4Q0 'GERMANY. 
took the earlieft opportunity of retreating mutually to 
tiieir refpettive dominions. 
After making fonae unfuccefsful exertions againft the 
proteftant reformers, A.D. 1536, Charles fitted out a 
powerful arn.iament, and undertook an expedition into 
Barbary. in order to reinfiate Muley Hafiein, the exiled 
king of Tunis, upon his throne; and to chaftife the in- 
folence of the grand pirate Barbarofia, who continually 
infefled the coafis of Spain and Sicily. He accordingly 
fet fail vN'ith a numerous fleet, and his defign was fo well 
condudted, tiiat in a fliort time he reduced the city of 
Tu nis, and the fortrefs of Goletta ; liberated a great 
number of Chriftian flav^es ; defeated the corfair both by 
lea and land; and reftored Muley Hafiein to the fove- 
reignty, after that prince had acknowledged himfelf his 
vafial, and engaged to fupport a Spanifli garrifon in the 
Goletta. 
The king of France now took advantage of the empc- 
roi’s abfence, to revive his pretenfions to Italy; and 
though unfupported by any ally, he railed a formidable 
army, under tiie pretence of chaltifing tlie duke of Milan 
for a breach of the law of nations, in putting to death 
his ambafl'ador. Inflead, however, of marching direftly 
into the Milanefe, he commenced hoftilitieS againft 
the duke of Savoy, with whom he had fome caufe of 
diifatisfaffion; and in the courfe of a fingle campaign 
fb ipped him of all his dominions, except the province 
of Piedmont. In this exigence the unfortunate duke 
applied to Charles for protedtion ; and, as his calamities 
w’ere chiefly occafioned by his attachment to the impe¬ 
rial intereft, Ite n.iturally expedted immediate afliftance ; 
blit the emperor, who had jult returned from his African 
expedition, was unable either to march to his relief, or 
fend him the neceflary fuccours. In the mean time, 
the deatli of Sforza duke of Milan totally changed the 
nature of the war, and afforded Charles full leifure to 
prepare tor taking an adfive part in the conteft. The 
pretext of the king of France for taking up arms was 
now removed ; but, as Sforza had died without ifl'ue, all 
tile rights which had been added to him and his defeend- 
ants reverted now to his enemy. Had Francis, at this 
juncture, enforced his claim at the head of his army, 
Milan muft have immediately fubmitted to his autho. 
rity ; but, by an accountable fatality, he wafted his time 
in Iriiitleis negociations, while his more politic rival took 
poi'reflion of the duchy, as a vacant fief of the empire, 
and even formed a project for the fubverfion of the French 
monarchy. 
Upon this Gccafion Charles appears to have been too 
fanguine. Flaving chaced the forces of his enemy out 
or Savoy, he led an army of fifty thoufand men te invade 
the fouthern provinces of France, while two formidable 
detachments were ordered to make an irruption into 
Champagne and Picardy. Francis was greatly alarmed 
at this invafion; but he prudently refolved to remain 
entirely upon the defenfive, and to deprive the enemy 
ot fubfiftence, by laying wafte the country before them. 
1 he marefchal Montmorency, who was entrufted with 
the execution of this plan, afl’embled a confiderable body 
ot iorces at the confluence of the Rhone and Durance ; 
while Francis, with another army, encamped at Valence, 
higher up the Rhone. Arles and Marieilles were fur- 
niftied with ftrong garrifons, but the other frontier towns 
were evacuated ; Inch fortifications as might have af¬ 
forded fhelter to the enemy were demolifiied ; corn, fo¬ 
rage, and provifions of every kind, were carried oft'; and 
the country was literally changed into a vaft defert, from 
the Alps to Marieilles, and from the fea to the confines 
of Dauphiny. 
Charles was much chagrined at the unexpected diffi¬ 
culties wliich prefented theml'elves to his view; but he 
Itill perlifted in his refolution, and endeavoured to re¬ 
vive the finking hopes of his officers, by liberal promifes 
of lands and honours in France. He accordingly under¬ 
took the fiege of Marfeilles, and tiled his lumoft exer. 
tions to draw Montmorency from lus camp at Avignon ; 
but, at the expiration of tv.'o months, he found ft im- 
polfible to obtain any advantage, and was, confequently, 
obliged to retreat. "I he invafion of Picardy was equally 
unfuccefsful. After thefe events a fulpenfion of arms 
was effected by the interpofition ot the quei.n3 of France 
and Hungary, and a truce v/as concluded at Nice, 
through the mediation of pope Paul III. a man of a 
venerable character, and pacific difpofition. A few days 
after figning the truce, Cliarles v;as driven, by contrary 
winds, on tlie coalt of Provence, and was received by 
Francis with tlie warmell demonftrations of efteem and 
affection. Mutual vifits were paid witli an equal degree 
of confidence; and thefe two powerful rivals, who had 
accufed each other of every kind of bafenefs, converfed 
together with the cordiality of brothers. 
Whillt the emperor was employed in regulating the 
affairs of Spain, the citizens of Giient, in 1540, broke 
out into rebellion, on account of a tax which they 
judged contrary to their ancient privileges. Senfible, 
however,, of their inability to reiift the force whicli 
would inevitably be fent againft them, they implored 
the protection of the French monarch, off'eiing to put 
him in immediate polfellion of'their city, and to affift 
liim in recovering Inch provinces of the Netherlands as 
had formerly belonged to his crown. But Francis, for-- 
getful of his part injuries, rejected thefe propofitions, 
and communicated the whole negociation to tlic empe¬ 
ror. By this generous proceeding, Francis hoped to 
obtain the inveftiture of Milan, and the emperor flat¬ 
tered him in that apprehenfion for his own interefted 
purpofes. His prefence being neceffary in tlie Nether¬ 
lands, Charles demanded a palfage through France; and 
■vi'as received in that kingdom with every mark of re- 
fpeCt. The dauphin and the duke of Orleans offered to 
go into Spain, as hoftages for his fecurity; the king en¬ 
tertained him at Paris with the utmoft magnificence; and 
the young princes, whofe generous otter had been re- 
fufed with due acknowledgment, accompanied liim to 
the frontiers of the Low-countries; yet he ftill found 
means to evade his promife relative to the iiivelliture of 
the Milanefe. 
The rebellious citizens of Ghent were no foonef ap- 
prifed of the emperor’s arrival, than they fent a folemn 
embaffy to deprecate his wrath; but lie was deaf to 
their entreaties, and entered the place of his nativity 
at the head of a formidable army, as if it had been a 
hoftile city taken by affault. Twenty-fix of the princi¬ 
pal burghers were executed, as ringleaders of the fedi- 
tion, a greater number were baniftied, the town was de¬ 
prived of its artillery, arms, and privileges, and the 
unfortunate inhabitants were compelled to pay a tine of 
one million two hundred tlioufand crowns for the erec¬ 
tion of a citadel and the fupport of a garrifon, which 
might operate as a future clieck upon them. 
Having thus re-ettabiifiled his authority in the Low- 
countries, Charles was obliged to turn liis attention to- 
ward the affairs of Germany. The proteftants, having 
made feveral fruitlefs applications for a general council, 
entreated him to appoint a conference between a feledt 
inimber of divines of each party, in order to examine 
thofe points which had been fo long and vigoroufly con- 
tefted. After mature deliberation, the emperor acceded 
to this requeft, and a conference was held, with great 
folemnity, at Ratilbon: but the ecclefiaftics chofen to 
manage the controverfy, were only able t© fettle a few 
ipcculative opinions, and the diet was adjourned to a 
future period. 
In 1541, Charles received the vexatious intelligence 
of a great revolution which had happened in Hungary, 
to the detriment of his brother’s power, and the aggran- 
difement of the infidels. However, his well-timed con- 
ceflions to the proteftants were productive of luch ample 
iupplies, both of men and money, as left him under little 
anxiety about the fafety of Germany. He therefore 
hafieaed 
