Some Persons of good Sense are of Opinion, that

the bare Competition between Charles and Francis, was more than sufficient for the Protestants to fupport themselves; and that the Reason why Luther had fucceeded better than many Reformers, his Predeceffors, was, because he made his Appearance under the favourable Auspices of those two great Princes thwarting one another, who favoured this new Sect alternately; and, when it was settled in Germany, it sent such Succours to the Calvinists in France, as were sufficient to enable them to keep their Ground.

*

Francis made a Regulation throughout his Dominions which deserves remarking, for he abolished the carrying on the Proceedings of Law in a different Language from that of his Kingdom, which had been to that Time in Latin; and this became fo much corrupted that it was scarce known but by the Terminations of the Words. Varillas, the Historian, observes, "That Chancellor Poyet had procured "this Reformation in the Proceedings a little before " his Fall:" But Germany had been reformed in this Particular near three Centuries before; for the Emperor, Rodolphus the Ist, moved by various Complaints of the German Empire, finding himself as it were under the Yoke of foreign Secretaries, whom he was forced to employ, to the great Prejudice of his Affairs, because they often betrayed him, held a Diet at Nuremberg, Anno 1252, in which it was enacted, with

Eee 2

* In like Manner the Laws of England were in the Old Norman French, upon the coming in of William, called the Conqueror; but afterwards the Proceedings of the Law were carried on in Latin till the Time of the Grand Rebellion, when they were rendered into English; but no fooner did the Restoration take Place, than the Proceedings were

again carried on in Latin, which by Time was become as faulty as what Varillas had complained of. This induced the Parliament, the Beginning of his present Majesty King George IId's Reign, to take the fame into Confideration, and an Act soon after passed, • That the Proceedings of the • Courts of Justice in England • should be carried on in English.

with the general Consent of all the States of the Empire, That thenceforwards the German Lan

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guage should be used in the Chancelleries, as well as in publick Contracts."

His Death King Francis paid his Debt to Naand Charac- ture the last Day of March, and Magnificence and State attended him to his

ter.

1547. very Tomb; his Funeral was made with extraordinary Pomp, no less than eleven Cardinals attending; and was buried at St. Dennis. He never had, says Miferay, "His Parallel in Liberality, " in Magnificence and Clemency; he would have been

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a great Prince in all Things, had he not fuffered himself to be prepossessed by the evil Counsel of his Minifters, and his too great Paffion towards Women." Voltaire gives this Character of him and two of his Successors; "The many Failings of

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Francis the Ist will be excused for the Sake of "the Arts and Sciences, of which he was the Fa"ther: Bleft will be the Memory of Henry the IVth, " who conquered his Kingdom, first by his Valour, "and then by his Clemency; the Generosity of

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Lewis the XIVth, in protecting these Arts, that " had their Rife from Francis, will be ever applauded."

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ME

39

MEMOIRS of the EMPEROR CHARLES the Vth.

F

ERDINAND, Brother to Charles the Vth, was elected King of the Romans at Cologn, on the Eve of Epiphany, in the Year

1531, and on the 11th of January was with great Solemnity crowned with the Silver Crown of Charlemain, kept as a great Relick. After the Solemnity was over the Emperor used all his Endeavours to unite the Christian Princes in a League against Soliman, called the Great Turk, whose powerful Arms threatned all Europe.

The Turks invade Hungary. 1532.

In the Year 1532 Soliman entered Hungary with a mighty Army, which was so effectually opposed by the Germans, that the Enemy made no material Progress, but returned to Constantinople, and the Emperor set out for Italy: From whence, having fettled his Affairs in that Country, he took his Way through Pavia, and came to Genoa, where he was entertained in the Palace of Andrew Doria. At the Isles of Hieres he was presented with fresh Provisions by the General of the French Gallies, and in April, he landed fafe at Barcelona.

The Emperor lands in Spain. 1533

The French King having married his Son, the Duke of Orleans, to Catherine de Medicis, the Pope's Niece, they had an Interview on the 6th of October 1533, at Marseilles. Every body judged this Interview would produce a bloody War, because the French King aimed at Milan, and the Pope at Modena and other Places; but the Emperor had no Mind to part with either of them; though, through

his

his continual Cares and Toils, grown old, yet was now but 33 Years of Age.

Pope Clement dies. 1534. Paul the IIId elected Pope.

1535

On the 25th of September, 1534, died Pope Clement the VIIIth at Rome, and was succeeded the 4th of Oft. by the Cardinal Fernesius, who took the Name of Paul the IIId.

Soliman, the Great Turk, having ravaged the Coafts of Italy, and actually got Possession of Tunis, it induced the Emperor again to raise an Army, in order to oppose his Progress: Accordingly Charles went on board his Fleet with an Army of 20,000 Men, and

The Emperor beats the Enemy in Africa. $536.

landed in Africa, where he gave the Great Turk Battle, on the 26th of July, 1536, and obtained so signal a Victory,

that he was enabled to restore the Moorish Prince to his Throne. Then he marched to Tunis in compleat Order of Battle, but greatly fatigued with Heat and Thirst. Some Arabs being discovered upon certain Hills from Tunis, * (the Army having halted to gather up all Stragglers) from which they could discover white Flags fet up in the Castle; the Canon fired without Balls, no Enemy appeared, and no Man could guess at what they meant: But the Emperor proceeded with his Army to the Walls of the City, where he was met by some Citizens, who begged that the City might not be plundered, offering a great Sum of Money for a Ranfom. It

* The City of Tunis contained 10,000 Houses, and in them above 50,000 Inhabitants; it had three Suburbs, in one of which were 10,000 Inhabitants. The Gates were 40 in Number, though its Strength is but small, being fix Miles in Compass, and for that Reason but indifferently walled or fortified. Its Situation is upon the Bay opposite to Galeta, and but three Leagues from it. It has

never a River, and only one Well, so that all the Houses are supplied by Cisterns. Corn is scarce by Reason of the Dryness of the Soil, and what they fow is watered by Trenches of Water drawn from Wells. There are two Palaces in the City, one old and the other new, and both well built; there are also 100 Mosques with five Towers each, the larger of which are very beautiful both within and without.

It was very difficult to restrain the Soldiers, who had fuffered much, and the Emperor Tunis plundergave no Answer to the Request, but ed. left the Soldiers to act at Difcretion; who, finding the Gates shut, though no body of fered any Opposition, broke them open, and fell immediately to work with such Cruelty, that they butchered above 10,000 Inhabitants without respect to Sex or Age. At last the Emperor went to the Castle, set the Captives at Liberty, and caused it to be proclaimed through the City, "That no Man, upon Pain of Death, should prefume to kill or take any more Moors." Above 18,000 Captives were taken in Tunis, and were so cheap, that a Slave was fold for ten Ducats, and near 20,000 Christians were delivered out of Captivity.

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returns to Eu

After the Emperor's Return from his The Emperor Expedition to Africa, in the Year 1537, a War broke out between him and the King of France, and in the mean time

rope.

1537

the Emperor of the Turks turned his Arms against Venice, which was carried on with various Success on both Sides.

deavours to reStore Peace.

1538.

This Year proved more peaceable Pope Paul enthan the former Years, through the Endeavours of Pope Paul the IIId, who used all his Interest to unite the Chriftian Princes against the Infidels, and had already entered into a League for that Purpose with the Emperor and the Venetians; but, to make it yet stronger, wanted the King of France to come into it; which in Time he accomplished, by prevailing upon Charles and Francis to sign a Truce for ten Years, and it was proclaimed at Nice the 18th of June.

This Year began with the Death of the Empress, (before which, befides a great Eclipse of the Sun on the 8th of April, there appeared in the West a

The Empress dies.

1539.

Comet for thirty