The First Governess of the Netherlands, Margaret of AustriaTremayne, Eleanor E.
History
The First Governess of the Netherlands, Margaret of Austria
Tremayne, Eleanor E.
Margaret, of Austria, Regent of the Netherlands, 1480-1530; Netherlands -- History -- Charles V, 1506-1555
When Joanna heard that the rebel leader Padilla and his host had
arrived before Tordesillas she ordered the townspeople to welcome
them, and ostensibly made herself head of the revolution, authorising
the leaders to summon the Cortes to meet in her palace. But although
the members of the Junta declared her sane, Joanna's refusal to sign
any documents or come to any decision hopelessly checkmated their
efforts, and early in December the Government troops were able to take
Tordesillas by assault after four hours' desperate fighting.[71]
[71] Martin Hume, _Queens of Old Spain_.
Meanwhile imploring letters reached Charles from his Councillors
begging him to return to Spain and quell the rebellion; this he
refused to do, until it suited his convenience, but appointed two
Spanish nobles, the Constable and Admiral of Castile, to assist Adrian
in restoring order, with strict injunctions to make no concessions.
Before many months were out peace was once more restored, and the
Communeros finally crushed in the following April at the battle of
Villalar.
In January 1521 Charles sailed up the Rhine to attend the Diet which
he had summoned to meet at Worms. It opened on January the 28th, and
dragged on its wearisome deliberations for several months. Of all the
questions the emperor had to solve, that of Luther was the hardest.
The Pope did his best to complicate matters by urging that Luther
should be condemned unheard; but the state of public feeling was such
that Charles deemed it wiser to consult the Diet, who decided that the
monk should be heard. A herald was therefore despatched to Wittemberg
bearing a letter from the emperor with a promise of safe conduct.
Luther appeared at Worms on April the 16th. Brought before Charles, he
admitted the authorship of his books, but refused to withdraw any of
his doctrines. He spoke boldly and impressively, but when he enlarged
upon the Pope's iniquities, the emperor reprimanded him, nor would he
listen to the monk's denial of the authority of Councils. Charles was
not impressed by Luther's manner or bearing, and during the interview
was heard to remark, 'This man will never make me a Lutheran.' This
was their first and last encounter, for the emperor and monk were
destined never to meet again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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