(1500-1600.)

SPAIN is the chief power at this time. Besides vast continental dominions in the New World, its European possessions comprise at the period of their greatest extent the whole of the Spanish Peninsula, the Netherlands and other lands of the House of Austria, the Sicilies, Sardinia, and Milan. By the revolt of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, Spain loses a considerable portion of her territory before the end of the century.

The GERMAN EMPIRE continues, but more as a dignity than as an independent power. The emperors are uniformly chosen from the princes of the House of Austria, which now by its hereditary possessions becomes one of the chief powers of Europe. In the person of the Emperor Charles V., who united the crown of Spain with the sovereignty of Austria, the imperial power reached its greatest extent.

FRANCE is engaged in wars civil and religious and foreign, but without much change of territory, except in America, where she begins to establish colonies.

ENGLAND makes some attempts at colonization in America during this century, but the real settlements begin in the next.

ITALY, during this period, is a battle-field of contention among the rival princes of Europe. The peninsula was made up of principalities and commonwealths, some of which were independent, but the most of which, during the greater part of this century, were under the dominant influence of Austria and of Spain.

EMPIRE OF CHARLES V. See above, under SPAIN and GERMAN EMPIRE. UNITED PROVINCES. The northern provinces of the NETHERLANDS throw off the yoke of Spain, and in 1581 are united in a federal commonwealth.

AUSTRIA.

See above, under GERMAN EMPIRE.

NETHERLANDS. See above, under UNITED PROVINCES.

The TURKISH or OTTOMAN EMPIRE is largely extended in this century by the annexation of Syria, Egypt, a great part of the northern coast of Africa, and the conquest of a large part of Hungary.

The union of Denmark, Norway, and SWEDEN ceases in the early part of this century, by the independence of Sweden, which now plays an important part in European history.

POLAND is an important state in this century, with extensive possessions.

RUSSIA is increasing in power and territory.

PERSIA. A new Persian dynasty begins in 1502.

PORTUGAL is, towards the close of the century, merged for a time in Spain.

MOGUL EMPIRE IN INDIA. Early in this century the great Mogul Empire of Baber is founded in India.

SWITZERLAND and SAVOY hold a position of importance at this time.

A. D. 1500-A. D. 1600.

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.

Kings. Ferdinand V. and Isabella, Charles I. (V. of Germany), Philip II.

Columbus, Cardinal Ximenes, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Pope Leo X., Magellan, Perugino, Macchiavelli, Dürer, Correggio, Ariosto, Sir Thomas More, Erasmus, Holbein, Copernicus, Luther, Rabelais, Cortez, Cranmer, Wolsey, Loyola, Melanchthon, Michael Angelo, Calvin, Knox, Titian, Camoens, Sir Philip Sidney, Montaigne, Marlowe, Mercator, Tasso, Drake, Spenser, Tycho Brahe, Beza, Scaliger, Shakespeare, Cervantes, Raleigh, Bellarmine, Bacon, Kepler, Lope de Vega, Ben Jonson, Galileo, Hooker.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

THE

HE kingdoms of Europe had arrived at such a degree of improvement in the internal administration of government, and princes had acquired such command of the national force which was to be exerted in foreign wars, that they were in a condition to enlarge the sphere of their operations, to multiply their claims and pretensions, and to increase the vigor of their efforts. Accordingly the sixteenth century opened with the certain prospect of its abounding in great and interesting events. - ROBERTSON,

The infancy of the nations of Modern Europe was passed; a period of ripe age was arrived. To a credulous simplicity, disposed to believe everything, had succeeded a spirit of curiosity, an intelligence impatient to discover the foundations of things. — D'AUBIGNÉ.

Le XVIe siècle est le siècle des grands caractères, comme l'âge suivant est celui des beaux génies et des belles âmes. L'histoire en général se prête peu aux formules, et nous ne prétendons pas qu'on puisse attacher à cette définition, qui d'ailleurs n'est pas nouvelle, un sens rigoureux, DUC D'AUMALE.

MARITIME ADVENTURE (continued).

THE discovery and passage of the Cape of Good Hope in the last century had effected a great change in the mercantile affairs of Europe. The traffic which had formerly been

restricted to the Mediterranean now extended across the Atlantic. The wares which had been brought from India by the way of Syria and Egypt, and of which the Venetians had been the great carriers, were now taken direct to Lisbon by the Portuguese navigators and thence dispersed over Europe. Among the first to engage in this foreign trade were the Dutch. An expedition under command of the Portuguese sea-captain, Fernando Magalhaens, commonly known as Magellan, passed through the strait bearing his name about the end of October, 1520, and in the following year the vessels of the squadron reached Spain, having circumnavigated the globe. A rapid growth of commerce and increase of wealth now took place. In 1520 Hernando Cortez added to the dominions of his sovereign, Charles V., the rich kingdom of Mexico, which for three centuries remained one of the brightest gems in the Castilian crown. See also below, under the AGE OF ELIZABETH.

THE REFORMATION.

The old order changeth, giving place to new.

TENNYSON.

THIS great event of the sixteenth century, when the doctrines and customs of the Roman Church were first successfully called in question, resulting in the separation of a large number of the population of Europe from that church, is usually dated from the year 1517, when Martin Luther, a German monk, began to oppose the Pope, and to condemn the practice of selling indulgences. The doctrines which Luther gradually asserted were expounded and fixed in the Confession of Augsburg by his disciple Melanchthon, and are such as are generally recognized by the term "Prot