s, he begged that they would permit Granvelle, bishop of
Arras, to deliver what he had given him in charge to speak in his name.
Granvelle, in a long discourse, expatiated on the zeal with which
Philip was animated for the good of his subjects, on his resolution to
devote all his time and talents to the promoting of their happiness, and
on his intention to imitate his father's example in distinguishing the
Netherlands with peculiar marks of his regard. Maes, a lawyer of great
eloquence, replied in the name of the states, with large professions of
their fidelity and affection to their new sovereign.

Then Mary, Queen dowager of Hungary, resigned the regency with which she
had been intrusted by her brother during the space of twenty-five years.
Next day Philip, in the presence of the states, took the usual oaths to
maintain the rights and privileges of his subjects; and all the members,
in their own name and in that of their constituents, swore allegiance to
him.

A few weeks after this transaction, Charles, in an assembly no less
splendid and with a ceremonial equally pompous, resigned to his son the
crowns of Spain, with all the territories depending on them, both in the
Old and in the New world. Of all these vast possessions, he reserved
nothing for himself but an annual pension of a hundred thousand crowns,
to defray the charges of his family, and to afford him a small sum for
acts of beneficence and charity.

As he had fixed on a place of retreat in Spain, hoping that the dryness
and the warmth of the climate in that country might mitigate the
violence of his disease, which had been much increased by the moisture
of the air and rigor of the winters in the Netherlands, he was extremely
impatient to embark for that kingdom, and to disengage himself entirely
from business, which he found to be impossible while he remained in
Brussels. But his physicians remonstrated so strongly against his
venturing to sea at that cold and boisterous season of the year, that he
consented, though with reluctance, to put off his voyage for some
months.

He retained the imperial dignity, not from any unwillingness to
relinquish it, for, after having resigned the real and extensive
authority that he enjoyed in his hereditary dominions, to part with the
limited and often ideal jurisdiction which belongs to an elective crown
was no great sacrifice. His sole motive for delay was to gain a few
months for making one trial more, in order to a