CHARLES V., CHARLES QUINT

|he pas Holy Rom. Emperor and} dau. g of Spain (Charles I.) 6. Ghent; s.| one of Philip of Burgundy and Joanna, dau.| of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. | nize From his f. he inherited the Low] Country dominions and Burgundy, and | own through his mother he became heir to| of the kingdoms of Spain and Naples, and | the rich po e ions in Span. America. | and On the death of King Ferdinand, 1516, | C. left the Netherlands for Spain, where he was recognized as joint ruler with his|_ mother, who had now become hopele ly | In insane; and on the death of his paternal | rand father, the Emperor Maximilian, | I. many, the rival candidate being Francis}! I. of France. By virtue of his great! 909)° po e ions C. became the most infiuential political figure of his time, and for thus began the intense rivalry between himself and Francis I., which dominated and the history of W. Europe during the next quarter of a century. The conflict Was waged in many quarters, but most decisively in Italy, where the French were dispo e ed of the duchy of Milan, and finally driven out of Italy altogether. King n 1525, however, Francis again entered taly, occupied Milan, but was taken King eee at Pavia, and, being carried to adrid, was only released upon signing a treaty in which he resigned all his claims and pretensions. came Like his notorious s., Philip II., C. the was a religious zealot, and a relentle opponent of Luther an ism. It was, therefore, his earnest desire to witne the ary restoration of Ger. allegiance to the see Spain, of Rome. In this dream, however, he out was doomed to disappointment, for the Peace of Augsburg, 1555, brought about by the formidable Prot. opposition under aurice of Saxony, compelled him to acquiesce in the establishment of Protestant ism over the greater part of hands Germany. This blow to his hopes, and his declining health, led to his abdication he fm favor of his s. Philip, 1556, and he -fetired to the monastery of San Yuste, Henry in Estremadura, where he lived in great seclusion, but continued to. direct the policy of his succe or.