Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. Excerpt from book: Section 3CHAPTER III WAR WITH GUELDERS—MARGUERITE OF AUSTRIA, REGENT OF THE NETHERLANDS Marguerite of Austria, Regent of the Netherlands—Her correspondence with her father, the Emperor Maximilian—Incessant war with Guelder?, under Duke Charles of Egmond, who was supported by Franoe—The Regent's urgent need of men and money—Maximilian at the time engaged in war with Venice, in seeking to regain Milan, and in the attempt to lead a crusade against the Turks—Details of the war with Guelders. The history of Charles V, from the death of his father in 1507, to his own early majority in 1515, is the story of the Netherlands, and our best authority for that part which personally concerns him is to be found in the vast quantity of letters which passed between Maximilian and his daughter Marguerite.1 It was no light task which the young princess of six-and- twenty had so gallantly undertaken, for on every side there were possible foes who watched with unfriendly eyes the growing power of the Hapsburgs. Under the name of the Netherlands, many duchies, counties, and lordships were included, and the turbulent burghers in the great cities needed a wise and vigilant rule. Internal feuds amongst the various States were a constant source of anxiety; but the definite and persistent rebellion of one of the greatfeudal lords, Charles, Duke of Guelders, gave Marguerite more trouble than anything else. This young prince, whose grandfather Arnold had pledged the duchy to Charles of Burgundy, was helped and encouraged by Louis XII to assert his supposed rights, and take possession of the land of his ancestors, while his people fought with enthusiasm to assert their independence under the brave and ambitious young Charles of Egmond. We shall see that the story of this long struggle of a small State against the power of the Empire...