Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1843-08-03

contained in that rich collection which
have not yet seen the light. The MS,
of this work is now lin the possession OF
the late authors nephew. 1t is entitled
Viday Muerte del Emperador Carlos
Quinto EN- Juste.' The first part OF me
work, giving an account OF the Empefor,s
abdication at Brussels and his voyage to
Spain, follows the ordinary authorities,
and does moi differ materially from Ro-
bertson's narrative of the same events.
lis peculiar interest begins with the Ian
ding Of Charles in the peninsula, from
which period the author has made exclu-
sive use oftlocuments of unquestlonap'e
authority, but which were entirely uh-
known to the Scottish historian.
1t seems that the Emperor's daughter,
Donna luana. widow Of Prince John OF
Portugal. and Regent of Spain during
the absence Of Philfp in Flanders,had
instructed Don Louis Quljada, MAJOR do
mo. and Don Juan Vasquez de Molina,
the Emperor's secretary, to send her
daily journal respecting the state Of his
health. his actions, his conversations, sand
in short everything which passed at st.
Justus. These dispatches are all care
fully preserved in the archives OF SHnan-
cas-, aud Don Thomas Gonzales has
made copious extracts from them. lie
has also made use of the correspondence
between CHARLES aud his sou Philip. the
other members Of his family. and differ
ent distinguished personages at the time.
Among these curious papers, a:e several
letters from the infant Don Carlos, son oil
Philip H., unfortunately celebrated III
poetry and in history, to Charles ", and
from the latter to the infants tutor. Ruy
Gomez de Silva, in which he bewalls the
error of his grandson and advises how
he might be reclaimed.
These trustworthy documents demon
strate beyond all question. that the ex-
Emperor, far from having lived monas-
tic life in the cloister of st. Jus.us, or
associated as lay brother on an equal
footing with the monks OF that convent.
very seldom participated even in their
religious exercises. Their total silence
respecting the extraordinary scene OF his
funeral obsequies related by Robertson.
on | know not what authority, affords OF
itself strong negative proof against the
reality Of an act as wild & uncommon as
any that superstition ever suggested to
weak any disordered fancy 1t can hard
ly be supposed that the responsible per-
sonages whose official duty it was TO re-
port daily and confdentially to the
Queen Regent every act of the lie OF
Charles, and who have 10 fact recorded
the minutest circumstance preceding and
attending his death, should have dared to
omit an incident SO striking in itself, and
the most important of all, since it is sup
posed TO have fastened his dissolution. Ii
appears also from the reports of Qu!jada
and Vasquez that Charles was confined
to his room for several months before his
decease with the govt, so as to have been
physically capable of assisting as the
principal actor in such a trying season.
Robertson dwells upon the small num-
Der Of attendants which Charles took
with him in his modest retirement. as an
additional proof of his having altogether
withdrawn from worldly concerns
These documens contain positive evil
dence Of his being constantly attended
by more than five hundred persons DIVA
rious ranks and degrees, principally
Flemings and Germans.
In short, it appears that he remained
Emperor de tacto, up to the time of his
death, still directing by his advice ard
general uperintendence the compllca-
ted affairs of the vast dominions he had
nominally conferred On his son. Philip,
so far from thwarting his fathers inten-
tons in this respect, as he had been &C
cused of doing, frequently latnents in his
spondence his inadequacy, from
want of experience, for the task OF gov
eminent. and entreats his father to leave |
his cloister and re-assume the sceptre.
Charles continued to busy himself
especially with ecclesiastical affairs
Robertson tells US how the Emperor am
used himself in his retirement in study
ing the principles of mechanical science,
and in constructing curious works of
mechanism, Of which he had ever been
remarkably fond. He was particularly
curious says the historian, with regard |
to the construction of clocks and watch
es; and having found, after repeated tri-
ais, that lie could not bring any two of
them to go exactly alike, he reflected, it
is said, with a mixture Of surprise as well
as regret, ON his own folly in having be-
slowed 50 much tine and labor on the (
more vain attempt Of bringing mankind
to precise uniformity Of sentiment con-
corning the profound & mysterious doc
trines Of religion This account OF his
sentiments is SO far from being correct,
that the truth is, he was never more yea
lousy engaged in stmuously the work !
of prosecuting the Protestaats by the CT
vii power than during this period of his
life. It is we'll known that the principles
of the Reformation had at this tine made !
considerable progress in Spain. The
Grand lnquisitor Informed the Emperor
of This alarming fact and accused his J