The Catholic Reformation 167 failing to preserve the peace and amity they had sworn, marched against me. The Germans were upon the point of seizing my person. The king of France took the city of Metz, and I, in the dead of winter, exposed to intense cold, in the midst of snow and blood, advanced with a powerful army raised at my own expense to retake the city and restore the empire. The Germans saw that I had not yet laid aside the imperial crown, and that I had no disposition to allow its majesty to be diminished. . . . I have carried out what God has permitted, — for the outcome of our efforts depends upon the will of God. We human beings act according to our powers, our strength, our spirit, and God awards the victory or permits defeat. I have ever done what I could, and God has aided me. I — and you, too — should return to him boundless thanks for his aid, for having succored me in my greatest trials and in all my dangers. To-day I feel so exhausted that I could not help you, as you see yourselves. In my present state of dejection and weakness, I should have to render a serious account to God and man if I did not lay aside authority, as I have resolved to do, since my son, King Philip, is of an age sufficiently advanced to be able to govern you ; and he will be, I hope, a good prince to all my beloved subjects. I am determined then to retire to Spain and to yield to my son Philip the possession of all my Belgian provinces. I particularly commend my son to you, and I ask of you, in remembrance of me, that you extend to him the love which you have always borne towards me ; moreover I ask you to preserve among yourselves the same affection and harmony. Be just and zealous in the observance of the laws, preserve respect for all that merits respect, and do not refuse to grant to authority the support of which it stands in need. Above all, beware of infection from the sects of neighbor- ing lands. Extirpate at once the germs of heresy, should they appear in your midst, for fear lest they may spread abroad and utterly ruin your state, and lest you fall into the direst calamities.
