VI. 4534 tion of But, that he might not seem to have turned his whole BOOK attention towards a reformation which he was not able to accomplish, while he neglected that which was in his Apatial own power, he deputed a certain number of cardinals and forma bishops, with full authority to inquire into the abuses and buses by corruptions of the Roman court, and to propose the most the pope. effectual method of removing them. This scrutiny, undertaken with reluctance, was carried on slowly and with remissness. All defects were touched with a gentle hand, afraid of probing too deep, or of discovering too much. But even by this partial examination, many irregularities were detected, and many enormities exposed to light, while the remedies which they suggested as most proper were either inadequate or were never applied. The report and resolution of these deputies, though intended to be kept secret, were transmitted by some accident into Germany; and being immediately made public, afforded ample matter for reflection and triumph to the protestants". On the one hand, they demonstrated the necessity of a reformation in the head as well as the members of the church, and even pointed out many of the corruptions against which Luther and his followers had remonstrated with the greatest vehemence. They shewed, on the other hand, that it was vain to expect this reformation from ecclesiastics themselves, who, as Luther strongly expressed it, piddled at curing warts, while they overlooked or confirmed ulcers °. 1539. A le que t th it of The earnestness with which the emperor seemed at first to press their acquiescing in the pope's scheme of holding a council in Italy, alarmed the protestant princes so opp sition much that they thought it prudent to strengthen their smak de, confederacy, by admitting several new members who solicited that privilege, particularly the king of Denmark. Heldo, who, during his residence in Germany, had observed all the advantages which they derived from that union, endeavoured to counterbalance its effects by an alliance among the catholic powers of the empire. This BOOK league, distinguished by the name of holy, was merely VI. defensive, and though concluded by Heldo in the emperor's name, was afterwards disowned by him, and subscribed by very few princes P. 1538. alarms the protestants. The protestants soon got intelligence of this association, notwithstanding all the endeavours of the contracting parties to conceal it; and their zeal, always apt to suspect and to dread, even to excess, every thing that seemed to threaten religion, instantly took the alarm, as if the emperor had been just ready to enter upon the execution of some formidable plan for the extirpation of their opi nions. In order to disappoint this, they held frequent consultations; they courted the kings of France and England with great assiduity, and even began to think of raising the respective contingents, both in men and money, which they were obliged to furnish by the treaty of Smalkalde. But it was not long before they were convinced that these apprehensions were without foundation, and that the emperor, to whom repose was absolutely necessary, after efforts so much beyond his strength in the war with France, had no thoughts of disturbing the tranApril 19. quillity of Germany. As a proof of this, at an interview with the protestant princes in Francfort, his ambassadors agreed, that all concessions in their favour, particularly those contained in the pacification of Nuremberg, should continue in force for fifteen months; that, during this period, all proceedings of the imperial chamber against them should be suspended; that a conference should be held by a few divines of each party, in order to discuss the points in controversy, and to propose articles of accommodation, which should be laid before the next diet. Though the emperor, that he might not irritate the pope, who remonstrated against the first part of this agreement as impolitic, and against the latter as an impious encroachment upon his prerogative, never formally ratified this convention, it was observed with considerable exact Seck. 1. iii, 171. Recueil de Traitez. ness, and greatly strengthened the basis of that ecclesi- BOOK astical liberty for which the protestants contended ¶. VI. 1539. tion esta A few days after the convention at Francfort, George April 24. duke of Saxony, died, and his death was an event of Reforma great advantage to the reformation. That prince, the blished in head of the Albertine, or younger branch of the Saxon every part of Saxony. family, possessed, as marquis of Misnia and Thuringia, extensive territories, comprehending Dresden, Leipsic, and other cities, now the most considerable in the electorate. From the first dawn of the reformation, he had been its enemy as avowedly as the electoral princes were its protectors, and had carried on his opposition, not only with all the zeal flowing from religious prejudices, but with a virulence inspired by personal antipathy to Luther, and embittered by the domestic animosity subsisting between him and the other branch of his family. By his death, without issue, his succession fell to his brother Henry, whose attachment to the protestant religion surpassed, if possible, that of his predecessor to popery. Henry no sooner took possession of his new dominions, than, disregarding a clause in George's will, dictated by his bigotry, whereby he bequeathed all his territories to the emperor and king of the Romans, if his brother should attempt to make any innovation in religion, he invited some protestant divines, and among them Luther himself, to Leipsic. By their advice and assistance, he overturned, in a few weeks, the whole system of ancient rites, establishing the full exercise of the reformed religion, with the universal applause of his subjects, who had long wished for this change, which the authority of their duke alone had hitherto prevented. This revolution delivered the protestants from the danger to which they were exposed by having an inveterate enemy situated in the middle of their territories; and they had now the satisfaction of seeing that the possessions of the princes and cities attached to their cause, extended in one great and almost VOL. VI. 9 F. Paul, 82. Sleid. 247. Seck. 1. iii, 200. M BOOK A mutiny perial troops. unbroken line from the shore of the Baltic to the banks of the Rhine. Soon after the conclusion of the truce at Nice, an event of the im- happened, which satisfied all Europe that Charles had prosecuted the war to the utmost extremity that the state of his affairs would permit. Vast arrears were due to his troops, whom he had long amused with vain hopes and promises. As they now foresaw what little attention would be paid to their demands, when, by the re-establishment of peace, their services became of less importance, they lost all patience, broke out into an open mutiny, and declared that they thought themselves entitled to seize by violence what was detained from them contrary to all justice. Nor was this spirit of sedition confined to one part of the emperor's dominions; the mutiny was almost as general as the grievance which gave rise to it. The soldiers in the Milanese plundered the open country without controul, and filled the capital itself with consternation. Those in garrison at Goletta threatened to give up that important fortress to Barbarossa. In Sicily the troops proceeded to still greater excesses; having driven away their officers, they elected others in their stead, defeated a body of men whom the viceroy sent against them, took and pillaged several cities, conducting themselves all the while in such a manner, that their operations resembled rather the regular proceedings of a concerted rebellion than the rashness and violence of a military mu tiny. But, by the address and prudence of the generals, who, partly by borrowing money in their own name, or in that of their master, partly by extorting large sums from the cities in their respective provinces, raised what was sufficient to discharge the arrears of the soldiers, these insurrections were quelled. The greater part of the troops were disbanded, such a number only being kept in pay as was necessary for garrisoning the principal towns, and protecting the sea-coasts from the insults of the Turks s. s Jovii Hist. I. xxxvii, 203, c. Sandov. Ferreras, ix, 209. VI. 1539. Cortes of held at dissatisfac It was happy for the emperor that the abilities of his BOOK generals extricated him out of these difficulties, which it exceeded his own power to have removed. He had depended, as his chief resource for discharging the arrears Castile due to his soldiers, upon the subsidies which he expected: from his Castilian subjects. For this purpose, he assembled the cortes of Castile at Toledo, and having represented to them the extraordinary expence of his military operations, together with the great debts in which these had necessarily involved him, he proposed to levy such. supplies as the present exigency of his affairs demanded, by a general excise on commodities. But the Spaniards The comalready felt themselves oppressed with a load of taxes, plaints and unknown to their ancestors. They had often complained tion of the t that their country was drained, not only of its wealth, assembly. but of its inhabitants, in order to prosecute quarrels in which it was not interested, and to fight battles from which it could reap no benefit; and they determined not to add voluntarily to their own burdens, or to furnish the emperor with the means of engaging in new enterprises, no less ruinous to the kingdom than most of those which he had hitherto carried on. The nobles, in particular, inveighed with great vehemence against the imposition proposed, as an encroachment upon the valuable and distinguishing privilege of their order, that of being exempted from the payment of any tax. They demanded a conference with the representatives of the cities concerning the state of the nation. They contended, that if Charles would imitate the example of his predecessors, who had resided constantly in Spain, and would avoid entangling himself in a multiplicity of transactions foreign to the concerns of his Spanish dominions, the stated revenues of the crown would be fully sufficient to defray the necessary expences of government. They represented to him, that it would be unjust to lay new burdens upon the people, while this prudent and effectual method of re-establishing public credit and securing na |