Frederic III. This motto, which Charles V was destined almost to render
true, was at last discovered, to the great joy of the old emperor, who,
judging that he had nothing more to do on earth after he had given this
last proof of sagacity, died on the 19th of August, 1493; leaving the
empire to his son Maximilian.

This motto was simply founded on the five vowels, a, e, i, o, u, the
initial letters of these five words

"AUSTRIAE EST IMPERARE ORBI UNIVERSO."

This means

"It is the destiny of Austria to rule over the whole world."

So much for Germany.

Now that we have cast a glance over the four nations which were on the
way, as we said before, to become European Powers, let us turn our
attention to those secondary States which formed a circle more contiguous
to Rome, and whose business it was to serve as armour, so to speak, to
the spiritual queen of the world, should it please any of these political
giants whom we have described to make encroachments with a view to an
attack, on the seas or the mountains, the Adriatic Gulf or the Alps, the
Mediterranean or the Apennines.

These were the kingdom of Naples, the duchy of Milan, the magnificent
republic of Florence, and the most serene republic of Venice.

The kingdom of Naples was in the hands of the old Ferdinand, whose birth