Milan, for which he

had

he had concealed his intentions with refpect to the Milanefe, and at last peremptorily refused to give up a territory of fuch value, or voluntarily to make fuch a liberal addition to the ftrength of an enemy by diminishing his own power. He even denied that he had ever made any promife which could bind him to an action to foouth, and so contrary to his own interest. This tranfaction expofed the king of France to as much feorn as it did the emperor to cenfure. The credulous fimplicity of Francis feemed to merit no other return, after experiencing fo otten the duplicity and artifices of his rival. He remonftrated, however, and exclaimed as if this had been the first circumftance in which the emperor had decewed him. The infult offered to his understanding affected him even more fenfibly than the injury done to his intereft; and he difcovered fuch refentment as made it obvious that he would feize on the firft opportunity of revenge, and that a new war would foon defolate the European continent. Meanwhile Charles was obliged to turn his attention towards the affairs of Germany. The Protestants having in vain demanded a gene rai council, preffed him earncitly to appoint a conference between a felect number of divines of each party, to examine the points in difpute. For this purpose a diet was alembied at Ratisbon: and fuch a conference, notwithstanding the oppofition of the pope, was held with great folemnity in the prefence of the emperor. But the divines chofen to manage the controverfy, though men of learning and moderation, were only able to settle a few fpeculative opinions, all points relative to worship and jurifdiction ferving to inflame the minds of the difputants. Charles, therefore, finding his endeavours to bring about an accommo cation ineffectual, and being impatient to clofe the diet, prevailed on a majority of the members to approve of the following edict of recess; viz. that the articies concerning which the divines had agreed, fhould be held as points decided; that thofe about which they had differed, fhould be referred to the determination of a general coun cil, or if that could not be obtained, to a national fynod; and fhould it prove impracticable also to aflemble a fynod of Germany, that a generai diet of the empire fhould be called within 18 months, to give final judgment on the whole controverty; that, in the mean time, no innovations should be attempted, nor any endeavours employed to gain profelytes. This diet gave great offence to the pope. The bare mention of allowing a diet, compofed chiefly of laymen, to pass judgment in regard to articles of faith, appeared to him ne lefs criminal and profane than the worst of those herefes which the emperor feemed fo zealous to fupprefs. The Proteftants alfo were diffatisfied with it, as it confiderably abridged the liberty which they at that time enjoyed. They murmur ed loudly againft it; and Charles, unwilling to leave any feeds of difcontent in the empire, granted them a private declaration, exempting them from whatever they thought injurious or oppref five in the recefs, and afcertaining to them the full poffeffion of all their former privileges.

had fo long contended; and their fituation in reFard to France made it more ealy to conquer or to defend them. But Francis over-rated the Milanefe. He had lived in friendhip with the emperor ever ince their interview at Aigues-moites, and Charles had promised him the inveftiture of that duchy. Forgetting, therefore, all his paft injuries, and the deceitful promises by which he had been so often duped, the credulous, generous Francis, not only rejected the propofitions of the citizens of Ghent, but communicated to the emperor his whole negociation with the malcontents. Judyging of Charles's heart by his own, Francis hoped ay this feemingly diûnterested proceeding to obtain at once the inveftiture of Milan; and the emperor, weil acquainted with the weakness of his vival, flattered him in this apprehenfion, for his own feififh purposes. His prefence being neceffary in the Netherlands, he demanded a pailage thro' France. It was immediately granted him; and Charies, to whom every moment was precious, fet out, notwithftanding the remonttrances of his council and the fears of his Spanith fubjects, with a fmall but fplendid train of 100 perfons. He was met on the frontiers of France by the dauphin and the duke of Orleans, who offered to go into Spain, and remain there as hostages, till he fhould reach his own dominions; but Charles replied, that the king's honour was fufficient for his fafety, and profecuted his journey without any other fecurity. The king entertained him with the utmoft magnificence at Paris, and the two young princes did not take leave of him till he entered the Low Countries; yet he ftil found means to evade his promise, and Francis continued to heHeve him fincere. The citizens of Ghent, alarmed at the approach of the emperor, who was joined by three armies, fent ambafadors to imp'ore his mercy, and offered to throw open their gates. Charles only condefcended to reply, That he would appear among them as a fovereign and a judge, with the fceptre and the fword." He accordingly entered the place of his nativity on the anniversary of his birth! and intead of that lenity which might have been expected, exhibited an awful example of his feverity. Twenty-fix of the principal citizens were put to death; a greater number were banished; the city was declared to have forfeited its privileges: a new fyftem of laws and political adminiftration was prescribed; and a large fine was impofed on the inhabitants, to defray the expence of erecting a citadel, together with an annual tax for the fupport of a garrifon. They were not only defpoiled of their ancient immunities, but made to pay, like conquered people, for the means of perpetuating their own flavery. We need not wonder, that the defcendants of thefe ill-ufed people should have been the readieft and moft zealous of ail the German democrates, in joining the French, in the laft war, and throwing off the yoke of Auftria. They can hardly be worfe ufed by Bonaparte. Having thus re-eftablished his authority in the Low Countries, and being now under no neceffity of continuing that fcene of falsehood and diffimulation with which he had amused the French monarch, Charles began gradually to throw aide the veil under which

(31.) SPAIN, HISTORY OF, UNTO THE PEACE oF CRESAY. The fituation of the emperor's af

fairs at this juncture made thefe extraordinary and destination of two ambaffadors, Rincon and conceffions neceffary. He forefaw a rupture with Fergola, whom Francis had dispatched, the one France to be unavoidable, and he was alarmed at to the Ottoman Porte, the other to the republic the rapid progrefs of the Turks in Hungary. A of Venice; knowing how much his matter with great revolution had happened in that kingdom, ed to difcover the intentions of the French muJohn Zapol Scepus, by the affiftance of Soliman, narch, and of what confequence it was to retard had wrested from the king of the Romans a con- the execution of his meatures, he employed fome fiderable part of the country. John died, and foldiers belonging to the garrison of Pavia to lie left an infant fon. Ferdinand attempted to take in wait for thefe ambaladors as they failed down advantage of the minority, in order to repollels the Po, who murdered them and most of their at himfeif of the whole kingdom; but his ambition tendants, and feized their papers. Francis imwas disappointed by the activity and addrefs of mediately demanded reparation for this barbarous George Martinuzzi, bishop of Waradin, who outrage; and as Charles endeavoured to put him fhared the regency with the queen. Senfible that off with an evafive anfwer, he appealed to all the be was unable to oppofe the king of the Romans courts of Europe, fetting forth the heinoufuels of in the field, Martinuzzi fatisfied himfelf with the injury, the iniquity of the emperor in ditreholding out the fortified towns, all of which he garding his juft request, and the neceflity of ven◄ provided with every thing neceffary for defence; geance. But Charles, who was a more profound and at the fame time he feat ambafiadors to So- negociator, defeated in a great measure the efliman, befeeching him to extend towards the fects of thefe reprefentations: he fecured the tfon that imperial protection which had fo gene- delity of the Proteftant princes in Germany, by roully maintained the father on his throne. Fer- granting them new conceffions; and he engaged dinand used his utmost endeavours to thwart this the king of Engiand to espouse his cause, under negotiation, and even meanly offered to hold the pretence of defending Europe against the Infidels; Hungarian crown on the fame ignominious con- while Francis was only able to form an alliauce dition by which John had held it, that of paying with the kings of Denmark and Sweden (who for tribute to the Porte. But the fuitan faw fuch ad- the first time interested themselves in the quarrela vantages from espousing the intereft of the young of the more potent monarchs of the fouth), and king, that he inftantly marched into Hungary; to renew his treaty with Soliman, which drew on and the Germans, having formed the fiege of Bu- him the indignation of ail Christendom. But the da, were defeated with great laughter before that activity of Francis fupplied all the defects of his city. Soliman, however, inftead of becoming negotiation. Five armies were foon ready to take the protector of the infant fovereign whom he had `the field, under different generals, and with differelieved, made use of this fucceis to extend his rent deftinations. Nor was Charles wanting in own dominions: he fent the queen and her fon his preparations. He and Henry a fecond time into Tranfilvania, which province he allotted made an ideal divifion of the kingdom of France. them, and added Hungary to the Ottoman em- But as the hoftilities which followed terminated pire. Happily for the Proteftants, Charles re- in nothing decifive, and were diftinguifhed by no ceived intelligence of this revolution foon after remarkable event, except the battle of Cerifoles the diet at Ratibon; and by the conceffions (gained by count d'Enguien over the imperialifts, which he made them, he obtained fuch liberal and in which 10,000 of the emperor's bett fupplies, both of men and money, as left him troops fell), at iaft Francis and Charies, mutually under little anxiety about the fecurity of Germa- tired of haraffing each other, concluded at Crefpy ny. He therefore haftened to join his fleet and a treaty of peace, in which the king of England army in Italy, in order to carry into execution a was not mentioned; and from being implacable great and favourite enterprize which he had con- enemies, became once more, to appearance, corcerted against Algiers; though it would certainly dial friends, and even ailies by the ties of blood.. have been more confiftent with his dignity to The chief articles of this treaty were, that all the have conducted the whole force of the empire a conquefts which either party had made lince the. gainst Soliman, the common enemy of Chriften- truce of Nice, fhould be reftored; that the em dom, who was ready to enter his Auftrian domi- peror fhould give in marriage to the duke of Ornions. But many reafons induced Charles to pre- leans, either his eldelt daughter, with the Low fer the African expedition: he wanted ftrength, Countries, or the fecond daughter of his brother or at least money, to combat the Turks in fo dif. Ferdinand, with the investiture of the Milanefe; tant a country as Hungary; and the glory which that Francis fhould renounce ai pretenfions tohe had formerly acquired in Barbary led him to the kingdom of Naples, as well as to the fove hope for the like fuccefs, while the cries of his reignty of Flanders and Artois, and Charles give Spanish fubjects roused him to take vengeance on up his claim to the duchy of Burgundy; and. their ravagers. But the unfortunate event of this that both fhound unite in making war againit the expedition has already been related under the ar- Turks. ticle ALGIERS, 3. The lofs which the em. peror fuffered in this calamitous expedition en couraged the king of France to begin hoftilities, on which he had been for fome time refolved; and an action difhonourable to civil fociety furnished him with too good a pretext for taking arms. The marquis del Guaft, governor of the Milanefe, having got intelligence of the motions

(32.) SPAIN, HISTORY OF, UNTO THE PEACE WITH THE PROTESTANTS. The emperor waschiefly induced to grant conditions to advantageous to Trance, by a defire of humbing the Proteftant princes in Germany. With the papal jurifdiction, he forelaw they would endeavour to throw off the imperial authority; and he dctermined to make his zeal for the former a pretence

for

for enforcing and extending the latter. However, the death of the duke of Orleans before the confummation of his marriage, difentangied the emperor from the mott troublefome ftipulation in the treaty of Crefpy; and the French monarch, being ftili engaged in hoftilities with England, was unable to obtain any reparation for the lofs which he fuffered by this unforeseen event. The fe hoftilities, like thofe between Charles and Francis, terminated in nothing decifive. Equally tired of a ftruggle attended with no glory or advantage to either, the contending princes concluded, at Campe, near Ardies, a treaty of peace; in which it was ftipulated, that France fhould pay the arrears due by former treaties to England. But thefe arrears did not exceed one third of the fums expended by Henry on his military operations; and Francis being in no condition to discharge them, Boulogne (a chargeable pledge) was left in the hands of the English as a fecurity for the debt. In confequence of the emperor's refolution to humble the Proteftant princes, he conciuded a duhonourable peace with the Porte, ftipulating that his brother Ferdinand fhould pay tribute for that part of Hungary which he fill poffeffed; while the Sultan enjoyed the imperial and undif. turbed poffeffion of all the reft. At the fame time he entered into a league with pope Paul III. for the extirpation of herefy; but in reality with a view to opprefs the liberties of Germany. Here, however, his ambition met with a fevere check; for though he was fuccessful at first, he was obliged in 1555 to conclude a peace with the Proteftants on their own terms. See REFORMATION, $6.

(33.) SPAIN, HISTORY OF, UNTO THE RESIG. NATION OF CHARLES V. By the peace concluded on this occafion, the emperor loft Metz, Toul, and Verdun, which had formed the barrier of the empire on that quarter; and therefore foon after put himself at the head of an army, in order to recover these three bishoprics. In order to conceal the destination of his army, he gave out, that he intended to lead it into Hungary, to fecond Maurice in his operations against the Infidels; and as that pretext failed him, when he began to advance towards the Rhine, he propagated a report that he was marching first to chaftife Albert of Brandenburgh, who had refuled to be inciuded in the treaty of Paflau, and whofe cruel exactions in that part of Germany called loudly for redrefs. The French, however, were not deceived by thefe arts. Henry immediately queffed the true object of Charles's armament, and refolved to defend his conquests with vigour. The defence of Metz, against which it was forefeen the whole weight of the war would be turned, was committed to Francis of Lorraine, duke of Guife, who poffeffed in an eminent degree all the quali ties that render men great in military command. He repaired with joy to the dangerous ftation; and many of the French nobility, and even princes of the blood, eager to diftinguish themselves under fuch a leader, entered Metz as volunteers. The city was of great extent, ill fortified, and the fuburbs large. For all thefe defects the duke endeavoured to provide a remedy. He repaired the old fortifications with all poffible expedition, là

bouring with his own hands; the officers imita ted his exampie; and the foldiers, thus encourag. ed, cheerfully fubmitted to the most severe toiis; he erected new works, and he levelled the fuburbs with the ground. At the fame time he filled the magazines with provifions and military ftores, compelled all ufelels perfons to leave the place, and laid waste the neighbouring country; yet fuch were his popular talents, as well as his arts of acquiring an afcendant over the minds of men, that the citizens not only refrained from murmuring, but feconded him with no iefs ar dour than the foldiers in all his operations-in the ruin of their eftates, and in the havoc of their public and private buildings. Meanwhile the em peror continued his march towards Lorraine, at the bead of 60,000 men. On his approach, A bert of Brandenburgh, whofe army did not exceed 20,000, withdrew into that principality, as if he intended to join the French king; and Charles, notwithstanding the advanced feafon, it being towards the end of October, laid ficge to Metz, contrary to the advice of his most experienced officers. The attention of both the befiegers and the befieged was turned for fome time towards the motious of Albert, who still hovered in the neighbourhood, undetermined which fide to take, though refolved to fell his fervice.Charles at laft came up to his price, and he join ed the imperial army. The emperor now flattered himfef that nothing could refift his force; but he found himself deceived. After a siege of almoft 60 days, during which he had attempted all that was thought pofiible for art or valour to effect, and had loft upwards of 30,000 men by the inclemency of the weather, difeafes, or the fword of the enemy, he was obliged to abandon the enterprife. When the French fallied out to attack the enemy's rear, the imperial camp was filled with the fick and wounded, with the dead and the dying. All the roads by which the army retired were ftrewed with the fame miferable objects; who, having made an effort beyond their strength to escape, and not being able to proceed, were left to perifh without affiitance. Happily that, and all the kind offices which their friends had not the power to perform, they received from their enemies. The duke of Guife ordered them all to be taken care of, and fupplied with every neceffary; he appointed phyficians to attend, and direct what treatment was proper for the fick and wounded, and what refrefliments for the feeble; and fuch as recovered he fent home, under an efcort of foldiers, and with money to bear their charges. By these acts of humanity, lefs common in that age, the duke of Guite completed that heroic character which he had juft y acquired by his brave and fuccef-ful defence of Metz. The emperor's misfortunes were not con fined to Germany. During his refidence at Villach, he bad been obliged to borrow 200.000 crowns of Cofmo de Medicie, and to low was his credit, that he was obliged to put Cofmo in puf feflion of the principality of Piombino as a fecurity for that inconfiderable fam; by which means he loft the footing he had hitherto mamtained in Tufcany. Much about the fame time he loft Sienna. The citizens, who had long enjoyed a re publican

publican government, rose again! the Spanish gar rifon, which they had admitted as a check upon the tyranny of the nobility, but which they found was meant to enslave them; forgetting their domestic animofities, they recalled the exiled nobies; they demolished the citadel, and put them-the guardian, before the time appoi ted for his felves under the protection of France. To thefe unfortunate events one ftill more fatal had almoft fucceeded. The fevere adminiftration of the viceroy of Naples had filed that kingdom with murmuring and diffatisfaction. The prince of Salerno, the head of the malecontents, fed to the court of France. The French monarch, after the ex. ample of his father, applied to the grand fignior; and Soliman, at that time highly incenfed against the house of Auftria, on account of the proceedings in Hungary, fent a powerful fleet into the Mediterranean, under the command of the corfair Dragut, an officer trained up under Barbaroffa, and fearce inferior to his mafter in courage, talents, or in good fortune. Dragut appeared on the coaft of Calabria at the time appointed; but not being joined by the French fleet according to concert, he returned to Conftantinople, after plundering and burning several places, and filling Naples with confternation. Highty mortified by so many disasters, Charies retired into the Low Countries, breathing vengeance against France: and here the war was carried on with confiderable vigour. Impatient to efface the ftain which his military reputation had received before Metz, Charles laid fiege to Terouane; and the fortifications being in difrepair, that important place was carried by affault. Hefdin alfo was invetted, and carried in the fame manner. The king of France was too late in affembling his forces to afford relief to either of thefe places; and the emperor afterwards cautiously avoided an engagement. The imperial arms were iefs fuccef-ful in Italy. The viceroy of Naples failed in an attempt to recover Sienna; and the French not only eftablished themselves more firmly in Tufcany, but conquered part of the island of Corfica. Nor did the affairs of the house of Auftria go on better in Hungary during the courfe of this year. Ifabella and her fon appeared once more in Tranfyivania, at a time when the people were ready for revoit, in order to revenge the death of Martinuzzi, whole lofs they had feverely felt. Some noble men of eminence declared in favour of the young king; and the bathaw of Belgrade, by Soliman's order, efpoufing his caufe, in oppofition to Ferdinand, Caftaido, the Auftrian general, was obliged to abandon Tranfylvania to Ifabella and the Turks. To counterbalance thef and other loffes, the emperor, in 1554, concerted a marriage between his fon Phip and Mary of England, in hopes of adding that kingdom to his other doninions. Meanwhile the war between Henry and Charles was carried on with various fuccefs in the Low Countries, and in Italy much to the difadvantage of France. The French, under the command of Strozzi, were defeated in the battle of Merciano; Sienna was reduced by Medicino, the Fiorentine general, after a fiege of ten months; and the gallant Sienese were fubjected to the Spanish yoke. Much about the que time a plot

was formed by the Francifeans, but happily dif covered before it could be carried into execution, to betray Metz to the Imperialifts. The father, guardian, and twenty other monks, received fentence of death on account of this contpiracy, but execution, was murdered by his incented accom plices, whom he had feduced; and fix of the youngest were pardoned. While war thus raged in Italy and the Low Countries, Germany enjoyed fuch profound tranquillity, as afforded th diet full leifure to confirm and perfect the plan of religious pacification agreed upon at Paffau, and referred to the confideration of the next meeting of the Germanic boiy. During the negociation of this treaty, an event happened which aftonith. ed ali Europe, and confounded the reasonings of the wifeft ponticians. The emperor Charles V. though no more than 56, an age when objects of ambition operate with full force on the mind, and are generally purfued with the greatest ardour, had for fome time formed the refolution of refigning his hereditary dominions to his fon Philip. He now determined to put it in execution, Various have been the opinions of historians concerning a refolution fo fingular and unexpected; but the most probable seem to be, the disappoint ments which Charles had met with in his ambi tious hopes, and the daily decline of his hearth. He had early in life been attacked with the gout; and the tits were now become fo frequent and fe vere, that not only the vigour of his conftitution was broken, but the faculties of his mind were fenfibly impaired. He therefore judged it more decent to conceal his infirmities in fome folitude, than to expofe them any longer to the public eye; and as he was unwilling to forfeit the fame, or lofe the acquifitions of his better years, by attempting to guide the reins of government when he was no longer able to hold them with fteadnefs, he determined to feek in the tranquillity of retirement, that happiness which he had in vain pursued amidst the tumults of war and the in trigues of ftate. In confequence of this refolu tion, Charles, who had already ceded to his fou Phip the kingdom of Naples and the duchy of Milan, affembled the ftates of the Low Countries at Bruffels; and seating himself for the last time in the chair of state, he explained to his fubjects the reafons of his refignation, and folemnly die. voived his authority upon Philip. He recounted with dignity, but without oftentation, all the great things which he had undertaken and performed fince the commencement of his admin ftration. A few weeks after, he refigned to Philip the fovereignty of Spain and America; referving nothing to himself out of all thefe vaft poffeffions but an annual penfion of 100,000 crowns.

VOL. XXI. PART I

(34.) SPAIN, HISTORY OF, UNTO THE RETIRE. MENT AND DEATH OF CHARLES V. Charles wis now impatient to embark for Spain, where he had fixed on a place of retreat; but by the advice of his phyficians, he put off his voyage tor fome months, on account of the severity of the feaf ; and, by yieiding to their judgment, he had the fatisfaction before he left the Low Countries of taking a confiderable ftep towards a peace with Ff

France,

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