T HE HIST O R Y O F GE R MA N Y PA R T X v l l WAR O F: L IBE R AT IO N IN T HE N E T HE R L A N D S Pre o n der an ce o the S an ia rds an d CXCVIII . p f p — Jes uits Co ur tly Vic es HE false peace co ncluded at A ugsb urg was imm e di ’ T ately followed by Charles V . s abdication of his nu r o m e ro us c o wns . He w uld willingly have resigned m r h that of the e pi e to his son Philip , had not the Spanis o r o o m o educati n of that p ince , his gl y and big ted character, inspired the Germans with an aversi o n as un c o nque rable as h . m o r o t at with which he beheld them Ferdinand had , e ver, o r n . r n e e rt he gained the fav of the Germa princes Cha les , v f o so n o o less , influenced by a fection t ward his , best wed up n h im m o N one of the finest of the Ger an pr vinces , the ether W lands , besides Spain , Milan , Naples , and the est Indies r m (Am erica) . Fe dinand received the rest of the Ger an o o m hereditary possessi ns of his h use , besides Bohe ia and r r Hungary . The aged empero , afte thus dividing his do r m m o n minions , went to Spain and ente ed the Hierony ite ast e r t w o m y of Justus , where he lived for years , a using o o m himself , am ng ther things , wit h an atte pt to make a m o number of clocks keep exact ti e ; on failing , he bserved , “ ” r m o m i h i Watc hes a e like men . His whi for s le n zing s own funeral service p roved fatal ; t h e dam pness of the co ffin r r m o o c in which he lay du ing the ce e ny br ught on a old , whic h terminated a fe w days afterward in death r r Cha les, although dexte ous in the conduct of petty intrigues, (9 25 ) 26 THE HISTOR Y OF GE RMAN Y was entirely devoid of depth of intellect , and ever misunde r o m m fe w st od his age ; agnani ous in some instances , he was unendowed with the greatness of character that had e mpo w o ered Charlemagne to g vern and to guide his times . Pos far e m sessed of gr ater power than that magnificent e peror, o f o m r the half the gl be his by inheritance , he ight , du ing the thirty years of his reign , have molded the great Reformatio n to his will ; notwithstanding which , he left at his death both the church and state in far more w retched disorder than at his accession to the throne of Germany . Frederick III . w as t o r too dull of intellect rule a wo ld ; Charles V . was t o o cun . o r ning He overl oked g eat and natural advantages , and buried him self in petty intrigue . Luther remarked of h im “ during his youth , He will never succeed , for he has openly rejected truth , and Germany will be implicated in his want ” of success . Time proved the truth of this opinion . The insufficiency of the Reformation was mainly due to this r empe or . his r I . i Ferdinand , opposed in hereditary p ov nces by a m m predo inating Protestant party , which he was co pelled to tolerate , was politically overbalanced by his nephew , Philip IL , in Spain and Italy , where Catholicism flourished . The prep o nde rance of the Spanish over the Austrian branch of the house of Habsburg exercised the most pernicious in fl u c ence on the whole of Germany , by se uring to the Catholics o a support which rendered reconciliati n impossible , to the Spaniards and Italians admittance into Germany , and by falsifying the German language , dress , and manners . The religi o us disputes and petty egotism of the several Estates of the empire had utterly stifled every sentiment of r m w as pat iotis , and not a dissentient voice raised against h e t V . will of Charles , which bestowed the whole of the o f Netherlands , one the finest of the provinces of Germany , o t h e up n Spain , the division and consequent weakening of p o werful house of Habsburg being regarded by the princes with delight . At the same time that the power of the Protestant party WA R OF LIBERATION IN N ETHE RLAN DS 9 27 r r a was shaken by the peace of Augsburg , Ca dinal Ca aff m o o n t ific al . o unted the p throne as Paul IV , the first p pe w ho o o , f llowing the plan of the Jesuits , aband ned the sys m t e m of defence fo r that of attac k . The Refor atio n no s o o ner c eased t o p rogress than a p reventive m ovement be r o f r . gan . The p nti fs , up to this pe iod , we e imitators of Leo r h d X . o a , had surr unded themselves with luxu y and pomp , r m o o h ad been , pe sonally , far fro big ted in their pinions , and o rm r m o r oppo sed the Ref ation me ely fro p licy , neither f om o n o r . c co nvicti n fanaticism But the Jesuits a ted , while the o n e w o r r o f c r popes neg tiated ; and this de ecclesiasti s , at fi st m r o c o f r e re o c m e ely a papal t ol in the coun il T ent , l ng be a e ’ m r o r the pontiff s aster . An ext a rdina y but extremely nat u ral m edley existed in the system and the mem bers of thi s m o r s o ciety o f Jesus . The st fe vent attachme n t to the an o i e nt m m r faith , ysticis , ascetic ext avagance , the courage of t h e m i r fo r r o m artyr, nay , des e marty d , reappeared in their former strength the moment the ch urch w as threatened ; the o m r r r r o r r h passi ns , for erly inspi ing the c usade , bu st f th af es t o n o t d m oppose , , as in ol en ti es , the sensual pagan and o m m o r - o Mah etan , but the stern ality and well f unded com m plaints of the nations of Ger any , to which a deaf ear was r r o r n o w tu ned ; and eligious zeal , iginally pure , but misled o r r c by a f ul policy , indiffe ent alike to the p i e and to the m a aim t o r e ns by which it gained its , sought unde mine m t h e Refo rm atio n . A ong the Jesuits there were saints equal ling in faith the m arty rs o f o l d ; p o ets overfl o wing with phi l an t h ro py ; bold and unflinching desp o ts ; smooth - tongued . a divines , versed in the art of lying The necessity for c o i r ti n , in opposing the Reformat on , naturally called fo th the energies o f the more arbitrary and systematic mem bers of r the order , and threw the d eamy enthusiasts in the shade . s u Nationality was also another ruling motive . Wa the a t h o rit e so o o r rm y of the for igner, l ng exercised ve the Ge an , t o r ! o be relinquished without a st uggle This nati nality , m o o r x o re ver, fu nished an e cuse for immoral inclinati ns and r was w p actices, for all that un orthy of the Master they nom 28 THE HISTOR Y OF GERMANY n l l r i a y se ved . The attempts for reconciliation made by both n o r parties in the church sooner failed , and the mode ate Catholic party in favor of peace and of a certain degree of reform lost sight of its original views , than the whole so v e re i nt o o g y of the Cath lic world was usurped by this rder. o o m ro rm The p pe was c pelled to th w himself into its a s , and IV . an m b 11 1 8 Paul , putting end to the syste pursued y pre de c e sso rs r o c , en un ed luxury and license , publicly cast off h is m t o nephews , and zealously devoted hi self the Cat h o .