e he enjoyed in having been born on the day of St.
Matthias, the apostle, who had been chosen by lot to complete the number
of the twelve, and in being about to die on the day of St. Matthew, the
evangelist, who, for Christ's sake, had forsaken wealth, as his majesty
had forsaken imperial power. For some time he continued to hold forth in
the same edifying strain. At length, Charles, rousing himself, said,
"The time is come, bring me the candle and the crucifix." These were
cherished relics, which he had kept in reserve for this supreme hour.
The one was a taper from Our Lady's shrine at Monserrat; the other, a
crucifix of beautiful workmanship, which before had been taken from the
dead hand of his mother Juana, in the convent of Tordesillas, and which
afterwards comforted the last moments of his son Philip, in the convent
of the Escorial. When brought by the attendant, he turned eagerly to
receive them; and taking one into each hand, he remained silent for some
minutes, with his eyes fixed upon the figure of the Saviour. Those who
stood nearest the bed then heard him say, quickly, as if replying to a
sudden call, "_Ya voy, Senor_--Now, Lord, I go." A few moments of
death-wrestle between soul and body followed; and then, with a voice
loud and clear enough to be heard in the other apartments, he cried
three times, "_Ay, Jesus!_" and expired.

In or near the chamber of death were assembled the prior and the
chaplains, and the household; the count of Oropesa, his brother Don
Francisco, his cousin, Don Juan Pacheco, and his uncle Diego abbot of
Cabanas, Don Luis de Avila, and archbishop Carranza. Don Juan of
Austria, too, in the quality of page to Quixada, stood by the death-bed
of him he was afterwards so proud to call his sire.

On the day of the death, and part of the day following, the physicians
and attendants were engaged in embalming the body, and arranging it for
the grave. Meanwhile, a leaden coffin was prepared, and likewise a
massive outer case of chestnut wood, and a black velvet pall to cover
the whole. Sandoval had heard, but gave no credit to the story, of the
coffin which the emperor was said to have brought with him to Yuste, and
to have kept under his bed. Another version of the tale, he says, made
the coffin a winding-sheet, but no mention of either was found in the
minute account drawn up by the prior Angulo. When all was ready, the
coffin was lowered, by ten or twelve men, through the window which
open