_England Breaks with the Roman Church (A.D. 1534)_ _Destruction of Monasteries_, 203 JOHN RICHARD GREEN _Cartier Explores Canada (A.D. 1534)_, 236 H. H. MILES _Mendoza Settles Buenos Aires (A.D. 1535)_, 254 ROBERT SOUTHEY _Founding of the Jesuits (A.D. 1540)_, 261 ISAAC TAYLOR _De Soto Discovers the Mississippi (A.D. 1541)_, 277 JOHN S. C. ABBOTT _Revolution of Astronomy by Copernicus (A.D. 1543)_, 285 SIR ROBERT STAWELL BALL _Council of Trent and the Counter-reformation (A.D. 1545)_ 293 ADOLPHUS W. WARD _Protestant Struggle against Charles V_ _The Smalkaldic War (A.D. 1546)_, 313 EDWARD ARMSTRONG _Introduction of Christianity into Japan (A.D. 1549)_, 325 JOHN H. GUBBINS _Collapse of the Power of Charles V (A.D. 1552)_ _France Seizes German Bishoprics_, 337 LADY C. C. JACKSON _The Religious Peace of Augsburg (A.D. 1555)_ _Abdication of Charles V_ 348 WILLIAM ROBERTSON _Akbar Establishes the Mogul Empire in India (A.D. 1556)_, 366 J. TALBOYS WHEELER _Universal Chronology (A.D. 1517-1557)_ 385 JOHN RUDD LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS VOLUME IX PAGE _Henry VIII during the festivities at Guines_--"_The Field of the Cloth of Gold_"--_in courtly dance with one of the French Queen's ladies-in-waiting_ (_page 63_), Frontispiece Painting by Adolph Menzel. _Gustavus I (Vasa) addressing his last meeting of the Estates_, 79 Painting by L. Hersent. AN OUTLINE NARRATIVE TRACING BRIEFLY THE CAUSES, CONNECTIONS, AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE GREAT EVENTS (THE REFORMATION: REIGN OF CHARLES V) CHARLES F. HORNE Our modern world begins with the Protestant Reformation. The term itself is objected to by Catholics, who claim that there was little real reform. But the importance of the event, whether we call it reform or revolution, is undenied. Previous to 1517 the nations of Europe had formed a single spiritual family under the acknowledged leadership of the Pope. The extent of the Holy Father's authority might be disputed, especially when he interfered in affairs of state. Kings had fought against his troops on the field of battle. But in spiritual matters he was still supreme, and when reformers like Huss and Savonarola refused him obedience on questions of doctrine, the very men who had been fighting papal soldiers were shocked by this heretical wickedness. The heretics were burned and the wars resumed. When Alexander Borgia sat upon the papal throne for eleven years, there were even philosophers who drew from his very wickedness an argument for the divine nature of his office. It must be indeed divine, said they, since despite such pollution as his, it had survived and retained its influence.