defcend with reluctance into a private ftation. Dioclefian is, perhaps, the only prince capable of holding the reins of government, who ever refigned them from deliberate choice; and who continued, during many years, to enjoy the tranquillity of retirement, without fetching one penitent figh, or cafting back one look of defire, towards the power or dignity which he had abandoned.

No wonder, then, that Charles's refignation should fill all Europe with astonishment; and give rife, both among his contemporaries, and among the hiftorians of that period, to various conjectures concerning the motives which determined a prince, whofe ruling paffion had been uniformly the love of power, at the age of fifty-fix, when objects of ambition operate with full force on the mind, and are pursued with the greatest ardour, to take a refolution fo fingular and unexpected.

The emperour, in pursuance of his determination, having affembled the states of the Low Countries at Bruffels, feated himself, for the last time, in the chair of state; on one fide of which was placed his fon, and on the other, his fifter, the queen of Hungary, regent of the Netherlands, with a splendid retinue of the grandees of Spain and princes of the empire ftanding behind him. The prefident of the council of Flanders, by his command, explained, in a few words, his intention in calling this extraordinary meeting of the states. He then read the inftrument of refignation, by which Charles furrendered to his fon Philip all his territories, jurifdiction, and authority in the Low. Countries; abfolving his fubjects there from their. oath of allegiance to him, which he required them

to transfer to Philip his lawful heir; and to ferve him with the fame loyalty and zeal that they had manifested, during fo long a courfe of years, in fupport of his government.

Charles then rofe from his feat, and leaning on the fhoulder of the Prince of Orange, because he was unable to stand without fupport, he addreffed himfelf to the audience; and, from a paper which he held in his hand, in order to aflift his memory, he recounted, with dignity, but without oftentation, all the great things which he had undertaken and performed, fince the commencement of his administration. He obferved, that from the seventeenth year of his age, he had dedicated all his thoughts and attention to public objects, referving no portion of his time for the indulgence of his eafe, and very little for the enjoyment of private pleasure that either in a pacific or hoftile manner, he had vifited Germany nine times, Spain fix times, France four times, Italy feven times, the Low Countries ten times, England twice, Africa as often, and had made eleven voyages by fea; that while his health permitted him to discharge his duty, and the vigour of his conftitution was equal, in any degree, to the arduous office of governing fuch extenfive dominions, he had never shunned labour, nor repined under fatigue; that now, when his health was broken, and his vigour exhaufted by the rage of an incurable diftemper, his growing infirmities admonished him to retire; nor was he fo fond of reigning, as to retain the fceptre in an impotent hand, which was no longer able to protect his fubjects, or to render them happy that instead of a sovereign worn out with difeafes, and

fcarcely half alive, he gave them one in the prime of life, accustomed already to govern, and who added to the vigour of youth all the attention and fagacity of maturer years; that if, during the course of a long administration, he had committed any material error in government, or if, under the preffure of fo many and great affairs, and amidst the attention which he had been obliged to give to them, he had either neglected or injured any of his fubjects, he now implored their forgiveness; that, for his part, he should ever retain a grateful sense of their fidelity and attachment, and would carry the remembrance of it along with him to the place of his retreat, as his fweeteft confolation, as well as the beft reward for all his fervices; and, in his last prayers to Almighty God, would pour forth his ardent wishes for their welfare.

Then turning towards Philip, who fell on his knees, and kiffed his father's hand, "If," fays he, "I had left you, by my death, this rich inheritance, to which I have made fuch large additions, fome regard would have been justly due to my memory on that account; but now, when I voluntarily refign to you what I might have ftill retained, I may well expect the warmest expreffions of thanks on your part. With these, however, I dispense; and shall confider your concern for the welfare of your fubjects, and your love of them, as the best and most acceptable teftimony of your gratitude to me. It is in your power, by a wife and virtuous adminiftration, to justify the extraordinary proof which I give this day of my paternal affection, and to demonftrate that you are worthy of the confidence which I repofe in you.

Bb.

Pre

ferve an inviolable regard for religion; maintain the Catholic faith in its purity; let the laws of your country be facred in your eyes; encroach not on the rights and privileges of your people; and if the time fhall ever come, when you shall with to enjoy the tranquillity of private life, may you have a fon endowed with fuch qualities, that you can refign your fceptre to him, with as much fatisfaction as I give up mine to you."

As foon as Charles had finished this long addrefs to his fubjects, and to their new fovereign, he funk into the chair, exhaufted and ready to faint with the fatigue of fuch an extraordinary effort. During his difcourfe, the whole audience melted into tears; fome from admiration of his magnanimity; others foftened by the expreffions of tendernefs towards his fon, and of love to his people; and all were affected with the deepest forrow, at lofing a fovereign, who had diftinguished the Netherlands, his native country, with particular marks of his regard and attachment.

SECTION XXVII.

Continuation of the Emperour Charles V.

A FEW weeks after the refignation of the Netherlands, Charles, in an affembly no lefs fplendid, and with a ceremonial equally pompous, refigned to his fon the crowns of Spain, with all the territories depending on them, both in the old and in the new world. Of all these vaft poffeffions, he referved nothing for himfelf, but an annual penfion of an hundred thousand crowns, to defray the

charges of his family, and to afford him a fmall fum for acts of beneficence and charity.

Nothing now remained to detain him from that retreat for which he languished. Every thing hav❤ ing been prepared fome time for his voyage, he fet out for Zuitburg in Zealand, where the fleet had orders to rendezvous. In his way thither, he paffed through Ghent; and after stopping there a few days, to indulge that tender and pleasant melancholy, which arifes in the mind of every man in the decline of life, on vifiting the place of his nativity, and viewing the scenes, and objects fami❤ liar to him in his early youth, he purfued his jour ney, accompanied by his fon Philip, his daughter the Arch-duchefs, his fifters the Dowager Queens of France and Hungary, Maximilian his fon-in-law, and a numerous retinue of the Flemish nobility. Before he went on board, he difmiffed them, with marks of his attention or regard; and taking leave of Philip with all the tenderness of a father who embraced his fon for the last time, he fet fail under convoy of a large fleet of Spanish, Flemish, and English fhips.

His voyage was profperous and agreeable; and he arrived at Laredo in Biscay, on the eleventh day after he left Zealand. As foon as he landed, he fell proftrate on the ground; and confidering himfelf now as dead to the world, he kiffed the earth, and faid, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked I now return to thee, thou common mother of mankind.” From Laredo he proceeded to Valladolid. There he took a laft and tender leave of his two fifters; whom he would not permit to accompany him to his foli