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CHARLES (GERMANY) 297 though brave and warlike, he was entirely without chivalry. He trampled on the weak antagonist, whether burgher or petty potentate. He was as false as water. He inveigled his foes who trusted to imperial promises by arts unworthy an emperor or a gentleman. He was not only greedy for additional dominion, but he was avaricious in small matters, and hated to part with a dollar. He knew men, espe- cially he knew their weaknesses, and he knew how to turn them to account. He was inde- fatigable in the discharge of business ; and if it were possible that half a world could be ad- ministered as if it were the property of a pri- vate individual, the task would have been per- haps as well accomplished by Charles as any other man." Among the works treating spe- cially of Charles V., the most important are those of Antonio de Vera, Vida y hechos de Carlos V. ; Prudencio de Sandoval, Historia de la vida y hechos del emperador Carlos V. ; Robertson, "History of the Reign of the Em- peror Charles V." (London, 1769; Lanz, Corre- spondent des Kaisers Karl V. (Leipsic, 1844 '6) ; and Charles's instructions to his son Philip II., translated into French by Teissier (the Hague, 1700). The MS. of a description of the capture of Tunis, in the handwriting of Charles, dated Tunis, July 23, 1535, and addressed by him to his sister Mary, regent of the Netherlands, has "been discovered by M. Gachard, keeper of the Belgian archives. For the life of Charles V. after his retirement, the best original authori- ties are MSS. in the archives of Simancas. Upon these are chiefly founded the Gonzalez MS. ; the Chronique de Charles Quint, by Pi- chot (Paris, 1854) ; the Betraite et mort de Charles Quint, by Gachard; Mignet's Charles Quint, &c. ; Stirling's " Cloister Life of the Emperor Charles V. ;" Prescott's appendix to Hobertson's history ; and Motley's " Rise of the Dutch Republic," vol. i. CHARLES VL, emperor of Germany, and a pretender to the throne of Spain under the title of Charles III., the second son of the em- peror Leopold I., and the last in the male line of the pure Hapsburg family, born Oct. 1, 1685, died Oct. 20, 1740. He was brought up in the expectation of succeeding to the Spanish throne, which he should by right have inherit- ed from the childless Charles II., the reigning Hapsburg king. But the latter becoming ill, the question of the succession began to occupy the attention of several of the European gov- ernments, and became a subject of intrigue especially for the reigning families of France and Bavaria, both of which claimed the right to the inheritance through their descent in the female line; Louis XIV. being, like Leopold I., the son of a daughter of Philip III., and the Bavarian prince Joseph Ferdinand being a grand-nephew of Charles II. through Maria Antonia, daughter of the Spanish king's sister. The complications resulting from these various claims were somewhat simplified by the sud- den death of Joseph Ferdinand in February, 1699, which left the French king untrammelled in his efforts to secure recognition of his al- leged rights over the throne of Spain. The marquis d'Harcourt, Louis XIV.'s ambassador at Madrid, outmanoeuvred Count Harrach, the German emissary, completely gained the ear of Charles II., and finally induced him to make a will declaring Philip of Anjou, the second grandson of Louis, to be heir to the Spanish throne, and confirming him and his heirs in the right of succession. This will was dated Oct. 2, 1700. On Nov. 1 Charles II. died at the capital, and 12 days later Louis XIV. declared that on the part of his grandson he accepted the possession of the kingdom of Spain. Philip, under the title of Philip V., was crowned at once, and at first met with no opposition, being recognized by all the European rulers except- ing the emperor Leopold. But in the autumn of the next year, seeing renewed cause to fear Louis's encroachments, England and Hol- land decided to sustain the claims of Charles. On Sept. 7, 1701, a triple alliance was signed at the Hague between these two powers and Austria; and in l702-'3 Prussia, the German empire, and Portugal joined the coalition. In 1703 Charles was proclaimed at Vienna king of the Spanish monarchy, under the title of Charles III. He went by way of Holland to England, whence he set sail with 12,000 men for Spain, nearly all parts of which were now held by the French. He landed at Lisbon, and with the assistance of the Portuguese attempt- ed to invade Spain on its western frontier, but was repulsed by the duke of Berwick. In Catalonia and Valencia, on the opposite side of the peninsula, the population was supposed to be better inclined toward him ; and in 1705, Peterborough having arrived at Lisbon with reinforcements from England, Charles em- barked with his suite on the British fleet and sailed for the Mediterranean. Valencia received him with favor, and siege was laid to Barce- lona, which was compelled by the genius and enterprise of Peterborough to surrender in October. Eight months later the English un- der the earl of Galway took Madrid, where Charles was again proclaimed king in June, 1706 ; but he remained at Barcelona and re- fused to go in person to receive the homage of his subjects at the capital, because he had not the equipage and retinue that he considered proper an action very characteristic of the man. The war had now assumed a doubtful aspect, each side winning victories and expe- riencing defeat, and the capital twice changing hands between the contending armies. Charles personally manifested, or was permitted, but little activity. He remained in the penin- sula until the death of his brother the em- peror Joseph, who had in 1705 succeeded Leopold, recalled him in 1711 to Germany. Charles now came into possession of all the countries that had been ruled by his father, which changed at once the whole aspect of affairs. Those of the great powers who had