Published in 1856, this volume by William H. Prescott details the reign of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Prescott, a noted historian of Spain, describes the political and military struggles of this powerful monarch, whose empire included much of Europe and the Americas. He also discusses Charles's religious policies, which led to conflict with the Protestant Reformation. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.