UNIVERSITY OF CA RIVERSIDE, LIBRARY 3 1210 01972 9225 THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE UNJVEn^'TY OF CALIFORNIA BOHN'S STANDARD LIBRARY. HUNG A R Y ANP ITS li EVOLUTIONS GEORGE BELL & SONS LONDON : YORK ST., COVENT GARDEN NEW YORK : 66 FIFTH AVENUE, AND BOMBAY: 53 ESPLANADE ROAD CAMBRIDGE : DEIGHTON BELL & CO. HUNGAEY in AND ITS UEY0LIJTI0N8 EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE NINETEENTH CENTUf^ MEMOIE OF LOUIS KOSSUTH. E. 0. S. LONDON GEORGE BELL AND SONS 1896 ^Reprinted fnna Sltnottjiie phtte*.'^ 2605.': PREFACE. "Above all, 1 hope that it w-ill be a point of honour among us all, that we shall never desert those who have acted unsuccessfully upon Whig principles, while we continue to profess an admiration of those who succeeded in the same principles, in the year 1688. — Memoirs and Corretpondence of C. J. Pox, voL L p. 146. / The chief object of this work is to give a true and correct relation of the life and character of Louis Ko.>»suth, and especially to point out the principles by whidi he was guided before and after the Eevolution of 1848. The intro- ductory History is therefore little more than a compendium of such events as contributed to form the character of the >■♦ Hungarian people, and conduced to the development of ^hose laws and institutions by which Hungary claims to be Considered an independent /lation, , cafz^A•i of .eel^-govem- ment. -n ^ . :>J ■.:.'" Anonymous publica*;ioi\s, defamatory of t-ie '?ae?e of ■^Hungary, as well as of the characte'* of Iiouis Kossuth, have been more or less credited in Englai-d during the last five □ years. The late Governor of Hungary has been represented h4 as a Demagogue or Eed Republican ; though accusations of opposite tendencies have like'wise been laid to his charge. While each separate statement (like even'thing false) has r-^ D been drop^jed wlien refuted, the impression left on many whose judgment and opinion deserve respect, has been derogatory to Kossuth. EngHshmen, happy in the enjoyment of con- stitutional freedom, have listened to calumnies ingeniously devised to court the despotic powers of Europe, and which, at the expense of truth, have injured the unfortunate ; but the author of this narrative trusts it will be read in that spirit of justice and fairness which has ever been the boast and pride of the English nation : it does not presume to plead the cause of Kossuth, but only to communicate facts, some of which have hitherto been unknown in this country, while others have been misstated. As actions can only be fairly judged, when their motives are understood, those who would form a just estimate of the character of Kossutli must never lose sight of the main feature which distinguishes him, like the first William of Oi'ange, Algernon Sydney, and George Washington, from most other great Statesmen, viz.; that he never stooped to expediency to obtain his object, however excellent, nor sacrificed one iota of the great prin- ciple of right, even io' eisti-.b^ish right : for this cause he has had to contend against philanthropists as well as against Jyraats, wti^e ntriving to promote the moral before the material welfare of the people. Though some of the chief incidents related (more par- ticularly those connected with the Eevolution) are com- piled from books already published, many new facts have been brought together and chronologically arranged, so as to form a connected whole. Eor the anecdotes relating to the PREFACE. Vll early life of Kossuth, and to the affairs of Hungary pre- ceding the Eevolution, the author is chiefly indebted to the kindness of an Hungarian Grentlemau, himself an eye- witness of much that is here recorded, though he took no active part in. the political events of the period. It is impossible for the historian of such recent events wholly to escape the charge of having derived information more from one source than another, but with the desire to be impartial, books, as well as people, of various shades of opinion, have been consulted. Tlie following books have been referred to by the author — Ludwig Kossuth, von J. E. Horn. Sieben und Neunzigtes Heft der Gegenwort — Eine Encyklopadische Dai'stellung der neuesten Zeit Geschichte fiii- aJJe Stunde. Ludwig Kossuth und Ungarns neueste Geschichte, von Arthur Frey. Mein Leben und Wirken in Ungam in den Jahren, 1848 und 1849, von Arthur Gbrgey. A refutation of some of the Principal Statements in Gorgey's Life and Actions in Hungary, in the years 1848 and 1849, with critical Remarks on hLs character as a Mihtary Leader, by Geoi'ge Kmety, late General in the Hungarian Army of Independence. Austria in 1848-49, by W. H. Stiles. Illustrated History of Hungaiy, Edward Laurence Godkin. Revolution of Vienna, Auerbach. Life of Kossuth, Headley. Aus Ungam, Schlesinger. War in Hiingary, General Klapka. Travels in Hungary and Transylvania, John Paget, Esq. History of Hungary, Fessler. Crimes of the House of Hapsburgh against its own Liege Subjects, F. W. Newman. Speeches of Kossuth in England and America, collected by F. W Newman. I 2 Ill PREFACE. Kossuth in New England, a Full Account of the Hungarian Governor's visit to Massachusetts Kossuth in England. Kossuth and the Times. White, Red, and Black, by Francis and Theresa Pulszky. Memoirs of a Hungarian Lady. Democratic Review, 1853, vol. 2, Stiles, Heningsen, Gorgey. Westminster Review, October, 1853. The Progress of Russia. The Parliamentary Blue Books, 1849, 1850. The Eclectic Review, January, 1853. The Village Notary, by J. E. Eotvos Hungary in 1851, with an Experience of the Austrian Police, by Charles Loring Brace. &c., &c. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. A.D. 376—880. Emigration of the Huns into Europe — Various races which succeeded «ne another in Pannonia - - - - . Page 1 CHAPTER II. A.D. 880—1000. Settlement of the Magyars .---.- 5 CHAPTER III. A.D. 1000—1114. Kings of the house of Arpad — Stephen I., Peter, Andrew I., Bela I., Solomon, Geisa I., Ladislaus I., Coloman — The Crusades - 10 CHAPTER IV. A.D. 1114—1301. Continuation of the kings of the house of Arpdd — Stephen II., Bela II., Geisa II., Stephen III., Bela III., Emerick, Ladislaus II., Andrew II., Bela IV., Stephen IV., Ladislaus III., Andrew III.— The Crusades — The Golden Bull— Invasion of the Tartars - - - 31 CHAPTER V. A.D. 1301—1457. Kings of the houses of Anjou, Luxembourg, and Austria — Charles — Louis the Great — Mary — Sigismund— Elizabeth — Albert — Ladislaus — Invasions of the Turks — John Hunyady - - - 59 CHAPTER VL a.d. 1457—1526. Matthias Corvinus — Ulasdislaus II. — Louis IL - - - 89 CHAPTER VIL a.d. 1526—1576. Kings of the house of Hapsburg — Ferdinand I. — Maximilian — Princes of Transylvania — John Sigismund Zapoyla — Stephen Bathory - 99 CHAPTER VIII. A.D. 1576—1657. Continuation of Kings of the house of Hapsburg — Rudolph I., Mat- thias IL, Ferdinand IL, Ferdinand III. — Princes of Transylvania — X CONTEyxS. Batthory, Betblen Gabor, Rakoczy — The Reformation in Hun- gary - - - - - - - - 111 CHAPTER IX. A.D. 1657—1740. Further continuation of Kintjs of the house of Hajwburg — Leopold I. — Josepli I. — Charles III — Princes of TnuisyWauia — George Rdkoczy — Francis lldkoczy I. — Michael Apatfy — Francis Rdkoczy II. - 128 CHAPTER X. A.C. 1740—1832. Kings of the house of Hapsburg Lorraine — Maria Theresa — Joseph II — Leopold II. — Fraucia I. — Ferdinand V. • • . 143 MEMOIR OF KOSSUTH. CHAPTER I. Hungary in the Nineteenth Century .... 161 CHAPTER IL A.D. 1802—1832. Birth, parentage, and education of Louis Kossuth — Anecdotes of his boyhood — He studies law — Commences practice under his father — Completes his legal education at Pesth — Graduates as an advocate — Returns to Ujhdly — Assists as a "NobUis" at the Comitate' (County Meetings) — Is appointed lawyer to the Cotintess Sz.'lpary — His passion for the chase — The Polish Revolution of 1&30 — The cholera — Revolt of the peasantry — Kossuth addresses the people — He estab- lishes Cholera Hospitals — Jealousy of his influence — Gambling — Becomes delegate for the Countess Szdpary at the Diet of 1S32 — His mother's parting admonition — He abjures all gaaies of hazard - 172 CHAPTER III. JEt. 30—34. Diet of 1832—1836. Kossuth a delegate — Diet of 1790^Deputatio Regnicolaris — Grievances — Baron Wesselenyi Mikliis — Reform party of 1S32 — Conservatives — • Privileged and unprivileged classes — Condition of the peasantry — Urbarium of Maria Theresa — Proposed reform of the Commercial Code — Proposed reform of the frbarium— Rejected by the Magnates thirteen times — Xagy Pal — The Poet Kcilcsey — Francis Deak, leader of the Reform Pai-ty — Klauzal-Beothy — Baldgh — Wesselenyi joins the Reform Party in the Hungarian Diet — Prosecution of Wesselenyi and Balogb by the Austrian Government — Kossuth speaks on the occasion — He establishes a paper to report the transactions of the Diet — Employs a lithographic press — His press stopped — Writes the reports — Employs messengers for their conveyance— Close of the CONTENTS. XI Diet — Beneficial efiecta on the country of the Journal of Kos- suth ........ l»l CHAPTER IV. ^r. 34—39. a.d. 1836—1841. Austrian policy hostile to the coustitutional liberty of Hungary — Form of Hungarian Government — Viceregal Council — Hungarian State Chancery — Deposition of the Chancellor, Count Adam Reviczky ; replaced by Count Fi 'elis PalfFy — The Presburg Casino — Arrest of several of the Members by order of the Austrian Government — The Comitats of Hungary protest against this illegal act — Want of com- bined action in the Comitate — Kossuth commences another written newspaper ; its reception throughout the country — Treats of the Impeachment of Wesselenyi, &c. — Embarrassment of the Austrian Government — Kossuth ordered to stop his work — He defends his right as a Hungarian "Nobilis" — The Vice Ispany and the Comitiit support him — Is arrested by order of the Austrian Government — His Impiisonment for two years — Is brought to trial in 1839 — Conduct of the Juaui«« for trade and inanufiicture — The Vtdeffjlet re^fiirded as a jx^Utical ai»sf»ciation — KoHHuth institut«H .Sjivinpt' Itiuiks — Society for etioouraging industry — Tlie eomnuTcial Company — (lovenirnent atteinjits U> put a atop to these iiKHeral Magnates — Effect of the Reforuw of Kossuth on ihe country and on the character of the people ....... 242 CHAPTER VIII. .Et. 42—45. 1844—1847. Kossuth in the Coniitat of Pesth — Royal Administrators appointed in place of the Fo-Ispanye — Speech of Kossuth — Resolution of the Coniitat — Monopoly of Tobiicco — Conduct of the Consen'atives — Meeting in Buda — Declai-ation— Sz^chenyi appointed Quasi-Mlnister of Public Works — His Programme .... 261 CHAPTER IX. 1844—1847. Meeting of the Liberals at Pesth — Their Programme — Extrpcte of a Speech of Kossuth — Death of the P.-datine Archduke Joseph — The Archduke Stephen — Election for the Diet of 1847 — The Liberal party desiri' that Kossuth should stand for the Diet — He hesitates — Is persuaded by Coimt Louis Batthyanyi— Early Life of Batthyanyi — Efforts of the Qovemment to defeat the Election of Kossnth — Hia aucceas ........ 258 CHAPTER X. .Et. 45—46. 1847-43. November to March. Review of the State of Parties in Hungary — Baron Joseph Eotvos — Interval between the Election and the Diet — Diet of 1847—43 — Kossuth leader of the Oppasition — Intrigues of Sz<5chenyi— Saentki- raldy — Arch-Duke Stephen Palatine— The question of Taxation — Opposed by Szechenyi — Kossuth succeeds in a motion for obliging the " Nobiles " to tat^e their share in the Municipal Taxes — Further Heform of the Urbarium — Kossuth Cannes the measure through the Chamber of Deputies — The Abolition of the Avitizitat — Neglect of COyTEJTTS. Xlil the Government — Austria foments dissensionB In Croatia and Tran- sylvania — Kossuth opposed to ultra measures in enforcing the Magyar language — Extracts from his speech on the Commercial interests of Hungary ...... 267 CHAPTER XI. 1S47— 1S48. November to MarcL Tr&nsylvania — Counties of Hungary granted to Princes of TranRylvanS — Restored to Hungary — Actn of the Diet — Neglect of the Govern* ment — Speech of Kossuth upon the Of)nduct of the Govemnieut — Effect of his Speech — The Representittion — Speech of Kossuth on the Representation — Amendment of Kosnuth carried — Rejected by tho Magnates — Kossuth urges the Nation should come to a distinct understanding with the Government — His new motion carried — Form of the Representation — Royal Administrators — The subject to be avoided in the Representation — ()p|»f>sed by Kossuth — His origiiKil proposition accepted — Carried in the House of Magnates • '277 CHAPTER XIL March, 1848. Effect of the French Revolution of February on Hungary — Austrian Notes — Speech of Ki>ssuth nn the State of the Finances — On the Necessity of Constitutional forms of Government being establisheil throughout the Austrian Dominions — On a liespunsible Ministry being provided for Hungary ; and on an entire change of the iK)licy of Austria throughout the Empire — Kossuth moves that a National form of Government shall be appuinted in Hungary, independent of foreign influence, and Constitutional Governments Iw granted to all the Austrian Dominions — The motion uniuiimously carried in the Chamber of Deputies — The Magnates determine to wait the return of the Palatine from Vienna — Viennese Revolution — Kossuth's speech circulated in Vienna— Constitution granted to the Viennese — Arrival of the Hungarian Deputation at Vienna — Their recejjtion by the King — Kossuth addresses the Viennese people — Return of the Deputation to Presburg — Enthusiastic reception by the people - Kossuth proclaims Count Louis Batthyanyi the first responsible Hungarian Minister ...... 289 CHAPTER XIII. March, 1848. Kossuth upholds the cause of law, and of the existing authorities — Hu desires the present Diet should dissolve itself — Laws passed before the dissolution of the Diet — p]ntire Reform of the Urbarium — In- demnification of the " Nobiles" — Kossuth opposes the admission of Proletarians into the National Guard — He maintains the rights uf iiV CON rENT«, the CrowB— Endeavonrs to protect individuala from BufTering in the enactinuiit of new Ihwh for the piiblic benefit — Iinpruved 8y«tem of repreneiitiition in the townw — Limit of the power of the Ministry — The Ciibinet of Butthyanyi -K'lrtniith MiniHtar of Finance — The Italian llevoliition — iti-puLilicun lienionxtration in Pesth — Com- mifsion apixiinted by the riilntiiie — Tl>e Hungarian l>iet demauda the Royal xanctiou to the new lawn Battliyanyi and l>eak at Vienna — llepurt that the l{<>yal couceshionH would be withdrawn — Excite- ment in Hungary — Kossutli endeaviet ; one for the union of the two Chambers, and the other for the e.st energetic action — New biitUiiioiiH foniied — Count Ijuuherg ii[i|Kniit4Kl CommHiir in ' 'Kief of the tro<)|<8 in Hunt^'jiry and Croiitia - IViliutky rcmi.i. 'h Lutour on the illtgality of thiM aiijxdntmentr — Secret C^i ■ e between I^itour and Jellachich — Pulazky endeavouri* to prevent IjimlMjrggiiing to I'lHth— liitthyanyi at thecamj>— The Diet declare* the appointment of LanilterK iIleg;U —He arrive* in Peuth — la adviitetl to h-ave tiie city — Im munlered by the mob — SeoHatioD in the Diet Letteni found on I^imWerg — The battle of Sukoro — Jellachich appointeolua — Szemere with the army — Interview of Kossuth with Gorgey — Vetter succeeds Dembinski — Letter of Gorgey — Letter of Ko««uth — Kossuth sends Guyon to Komom — Windischgmtz nets a jirice on the heads of the Hungarian Leadent — Victories of Ik-m in Tnmsyl- vania — Letter of Sir Stnitford Canning to Lord Pulmerston — Con- duct of Charles Albert in Italy — Interference of England in the Italian question — Nou-iutcrfereuce in that of Hungary - - 412 CHAPTER XXIII. March, April, 1849. The Emperor of Austria annuls the Hungari;in Cniistitution — Victories of the H ungnrians — Illnesx of Vetter Gor^'iy takes the c«>mmaud — Kortsuth with the anny — The Austrian Giivenmient demand aid from RuHxiii — Hungary calls ujwn England to inteifere — Hutigiiriau victo- ries l»etween the Theiss and Danube — Retreat of the Austrian* — Of- ficial inWtati jd from Vienna to St Petersburgh to send troojw into Hungary — Li»oiuts a Ministrj' — Successes of I Jem in Transylvania, and of Perczel in the South — Escape of Jellachich from IVflth-- Hungarian victorj- at Nagy S-irlo — Aulich enters Pesth — Kf>«.Huth sends Gorgey to relieve Komom — Proclamation of Gijrgey — Vict4>ry of Damianics, Klapka, and Nagy Sandor — Relief of Ko- mom. ....... 424 CHAPTER XXIV. May, 1849. Gorgey refuses to march upon Vienna — Lays siege to Buda — Send« Mil fT)5TEimi. Kliipkn U) D.-l>r.vz... I., i. t i. » . v . ... - •> v -'.«-.- ■»• . ^ of MulMii-ilinittiiiii aiiioii^ the < ' ' ill all iitttMtipt til HUinn Kmla froiitiurH of HuriK'itry^KffortH <»l Komiulti bihI the <»oveniineij' Tnuli! btttween HiiiiKiin' iiniii» -St«t« «f t!:«- ! riaii annieii — (Vmduci of Oory^y — He takeji HiicLt — IV- KoKHiith — Hoiiuun vot4?fti>4«r of S/. ' ' ■■ ' KoMuth — (Jorxi'y uiiil majority iu the Diet 1 ..i. ..:- ^ - - |H)iiilei)c« — I{«uiovea the Wu* Ultioe tu bud* — CotuiueooM hu refunu* iu the aruiy • • • ... H'S tH.M'IlK X.W. Juna, July, 1849. The Goremmcnt at Penth— Swntkinildv " ■ ■'■ '- '^' " -t, enter Huiigiir}' — Letter > if Ki>Hxuth to 1, u ItattAlion at ICiuiti — Haynau — Hiiiwian < ': ^ , r.:4 remonstnitea with Gorgey — Battle of Pered — Con««ka — News of the rictory of Atcii re^ich lV-Li and Na^jy S;(ndf>r at Pesth — KoMUth |>ermit8 Goi^gey to retain the command of the army of the Upper Danube, but inaiata on hia re- signing the War Depiu^ment— Interview of Csanyi, Minister of Public Worka, with Klapka — Csanyi writes to Gorgey. - - ii» CHAPTER XXVI. July, 1849i Gorgey expresses himself satisfied— Calls a Coimcil of War — IV opo«e« to act directly contrary to the orders of Government— Kl«plr> remon- strates— Gorgey's opinion prevails— He is taken ill — Letter of Koseutli to Klapka — Klapka prepares to oWy Kossuth — Goi^y threatens to resign — He is requested to remain — Gor^geys own account of the transaction — M(5ssiro8 — The Government at Sz^gedin — Kossuth notes — Kossuth's letter to Gorgey — Kossuth returns to Pesth — Haynau hangs and inflicts corporal punisliment on the Clergymen at Nagy Igmand — Battle of Czem — Gorgey commences his retreat — The Rus- sian army approaches Pesth — Klapka is left in Komom, and recom- mends the interests of the country to Xagy Sandor. — Intended treason of G<3rgey known to the Russians and Austrians. - - 466 CONTESTS. XIX CHAPTER XXVII. August, Sejitember, October, 18-19. G^irgey attacks the Ruiwian* at W«itr»«n — !■ dcftat^i - March to Tokny — Letter of KoBHuth ' '.'.' "" . Party — Proclainatitin of Hayiuiu — Kt-trcat of I iid the Ciovtniineiit retire to Aratl Hem drivn, . .. ^ , . «. ..■.-- w.- In .•ijipointt'tl Coimiuiutl- er-in-chief Battle of Temt-nviir Wuiit of .iiiiii.tiiitinii Suoo<'i»«<.'8 of Klapka at Komom- A rep«rt that Cfryi^y IjuiI r»-<«ivp aMicate — Hu complieH oi. • '■ '' ■ • 'v Military Dictator— His Proclamation ' lli- K\irrfiioii ' 111 . .1 Porte— Konsuth in Widdin — (Jeii' 1" the (turnrnder of Komom and theilL..:.. ...'...:. -Admiral Parker in the Darda- nelles — letter of Sir Stritford Canning — Removal of the Hungarians toShumla — Removal to Kutahia— Konwuth is joined by his wife and children^ — Writes a Turkish Grammar— .Senat"jr Foote of the United States moves in Conpress for the liberation of the Hungarians — The Ameritaui and Kn^liah Goveruments offer to send a ship for the con- veyance of Koanuth He accejitH the .American — Espresseft his thanks to the American and Briti-ih Govenmieuts — The Hungarians are still detained — Petitions of the English People to hasten their release. 403 CHAPTER XXIX. September, October, 1851. Kossuth receives a communication from Mazzini — Sketch of Mozzini^ II CONTENTS. KoMuth entniatA an addroM to the Hungarian mjMieni to hu OpinionH of KohmuIIi i war bt<-iiiiier — Arrival at Marxi-illcM — Kowtutb nxjueata to be allowctl to liiu«l - In refunod — Hw rtsception by the jieople of Marrteilk'i* — Hih addn-tis to them — Etftjc-t of thia address upon the KugUsh public. ...... 603 CH-Vl'TEU XXX. October, November, 1851. Kossuth's reception in England — Soutlmmpton — Winchester — London — Birmingluim — Manchester — .Sj>e«ch at Alex. Henry's, Esq., M.P.— Return to Birmingliain — Speech in the Town Hall — Return to Lo- dou — Loaves England for America - - - - 618 CHAPTER XXXL November, 1851, to June, 1852. Kossuth in America — His arrival announcet:c EACES. :3 his death, Ardarich, King of the Gepidap, in alliance with the Ostro- Goths, asserted his independence, and divided the country between himself and his allies ; while the Gepidae retained ancient Dacia, from the Danube to the Theiss, the Ostro-Goths appropriated the rest of Pannorda, leaving the remains of the various tribes, Pannonians, Illyrians, Dacians, Romans, AYallachs, Huns, and the descendants of the Sclavonic race of the Jazyges in quiet possession of the land they occupied. Many of the Pannonian Goths followed Theodoric into Italy against Odoacer, whom they three times conquered, and established their chief, King of Italy. About this period, the Bulgarians, from the plains of Russia and Lithuania, swept over eastern Europe, and finally settled near the mouths of the Danube and in Thrace. The Ostro-Goths had spread the doctrines of Arius wherever they had introduced Christianity, and in the commencement of the sixth century, the Emperor Justinian, under the pretence of zeal for the orthodox faith, attacked the dominions of those belonging to the opposite sect, and seized on a part of Pannonia. His success appears to have been less in. controversy than in arms, for the Arian or Unitarian form of Christianity has continued to the latest period, the religion of a large number of the inhabitants of Transylvania, and of the east of Hungary. During the reign of Justinian the Sclavonic races first began to play an important part in history. Re- sembling the Huns in the manner of their lives, they had hitherto been contented to dwell in miserable huts, amidst the forests and marshy plains of Pannonia, but with increasing numbers and strength, they became ambitious of a more extended territory, and uniting with the Gepidae they defeated two Grecian armies, stormed Thessalonica, and descended on Dalmatia, Greece, and Thrace. Panic-stricken by these successes of the barbarians, and unable to rely b2 4 niSTOBY OF nUNOJLEY. [a-.d. 5G5. Bololy on the armies of the empire, Justinian concluded an alliance with a Mongolian race, the Avars, who, bribed by rich presents, advanced into the country and dispersed the army of the Gepida? and Sclaves. In 5G5, Alboin, King of the Lombards, invited Bajan, Khan of the Avars, to attack his enemy, Kunimund, King of the Gepida. Bajan was successful, and after presenting Alboin with the skull of Kunimund as a trophy, took possession of the whole land. He sent ambassadors to Justinian in the hope of obtaining his protection, but when he found his friendly ofters met with threats of invasion, he endeavoured to strengthen himself by alliances with the various races which occupied the territory surrounding his new do- minions. Bajan, like Attila, created and sustained the power of his nation, wliich was also destined, like that of the Huns, to sink into comparative insignificance after his death. His successors carried on a barbarous warfare with the Sclaves, and the other races of Paunonia, In the beginning of the eighth century, Charles Martel of Trance, the enemy of paganism, carried his \'ictoriou3 arms into Pannonia. King Pepin, following the example of his father, drove the Avars across the Theiss, but it was not till the reign of the Emperor Charlemagne that they were completely subdued. Their Khans were, however, suffered to remain under the protection of the Emperor, on condition of embracing Christianity. Colonies of Franks, Bavarians, and Carinthians were planted in the land, and Pannonia became, for a time, a province of France. The Sclavonic mucs of Bohemia claimed part of Pannonia from the Avars (now vassals of the Emperor), and as the ambassadors of Charlemagne were unsuccessful in an attempt to heal their differences, the chiefs of both races were summoned to ""wpear before the Emperor hiiuself at Aix-la-Chapelle. Tor a third time the glories of a great conquest were A.D. 880.] SETTLEilENT OF THE MAGYARS. 5 destined to perish with the conqueror ; the successors cf Charlemagne were as weak and incapable as those of Attila and Bajan. Towards the end of the ninth century, Swato- pluk prince of Moravia and chief of the Sclavonic people, proclaimed himself the enemy of the descendant of Charle- magne. The Bohemians and other tribes joined his standard, and the rebellion shortly became so formidable, that King Louis of Germany was obliged to cede all the land North- East of the Danube to Swatopluk. Upon the death of Loui% the kingdom of the Franks was again subdivided ; Charles the Fat, afterwards King of France, inherited the larger portion, while Pannouia fell to the share of Arnulph, grand- son of Louis, who finally resigned the possession to Swato- pluk, on condition of his supporting his claim to the empire. Pannonia was thus, in the end of the ninth century, peopled by a variety of races, distinct in character and in language, when the country was for the last time subjugated by a new race, possessed of high mental and physical endow- ments, and diftering from all former conquerors, in being able to retain the power as well as the land which they acquired. CHAPTER IL Settlement of the Magyars, A..D. 880—1000. The Magyars are by some supposed to be a Finnish race, by others to have the same origin as the Turks, but all agree in the account of their superior hardihood, courage, and manly qualities. It appears probable that they had wandered from the foot of the Ural Mountains, when they advanced upon Europe, at the time that Charles the Fat wass King in France, Arnulph Emperor of the west, Swatopluk reigned in Pan- UISiOItY OF IIUNOAHT. [a.d, 880. noiiia and Moravia, aud the Bulgarians occupied the region of the Thuiss. The race was divided into seven tribes, each governed by a separate chief, one of whom, by name A lorn, was elected by the rest to lead them forth to new conquests, and in search of a wider pasture-land for their flocks and lierds. The fame of the riches of Pannonia, and of the paat glories of the JIuns reached tlie Magyars in tlie far east, and eagerly claiming for their chief a descent from the great Attila, they resolved to go in quest of this favoured region. Alom was of mature ivj^t', possessed a noble aspect, quick eye, and strong arm, and was valiant, wise, and generous; but in choosing him a.s their leader, the Magyars insisted upon his accepting cer- tain conditions, by which they maintained their own dignity, power, and independence. They insisted that whatever land should be acquired by their united strength, should be divided among them according to their respective merits; that, as they of their own free will had elected Alom as their Duke or leader, he and his descendants should promise never to exclude them from the ducal council or the govern- ment ; and that, as whosoever should fail in his allegiance to the Duke or cause discord between the chiefs, would be condemned to die, so should the descendants of Duke Alom, if they violated the oath of their father, in like manner be for ever banished from among the people. These con- ditions were the foundation-stone of the Hungarian Consti tution, which has preserved the liberties of the nation durins; ei";ht centuries. WTien the Magyars reached the Volga, they swam the river upon inflated skins, and proceeding onwards, pitched their tents beside the Dnieper. So vast a host were unwel- come visitants to the inhabitants of this region, who, being too weak to expel them by force, were obliged to have recourse to stratagem. They described Pannonia in glowing A.D. 880.] ABPAD. 7 colours, and assured the Magyars that the present inhabit- ants, composed of mixed races, Sclaves, Bulgarians, "NVallachs, and Franks, would be easily overcome. Alom evinced his gratitude for this intbnnation by gifts of gold and furs, and set forth once more on his journey to the land of promise. The formidable aspect of liis followers, secured them a friendly reception from all whose territories they passed through, and the news of their approach preceded them to tlie banks of the Tlieiss. Some of the nices inliabiting Pannonia came with otters of service to propitiate the Magyars ; others who refused to bid them welcome were punished with death. Arrived at Zemplin, Alom asserted his claim to the whole land in right of his supposed ancestor, Attila, and devoted four days to thanksgiving and feasting ; on the fourth he assembled the chiefs of the people, and announced to them tliat, as he had fulhlled his work, and the infirmities of age required rest, he resigned his power, and demanded their obedience, to his son Arpad. Arpiid immediately turned his arms against the Bulgarians, and with such success that his fame reached tlie ears of tlie Emperor Amulph, then engaged in war with Swatopluk, and he invited him to come to his assistance. The igno- minious peace by which Amulph ceded Pannonia to Swatopluk did not satisfy the Magyars. Their numbers and power had rapidly increased, with the accession of other races, who were ready to acknowledge the supremacy of Arpad ; but most of the land inliabited by the Sclaves, was still subject to the king of Bulgaria, and to Swatopluk. Arpad and his chiefs re-commenced the war by the siege of the castle of Borsova, the stronghold of Salan, the Bulgarian prince ; in three days they succeeded in taking the fortress, and the fugitive Bulgarians hastened to inform Salan of his loss. Nothing daunted, the prince sent messengers to Arpad, bidding him withdraw his hordes to the Scythian 8 insrouv of hlngahy, [a.d. 888. deserts, or submit to his authority. Arpad received the ambassadors graciously, bade them obaen'e the numberH and the power of his followers, and reminded them of the feeble resistance which could be olibred him, by scattered tribes of Bulgariaus and Sclaves. lie demanded only a narrow strip of laud, a cup of water from the Danube, and a little grass from the plains, that he might compare them with the land, and water, and gra.s3 of Scytliia ; then bestowing rich gifts on the ambjwsadors, he dismissed them with twelve milk- white horses as a present to their king. Salan accepted the liorses, and gladly granted all that Arpiid demanded, little dreaming that by the strip of land, the water, and the grass, the Magyar claimed a recognition of his right to the most productive parts of Hungary, viz : — the mountain region where copper, iron, and precious stones were found, the rivers, and the plain where rich pastiures could feed his flocks and herds, and where the best wines could be manu- factured. When Salan demanded the restoration of that which had been taken from him by stratagem, Arpad answered, all he now possessed was the free gift of the Bulgarian king, or purchased by the white horses, but that he further required the rest of the land between the Theisa and the Danube, which were his by inheritance, from Attila. It was vain for Salan to resist, and after a great battle, in which the prince was defeated, Arpad took possession of the whole of the Bidgariau kingdom. Swatopluk having resigned his dominions, and retired to end his days among the hermits on the mountain of Zobor, his son took possession of Bohemia, and abandoned the district of the AVaag to the Magyars. Having thus accomplished the conquest of Himgan', Arpad called together the first Diet, or assembly of chiefs, in the vicinity of the modern city of Szegedin. Here judges were appointed, and the mutual relations and duties of the A.D. 902.] GEISA. 9 Duke, the chiefs, and the people were determined. The country was divided into counties and baronies, fortified castles were ordered to be built, and the surrounding districts were beatowed on the Magyars, according to the compact between the chiefs and Alom. The Mag}ars, who now assumed the general name of Hungarians, were all declared free, and to be in the enjoyment of equal rights and privileges ; those races who had voluntarily submitted to the conquerors were received as friends and shared the same rights with the Magyar, while those who had resisted the invaders, were reduced to serfdom and compelled to till the soil. Thus commenced the distinction of privileged and unprivileged classes, "uobiles," or freemen (constituting a species of national aristocracy), and peasant. Arpad pitched his camp on the island of Csepcl, on the Danube, below the modem city of Pesth, from whence he spread his conquests as far as Italy, and after having secured the succession to his son Zoltan, died in the beginning of the tenth century. The youth of Zoltan emboldened Louis (the last male descendant of Charlemagne in the direct line), to attempt an invasion of Hiuigary ; but before he proceeded farther than Augsburg, he was surprised and overpowered by the Magyars, who had advanced to meet him. From this time Gennany and Italy continued a prey to their devastations, and the captives taken in these expeditions were brought to Hungary and included among the serfs. The Hungarians were in- vited into Italy, in 902, by Bcrengarius, duke of Friuli, to assist him in his wars against Guido, duke of Spoleto. They seized on Aquileia, Verona, and Padua, and advanced so far that Berengarius himself was obliged to oppose them. They however defeated the army he led against them, and were only induced to retire on the payment of a large sum of money. 10 IlISTOnT OF UUNOAUY. [a.d. 1000. Geisa, the grandson of Arpad was a lover of peace and justifo, and favoured Christianity, to which his wife was a convert, lie surrendered the province of Austria (which Imd hitherto belonged to Hungary) to Leopold, Duke of Swabia, who liad niarrit'd the sister of the Emperor Henry II. Geisa founded schools and colleges in Hungary, but his desire for the advance of civilization and of peaceful arts, was looked upon with contempt by his barbarous nobles. He had however sown tlie good seed, which grew up and bore fruit uiuUt his son Stephen, who founded the monarchy, gave consistency to the nation, and established Christianity. HAPTER III. Kings of the house of Arpdd—Slephen I., Peter, Andrew /., £ela I., Solomon, Geisa I., Ladislau^ I., Coloman — The Crusades. A.D. 1000—1114. With Stephen commences one of the most important periods in the nistory of Hungary. He was bom in Gran, in 978, and the monkish legends relate that his mother had a vision before his birth, in which his future greatness was revealed to her by the first martyr. In his early youth he bore the name of "Wait, and at fifteen years of age received the oath of fealty from the great nobles of the land. When the Bohemian bishop Adelbert arrived in Hungary to convert the pagans to Christianity, the young prince was among those who listened to his exhortations, and after his solemn betrothal to Gisela, sister of the duke of Bavaria, he was baptized under the name of Stephen, in remembrance of his mother's dream. On the death of Geisa, Stephen succeeded him in the dukedom. Though only nineteen, he possessed the wisdom A.D. llOO.] 8TEPUEN I ]1 and decision of riper years, both of which he was soon called upon to exert, to quell an insurrection caused by Kuppa, Duke of Sumegh, who, being also a descendant of Arpad, wished to restore the rites of paganism. Kuppa was however defeated and slain in battle. According to ancient usage, Stephen was invested with the war girdle before advancing to the attack of the enemy, and a consecrated sword placed in his h:md, for the defence of the true faith and of his country. This sworcl was ever afterwards pre- sented, and used in the ceremony of coronation. By a wise distribution of threats and promises, Stephen suc- ceeded in establishing Christianity throughout his dominions, and his example was followed by the princes of Moravia, Bulgaria, and Scrv'ia. He founded ecclesiastical schools, colleges, and monasteries in various parts of Ilungar}'-, and invited German monks to occupy them. He next commenced the cathedral of Gran, divided the land into ten dioceses, and finally sent an embassy to Kome, to demand the consent of the Pope, and of the Emperor Otho, to change his dukedom into a kingdom. Pope Sylvester, willing to gratify so zealous a servant of the church, replied to his ambassadors, " I am called ' The Apostolic,' but your prince, who through Christ has gained a great people, is truly an apostle." His holiness next proceeded to confirm the nomination of a monk of the name of Dominic, to the new archbishopric of Gran, and then not only granted the kingdom to Stephen and his heirs, but gave him permission to have the patriarchal cross borne before him, as a sign of his apostolic mission, and yielded to him his right of appointing all the ecclesiastics of the kingdom. "With the cross, pope Sylvester sent him a crown of gold, symbolical of his royal jurisdiction. Stephen selected the Holy Virgin as the queen and patroness of the kingdom, and fixed on the month of August, the feast of her ascension, for his coronation. 12 U18T0EY OF HUirOABr. [a.d. 1000. The ceremony as performed at that time, was continued with little alteration to the late«t periotl of the monarchy. Preceded by the RTcat nobles of tlie kinj^dom, the King entered the Cathedral, and kneeling at the altar, Mwore to pre- sen'e the churches, prelates, barons, magnates, nobles, and all the inhabitants, in their immunities, liberties, rights, laws, and })rivileges. ]Ie was then anointed with oil, and the archbishop of Gran pla<-ed the sacred crown upon his head. On leaving the C'athednil he waa conducted on horseback to a circular mound on the banks of tho Danube, near Presburg. where after repeating his C(»ron- ation oath, he ascended to the top, and pointed with hiu Bword North, South, East, and West, to indicate hia detennination to defend his kingdom on whatever side it should be attacked. The crown of St. Stephen descending from generation to generation became an object of profound veneration to the people, who regarded it not only as con- ferring tlie kingdom of Hungary, but an a pledge for the presenation of their rights and liberties, sworn to by the King at his coronation. The einba.ssy to Kome had been undertaken with the consent of the great nobles, who were careful to provide that neither Stephen nor his successors should regard the kingdom in any other light than as the free gift of the Hungarian people ; they therefore obtained from him a Constitution in 1001. He appointed a Palatine or umpire between him and his subjects, second only to him- self, and keeper of the royal seal ; and over each Comitat or county, he placed an officer (Fd Ispany), with full civil and military authority. Next in rank to the Palatine were the Magnates or those " nobiles " employed in the great offices of the state ; after them the inferior " nobiles," including all the freeholders of the kingdom, who shared in the administration, and sent their representatives to the A.D. laSG.J PETEH. 13 National Diet or Parliament. Here, -ftith tlie Magnates and Prelates, they decided all great questions, the King having only the right of annulling or ratifying their acts. Stephen had to encounter many difficulties in his schemes of religious as well as of political reform, and family mis- fortunes embittered his latter years. The death of his son was not only an atUiction to him as a father, but caused much embarrassment in the choice of a successor. There were several aspirants to the throne, and his own life was even once attempted. The calm courage and magaauiinity of the aged monarch disarmed the assassin, suid his supposed instigators, Andrew and Bela, cousins of Stephen, went into voluntary exile. Happy in the conviction that his labours for his countr)' had not been vain, Stephen resigned his cro^vn to his nephew Peter, and died in 1U3G. The gratitude of the nation was justly due to a monarch who might well be called the father of his country, since (a rare example among kings), he granted the people a Constitution by which they were enabled to guide themselves in the road to true liberty. He has been canonized by the church for the superstitious zeal with which he enforced the outward symbols of Cliristiauity, but he is venerated in the hearts of the people for the truly Christian virtues he possessed. His body was conveyed to Stuhhveis.seuburg, and there solemnly interred in the church of the Holy Virgin, the patroness of Hungary. Peter, the successor of Stephen, inherited his uncle's superstitious veneration for the church, without his political wisdom or virtue. His mode of life did nut agree with his religious professions, and he therefore neither gained the favour of those who still inclined towards paganism, nor of pious Christians. He especially gave oft'ence to the Hungarian people by surrounding himself with foreigners, introducing (Jcrmans into his council, and 14 HISTORY OF IIUNGAEY. [a.D. 10-i5. even appointing tliem governors of cities. A conspiracy was therefore formed against him, he was obliged to take refuge in Bavaria, and Samuel Aba, one of the blood royal, was appointed in his place. He immediately revoked the decrees of Peter, and expelled the Germans from the kingdom, but while attempting to improve the con- dition of the peasantry, he raised the enmity of the "nobiles," who conspired again to overthrow him; their conspiracy was however discovered, and while some of the leaders were put to death, the remainder sought shelter at the court of the Emperor, Henry III. Peter had already appealed to Henry against his rebellious subjects, and the Emperor had declared hid intention of supporting the sacred cause of kings, in the person of the Hungarian monarch. But no sooner did a rumour of this intention reach Aba than he coUected an army, and made a success- ful inroad into Austria and Bavaria, carrying off prisoners and booty. Having thus convinced the Emperor of his power, he sent ambassadors to his court, offering to restore all he had taken, on condition that Henry would consent to abandon Peter; but the proposal was not listened to, and strengthened by the fugitive Hvingarian nobles, the Emperor advanced into Hungar}'. After a lengthened contest, victory declared for the invaders, and many more of the discontented nobles deserting Aba in the last hour, the defeated chief fled across the Danube, and was murdered by his own followers in a vOlage upon the Theiss. Peter had learnt nothing from his three years of adversity ; and as soon as he felt his throne secure, he recalled the Germans into Hungary, and treated the Hungarian nobles, to whom he owed his restoration, with insult and neglect. In 1045 he invited the Emperor to visit him, and during the celebration of the feast of Easter, when all the Magnates were assembled, he declared his intention of holding his A.D. 1047.] AXDEEW I. 15 kingdom as a fief of the German empire, and swore allegiance to the Emperor, presenting him with a crown and lance out of the treasury, which Henry sent as an offering to Eome. The people, indignant at Peter's conduct, determined to depose him, and in a meeting held at Csanad, it was resolved to send to his cousin Andrew, who had fled from Hungary during the reign of Stephen, and entreat him to return, and restore the ancient rights of the race of Arpad, as well as the independence of Hvingary. On his arrival, he was in the first place, required to promise the Hungarians the free exercise of the pagan religion ; Chris- tianity had not yet taken a deep root in the hearts of the people, and was associated in their minds with the dominion of the foreigner, through the German monks of Stephen, and the German and Italian courtiers of Peter. After giving the promise demanded of him, Andrew placed himself at the head of the insurgent nobles, and the whole nation rising in rebellion against Peter, he was soon after- wards taken prisoner, blinded, and shut up in the fortress of Stuhlweissenburg, where he ended his existence. The reign of Andrew began with a general destruction of churches and monasteries, and the murder of a vast number of ecclesiastics; but as the new King was in reality attached to the Christian religion, and had only promised to restore paganism in order to obtain a throne, he was no sooner secure ia his kingdom than he threw off the mask, and was crowned in Stuhlweissenburg in 10i7. His first act was to punish with death those who had been guilty of putting out the eyes of Peter, after which he threatened to destroy all who practised pagan rites, and lastly, restored the churches, with the laws and regulations framed by King Stephen. He next hastened to despatch ambassadors to the Emperor to deprecate his wrath at the deposition of Peter, by 16 niSTOET OF UUNOAET. [a.D. 1058. offering to hold the kingdom as a fief of the empire, and to pay Henry an annual tribute. These propositions were however rejected, and Andrew turned for assistance to his brother Bela, whom he had left in Poland. " We were once," he said, " companions in misfortune ; let us now share the joys and splendour of a throne ; I have no heir or brother but you ; you shall be my successor in the government." In reward for great services which Bela had rendered to the King of Poland, he had received his daughter in marriage, with large estates in Pomerania ; but his attachment to his native country having continued undiminished by time or absence, he eagerly accepted the proposal of Andrew to return to Hungary ; on his arrival the King bestowed on him one-third of his kingdom, ■nith the title of Duke. The brothers were soon afterwards involved in wars with the Emperor, which however were of short duration. When Andrew invited Bela to share his kingdom, he had only one child, a daughter ; but a few years later, the birth of a son raised in his mind fears and jealousies of his brother. The child was christened Solomon, and was, when yet an in- fant, betrothed to the daughter of the Emperor Henry III. WTien Solomon had reached his seventh year, Andrew assem- bled the Diet at Stuhlweissenbiirg, and demanded their assent to his coronation as future King of Hungary. Bela and his sons willingly acquiesced in the decision of the Diet, and Solomon was accordingly croAvned the following year. Andrew was, however, still dissatisfied, and there were not wanting among the courtiers those who insinuated that the succession of Solomon coidd only be seciired by the death of Bela. The King accordingly one day invited his brother to his palace, and received him, stretched upon a couch, with a crown and a naked sword at his feet. As soon as Bela ap- A.D. 1062.] BELA I. 17 peared, he addressed him in these words : " Duke, I was induced to place the crown on the head of my son, hy a desire for the welfare of the kingdom, and not from any schemes of self-aggrandisement. The government, by right, devolves on you after my death ; therefore you are free to choose : if you desire the kingdom, take the crown, but if you are satisfied with the rank of duke, take up the sword." Bela had been already warned by his friends that his life depended on his choice ; he therefore accepted the sword, and left the presence of Andrew, resolved to use it in his own defence. He escaped with his sons into Poland to demand the assistance of his former friends, which was readily granted him, and he returned with three armies to Hungary, where the inhabitants flocked to his standard. Andrew immediately sent Solomon into Germany, and re- quested the support of the Eegents of the empire, who governed at that time for the young Emperor Henry IV. The King's troops, with his German auxiliaries, were however defeated, and himself slain, in a great battle near the Theiss, when Bela was immediately proclaimed King of Hungary. The first act of the new sovereign Avas to publish a general amnesty, and to ofler his protection to the wives and chil- dren of those who had fallen in battle, fighting against him. He next commenced a series of political and statistical reforms, such as, diminishing the taxes, coining gold and silver money, regulating the -weights and measures, and fixing the average price of food. He convoked a Diet at Stuhlweissenburg, to which at his command every County sent two deputies ; many of the people, supposing he was impelled to this measure either by weakness or from some sinister motive, followed their representatives to the Diet. They encamped before the gates of the city, and sent mes- sages to the King and to the Magnates demanding the restoration of paganism, and the destruction of priests and c IS IIISTOHY OF HUNGARY. [a.D. 10G5. monks.* The insurrection threatened to become dangerous, and Bela determined to resort to stratagem ; he therefore irquested a delay of three days before he gave his answer ; in the meantime he sent trustworthy messengers to all the casths and districts, and collected by night an armed force sufficient to put down the insurgents. On the third day he attempted by argument to induce them to retire peaceably, but when this failed, he gave a signal, and they were immediately surrounded, and the leaders of the rebel- lion cut down. Their followers, by virtue of a law of King Stephen, were eflaced li'om the list of freemen, " nobiles," and reduced to serfdom. By this act, paganism was subdued in Hungary, although the people were not wholly converted to Christianity for some time after. Bela, desirous to ob- tain possession of the person of his nephew Solomon, who had now attained his twelfth year, and lived under the pro- tection of the Margrave of Austria, assembled an anny for the purpose. His intention was, however, frustrated by his death, for as he was one day sitting in judgment according to custom, the house in which he sat, fell, and buried him in its ruins. The sons of Bela refused to accept the crown offered them by the Magnates of Huugar}', and sent an embassy to the Margrave of Austria signifying their renunciation of all claim to the throne, and their readiness to acknowledge their cousin Solomon king. Solomon was accompanied to Stuhl- weissenburg by the yovmg Emperor of Germany, and the two boys Avere seated together upon the throne of St. Stephen. The youthful Solomon was wholly imder the guidance of two powerful nobles. Count Veit and Count * Though called pagans by the monkish historians, they appear to have been simply monotheists, and to have objected to the polytheistic Chiistiauity of the Eomish hierarchy, chiefly on political grounds. A.D. 1075. SOLOMON. 19 Iriiei, who persuaded him to deprive his cousins, the sons of Beha, even of that portion of the land which was their right- ful inheritance. They were therefore obliged to fly into Poland, and place themselves once more under the protec- tion of Duke Bolislaus. Some of the Hungarian nobles adopted their cause, and Solomon ^vith his favourites shut themselves up in the fortress of AVieselburg. The Prelates of the kingdom however interfered, and terminated these family feuds, which threatened to plunge the country into the horrors of civil war. The sons of Bela were restored to their inheritance, and Solomon was cro\\'ned for the third time ; his cousin Geisa himself performing the ceremony. Ten years of iminterrupted harmony followed this recon- ciliation, in which time the King was assisted b}'^ the Dukes in defending his kingdom from foreign invaders. The Emperor of the East, Michael Dukas, had allowed his subjects to commit depredations on the Hungarian terri- tory; and accordingly, Solomon, with his cousins Geisa and Ladislaus laid siege to Belgrade ; the inhabitants held out bravely for two months, but in the third, a Jlungarian maiden, Avho had been shortly before led away captive by the Greeks, set fire to the city in several places, and oj)ened an entrance for her countrymen. An immense slaughter followed, and the treasures of the Greeks, in gold, silver, and precious stones fell to the share of Solomon. Niketas, the Greek commander, and the garrison, had withdrawn into the fortress, but offered to capitulate on condition that their lives should be spared, and that they should be permitted a free exit. The King and the Dukes granted their demand, and Niketas, with a silver image of the Virgin borne before him, and followed by his soldiers, advanced to Duke Geisa, to whom he delivered himself and the greater part of the garri- son, while the rest offered their submission to the King. This mark of confidence in Geisa roused the jealousy of c 2 20 HISTOnT OF IICNfiART. [a.D. UX)9. Solomon, who inrcveiige made an untMiualdivisionof th j booty, appropriating thri'f-i'oiirtlis to hiiuheif and his tavourites, and bestowing the small remainder upon liin cousins. The Greek emperor, Michael Dukas, still further incensed Solomon, by sending rich presents to Geisa and Ladislaus, as a token of his gratitude for their generous treatment of their prisoners, llic brothers became soon aware of the suspicion with which their conduct was regarded, and withdrew from the camp ; and when Solomon recalk'd them,oidy Geisa ventured to appear, riie King was advised to put him to death, but abstained, be- lause he knew that Ladislaus was at hand with a large army : ( leisaand Ladislaus iuunediately prei)aredtodefend themselves, and the country was soon divided between the adherents of the King and of the Dukes. "While Solomon was celebrating the Christmas festivities in the abbey of Szekszard, he was advised to terminate the civil war, by ordering the assassi- nation of Geisa ; but this counsel was overheard by the Abbot, who hastened in disgui.se to the Duke, and entreated him to save his life by flight. Arrived at Tokay, Geisa sent mes- sengers to his brother to hasten to his assistance : their united forces met that of Solomon on the banks of the Danube, and after a hard-fought battle, Geisa and Ladislaus were finally victorious. The Prelates and Magnates of the kingdom met in Stuhlweissenburg, and there discovered that Solomon had souglit the assistance of the German Emperor, promising him in return to hold Hungary as a fief of the empire, and to resign to him six fortified towns, In consequence of this act, Solomon was deposed and declared a traitor and enemy of his country, incapable of governing, and Geisa was elected King in his place. An embassy was sent to the Duke, to otfer him the kingdom ; but though he consented to act as regent, he refused the crown, until fur- ther attempts ha I been made to effect a reconciliation with Solomon. Heedless of every thing but vengeance, the King A. D. 1075.] GEISi. I. 21 had already scut to the Emperor, Henry IV., to hasten hi.s approach. In order to prevent this invasion, Geisa com. manded all the hind to be laid waste through which the imperial army was obliged to pass ; and his stratagem suc- ceeded so well, that Henry was forced to make an inglorious retreat, without once encoimtering the enemy. Geisa had taken the precaution to acquaint Pope Gregory Til. with the late events in Hungary, and he now received an a.ssurance of the protection of the holy see, and an ac- knowledgment of his rightful claim to the throne, since his cousin, despising the protection of St. Peter, had stooped to become a vassal of the German empire. He was further admo- nislicd, " that, as the kingdom of Hungai-y, like the remain- ing kingdoms of the world, must maintain its independence, so it might not acknowledge the supremacy of any other prince, but only submit to the Romish church, the universal mother, who did not require slavish subjection, but obedience from her children." The Diet had been at all times jealous of the interfe- rence of the church in the political aflairs of the kingdom, and was ready to oppose Gregory in any pretence of i'eudal right, derived from the papal donation of the crown to King Stephen ; but an exception was made, in this instance, and the representatives of the kingdom urged Geisa to accept the title of king, in order to secure the peace of the country. In 1075 he yielded to their wishes to have him cro\nied, though he still only maintained the rank of Grand Duke of Hungary, but with a promise that at some futui-e period he would, by the grace of God, be consecrated king. On this occasion, Michael Dukas, Emperor of the East, sent him a circlet of gold, adorned with Greek images and in- scriptions, which was attached to the crown of St. Stephen. Geisa only reigned three years, and died in 1077, while negotiating a peace \\'ith Solomon, who was closely besieged 22 HISTORY OF lILNGAnT. [a.U. 1077. iu Presburg by h'la brutlier LadislauH. As soon as Gcisa's death was known, the " nobiles" assembled from all parta of the kingdom, and unanimously elected Ludislaus as hiu Buceessor. lie was eelebrated for the beauty of his person, for his unusual height and nuijestic aspect ; but, above all, for his mild and Christian virtues. Holislaus 11., duke of Poland, who had formerly assisted lii'la and afterwards his sons, was at this time induced to put to death a bishoj) of Cracow, who had offended liim. The deed was eoinmitted wliile the bishop was before the altar; and, as a. punishment for this sacrilegious act, Pope Gregory jdaced the whole country under an interdict, and absolved the people from their allegiance to their prince. Bolislaus, with his only son, fled into Hungary, where, in spite of the remonstrances of the Hungarian Prelates, the King received him with hospitality. He could not forget the kindness shown to himself, his father, and his brothers in their adversity, nor allow priestly menaces to deter him from paying a debt of gratitude. When the Pope learnt that Ladislaus had taken the Polish Duke under his protection, he adopted the cause of Solomon. But the Hungarian Prelates, more eager than ever to effect a recon- ciliation between the princes and avoid further strife, offered their mediation. Ladislaus was not only ready to accept any terms from his cousin, but even to abdicate in his favour, and a solemn reconciliation accordingly took place, by which Solomon was permitted to retain his rank and dignity, while Ladislaus governed the kingdom. Scarcely had the fonner obtained these concessions, than he began to conspire against, and even plot the assassination, of his cousin. His inten- tions were however discovered, and Ladislaus shut him up in the fortress of Yisegrad, in the vicinity of the modem city of Waitzen. About this period, Pope Gregory, desirous to show his friendly intentions towards Hungars', sent a nimcio A.D. 1077.] LADISLAUS I. 23 to proclaim the canonization of King Stephen ; Ladislaus, with a vast assemblage of Prelates, Abbots, and Magnates, received the pope's ambassador at Stuhhveissenburg, where the ceremony took place, and the King, willing that all should partake in the general happiness, sent for Solomon and gave him his freedom. But no benefits coidd move the deposed monarch from his purpose of regaining his kingdom, and the first use he made of his liberty, was to stir up enemies against Ladislaus, in Moldavia. Defeated in a battle with the armies of the Greek Emperor (whom he had provoked by an invasion of Bulgaria), Solomon fled across tlie Danube, and in an attempt to explore the depths of a thick forest, he separated from his followers, and was never heard of n.orc. Some asserted that he was afterwards seen as a pilgrim at tlie shrine of St. Stephen, and that he ended liis days as a hermit; but his fate is wrapt in an obscurity which after, the lapse of ages, even the endeavours of the curious are not likely to disperse. The virtues of Ladislaus have afforded a theme, on which the monkish historians have loved to build wild and impro- bable tales. His sister, who had married the Duke of Croatia and Dalinatia, was left a widow and childless, soon after the accession of Ladislaus to the throne of Hungary. Attacked by numerous enemies, she appealed to her brother for assist- ance ; he accordingly marched a large army into Croatia, when she resigned the cares of government to him, and re- tired from the world. From that time, Croatia formed a part of the kingdom of Hungary. Ladislaus introduced the Hun- garian Constitution into the new province, which was adminis- tered by the King, Prelates, Barons, and Magnates of the kingdom. He appointed his nephew Almos, Eegent or King of Croatia, founded a bishopric at Agram, the principal city of the province, and extended his domains to the shores of the Adriatic. 24 HISTORY OF IIUNGAHY. [a.D. 1UD5 liadislaus had but one son (Colomaii), and three daughters, the eldest of whom was married to the son of Alexius Comne- nu8, Emperor of the East. In the year lOOi, Alexius sent ambassadors to liome, who were commissioned to entreat the Pope to demand the assistance of the princes of the West against the Turks : this race had advanced fnjin the East, and in the course of the last twenty years, established them- selves in Asia Minor, erecting a kingdom on the ruins of the Greek emjjire. The ambassadors of Alexius were supported by the zeal of the fanatic, Peter the Hermit, who, excited by the sufferings of the Christians he had witnessed at Jerusalem, had already appealed to Urban II. The Pope believed he saw in him one commissioned by a Higher Power, and promised to summon a council to con.sider the means by which to deliver the Holy Land from the infidel.* Ladislaus, among other princes, was invited to assist in a conference at Piaccntia, and though he refused to attend in person, he permitted his Prelates, Abbots, and Magnates to obey the summons of the pope, giving them an assurance that he would support them in their acquiescence in ail things ordained by the holy father, pro^^ded they were in themselves just. In Placentia was laid the scheme of the first Crusade, and such was the reputation of Ladislaus through- out Europe, that an embassy was sent to him at the sugges- tion of William of Aquitaine, requesting him to undertake to be its leader. The King of Hungary consented, and was only prevented by death from fulfilling this promise. His son Coloman, who was in Poland, returned just in time to receive his father's blessing before he expired, after a reign of nineteen years. The Hungarians mourned for him three years, diu"ing which time no festivities were permitted, and no music Avas heard in the kingdom. Ladislaus was the first to introduce a code of ciA-il and criminal law into Hungary, • See Gibbon's Roman Empire. Chap. Iviii. A.B. 1095.2 COLOMAN. 23 and secured her independeuee hi hli i nut lei's' of' eceJesifi^ticiH jurisdiction. -. •• • . . . z '.^ . Coloman, who succeeded his fath'e?, 'i^as deformsd and unprepossessing in his person ; but though 'ii(Jt no ftc'jom- plished a warrior as Ladislaus, he had all those qualities which constitute an able ruler, united with resolution and steadiness of purpose necessary to preserve the kingdom entire, in a time of difficulty and discord. A rebellion of the Croats disturbed the very commencement of his reign, but he at once subdued them with a powerful army. He next proceeded to complete the conquests of the late King. The Northmon (Xormans) had attacked the maritime cities of Dalmatia, and Coloman led his victorious troops against tlie enemy, compelling the cities to acknowledge his supremacy, as the price of his protection. In the mean time, the excitement of the Crusade had reached its greatest height in the council of Clermont ; but, as the Hungarian King considered it to be his first duty to remain in his own country, he declined taking any part in the expedition. The first body of crusadiTS who demanded a free passage through Hungary was led by Walter the Penny less, a Norman gentleman. They consisted of a disorderly multitude of fifteen thousand men, women, and children, escorted by eight thousand knights, ('oloman received them in a friendly manner, and provided them with guides, to conduct them by the shortest way through his kingdom ; they crossed the Save, near 8emlin ; but they had scarcely passed over the river, when sixteen knights returned, on pretence of pur- chasing arms ; instead of which they committed every kind of outrage on the inhabitants of the surrounding districts, who in return deprived them of the arms they already pos- sessed, and seizing all the gold and silver which they had about their persons, sent them back to their comrades, wh(j were encamped before the walls of Belgrade. It was with 26 -HISTORY OF HUNQAKT. [a.D. 1095. some dilficulty thnt tho leader is t)revented the whole body of crusaders re6rossiYig tli6* Save, 'to Tevenge the supposed iusult • Soon- afterwards, Coloman was informed, that Peter the Her'ixlit, with fo'ut fenights, and forty thousand pilgrims, demanded likewise a free passage through his dominions. The King not only granted their request, but furnished them ^^ith provisions and all they required. Peter led them in tolerable order across the kingdom until they arrived at Semlin, where the sight of the weapons and armour of AValter's knights, suspended as trophies from the walls, inilamed the passions of the multitude, and the zeal of Petei himself was kindled at such a treatment of men, engaged ir a holy cause ; he resolved that the city should pay dearly for its presumption, and Semlin was accordingly attacked and taken by storm ; the infuriated crusaders, pursuing seven thousand of the inhabitants, who had sought refuge on a mountain on the banks of the Danube, slaughtered them without mercy. Eeturning to the city, the victors were in the act of pillaging and destroying all that remained, when the news reaching them of the advance of the Hungarian King with a large army, they hastUy crossed the Save. The commission of similar outrages in Bulgaria, was visited with a fearful vengeance by the inhabitants of the country, and few of the followers of Peter the Hermit survived to reach the Holy Land. The misdeeds of Peter and his crusaders did not prevent Coloman from giving an equally hospitable reception to a third band, led by a German priest named Gottschalk, who arrived from the district of the E-hine. His fol- lowers belonged to the lowest order of the people, and from their first entrance into Hungary commenced a sys- tem of murder and pillage, v/hich they continued imtil the patience of Coloman was exhausted, and he assembled his warriors to considt how he could best rid the country of A.D. 1095. COLOMAX. 27 these predatory hordes. They decided that they were un- worthy to be met in battle, and accordingly sent a herald to them, bidding them choose between safety and destruction : he was desired to inform them, that as tlie King was willing to spare their lives, he would do so on condition, that they should dehver up their arms to the Hungarians, who would furnish them A\-ith all they required, until he coidd acquaint them with his final decision. The greater number complied, and a large supply of provisions was immediately brought to them ; but while they were feasting in security, the Hungarians treacherously fell upon them, and massacred all but three thousand, Avho escaped to pursue their journey to Jerusalem. Scarcely had these been despatched, when King Coloman was informed of the arrival of a fourth body of crusaders, led by a Ehenish nobleman, by name Emico. The news was accompanied by an account of the deeds already per- petrated by these fanatics. Many thousand Jews had fallen victims to their rage in Cologne, Treves, jNIayence, and "Worms, and they were said to look upon the Hungarians themselves as little better than pagans. Coloman accord- ingly refused to permit them to enter his dominions, and on their attempting to do so by force, they found the to^^iis on tlie frontiers strongly fortified, and every entrance barred by warriors ; they were driven back with great slaughter, and from that time the King closed Hungary to the crusaders, until the chivalric followers of Godfrey of Bouillon arrived on the borders of his kingdom. Coloman himself went to meet the great captain, and excused his delay in admitting him by relating the ravages committed by the four preceding companies of pilgrims ; then embracing Godfrey in the pre- sence of his warriors, he granted him all that he demanded. In the mean time Coloman' s chief care was the improve- ment of the internal administration of his kingdom ; he travelled over the whole countrj^ to learn, by personal obser- 28 HISTORY OF iicyoAnr. [a.d. lOOG ration, how fur the laws coiuluced to the progress and hap- piness of the people ; and, finally, laid the result of his labours before the Diet. All those ordinances of Stephen, Bela, and Ladislaus, whieh were considered appropriate to the existing condition of the people, were retained ; many laws were more strictly detined, and punisluiicnts mitigated. Soon after the departure of (iodirey of Bouillon, a sixth band of crusaders passed through the Hungarian territories; but being led, like the last, by knights and great personages, no breach of discipline was committed, and the sale of pro- visions, for wliicli aiiijile pa^inent was received, contributed to enrich the Hungarian people. As soon as his guests had departed, Coloman prepared an army to secure his dominion in Croatia and Dalmatia, which had been shaken by recent events. His cousin, Almos, who had been appointed Regent by Ladislaus, feeling himself unequal to the task, had re- signed the government to Coloman ; but the Hungarian King being occupied with the aflairs of his kingdom, the Croatian nobles had formed a league, dividing themselves into twelve bands or companies, each led by a separate chief, to carry on tlieir Avars, and rule the province in times of peace, Avitliout any reference to tlie will of their lawful King. After six years' absence from this part of his dominions, Coloman returned thither, and was met on the Save by the league of nobles, prepared to assert their independence. He determined first to try measures of conciliation, and not to resort to force, imtil it became absolutely necessary : he therefore sent to inform them, he was willing to respect their liberties and grant them his protection, provided they would submit their claims to a peaceful arbitration ; upon which they deputed twelve of their number to confer witb hhn. After a lengthened discussion, the King consented to leave them their rights, pri^oleges, and freedom, on condition of their submitting to his rule and to that of his sue- A.D. 1114.] COLOMAy 29 cessors. After the confirmation of the treaty on both sides, the nobles tendered him their homage, and Coloman was solemnly crowned King of Croatia and Dalmatia, by the Archbishop of 8palatro. On his return to Hungary, he found his Queen had died, leaving him with a son and daughter, both infants. He married, for a second time, Predzlava, a Russian princess ; but divorced her in a few months, and sent her back to her father at Kiew, where she shortly afterwards gave birth to a son, Boris, who subsequently became a pretender to the Hungarian throne. A succession of wars with the princes of Russia, and with the republic of Venice, for the posses- sion of Dalmatia, disturbed the remainder of his reign. Almos, the abdicated king of Croatia, also formed a con- spiracy to obtain possession of the crown of Hungary ; and after three attempts, for two of which he had been pardoned, Coloman, indignant at his ingratitude, deprived him and liis iiniocent son, Bela, of tlieir sight. .Stung by remorse at his own cruelty and want of aelf-commaud, the king never re- covered tlie remembrance of this deed, which seemed to eiface from his mind the happier recollections of the benefits he had conferred upon the nation. He died miserable, but penitent, in 1114, after a wise and virtuous reign of eighteen years. Although he built churches, he founded no monasteries, and even withdrew the extravagant donations of his prede- cessors for ecclesiastical endowments ; he insisted on a strict and virtuous life among ecclesiastics, and was a severe admini.strator of justice. With Coloman terminated the reign of those princes who founded the Hungarian kingdom, its constitution and laws ; for it is to Stephen, Bela,Ladislaus, and Coloman, that the nation is indebted for national inde- pendence, liberty, and self-government, which was at that time cemented bv a strong central power. The destruction of 30 niSTOEY OF nUNGARY. [a.d. 1114. ])!in;anlHin and the introduction of Christianity was less a ri'lif,'ioii8 than a political movement, and to this may be ascribed the tVctjiK'nt desire expressed by the people, for the restoration of their ancient rites, since all who professed Christianity were included in the freemen or " nobiles " of llunfj^ary, while the paj^ans were now reduced to serfdom. It was during this period that the composition of the Diet was determined. It consisted of the high aristocracy or Mag- nates, including the Prelates, who led their men into the field for the service of the king ; the " inferior nobiles " {servi- entes regales), Avho fought under the banner of the King alone, (which service was called the "insurrection," or levy of "nobiles,") and the soldiers or freemen (franklins), who were employed to defend the fortified castles of Hungary. All these were comprehended under the term "nobiles;" the emancipated serfs and naturalized foreigners, who formed a second class, were not required to perform military service, but possessed nopoliticalrights, and were therefore confounded with the serfs or lowest order of the people ; they were obliged to pay taxes to the king, and were subject to none but him : out of these have arisen the citizens of towns, and the middle class of Hungary. King Bela insisted on a stricter observance of Sundays, and ordered the markets to be held on Saturdays ; Ladislaus enjoined a due observance of all Chris- tian feasts, and while tolerating the Jews, obliged them to keep the Christian sabbath. Coloman forbade the trial of witches, on the express ground, " that there are no sue '> persons" limited the trial by ordeal, and commuted tortxires into fines and other punishments. He was surnamed Biblio- philus, for his love of learning, and may be regarded as one of the most remarkable men of the period in which he Uved. A.D. 1122.] STEPHEN II. 31 CIIAPTEE IV. Continuation of the Jcings of the house of Arpdd. — Stephen IL, Bela II., Geisa II., Stephen III, BeJa III, Emerick. LaJisJaus II. , Andrew II., Bela IV., Stephen IV., LaJislaus III, Andrew III. — The Crusades — Tl,e Golden Bull — Invasion of the Tartars. A.D. 1114—1301. Feom the death of Colomau, the kings of the house of Arpad degenerated in Avisdom and valour ; the weakness of the monarchs however was conducive to tlie growth of self- dependence in the peopL% and prevented tlie central power acquiring an vmdue share of influence in the state. Stephen II., the son of Coloman by his first wife, succeeded his father on tlie throne of Hungary ; he was only thirteen years of age, and the kingdom was accordingly governed for hiin by the Prelates and Magnates of his court. A successful attempt was made by the Venetians, in the commencement of his reign, to gain possession of Daliuatia, but they were re- pulsed by the Hungarian ]\lagnates, and forced to consent to a truce of five years. This war was scarcely ended, before another was commenced with the Duke of Bohemia, for the possession of some border towns. Though ambitious to emulate the glory of his ancestors, Stephen inherited neither their virtues nor their capacity. "What was in them a desire to increase the power and solidity of the nation, by extending their domain over the unruly pro\inces which surrounded Hungary, became in him a mere passion for conquest ; while at the same time he disgraced the name he bore, by a life notorious for its vices. He led his people on a war of plunder, into the dominions of Duke Leopold of -Austria, xuitil the latter was obliged to inflict a lummary vengeance upon the Hungarians. For many years 32 HISTORY OF HUKQABT. [a.D. 1122. uftiTwarcLs peace reigned between Austria and Iliuigarv, as the subjects of Kiug Stephen opposed all his projects of foreign invasion. In 1122, he was persuaded to marry a niece of Leopold. His luxurious court, or the easy temper of the monarch, induced surrounding princes, driven from their thrones and countries by rebellious subjects or power- ful enemies, to seek refuge within his dominions. Resigned to vicious indulgence and pleasure, the oidy things worthy of note performed by Stephen during many years, were, the foiuidation of a Beutdii-line abbey, the confirmation of the rights aiul privileges of the Dalmatian people, and the con- clusion of a treaty with the Duke of Bohemia. The desire for the excitement of war and conquest returning, he engaged in a contest witli Russia, for the restoration of a banished prince to his throne. He persuaded his nobles to lend their aid to this enterprise, by an assurance that he undertook it in obedience to the dying injunctions of his father, who had commanded him to revenge some defeats he had once sus- tained in Russia. The Poli.>jh Duke joined his forces to those of Stephen, but was slain in a sally from the chief city, and the King of Hungary, enraged at the death of his friend, ordered his soldiers to risk their lives, to satiate his vengeance against the enemy. But the Hungarian nobles considered it was high time to remind Stephen that he was not a despotic monarch ; and meeting in council, they despatched one of their number to acquaint the King with their decision, in these words : — " The city is strong, and can only be taken at the expense of the greater part of our armv ; and even if you had it in your possession, to whom would you confide the charge of its maintenance and de- fence ? Kot one of us will consent to perform this senice. Tou may take the city yourself, and if you please, be prince of A\1adimir. But a King, who prefers the imcertain do- niioion of a foreign country, to the government of his own A.D. 1131.] BELA II. 33 kingdom, is not for us. If such be your determination, we shall return and choose another monarch." The nobles accordingly ordered their followers to break up the camp, and Stephen was forced to swallow the aflront, and obey their "wishes. During the king's absence several of the nobles who had remained in Hungary had made predatory excursions into Bavaria, and carried away many of tlie inliabitauts. Under the pretext of punishing these marauders, Stephen revenged himself upon those among his subjects Avho had opposed his expedition into Russia. Fear, discontent, and hatred of the monarch prevailed throughout the land ; and among others the blind Duke of Croatia, Almos, fled to Constantinople, and was well received by Jolin Comnenus, the Byzantine Emperor. Stephen sent and demanded the expidsion of Almos from the empire ; and the refusal to comply with tliis demand occasioned another war. As his great nobles re- fused their aid, he was obliged to court foreign alliances, and obtained the assistance of the Duke of Boliemia ; notwithstanding which, the Hungarians sustained a signal defeat from the Greeks. Shortly afterwards, Almos died at Constantinople ; and Stephen, reconciled to his cousin by his death, demanded his body, which was interred beside his an- cestors in Stulilweissenburg. Conspiracies were now formed to seize the Hungarian throne, and the name of his half-bro- ther Boris, who had married tlie daughter of the Duke of Poland, suggested fears for his own safety to Stephen. At the instigation of some of his courtiers, he resolved to give a colouring of virtue to an act of self-preservation, and having no son himself, he sent for Bela, the blind son of Almos, and adopted him as his heir, giving him in marriage, Helena, the daughter of a prince of Ser\'ia. When reduced by disease to a bed of sickness, Stephen assumed the habit of a monk, and died in the year 1131. D 34 HI8T0ET OF HUNOAHY. [a.D. 1132. Bela the Second ascended the throne of Hungary withnut opposition, and was erowued with liis Queen Helena at Stuhlweissenburg. His bodily infirmity obliged him to resign niueli of his power into tlie liands of those who sur- rounded him, and his Queen soon obtained an extraordinary influence in the kingdom. She was a woman of a bold and masculine temperauR'nt, and elierished a deep revenge for the suflc-rings which liad bei-n inflicted upon her husband in his childhood. Soon after the birth of their second son, a great meeting of the Diet was convened at her desire in Arad, a place she selected because the inhabitants of the sur- rounding districts professed the Greek faith, to which she also belonged. The Magnates and "nobiles" were invited thither from all parts of the kingdom ; and when all were as- sembled, with the blind King seated in the midst. Queen Helena unexpectedly joined them. Attired simply, without the ornaments belonging to her rank, and bearing her two infants in her arms, she advanced with a majestic step. She reminded all present, that while they were blessed with the sight of the heirs to the throne of Hungary, the father of these children alone could not behold them ; and, after moving the feelings of her audience by an eloquent descrip- tion of the sufferings of the blind, she appealed to them, by their loyalt}^ to their sovereign, to point out among their numbers, those who had been the advisers of Coloman in his barbarous act. " Kise," she exclaimed, "if you are honourable and valiant men, and execute a deed of jus- tice upon the criminals ; by their death you will secure your King, these children, and yourselves from vile con- spiracies ; consecrate the field of Arad as a place of divine justice, that your descendants may for ever remember that the representative of God on earth is sacred!" As she ended these words her audit ois started to their feet, and a deadly combat followed, in which sixty-eight nobles were A.D. 1141.] GEiSA n. 35 left dead upon the field ; not all alike guilty, as many fell the victims of private revenge and hatred. The wives and children of the slain were exiled, and their property con- fiscated, or bestowed by Queen Helena, as a sin-offering, upon the church. That day Boris acquired a numerous accession to his party in Hungary, When Helena saw the danger which her thirst for revenge had brought upon her husbaud, she caused another meeting of the nobles to be summoned, in which whoever ventured to assert the le^gitimacy of Boris was put to tha sword. The Pretender was finally repulsed, and King Bela, who had no pleasure in war, contracted various alliances with surrounding princes, b}' which he hoped to maintain his kingdom in peace. He married his only daughter, Sophia, to the son of the German Emperor, Conrad of Hohenstaufen, and soon after died, in the thirty-third year of his ago, 1141, leaving Hungary, Croatia, and Dalmatia ,to his eldest son Geisa ; Servia to his second son Ladislaus ; and Sirmium, on the borders of Croatia, to his third and youngest son Stephen. Geisa was only t^n years of age when his father died ; the kingdom was therefore governed by a regency, con- sisting of the Palatine Belus, Aros the King's uncle, and the Archbishop of Gran. At that period the southern region of Transylvania was partly covered with a thick forest, and partly consisted of luxuriant pasture land, in which wild horses, buffaloes, and the aurochs grazed ; while, on the rocKy summits of the mountains the chamois ranged, undisturbed by the hunter. Reports of the fertility of the soil had reached the Rhine country of Flanders, where, at the mouths of the great river, a hardy people had been long struggling against the encroachments of the sea ; and, either invited to Transylvania by the regents of the kingdom, or conducted thither by some adventurous leader, a colony of these Flemings or Germans, wandered across Europe, and d2 3G HISTOEY or HUNOART. [a.D. 1146. established themselves in the countrj^ which, known in England as Transylvania, was named by them Siebenbiirgen. A wild tradition is told of a rat-catcher, who, having suc- ceeded in charming rats to follow him by music, tried the same art on man, and thus led the Germans from their homes, to the far East, where, in remembrance of the seven liills of the Rhine, they called the country Siebenbiirgen or Bergen ; the colonists were welcomed to Hungary, asid were allowed to partake of all the privileges of the "nobiles," such as exemption from taxation, the right of electing their own magistrates, &c. Boris, who had taken refuge in the court of Conrad, vainly petitioned the Emperor to render him assistance to obtain the crown of Hungary, Conrad was too much occu- pied with his own wars in Italy and Grermany to lend aid to others. The Pretender, therefore, appealed to Austria, and a successful inroad was made into Hungary, which, though repulsed, was the commencement of fresh Avars. In the year 1146, Bernard of Clairvaux, preached a new crusade in Prance, and Louis the VII., assxxming the cross, resolved in person to lead his warriors to the Holy Land. At the same time a monk, named Eudolph, excited the Grerman people to massacre the Jews, and the presence of Bernard alone saved the unhappy Israelites from extinction. Conrad was at first unwilling to listen to his exhortations, but at Spires, Bernard delivered so eloquent a discourse, that the Emperor ex- claimed aloud in the cathedi'al, he was ready to fight in the cause of God ; and wdth Henry, Duke of Bavaria, and other great princes, received the cross from the hand of the abbot. The following year, seventy thousand knights, with a hundred thousand followers, led by the Emperor, and ac- companied by Frederick Barbarossa, who afterwards suc- ceeded his uncle Conrad in the empire, poured into Hungary, on their way to Palestine. They seized upon all they re- I A.D. 1153.] STEPHEX III. 37 quired, Avithout offering payment, and Conrad himself was not slack in taking advantage of the riches of the land. The Byzantine Emperor, Manuel Comnenus, alarmed by the re- port of the conduct of the crusaders in Hungary, joined the Sultan Masud in hopes of destroying the marauders. Soon after their departure, Louis the Seventh of France entered the kingdom, A^-ith his army of counts, bishops, abbots, and knights, proving by their orderly behaviour, the superior civilization at that time, of the French over the Germans ; while accepting the friendship of Greisa, Louis refused to deliver up Boris who had accompanied his army, but the Pretender hearing of his danger, immediately hastened to Constantinople. As soon as Greisa had attained his majority, his guardians married him to a Eussian princess, Euphrosyne. This mar- riage caused Hungary to be engaged in perpetual wars iu aid of the relatives of the Queen, and as Greisa became also involved in a war with the Byzantine Emperor, there was little peace during his reign. In 1152, Frederick Barbarossa was crowned Emperor of Germany, and on the day of his coronation, announced to the assembled princes his intention to lead an army into Hungary, and subject that kingdom to the German Empire ; but a stronger temptation presenting itself, he altered his determination, concluded a friendly alliance with Geisa, from whom he obtained a grant of troops, and descended upon Italy. Geisa died in 1161, and was succeeded by his son Stephen III., yet a minor, and under the guardian- ship of his mother Euphrosjiie. No sooner had Stephen been crowned, when the Byzantine Emperor, Manuel Coinuenus, appeared on the frontiers of Hungary with a large army, to support the claims of his two uncles Ladis- laus and Stephen. Euphrosyne with the yovmg King and his brothers, retired for safety into Presburg, and Ladislaua 38 III8T0HY OF UUXOAnY. [a.d. 1171. shortly afterwards assuiiicd tlio crown of Hungary : he died BuddiMily at the end of hix days, and the greater number of liis adherents immediately juined the rightful King. By intrigue and artifice the elder Stephen obtained bin own coronation, but the war continuing, he was at length taken prisoner and di'livered to the adherents of the young King, who, however, released him, but condemned him to banihh- ment. As soon as he had recovered his freedom, he hastened to Manuel to demand his assistance once more, but the Byzantine Emperor thought the costs of such a war, even if successful, too great for its results, and therefore, instead of 8uj)porting the claims of the elder Stephen, he sent assur- ances of friendship to the Hungarians, with an offer of the hand of his daughter Maria in marriage to Bela, the younger brother of the King. Bela had been left by his father the Dukedom of Sdavonia, which the Emperor coveted for his own possession, and he therefore proposed that the boy ehould be educated in Constantinople. The Magnates consented, and he was sent to Manuel, who bestowed upon him the name of Alexius, and promoted him to a high rank in the state. Stephen meantime had succeeded in obtaining a grant of troops from the Emperor, and invaded Hungary once more : he was, however, defeated in a pitched battle, and INIanuel concluded a treaty, by which he promised never again to support the claims of the Pretender; on condition that the Hungarians should consent to resign the inheritance of Bela to him. Though Stephen died soon afterwards of poison, Manuel invaded Hungarj' once more on pretence of claiming Dalmatia for Bela : the war con- tinued for some years with varying fortunes ; but while the Emperor of the East was engaged in rousing all Italy against Frederick Barbarossa, and persuading Pope Alex- ander III, to unite the Latin and Greek churches under one head, and restore the Empire of Constantine, the young A.D. 1184.] BELA III. 39 King of Hungary celebrated at Vieuua his nuptials with Agnes, the daughter of the Austrian Duke Henry, and his nobles recovered for him Daluiatia, which was already wear}- of the Byzantine yoke. The Duke having married Theodora, a relative of Barbarossa, a connecting link was thus established between Hungary and the Germanic Empire. Manuel had adopted Bela as his heir, when the birth of a son caused him to set aside the claims of the Hungarian, and even to dissolve the marriage between him and his daughter Maria: King Stephen of Hungan.- died in 1172, leaving no children, and the kingdom devolved on Bela D3 next heir ; he received the infonnation of his brother's death from Henn,- the Lion Duke of Saxony, and the Duke of Austria, who were passing through Hungary on their way to the Holy Laud, the night King Stephen died. Belli ha.stened with a large army, supported by the presence of Manuel himself, to the frontiers of Hungary, tliere to await the course of events. Ambassadors from the Hungarians shortly arrived at the camp demanding the presence of their King, but, before he departed, the Emperor made Bela promise to cede to him Daliiiatia. Bela in. was crowned King in L174, and his first act was to place his younger brother Gei.sa in strict confinement ; but their mother Euplirosyne, who tenderly loved the son from whom she had never been separated, contrived his escape. Geisa fled into Bohemia, where, however, the Duke seized his person, and sent him back to Hungary ; Bela now pliK-ed him in closer confinement than before, and he con- tinued a prisoner for fifteen years. The King next banished Euphrosyne into Greece, deprived one of his nobles of his sight, and deposed the Archbishop of Colocza for having been accessory to the flight of Geisa. His youngest sister accompanied her mother into exUe, while the elder married Leopold the son of the Duke of Austria. Having thus se- 40 UISTOnY OF nUNOABT, [a.d. 1189. cured his throne from all danf^jer of pretensions from hie own family, Bda sent asHistance to the Byzantine Emperor f^aiiist the 8ultan. As long as he had any thing to fear Irom Manuel, the King of Hungary was faithful to his en- gagement to yield Dalmatia to him, but no sooner was the Emperor disabled by sickness, and it was reported that he was preparing to take the monastic vows, than Bela seized on the province, and war with the Venetians followed for the possession of the maritime cities. In 1184 he married Mar- garet, the sister of the French King, and a few years later commenced the third general crusade. The aged Frederic Barbarossa led his army in person towards the Holy Land, and was accompanied by the l)uke of Austria and the Princes of Germany. They assembled at Presburg, and King Bela, es- corted by a thousand kniglits, came to meet them at Gran ; Quecu Margaret presented the Emperor with a tent hung with scarlet and splendidly fumishea, and Frederic remained four days at Gran to celebrate the betrothal of his son, Fre- deric Duke of Swabia, with Constantia the daughter of the King of Hungary. At the request of the Emperor, Bela released Geisa from his long imprisonment, and gave him the command of two thousand men who were to accompany Frederic to Palestine, he himself following the Crusaders until tliey arrived in Servia. The youngest sister of Bela, who had accompanied her mother Euphrosyne to Constantinople, had been married at iiine years of age to the Byzantine Emperor, Isaac Angelus, and in honour of so great an alliance, her brother had pre- sented Isaac with the territory which lay between Bra- niszova and AViddin. The Byzantine Emperor was too weak to maintain his authority, and the land was seized by a AVallack chief, who, on the arrival of Frederic, offered to hold it as a fief of the German Empire. Hia offer was however refused, but in the mean time IsaiM A.D. 1203.] EMEHIC. 41 had thrown the amoassadors of Barharossa into prison, on the ground that their master was approaching with the in- tention of depriving him of his dominions. When Bela heard of these transactions, he expected a war between the two Emperors, and as he did not desire to be involved in their quarrels, he commanded all his subjects who had started on the Crusade to return. Geisa, however, proceeded to Con- stantinople, where he received a wife from the imperial family. Frederic Barharossa, and his son, the Duke of Swabia, both perished in this expedition. Bela, himself, had prepared for a new crusade, but died before fulfilling his vow in 1196 : but his widow. Queen Margaret, \uidertook the pilgrimage in his stead, and with the Emperor, Henry VI., proceeded to Palestine, where she died at Acre a few months later. Emeric, the eldest son of Bela, who had married the daughter of Rinaldo, Prince of Antioch, succeeded to the throne of Hungan.', but his reign was disturbed by the re- bellion of his younger brotlior Andrew, who claimed the Dukedom of Croatia and Dalmatia. Pope Celestine III. threatened with excommunication all who should support the claims of Andrew, but the Prince treated his denuncia- tions with contempt and seized the provinces he coveted. Emeric sought the assistance of the new Pope, Inno- cent III., who, at his request, absolved twenty-three Pre- lates and !^^agnate3 from their vow to join the Crusade of Queen Margaret and the Emperor, and thus enabled them to remain in Hungary and restore peace to the distracted countr)'. Soon afterwards the King married Constantia the daughter of Alfonso II., King of Arragon, but the feud be- tween the brothers broke out at inten-als, and disturbed the whole of Emeric's reign. The King and the Duke were, however, at length reconciled by Conrad, Archbishop of ]\rayence, who extorted from them both a vow to join in a Crusade. 42 HISTOBT OF HUXGABY. [a.D. 1203. The Hungarians wintered in the city of Jadra in Dalmatia, whose possession had long been disputed by the Venetians. The Doge had agreed on this occasion to fur- nish transports to convey the French army to Palestine, for ■which the Eepublic was to receive a large sum of money; as the larger portion of the money was still wanting at the time of their embarkation, the Venetians offered to ex- cuse the pajTnent altogether, provided the French would lend them their assistance in subduing their enemies. The Crusaders did not suspect any concealed design on the part of the Doge, and accepted the condition, but after a month's voyage they were surprised to find themselves in the har- bour of Jadra, where the Venetians claimed the fulfilment of their promise, and insisted on their employing their arms to subject all the maritime cities of Dalmatia. In spite of the protests of the leaders, Boniface, Marquis of Moutferrat, and Simon de Montfort, Jadra was stormed and taken. The Pope, though indignant at this infringement of their vow, and at the ofience given to the King of Hungary, thought it advisable in the present jimctm-e, to grant an easy absolution; therefore, after pretending to excommunicate the ofienders, he allowed the matter to be dropped in silence. Before leaving Jadra, the Doge permitted his soldiers to plunder the city, and even the churches, of all the gold and silver they coidd find, and after destroying the walls and houses they re-embarked for Constantinople. Arrived in the capital of the Byzantine empire, they proceeded to de- pose and re-instate the Eastern Emperors at their pleasure, and finally stormed and seized upon Constantinople, and established a Latin Empire, which endured for half a century. Emeric, having submitted to the affront offered him at Jadra, entreated the Pope to secure the succession to the throne of Hungary to his younger son Ladislaus, before he proceeded on his expedition. In return, Innocent insisted A.D. 1205.] LADISLArS II. 43 upon his raising another army for the Crusade, and entrustiag the command to his brother Andrew, who had thus a force in readiness, by which to assert his claim to the Hungarian throne. He was not long in applying it to that purpose, and the King being unprepared to meet this rebellion, his courtiers advised him to fly. The cowardly suggestion roused aU his energies ; taking ofi" his armour, and laying aside sword and lance, he placed the sacred crown upon his head, and commanding that none should follow him, he walked alone and unarmed into the midst of the rebel host, and thus addressed them : " Hungarians, behold your King ; who among you will dare to dip his hand in the royal blood r" Daunted by his courage, and the majesty of his appearance, aD gave way before him irntil he reached his brother's tent ; when lifting up the curtain, he entered, and seizing Andrew with his own hand, led him back a prisoner, through his astonished and awe-struck followers. The war was thus ended, all laid dovra their arms and returned to their duty, for which they were rewarded by a free pardon. Andrew alone was thro^^^l into prison, and his wife sent home to her parents. Pope Innocent attempting to interfere in an afiair between Hungary and the neighbouring state of Bulgaria, Emeric made a complaint of various grievances against the Holy See. A correspondence between the Pope and the King fol- lowed, which however ended peacably by the coronation of Emeric's son Ladislaus. The king soon afterwards feU dangerously ill, and ordering his brother to be brought to him from his prison, he not only pardoned his faults towards himself, but appointed him guardian of his son, and Eegent during his minority. After the death of Emeric, in 1205, Andrew sent for his wife Gertrude into Hungary : her ambitious spirit craved for the splendour and power of the throne, and she could not 44 HISTOET OF IIUNOART. [a.D. 1205. brook the haughty temper of the Queen mother. Their rivalry and hatred at length became so fierce, that Constantia begau to tremble for the safety of her son; the Prelates and Magnates advised her to fly with him into Austria, and many of them accompanying her, carried with them the crown and the other insignia of royalty. They reached Vienna in safety, and threw themselves on the protection of Leopold, who assembled an army and approached the frontiers of Ilungar}^; but just as they were preparing for battle, the news arrived of the sudden death of Ladislaus, and Andrew being now undisputed heir to the throne, Leopold withdrew his forces, and sent back the crown and jewels to Hungary. Constantia, more easily consoled than Constance the wife of Geoffrey Plantagenet, whose fate hers resembled, returned to her own countrv% and four years later married the Emperor Frederick II. The reign of Andrew II., like that of our ot\ti John, forms one of the most important epochs in the history of the country over which he reigned, since from him the nobles obtained their Golden BuU (Bulla Aurea), equivalent to the the Magna Charta of England. The people of Hungary had, indeed, by their own determination and spirit of indepen- dence, and by the wisdom and virtue of the first kings of the race of Arpad, secured in their Constitution the foundation of their liberties ; but the power of the sovereign had in the meantime, increased, so as to surpass those limits within which alone the office can be conducive to the happiness and welfare of the community. The ceremony of coronation was considered indeed a necessary condition for the exer- cise of the royal authority ; but though this in some measure acted as a check upon his inordinate power, still all offices and dignities were in the gift of the King, few, if any, being hereditary, and even the Magnates could not prevent the Monarch giving away any part of his dominions. A.D. 1212.] ANDEETP rr. 45 "Wars with Russia and Poland occupied the first years after the accession of Andrew, and much discontent was occasioned in the country by the imperious character of his Queen, who ruled over her husband, and caused her relatives and friends to be raised to the highest places in the state. The marriage of the young Princess Elizabeth, to Louis son of the Landgrave of Thuringia, was solemnized with great pomp at Presburg, in 1212. Tlie period of prosperity to Hungar}^ which had followed the birth of this chdd made the people look upon her as one favoured by Heaven, and her singular virtues helped to confirm the superstition ; her life has formed the ground-Avork of one of the most beautiful of saintly legends, and after her death she A^as canonized as St. Elizabeth of Hungary. At her nuptials, Gertrude, as- suming the authority of her husband, not only presented the Ambassadors of the Landgrave A\-ith rich presents of gold, silver, and jewels, but bid them tell their lord, that if a long life were granted to her, she would send them still greater wealth. Tlie foUoA^-ing year Andrew accompanied his sou Coloman into Poland, to celebrate his marriage with a daughter of the Duke, and entrusted the regency diu-iag his absence to Gertrude and her relations. Time and op- portunity favoured a conspiracy against the imperious Queen, and the first attack was made on her brother the Archbishop of Colocza : he, however, escaped with his life, and in revenge he induced the Pope to lay Hun- gary under an interdict. The people, however, showed small regard for the demuiciations of a distant Pontiff, and, irri- tated by fresh offences, committed by the brothers of the Queen, in which Gertrude appears to have participated, they murdered her in her oaati palace, and her children only escaped by the care and fidelity of their tutor. Their uncles fled from the country, carrying with them a large amount of treasure collected by Andrew, Avho bitterly complained of their ingratitude ia a letter to the Holy See. 46 HISTOET OF HUNGAEY. [a..D. 1222. The King shortly afterwards married the daughter of Peter of Covirtenay, Count of Auxerre, and made a vow to raise another crusade. The Latin Emperor of Constantinople dying about this time, the choice of a successor lay between the Hungarian King, and his new father-in-law. It fell upon Andrew, and he was invited to take possession of the Imperial Crown, but was dissuaded from accepting the honour by Pope Honorius, who had already croMoied Peter Emperor of the East. Peter was opposed by Theodore Comnenus, by whom he was arrested and thrown into a dungeon. The Pope appealed for assistance to Andrew then on his way to the Holy Land: Andrew accordingly proceeded to Acre, which he reached after a long voyage, but his expedition partook more of a pilgrimage than of a Crusade. He was absent from Hungary four years, and re- turned to find the whole kingdom in disorder, the treasury emptied, and greedy Prelates and Magnates devouring the substance of the people. To replenish his treasury, Andrew appropriated the gold and jewels left by the Empress Con- stantia, whose death, which took place about this time, pre- vented her establishing her claim. He further supplied his own extravagance, by farming the taxes to Jews, dete- riorating the coin, mortgaging the domains belonging to the fortified castles, and selling the crovni lands to wealthy Magnates. His eldest son Bela had already gained the respect and affection of the people by the firmness of his character, and his love of justice ; and Andrew, jealous of his popularity, obliged him to fly the kingdom, and seek protection from Leopold, Duke of Austria. The King was, however, at last persuaded to invite him to return, and in order to secure his throne, he established him at a distance from himself, in the government of Croatia and Dalmatia. Two years later his younger son Coloman took the place of Beia, who was entrusted with the government of Transylvania, and of A.D. 1222.] AJs'DEEW II. 47 all the country between the Theiss and Aluta. "With a weak monarch and an exhausted treasury, the land had become the prey of barbarous invaders, and the disorders of the kingdom had reached such a climax, that the Mag- nates resolved to appeal to the mediation of the Pope: Honorius commanded Andrew to restore the lands which he had parted -with, in direct violation of his coronation oath, by which he had sworn to preserve the integrity of the kingdom, and the honour of the crown. Bela now assembled the " Nobiles" and Franklins of Himgary, and, supported by them, demanded the restoration of the ancient Constitution. The ecclesiastics of Hungary, instigated by the Pope, offered to mediate a peace between the King, who was supported by the great Magnates, and his son, who had the voice of the people. The condition of this peace was, the Golden Bull of Hungary, which was granted in the year 1222. It was here enacted that, " As the liberties of the nobility, and of certain other natives of these realms, founded by King Stephen the Saint, have suffered great detriment and curtailment by the violence of svmdry kings, impelled by their own evil propensities, by the cravings of their insatiable cupidity, and by the ad\dce of certain malicious persons, and as the ' Mobiles' of the coimtry had preferred frequent petitions for the confirma- tion of the constitution of these realms, so that, in utter contempt of the royal authority, violent discussions and accusations had arisen The King declares he is now Avilling to confirm and maintain, for all times to come, the nobility and freemen of the country, in all their rights, pri\'ileges, and immunities, as provided by the statutes of St. Stephen. 1. " That the * Nobiles' and their possessions shall not, for the future, be subject to taxes and impositions. 2. " That no man shall be either accused or arrested, sentenced or punished for ^ crime, unless he receive a 48 HISTOBT OP HUNGAET. [a.D. 1234. legal summons, and until a judicial inquiry into his case shall have taken place. 3. " That though the ' Nobiles' and Franklins shall be bound to do military seiTice at their own expense, it shall not be legal to force them to cross the frontier of their country. In a foreign war, the king shall be bound to pay the knights and the troops of the counties. 4. The King has no right to entail whole counties, and the high offices of the kingdom. 5. "The Kingis not allowed to farm to Jews and Ishmaelites his domains, the taxes, the coinage, or the salt mines."* The Golden Bull comprised thirty-one chapters, and seven copies were made and delivered into the keeping of the Knights of St. John, the Knights Templars of Hungaiy and Sclavonia, the King, the Palatine, the Archbishops of Gran and Colocza, and the Pope. The thirty-first clause gave every Hungarian noble a right of veto upon the acts of the King if unconstitutional. This clause was, however, sup- posed to give an undue power to the people, and was revoked in 1687. Those Magnates who by the Golden Bull were compelled to return the land unjustly alienated by King Andrew, formed a conspiracy to overthrow the monarchy, abolish the Constitution and divide the land among themselves ; the conspiracy Avas discovered in time to prevent its execution, but Andrew lost courage and did not venture to insist on his refractory nobles fulfilling their part in the conditions of the Great Charter. He was, however compelled to ratify it in a Diet held in tlie Beregher Forest, in 1231, where the Golden Bull was signed and sealed with all solemnity in the city of Gran. Andrew married for a third time in his old age, Beatrice, daughter of the Marquis d'Este, and died in 1234. Dmiiig * See Appendix to Austria, 1348-49. W. H. Styles, vol. iL p. 367. A..D. 1234.] BELA IT. 49 his reign the Court was first lield at a fixed place of residence ; it was not only composed of Prelates and Mag- nates, but was frequented by learned men, educated at the schools of Paris and Bologna, as weU as within the kingdom. The cities acquired importance about this period, and the condition of the serfs underwent some amelioration. King Bela the Fourth had been prepared for his office by & long experience in the duties of government. His first act was to rid the country of the tyrannical Magnates and the Palatine, who had been the evil counsellor of the late King. He was seconded in his endeavours by his brother Coloman, and by the chief nobles of Hungary. He even ventured to demand from the monlis of the Avealthy Cistercian Abbeys, and the powerfid order of St. John, and the Knights Templars, a restitution of the crown lands, and with the con- sent of his Magnates, he declared all grants of the domains of the royal castles made by his predecessors null and void. To evade obedience to the decree of the King, some gave the property of the crown, which they had in their possession to the keeping of various monasteries, and Bela was obliged to appeal to the Pope against this systematic fraud. An embassy from the G-erman Emperor arrived in Hungary to demand a tribute, which it was asserted had been paid to Frederic Barbarossa, when he passed through the kingdom on his way to the Holy Land. As no such tribute had ever been exacted, it was now refused, and the ambassadors departed with Beatrice, the widow of the late King, who left the country disguised as a man. Soon after her arrival at the court of her uncle the Emperor, she gave birth to a son, Stephen, who afterwards married a daughter of a Venetian noble, by whom he became the father of the last Hungarian King of the line of Arpad. The severe rule of Bela at length roused the indignation of the great nobles, and they appealed against their king to 50 niSTOET OP nrNGAIlT. [a.d. 1240. Frederic Duke of Austria. Trusting to their represeutation tliat Bola was universally disliked in Hungary, the Duke raised a large army, and advanced into the kingdom. He v.as surprised by finding that he was not joined by a single Hungarian, and intelligence having reached Bela of the conspiracy, he approached to meet him with a numerous host. Three hundred knights preceded him, and the Austrians believing the whole army of Bela was upon them, fled in disorder, carrying their Duke along with them. The Hungarian King advanced to the walls of Vienna, and only consented to peace on condition of the payment of a con- siderable sum of money. The year following, the Pope commanded Bela to lead a war against Bulgaria, which he had placed under an interdict for having abandoned the Eomish faith. Bela, whose sister had married the King of that country, was unwilling to commence hostilities, and entered into a correspondence with the Holy See, which ended by a part of Bulgaria being yielded to Hungary, without the necessity of resorting to arms. A new danger threatened Hungary in 1240 from the in- cursions of the Mongols from Tartary. Bela fortified all the passes and prepared to repel the invaders ; but in the first place summoned a great Diet at Buda, where he de- manded a contingency for the defence of the country. The nobles were only la^ish in promises, yet the King assembled an army on the Danube in the neighbourhood of Pesth, and stood ready to meet the enemy who had already entered the country. The Archbishop of Colocza, a man of head- strong and impetuous character, led his followers to the charge before the order of battle was determined, and de- ceived by a feigned flight of the enemy, became entangled in a morass, and only escaped with four of his men alive from the field. "Waitzen was taken by storm by the Tartars, and a dreadful massacre of the inhabitants followed. The Duke A..D. 1240.] BELA lY. 51 of Austria, who had arrived in Pesth, on pretence of offering his assistance, came almost alone. Determined, however, to revenge his late disgraces before Vienna, and to gain favour with the Hungarian people, he made a sally with his small body of followers, and carried off two of the Mongols pri- soners to Pesth. Dazzled by the brilliant daring he had displayed, he was received -nith shouts of joy in tlie camp, and believing they had now in their possession one of the chiefs of the barbarians, the nobles resolved to put him to death. In vain Bela remonstrated and endeavoured to pro- tect the prisoner; the place in which he was confined was rudely broken open, the unarmed man murdered, and his head thrown to the people, after which the Duke of Austria returned to his dominions. One misfortune followed another, and Transylvania and Hungary were laid waste by the ma- rauders. The inhabitants fled into the mountains, where they lay concealed from the barbarians for a considerable period, till they were induced to return to their usual occupations by an order sealed by the royal signet, assuring them of tlieir safety. The seal had been stolen and used by the conqueror, and when the land was again cultivated, and all was ripe for harvest, the Mongols fell upon their unsuspecting \4ctims, and sparing only a few of the stronger men whom they re- tained as prisoners, put the remainder of the unhappy people to a cruel death. These horrors were the more lamented by Bela, as he knew that had the "Mobiles" from the commencement of the invasion, acted with energy and patriot- ism, the barbarians would have been di-iven from the land, and that this misery was a consequence of the enervated state of the people, occasioned by many years of misgoveru- ment. The manner in which Bela had endeavoured to restore order and authority in a country, which had been for so long a prey to discord and anarchy, had, in the first instance, been injudicious. His severity had alienated E 2 52 niSTOET OF HXJFGAET. [a.d. 1242. the hearts of his subjects, who could not prize the stern virtues which they had never learnt to acknowledge. The King was himself at length obliged to take refuge with the Abbot of St. Martin's on the Holy Mount upon the Danube. He was forced to demand aid from the Emperor Frederic II., then in Italy, and to promise him the Hun- garian kingdom as a fief of the empire. The Emperor accepted the promise, but sent no assistance against the INIongols, who crossing the Danube on the ice at Pesth with part of their host, laid siege to the Holy Mount, while the remainder proceeded to Stuhlweissenburg ; Bela, however, happily escaped into Dalmatia. The Mongols meantime advanced into Austria, which they ravaged and laid waste as they had done Hungary, and it was not tiU the autumn of 1242, on the news arri^'ing of the death of the great Khan in Tartary, that their leader withdrew his hordes, carrying with them a vast number of captives out of Hungary. When cross iug the moinitains which separate Transylvania from Moldavia some escaped, and wandered back amidst many dangers to their homes again. On the plains beside the rivers, they found the skulls and bones of those who had perished, while churches and houses lay in ruins, and the stains of human blood were everywhere to be traced. As the cause of the sudden departure of the Mongols was \inknown, it was many weeks before the fugitives in the mountains crept out of their hiding-places, or ventured to show themselves in the light of day. Bela resolved to use the remembrance of past misfortunes as a means to invigorate the people, and raise their moral and material strength. He commenced by reinstating the clergy in their various homes, and then endeavoured to collect their congregations. Herds of wolves and other wild beasts prowled about the country, devouring the corpses which lay scattered in every direction; and famine and pestilence A.D. 1269.] STEPIIEX IT. 53 finislied the work of the barbarians. To complete the mis- fortunes of Hungary, a large swarm of locusts descended upon the plain and devoured the fruits ripe for har\'est. The people in desperation murdered each other, and human flesh was publicly sold in the markets. Bela, therefore, sent emissaries to foreign countries, to purchase com, and cattle, and as soon as the severest pressure of the famine was over, he travelled throughout the country, en- deavouring to apply a remedy for all grievances, renewing the charters of the cities, and granting fresh immunities to the people, especially to the Grerman colonists, whose indus- trious population he was anxious to encourage. As soon as order was restored, Bela turned his arms against the Venetians, who had taken advantage of the misfortunes of Hungary to seize again on the city of Jadra, but the Mongols threatening a second invasion, the King of Hungary was willing to make peace, and leave the city in possession of the republic. Ottocar of Bohemia, and Eudolph of Hapsburg, both laid claim to Austria after the death of the last Duke, who was slain in battle when fighting against Bela; the King of Hungary took the side of Eudolph who, with his assistance, obtained the dukedom for himself and his family. The Hapsburg dynasty thus owe the position they now occupy to the valour of the very people, whom in later years they have endeavoured to deprive of freedom and nationality. In 1254 Bela married his son Stephen to Elizabeth, a princess of Cumania, but the young prince was ambitious, and was not contented with the government of Tran- sylvania which his father bestowed upon him. Bela at length consented to resign to him half his kingdom, but even then Stephen was dissatisfied, and the country was only saved from a ci^al war by his being engaged in a contest wiih Bulgaria. In 1269 Charles of Anjou,King of Sicily, demanded the hand of Mary, the daughter of Stephen, for hia son and 54 HISTOEY OF HUNOAET. [a.D. 1290. heir Charles, prince of Salerno ; the nuptials were approved of by King Bela, who thus hoped to obtain an ally against Venice. The death of a younger and favourite son the following year, was so bitter an affliction to the aged monarch, that he followed him to the grave in a few months. Stephen only survived his father two years, and his son, Ladislaus, was yet a minor w'heu he ascended the throne of Hungary ; the foDowing year 1273, Eudolph of Haps- burg was crowned Emperor of Germany, and the Eegents of Hungary sent ambassadors to Aix-la-Chapelle in the name of Ladislaus, to claim Austria and StjTia for the Hun- garian crown. Though Eudolph refused their demand, he expressed his willingness to enter into friendly relations ^vith the young King; and Ladislaus made his first essay in arms as the ally of the Emperor, in a war against Bohemia. In hia eighteenth year his marriage with Isabella, daughter of the King of Sicily, was consummated. In 1285 barbarous hordes of Wallacks overran the country as far as Pesth, and were not expelled until their niunbers were greatly diminished by famine and pestilence, and many of them drowned in the mountain torrents and the rivers, which had been unusually swollen that year. When the news reached Ladislaus that the French had been driven out of Sicily, and that Charles of Anjou was dead, he threw off the last vestige of outward respect to his Queen Isabella, whom he never loved ; he shut her up in a cloister in the ^dcinity of Buda, and abandoned himself to a life of vicious indidgence. Passionate and impetuous, he gave frequent cause of offence to his subjects, and even to the church, and the treatment of Isabella further in- censed the Hungarian Prelates, who represented the matter to the Pope, and Ladislaus was obliged to consent to liberate his wife. In the meantime, he sent for Andrew, the son of Stephen and a Yenetian lady, and grandson of A.D. 129C.J AyDEEW III. 55 Andrew II., by his Queen Beatrice d'Este, and named him his heir, bestowing upon him the title of Duke of Sclavonia. In 1290, Ladislaus was murdered in revenge for some private injur)'. Andrew III., the last of the race of Arpad, was called to the throne immediately after the death of Ladislaus. The news reached him in Dalmatia; he hastened to Hungary, and was crowned in Stuhlweissenburg ; but soon afterwards a pretender appeared in the person of an impostor, who assumed the name and title of the deceased brother of the late King. George, Count Soos, a celebrated commander of that time, was sent to drive him and his adherents from the kingdom. The Pope now claimed a supremacy in Hungary, but the King and people refused to acknowledge him ; and soon afterwards, Eudolph of Hapsburg declared Hungary a fief of the empire, in virtue of the promise made by King Bela IV. to the Emperor Frederic II., as a condition of his rendering him assistance, in his war against the Mongols. As the assistance had never been sent, the condition re- mained also unfulfiUed, and Andrew, who was by the free election of the Hungarian nobles, as well as by inheritance, King of Hungary, could not receive his crown from the Emperor. Happily, the death of Eudolph, and a rebellion in the dominions of his son Albert, Duke of Austria, pre- vented their attempting to assert their claims by arms. Andrew, meantime, neglected no opportunity to establish his throne more securely. He in^'ited his mother, who be- longed to the Morosini family of Venice, and possessed great wealth, to join him in Hungary, gave her the title of Queen mother, and placed a royal retinue at her disposal. He bestowed high offices and estates on the most distin- guished Xobles and Prelates, whom he appointed of his council, and granted rights and privileges to the influential Magnates as well as to communities. Having secured the 5G niSTOET OF IIUyGAET. [a.d. 129-i. services of George Soos, Andrew sent to Duke Albert of Austria, and demanded the restitution of certain lands he had seized upon, and on receiving a refusal, he sent an army of eighty thousand men across theDanube, which induced Albert to agree to terms of peace, and to withdraw his soldiers from the Hungarian territory', Mary, Queen of Naples, sister of the late King Ladislaua, claimed the throne of Hungary for her eldest son Charles. She was at that time with her husband, at Aix, in Provence, and she was supported in her pretensions by Pope Nicolas, Though the Pope's death occurred shortly afterwards, the Legate crowned the Neapolitan Prince, King of Hungary, and he hastened to Dabnatia to claim the allegiance of the maritime cities of that province, but they refused to acknow- ledge a second king, and though some of the Hungarian Magnates intrigued to substitute Charles for Andrew, their plot was discovered before it was ripe. Andrew endeavoured to improve the state of the provinces by a wise administration of the revenue. He travelled in all parts of the kingdom to ascertaia its real condition, and required that the oldest inhabitants and men of well-known honesty, should appear before him and the Magnates of each county, and render an account of the crown lands in their district, and of the domains appertaining to the royal castles; their present and their former extent, the time and reason for their alienation, and the title of the actual possessor. This strict censorship raised many enemies to the King, and to protect himself against them, he formed alliances with foreign princes. In 1294, Celestine V. became Pope, and as he was attached to the King of Naples, he immediately acknowledged Charles, King of Hungary ; during his short reign, and that of his successor, Hujigary had little to fear ; but a more dangerous opponent presented itself in Boniface VIII. Charles did not long survive; but his son Charles A.D. 1294.] AyDEEW III. 57 Eobert inherited his father's claim and the Papal protection. The death of his Queen, left Andrew with only one child, a daughter, Elizabeth, and he married for the second time, Agnes, the daughter of Albert, Duke of Austria. The adherents of Charles increasing in Hungary, were excited to rebellion by the incessant intrigues of Mary, who in the Papal bidls was already called Queen of Hungary. Andrew was determined to make a last effort to check this spirit. He assembled a great Diet at Pesth, at which all the Prelates and Magnates were present, with the exception of Gregory, Archbishop of Gran, who had been created by Boniface Apostolic Nuncio in Hungary, and had adopted the cause of the boy Charles Eobert. The object of the Diet was to confirm the royal power, to free the " Nobiles " from the oppression of the Magnates, to secure freedom to the chui'ch, and a confirmation of the rights of all classes in the state. It was resolved to hold another great Diet the following year in the field of Efikos, on the left bank of the Danube. This was the first Diet held in the open air, and a more numerous assemblage of Magnates was collected even than at Pesth. A message was sent to the Archbishop of Gran, inviting him also to attend, but the haughty Prelate refused, and threatened the rest with excommunication, and even degradation. He allied himself more closely than ever with traitors and rebels, and withdrew behind the Drave, where, as Papal Nuncio, he deposed the bishops from their dioceses, and proclaimed Charles Eobert King of Hungary. In the commencement of the year, 1300, the boy king was brought to Dalmatia. In the meantune, Andrew visited various parts of his dominions, and tried every means to secure his throne, but that of submission to the Pope, who confirmed the nomination of Charles Eobert, who was that same year cro^ATied by the Archbishop of Gran at Agrara, the capital of Croatia. The rest of the Prelates remained 6S niSTORT OF IIUKOART. [a.D. 1301. faithful to their legitimate sovereign, which made it im- possible for the rebels to get possession of St. Stephen's crown, or of the royal insignia. As winter approached, Andrew sent to all his faithful subjects, including the eccle- siastics of Hungary, commanding them to prepare for a campaign in the spring. His energy, youth, and popularity made his success probable, and the rebels determined not to await the decision of their cause by a recourse to arms. They therefore bribed one of his servants to poison him, and tlius died Andrew, the last male heir of the Arpadian dynasty, in 1301. After his death. Queen Agnes was thrown into prison, where she continued until her father, the Emperor Albert, sent an army to Hungary to insist on her liberation. She and her stepdaughter Elizabeth were finally de^livered to him. Agnes retired to a cloister in Switzerland, while Elizabeth, released from her vows to Wenceslaua of Bohemia, followed the example of her stepmother. The Arpadian dynasty had laid the foundations of the king- dom of Hungary. According to Gibbon : " The son of Geisa was invested with the regal title, and the house of Arpad reigned three hundred years in the kingdom of Hungarj- : the free bom barbarians were not dazzled by the lustre of the diadem, and the people asserted their indefeasible right of choosing, deposing, and punishing the bereditarj' servant of the state." No countr}'^ of the continent of Europe had more boldly asserted its independence of the Holy See, even in matters of ecclesiastical jurisdiction ; under their national kings, the interests of the sovereign and of the people had been the same ; and, occupied with internal matters, they had seldom interfered with the general politics of Europe. A new era was opening upon Hungary, with the accession of the first King of the house of Anjou. A.D. 1301.] CHAKLES. 59" CHAPTEE V. Kings of the houses of Anjou, Lujce^nhourg, and Austria. — Charles — Louis the Crreat — Mary — SigismuJid — Eliza- heth — Albert — Ladislaus — Invasions of th. Turks — John Sunyady. A.D. 1301-U57. The right of Charles Eobert was disputed first by "Wen- ceslaus of Bohemia, grandson of Bela IV. through his daughter Anna ; and secondly by Otho of Bavaria; until in 1337, at a great Diet held on the field of Eakos, he was finally elected King. The following year Cardinal Gentilis di ]\Iontefiori arrived in Ilungarj' as Papal Nuncio, -n-ith a secret message from his Holiness, requiring the new King to acknowledge that he held his kingdoms of Hungary and Naples as fiefs of the Holy See. The Hungarians were however prepared for such attempts, and were determined to resist all encroachments from Eome. A great assembly of Nobles was convened by the Legate to meet in Pesth, at the feast of Advent. The Cardinal placed the young King (who was remarkable for his personal attractions) by his side, and addressed the people in a discourse in which he ex- patiated on the dutiful conduct of St. Stephen towards the Holy See, and maintained that he had received his crown and kingdom solely as a donation from the Pope. From this argument he deduced that the Hungarian people should in that present time, accept their King Charles at the com- mand and from the hands of his Holiness. Loud mimnurd of dissatisfaction followed his oration, and his auditors declared they would maintain their independence to their last breath, and that neither the church of Eome, nor the Papal nuncio, should ever impose a king over them ; but hanng elected him of their own free will, they did not object to receive the ratification of their choice from Eome. 60 niSTOET OF HUNGAET. [a.D. 1310. Geutilis briefly assured them, tliat such was what he in- tended by his discourse ; upon which all pressed forward to swear fealty to the young monarch, and after they had raised him in their arms, and named him ruler over Hungary, the Cardinal caused the Te Deum to be chanted before the assembled people. The meeting on the field of Eakos had not, however, terminated the strife which agitated Hungary. The Pala- tine Matthias, nominated to his oflice by Wenceslaus of Bohemia, continued to oppose Charles, and the "Woiwode of Transylvania kept possession of the crown of St. Stephen, which he had seized before the election of the King. The Legate laid Transylvania under an interdict, which, however, did not produce the desired efiect, and he therefore had a new crown made and consecrated, with which the ceremony of coronation was performed for the third time ; Charles having already been crowned at Agram and at Gran. The people however could not regard him as their rightful king, until the crown of St. Stephen had been placed upon his head, which the "Woiwode of Transylvania was at length prevailed upon to resign. A second Diet was in consequence held at Eakos, where Charles was again elected King, and crowned for the fourth time with great pomp, in August, 1310. The people were weary of civil war and anarchy, and the new reign commenced under happy auspices. The King surpassed all the Magnates of his kingdom in refinement of manners and cultivation of mind, and therefore delighted in the society of priests and monks, who could sympathise with his intellectual pleasiores. "While the rebellious Palatine Matthias was still supported by some of the great Nobles, the ecclesiastics of the kingdom were faithful in their allegi- ance to Charles ; and after much blood had been shed on both sides, Matthias was defeated in 1318, but the manner of his death is imcertaiu. Charles took up his abode in the fortress of Yisegrad on A.D. 1830.] CHASLES. 61 the Danube, wliicli lie enlarged and embellislied until it became one of the most magnificent royal residences in Europe. Having been twice married already, he for the third time contracted a marriage with the Polish Princess Elizabeth. Her brother Casimir, when visiting the Queen, grossly insulted one of her maids of honour, the beautiful daughter of Felician Zacs, a distinguished Hungarian Magnate. Her father inflamed with passion, and eager to revenge his child, entered the palace with a drawn sword; not finding the object he sought, and mad with rage, he cut off four fingers of the Queen's hand, and even attacked the King. Charles took a fearful vengeance upon the unhappy man and his whole family, causing him to be cut to pieces, his son to be dragged to death at a horse's tail, and while his injured daughter had her nose, lips and fingers cut off", and was paraded through the town, her sister was beheaded, and her husband starved to death. The rest of the family were either banished from Hungar}^, or reduced to serfdom, in order that none might remain, to bear witness against the royal Prince Casimir. Upon the death of his grandfather Charles Martel, the King of Hungary put forward his claim to Naples, but the Pope decided in favour of his luicle Robert, who promised to leave the kingdom at his death to one of the sons of his nephew. He accordingly invited Charles to visit Naples, an in^dtation which was readily accepted ; there, ia 1330 his youngest son Andrew, was betrothed to Joanna, daughter and heiress of King Eobert of Naples, and his elder brother Louis to her younger sister Mary. The young Prince Andrew, was left in Italy, while his father and brother returned to Hungary. In the meantime Casimir had ascended the throne of Poland, and was attacked in his dominions by the Knights of the Teutonic Order who ruled in Prussia;* Casimir * The Prussiaus (Letti) made irruptions into Poland 1138. The 62 nisTonr of nuKOAiiY. [a.d. 1312. appealed to the arbitration of Cliarles, who being a more Bkilful diplomatist than warrior, mediated a peace between the contending parties. In 1339, Casimir visited Charles in Visegrad, and adopted his nephew, the young Prince Louis of Hungary, as his heir in the kingdom of Poland. Fre- quent disputes with Austria disturbed the latter years of King Charles' reign ; but they were at length settled by arbitration in 1342. Charles Robert did not long survive the restoration of peace, but died in the fifty -fourth year of his life, after a reign of thirty-two years. He had laboured more for the aggrandizement of his house than for the Hungarian people, and had maintained the power of the crown, against all encroachments of the aristocracy; but the prosperity and internal peace which the country had enjoyed during his reign, with his many estimable qualities, had won for him the affections of the people, who sincerely moiimed his loss. He introduced various innovations, the most important of which, was the feudal system which had long prevailed in the rest of Europe, but which hitherto had only been partially observed in Hungary. Instead of trusting to the royal castles with their hereditary garrisons who were sufficient for the defence of the country, he decreed that all persons living under the protection of the castles, and all lauded proprietors, should furnish their contingent to the general armament, while the great nobles themselves were obliged to serve in war as the vassals of the King. A regular tax was for the first time levied upon the peasantry, while the towns, or royal boroughs, received pecidiar privileges, commerce was encouraged and gold first coined in Hungar)^ After five days spent in mourning for the deceased mo- Teutonic Knights conquered the Prussians 1231. The Pnassians were Bubdequently extirpated, and the country peopled by Germans and Poles. L.h. 1347.] LOUIS THE GREAT. G3 uarch, his son Louis was crowned at Stulilweissenburg. lie was only seventeen years of age, but was beloved by tlie people for his personal and mental endowments, and hia chivalrous sense of honour. He united a serious and earnest character to aU the fire and energy of youth, and his manners were dignified, yet courteous. The aflairs of Naples soon called his attention from tliose of his own kmgdom. His uncle Robert had died in his eightieth year, and his cousin Joanna had succeeded him on the throne at sixteen years of age. She heartily despised hei youthful husband, the brother of the King of Hungary, and did not ofter any remonstrance when he was strangled by her cousins, the Prince of Tarento and Charles of Durazzo. "When the news reached Louis of the barbarous murder of Andrew, he appealed to the Pope to discover the perpetrators of the deed ; and when Clement hesitated to comply, the King of Hungary marched an army into Italy, and sent envoys to Kienzi, Tribune of Eome. Kienzi consented to act as mediator, but Louis would not brook any further delay, and entered the Neapolitan territory. Tlie Queen, deserted by her subjects, fled into Provence, and Louis immediately assumed the title of King of the two SicQies ; he endeavoured to restore order to the kingdom, and after punishing with deatli Charles of Durazzo the principal murderer of his brother, he commenced reforms in the administration of law and justice, which soon eft'ected a change in the manners and conduct of the people. The afiairs of Hungary, however, made it necessary that he should return thither, and accordingly he departed, leaving a Hungarian garrison in Naples. An insurrection against his Vicegerents immediately followed, and Joanna with her new husband Louis Prince of Tarento, returned to take possession of the kingdom. The Venetian Doge, Andrew Dandolo, about this time 64 HisTonT OF nuNG.vRY. [a.d. 1350. laid seigc to Jadra, whose citizens had thrown off the yoke of the Eepublic, and acknowledged the King of Hungary as their sovereign. Louis, perceiving the necessity of strengthen- ing himself by Naples, in order to secure possession of Dalmatia, proceeded to Vienna and requested the alliance of the Emperor Louis of Bavaria, and Duke Albert of Austria, to support his pretensions on the Neapolitan Crown. But the troops he had in the mean time sent to the assistance of the citizens of Jadra, had been corrupted by Venetian gold, and only made a feint of resisting the enemy. The un- fortunate inhabitants sent repeated messages to Louis, representing their situation, and just as he was himself preparing to march to tlieir aid, news arrived that the Venetians had succeeded in breaking the chain which protected their harbour and had seized on the citadel, and on one of their strong fortresses. AVhen Louis arrived before the walls of the city he swore either to save it from the enemy, or to biu'y his bones beneath its ruins ; but his enthusiasm gradually cooled, as his desire to march his troops to Naples warmed, untO. after a vain attempt at storming the citadel, he abandoned Jadra to its fate, and advanced once more into Italy in 1350. After taking several cities by storm he at last got possession of the whole country round Naples, but he was soon made aware that the Neapolitans would not peaceably submit to the rule of a Hungarian King; the Pope having absolved Joanna from her crimes, and re-instated her as Queen of Naples, Louis returned to Hungary, having wasted the blood of his people and the treasure of his kingdom, in a vaiu attempt to avenge his brother's death, and to gratify his per- sonal ambition. The immediate consequence was, that the King who had magnanimously refused the expiatory sum which the Pope had ordered Joanna to oifer him, as an indemnity for the loss of the kingdom of Naples, did not A.l). 1382.] LOriS THE GREAT. 65 hesitate to defray the expenses of his Italian campaign, by imposiug a heavy tax upon the people of Hungary. One-ninth of the produce of the peasants' labours was allotted by the King to the Nobles, to compensate for the losses they had incurred on his account, and the tax became so oppressive as seriously to injure the agricultural interests of the country ; it Avas only abolished by the Batthyany Ministry of 18i8. The same Diet which consented to this tax also decreed that the landed proprietor was no longer to be permitted the free disposal of his own land, but that aU property was to be considered as belonging to the family, and not to the individual then in possession ; therefore that it could not be sold or alienated, but on the failure of male and female heirs was to revert to the croAVTi. All "nobiles" whether Magnates or otherwise, were for the future to be placed on a footing of equality, and aU who had fought under the banner of the King in Italy, were declared free. A second war ■with Venice terminated fortunately for Hungary, and at its conclusion the Eepublic consented to surrender its claim on Dalmatia. In 1370, Louis was crowned King of Poland, at Cracow ; and after appointing his mother, Elizabeth, Eegent, returned to his Palace of Visegrad. The propagation of the Romish faith was one of the great objects of his desire ; but though he met with success in most of his attempts at conversion, his forcible introduction of that form of Christianity, was resisted with determination by the Wallacks of the Greek persuasion: Another aim of Louis was, to unite Poland and Hungary into one great and powerful kingdom, and thus to form an eastern barrier against the barbarism Avhich existed beyond the confines of Europe. In 1382, Louis presented to the Diet his only daughter and child, Mary, as the future Queen ; and with her, her betrothed husband Sigismund, son of th(; Emperor Charles r r.(5 niSTOET OF IIUNGART. [a.D. 1383. IV. of Luxembourg, King of Bohemia. LouLj died Boon after, having reigru-d forty yeara in Hungary, llo ijitro- duced many exeillent nfurniH in the lawn, and confirmed others, enpeeiiilly that of the right grant<'d U) the pea«aiitry ill the Diet of lijikoH, under Andrew 111., by which they were permitted to quit the estates of their lorda, at their pleasure, and take up thiir nsidenee elsewhere. The fon'igners, who hud settled in Hungary' in va«t Lumbers after the devaatatious of the Mongol Tartars had rt'duecd the number of native Hungarians, had aet^-d bene- ticially on the country : an Italian colony first cultivated the vines of Tokay, and discovered the eicelleuce of the soil for the production of the finest wim-s ; and manu- factures, commerce, art, and science, flourished under the Kiugs of the house of Anjou. The Academy of Veszprim was founded about this period, and many young Hungarians were sent to complete their education at Paris and Bologna. Such was the respect paid by Louis to the Church, that at his death the number of Prelates which, under St. Stephen, consisted of one Archbishop and six Bishops, were increased to thirty Archbishops and eight hundred Bishops. As Mary, and her husband Sigismund, were still yoxin^, her mother Elizabeth, with the Palatine Gara, assumed the regency. M:iry was crowned under the title of King at Stuhlweisseuburg ; but the Hungarians, by nature a war- like people who despised all peaceful occupations, were not long contented to see their government in the hands of a girl of sixteen, and while they regarded the Sclavonic Palatine Gara with jealousy, they were equally averse to falling under the rule of Sigismund, whose native country of Bohemia had always been at war ■with Hungary. Al- tliough he was the betrothed husband of Mary, some began to look towards Charles of Durazzo, Kmg of Xaples, who had mai-ried Mary, daughter of the last Stephen, of the A.D 1384.] MABT. G7 race of Arpad. A rumour of a plot to effect his ele- vation reaching the ears of the Palatine, he advised ^lary and her mother to retire into Dalniatia, where they took up their abode in Jadra. Gara next adviaed the Queen to court the favour of the Hungarian people by ratify- ing the Charter of Andrew 111., before it was demandicl of her by the Diet. In the mean time Sigismuud hastened to Poland to claim that kingdom ; but the insolent de- meanour "of the boy, who was only fifteen years of age, no disgusted the Poles, that they resolved to assert the inde- pendence of the kingdom, set him aside, and offer the throne to Iledwiga, sister of Mary, on condition of her uniting herself in marriage to a prince of their choice, who would consent to reside in Poland. The Queen mother was unwilling to part with her favourite daughter, and equally unwilling to have Sigismuud established in the kingdom of Hungarj'; she, therefore, tried to evade the proposition, by offering her son-in-law as Kegent in Poland for Iledwiga. Shu furnished him with an army and money, but he had neither courage nor ability to assert his claims, and he returned to Hungary to endure the reproaches of his wife and of her mother. Elizabeth was at length obliged to consent to send Hedwiga to Poland, where the charms of her person and of her mind, won all hearts. Sixteen months after her arrival she was crowned Queen. Her mother had betrothed her to AVilliam, the son of the Duke of Austria, to whom she had formed an attachment ; and when her subjects proposed to unite her with Wladimir, a semi-barbarous Duke of Lithuania, whose conversion to Christianity was only to be a consequence of his marriage, she endeavoured to avoid compliance. On being informed, however, that the welfare of the whole nation depended on her consent, she yielded her personal feelings to her sense of duty, and her marriage with Wladiinir accordingly took place. Elizabeth f2 68 nisTORY OF irrxfiARY. [a.d. 13S5. having failed in her schemes for lledw i<,'a, now tried to hring about a separation between Mary and .Sigisniund, who was as little loved by his intended wife as by the Hungarian nation. Slie sent to Charles YI. of France to demand the liand of his brother, Louis of Orleans, for the Queen of Hungary; but her Ambassadors arrived too late, as the Prince had already been united to A'aleutina of Milan. In the mean time llorvath, Jiishop of Agram, had been deputed by the discontented nobles of Croatia, Bosnia, Halmatia, and Hun- gary, to ofter the crown to Charles the Little of Naples, next male heir to Louis. Charles accepted the offer, and, landing in Dalmatia, proclaimed that he had come to liberate the Queens from the restraint under which they were held by the Palatine Gara. It was iu vain that Mary, for a second time, ratified the Golden Bull of Andrew in the assembly of her people ; the brUliaut promises of Charles held out more attractions than the ratification of a Charter, to which no new franchise was added. Wences- laus, Xing of Bohemia, and half-brother of Sigismund, offered his assistance to the unhappy Queen, pronded Mary woidd consent to fulfil her engagement to the latter, and re- ceive him as guardian of the kingdom. Tlie marriage was accordingly consummated, but the comparison between a worthless youth of seventeen, and an accomplished Prince like Charles of Naples, who had besides attained years of discretion, did not aid the cause of the young queen. As Charles approached the frontiers of Hungary, Sigismund fled into Bohemia, and Elizabeth deeming it the wisest course to ■«,'ield where resistance was vain, sent ambassadors to the Neapolitan, to inquire whether he came as an enemy or as a friend ; as, in the latter case, she and her daughter would gladly receive him as their protector. Charles replied /a the same spirit, and when he met the Queens at Buda, liey invited him to take up his abode iu the royal palace. A.D. 13S6.] CHARLES THE LITTLE. GO He iinmediately named liimself governor of the kingdom, and summoned a Diet of all the Hungarian nobles. The Diet answered his expectations, and he was unanimously elected King of Hungary. A message was sent to the Queen, demanding her abdication, but Mary steadfastly refused. " Never," she exclaimed, " will I consent to resign the crown of my fathers, for myself, or for my heirs, but I will not hinder you from treading the path of error which you have chosen, and as you still honour the memory of my father Louis, I demand from you a free passage to ISohemia, where I piu^ose to join my husband." Her mother, Eliza- beth, however, fearing the consequences of her daughter's conduct, soon after presented herself in the Diet, with an assurance that further consideration had convinced Mary that a woman was incapable of sustaining the burdens of government, and therefore she was willing to resign her claim to Charles. The new monarrh, in return for tliis concession, promised to look upon Elizabeth as his mother, and Mary as his sister ; and it was proclaimed from county to county, and city to city, that the Queen had abdicated by her own free will. Cliarles further insisted on the two Queens being present at his coronation, in Stuhlweisscnburg, and that, in their altered position, they should receive with him all the Prelates and Magnates of the kingdom. The im- prudence of this step was soon manifest ; the ungenerous conduct of the new King appeared the more glaring, beside the beauty and patient endurance of Mary ; the hearts of the people were touched ; and when, during the ceremony of the coronation, the Queens prostrated themselves in tears on the grave of King Louis, the nobles repented having abandoned them for a foreign monarch. Fatal omens at- tended the accession of Charles ; the banner of St. Stephen was rent as he left the church, and a few days later a storm and earthquake destroyed part of the palace. 70 niSTOUT OF IIUNOAEY. [a.d. 1386. Elizabeth was meantime engaged in a secret conspiracy against the life of the King ; and one day, under the pretence of desiring to speak Avith him, she and Gara obtained an interview, during which, at a given signal, the cupbearer drew a sword and wounded Charles in the head, though not mortally. A general insurrection of the people followed, and tlie King was thro^^^l into a dungeon, where, his wounds beginning to heal, Elizabeth ordered him to be strangled. The following day Mary was again proclaimed Queen of Hungary-, and shortly afterwards JSigismund entered the country- with several bands of Bohe- mian soldiers, whom he quartered at Raab, A\hile at the same time the Margrave of Moravia took possession of all the land between the Waag and the Danube, which Sigis- mund had pawned to him. The Queen as well as the Mag- nates were indignant at this usurpation, and Mary applied to AVenceslaus to remonstrate with her husband ; the Margrave was, at last, induced to retire, on the Queen of Hungary consenting to pay the debt owed him by Sigismund. To Sigismund himself she assigned the revenue of the recovered land, on condition of his leaving her sole Eegent of the kingdom. In the meantime the great nobles of Croatia were de- termined to revenge the death of Charles. The news of their rebellion alarmed the Queens, but the Palatine main- tained their fears were groundless, and adAilsed them to change their residence to a town on the borders of Croatia, in order to throw discredit on the report. They travelled with a small retinue as if secure from danger, but on their journey they were surprised by the Croats, who sur- rounded them, and after a short resistance, the Palatine and the cupbearer, who had been employed to murder Charles, were both beheaded in the presence of their mistresses ; they themselves were dragged from their carriage, and A D. 1387.] SIGISMU^D. 71 the nobles who led the attack, overwhelmed them witli re- proaches for the deed to which they had consented. Eliza- beth fell on her knees, and confessing her own guilt, exonerated her daughter from all participation in, or e\ en knowledge of, the crime before it had been perpetrated. No answer was vouchsafed, but the Princesses were ordered to be conveyed to a strong castle in the mountains. The news of their arrest was conveyed to ^Margaret, the widow of the late King Charles, who was still at Naples. Eager after re- venge, she demanded the Queens should be delivered to her alive. The Magnates meantime assembled at Buda, anxious to choose some head under whose banner the strength of Hungary could be united, and therefore named Sigismund captain or chief of the nation ; but instead of immediately proceeding to Buda, the Prince entered Croatia. The Queens had been brought down to the coast of Dalmatia, with the intention of despatching them by a fleet to Naples, but the Venetians, adopting their cause, laid siege to the castle where they were confined. The Prior of Yran who bad them in charge, at length caused Elizabeth to be strangled in the presence of her daughter, and her body to be thrown over the wall to the besiegers, Sigismund made no further attempt to rescue his Queen, but retreated into Hungary, where the Magnates, assembled at Buda, were perplexed how to act best for the interest of the country : some supposed Mary to be dead, others maintained that, if alive, she was incapable of carrjing on the government, and all were agreed as to the necessity of union under one head. Sigismund, supported by the Venetian ambassador, was finally elected King by his own adherents, and with- out the consent of the Diet being asked, he was crowned by the Bishop of Veszprim, in Stuhlweissenburg, in 1387. He immediately demanded troops to suppress the rebel- lion in Croatia, and liberate the Queen ; the troops were 72 HISTORY OF nUXOARY. [a.d. 1390. jjrantcd, and success attending their anns, Mary was brouglit in triumph to Buda, where her first act was to put the leader of the rebellion to a slow and cruel death. Though Sigismund bore the name of King, the youth, beauty, and misfortunes of Mary had gained the hearts of her subjects, over whom she in reality ruled ; he, on the other hand, was looked upon with suspicion by the people, and was not even loved by his wife. His sole passion was the accumu- lation of wealth, whicli he wasted again in extravagant pleasures. The Turkish Sultan Murad, or Amurath I., had, in 1360, conquered a large portion of the (ireek empire. He was murdered by a Servian soldier, and Bajazet succeeded in 1389; the new Sultan spread terror throughout Eastern Europe, and crossing the Danube advanced into Moldavia. He was invited into Hungarj' by the "W^allacks who had risen in rebellion against Sigismund and ISIary, at a period when the young Queen of Poland, engaged in a war against her sister, threatened the comitry from the north, and had seized the province of Gallicia. In 139G Bajazet conquered Bulgaria, and penetrating into AVallachia, laid siege to Lesser Xico- polis. Sigismund assembled an army, and recovered the city; but the rejoicings at his -snctory were stopped by the news of the death of the Queen, and he returned to Hungary to take possession of the kingdom in his own right. He immediately caused thirty-two of the most dis- tinguished among the adherents of the Pretender Ladislaus, the son of the murdered Charles, to be executed; and then assembling another large army, which was joined by kuights from all parts of Europe, he advanced again to the attack of the Turks. Bajazet still occupied Greater Nico- polis, when on the 28th of September 1396, was fought that disastrous battle in which the Christian army, composed of Burgmidians, French, Italians, English, and Hungarians, AD. l-ilO.] SIGISMC>-D. 73 ■were completely routed by the Turks. Twenty tliousaud Christians lay dead upon the field, as many more were carried away captives, and from that day Hungary became the theatre of war, where the Mohammedans and Christians struggled for ascendancy. The party of Ladislaus had in the mean time gained iu numbers and strength, and an attempt was made to place him upon the Hungarian throne, but Sigismund secured the leader of this rebellion by treachers', and executed him witli- out the form of a trial. His intrigues with his relatives the King of Bohemia, and Margrave of ^MoraWa, to obtain for them the succession in Hungary, being discovered by the Magnates, they arrested Sigismund, and confined him in his own palace, only liberating him on condition of his promising for the future, to abstain from every illegal or arbitrary' act. Ladislaus about this time approached the frontiers of Dalmatia, but Sigismund, at the head of a large army obliged him to retire. The King of Hungary shortly after- wards added Bohemia to his dominions, and was crowned Emperor of Germany. Internal schisms distracted the Church in the commence- ment of the fifteenth century, and more than one claimant asserted his pretensions to the Chair of St. Peter. A Coun- cil was called at Pisa in 1408 to endeavour to reconcile the disputants, but another general Council was required before all matters could be adjusted. Pope John XXIII. invited Sigismund to decide on the place of meeting, and he fixed on Constance as the most central spot in Europe. Trea- cherous in all things, the Emperor granted a safe conduct thither to the Bohemian Reformer, John Huss, who, by trusting to his faitli, died a martyr in the year 1415. During the absence of the Emperor, Naples and Venice had seized on several of the maritime cities of Dalmatia, and in 1419 the Hussite rebellion broke out in Bohemia, 74 HISTOBT OF IIUNGABT. [a.D. 1437. upon Sigismund imperiously demanding the succession for himself and his heirs. That same year the Hungarians, conducted by the celebrated warrior John Ilunyady, sur- named Corvinus, gained a signal victory over the Turks. The origin of John Hunyady is \\Tapt in obscurity : he is believed to have been a natural son of Sigismund, who pre- sented his mother Avith a ring, and promised her that when- ever she appeared before him, with her child, he would bestow upon him riches and honour. She was one day pre- paring for her journey to the court, and had trusted the boy with the ring, when a crow descending, snatched it from his hand, and flew with it to a neighbouring tree ; the child's uncle perceiving what had happened, shot the bird, and brought the ring back safely ; the incident obtained for John the surname of Corvinus. The King presented him with the domains of Hunyad, from whence his appellation of John Hunyady. He had already made himself famous by his victories against the Turks when Sigismund died in 1437. Though unprincipled, treacherous, and prodigal, the Em- peror left Hungary in an improved condition. The royal authority which was recovering an undue share of power under the late mouarchs, had lost much of the halo which surrounded it, while the power of the aristocracy had been diminished, or at least counterbalanced by the pri\-ileges granted to the royal boroughs, now first allowed to send representatives to the Diet; and the peasantry were encou- raged to settle in the to-wns. Thus the three orders of the state became more evenly balanced in their political rela- tions, than under the predecessors of Sigismund. Sigismund left an only daughter, Elizabeth, who had been married to Albert, Archduke of Austria, and succeeded him in the kingdom of Hungar\', to which Albert, was also elected in 1438, on condition of never accepting the imperial crown, and lea\ing the disposal of his daughter's hand to the Hun* A..D. 1439.] LADISLAVS IT. 75 garian Diet. Notwithstanding his promise, he became Em- peror of Germany soon after he had obtained the crowns of Hungary- and Bohemia, but died that same year, after an un- successful expedition against the Turks. His widow, Ehza- beth, gave birth to a posthumous sou, Ladiskius, but though her right to the throne had been acknowledged, the Hun- garians refused to be governed by a woman and a child, and a party was formed against her, even before the birth of Ladislaus. In this critical hour, John Hunyady laid before the Diet a full account of the dangers to which the country was exposed. The Turks threatened them from the South ; a contest for the possession of the Bohemian crown was preparing in the West, Poland was not yet reconciled to Huugar)-, and Eed Russia, INIoldavia, and Wallachia, were undetermined which side they would support ; wliile the Turkish Sultan had already in\'ited King AV'ladimir of Poland to enter into an alliance Avith him. To provide against these accumulated dangers Hunyady proposed, that Elizabeth should be re- quested to marry Uladislaus the son of "Wladimir, who had only just attained his sixteenth year, while the Queen had already passed her thirtieth ; and that the child of Albert should, with the consent of both nations, be named heir to Hungary, Bohemia, and Austria, while Poland should be the appanage of any children bom to Ulasdislaus. The proposal was loudly applauded, but the Queen, anxious to avoid so unsuitable an alliance, took refuge with the Archbishop of Gran ; and though she consented to an embassy being sent into Poland, requested that the ambassadors should return immediately if her child should prove a boy. The con- dition was accepted, and when Ladislaus was born on the 22nd of February following, the Hungarians joyfully wel- comed a native Prince. John Hunyady alone' did not par- take in the general congratulation, but anticipated the evils 76 lIISTOnY OF UUNOARY. [a.d. 1440. which must ensue upon a long minority. The ambassadors also refused to leave Cracow with their mission unfulfilled, and Uladislaus finally accepted the proffered kingdom ; the proposed marriage was not however mentioned, and while Uladislaus, now King of Poland, was detained by a rebel- lion among his subjects, Elizabeth hastened to Stuhlweissen- burg, where her child was anointed and crowned by the Archbishop of Gran. The crown jewels were then delivered up to the care of the Governor ofVisegrad, but Elizabeth sub- stituted a false crown for that of St. Stephen, which she retained in her own possession. Two months later Uladis- laus arrived in Hungary, where he was welcomed by Hun- yady and some of the most eminent men in the kingdom. They declared the coronation of the young Ladislaus void, and prepared for that of Uladislaus ; but the sacred crown was nowhere to be found, and in its place the new King was crowned with the diadem taken from the relics of St. Stephen himself. Elizabeth vainly endeavoured to raise an insurrection in favour of herself and of her child, and finally sought refuge with Frederic III. of Austria, who, after an unsuccessful expedition into Hungary, agreed to peace, on the mediation of the Pope. John Hunyady defeated the adherents of the Queen in Croatia, and was in reward named Count of Temesvar, and Governor of Belgrade ; but, hearing that the Sultan was in the act of sending an army into Transylvania, he hastened to Weissenburg, on the river Maros, where he arrived before the enemy ; as the Turks approached, Hunyady, who never awaited an attack, charged them with impetuosity ; but his troops were surrounded and over- powered by their numbers, and were finally obliged to retreat. While the enemy advanced through Transylvania, plundering all the country, the Hungarian " nobiles," the Szekler population, and the German colonists poured in to the A.D. 1443.] ULASDISLArS OF POLAXD. 77 assistance of the inhabitants of "W'eissenburg. Tliis news reaching the Turkish general, he immediately prepared for battle. He had not long to wait : the Hungarians charged their ranks, and misled by the appearance of one of Hunya- dy's foithful followers who had exchanged armour with him, the Moslems believed in their ovm victory when they saw him fall ; but the real Hunyady, taking advantage of the success of his stratagem, attacked them with renewed vigour, until he had chased them from the field, leaving their general and his son, with twenty thousand, dead. On hearing of this defeat, the Sultan Amurath was roused to vengeance, and immediately sent another army into Transvl- vania, bidding them not return until tliey had subdued the whole country. Hunyady again called the Hungarians and Szeklers to his aid, and met the enemy as they passed the mountain boundarj' of Transylvania. The name of Jesus was the war-cr}' of the Hungarians ; the Turks gave way before the impetuosity of their attack, and another victory crowned the arms of Hungary. Soon after the enemy had been chased from Transylvania, the peace between Ulasdis- laus and Elizabeth was concluded, but the Queen only survived the termination of her struggle for power a few days, and died in December, 1443. Her death so quickly following the peace, occasioned unworthy suspicions to be circulated, respecting the manner of it ; and the hatred of parties was rather increased than diminished by this circumstance. John Giskra, who had been her champion during the war, still maintained his position near Kaschau ; the JNIoslems threatened another invasion from the soutli, and Frederic of Austria, as the guardian of the young Ladislaus, was expected to lead an army into Hungary, to support the claims of his ward. A Diet was summoned to meet at Buda, in which it was resolved to lead a Crusade against the Turks, but first 78 HISTORT OF HUNGAET. [a.D. 1443. to secure the peace of the kingdom against Giskra, and protect the frontiers from the threatened invasion of the Duke of Austria. An attempt at negociation with the latter ended in a truce of two years, to which Giskra was at last induced also to consent. The attention of all Hun- gary was now turned towards the war against the Mussul- man. A new ally was found in the celebrated George Castriot or Scanderbeg, the son of John Castriot, prince of Albania. His father had been conquered by the Turks, and had given his four sons as hostages for his fidelity ; the three eldest had been reduced to slavery, but George, the youngest, then only nine years of age, had been in- structed in the Koran, and had been taught the mode of ■warfare in use among the Moslems. His gallant bearing and bold feats of anns won for him the confidence of Amurath, which he fully justified in the wars against the Christians of Europe. An opportunity, hotrever, at last presented itself by which he was enabled to throw ofi" the Mussvdman yoke, and return to his home and his country. The commander-in-chief of the troops among whom he served, was taken prisoner by the Hungarians, and George with the Turkish officer next in command, saved themselves by flight. When passing through a waste and desolate country, George observed the number of attendants upon his companion were fewer than his own, who were all Albanians in the pay of Amurath. He accordingly attacked him, and compelled him to write an order in the name and under the seal of the commander in chief, desiring the governor of the city of Kroya to deliver his charge into the hands of one Scanderbeg, the bearer of the letter. He then put the officer to death, and rode on with his companions ; and having obtained possession of the city by treachery, he declared himself to be the hereditary prince of Albania, and ready to revenge the injuries his people had sustained. The A.D. 1443.] TTLASDISLAUS OF POLAND. 79 Albanians flocked to his standard, and the Turkish garrisons around were soon obliged to yield to his arms, or submit to baptism. His subjects brought him money, and he soon had an army in the field of fifteen thousand men, with which he was prepared to encounter the Turkish forces of forty thousand strong, who were advancing to punish his temerity. Ulasdislaus sent to congratulate him on his success, and acquainting him with the preparations for war in Himgary, Venice, Genoa, and the Papal dominions, he invited him to join their armies. In the mean time, Amu- rath had been tampering with the Despot of Senda, who accepted his bribes, and deceived even the gallant Hunyady as to his iatentions. Hunyady had already spent thirty-two thousand ducats of his private property on the war, and this year added sixty-three thousand more ; but the intrigues of the Servian Despot finally succeeded in procuring an advan- tageous peace for the Turks, before the first lance had been broken. Just as peace was concluded, news of the arrival of the Italian fleet in the Hellespont, made the Christians repent their too hasty acquiescence. The as- sembly was all confusion, some declared that the oath they had made to the Pope, and to the western Princes, obliged them to carry on the war as a holy Crusade ; others main- tained, they were bound in honour to fulfil the condi- tions of the peace just concluded. Cardinal Caesa rini, the Pope's nuncio rose, and in a sophistical, but to the ears of the Christians of those days, plausible speech, demonstrated that a treaty with Amurath, injurious to the rights of the church and the honour of the Hungarian people, was not blading, but in its nature impious, impossible, damnable, and therefore null ; that it could be violated without any conscientious scruple, and ought to be so, for the security of Christendom. His oration was received in sQence, none felt wholly satisfied, till Ulasdislaus, gave his consent at once 80 nisTOHT OF nuyoAiiT. [a.d. 1444. to break off all further parU-y, and to lead his soldiers a^'ainst the unbelievers. To the honour of the ecclesiastica of Hun- gary, only three out of fourteen bishops who were present ut the mcetinf;^, and not a single other dignitary of the church, consented to countenance this violation of oaths even to the Infidel ; in the autumn of that year, the King with twenty thousand men crossed the Danube at Orsova. He was vainly warned of the superior forces Amurath would Bend against him, when he learnt his infringement of the treaty. The Italian priest, and even John Hunyady urged him to proceed, though the Despot of Servia refused to join his ranks, and a message arrived from Scanderbeg, that he had been frustrated in an attempt to enter Sen'ia, and therefore could offer no assistance. Soon after the Hunga- rian army had passed the range of the Balkan, the Turks came up with them at Varna. Cardinal Ca^sarini advised the King to avoid a battle, but Hunyady was of a contrary opinion. "A quick decision," he said, "surmounts or con- quers dangers ; delay increases it both in idea and in reality. We must decide between victory, death, or flight." Xone ventured to contradict the great warrior, and the battle was ordered for the following day. The valour of Hunyady at one time nearly secured the victory to the Hungarians, but jealousy of his superiority caused dissension among the leaders themselves, who in the very midst of the fight refused to submit to his guidance, and while he was yet engaged with the enemy, excited the young King to disobey his injunctions, and attack the janizaries of Amurath. Amurath saw and seized his advantage ; Ulasdislaus was slaia by one of the Sultan's guards, and many feU beside his body ; Hunyady himself at last gave up the day as lost, and turned with shame to fly. He, vdth. other fugitives, crossed the Danube in safety, but the Cardinal perisl\ed by the way. A. D. 1446.] LADISLAUS IT. 8l AVhen Hunyady arrived in Transylvania, lie vras treacher- ously seized by the "Woiwode who had received him with an appearance of friendship. He expected a ransom either from the enemies or the friends of the hero ; but, dis- appointed in both, he at length set hun at liberty, loading him ^^•ith rich presents, and sending him under a safe escort into Hungary. There he found the comitry rent with new factions. One part}- asserted, that Ulasdislaus Avas still alive; and the eye-witnesses of his death, Hunyady and others, were only partially believed, when they related a different story. With some difficulty, the Palatine was induced to convoke a Diet in 1445, in which it was resolved, that if Ulasdislaus was really dead, the young Ladislaus should be crowned King of Hungary ; and in the mean time that the country should be divided into districts, whose administration should be confided to seven great nobles, including John Hunyady. Three Diets were held in this year, the last at Stuhlweissenburg, where it was determined to compel Frederic of Austria, now King of the Eomans, to give up Ladislaus. In the beginning of 1446, another Diet was held in the field of Rakos ; and the choice of a Regent, during the minority of Ladislaus, unanimously fell upon John Hunyady. One of his first acts was to lead twenty thousand men to the frontiers of Austria, to demand the young king and the crown of St. Stephen, Frederic and Hunyady both appealed to Pope Eugenius ; but as the truth and honour of John Hmiyady were above aU doubt, Frederic received no encouragement from his Holiness. After much time spent in threats and negotiations, the King of the Romans stdl kept his prize, and Himyady was obhged to accept peace on his terms, in order to preserve the kingdom at least on one side from invasion. As long as Hunyady had been on an equal footing m ith the rest of the Magnates, his influence and power had exceeded G 82 HISTOJIY OF nUNOART. [a.D. 1 f 50. tliut of any man in Hun^an ; but hin elevation to eo high an oliice as tliat of Kegent liad offended those who prided them- selves on the length of their genealogies, and intrigues against his government beeaine fre(|uent. To divert tlie attention of the Nobles into another eliannel, he recommenced war against the Turks, in support of his valiant ally Scander- beg. The war was unsuccessful ; but his absence had been so disadvantageous to Hungary, that on his return he found the haughty Magnates were more willing to submit to his authority. By the mediation of Pope Nicholas the Fifth, Trederie of Austria at length consented to restore Ladia- laus and the crown of St. Stephen to Hungar}', provided the young King was suflered to remain in Vienna, until he had reached his eigliteenth year. Giskra continued to harass the kingdom in the North, and even conspired with the Bohemians against Hunyady ; but a truce of three years with the Turks, secured peace in tlie South. Himyady, who was desirous to retire from the cares of government, again requested Frederic to send Ladislaus to Hungary, but he received only an evasive reply, and learned that the Duke intended to take the boy with him, on a joui-ney to Eome. The Austrians were themselves averse to the heir of their dukedom lea^Tng the country ; and Albert, the brother of Frederic, headed the party opposed to his project : but Frederic, with Ladis- laus, reached Eome in spite of all opposition, and was there crowned by His Holiness, Emperor of the "West. The Hungarian and Austrian envoys met him at Florence on his return, and Ladislaus himself appealed to the Pope for his liberation; but Nicholas exhorted him to remain with his guardian the Emperor, laid Austria under an inter- dict, and forbade Hmiyady to hold any intercourse with re- bellious svibjects. The Pope's Bulls had little effect upon the people, and Frederic appealed for aid to the Stadtholder of Bohemia. "War was immediately kindled, but the Em- X.li. 1453.] LABISLAUS IT S3 peror was obliged in the end to yield, and resign Ladislaus to the care of his great uncle Ulricli, Count of Cilly, who joined the faction supported by Albert. The Count of Cilly was an ambitious and bad man, and determined to use aU arts to demoralize the young King, in order to obtain complete power over him ; but the better nature of Ladis- lau.s, or the habits of sobriety and strict conduct he had learnt under Frederic, enabled him to resist the temptations throwni in his way. lie was told to beware of Hunyady as the most dangerous man in his kingdom, who had be- trayed the great Nobles of Hungary to the Moslems, and sacrificed the life of Ulasdislaus at Yarna ; but during a temporary absence of Count Cilly, the Hungarian Prelates, in the Court of Ladislaus, instilled into him more correct notions concerning the Regent, which the young King was ready to receive, as the grave and decorous manners of the Hungarians impressed him more favourably than the gay and pleasure-seeking Austrians. In February, 1453, the King entered Presburg, where, tliough only thirteen years of age, he received the homage and oaths of fealty from the assembled nobles. Ladislaus however appeared uneasy in the midst of his subjects, and the more they entreated liim to remain, the more he ex- pressed a desire to return to Vienna. The intrigues of Count Cilly succeeded in again shaking his confidence in Hunyadv, and in a Diet held at Pesth he confirmed a deed depriving his old and faithful subject of the power which had been entrusted to him ; on pretence of doing him honour, he at the same time bestowed upon him large tracts of land in Transylvania, sufficiently removed from tlie seat of government, to prevent all further interference on his part. Hunyady willingly resigned an office of which he had been long wean'', and believed that he left his country united and strong under its lawful sovereign. G 2 84 niSTOHY OF nUXOART. [a.d. liok Constantinople had already fallen before the Sultan Ma- homet II., when in the Diet of li5t, Ladislaus took counsel liow to proteet Hungary against the formidable power of the Turks. IServia was menaced, and ita Despot, the son of the former enemy of Hunyady, sought refuge in Tran- sylvania, and entreated his aid. The old warrior did not liesitate to comply with the request, and crossed the Danube to encounter the unbelievers once more. While he was thus employed, the Palatine, a second Gara, left the whole goverinnent in the hands of a council composed of creatures of his own. Hunyady, informed of these transactions, sent warning to tlie advisers of the King, Alarmed for the safety of the kingdom, they proposed the recall of Hunyady, and his re-appointment to the regency ; but soon afterwards, Cilly, who had been out of favour, regained his former position with Ladislaus, and, having established the King at Vienna, persuaded him to invite Hunyady to court, who, how- ever, refused to quit the kingdom; Ladislaus fancied himself affronted, and sent Cilly to seize the person of the Eegent, and bring him by force to Vienna; but Hunyady met the favourite with a band of two thousand men-at-arms, and defeated his project. Again Count Cilly attempted to entrap him, but though the Eegent only this time brought a suite of fort}' knights, a thousand of his followers lay in ambush, who surrounded Cilly, while Hunyady reproached him with hia treachery. In the hope of reconciling one of the contending parties within the kingdom, the Eegent imited his eldest son, Ladis- laus, to the daughter of his enemy, the Palatine Gara. Those who regarded Hunyady as the champion of Chris- tendom, petitioned Ladislaus to discard his unworthy fa- vourites, and the Prelates at length succeeded in effecting a reconciliation. Hvuiyady promised to resign all the castles and fortresses he possessed in the interior of the kingdom, and to undertake the defence of the southern frontiers, now A.D. 1456.] LADISLAUS IV. S5 threatened by Mahomet, while the King promised never again to listen to the slanders of his enemies, and to receive the youngest sou of the Regent, Matthias, as a page, among the noble youths who attended in his court. In a Diet held at Eaab, a Franciscan friar, by name John of Capistrano, preached repentance of sins, and exhorted the Hungarian nobles to unite for the defence of Cliristendoni. llunyady offered to bring ten thousand men into the field at his own cost, and had others been as faitliful in the ful- fillment of their promises, the Turks might never liave succeeded in maintaining their dominion in Europe. The new Pope, Calixtus, prepared a fleet for the Archipelago, and Scanderbeg received large sums from Eome to aid in raising his army ; but Ladislaus still hung back. Once again Hunyady pleaded the cause of Hungary and of Europe, in the Diet held at Buda in l-ioG, and exhorted tlie King to use active measures before it was too late. A few days afterwards, news arrived of the approach of Mahomet, and that Belgrade, the citadel of Hungary, waa menaced. The general voice of the people implored Hunyady to hasten to its defence, and under condition that his younger son Matthias should accom- pany him, he consented. In June, Mahomet arrived before Belgrade ; but instead of sending succour to Hunyady, La- dislaus retired with Cilly to Vienna, while a panic seized ou the whole nation, and aU who could, sought security in castles, mountains, and caverns, abandoning their honour and duty, their religion and their coimtry. In the mean- time Hunyady, with his little band of brave warriors, en- camped near Belgrade, to observe the enemy. Fortunately he waa there joined by some thousand Crusaders, and was thus enabled to attempt a decisive stroke. His first object vas to throw provisions into the fortress, and form a line of communication between the citj' and the water. In this he succeeded, after a skirmish in which five hundred of the 86 HISTORY OF HUXO.vnT. [a.d. lloG. enemy were slain, lie then established himself at Semlin, where he could watch the operations of the Moslems, and could receive reinforcements. By the active exertions of the Franciscan friar, aid was sent him from the several European nations, and by the end of July he had »o ex- hausted the patience of the besie^'crs, that Mahomet, despair- ing of success, abaiuloncd the euterprize. The hero was not permitted long to sui'xive his last victory : the plague had broken out in the camp at Semlin, and Hunyady, then eighty years of age, was attacked Anth the disease. Per- ceiving the approach of death. Brother John of Capistrano acquainted him with his danger. " Holy Father," he re- plied, " I am prepared for my journey ; my whole life has only been a preparation to receive that Friend who is to lead uie to the throne of my Omnipotent King. I have sened Him faithfully, and amidst all the storms and perils of life maintained the po.-*t of duty upon which He placed une. He will graciously receive His soldier worn out in Hi.s sennce, and grant him rest in the dwellings of His saints." Then liu'uing to his sous Ladislaus and ^Matthias, he added, " Let the actions and the example of your father bear fruit in yoiu" hearts ; continue in the path of uprightness and virtue which I have pointed out to you as the safest ; I leave you the fear of God, and the love of your country, as an abiding inheritance ; all else that falls to you from me belongs to fortune." He requested to be carried into the chiu*ch, and there, after a short death-struggle, he expired, while the priests chanted psalms around the dying hero. His remains Avere deposited, according to his wishes, in the cathedral of TTeisskirchen. Cilly imagined that the death of Hunyady would place hi;n on the pinnacle of his glory. The King, anxious to wipe out the shame of his flight to Vienna, hastened to Belgrade with a baud of Crusaders ; he found Ladislaua A.D. 1156] LADISLA.US IT. 87 and ^Matthias Hunyady in the city, tlie walls of which the former had repaired at his o\vn expense. They invited the King to take possession of the fortress ; but their sovereign had listened to the base insinuations of Count Cilly, and accepted his ofter to rid the country of the sons ot llunyady; the offer was reported to them by their friends, and Cilly was himself attacked and slain soon after his arrival at Belgrade. Elizabeth llunyady, the widow of the deceased hero, attired in deep mourning, appeared before the King, and pleaded on her knees for the pardon of her sons; be raised and embraced her, and endeavoured to dispel her fears, though in his heart he vowed vengeance for the death of his uncle. Alter presenting her and them with splendid gifts, he ordered that every kind of amusement should be provided ; the days were spent in the chase or in parties of pleasure, dances and knightly sports ; but the mind of Elizabeth was not thus to be tranquillized, and she doubted the sincerity of one who loaded with favours those who had slain his beloved friend and uncle. Informed of this. King Ladislaus went through the ceremony of a formal reconciliation. A few months later, a plot was laid to induce the Hunyady to join in an act of seeming dis- obedience to the King ; they were arrested with many of their friends and thrown into prison ; their trial was short, and before sunset the eldest Hunyady was led to exe- cution. " God is my witness," he exclaimed, when on the scaffold, " God is my witness, before whose judgment-seat I am sent, that I would willingly have given my life for my country and my King. I am innocent of the guilt for which I must now die the death of a criminal. May He who, in his almighty wisdom, orders the fate of mortals, forgive the King and my enemies aa I do now." The executioner gave him three blows with the axe, without being able to sever his head from his body, when the young man (the love of life still strong within him), started to his f<8 iiiSTonr of hukgary. a.d, 1157. leet, and ran some steps towards the palace, wliere the King sat in a wiudow to witness his death ; and appealed to him I'or mercy. "King," he cried, "the hand of the executioner gives the lie to my accusers ; the worst malefactor haa suffered the penalty of his crimes after three strokes of the axe, and who would dare to condemn me, who am innocent, to a fourth ?" As he ended these words he fainted from loss of blood, and the King, appalled at the hideous spectacle, was unable or unwilling to speak. Another signal was given from the palace, and the executioner completed his work. After the death of his brother, Matthias was imprisoned in a fortress. Their relatives, indignant at their fate, resolved to revenge it. Their uncle, Michael S/,ilag)% seized upon Transylvania, and their mother Elizabeth conducted an army into Hungary and proclaimed war on the King. Ladit^laus, who was aware that by his treatment of the Hunyady he had inspired the people with hatred, retreated to Vienna, carrying ^^-ith him Matthias as his prisoner. On the journey thither, the Austrian courtiers ridiculed the unhappy youth. " You begin too soon, young sir," they said, " to aim at being King of Hungary." To which Matthias fearlessly replied, " If I am spared to live a little longer, I will -with certainty be your King also." Ladislaus offered Elizabeth her only remaining son, if she would resign the fortresses of Hungary to him, but she answered, she wovdd sooner deliver them to the Moslems, and demanded unconditionally the liberty of Matthias. The King had few on whom he could rely in Hungarc ; the German Emperor had already commenced a quarrel with him about some disputed territory, and the Turks were making great preparations for another campaign. He hoped to gain a powerful ally in Charles YII. of France, and for that purpose sent ambassadors thither, to demand the hand of his daughter INIargaret ; but scarcely had they departed before Ladisluus died suddenly, in a manner which gave A.D. 1-457.] MATTHIAS COETIXUS. 89 rise to a suspicion of poison. Immediately upon his death, various claimants aspired to the throne ; Casimir, King of Poland, pleaded the right of his wile Elizabeth, the sister of the late King, while Anna, another and an elder sister, the widow of Duke "William of Saxony, maintained her prior claim ; the Palatine Gara who had married the aunt of Ladis- laus, and even the Emperor Frederic III., had each some reason to adduce why the crown shovdd be bestowed upon them. A Diet was the same year convened at Buda, where the Nobles asserted their ancient right of free election. Michael Szilagj-, with the army of his sister Elizabeth Ilunyady, consisting of twenty thousand warriors, appeared upon the field of Kakos, bearing tlie banner of the Iluny- ady, and demanded the election of his nephew Mattliias to tlie vacant throne. The proposition was received with a burst of joyful acclamation, and Mattliias was forthwith, in the year lioT, elected King of Hungary CHAPTER VI. Matthias CorviuHS — Z'lasdislaiis II. — Louis II. A.D. 1157 — 1526. The government was at first confided to Michael Szilagy, but when ^latthias perceived tliat his uncle proposed to rule despotically and dispense with the laws, he caused him to be arrested, and deprived of all power. Though only sixteen vears of age, he took the reins of government into his own hands. The country had been in latter years a prey to oligarchical factions; the single chamber, of which the Diet had been hitherto composed, had been divided into two, and the ^lagnates had formed themselves into a separate body, apart from the inferior "Nobiles" and representatives of the to\ni3. Though magnificent in his tastes, Matthias resolved to introduce a strict economy in 90 IIISTOBY or lUNOAUV. [a.d. llGi. the public purse ; aud while a friend to liberty he tsoon Bhowed hinjsell' to be a severe ruler, and unflinching in hia deterniinatiou to resist all encroach meuts from the aristo- cracy. The Emperor Frederic III, still maintained his claim to the kinf^dom of Hungary, and war was tlierefore declared by ISIatthias, who at the sanie time stedfastly refused the prof- fered alliance of Mahomet II. After reducing Servia and Bosnia to subjection he entered Austria, and niarched to the gates of Vienna; here he obliged Frederic to restore the crowu of St. Stephen, which he still retained in spite of his promises, but for which Matthias now generously offered him a large sum of money in compensation. On the death of the Queen, Catharine of Bohemia, the Princes of Europe sent letters of condolence, to which Louis XI. of France added rich presents. Formidable in- surrections among the "Wallacks in alliance with Mahomet next engaged the attention of Matthias, and these had scarcely been repressed, when he was commanded by the Pope to load a crusade against the Hussites in Bohemia. G-eorge Podiebrad, King of Bohemia, had taken them under his pro- tection, and the interference of Matthias was as much a war against the government of the country, as against a sect of re- ligionists. The lust of power may, therefore, have added fuel to the zeal of fanaticism. Matthias was crowned King at Stuhlweissenburg with the crown of St. Stephen in 1464, aud in the Diet held the same year at Agria, the war of extermination agauist the Hussites was formally declared. It was on this occasion that he raised his celebrated Black Legion, the first standing army in Exxrope, which was always kept under arms, and formed the nucleus of the levies which joined his standard. But in the first place he had to alter the manner of raising the supplies, and to increase their amount. Accordingly, he prevailed on the Diet to fix the taxes which were to be levied on the peasantry, and to A.D. Ii71.] MATTnilS COBTIXUS. 91 tax the c'lerg}' and nobles under the cover of a voluntary subsidy lor extraordinary expenses. His generals, Zapovla, whose family became famous iu Hungarian history, Blaise, 3Iag}'ar, and Paul Kiniszy, weie men of acknowledged prowess and daring. The Catholics of Bohemia joined the standard of ^latthias. Horrible atrocities were committed on both sides, and the Hussites retreated or were destroyed by the Hungarian arms. Podiebrad vainly resisted the in- vaders, and in a few weeks ^latthias was elected King of Bohemia at Ohnutz, the capital of the Provinces of Moravia, Silesia, and Lusatia. In 1471, Podiebrad died, and the Bohemian Diet then offered their crown to Ulasdislaus, son of Casiiiiir, King of Poland. The attention of ^Matthias waa engaged with his wars with the Moslem ; the Sultan had seized on Negropont, and the Venetians apjdied for succoui' to the King of Hungary. ^Matthias refused to assist them, luiless they, iu the first place, restored to him Dalmatia, which they had gained possession of in the reign of his pre- decessor. The encroachments of the Sultan on liis territors", however, forced him into a war for the protection of Sclavo- nia and Croatia. He, himself, led his army, and contributed to its success by his cool courage and skill. On his return to Hungary, he celebrated his second nuptials with Beatrice of Naples, a proud and ambitious Princess. Immediately afterwards, he again attempted to oblige the Venetians to restore Dalmatia to Himgary, but was called in another direction by a large army of ^loslems which again approached the frontiers of Hungary. The appeal of Mat- thias to the nation for assistance was readily responded to, and one of the most tremendous battles took place between the Christians and Turks, recorded in Hungarian history. They met on the plains of Kenyermczo, in Transylvania, where the "NVoiwode Bathory received six wounds, and would have been slain had not Paul Kiniszy rushed forward vrith D2 IIISTOIIT OF IILXC.ABT. [a.D. 1190. a dniwii sword in each hand, and rescued him from the enemy. The valour of the general iuhpired the troops, who drove the Turks into a hasty Hi^d't* le*aving a large booty behind them. Matthias believing that he would have no further occasion for his famous lila^*k Legion, sent them to Naples to assist his fatlier-in-law against the Turks : but the Emperor Frederic invading Hungary, the King was obliged to send another army into Austria, which, after taking many cities, besieged and gained possession of Vienna itself in 1485. As Matthias from this time took up liis abode in the Austrian capital, he fulfilled hia own prophecy, tliat he should one day reign over Austria itself.* As he felt his health declining, he entrusted the govern- ment of Vienna to Stephen Zapoyla, and set out to attend the Diet at Breda. I lis natural son, John Con-inus, was here proclaimed heir ; and shortly after Matthias had returned to Vienna, he was seized with apoplexy, and died in 1490. While mourned by the people who had bestowed on him the title of The Just, the oligarchial factions of Hungary rejoiced in his death ; for they had long been wear}- of the thraldom in which they were held by this severe though virtuous monarch. Matthias frequently summoned the Diet during his reign, and though permitting the great Xobles to retain the dignities belonging to their class, he was always anxious to advance merit, wherever it existed. For the first time the power and duties of the Palatine were strictly defined; the criminal law was reformed, and active measures wrere taken to repress the robbery and violence of lawless Nobles. !>Iany of the ^lagnates, finding the standing army of the King rendered their services less necessary', retired to their castles, and lived in ease and luxury on their estates. The corrupting influence of a life of indolence and pleasure, became apparent in their descendants, wkQe it * See p. 88. A.D. 1490.] MATTHIAS CORViyUS. 93 tended at the same time to weaken the real power of the aristocracy. Luxury' of every kind increased during the reign of Matthias, who encouraged arts and manufactures hv the magnificence of his palace, and of his mode of life. Pain- ters, goldsmiths, and artists were invited into Hungary, and chief among them, Fra Filippo Lippi, the scholar of Masaccio, with his son Filippino. Such wad the splendour of the tahle of the King of Hungary, that the Pope's nuncio when describing it, declared it would take fifty carriages to contain all the plate of massive gold, adorned with precious stones. AVhen a Hungarian ambassador was sent to France he was escorted by three hundred youths of tlie first families, dressed in scarlet and covered with diamonds, mounted on horses, all of tlie same size and colour. In his royal palace of Buda, Matthias had copies of all the celebrated statues in Europe, and his greatest delight was in reading the classic authors of antiquity : he spoke Latin, French, German, and Italian with equal fluency, and was the intimate friend of Lorenzo de' Medici, and of otiier great men of that age. He founded the Eoyal Library at Buda, which was divided into three compartments, one of which contained the richest store of oriental literature then in existence, and the two others, ancient and modern Latin works. He also founded the L"ni- versity of Presburg, and introduced the first printing press into Hungary in 1470. One of his great works was a col- lege near Pesth -, the principal building was divided into two spacious courts in seven stories each, and it was intended to accommodate forty thousand students, maintained at the cx- ponso of the cro'vvn. Seven great halls, furnished with lamps and desks, were destined for lecture rooms, and the Professors had also their dwelling houses within the walls ; even physi- cians, apothecaries, and baths were provided for the sick, and every arrangement made for the domestic economy. The King was himself an author, and wrote several poems, 94 niSTORY OF IIUXOAEY. [ad. 1 190. in wliicli he displayed a knowledge of the classics, and a deep and tender feeling. The crown of Hungary was again contended for by various claimants, w hile tlie Xobiles continued to assert their right to elect their own sovereign. Jolni Coninus, who added to hia father's virtues a character devoid of ambition, wUlingly resigned his claim and supported the choice of the ^Magnates, wliich fell upon Ula.sdislaus II., King of Bohemia. The widowed queen, Beatrice, wlio was unwilling to resign the royal dignity, oftered herself in marriage to Ulasdislaus, and was accepted ; but so rich a prize as Hungar}' was not to be quietly abandoned, and Albert of Poland, the Em- peror Ei'ederic, aud his son Maximilian, took up arms to assert their several pretensions. Tlie loss of Vienna and the Avhole of Austria followed, but Ulasdislaus was main- tained by his Magnates as lawful King of Hungary ; ho was thirty-four years of age when he was crowned at Stuhl- weissenburg in 14:90 ; he was by nature indolent and easy tempered, reserved aud cunning, yet without the capacity to govern. Selim, the Turkish sultan, had been defeated by the skill and valoiu" of John Corviuus and Paul Kiniszy, aud a truce of three years had been agreed upon, when the Pope instigated the Hungarians once more to join in a crusade against the Moslems. The peasantry', under the pretence of obeying the mandate of the Holy See, flew to arms; but their real object was soon apparent when they tiimed upon their oppressors, the Nobles. The insurgents inscribed " Grod and liberty" upon their banner, and commenced the work of extennination; their protector, Matthias, was no more, aud since his death they had been biu'dened with hea^y taxes, and had been sorely oppressed. At the head of the movemeut was a Szekler peasant, George Dosza, who had already distinguished himself by his valour against the Tiu'ks, and who now A.D. 1516.] ULASDISLArS u. 95 preached the doctrine of equahty to his followers ; au equality, not of rights and privileges, but of rank, wealth, and property, to be acquired by the subversion of the exist- ing order of things, and the massacre of all who had the misfortune to be rich. The ancient valour of the Nobles seems to have forsaken them in this hour of danger, and they fled into the walled towns, until, perceiving their verj' existence threatened, they armed to resist the insurgents. Placing themselves under the command of John Zapoyla, "NVoiwode of Transylvania, they finally defeated the peasants in a battle near Temesvar. Having taken their leader, Dosza, alive, they determined to ■s\Teak a dreadful vengeance upon him ; he was seated on a throne of red hot iron, and a red hot crown placed upon his head, his flesh was torn from his body by pincers and thrown to his followers, who had been kepi without food for some days, and were forced to devour it. Dosza endured the torture with a heroism worthy of a inart\T, and died without uttering a groan. The Nobles having thus punished the ringleader, reduced the whole of the peasantry to serfdom, and, though tliey were gradually emancipated, two centuries elapsed before their fonuer rights were recognized. The period of tranquillity which followed enabled tlio King and his magnates to collect, in writing, the common law of the land, entitled. Jus Consuetudinarium Heqni Hungarice. It Avas presented to Ulasdislaus in the Diet held at Buda in 1514, and was there solemnly confirmed ; the same Diet decreed that his son Louis should succeed to the Hur.':i;arian throne. By the death of Ulasdislaus in 1516, Louis, at ten years of age, was acknowledged King of Hungary' and Bohemia. During his long minority, the aristocracy com- pletely recovered the influence and power which tlicy had lost under Matthias. In the beginning of 1517 Leo X. persuaded Maximilian 96 HTSTOEY OF nUXGAET. [a.d. 1522. of Germany and Francis I. of France to prepare a new Crusade,* and sent an Augustine monk to invoke the assistance of the King of Hungary, but the death of Maximilian in 1519 put an end to the whole project. The disputes, jealousies, and rivalries of the Palatine Bathory and John Zapoyla, "Woiwode of Transylvania, occupied the period of the regency, until, in 1521, Louis assumed the government himself, and celebrated his marriage with Mary the sister of the Emperor Charles the Fifth, while his own Bister Anna, was united to Ferdinand of Austria, brother to the Emperor. "Wasteful, thoughtless, and extravagant, Louis had all the desire, without the capacity to rule. Solyman the Magnificent had ascended the Turkish throne the year before Louis attained his majority, and sent an embassy with proposals of peace to the King of Hungary. They were rejected with scorn, and the bearers of them mal- treated, upon which the Sultan immediately commenced hostilities. The rash and imprudent conduct of the King was not confined to his treatment of foreign Princes, for he cared little at whose expense he gratified the whim of the moment. An instance of his caprice is related, as follows. On the demise of any one of the Hungarian Bishops, the revenue of the bishopric reverted to the treasury of the state, until a successor was appointed. Hippolytus d'Este, Bishop of Erlau, died, leaving a debt upon the property amounting to fortj- thousand gulden, occasioned by the fraudulent conduct of the manager. Tliis man had the good fortune to possess a falcon which was coveted by the King, and in consideration of his handing over to him the bird and its keeper, Louis forgave him the whole sum. In 1522 Louis and his Queen were crowned at Stuhl- * The sale of indulgences for this Crusade, roused Luther openly to protest against the abuses of the Church of Rome. A.D. 1523.3 LOUIS II, 97 weissenburg, and from that time her stronger cliaracter supported and guided him iu the conduct of his govenmient. Suliman had iu the meantime laid waste Sclavonia, Molda\-ia, and "Wallachia, and seized on Belgrade ; and the German Emperor himself began to feel alarmed at the rapid progress of the Turk in Europe. He therefore assembled a Diet at Xuremburg in 1523, to which Louis also sent ambassadors. The dangers to which Hungary was peculiarly exposed, induced the nobles at the next Diet in Buda to order an examination to be made into the state of the exchequer. But the Queen, indignant at their pre- sumption, herself drew a line through the resolution when it was presented to the King ; the Diet, however, insisted on their right, and the investigation brought to light, such a system of fraud and misdeeds by which the treasuiy had been exhausted, that they only voted a subsidy for the war, on the express condition that the King should promise to employ the money solely for the defences of the covmtry. The Queen continued, however, to encourage Louis in arbitrary measures, and in resisting the will of his people. Disgusted by the oppressive rule of the Magnates, the lesser "Xobiles" ofiered to support the King against both the rival factions of Bathory and Zapoyla, if he would consent to remove those officers who squandered the public money, and to banish all foreigners from his court ; but Louis refused to countenance them, or comply with the condition demanded. Suliman the ^Magnificent had now reached the frontiers of the kingdom, and the Pope who had long watched the impending danger with anxiety, sent a sum of money to Louis to expedite his movements. The Turks crossed the Danijbe and the Drave, but the King stiU delayed to commence his march, until, urged by the Archbishop of Colocza, he took the field with an army of not more than twenty thousand men, and encamped at Mohacz. It was vain for Zapoyla to H 98 nisTonY of ncKOAnY. [a.d. 1o20. entreat Louis to wait till he c-oukl join him ^\'ith his forces; yielding to the sell-conlideiit impetuosity of the Magnates who surrounded him, he oft'cred battle to the ]\Io8lem8 on the 29th August, 152G. The fatal combat commenced, and in spite of the valour of the Hungarians, which made the Turks doubtful of their own victory even after the battle was won, the army was totally annihihited. The larger number fell by the sword of the enemy, and the remnant was engulphed in the surrounding morasses. The Arch- bishop of Colocza, seven Bishops, and twenty-eight Magnates were left dead upon the field. The King, while endeavouring to effect his escape, attempted to leap a rivulet, but his horse, being hea\'ily caparisoned, stumblod and fell, and so severely bruised his rider, that he expired a few moments after being dragged from under the animal. His attendants were obliged to abandon the body of their master and secure their own safety by flight, and it was two months before his remains could be discovered. Suliman marched to Buda, where he burnt the library of Matthias Corvinus, and after laying waste the whole country, and committing many atrocities on the people, returned to Constantinople with two hundred thousand Hungarian captives. "With the battle of Mohacz ended the government of the native Princes of Hungary ; and the struggle had now to commence between the principles of despotism and con- stitutional liberty. As in material things that which is of least value often rises to the surface, so in history the most conspicuous are not always the most excellent or character- istic features of a great nation. "We have seen recorded the struggles for power, and how the few grudged the many the rights they themselves enjoyed. We have read, with some few but noble exceptions, of weak and wicked kings, and of haughty and unprincipled nobles, men truly cast upon the Burface, to pass away with the age to which they belong j A.D. 1526.] JOHN' ZAPOTLA. 99 but beneath thia apparent degeneracy lay a deep and en- during foundation of solid worth and excellence in the body of the people, whose natural leaders had yet to be united to them by a period of adversity. Tears were now ap- proaching in which the aristocracy were to be schooled into better things, and to be roused from their dreams of self- ishness and ambition, to become true patriots, and to join with the whole nation in the common cause of freedom and justice. CHAPTER VII. Kings of the House of Hapshurg. — Ferdinand I. — Maxi- milian. — Princes of Transylvania. — John Sigismund Za- foyla. — Stephen Bathory. A.D. 152G— 1570. When the news reached Queen Mary of the defeat at Mohacz, and the death of the king, she immediately secured her own safety by leaving Presburg and entering tlie fortress of Buda; from whence she despatched a letter to her brother Ferdinand of Austria, informing him of the disaster, and proposing that he should take possession of the vacont throne of Hungary. John Zapoyla meantime hastened to secure his own interests by promises of high offices to all the most influ- ential stagnates of the kingdom : to confirm his election he proposed that a great meeting should be held at Stuhhveis- senburg, on pretence of paying due honour to the remains of Louis, and to which he invited the Queen. Instead of ap- pearing, she wTote more urgently than before to Ferdinand. Zapoyla having been elected by the people, and crowned by the oiJy bishop present at the meeting, immediately sent messengers to the kings of France and of Poland to announce H 2 100 iiioTouY or jiLNOAUV. [a.u. 1527. his accession to the throue of llunj,'ary ; he next coiuiiiunduj liathory to resi^'n tlie fortress of iiuiLi, and to join hiiu at StuhhvL'issi'uburj^ ; and, uj)on his refusal to obey, deposed him from his olhce of Pahitine, and a])i>ointed another in his stead. IJathory and the Queen convoked a Diet at Pre.sbur^', where they deelared that hehl at JStuhlweissenburg to be illegal, as it had not been summoned by the Palatine, according to ancient iwage. Francia Batthyany, Ban of Croatia and Dalmutia, Ciuspar Ilonath, Fnincia Nyary, {Stephen Muilath, and others wjjosu naujes have become familiar in later llungariaii historj', obeyed the sunimonB lo tlie Diet at Presburg. Inspired by hatred to Zapoyla, Batthyany proceeded to declare Aima, the eldest daughter of IJlasdislaus, sister of the late King, and wife of Ferdinand Duke of Austria, heiress of the kingdom, and her huaband. King of Hungary. An envoy was in consequence sent to Vienna with the offer of the crown. While the states of Sclavonia acknowledged Zapoyla, those of Croatia tendered their homage to Ferdinand ; liad the former however possessed energ}- or courage sufficient to maintain his claim, he might still have been King in Hungary ; but after the first battle in which he was de- feated, Zapoyla fled with precipitation into Transylvania. The defection of their chief caused those who had been liitherto adverse to Ferdinand, now to offer him their alle- giance, and thus he gained quiet possession of a kingdom, which had only at first been presented to him by an aris- tocratic faction. On the 3rd of November, 1527, he took his oath to the Constitution, by which he bound himself, " By the li%-ing God, and by the Blessed Tirgiu, His Mother, and by all the saints, to preserve the churches consecrated to God ; the Lords, Prelates, Barons, Nobles, and free Cities of Hungary, with the inhabitants of the kingdom, in their immunities, A.D. 1527.] rERDiy.vND i. 101 rights, pri\ilegcs, franchi.^et>, and all good customs anciently and generally approved ; to act jus'tly, and to keep inviolate the decree of the most serene King Andrew." Zapoyla sent to demand the a.*<3iritance of the Sultan, and employed as his amb:u>»i' hatred of the Emperor wa* such, that he was willing to ally himwelf with any enemy of his hou»e. After Sulimaii hiul ntireJ, the war eontinued for itome time between Fenlinanil and Za|K»yhi, until Ijiviky effected a ree(meiliati(»n between tlie contending partieu, by the terms of wliieli, each wax to rt*tain the land he had then in bin pos* Kession. In l.">2i>, Suliman ai;ain lulvanced into Austria, enter- ing the Dukedom by Styria. He met with au uuexiH'cted dieek before Guntz, a Hmall garrif«t)ned town on the way, wliieh jjave Ferdinand time to collect bin force*, and unite them with those (tftlie Ein|K'ror; but the Sultan luid aln-ady autVered so many looses, that without att4*mpting to advance fiirtlier, he made a lia.xty retreat to Constantinople. Until 153i), Ferdinand continued to carry on a desultory warfare against Zajwyla, until at length a treaty wa« con- eluded at Groswardein, in which the Emperor Charles the Fifth acted as mediator. It was there ntipulated that Zapoyla was to retain Transylvania for himself and his heirs, and part of 11 unitary durini^ his lifetime, while Ferdinand was to rule over tlie remainder of the kim:dom. It was the transfer of a part of lluuijar}' to the Princes of Transylvania for the lifetime of each, which later on. became a fertile source of contention between the Diet and the Sovereign of Hun- v'ary. If the Hungarians were at this time displea-sied at a partition of their countrk-, they had not the strength to offer any resistance. Zapoyla soon afterwards married Isabella, tlie daughter of the King of Pohind, and of Bona Sforza of Lilian, a princess of only eighteen years of age, whom he caused to be crowned Queen at Stuhlweissenbm^. He siu"vived his marriage one year, and received the news of the birtli of a son just before his death, in 1540. For many past years Zapoyla had found a constant friend in George Utjessenovitz. better known as Martinuzzi, a name he derived from his mother who was a Venetian A.D. 1.510.] FEUDrNAXD I. ia3 by birth. Educated in the ca.«tle of Ilunyady, which now belougtHl to John Coninus the son of Matthias, he had been early inured to hardships, and at twenty years of a;:^ was received into the retinue of a hidy of noble faniilv, where he acquired more courtly and relined nmnners, than in the warlike mansion of the Ilunyady. His father waa slain fighting against the Turks, and Martinuzzi soon al'ter- wards entered the monajster}' of St. Paul, in the vicinity of Buda, as a lay brother. Here he was first tau«:jht readuig, writint^, and the Latin tongue, and as the monks soon discovered their pupil possessed abilities of no mean ordtT, they permitted him to be onbiined for the priestluxjd. Having been raised to the dignity o( Prior, he was removed to a monastt^-rv' in the East of Ilungarj', where he first met Zapoyla. Their friendship continued uiuliani^ed tlimugh life, and the latter, when in power, appointed Martinuzzi Bishop of GroBwardein. Though ambitious and false when it suited his purjwse, the Bishop possessed courage, forti- tude, and ability as a (lenend as well aa a Priest. On his death-bed, Za|)oyla confided his young widow and her infant son to his care. After Martinuzzi luid deix)sited the body in the royal vault at Stuhlwrissenburg, he prepared to fulfil the last wishes of his friend ; he placed the child, who had received the name of John Sigismund, and his mother, in safe protection in the castle of Buila, an«l having prtK-laimed him K ing under the revered name «)f Stephen, he sent to Con- stantinople to demand aid from the Sultan. Ferdinand had ab»o sent an embassy to Suliman, but this time, following the example of Zapoyla, he likewise offered to hold Ilun- gan.' as a fief of Turkey. He next required Isabelhi to acknowledge him as Soverei^, and to deliver up the cro\»'n jewels ; to which she retunje-D I. 107 was ill provided for its defence, and had nothing to trust in bat the strength of its old citadel, the A'alour of its garrison, and their hatred of foreign invaders. The inha- bitants themselves agreed to put any one to death -n-ho should speak of a surrender ; and when the provisions were exhausted, they determined sooner to eat one another, than yield to the Turks. Even the women armed in the defence of the town, and fearlessly encountered the enemy, while encouraging the soldiers in the fight. The siege lasted forty days, at the end of which time the besiegers were obliged to retreat, though even then a saUy was made in which a considerable number of the Moslems were slain. The Turks were, however, generally A-ictorious ; and in 155G, Isabella and her son invited by the principal nobles returned in triumph to Transylvania. She summoned a great Diet in Klausenburg, which was numerously attended, and where John Sigismund, who had scarcely attained his seventeenth year, was elected King. The same year, the Emperor Charles the Fifth, retired into a monastery, and his brother Ferdinand was chosen as his suc- cessor on the imperial throne, though he was not proclaimed until two years later. Durmg those two years he suc- ceeded in destroying the liberties of Bohemia, and establish- ing a despotism there, which he hoped woidd be followed by the complete subjugation of Hungary. Isabella died in 1559, and John Sigismund declining to treat with the Emperor, formed a fresh alliance with the Sultan, assuming at the same time the title of King of Hungary. During several succeeding years a predatorv* warfare was carried on until 1562, when Ferdinand, desirous of peace, seized the occasion of liis son Maximilian being elected King of Eome, to conclude a truce A\'ith the Porte. In August of the same year, the Emperor, with his three eons, Maximilian, Ferdinand, and Charles, met the Hun- 108 IIISTOEV OF IITTNGAEY [a.D. 1562. garian Diet at Presburg, where the eldest received the oath of allegiauce from his future subjects. Besides the representatives of the counties, and of the royal boroughs or cities, eight Bishops, five Prebends, three Abbots, and forty seven Magnates, attended the ceremonial. They came accompanied by three thousand followers on horseback, richly attired in gold, silver, and jewels ; but the King forbade the nobles bringing more than one attendant each. The Magnates looked back with vain mortification and regret to the days of their youth, when they assembled eighty thousand men upon the field of Eakos, Count Nicolas Zrinyi, and Francis Batthyany, one of whom was ambitious of being appointed Palatine, and the other hoped for the decision of a suit in his favour, suggested to the Em- peror that as the crown and royal insignia were in his hands, he should, without further delay, order the coronation of Maximilian, as King of Hungary. By various means, the rest of the Nobles were induced to give a tacit consent to this measure, and he was accordingly crowned for the first time in the Cathedral of Presburg, though without any signs of rejoicing from the spectators who lamented the past glories of Hungary, when the banners of Tran- sylvania, Dalmatia, Sclavonia, Senda, Bosnia, Bulgaria, and Cumania, were borne before the King at his coronation. On the following day the wife of Maximilian, sister of Philip II. of Spain, was crowned with a new crown, and ac- cording to ancient custom, that of St. Stephen was placed on her right shoulder. After the performance of this ceremony, it was vain for Stephen Bathory, the envoy of John Sigismund, to demand the acknowledgment of his hereditary right to Transylvania, and a part of Hungary, and to claim the consummation of his marriage with J oanna, the daughter of Ferdinand. The Emperor would concede nothing but Transylvania, and the title of Duke ; but while A.D. 15G6.] MAXIMILIAN. ll"»0 the negotiation "was still pending, John Sigismimd received an assurance from the Sultan of his support, and recalled Bathory. A slow fever was gradually undermining the healtli of Ferdinand, who, assisted by his confidential adviser, Francis Batthyany, was still occupied with the cares of government when lie died in 1564. During his reign he had twelve times broken his faith to the Hungarian people, and whUe Transylvania, Sclavonia, and Croatia, witli two-thirds of Hungary had been lost to the kiugdom, the rest had only been preserved by the payment of an annual tribute to the Porte. Maximilian was thirty-seven years of age wheji he suc- ceeded his father. In the first council he held at Vienna, at which both Hungarian and German nobles were present, he proposed to treat with the Sidtan, and sending an em- bassy to Suliman, offered to continue the tribute his fatht r had consented to pay ; but his proposal was not accepted, and the war recommenced with fresh vigour. The Turks laid siege to Szigeth, a small town on the borders of Scla- vonia, which was commanded by Count Nicolas Zrinyi. The garrison made a determined resistance, and such was the irritation of the Sultan, at his want of success, that it brought on a fit of apoplexy, of which he died September, 1566. His generals fearing the effect this might have upon the troops, ordered his physician and attendants to be strangled, and placing the body of the Sultan upon a throne before the royal tent, caused the army to pass in review before it, at such a distance as to prevent their discover- ing the truth. The attack was then renewed with vigour and the place taken, but not until Zrinyi and all the garrison had been put to the sword. Two Austrian armies were encamped within sight of the scene of action, one of them under the command of Maximilian himself, but they made no attempt to rescue the toA^Ti. The Turks overran 110 nisTony of nuNGAnv. [a.d. 15GS, one-tliird of ITungarj^, and carried away 80,000 of the in- habitants prisoners. To add to the troubles of tliis pt;riod, the Emperor neglected the interests of his Hungarian sub- jects, and violated the laws in the appointment of Q-ermans, and other foreigners to the high offices in the state. In 15G8 ^laximilian concluded a treaty with Selim, the new Sultan, by which it was agreed that John Sigismund was to hold the government of Transylvania, under the Sultan and the Emperor, with the title of AVoiwode ; and that Hungary should be divided between the two Powers. The IMagnates indignantly refused to take any part in an administration where they were no longer consulted, and where they were only permitted a shadow of power, the reality of which had been usurped by the King ; some even fled into Transylvania, and joined the aniiy of an insurgent leader named G-eorge Bocksay •, but John Sigismund con- sented to accept the terms offered by Maximilian and the Sultan. He did not long survive the conclusion of the war. The most distinguished feature in his reign, was his entire toleration of every religious denomination ; it was in his court that Socinus found a refuge. The Transylvanian Diet elected Stephen Bathory as his successor; he had been educated at the University of Padua, and was highly esteemed in Hungarj'. The Sultan and the Emperor confirmed the election of the Did;, though Maximilian Avished to attach the condition, that Bathory should hold Transylvania as a fief from him, but he could only obtain a promise that after his death the province should revert to the Hungarian crown. Maximilian further presented him for his lifetime with four counties of Hun- gary which he held as Viceroy. In 1576 Stephen Bathory was elected Kin-g by the Polish Diet, when Henry of Yalois abandoned Poland, and re- turned to France upon the death of his brother Charles IX. A.D. 1576.] ErDOLPH 111 From that time Christopher Bathory, the brother of Stephen acted as his Eegeut iu Transylvania, whUe hi himself resided in Poland. Maximilian died that same year at Eatisbon, ia the fiftieth year of his age. CHAPTER YIII. Continuation of Ki)igs of tli e Ho use of Hapsburg — Hudolph I. , Matthias II., Ferdinand II. , Ferdinand II L — Princes oj Transylvania. — Bathory, Bethlen Gabor, Rdkoczy — The Beformation in Hungary. A.D. 1576— 1G57. The struggle for religious as weU as political liberty was now commencing in Hungary, where the Princes of Tran- sylvania became the rallying point of Protestantism and constitutional freedom, against the Catholic and despotic principles which the Hapsburg dynasty endeavoured to force upon the people. The doctrines of Luther had early reached Hungary, and the great principles of the Eeformation had gained a hold on the minds of the people, especially of those belonging to the race of the Magyars. Ferdinand I. left them at liberty to follow their own views in this respect, and Maxiniiliau even encouraged the new faith. Eudolph, who succeeded him in 1576, was a man of a narrow understanding and heart, with some talent, which he employed prhicipally in the cultivation of science. He concluded for himself several treaties of marriage with the Princesses of Europe, all of which he broke off before they were fulfilled; and believing the warnings of astrologers, that his life would be taken by his most confidential friend, he be- came timid, suspicious, and melancholy. In the first Hun- garian Diet he held after his accession to the throne, he 112 HISTORY OF HUNGAET. [a.D. 15SG. aiiuounced liiiS iutention to place his uncle and his brother in command of the army, and thus to continue the illegal prac- tices of Ferdinand and Maximilian, by bestowing the high offices of the state on foreigners. The Diet, held in 1580, loudly demanded the redress of grievances, which every year became more oppressive ; but the complaint had to be re- peated the follo\\-ing year, and with as little success. In 1583 Rudolph demanded a supply of money ; and, in order to ingratiate himself with his Hungarian nobles, he laid a project before them to remedy that of which they complained, which he at the same time reminded them, could only be a work of time ; the Diet was not to be thus easily pacified, and their perseverance in the demand for immediate reform excited the anger of the King ; still they maintained their groimd, until the Magnates offered to mediate, and pledge their honour for that of Eudolph, that all their reasonable desires woidd be granted; the money was therefore voted for two years, but the King afterwards refused to redeem the pledge. After the death of Stephen Bathory, in 1586, Christopher resigned his charge to his nephew Sigismnnd, Prince oi Transylvania. Sigismund concluded an alliance, offensive i nd defensive, with Eudolph, who permitted him to retain the counties of Himgary, as well as the Principality of Transylvania, on condition that if he died without children, they were to return to the Hungarian crown. Sigismund, in alliance with the Princes of Moldavia and Wallachia, •drove the armies of the Sxiltan back into Turkey, and the Austrians in Hungary recovered Visegrad and Gran. These successes of the Christians roused Mahomet, the son of Amurath, to send a large army into Hungary, and the war recommenced in good earnest. During fifteen years the country was devastated by G-erman and Turkish soldiers, wliile the Emperor was amusing himself at Prague with A.D. 1601.J EUDOLPH. 113 astrological and scientific studies. The Austrian troops were permitted the utmost licence, and cotemporaries de- scribe the commanders as themselves spending whole nights in drinking and the pleasures of the table, while their men roamed over the country for miles around the camp, plundering the inhabitants. Such an army presented no ver}- formidable barrier to the advance of the enemy, who seized on Eaab and Erlau, the last of which was, however, retaken by the Austrian troops, in the only brilliant action they performed during the war. In 1597 Sigismimd, though only twenty-six years of age, gi-ew weary of the cares of government, and resigned his Pi-incipality to Eudolph, who appointed tlie Archdidie Maxi- milian, Governor of Transylvania. The Txirks were then hanging on the frontiers, but Maximilian, instead of has- tening his departure, lingered in Prague, and after the Magnates of the Principality had awaited his arrival some months, they invited Sigismund to retvina. As he had abeady begun to repent his abdication, he immediately complied with their wishes, and came in disguise to Kolosvar, where his wife, the Princess Christina, resided. A year later he sent offers of friendship to Eudolph, but with little sincerity on his part ; such was the divided state of parties within his own Principality, that it was not untU 1601 that he was fuUy re-instated in the government. Soon after- wards the King sent an army against him, by which he was totally defeated ; but while the victors were engaged in disputes among themselves, Sigismund demanded the assist- ance of the Tartars, the Porte, and the King of Poland. The Hungarian Diet urged Eudolph to commence the campaign early the following year, and voted him a sum of money for the purpose, in spite of the poverty to which the country had been reduced; but the Turks had advanced to Belgrade and entered Hungary, before they encountered the Hun- I Ill' HISTOET OF hunoahy. [a.d. 1G02. garian troops, Avhom they totally defeated. The Diet re- proached Kudolph with his want of energ)^, but voted another supply to raise a fresh army to repel the invaders. About this period the Jesuits had begun to exercise an extraordinary influence throughout Europe ; tlieir whole aim was to apply an antidote to the litlbrmation, and support the declining power of the Papacy. When the doctrines of Luther were first preached in Hungary-, a law was passed, princii)ally tlirough the influence of the Bishops, by which the King was called upon to punish by death, or confiscation of property, all who professed the new form of religion, as heretics and enemies of the Holy Virgin, the Patroness of Hungary. For many years afterwards, the clergy and the people were opposed to one another on religious matters, and under the turbulent reign of John Zapoyla the property of seven bishoprics had been placed under lay jurisdiction. When he sold the country to the Moslems as a price for their assistance against Ferdinand, the eccle- siastics took advantage of the indignation this act excited, to recover their power and influence, and the progress of the Eeformation was checked. The success of the Turks again opened a free ingress for the Lutheran Chiirch, and a hundred and twenty evangelical communities subsisted under the protection of the Porte, between the Danube and the Drave. In 15i8 the Protestant clerg\' were enabled to hold synods in the north of Hungary, where they elected their elders, and framed laws for the regulation of the infant chm-ch, their example was followed in other parts of the kingdom. Ferdinand w,ho observed that liberty of con- science had already awakened the spirit of political freedo.n in Grei'many, received the order of Jesuits into Vienna, established them as teachers in the University, and ten years later introduced them into Hungary ; but an acci- dental fu-e destroying part of their College before the k.D. 1603.] RUDOLPH. 115 building was completed, tliey looked upon this circuin- stance as an iH omen, and therefore postponed their work there to a later period. In the seven Diets held by Maxi- milian, the complaints of the Bishops, against the Lutherans, were set aside, and, during his reign, they were permitted the free exercise of their religion. When Eudolph ascended the throne there were three hundred evangelical communities on the right bank of the Danube, four hundred on the left, and two hundred ii\ tlie K^orth of Hungary in the counties of Zips, Saros, and Gomor ; the Calvinists had made converts of vast numbers of the people inhabiting the region of the Theiss, and the Unitarian form of worship prevailed in Transylvania : even high offices in the state were held by Protestants. Stephen Bathory had entrusted the education of his sou Sigismund to the Jesuits, who turned out the Protestant clergy, burnt their books, and confiscated their property to the state. "When, however, Sigismund attained his ma- jority, the Diet required him to banish the order from his dominions; it was vain for the young Prince, prompted by his former tutors, to entreat for delay; the representatives of the people refused to accept him as their ruler, until he had expelled all the Jesuits eicept his o^vn confessor, from Transylvania. They were obliged to depart, within five and twenty days, their property was confiscated to the state in the same manner as they had confiscated that of the Pro- testant clergy, and a law passed that from that time forth, not one of the order should be permitted to set foot in Transylvania. In 1003, however, Sigismvmd, notwithstanding this law, recalled them into the Principality, and commanded their chief to appoint such among the fathers as were acquainted with the various dialects spoken in the country, to seek, and point out the spots where heretics most abounded. The i2 IIG histout of hunoaet. [a.d. 1G04. previous year, Eudolph had commenced his persecutions of the Protestants iu Hungary, and in 1G04 one of his generals, in obedience to his commands, banished all the evangelical preachers out of the city of Kaschau, the seat of govern- ment in Upper Hungary, and seized upon eight and tweuty protestant villages. The Lutherans were noted for their industry and sobriety, and when the intelligence of this outrage reached the Diet assembled at Presburg, the de- puties refused to proceed with business, until this and other grievances occasioned by the foreign soldiers and their commanders were redressed. Eudolph, in reply, only ad- monished his Protestant subjects to refrain from disturbing the order of the Diet, and forbade the members in futiu-e from interfering in matters appertaining to religion. The Protestants finding peaceful measures of no avail, determined to appeal to arms, and chose, as their leader, Stephen Botskai, the principal Magnate of Upper Hungary and uncle to Sigismund, Prince of Transylvania. His castle and lands had been ransacked and laid waste by Eudolph' a generals, while he was absent at coui-t pleading the cause of his oppressed brethren ; there he had been further irritated by the insidts of the royal favourites and courtiers. Num- bers joined his standard, " nobiles," and peasants, and even the Haiduks or soldiers employed in the Austrian service deserted in a body to enter his army. The representatives of the principal families of Transylvania, the Bethle s, Eakoczy, &c., met at the castle of Botskai, and elected him their priuce. He was assisted with men and money by "^he Turks, and was by them received on the field of Eakos with the honours due to royalty ; he however disclaimed all rank and power Avhich was not conferred by his feUow nobles, and proceeded to the conquest of the principal places ia Hungary. Eudolph' s younger brother Matthias, the heir presumptive to the kingdom, at length ofiered to mediate A.D. 160S.] EUDOLPH. 117 between the King and his subjects, and ha%-ing gained the confidence of the minister of Botskai, he was enabled to conclude a peace with his master, who was then suiFering from a mortal disease. By this treaty, called the Pacifica- tion of Vienna, it was enacted, that the same religious toleration should be granted as under Ferdinand and Maximilian, that Matthias should be appointed Governor of Hungary, and Botskai, Prince of Transylvania, with the addition of the four border counties, to revert to the House of Hapsburg if the prince died without heirs ; the King promised for the future to observe the rights and immunities of the people, to pennit the Hungarians to select their own Palatine out of the candidates nominated by him, as by ancient law established, to entrust the regulation of the finances and all ofiices and other charges, to natives of the country, and to order all foreigners to leave the kingdom, and forbid them to hold property in the same. A truce for twenty years was at the same time concluded with the Turks, and on the papnent of a large sum of money, the Sultan consented to absolve the Hungarian kings from their tribute to the Porte. Sigismund had been obliged to abandon the principality and died in exile in 1610. Botskai was succeeded by Sigismund Kakoczy, as Go- vernor of Transylvania, he was elected Prince by the Diet, contrary to his own desire, but the choice was confirmed by the Emperor, who had learnt the moderation of character and peaceable views of R;ikoczy, and who di'eaded another civU war. Matthias also acquiesced in his nomination, but requested that the Jesuits, who had been again expelled by Botskai, should be restored. Eakoczy laid the matter before the Diet, who declared their determination that not one of the Company of Jesus should be permitted to enter the Principality. The Prince, accordingly, after assuring the Fathers that he believed them to be honest, good, and 118 niSTOET OF HrNOAKT. [a.d. 1G08. upright men, informed them that they must submit to their fate, as decreed by a majority of his subjects. Though ex- pelled from Transylvania, the Jesuits augured well for their success in Hungary, where the principal strongholds of Pro- testantism in the North, Kaschau and Leutschau, had again sworn allegiance to the King. Eudolph's jealousy of his heirs, placed Matthias in so equivocal a position that he found it necessary, in 1608, to call a meeting of Nobles at Presburg, where they expressed their resolution to maintain the conditions agreed on in the Pacification of Vienna, and to obey their Governor Matthias, in all things necessary for the recovery of their freedom : in a secret article, the leaders pledged themselves to oblige the King to abdicate. A fortnight later, Eudolph opened the Diet in person, and soon afterwards a desire for the elevation of the Archduke IMatthias to the Hungarian throne was publicly expressed. The Bishops at first kept aloof, but were finally induced to acquiesce in the general wish. The Diet closed its sittings in February, 1609, and immediately despatched envoys to Kaschau to acquaint the Comitat, or Provincial Assembly, with their resolutions. They were invited to join the move- ment, and the Haiduks were offered a free pardon for all past offences, on condition of lending their assistance to establish the new King on his throne. As soon as Eu- dolph was informed of what had occurred, he determined to send an army into Hungary, Moravia, and Austi'ia, to sup- press the rebellion ; but when IMatthias appeared at the head of twenty-five thousand men, the Emperor, in alarm, sent the Cardinal Bishop of Olmiitz to mediate a peace, promising to resign Hungary, Austria, and Moravia to his brother, to deliver up the Hungarian crown and jewels, and consent to his being crowned King of Hiingary. With IMatthias, the Hxmgarians believed that a new advent had dawned upon Hungary. In the mean time Sigismund A.D. 1G09.] MATTHIAS. 119 Eakoczy, feeling himself incapacitated by bodily infinnities from carrying on the government, abdicated, and was suc- ceeded by Gabriel Bathor}', a weak bad man. He imme- diately despatched his confidential adviser, G-abriel Bethlen, better known as Bethlen Gabor, to Constantinople, to obtain the confirmation of his title by the Sultan. The Pacification of Vienna was violated a second time by his election ; since as his predecessor left no male heir, Transylvania should have reverted to Matthias : but at a time when Eudolph had just been forced to abdicate, and Matthias was scarcely yet firmly seated on the throne of Hungary, the government of the Principality was allowed to pass into the hands of Bathory without opposition. The experience of the past century had roused the jealous fears of the Hungarian people at the accession of every new monarch ; and when the Diet met at Presburg, within a month of the election of Matthias, they required him to sign in due form the contract by which he was to be accepted as their King. The following were the most remarkable stipu- lations it contained : that all Barons, Magnates, and pro- prietors, as well as free cities and classes of the people, whether li\dng upon their own land or upon that belonging to the Royal Exchequer, as well as the Hungarian border guard, the market towns, and villages, should be permitted the free exercise of their religion ; that no one should be dis- turbed or hindered therein, &c. . . . That the King should not commence a war in Hungary, or in the provinces, or intro- duce foreign soldiers into the kingdom, without the consent of the Diet ; that in the choice of a Palatine, the King should select four candidates, two Catholics, and two of the Lutheran persuasion, to be presented to the Diet ; that the croA\"n should immediately be brought to Presburg, and, after the coronation of the King, should \e preserved within the kingdom ; that the Jesuits should not be permitted to 120 EISTOKT OF HUNGAET. [a.D. 1603. hold any landed property in the country ; that foreigners should be excluded from all share in the administration, and that the King shoiild pledge his word only to employ native Hungarians in the affairs of Hungary, and that, with- out any regard to religious creed ; that Dalmatia, Croatia, and Sclavonia should be reintegrated into the Hungarian kingdom ; that the King should for the future reside in Hungary, and govern in person, but in case of his necessary absence, the Palatine should be invested with full powers to conduct the government, with the assistance of the Hun- garian Council of State : and because the Hungarians had proffered, and still continued to proffer, their faithful ser- vices to the King, and especially because they did not refuse to accept him as their monarch, they desired that all for- tresses on the borders of Austria should be restored to the Hungarian kingdom, or delivered to the care of Hungarian Magnates. Matthias was shortly afterwards crowned, and the choice of a Palatine fell on Stephen Illehazy, The Jesuits made great efforts to obtain power under Matthias, who favoured the Catholic interest, though he permitted no per- secution of the Protestants. The death of Gabriel Ba- thory, by the hand of an assassin, gave the King of Himgary an opportunity of claiming from the people of Transylvania the fulfilment of the clause in the Pacification of Vienna * evaded by the late Prince ; and for this purpose he con- vened a Diet to obtain support in men and money. The Protestants were, however, dissatisfied Tvith his conduct, and he failed in both his demands. Bethlen Gabor, there- fore , who had been elected to succeed Gabriel Bathory, * By which the four border counties should revert to the House of Hapsburg, if the Prince of Transylvania died without male heirs. See p. 117. A.D. 1612.] FEKDINA2fD II. 121 took quiet possession of the Principality. Mattkias died, 1612, leaving as his successor his cousin, Perdinand the Second. The Kings of the Hapsburg Dynasty had hitherto vainly endeavoured to lessen the power of the Diet, in order to increase that of the monarchy ; the fruit of all their despotic schemes had been to unite the Nobles more closely in oppo- sition to their claims, and while never failing in due respect towards the person of the Sovereign, they adhered more firmly than ever to their resolution, of maintaining their constitutional rights. The Thirty years' war had already commenced in Europe, when, not^vithstanding his well knoAvn bigotry, Ferdmand was elected to the thrones of Hungary, Bohemia, and Austria. Educated in a school of Jesuitism, he at one time had serious thoughts of taking the monastic vows, and, to the end of his life, his inveterate hatred of the Protestant religion, was the most remarkable feature ui his mind. In order to fulfil a vow he had made when on a pilgrimage to Loretto, he resolved to extirpate all heretics from his dominions with fire and sword. Bohemia first rose in insurrection against his tyrannical violation of her political and religious rights, and the in- surgents, led by the celebrated Count Thurn, offered their cro^^'n to the Elector Palatine, the husband of Elizabeth of England, daughter of James I. The efforts of Bohemia to resist religious persecution were seconded by Bethlen Grabor, Prince of Transylvania, who, being invited to their assistance, entered Himgary with a large army, to support the cause of the Protestants. He was everywhere joined by the people, and even Presburg yielded, after a feeble attempt to resist his arms. He gave the Palatine permission to depart iminjured, only exacting from him and his adherents an oath of fidelity to the Constitu- tion, and a promise that on the restoration of peace, they 122 IIISTOET OF HUNGARY. [a..D. 1G19. would promote a more just system of admmistration in the country. After removing the crown jewels to a place of safety, Bethlen made his solemn entrance into the city, and attended divine service in the church of St. Martin, which was first performed according to the Roman Catholic ritual, secondly according to the Calvinistic, and lastly to the Lu- tlieran. Although Ferdinand had expressly forbidden Paz- mandy, Archbishop of Gran, the Palatine Forgacs, and the JMagnates to appear in the Diet held by Bethlen, it waa numerously attended, and even included envoys from Bohe- mia, Moravia, Silesia, and Austria, and the Palatine himself opened the sitting. The only exceptions were the Bishops ; and, among the Magnates, Nicolas Esterhazy, Thomas ISTadasdy, and Nicolas Frangipani. Nothing decisive was, however, resolved upon ; the T'rotestants proposed that Ferdinand should be forced to abdicate, and that Bethlen G-abor should be crowned King of Hungary, but this was rejected, as too violent and sudden a measure. The terms of a league between Hungary, Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, and Austria, which had already been drawn up, were also negatived, because Bethlen Gabor proposed that Bohemia and Moravia should pledge themselves to contribute a certain sum for the support of the border fortresses, and that if Ferdinand should lose Austria, the Dukedom should be incorporated into the kingd- an of Hungary. Ferdinand had in the meantime been crowned Emperor, and returned with his new dignity to Vienna. Bethlen Gabor marched to the gates of the Avistrian capital with the intention of giving battle to the generals of Ferdinand, but as they remained within the city prepared to stand a eiege, for which the season was unfavourable, he withdrew his troops, and on the 30th November recrossed the Danube, and was received with enthusiasm by the Protestant popu- A.D. 1G20.] FEED1>^AXD II. 123 lation of that part of Hungary. On his return to Presbiu'g be found the inhabitants disputing fo^r the possession of the church of St. Martin ; he accordingly ordered a calcu- lation to be made of each of the adherents of the three Christian sects, and on its being proved that the larger number were Lutherans, he bestowed the churcii upon them. In the commencement of the year 1620, the Diet obliged Bethlen Grabor to accept the title of Prince of Hungary, and he shortly afterwards concluded a fresh alliance with Bohemia. A truce of one year was at last concluded with the Emperor, but the terms had scarcely been agreed upon, when the Catholic clergj^, led by the Arch- bishop of Grran, entered a protest against it, as well as against the ordinances of Bethlen Grabor, by which entire toleration had been granted to all creeds and professions. They contrived, while acting upon the intolerant spirit of the King, at the same time to sow dissensions in the people, and the consequence of their bigotry was the resolutions of the Diet of Neusohl. Here the Magnates and representa- tives of Hungary assembled in vast numbers in the spring of the year 1620, not to consider the terms of a final peace with the king, but to propose a renewal of the league against him. The national pride of the Hungarians Avas offended by the excuses alleged for the late arrival of the Envoys of Ferdinand, and by their exhortations to the Diet in the name of their master, not to adopt the cause of rebels and insurgents ; they replied, that they had only consented to the truce in order to obtain time to establish order and peace in the states to which they were allied ; that they did not recognise the Envoys as competent to represent the Emperor; finally, that the affairs of Hungary must be decided by the Palatine, in conjimction with the Diet. The Envoys immediately sent to inform Ferdinand of what had passed, and in return received 124 niSTTonT of iiingaut. [a.d. 1023. credentials empowering them to treat, in his name, and promising to confirm whatever tliey should resolve upon. The Diet still declined treating with any one but the sovereign himself, upon which the Envoys dissolved the meeting, and pronounced all their past or future resolutions null and void. Irritated by their insolence, the Diet, far from yield- ing, proceeded to declare Ferdinand deposed, and to elect Bethlen Gabor in his stead, king of Hungary ; but Bethlen refused the crown, and in spite of the entreaties of his friends, only accepted the title of King provi- sionally. One of his first acts was to forbid all priests, of whatever denomination, preaching against the adherents of an opposite creed, or inflaming the religious bigotry of the people against one another ; he reduced the Bi.shopric3 to three, limited their incomes, and confirmed the 8}'nodal statutes of the Protestant communities. lie further ordered that the church lands should be resumed by the state, and their revenue applied to the maintenance of the border fortresses. Ambassadors were despatched to the Porte immediately after the dissolution of the Diet, who returned with promises of friendship and succour, but Bethlen contrived to sustain his position, without iu^'iting the Moslems into the kingdom. The war continued during the two follo^ving years with varied fortune, but at the end of that time, peace was again restored, and Bethlen promised to resign his title of King and restore the crown jewels to Ferdinand, who bestowed upon him the counties of Hungary bordering on Transyl- vania, on condition that he would permit the Eoman Catholic inhabitants to enjoy perfect religious freedom. Soon after the conclusion of the peace, Ferdinand appointed his favourite, Xicolas Esterhazy, Palatine, with the view of inducing him to exert his influence in obtaining the consent A.D. 1G26.] FEBDIXAXD U. 125 of the Diet to the coronation of his son Ferdinand, as the future King of Hungary. The Diet insisted that the young Prince should in the tirst place swear to presene the liberties of the country ; and the council of state advised the Emperor to yield, as tliey observed that the oath was worded in so general a manner that it need not in any way restrain tlie actions of the Prince ; Esterhazy went so far as to maintain that the King could at his pleasure change the Laws of the kingdom, and in defiance of oaths and compacts, abolish the Lutheran and Calvinistic form of worship. The King's conscience being satisfied on this point, he complied with the wishes of the Diet, and liis son was accordingly cro\\Tied in December, 102G. The Archbishop Pazmandy, more honest than his master, vehemently protested against the oath extorted from the young King, and declared null and void all treaties which tended to destroy the unity of the Church. Bethlen Gabor about this time concluded his marriage with Catharine, sister of the Elector of Brandenbourg. Va- rious Princes of Europe, and among others the Emperor Ferdinand, sent presents and congratulations on the occa- sion. This apparent amity did not prevent a renewal of hostilities after a short intenal of peace. Tlie war was not, however, of long continuance. Bethleu allied him- self with Christian of Denmark, and Gustavus Adolphus, against all who violated the rights of conscience ; but before this compact could be followed by any practical result, the Prince of Transylvania died in the forty-ninth year of his age. He left rich legacies to Ferdinand and his son, to the King of Sweden, and the Sultan, besides to many Hungarian stagnates, to his old soldiers, and servants, and to various churches and colleges. Three years before the death of Bethlen, his wife Catharine, had been nominated future Kegent of Transylvania by the 12G HISTOHT OF UlSOABY. [a.d. 1G37. Komaii C'utliolic party in the Diet, in reuard for lier secret conver>ion to their reli^'ion during the ul)r»ence of her hus- band. No sooner was Bethlen dead, than Catharine intrigued to deliver the Principality to Ferdinand, and therefore re- fused to consent to the conditions prescribed by the Pro- testants for her acceptance of the Keg«ncy. Her conspiracy was, however, discovered, and slie was set aside ; while her brother-in-law, Steplien liethlen, was elected Prince. But before the news of his own election reached him, Stephen had invited George liakoczy to succeed his late brother; and it was now too late to retract, as Kakoczy, with sonK) thousand Hungarians and Haiduks, was already entering Transylvania to assert his daiujs. To avoid a cinl war, there- fore, Stephen resigned, and li^ikoczy was elected. Ferdinand sent Esterhazy to seize upon Transylvania, but the Austrian anny was defeated, and the Emperor, with the Palatine, was obliged to acknowledge the new Prince. GustaA-us Adolphus, the champion of the cause of Pro- testantism, had, in the mean time, advanced into Germany, and sent from Frankfort to demand the alliance of Bakoczy against Ferdinand ; but the Transylvanian Prince had enough to do in establishing himsell" in his new dominions. Gus- tavus proceeded in his conquests, carrying all before him, until the celebrated AVallenstein assumed the command of the armies of the Emperor. Eakoczy, fired by the suc- cesses of the Swedish King, had proclaimed war on Fer- dinand, when the news reached him of the death of Gustavua Adolphus on the field of Lutzeu, and he hastened to despatch another embassy to Vienna with offers of peace, on condition that the Emperor should acknowledge him Prince of Transylvania. Ferdinand only lived a few months, after the conclusion of the treaty, and died in 1637. The Archbishop Pazmandy did not long survive the Em- A.D. 1645.] FEBDiyAXD III, 127 peror, and one of the first acts of Fenlinaud the Tliird was to appomt his successor. The Palatine Xicholas Esterhazv tendered his resignation, but the new King entreated him to continue in liis office ; though so zealous a Catholic tliat he could advise the former Emperor not to keep faith with heretics, he proved a useful counsellor to Ferdinand tlie Tliird, exhurting him to be true to his oath in other respects, and to maintain the Hungarian constitution. For many years the country enjoyed peace and tranquillity, and was only disturbed by the religious dissensions of the pcoi)]e themselves. The Protestants hoped to find a protector in Rakoczy, but he was too much engaged in de\'ising means of aggrandizement for himself, and accumulating wealth, to attend to tlieir complaints. In lGi3, however, he concluded an alliance with Sweden and France against Ferdinand, and, li'a\"ing his son in charge of the Principality, marched a large army into Upper Hungary. The Lutheran population joined his standard in vast numbers, and Ka.sehau offered no resistanee. lie was then elected King of Hungary, and issued a proclamation to the people, to which Ferdinand replied in an edict, reproacliiiig him with trea.sonable and ambitious views. Hakoczy had invited the assistaHce of tlie Turks ; but as they did not arrive, and he himself wanted b(jth skill and resolution, he connnenced negotiati(ms in 10 lo, stipulating for entire religious toleration, and the re- cognition of his right to Transylvania, with a grant of certain lands in Ilungar}'. The Diet met at Pi'csburg, to confirm the articles of the treaty ; but such was the violence of the Catholic party, that ten months elapsed before the matter could be definitively settled. The Protestant sects vrere as bitter against one another, as against the Catholic, each believing the faith of the other to be the invention of Satan. The Emperor endeavoured to conciliate all parties in order to induce the people to consent to the coronation 129 HISTORT OF nUKOAIIT. [a.d. 1G57. of Ilia sou ycrdiimjid, who was ju»t thirteen years of age. liakofzy was engaged in negotiations for the crown of Poland, when he died in 1048, and was tiucceeded by his son George. A few days lali-r, the peace of Munster temiinated tlie Thirty years' war. The early death of the young Fer- dinand iimdc his fatluT desirous that the succession should be secured during his lifetime to his younger son Leopold, who was accordingly crowned in 1G55. Ferdinand the Third died in April, 1G57, leaving behind him a character for genuine kindness of heart, wliich was so little corrupted even by his education under the Jesuits, that the Protestants had not much to complain of during his reign. CHAPTEE IX. Further continuation of kings of the hou^e of Hapslurg — Leopold I. — Joseph I. — Charles III. — Princes of Tran- sylvania — George Bakoczy — Francis Rdkoczy T. — Michael Apajfy — Francis Bdkoczy II. A.D. 1657—1740. DuEiNG the first year of Leopold's reign he was whoUy occupied in securing bis election to the Empire, after which he turned his attention to Poland, where Charles Gustavua of Sweden, in alliance with George Eakoczy, was engaged in a war with the King. Leopold stimulated Denmark to attack Sweden, and thus obliged the monarch to return to his own kingdom and abandon his ally, who retreated before the combined armies of Austria and Poland, into Tran- sylvania. The Sultan sent to depose Eakoczy from his k.D. 1GG2.] LEOPOLD I. 12a Principality, for liaviiig engaged in a war without asking tlie consent of the Porte, and George was soon afterwards killed before Klausenburg, while seeking to establish his claim against his rebellious subjects. He left one son, Francis ; but as he had been converted to Catholicism, the people refused to acknowledge him, and Leopold attempted to seize upon the Principality. The Turks, however, who had entered the countr}' from an opposite direction, raised ■Michael Apaffy to the vacant throne. The wars of the Turks and Christians recommenced ; Leopold, in direct violation of his coronation oath, led a German army into Hungary and Transylvania, under the command of the Italian general IMontecuculi, who demanded quarters for liis troops in Kaschau, but was refustd, and obliged to garrison them in Lower Hungar}-. The Diet met in ^fay, 1GG2, at Presburg, and indignantly remonstrated \s-ith the King for his introduction of foreign soldiers and commanders into the kingdom ; a manifesto of Montecuculi had still further given them cause of offence, as he had therein declared the Hungarian people to be wanting in valour, ignorant of the science of war, and incapable of fighting their own battles. The insulting document was answered by an anomniious publication, attributed to Count Nicholas Zrinyi, who proved this statement, so offensive to the national pride, to be false throughout. Bitter com- plaints relating to various acts of violence committed by foreigners, and to the restraint placed upon their religious freedom, were addressed to the Diet by thirteen counties ; and at tlie same time thev demanded from the Kins:, the restoration of the churches and lands, of which the Pro- testants had been deprived by fifty-three Eoman Catholic ^L'li^late3 and Prelates. The royal answer only contaijied an exhortation to peace, and a denial that the Protestants had suffered any injur)'. The dissensions in the Diet between E 130 HISTORY OF IIUyOABT. [a.d. 1668. Protestanth and Catholics, and between the former and the court, were reported at Constantinoj)le, and the Turku re- eoiimieiu-ed liostilities in l(!0-i; Count Nieolim Zriiiyi led the llunpjiiriau army against the Mobleuis, and while Monte- cuculi, out of jealousy, refused to support him, he gained a sigiiiil victory over the troops of the Grand Vizier near lt:uib. Tlu' EinjKTor, however, consented to an ignominious |x;ace in 1GG5 for twenty- one years, and promised to pay the Sultan two hundred thousand florins. The Oltunians were not long in breaking through the treaty, and nuide frequent inroads into the country, so that, during the supposed peace, GO,UOO of the population perished between Vezprim and Papa. Wlien the Diet assembled in 16G8, the Hungarians were irritated beyond measure, and refused the subsidies demanded by the King for the mainte- nance of his German soldiers. The Pidatine AVesselenyi, who bad long supported the patriotic party, died about tliis time; and Leopold, in violation of the law, left the office vacant ; the people became daily more incensed against their sovereign, and when the news arrived of the death of Count Nicolas Zriuyi in a boar hirnt, it was reported that he had died by the band of an assassin. Peter Zriuyi, the brother of the deceased, placed bimself at the head of the discontented Nobles, and persuaded Francis Eakoczy, (who had married his daughter Helena Zriuyi), to join them ; as "weU as a young and influential Magnate, Count Frangipani, and other great officers of the state. Tlie confederates allied themselves with IMiehael Apafly, the Prince of Transylvania, and solicited aid from the Porte ; they then summoned a Diet to meet at Kaschau, in accordance with the law by which they were re- quired to fulfil those duties to the country which the sove- reign left unperformed. Sanctioned by a clause in the golden Bull of King Andrew, they resolved on an appeal to arms, to defend the violated constitution. A.D. 1673.] LEOPOLD I. 131 Leopold was prepared to resist the attack of the Xoblea and sent troops into the north and south of Hungary. Zrinyi, Fraiigipani, and others were seized by treachery, imprisoned and executed, and their children sentenced to perpetual banishment, or condemned to change their names. Rakoczy was only pardoned on condition of laying down hia arms and paying a large sum of money into the Austrian exchequer, while Paul Esterhazy, who had supported the cause of the Emperor, was rewarded by the confiscated estates of his unhappy countrymen. Leopold next abolished the offices of Palatine, Supreme Judge, and Ban of Croatia; declared the monarcliy to be hereditary in his family ; quartered thirty thousand troops in the kingdom, and oppressed the peasantry A^-ith hea\y taxes. He next declared the Constitution changed, and placed the administration in the liands of a council composed of members nominated by himself; the Protestant churches were closed, and many of the clergy sent to the galleys ; two hundred and fifty of them were condemned to hard l.ibour and perpetual imprisonment ; and when tlieir fate excited the compassion and sympathy of the people, they were sold at fifty crowns each to the Neapolitan galleys, from whence they were however finally liberated by the Dutch admiral, De Huyter. Even the widow of the Pala- tine Wesselenyi, whose husband had died before the com- mencement of the insurrection, was condemned to end her davs in a dungeon; the cruelty of this persecution induced the Roman Catholics and Protestants to unite ia one com- mon cause ; the defence of their political as well as religious liberty. They were assisted by Apafty, and furnished with arms and anununition by the French and the Turks. Leopold, however, sent 10.000 fresh troops into Hungary, which, with the aid of Paul Esterhazy, succeeded in crushing the first efforts of the insurgents, and the miserable people either k2 in2 nisTORT or iiuno.vbv. [a.d. 1C81. jctiiu'tl tluir ranks, or fli-d into Tr.iiisvlvania ; an Leopold waa at tliis time t'ii<;aj,'r(l in a war with Louiu XIV. of France, lu- now otti-'red his Bubjeets iennn of iM*a*:c', but they were not Hucli at* they thou«,'l»t ])rojHT to accfpt; each djiy their numbers became more formi(lal»le, till at lenj^th they gained two sigiuU victories over the Austriaus. They were assisted by aii anny of Poles, led l)y Emeric Tokolyi, a llunnarian Mngiuitv, who had been exiled bt'cause bin father had joined the insurrection 1( d by Zrinyi and Franfjipani. Though only twenty years of ai,'i> he wa.H placed at the head of the Hungarian army; he en- tered Upper J I un^'ary from Tninxylvania w ith 20,000 men, and utterly routed the Austrian troops which came to meet him. After the death of Francis Kakoczy, Tokolyi wa« desirous of marrying his widow Helena, the daught4.T of Zrinyi, and Leopold commenced negotiations with a promi«*e to sane- t on the marriage, and grant an amnesty and toleration of the Protestants of the kingdom. These propo-sals were, how- ever, only a feint to gain time for the Austrian armies to advance, and Tokolyi, discovering the deception, broke otf the negotiations suddenly; they were, however, afterwards renewed and the original terms accepted. From that hour Tokolyi lost his influence with the people, who suspected him of sacrificing the country to his private interests, and his followers deserted him to join the standard of a rival patriot, AVesselenyi, the brother of the late Palatine: before his marriage with Helena B-akoczy had taken place however, Tokohn found he had been the dupe of the Austrians, and, the covu*age and energy with which he re- ncAved the war restored the confidence of the Hungarians ; but their forces were now broken by rival leaders, and the plague had decimated both the armies of Hungary and Austria. AVesselem-i was at last taken prisoner by the enemy, and Tokolyi concluded a truce for the second time with Leopold ; but the truce was of short duration, and hostilities continued A.D. 1C81.] LEOPOLD I. 133 until the Kin£» consented to accept the terms of the patriots : he was required to name the candidates for the oHice of Palatine ; to dismiss the viceroy he had lately appointed ; to send all his foreij^ troops out of the country, or compel them to obey the laws and authority of the Palatine ; and, finally, to reinstate the Protestants in those rights of which they had been unjustly deprived. The Viennese cabint>t delayed ^^\ing an answer to these propositions, until Tok«Jlyi, wearied with their duplicity, »ent to the Sidtan to demand his assistance in case the negotiations failed. Leo|K)ld was alarmed by the intelli- gence of warlike preparations at Constantinople, and con- vened a Diet in lOsl, but Tokiilyi refused to attend, and continued to solicit aid from the Sultan. Tlie Emperor meantime, conceded all the Diet demanded , and named Paul Esterhazy, Palatine, who had a.«*.-eror. The Sultan in the mean time, suspected Tokolyi of treacherj-, and caused him to be arrested, and brought in chains to Constantinople, but his innocence being proved, his accusers were strangled, and he himself restored to freedom and honour. As the Prince of Transylvania had in the meantime concluded a treats* of peace with Leopold, there was no further hope left to Tokolvi, who accordingly retired into Asia Minor. His wnfe shut herself and her children up in the fortress of Mungacs, which she defended for two years against the Austrians. Early in 1687, Tokolvi arrived in the ncinity of the castle, where he continued for some time in concealment. Rumours were circulated of a conspiracy against Leopold, and many thousands of in- nocent persons were thrown into prison, and a tribunal instituted at Eperies for their trial. It was presided over by Count Caraffa, a man of a cruel, covetoiis, and sanguinary disposition, who sent soldiers to scour the country in all A.D. 1C87.] LEOPOLD I. 13.1 dirvctioiia, aad briu«^ iu whom!*oever they could lay hands on. He caused a scaffold to be erected in the market place, and there torture*! his unhappy victims to make tliein confess their guilt. Men of the (in*t eminence in the ci>untr>' were seized, deprived of their right liands, and then executed, and their bodies quartered and hung upon gibbets in various parts of the town ; m>me were hung, some died in prison from the effect of torture, and others saved themselves from an ignominious death by committing sui- cide. The Palatine Esterhazy waa at length obliged t^ r«Mnonstrate with Leopold, on the cruelties perpetriitt'd in hi* uame. The emperor appointed a commision to imjuire into the case, and while expressing his compassion for the wives and chiKlren of the sufferers, only ordered Caraffa to remove the scalFuhl, and resign his post to another, whih* allowing him to retain the command of the fortresses of Upper Hungary, and even sending him soon afterwards, the order of the Goldtn Fleece. The scaffold of Caraffa is remembtred by the people as, the Bloody Theatre of Eperiea. In October, 1GS7, Leopold restored the crown of St. Stephen which he had carried from Presburg to Vienna, and convoked a Diet in the former city, at which the Queen and the young Prince Joseph were present. It had been prenously resolved by several of the Magnates and Prelates to ingratiate themselves with the Emperor, by abolishing the right of election, and rendering the Crown hereditary in his family. The Bishop of ErUu, therefore, addressed the Prince before the assembled Diet in these words ;^ " Welcome to this kingdom which is yours by inheritance, and receive the Hungarian Crown under the protection of God, and by the unanimous voice of the States." As no opposition followed from the Prelates or Magnates, Joseph was crowned on the 9th of December, and it was do- creed that the Cro^Mi of Ilunjzar^- should descend to the 13G niSTOUY OF UUNOAET. [^.D. 1095. last malt' lu-irn of the Jlou.ne of IfapHburg, in cK-fault of whom it Hhoukl become elective aa before. Josepli on his side promised to maintain the rights, freedom, and traditional customs of Hungary as their meaning should be deciiled bv the King and Diet, and to obsene all the decrees of the Golden Bull of King Andrew. The late wholesale murders of the chief Protestants had so iiMich increased the power of the Catholics in the Diet, and made Iheir numbers so predominant, that the Jesuits were now admitted to the right of citizenship in Hungarj', the Lu- theran fonn of worship waa abolished in Dalmatia, Croatia, and Sdavonia, and religious toleration only granted as a favour from the Sovereign. In 1(588, the noble wife of Toktilyi was betrayed to her enemies ; and obliged to surrender the fortress of Mungacs to CaralVa. She and her children (both by her first marriage) Were carried in triumph to Vienna, where the mother waa shut up in a convent of Ursuline nuns, a Cardinal and a Bishop were appointed the guardians of her children, and the boy, Francis Kakoczy, was delivered over to the Jesuits to complete his education. Tokolyi, who had retired beyond the Theiss, protested against the illegality of the decrees of the late Diet, and he was joined by many of the Xobles who followed him into exile. After the death of Apafty he attempted to obtain the Principality of Transylvania, and was once more assisted by the Turks ; he was, however, defeated and obliged to retire again to Constantinople where he was joined by his wife, who had been released by Leopold, as a preliminary step to offers of accommodation "ndth the Porte. In 1095 the Turks again invaded Hungary, but were repulsed by Priuce Eugene of Savoy, and the peace of Carlowicz waa finally concluded by the mediation of England and Holland, in which it was determined that Leopold should receive Transylvania, and that the male heirs of his family should be A.D. 1695.] LEOPOLD I. 137 considered hereditary sovereifins of llungurj", Sclavouia. and Transylvania, while the Turks should be permitted to continue their protection of Tokiilyi. From the peace of Carlowicz, a period of still deeper degradation and oppression for llungarj' commenced. Leo- l)old treated the kingdom as a conquered province, the peasantry were exposed to every insult from his German soldiers, who were quartered upon them ; and the Palatine was converted into a mere agenr of the King, who with tho Chancellor and Priinute of Hungary resided at Vienna. The countrj' was governed by decrees from Austria or by the orders of the military commander, while the offices in the state which had become vacant by the deaths of those nuudered by Carafta, were filled by German favourites or soldiers ; corruption, bribery, and intimidation were every where employed to demoralize the people. The coin of the countr}' was absorbed into the Austrian exchequer and barter used instead, and the representatives in the Diet were commanded to accept a Constitution framed by men appointed by the Emperor, llereditarj' titles were be- stowed upon the Magnates to place them on a level with the Austrian Nobles, by which Leopold hoped to separate the wealthy aristocracy from the " Nobiles," whose proud- est boast had ever been, that the laws and Constitution of St. Stephen recognized no difference in every free-bom Hungarian. An avenger of the wrongs of Hungary was in the meantime growing up in the Austrian court itself and under the eye of tlie Jesuits; with all their skill and artifice, the fathers could not efface the impressions of early youth, or make the son of a Kakoczy forget he was an Hungarian. Tiikolyi had closed his earthly career in poverty and neglect, forsaken by all but his faithful and aftectionate wife Helena, who died one year before her husband. Her son, Francis Bakoczy, afler hia 13S 1II8T0BY OF UlNOAHr. [a.d. 1 703. Hcparution from his inotln-r, had In-cii Hciit into I^ohciniu to tinidh Ilia atuilics, while his }»istrr wiis phiced in an Ursuline convent. Ever}' iiieaus were used to induce the boy to enter a inoiuiytery and the j^irl to take tlie veil, but in vaiii. During a temporary absence of her guardian, Juliana Rakoe/.y married Count Keelihi'im, the commander-in-chief of Upper Hungary, and soon after her brother Francis returned from a journey through Italy, he united himnelf to Eleanora, Princess of Hesse Kheinfeld, and retired to his estates in Hungary, Spies were there phiced around him, and German soldiers were garrisoned in his castles; the emissaries of France were at that time in Hungary secretly exciting the people to revolt, and Itakoczy was accused of having listened to their overtures ; he was accordingly thrown into prison at Neustadt, from whence he escaped at the end of six months into Poland. After a year-and-a-half of exile, the times favoured his return to his native country; the AVar of Succession was raging in Europe, and the Emperor had been obliged to withdraw many of his troops from Hun- gary' to defend the Empire against the attacks of the Elector of Bavaria. The absence of the German soldiers had been taken advantage of by the oppressed peasantry, who rose in rebellion against their Austrian tyrants ; and when Eakoczy appeared in Hungary at the head of a small body of Poles in 1703, the insurgents chose him as their leader. The hopes excited by his arrival occasioned the revolt to become general throughout Upper Hungary, all classes joining to throw off the yoke. Alexander Karolyi, who was sent to suppress the rebellion, represented the alarming state of the country to the Emperor, but Leopold treated him with such scorn, that, indignant at the personal aftront he had received, he joined the insurgents. The Emperor himself at length began to think the matter growing serious, and opened negotiations with A.D. 1705.] JOSEPH I. 139 Eakoczy,but just at that period the ncton'of Blenheim, gained by Leopold with the assistance of England and Holland, en- couraged him to proceed against his Hungarian subjects, and enabled him to send General Heister, w-ith an army of German mercenaries into Hungary, where their extor- tions only served still further to incense the people against Austria. The insurgents, commanded by Karolyi, advanced to the very gates of Vienna, when Leopold again oftered to negotiate, and promised to respect the Constitution which he had ahnost annulled, but the nation had learnt to distrust the word of a man without honour and without principle. General Heister, however, succeeded in driving the Hungarian anny back over the Austrian frontier, and Leopold died soon after, lea\dng the remembrance of a reign of forty-eight years of mingled cruelty and injustice; he was execrated by his Hungarian subjects whoni lie had endeavoured to rob of both their political and religious rights, which nevertheless survived him, as they will survive the latest of his successors. As soon as Joseph I. was established on the throne of Austria he recalled Heister, and ottered the Hungarians au amnesty, with a promise to redress their grievances. Though the coimtry wa.s still in a state of too much irritation against the late monarch to be ready to accept terms from his successor, Rjikoczy was sincerely desirous of peace. As he could not singly oppose the will of the majority, he sum- moned a Diet, where it was resolved to restore Hungarj' to its original form of government, a kind of federal union, in which each state or county should continue as heretofore to manage its ovni local administration, while sending deputies to the general Diet, and all united under one chief, who should bear the title of Duke, as in the days of Arpad. It was \rith some difficulty that Eakoczy could be persuaded to accept the honour, but as soon as he yielded, he was raised on a shield according to ancient usage, and the Prelates, 110 niSTOET OF IIUKOABT. [a.D. 1710. Maj^nates, and deputies of tlie Diet, swore allegiance to him. The propo-sals of Joseph to negotiate were then accepted, on condition of his resigning the hereditary claim of liis family to the throne of Hungary and Transylvanifl, aiul that if he was received as their King, he would abandon tlie latter country wholly to Rakoczy, and swear to observe the Charter of King Andrew. , These conditions were however rejected, and war recom- menced in 1707. The Diet met at Onad, and the deputies from thirty-one out of the fifty counties attended the sitting. Kiikoczy again urged them to listen to proposals of peace, vliieli were however again refused; the Hapsburg dyna.sty was declared to be deposed, and the throne vacant. The Czar of Eussia about this time offered to procure the crown of Poland for Rakoczy, but he declined the honour. In 170S, Joseph convoked a Diet at Presburg, which was but thinly attended, and the time was wholly occupied by religious discussions. General Heister entered Hungary with a large army, and encountered Rakoczy at Trentsin : in the heat of the battle, the Prince was thrown from his horse with so much force as to become insensible, and this accident turned the fortunes of the day ; when he recovered his faculties all was already lost. Six thousand men lay slain, many captives were taken, and the rest were dispersed by the Austrians. The ^Magnates had now begun to wear^- of the war, which they themselves had continued contrary to the advice of Rakoczy ; but when in 1710 he laid before them the pro- posals of peace sent by Josepb, and offered to resign his office, and release them from their oaths of allegiance to him, they steadlastly refused. The plague had broken out on the frontiers of Turkey, and cut off all communication v»-ith the strong places there which still declared for the Hungarian leader, and the promised succour of his ally, the King of France did not arrive. Rakoczy accordingly went A.D. 1715.] CIIAKLES III. 141 to Poland to demand aid, leaving Karolyi in charge of the troops ; but in his absence his general accepted the media- tion of England and Holland, and at Szatmar signed a treaty of peace w ith the Emperor. Eiikoczy perceiving now that all his hope of establishing the liberties of Hungan- on a firmer basis were vain, wrote to Joseph and recommended the unhappy Hungarian peo- ple to his mercy ; then embarking in a vessel at Dantzic, sailed for England, and passed from themce into Prance. Louis Xiy. received him graciously, allowing him a hand- some pension, and he was treated with much kindness by his nobles and the ladies who surrounded the King, who were charmed with his romantic history, and his lite- rary taste. But the frivolity of the French court had no attractions for a man, whose hopes had been crushed, and who now wandered an exile from the country' for A\hich he had vainly sacrificed the best years of his life. He left France for the shores of the ISea of Marmora, and was there occu- pied with literary labours imtil his death in 1735. His memory is ever cherished by Hungarj' as one of the last of her patriots, and the wild music of the Eakoezy march which then echoed amidst her mountains, and was borne by the winds across her plains, has a century later been heard again in louder strains, and roused the hearts of her people once more to deeds of heroism. Joseph died in 1711, and Charles III. of Hungarj^ and the yith. of Germany succeeded to the throne. He resem- bled the late Emperor in his noble nature and humane cha- racter. He confirmed the treaty of Szatmar, restored the crown of St. Stephen, and the jewels, which had been carried to Vienna during the war, and further, granted complete toleration to the Protestants. Nothing disturbed the peace of his reign until, in 1715, the aggressions of the Turks- obliged him to send an army against them commanded by 142 niSTORT OF nUNOAHT. [\.D. 1740, Prince Eu<;ene, to wh«Jin the Iluuparians, led by their Pahi- tiue John ApaHy, ollered tlieir asr^istance. In 1722 Charles convened a Diet at Presburg to demand the consent of' the lluiifi;arian8 to the Pra^^iiiatic Sanction, by which the 8ucceasi to declare her readiness to take the oath to the Constitution in its original form. The crown, which was only placed on the right shoulder of a Queen consort, now rested on the head of one of the most beautiful and majestic women in Europe, and the vaulted roof of the cathedral rang again with the cries of " Long Live our Lady and King ! " After her coronation, according to ancient usage, she rode to the top of the King's Mount, where she waved the sword of St Stephen, north, south, east, and west, to signify her determination to defend the countr}^ against all foreign invaders. 144 niSTOBT OF nr>'OA.HT. [a.d. 1741. The enemies (jf Marin Theresa were gathenuf? their forecB together, iiml in the autumn of that year, in epite of the remonstraneea of those who Burrounded her, nhe determined to appeal for nueeour to Ilungar)'. She axHeinbled the Pre- lates, Magnates, and representativert of the kingdom, at Presburg, to the number of nearly GOO, and Count Louis Batthyanyi, opening the meeting, explained the eause why tliey had been thus »unnnoned ; the young Queen, with her infant son in her arms, (aftenvards the Emperor Joseph II.) then rose from the throne, and addressed her subjects in the Latin tongue. " The condition to which my righteous cause is reduced, makes it necessary that I should no longer conceal from you the dangers which threaten Hungary. It concerns the security of the Crown of this kingdom, of my person, and of my child. Abandoned by all, attacked by my own relatives, and by my faithless allies, nothing remains for me but to rely on the fidelity, the A-ictorious arms, and warlike valour of the Hungarians. To your protection I resign myself and my child : my last hope rests in your affection and fidelity, and as I repose with confidence upon them, you will not refuse to me and to him your wholesome council and power- ful aid." Moved by the tears and beauty of the Queen as much as by her words, the whole assembly drew their swords as by one impulse, exclaiming, " Vitam et san- guinem moriamur pro rege nostro Maria Theresa!" A profound silence followed, when the aged Emeric Ester- hazy, the Primate of Hungary, spoke in the name of all present. " The afflicted have heard the words of afliic- tion, and thousrh the Hungarian kinordom is exhavisted ■svith much sorrow and suffering, the fidelity and devo- tion of the States is inalienable, and they are resolved to do all in their power for the preservation of your Majesty, and of your well-foimded rights. "We acknowledge l.D. 174 1.] MARIA TIIEBESA. 145 your Majesty as the iuseparable soul of the body of this kingdom, and I bear witness before God, before heaven, and earth, of tlie justice of your birthright for which jealous enemies, in an incomprehensible manner, put forth contra- dictory claims. Tlierefore, once again, we are ready with our united strength, our possessions, our blood, our bodies, and our lives, to defend your Majesty." A conmiittee was that day appointed under the presi- dency of the Palatine, John Palfi, to consider by what means they could best avert the danger which became daily more immiuent ; the French had already seized Prague, and before Jannary, 1742, Bohemia yielded to the united arms of France and Prussia. Tliree thousand Hungarian " Nobilcs " immediately entered Silesia, in order to check the advance of the Prussians, and, when the Palatine raised the red flag of war in Hungar}', the people flew to arms. Twelve thou- rand Croats, and the inhabitants of the country near the Save, the Drave, and tlie Theiss, ofl'ered their sersices to the Queen, who, in return, granted to all the peasantry who took up arms in her defence, the rights and privileges of frcome'j. Even the clergy raised a large subsidy among tiicmselves for the war, but happily the King of Prussia consented to peace in July of the same year, and the treaty, ly which he obtained the whole of Silesia, was signed at lierlin, under the guarantee of England. Success attended the Austrian arras on all sides ; the French minister made overtures of peace, but the terms proposed by Maria Theresa 'JTfcre such that they could not have been accepted with honour by France ; the war was therefore prolonged until 1744, when the King of Prussia again joined the enemies of Austria. A series of disasters followed, but Maria The- resa, nothing daunted, once more appealed to the Hungarian nation. She sent her own horse to the Palatine, with a sword, a ring, and these words : — L 146 HISTORY or IIUNGAET. [a.d. 1748. "Father Palfi, " I send you this horse, "worthy of bcmg mounted by none but the most zealous of my faithful subjeets : receive, at the same time, a sword to defend me against my enemies, nnd take this ring as a token of my affection for you. " Maria Theresa." This appeal called forth another burst of enthusiasm from one end of the kingdom to tie other. A large anr-y was imme- diately raised and sent into Bohemia, from wrich Frederic was soon forced to retire. The death of llie Elector of Bavaria opened the way for the election of the husband of Maria Theresa to the Empire ; and through the mediation of England, the peace of Aix-la-ChapeUe w.i-s at length con- cluded in 17-48, when a reconciliation w;v3 cfl'ected between Austria, Poland, Prussia, and Franco, and the Eijpreift left in qiiiet possession of all her hereditary dominions, as well as of the Low Countries. The pragmatic sanct:o:i was thus recognised in Evirope. Hungary had, in the mean time, enjoyod peace and in- ternal security; and agricxilture and ccmmeTce hrid flo_rl£noA notwithstanding the restrictive ia^s and regulations t^ Joseph the First. After the conclusion of the war, thi Queen had leisure to turn her whole attention to her am bitious schemes of extending her power and dominion a"; home. To unite into one vast empire the varied nations and races over which she ruled, to introduce one language, one law, and to reign over the whole with despotic sway, were the aim and policy of her Efe. For this purpose the great Magnates of Hungary were in^-ited to her Court, and taught to regard their own language and manners as bar- barous, and to forget the duties they owed to their native land. "VATule striving to imderxnine the Protestant religion and the Constitution in Hungary, her conduct vas guided A..B. 1780.] JOSEPH II. 147 \dtli so much artifice and skill, that she continued to retain the affections of the people. Although she expelled the Jesuits from the kingdom, the Protestants had to endure so severe a persecution, that Frederic of Prussia felt himself called upon to interfere in their behalf: she, fiu-ther, left the office of Palatine vacant after the death of John Palfi ; seldom convoked a Diet, and issued royal decrees which, if not acknowledged as legal, were at least obeyed. By them she contrived to insinuate measures which conduced to the power of the monarchy, by apparently conferring pri\"ileges on the people, while in fact they were only the confirmation of old kws or usages. Thus she eu- deavoured to weaken the influence of the " NobL^es, ' by courting the favour of the peasantry in the celcbialei Urbariimi,* by which she defined and recognized the ri^rh'^B of the unprivileged order. She died in 1780, leavirp^ tix sons and ten daughters. Joseph the Second ascended the throne in tlie forty - first year of his age. He had been long occupied in training himself for the task which lay before h-m. Hi3 was a common mistake, not unnatural in a bencvuVnj man placed in a position of pov.^er vnd. authority; La believed that, singly, he could remodel the rationp e\9-' which he was called to govern, and that ho Cvuld ind'icri several millions of hiunan beings to acquiesce ir. that fc.r.n of government which he considered n-cst likey to condad to their well-being and happiness. Like som(. of the earliejr and best kings of Hungary, he travelled through every pf^if of his future kingdom, stud\4ng the character of tho people and their institutions ; but, instead of laying the result of his observations before the Diet ] o determined to aet upon his own responsibility, to nbolis'j thj ancient • For further explanation of tho Qrbariun of Mail Thrreea, e^ llemoir of Kossuth, Chap. iiL l2 MS HISTOBY OF UUNGABT. [a.D. 1780. constitutions of the land, and, following the example of his mother, to amalgamate the various nations, over which he reigned, into one great empire. He commenced by forbidding the exercise of separate jurisdictions in the counties of Hungary, and by forming an entirely new system of administration ; he next refused to be crowned, because he was too conscientious to swear to a Constitution he had determined to abolish. As the Hun- garians acknowledge no sovereign who has not bound himself to maintain their laws and institutions by his coro- nation oath, Joseph has never been included in the list of their kings ; though to prevent the possibility of another being crowned in his stead, he carried off the crown of St. Stephen, with the regalia, to A^ienna. He further forbade the use either of the Latin or Hungarian language in official matters, and ordered the substitution of the German. The Comitats, or County Meetings, and the Municipal Institutions, opposed his innovations, and were therefore abolished, and a German form of administration introduced in their stead. AVhen the Hungarians refused to accept the new order of things, Germans were appointed to carry on the government in all parts of the kingdom, At the same time he swept away, unscrupulously, all con- vents and monasteries, and bestowed their wealth upon schools and colleges, granted toleration to Protestants, conferred several important privileges on the peasantry, and endeavoiired to equalize taxation among all classes. But even these salutary reforms failed in their intended effect, from the despotic manner in which they were forced upon the people ; and because they were associated in their minds with the foreign rule introduced by Joseph. Atove all, they murmured at the detention of the croAvn of St. Stephen in the Austrian capital. An attempt was made at rebellion ; but the King com- manded all disobedience to be put down by an armed force. A.D. 1790.] LEOPOLD II. 149 He next summoned a Diet, but the Nobles refused both subsidies and soldiers, and German troops were immediatelj sent into the kingdom. Happily, his reverses in a "war he ■was carrjTiig on against the Turks obliged Joseph to yield, in some measure, to the wishes of his Hungarian subjects, before they had broken out into open insurrection. Towards the end of his reign he consented to return the crown of St. Stephen, and promised to submit to his coronation ; but before he could fulfil his promise he died in 1790, express- ing, in his last moments, the conviction that his labours liad been vain. On his tomb he directed there should be inscribed these words : — " Here lies Joseph, a Sovereign who, with the best inten- tions, never succeeded in a single project." Bonfires and illuminations, throughout Hungary, cele- brated the death of one who was a better man than king. The crown of St. Stephen was carried in triumph to Buda, and placed in the cathedral amidst the rejoicings of the people. A large and powerful party at first declared themselves against the succession of Leopold, the brother of Joseph ; but the new King who had long governed Tuscany with wisdom and moderation, met the people in a spirit which overcame all opposition. He forgave the excitement caused by a sense of recent injuries, and the new ideas derived from the revolution in France, received the address sent him from Pesth graciously, and determined to act in compliance with the wishes of the people, and to govern as a eonptitutional monarch. The address declared that, " from tV:o rij;'its of nations and of men, and from that social compu't \v;.'i -ce states arise, it Avas indisputable that the sovereignty v.as derived from the people " .... that, " as the Constitutioc of Hungary placed the government jointly in the King .«\nd the people, in such a manner that the means necessaiy I'jt the security of person and propert-y were in their power, 150 UISTORY OF HUNGARY. [a.d. 1790. tney trusted that in the approaching Diet his Majesty would restore their freedom to them as he had already done to the Belgians, who had obtained theirs by the sword ; as the example which would teach a people that they could only protect or recover their liberties by a resort to anns, was fraught with danger," &c. Leopold immediately convened a Diet, and after recog- nizing the Constitution and the freedom and independence of the nation, consented to be crowned. On this occasion he assumed the national costume of Hungary, and his fourth son Alexander was chosen Palatine. Still further to secure the liberty of the kingdom decrees were issued, "defining the powers and duties of the King, and the rights of the nation." Some of the most important articles were as follows ; that " within six months after the death of the King, his successor shall be crowned at Pres- burg, and shall take an oath to observe the laws, liberties, and privileges of the kingdom ;" that " Hungary is a free and independent kingdom, in no way subordinate to any other people or kingdom, and is to be governed by its law- fully cro^Tied King, not according to the customs of the other hereditary dominions, but according to its own laws, rights, and customs ;" that " the right of making, repeal- ing, and interpreting the laws belongs to the lawfully croAvned King and to the states of the realm in the Diet assembled conjointly; and that this right cannot be exercised except in the Diet of the nation ;" that " the King shall never attempt to govern by edicts or patents, which more- over it shall not be la^^-ful for any authorities to receive, except wbere such patents are merely designed for the more effectual publication of ordinances legally enacted ;" that " the imposts shall never be leAded by the King, but freely voted by the Diet;" that "the Diet shall for the fi.'Tirc be assembled every three years, and oftener if the puLne welfare render it necessary," &c. &c. A..D. n92.] FBA2TCIS I. 151 Entire religious toleration was granted, and the reign of Leopold promised well for tte peace and happiness of Hun- gary, when his sudden death, supposed to have been oci^asioned by poison, in revenge for some private injury, put an end to all the hopes of the people. He was succeeded in 1792 by his eldest son, the Emperor IVancis I., who had just attained his twenty-sixth year. Loiiis XVI., of France, was at that time in the hands of his subjects, and all the sovereigns of Europe felt their thrones tottering beneath them. The King of Prussia, and Leopold had met at Pibiitz, and determined to attempt the deliverance of the French King. But while sovereigns were combining to support the principle of monarchy, the people of aU the nations of Europe were in communication with the repub- licans of France. The approaching struggle might rather be considered one for power, than for order on one side, or libertj^ on the other. Kings had long forgotten for what purpose they were placed upon their thrones, and the people who had been for centuries oppressed to gratify the vanity and ambition of worthless Princes, now dazzled and blinded by the new davsn of liberty, threw down aU the partitions which secured the harmony and well-being of society, while destrojing the barrier which had so long excluded them from the broad light of heaven. Many of the youth of Hungary were in correspondence with the leaders of the revolution in France, and a party was formed, led by a Franciscan friar of the name of Martinovics, to overthrow the government. About this time the Palatine Alexander, who was mi;ch beloved by iLo people, happened to be at Vienna when an explosion of fii-c- works took place in which he was killed ; it was asserted to have been accidental, but as it was known that the yovm'^ Emperor, and others in Austria, entertained fears that ho might aspire to the crown of Hungary, \arious stran^'^ 152 niSTORY OF UUXOART. [a.d. 1805. rumours were credited respectiiif^ his end. Numerous arrests immediately afterwards took place in Hungary, and while some of the adherents of Martinovics were put to death, others were condemned to perpetual iinprisomnent. In the meantime the Austriana had met with so many reverses in their wars against the French, that Francis was obliged to convoke a Diet at Presburg to demand new subsidies for its continuance. "While g^nting these, with the condition that the llungarian troops should be only commanded by Hungarian oilieirs, the states expressed their disapprobation of the war, and of all interference in the internal aflairs of France. In December, 1801, the Areh-Duke John was totally defeated in the battle of Hohen Linden, which was followed by a series of victories on the side of the French, ending with the peace of Luneville. The Hungarian troops had distinguished them- selves so much during the whole campaign by their valour and fidelity, that the Emperor paid them the most flattering compliments at its conclusion. In IMay, 1802, he convoked the third Diet in his reign, to consider " the means to secure the welfare of the kingdom, to relieve the people from the heavy burden of taxation, and to accelerate public business.'* This announcement from the King raised the greatest hopes hi the nation ; but to their disappointment it ended in mere words, and in a command to the Diet to find means for the maintenance of the Hungarian army in its full complement; and to increase the royal revenue by two million gulden. In retiu-n, his Majesty promised at the dissolution' of the Diet, that an inquiry wovdd be made into the grievances complained of in the country. A\Tien the ambition of Napoleon threatened all Europe, Francis summoned another Diet in August, 1805, to demand a fresh grant of soldiers and money. In reply, the States recapitulated their grievances, but the approach of the enemy obliged them to defer all such questions to the next A.D. 1807.] FRANCIS I. 153 Diet. On the 13th November, Murat entered Vienna, and Napoleon Schonbrunn, and on the 2nd December the battle of Austerlitz -was fought ; the peace of Presburg, which immediately followed, rendering the contingent of Hunga- rian troops unnecessan', the army was disbanded, and the nobles returned to their homes. In 1807 a fifth Diet was summoned. The King, in person, appeared at the second sitting, and delivered a list to the Palatine of what he required from his Hungarian sub- jects ; first, that they should furnish him, ^vithout delay, with a larger subsidy than had yet been granted for the pay of the soldiers ; secondly, that all the vacancies occasioned by death or other causes in the standing armies should be filled up, and that the "insurrection" or levy of Nobiles, should be ready to march ; further, that the States should consider how they could best maintain the credit of the government, and support the country in the present ex- hausted state of the Treasury^ and that they should prejjare the form of a Constitution for the better administration of justice, and to promote the interests of commerce by the introduction of a court for the reguLation of the Exchange. The Diet protested against the mal-administration of the finances, and declared themselves in favour of the principle of free trade ; and the two Chambers differed as to the amoimt of the subsidy to be granted to the King. His Majesty threatened to dissolve them, but was met with a remonstrance, that he could not lawfully exercise this pri- \'ilege imtil they had decided upon those questions for which they were summoned, and until the royal demands were satis- fied, and a remedy applied to the grievances complained of in the kingdom. Nine days afterwards, Francis declared that it was his intention to dissolve the Diet by his own free will and pleasure, and though both chambers dissented, thev submitted on the 11th December following:. In August, 1808, the Diet was again convened for the 154 niSTOET OF nUNGART. [a.d. 180S. coronation of the King's third wife, Maria Ludo^^ca d'Este, on which occasion the Queen's brother, Charles Ambrosius, was made Archbishop of Gran. The Diet was admonished by Francis to be careful of their conduct during this ses- sion ; and he bade them look around, and see how the con- stitutions, laws, and liberties of neighbouring states had been lately abolished. The day the Diet had been sum- moned, however, the King had received information from Mettemich (his ambassador in Paris), that certain commu- nications from Napoleon made the war inentable, and as it was therefore necessary to conciliate the good will of the Hungarians, Francis restored to the deputies their ancient right of the initiative in the Diet ; and in his speech from the throne, as well as those from the Queen and the Pri- mate, ample justice was done to the valour of the Hungarian people in the late wars. Apprised of the dangers which threatened the empire, the States permitted the King, after consulting with the Palatine, Primate, and Ban of Croatia, to caU upon the "insurrection," or levy of "Xobiles," to aid him in his distress. Hungary thus, with an imprudent generosit}', continued to involve herself in heav}' expenses, and to expose the lives of her people to preserve the hereditary dominions of the Hapsburg family. The attention of the representatives was also called to the foundation of a national academy for the instruction of youth, which had been suggested by the munificent gift of Count Francis Szechenyi, who in the preceding Diet had presented his Hungarian librar}', containing manuscripts and other collections, to the nation. The King immediately granted a building for the academy, and the Queen pre- sented to it fifty thousand gulden, and requested it should bear the name of Ludo^dca. The Diet and the King sepa- rated with the most amicable feelings towards each other, and Francis thus concluded his parting speech : " "We were A.D. 1808.] FBANCIS I. 155 united, vre are united, we shall remain imitea until God parts us ; this is the desire of the King, your father, who loves you tenderly as sons." The Hungarians, won by the fair speeches of the King, raised another army to assist him in his wars against France, iu which Hungary had no concern. They paid dearly for this stretch of generosity, when a few years later they were involved iu the hankruptcy of Austria. Napoleon had again entered Vienna, when he learnt that upwards of thirtj'-eight thousand Hungarians were preparing to cross the frontiers. In hopes of inducing the nation to take part with him against Austria, he sent them the following address : — " Hungarians ! " The Emperor of Austria, in violation of our treaties, and ungrateful for my generosity towards him in three con- secutive wars, especially that of 1805, has again attacked my armies. I have repelled this unjustifiable aggression. Hungarians ! The moment for the recover)^ of your inde- pendence has arrived ! I offer you peace, the presentation of your countr)', of your liberty, of your institutions. As- semble in your national Diet, upon the plain of Eakos, according to the usage of your forefathers, and make known to me your determination. " Napoleon." The Hungarians, however, refused to listen to the pro- posals of the French Emperor, and continued faithful in their allegiance to Francis, who sought refuge among them while Napoleon was at Vienna. On the plains of Eakos, Eugene Beauharnais defeated the Hungarian army, after which aU the pro^'inccs on the Adriatic were annexed to the French Empire. Count Metternich, who had hitherto been the Austrian Ambassador to France, was now appointed Prime Minister, an office he continued to hold for thirty-eight 15G HISTORY OF nUNQABT. [a.d. 1811. years, and was the ad\^se^ and promoter of those measures which tended to destroy constitutional liberty. Like Maria Theresa, he aimed at bringing all under the despotic sway of the monarch, a policy wliich he openly avowed, and maintained to be most conducive to the general happiness of the people. In 1810 the Arch-Duchess Maria Louisa, the eldest daughter of the Emperor, was married to Napoleon. The foUowing year the Diet was summoned for the seventh time, to meet the exigencies of the state. To the con- sternation of all present, the King announced that 1060,790,755 gulden were required to restore the credit of the Austrian bank notes. He further laid before the representatives a scheme, by which he expected to reduce the quantity of paper money issued, and at the same time to prevent a stoppage. He proposed to lower the value of the notes by one-fifth, and afterwards to raise the fund necessary to guarantee them, at this reduced valuation. To effect this, it was imperative that the whole Empire should contribute tlieir share, and he therefore requested the Prelates, Magnates, and Deputies, to consider in what manner the kmgdoin should be taxed. " When this matter was finally arranged," the King continued, "the representatives might proceed to the consideration of the affairs touching the internal administration of the country, which, if time did not permit, might be postponed to the next Diet." The reply of the states was to the following effect. The executive power must be exercised in Hiuigary according to the laws ; the King possesses the leglslavive power in conjunction with the Diet ; therefore Hungary caB never be ruled by edicts. The financial system is not only closely connected with the economy of the state, but also with the regulation of commerce and the taxation of the land ; it must therefore be inquired into by the assembly of A.l). 1812.] FBANCIS I. 157 the states according to the laws of the kingdom. If the laws bestow the right of coinage on the King, they bestow upon him nothing less than the exclusive right to fix the value of money. If to introduce paper money, issue notes, and lower their value be also a prerogative of royalty, then all property becomes insecure and the object of the con- nexion of the King with the Diet is abrogated. Should the principle contained in the royal rescript to the several legal authorities, and in the royal letter be maintained, the states must fear, not only for their ancient rights and liberties, but also that aU private property wiU. be at the disposal of an absolute power. If paper money can be issued at pleasure, be confounded with the property of the citizens, and accord- ing to circumstances be increased or diminished in value, what can the freeholders caU their own ? and what is the purpose of those laws which empower the Diet to regulate the subsidies and the taxation of the land ? The King has indeed assiu-ed us he wiU not increase the quantity of paper money ; but as long as he retains the power to issue paper and lower its value, the evil remains the same, as it might easily happen that the necessity which made the introduction of paper money inevitable may return, &c. This document was laid before Francis, and the more determined he was to cany out his financial scheme, so much the more was the Diet resolved to withhold their consent. Tlie King, indignant that the Hvmgarians should persevere in refusing to pay debts incurred by Austria (in whose cause they had already lavished so many sums in the late wars), ordered the Diet to be dissolved in 1812, by the new Palatine, the Arch-Duke Joseph,* and the Primate, as the royal commissioners. Prom 1812, Francis svunmoned no Diet until 1825. In the interval, assisted by Mettemich and his Austrian ministers, * Brother of Francis. 158 niSTORT OF ncNOARV. [a.b. 1832. lie endeavoured as far as possible to destroy the Hungarian Constitution, and (sfcablish a despotism in Hungary as in the rest of his dominions. In 1815, the Hungarians ven- tured to remind him of the promises he had made to redress their grievances, at a time when they voluntarily gave their blood and treasure to assist him in the wars against Napoleon. Far from complying vdih their wbhes, other grievances were added; the counties wck; forbidden to elect their own officers, and when in 1822 the Emperor, alarmed by the movements of the Curbonari in Italy, wanted money and soldiers, he endeavoured to levy taxes in Hungary without the consent of a Diet. The Comitiits loudly pro- tested against this infringement of their constitution, and Francis vainly endeavoured to gain his point by force. He was therefore obliged to summon a Diet in 1825, and a^Jn in 1832 ; wlide it was still sitting he died, leaving the Empire to bis half imbeede son, Ferdinand V.* of Hungary, and I. of Austria, who was whoUy under the guidance of Mettemich and of his uncle the Arch-Duke Louis, a man of a stubborn temper and narrow capacity. Francis left behiud him a character for harshness and cruelty ; he was ignorant, suspicious, narrow-minded, and selfish. He had gained a sort of popularity amongst the lower orders of the people, whom he flattered by speaking to tliem ia their own dialect, and by ridiculing all cultivation of mind. Hmigary was left to the administration of the Palatine Arch-Duke Joseph, a man of considerable abUity and with a true love of his country, but wanting energy to contend against the intrigues and despotic measvu-cs of the Cabinet of Vienna. * Ferdinand, the son of Ferdinand III., who died before his father had been crowned King of Hungary, and was therefore re<;ognifled among the sovereigns. See p. 1-8. HUNGARY IN THE NINETEENTH CENTUEY. MEMOIR LOUIS KOSSUTH. 161 MEMOIR OF KOSSUTH. CHAPTER I. Jlungary in the Nineteenth Century. In order to form a just estimate of the life and labours of Louis Kossuth, it will be necessary to give a brief description of Hungary, and the state of its laws and institutions, at the commencement of this century. Tlie vast plain which lies in the centre of the kingdom produces sufficient corn to enable it to become the granary of Europe : wheat can in some parts be grown for twenty years consecutively on the same fields without fresh manure; Indian corn yields on an average 25,000,000 bushels an- nually ; rye, barley, oats, lucerne, hemp, flax, and tobacco, are successfully cultivated, and though there is almost an entire absence of wood in the Southern part of the kingdom, the forests of the North and East are extensive enough to supply foreign markets, besides that which is necessary for home con- sumption. The wines of Tokay are celebrated throughout the world, while other vintages are gathered of high value, whose wines equal those of France and Spain, though little known beyond the boundaries of the Austrian Empire. Herds of cattle, vast flocks of sheep, and droves of swine, 102 MEMOIE OF KOSSUTH. [a.D. 1800. besides a small but active aud hardy breed of horses, feed in the wide pasture lands of the plain, and mines of gold, silver, iron, coal and salt, opal and other precious stones are worked in the South-east, and in the Carpathian IMountains of the East and North. Great rivers traverse the country, affording means of transport, which are the more needed, since the absence of wood and stone in the rich alluvial soil of the plain, renders the construction of good roads very expensive. Hungary is composed of Upper and Lower Hungar}', Transylvania, Croatia, and Sclavonia. It is bounded on the North by Moravia and Gallicia, on tlie East by the Bukovina and Moldavia, on the South by AVallachia, Servia, Bosnia, and Dalmatia, and on the AVest by lUyria, St ma, and Austria Proper. The land is peopled by those various races which have poured into it during many centuries ; but time has amalgamated some, and destroyed others, so that only a few stni retain their distinctive qualities and names. Some enjoy peculiar rigbts and privileges, which have descended to them from their fathers, but all are alike subjected to the laws framed by the Hungarian Diet. The Sclaves now principally inbabit the West and North, while other branches of the same race occupy Croatia and Sclavonia in the South, and tribes which though distinct in name appear to bave one origin, such as the Eussniaks, Serbs, &c., &c., are scattered throughout the whole of Hun- gary. The Sclaves are chiefly Eoman Catholics, yet not an inconsiderable number profess the Lutheran faith ; they are naturally slow in comprehension, and apt to be ser^ole to their superiors, but with the exception of the Saxon, they are the most indiistrious race inhabiting Hungary, though their too frequent vice of drunkenness imhappily prevents them reaping the fruits of their industry, and leaves them among the least prosperous of the peasantry. The Germans or A..D. 1800.] EACES 1>UABIT1>'G HUXOAET. 163 Saxons are foiiiid in all parts of Hungary, as weU as in Transylvania, where in tlie so-caUcd Saxon district they form a distinct colony. Tl\ey, like tlie ScLaves, are for the most part Eoman Catliolics, though many also are Lutherans. The Wallacks of Trans} Ivania, are in a lower state of civilization than any other race in the couiiti'v. They are said to be treaclierous, revengeful, ajid oowtirdly, but as they have been long subjected to oppression and iU-treat- ment from their superiors (wht?ther their own countrymen or foreigners), their character is naturally deteriorated : They are besides ignorant and superstitious (all being mem- bers of the Greeic Church), but have shown good qualities when treated with kindness. Szeklers, IMagjars, and an in- dustrious colony of Saxons, also inliabit Transylvania. Jews are met with in all parts of the country, and are better treated in Hungary than in most other European nations ; the prejudice against them, so general elsewhere, being here confined to the German population. Tliey are often em- ployed as middlemen by the wealthy " Nobiles," keep the public houses, and pursue their usual avocation of money lenders, for which there is a large demand in a country where coin is scarce. Their religion is tolerated on the payment of an annual tax. The southernmost part of Hun gary, called the Banat, is peopled by many races ; Germans, Greeks, Turks, Wallacks, French, and Italians, who towards the close of the last century were induced to settle in its rich plains, by the low prices at which the land was at that time sold by the Austrian Government, in order to liold out a temptation to colonists. As each group retains its own language and manners, there is here, perhaps, more variety of national customs, than can be foimd within so limited a geographical space in any other part of Europe. The Magjars, numerically greater than any race in Hungary, and who, while inhabiting the whole of the extensive central plain, are M 2 16-i MEMOIU OF KOSSUTU. [a.D. 1800. scattered throughout the cuuutry, arc a powerful and hand- some jKople, retaining the strong lines of character pecidiar to their ancestors, as yet un obliterated by the influence of Hiodern civilization ; with much passionate eagerness of voice and gesture, they are dignified yet courteous in their man- ners. Their most striking characteristics are their attach- ment to the ancient institutions of their country, and tKe fervour of their devotional feelings, to whatever creed they may chance to belong. Tliey are frank and generous, loving the freedom which has now become traditional more than real, and grateful to those who liave striven, however vainly, to preserve it in its last hour. The wandering Gypsies must not be omitted in an enumeration of the races which inhabit Hungary. They first appeared there about the commencement of the fifteenth centur}' ; and fivr^uent attempts have been made, but in vain, to induce them to settle, and abandon their vagrant habits. Some enli.st as soldiers, but their occupations are chiefly brickmakiug and farriery. They are also the best musicians in the country, and as such, they are summoned to perform at the feasts of the aristocracy, as well as at the dances of the peasantry. Paget in his work on Hungary and Transylvania, mentions a Gypsey lad of fourteen, who was an accomplished violinist, and had studied under Strauss at Vienna. The characteristics of each race are softened, and become less remarkable in the higher or educated classes. Foreigners are rarely met with travelling in the country, and the inns are few and bad ; but those who are tempted by curiosity to visit this remote part of Europe, which raih-oads are daily bringing nearer, and despotism daily throwing further back, always meet with cordial hospitality and a hearty welcome in the homes of the Hungarian gentlemen, where they find luxuries and refinements they have not been led to an- ticipate. The men belonging to the higher classes, edu- A.D. ISOO.] THE MOBILES. 165 cated iu one or other of tlie many collegiate establish- ments of their native land, spend a portion of each year in th.^ large? cities, if not in Pesth or Vienna. They are, therefon.\ only to be distinguished from foreigners of a similar rani, in life by a certain simplicity, or absence of artificial conventionality, united with a consciousness of per- sonal dignity peculiar to a nation of oriental origin. The polish of education does not deprive them of the fire and ea?e of expression peculiar to their nation, and they retain the picturesque costume which has descended to them from their ance«>tors. AH the descendants of the first Magyar settlers or of those belonging to other races who have obtained a grant of land or letters patent from the King, are called "Nobiles;"* they camaot legally be subjected to corporal punishment and they have the right to elect their own magistrates. At the commencement of this century their property was stiU seciired to them free from aU payment of taxes, tithes, or contributions; they paid no tolls, and soldiers could not be quartered upon them ; they alone could send members to the Diet, or National Legislature ; and could act as Eepresentatives, as Grovemors of Counties, or even as Dis- trict Judges. The term "Nobiles" Avas by no means limited to men of rank, wealth, or influence; the larger number were, in many respects, except in the advantages already enume- rated, together with certain others of a similar natm-e, on a level with the imprivHeged class. Their chief prerogatives lay in the inviolability of their persons, except in cases of high treason ; their being subject to none but their legally crowned King, and their exemption from taxation; their property was supposed to be the gift of the sovereign, and to be held on the sole condition of military service, if the country * See page 9. 166 MEMOIE OF KOSSUTH. [a.D. ISOO. were threatened by foreign invasion. At their deiifche, in default of heirs, the property devolved to the state. The unprivileged class included a large numbor of tJie most intelligent men in Hungary, physicians, profcuxjxs in various branches of learning, the protestant clergy, &c., bmt the majority consisted of the rustic population, or peasantry, whose lot in many parts of the coxintry was as happy as it could be, undtr circumstances which deprived them of the means of asserting their political independence, and their rights as men and citizens. They were well fed and well clothed ; their " Bunda " or sheep-skin cloak, which like the plaid of the Scotch Highlander, was a sure protection from the extreme cold of winter, and the scorching heat of summer, cost them two povmds English at the lowest ; when ornamented, it was often valued at ten or twelve. Their houses, in which when Protestants, their well-used bibles and hymn-books were usually found, were clean and well furnished ; if CathoUcs, a crucifix or picture of the Virgin adorned the walls. The Wallacks formed an exception to this state of prosperity, for like our low Irish and Scotch, they were habitually dirty, and often even ragged ; the pea- santry of other races also, not excepting the IMag^ar, when unhappy enough to be subjected to a harsh landlord, or left to the mercy of agents, became careless and dirty in their habits, and given to intoxication. But even when in the enjo^Tnent of physical comforts, the condition of the peasantry was, tmhappily, dependant on the wiU. of others ; the gratuitous justice they received was dispensed according to the caprice of an arbitrary lord, who acted as their judge ; power was sometimes cruelly abused, and corporal punishment could be exercised by the petty tyrant of a village. But all improvement in their condition in Hun- gary, as well as all means of progress, was checked and A. D. 1800.J THE C0MITAT8. 307 impeded by a foreign govtTiiinent. Though the taxes were paid by the unprivileged claist* alone, they were, however, permitted to eltct their o\vn tax-gatherers in the persons of the Biro or Village Judge, and liis Jurassores or assistants ; and were therefore generally satisfied wiUi the manner iu which this unwelcome duty was performt»\. This electioi was one of the few rights appertaining to the peat;antiy. The Lord of the Manor nominated thxoo of thdr number, from whom they chose their judge. Reoding, writing, and respectability of character were indispensable salifications ; his duties were confined to collecting the taxes, furnishing the appointed number of conscripts for the Austrian army, seeing that the soldiers were fairly quartered among the peasantry-, apprehending rogues and vagabonds, settling the disputes in the \allage, and punishing petty ofiences. The fifty-two Coimties of Hungary had each a separate administration independent of the Diet, or National Legis- lative Assembly. The Fo Ispany,* or LcFrd Lieutenant of each County, was appointed by the King. His duties were, however, generally performed by the Vice Ispany, or Deputy Lieutenant, elected by the " Nobiles," who also elected the several municipal officers undar him. The Fo Ispany, or Vice Ispany, was by law obliged to convene a meeting of all the "Nobiles" and Catholic clergy of the County, four times at least in the course of every year. In these Comitats or County meetings, the conduct of the Diet was discussed, and instructions senttotheir deputies how they were to vote. The care and management of the local afi'airs of the country devolved upon them, and even the decrees of the sovereign were submitted to their approval. If, as was sometimes the case, these were considered unconstitutional, they were respectfully laid aside. These meetings served * See page 12. 1G8 WKMOIE OF KOSSUTU. [a.D. ISOO. to educate the people for political life, taught them their (nvn interests, and the value of institutions which promote order and method in the conduct of public affairs. It is true, that scenes much the reverse of order took place during the elections, and that violence and shameless bribery wore frequently used, but these were evils which admitted of remedies; they did not belong to the institutions, but to tlie men, and the benefit of an early lesson in self- government outweighed the temporary evils which it brought along with it. The IMunicipal Government of the royal boroughs or towns which were chiefly of German origin, or composed of the peasantry who had been induced to settle in them, was not so independent as those of the Comitiits. The " Koszeg" or Common Council, and the " Senatus" or Board of Alder- men were self-elected, and retained their situations for life, whUe the " Polgar Xester " or Mayor, the " Varos Biro" or Judge, and the "Yaros Capitany " or Head of the Police, were elected annually. They were all nominated by the cro\\'n, and from the limited nimiber of candid-D EDUCATION. 173 small landed property in the County, where lie was highly esteemed. He was a man of resolute character, stern and inflexible in w^hat he considered right, just in all things, yet ^\-ith warm and strong affections. Even while absorbed in the duties of his profession, he could not bear to live apart from his family, and would often leave his well-stored library, to sit in the midst of his children, and pursue his studies, undisturbed by the sound of the young voices around him. Pie left the entire charge of their education to his wife, who Avas well fitted for the task by her gentle mannara and tender disposition, united with an intellect of the highest order. Their ftimily consisted of one son and four daughters. Lajos, or Louis, the eldest, was bom in 1802, and soou after his birth, his parents removed to Ujhi'ly, the principtil town of the Count}' of Zemplin. The boy received his first instruction from a young Pi'otestant clergyman, who treated him with the kindness of an elder brother ; and who, while taking him long wjilks into the country, directed his mind to the study of nature. He was afterwards sent for a short time to a school in Ujht-ly, where the early indication he gave of talents of a superior order, made him a favourite with his masters ; from Vjhely he was removed to the Cal- vinist College of Saros Patak, at no great distance from his home, between which and the Lutheran College of Eperies, he completed his education. The characters of both his mother and his father were singularly blended in him, for to an almost feminine tender- ness of disposition, he added the stern inflexibility of will, and keen sense of justice of Andreas Kossuth. Many anec- dotes are told by those who have known him from his boy- hood, which, though of themselves insignificant, marked the future man in the child. It happened that his father, one 171< MEMOIE OF KOSBUTII. [a.D. 1812. day, found him at j)lay with some boys, of whose com- panionship he did not approve, and desired him to leave the game ; Louis obeyed, but waa still Lingering on the spot when Andreas Kossuth, who had left him there, returned, and hastily concluding the boy liad taken advantage of hij absence to play again, punished him severely and sent hiin home in disgrace. His mother missed him at dinner and at supper, and on learning the cause, went in search of him with a message of forgiveness, if he would aek his fatlier's pardon ; but Louis, irritated by the injustice with whicli he had been treated, declared he would sooner die of starvation tlian beg to be forgiven a fault he had not comnutted, and his father, who had already repented his own violence, yielded, and received the boy once more into favour. The firmness of character which, without watchful care and judicious treatment, might have degenerated into a vice, had a safeguard in his ovra afiectionate and tender nature, and in that of his mother, who, amidst the trials of her later years, found her greatest consolation in the strength of her son's virtuous resolution. The gentle and endearing featiu'es of his character were especially displayed towards his young schoolfellows. One severe day of winter he returned home without his cloak, and when questioned, it was discovered he had bestowed it on a comrade, whose parents were in poor circumstances, and who being thinly clad, was shivering with cold. Another time, his mother was surprised by finding several of Louis's college companions assembled at the door of their house, and to learn from them they had brought him their themes to WTite, a task he was often in the habit of performing, in addition to his own, to save the idle or incapable from punishment. The talents he had exhibited as a boy continued to develop •with his increasing years, and having entered upon the more A.D. 1S23.] PBACTICES LAW. 175 Berious studies of his college life, he applied himself to law (which every Ilungariuu gentleniun, whether profesj^ioiial or of independent fortune is required to understand), and having qualified himself for an advocate, he rctui'ued home to commence practice under his father. It was in the course of these studies, that he had an opportunity of learning the political state of Hungary, and of becoming acquainted with the numberless abuses which neglect, or the policy of ambitious iiilers, had introduced into her otherwise en- lightened constitution. The history of his native country also, rich in incidents of romance, the loyal devotion of lier people, and the noble and patriotic struggles of her heroes, were sufficient to kindle the imagination and Avarm the heaa-t of a nature so ardent, and yet so earnest as that of Louis Kossuth. Tliough scarcely twenty-one years of age, the superiority of his judgment had unfolded itself in a remarkable degree, and he was consulted in all difficult cases : the father, in a disputed point, generally yielding his opinion to that of his son : his advice also was asked in any aftair of importance in his OAvn family, every member of which looked up to him with affectionate respect. At the end of a year he removed to Pesth, to attend the High Courts of Law as a Juratis,* and after graduating as an advocate, returned to his native County of Zemphn, and resinned practice under his father. He had now attained his majority, and took his seat as a "Nobilis " in the Comitats (County Meetings) of Zemplin, where his profound knowledge of law, and his unceasing industry and activity gained for him the confidence of the moat distinguished men in the County, The sur- • Jurat s. The young nobles who desire to take any part in public life, as well as all the lawyers who have finished the regular course of itudy, read law and attend the Courts under the name of Juraten. — J'aget't Hungary and Transylvania, voL ii. p. 5(57. 170 MEMOIH OF KOSSLTir. [x.D. lS2o, prisiiif^ eloquence also, which he Jii«j)lft-. c/l when tvrtinj^ profesHionally in the County Courts (.St-driji) exeitt-d riiueh attention. So brilliant a conuneneement of hiM cc:rvr, and the high qualities of his mind, secured for }um th^' friendship of the Countess Szapary, an old lady jxjufleaBiiig large estates in the County, who aj)j)i)inted him to the olfiee of her lawyer. The peace and happinoHa of a community depended much on the conduct of tlie lawyers wlio were thus miploycd by tlie great " Nobiles " of Hun- gary. They had not only to settle the disputes between wealthy proprietors, but those of their numerous dependants. An ii(lj\istinent of their various claims, and a fair adminlB- tration of the laws of the country respecting them, devolved apon him alone. Kossuth, in this position, waa enabled by personal observation to acquire a more distinct knowledge of the evils attendant on the undue share of power, which the laws of Hungary bestowed on the " Nobiles ;" and the unhappy lot of the peasant, even where he had nothing to coinphiin of in the treatment he received from his superior. The manner in which he fulfilled the trust reposed in him may be inferred, from the love with which he was regarded by the peasantry, to whom the lawyer was too oftatriotic zeal of Baron Wesselenyi Miklos, to recover their ancient liberties, and to revive the constitutional forms which had been diseoiitiuiied by the arbitrary decrees of Austria ; his exertions procured permission from tlic Viennese government to re-ass .*mble the old County meetings, and he and his frienda obtained a right to attend them all, by the purchase of lands in each County of Transylvania as well as in JIungar)'. They took advantage of these opportunities to rouse the Transyl- vaniau people to a sense of their grievances, and Wesselenyi boldly declared his intention to refuse bis permission to quarter soldiers upon the peasantry of his estates, unless the Diet of Transylvania were again summoned. The government alarmed at these demonstrations, deputed General Vlasits to inquire into the state of affairs ; his report was more satis- factorA- to the Liberals than to his employers, who, accordingly, withdrew him ; but, at last, awakened to the fact that the people would no longer submit to an illegal usurpation of power, the Austrian ministers granted their demand of a Diet, although not till 1834, twenty-three years having intervened since the last. According to Paget, who happened to be in Hungary during the session of the Hungarian Diet of 1832, the object of the reform party of that period was, " after strengthening the nationality of Hungary, freedom of commerce, and an improved commercial code, the navigation of the Danube, and the improvement of internal commiinication, increased freedom and education of the peasantry, the repeal of laws preventing the free purchase and sale of landed property, perfect equality of all religious, and the freedom of the press." The amelioration of the condition of the peasantry* was, however, the object of greatest importance to the Liberals, whose party Kossuth joined, though without binding himself A.D. 1832 ] COXDITIOy OF THE PEASAXTET. 185 to all their opinions and \ievrs ; as the constant endeavour of his subsequent career was to express the sentiments of the Hungarian people, to unite the interests of all classes into one, and to advocate the cause of justice without regard to religious or political creeds. The Consenatives were chiefly composed of those attached to the Court, and formed a majority in the Chamber of ]\Iagnates, where the Catholic Prelates opposed the Reform- ers in every measure which was intended to advance the liberties or establish the rights of the country. The pro- posed reform of the unjust laws relating to the peasantry was peculiarly obnoxious to them, as the immense revenue derived from the Church lands, iinder the present system, would undergo a considerable diminution by an act which must enl ail a sacrifice of no small amount on the part of the *'Nobiles." This question principally engaged the attention of the Diet of 1832. Hungary contained a population of thirteen millions, of which one-ninth only were inhabitants of towns, and five hundred and fifty thousand " Nobiles" patricians ; the remainder were included in the unprivileged order, who thus constituted the bulk of the people.* The members of this numerous class, employed chiefly in agriculture, were by law rendered incapable of possessing an acre of the soil they cultivated ; they were under the obligation to pay cer- tain dues in produce and labour to their landlord who exer- cised a right of seignorial jurisdiction over them; the church tithes were paid by them alone, and they had not only to defray the expenses of their separate villages or communities, but to bear the whole burden of taxation for the support of • This statement is taken from the work of Fdnjes Elek, edited in 1840. The census made by the Austrian government in 1850 states the population of Hungary to be ai that period fifteen millions. 1S6 MKMOin OF KOHSL'TII. [a.d. 1h32. the public adininit^tration, iind for thi* deffnccs of the coun- try. They suflereil, bcHitlcf*, viiriouH reMtrietiomi in their perHonal rights, and though many of them were wealthy men. they were unrepresented in the Diet. Those w riterx, liowever, who have de(H.Tibed the Hungarian peasiintry as gerfs, are under an error wliich the able statement of Paget in his work on Hungary and Transylvania hax not yet been able wliolly to (li«pel. 'J'he peasantry of Hungary ha«l fronj an early period been encouraged to nettle in the towns,^ and were not attached to the soil. " The characfcristic dit' Unction of a villein," according to Hallam, " wa^ his obligation to remain upon his lord's estate. He was not only precluded from selling the lands upon which he dwelt ; but his person was bound, and the lord might reclaim him at any time, by suit in a court of justice, if he ventured to stray. But, equally liable to this confinement, there were two classes of villeins, whose condition waa exceedingly different. In England, at least from the reign of Henry II., one only, and that the inferior species existed, incapable of property, and destitute of redress, except against the most outrageous in- juries. Tlie lord could seize whatever they acquired or inherited, or convey them, apart from the land, to a stranger. Their tenure bound them to what were called villein services, ignoble in their nature, and indeterminate in their degree ; the felling of timber, the carr^-ing of manure, the repairing of roads for their lord, who seemed to have possessed an equally unbounded right over their labour and its fruits. But by the customs of France and Germany, persons in this abject state seem to have been failed se}-fis, and distinguished from villeins, who were only boimd to fixed paj-ments and duties in respect of their lord, though, as it seems, without any legal redress, if injured by him. " The third state of • Id the reign of Sigismund, 1396—1437. See page 74. A.D. 1832.] THE mtBARIUM. 18T men," says Beaumanoir, " is that of such as are not free ; and these are not all of one condition, for some are so sub- ject to their lord, that he may take all they have, alive or dead, and imprison him whenever he jdeases, beiuj^ account- able to none but God ; while others are treated more gently, from whom the lord can take nothing but customary pay- ments, though at their death aH they have escheats to him."* "With the introduction of Christianity, in tlie tenth cen- tur}', slaver)' had ceased in Hungary; althougli it was not until the year 14:05, the Hungarian statutes secured certain rights to the peasantry. These rights, however, had been practically conceded by the " Xobiles" at all times, and had acquired stability from tradition, and the habits of the people. The revolt of the peasantry, in the beginning of the sixteenth century,t sened as a pretext to the *' XobiU-s" to enact a law, by which tliey were reduced to complete serfdom ; this was not, however, long maintained ; and history proves that the peasantry soon afterwards prac- tically recovered all their rights, although, until the middle of the eighteenth century, no legal enactment secured them from oppression. In the reign of IVfaria Theresa a decree was issued from the throne, in the form of a code of laws, stating and re- cognising the peculiar rights of the peasantry, and is com- monly designated the Urbarium. Attention was first called to th( ir grievances in the Diet, which commi-nced its sitcitgs in 17G1, the third and last held by iNIaria Theresa. The part taken by the crown was not wholly disinterested, for however benevolent may have been the feelings of the Empress Queen, the establisliment of her own despotic power, and that of her successors on a firmer basis, was in this, as well as in her other schemes, the ultimate object * See Hallam'g Middle Ages, chap, ii. t See page . \ 188 MEMOIR OF Kossuxn. [a. I). 1S32. she had in view. A true daughter of the House of Haps- burg, she desired to see the Austrian dominions united under one administration, as well as under one monarch ; and the Constitutional G-overnment of Hungary, the inde- pendence of her Diet, and the power and freedom of her " Nobiles" were dangerous obstacles to such a union. Maria Theresa broke her faith to the Constitution by only summoning the Diet three times during her reign of forty years. She made various attempts to introduce tlie German language into Hungary; and she hoped, by advocating the cause of the peasantry, to weaken the strength of the privileged order. The proposition to ameliorate their con- dition was negatived by the Diet the first year ; but roused so strong a feeling in those it was intended to benefit, that insurrections followed throughout the country. The Queen, seizing the advantage presented to her by the alarms these insiurections caused, issued a decree the following year, 1765, (by an act of arbitrary power, contrary to the spirit and letter of the Hungarian Constitution,) which defined, limited, and secured the rights of the peasantry. Hardly any opposition followed this illegal act, and the Urbarium of Maria Theresa, unsanctioned by the Diet, was adopted, pro- visionally, as the law of the land. Its easy reception may be accounted for by the fact, that it was little more than a confirmation of certain rights, which though not hitherto legally recognised, had been long established by usage. In Hungary, as well as in all Eastern nations, usage had almost the authority of law ; and it was only in exceptional cases that the peasantry had suffered from the want of that pro- tection now offered them in the I7rbarium : but besides ascertaining what these rights were, it rendered them inalien- able, and was at any rate a step made on the side of justice and humanity. The chief benefits the peasant derived from the Urbarium A.D. 1832.] THE rnBARiiM. 189 were, a legal acknowledgment of his right, at his pleasure, to Quit his farm and his lord, after giving due notice to a magistrate, and paying his debts ; of the lord only being empowered to dispossess him on the committal of a crime, or when he had absolute need of the land to build his own house, or in case of the peasant being incapable, or refusing, to fulfil the duties incumbent upon him ; but even this, not without due process of law ; at the same time, the lord could not exchange the peasant's fief without giving him another equally large and good. The peasant had also the privilege of retailing veines a certain number of months in the year, and of cutting wood for building and firing (without pay- ment) on the property of his lord. He obtained these rights under certain conditions, the principal of which was the long established system of Eobot, or a fixed term of labour for his lord, during a certain number of days in the year, which varied according to the number of acres culti- vated by the peasant from a hundred and four to eighteen. He was, besides, obliged to pay two shillings house-tax to his lord, and the ninth of all the produce of the soil, to which some small contributions were added on a mar- riage and other family events. A legal tribunal, the Sedes Dominales, or Manor Court, in which the lord or his repre- sentatives appointed the judges, took cognizance of all cases in which the peasant was concerned, including those in which the dispute lay between him and his lord, who could lawftdly, after condemnation, inflict twenty-five blows on the offender. The peasant Avas, however, allowed a right of appeal to the superior courts, but the blows might have been already inflicted before it could be made. The interests of the peasant were only considered in the Urbarium, so far as they did not interfere with the interests of the sovereign. The heavy taxation which had fallen upon the Hungarian peasant, in consequence of the wars carried 190 MEMOIR OF KOSSUTn. [a.d. 1832. ou by Austria during the reign of Maria Theresa, was not diminished, though to render it less oppressive, and to protect him from the possibility of being deprived of his fief by his lord, he was given a right to retain the land he cultivated, and even to bequeath it to his children, so long as he was faithful to the conditions by which it was held. The recognition of certain lands as permanent fiefs, subject to taxation, had the effect of depriving the " Nobiles" of tlie power of resuming them iuto their ovra occupation, and thus secured to Government the taxation of at least one half of Hungary. The Urbarium did not relieve the peasant from various other grievances iinder which he laboured, such as the obligation to furnish horses at stated times to liis lord, and to Government officials, &c., to which in later times was added, the imposition of soldiers quartered upon him, and the conscription to supply the Austrian army. He had, under his native kings, been ever exempted from the duty of war, even in the defence of his country. In the middle of the 18th century, during the reign of the Emperor, King Charles III., a standing army was introduced into Hungary. Before tliat period, the Magnates (Seniores Domini), and the Counts (Co- mites Castri), (the officers whom Arpad had appointed to the castles and military settlements) with their followers, formed the King's army, for the internal protection of the country, and the " Nobiles," or freemen, in return for their privileges and immunities, constituted the national army, and rendered personal service to defend the kingdom from foreign invaders ; the cultivators of the soil meantime (with the exception of those upon the lands round the fortresses), were never required to bear arms on any occasion whatso- ever. The new law of conscription by which they were forced into a foreign service, weighed the more heavily upon them by the harsh manner in which the leWes Avere made.* • See Paget's Hungary and Transylvania, voL iL p. 575. A.D. 1832.] THE COMMERCIAL CODE. 191 The committee of inquiry proceeded to lay before the present Diet several large folios containing their projects of Reform, and recommended that tlie attention of the House should in the first place be directed towards the question of the Urbarium. But the Deputies, though convinced of ita superior importance, were not the less aware of the opposi- tion they had to expect from the Austrian government, in all their schemes, and believing that the Eeform of the Urbarium, which concerned themselves alone, would for that reason, be more easily carried, than one which also compre- hended the interests of the Austro-Grermanic Provinces, they determined to commence with the most difficult, the Eeform of the Commercial Code. They considered that this would have as beneficial an effect on the community at large as the Reform of the Urbarium, and that it might dispose those " Nobiles " who were less liberal in their views, or more selfish than the Reformers, to a cession of their peculiar rights in favour of the peasantry. After the Urbarium there Avas no question which so deeply aftected the interests of Hungary as that of the Commercial Code : Though from the fertility of the soil, and the impe- diments offered by Government to all commercial enterprize, Hungary has hitherto been almost entirely an agricultiu-al and pastoral country, she possesses every facility which natural position and internal riches can afford for manufactures and commerce. Her great mineral wealth, her coal, wood, and iron supply the material and the means : On the shores of the Adriatic are harbours for her ships; and the Danube tra- versing the whole countr}-^ from west to east, and fed by streams of no small magnitude and importance from the north, offers an easy mode of transit by which to convey her produce to the Black Sea, and from thence to all the ports of the world ; but it has always been the policy of Austria to render Hungarian commerce subservient to the supposed 192 MEMOIR OF KOSSUTH. [a.D. 1832. interests of the Austro-Germauic Provinces. Hungarian articles of manufacture were burdened, with heavy duties, so as to make them hardly available even for the Austrian market, and still less for the markets of other foreign countries.* It was thus with some of the most important among the raw products ; tobacco, Avine, iron, &c. &c. The endeavour to remedy these evils, however, proved fruitless ; the Viennese government evaded the proposition of the Diet, or refused to give them an answer, and the Deputies soon nerceived that the Austrian ministers were resolved to support the monopolies of the Germanic portion of the empire.t In the course of the debate the Government party insinuated that the advocates of the Eeform of the Commercial Code were actuated by self-interested motives, and the desire to postpone or throw into shade the just claims of the injured peasant ; this, vnth other obstacles, finally led them to determine to leave the discussion to a more favourable juncture ; and, after laying before the King a remonstrance respecting the oppression of the Protestant * By the ancient Liws, only an import and export duty of 3^ per cent, ad valorem could be imposed, and that for the sake of revenue. + The Austrian Exchequer, it is well known, is, and has been for centuries in a miserably low state, and there are no arts, except those of enlightened policy and honest administration, which have not been put in practice to improve it. The Hungarians claim the right of free import and export on the payment of a five per cent, duty, and the right has been as solemnly acknowledged as it was possible to have been by royal oaths ; yet in spite of this, no sooner did the Austrian dynasty ascend the throne of Hungary, than a system of indirect taxation was begun, which has gone on increasing to the present moment, when almost, every article imported from any other country than Austria pays a duty of sixty per cent. The Hungarian Nobles are taxed most heavily, and in a manner which leaves them no con- trol over either taxation or expenditure. — PayeCs Hungary, Vol. L p. 408. A.D. 1834.] THJt: tiiuiBiLM.. 193 and Greek churches, and the unjust favour bestowed on the Roman Catholic, to proceed to the consideration of the TJrbarium. A distinguished Hungarian statesman, now in exile, writes thus on the question at issue, in a work destined for pub- lication at some future time. " When, in. the eighteenth century, the peasant claimed possession of the soil, and, goaded on by injustice and hardships, sought the means of improving his condition, the first and natural consequence was a feeling of ill-will towards his superiors. This was by no means displeasing to the Austrian government ; the nobles retained the seignorial jurisdiction; the officers of the central government saw a fiscal question in every case brought to trial between a taxed peasant and an untaxed noble, and every appeal was decided against the latter ; the artificial means to foment ill-will between the peasant and the land- lord opened the eyes of the greater number of the "nobilea" to the danger of their position, and they tried to escape from it by concession and adjustment, but the government opposed every such attempt, with what view the subsequent events in Gallicia have clearly shown."* The conditions by which the land was held, and the depend- ence of the peasants upon the " Nobiles," presented a serious impediment to all progress ; the Liberal party, therefore, aimed at replacing this antiquated system by one which should gradually lead to the conversion of the peasant's fief into freehold property and make him dependent on the regular tribunals of the country, instead of the seignorial jurisdiction • The revolt of the peasantry in Gallicia in 184G was openly incited and protected by the officials of the Austrian government, and after many cruelties had been perpetrated, they proclaimed that five florins (ten shillings English) should be awarded for the head of a noble cut off by a peasant. For an account of these proceedings, see " The Crimes of the House of Hapsburg," by F. W. Newman, p. 35. O 191 MEMOIR OF KOSSUTH. [a.D. 1834. of hia landlord. It was for this end that they chiefly inBisted on that clause in the new Urbarium by which the peasant was to he enabled to redeem his duet towards the lord of the manor; since by that alone he could hold his true position as a free and independent citizen ; the clause paswed the House of Deputies by an oveiT\helming majority : the redemption of the peasant was still only to be permissive, not compulsory on his lord ; it was to depend on an agree- ment between them respecting the terms, and a landlord could only be obliged to accede to the compact, when two-thirds of a community of peasants offered to redeem themselves ; though if they and he could not come to an agreement he would then be forced to accept those terms prescribed by law : even with these reservations the clause met with the most determined hostility from the Conservative party in the House of Magnates as well as from Vienna, though the rest of the Act was agreed to and passed into a law, viz., that, in future, a "Xobilis" holding a peasant's fief should pay the taxes for such land as if it were possessed by a peasant ; that the landlord should no longer be permitted to inflict corporal pimishment, and that the jurisdiction of the Manor Courts (Sedes Dominales) should be restricted to cases between peasant and peasant, while those between a peasant and his lord should be decided by a new court, composed of five disinterested persons, the right of appeal remaining as before. * If the sovereigns of the Hapsbiirg dynasty had formerly advocated the cause of the peasantry so far as that cause was subservient to the increase of the wealth and influence of the monarchy, the Imperial family was now equally opposed to their claims, when the "Xobiles," desirous of fulfilling an act of justice, were willing to make a sacrifice of their own • See Paget's Hungary and Transylania, 1 vol., p. 302 — 305 A.D. 1834.] LEAJ)EE8 OF THE BEFOSM PAETT. 195 advantages, and extend rights and privileges to all classes. Mettemich, and other adxisers of the crown, knew well such a measure woidd eventually tend to strengthen the power of Hungary, and enable her to resist the aggressive rule of Vienna. While the Hungarian Conservatives rejected the obnoxious clause on the groimd of the preservation of class interests, the pretext used by the Viennese ministers was their duty to presence the fund of taxation unimpaired. This fund consisted in the peasant's fiefs, which they pre- tended, if once converted into freeholds, would be no more liable to taxation than the land of the " Mobiles." The clause was thirteen times negatived by the Magnates : after it had been finally vetoed by the sovereign, Paul Xagy, one of the principal members of the Diet, rose, and amidst loud applause, poured forth a speech replete with sarcasm and bitter invective against those who selfishly and per- versely refused to sanction an act of justice towards their fellow countrjnnen. The poet Kolcsey succeeded Paul Nagy, and gradually warming with his subject, drew so touching a picture of the fate of the oppressed peasant, that after a silence, which was only interrupted by the sound of weeping in the ladies' gallerj', and in which even some of the male auditors joined, deafening cheers followed, evinc- ing how deeply their sympathies accorded with the words of the orator. Paul Nagy (Nagy Pal) had been the leader of the Ee- formers in the Diet of 1825, and his eloquence had first roused the enthusiasm of Hungary in the cause of liberty and justice ; since that period however, he had accepted a trust under Grovemment, which had produced a change in his political conduct, though he stiU stood firm on the ques- tion of the claims of the peasantry ; but the oratory which now most stirred the spirits of men to a sense of the the wrongs of the people was that of Kolcsey Ferenz o 2 19G MEMOIB OF KOSSUTH. [a.D, 1834. (Francis Kolcsey) the poet, scholar, and pliilosopher. His views were those of the most decided of the liberal part}', while his pure and elevated character eeemed rather to belong to the romance of a chivalrous age, than to real life. He had been early distinguished in literature, and was the friend and companion of Kasinczy, the Lessing of Hungary. Like the poets of Italy of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, those of Hungary in the eighteenth and nine- teenth, were the reAavers and purifiers of the national language, drawing forth its capabilities and power, and while their sentiments roused the feelings of the people, the words in which they were expressed touched a chord in every true Hungarian heart. The eloquence of Kolcsey as an orator was such, that his audience, unprepared for its effect by the unpretending appearance of the man, were carried whithersoever he led them. The actual leader of the Eeform party in the Diet of 1832 — 36 was Francis Deak of Kehida, chosen as such by the Liberals, for the acuteness of his understanding and the soKLudness and solidity of his judgment. He had long pre- pared himself for his present position by an assiduous study of law, and at the age of thirty -two he took his place among the Deputies in the Diet. The government is said to have offered him place and power, but he refused to renounce his principles. He possessed the stoical virtue of an ancient Eoman, and his eloquence was clear, logical, and full of deep meaning and truth, as well as of poetic beauty. He not only convinced the understanding, but moved the feelings of his audience. He was supported by his inti- mate friend Klauzal Gabor (Gabrial Klauzal) Deputy for the Comitat of Csongrad, and destined like Deak to play a prominent part in the events which rapidly followed, heralding the Revolution of 1848. Though only tliirty years of age, Klauzal had already acquired considerable ^ 1 A..D. 1834.] LEA.DEES OF THE EEFOBM PAETT. 19T popularity iu his native Country, and his genial disposition and kindly nature secured the friendship of aU with whom he associated. In spite of the lavish sums expended in bribery during the elections by the opposite party, headed by the Counts of Karolyi* (who, firom their vast estates, possessed immense influence in the County), Klauzal was returned for every Diet from 1832 to 18i7. Beothy Oden (Eugene Beothy) and Baldgh Janos (John Balogh) were among the most popular members of the Diet, and were especially favourites of the young men. The former, though a Eoman Catholic, was distinguished as the boldest asserter of the rights of the Protestants, and as such was so hated and feared by the priesthood that his admirers honoured him with the name of " The Priest's Hammer;" he was also called familiarly " The little Corporal," because he had formerly served in a regiment of Hussars. His voice was clear, sonorous, and strong, and his diction attractive and captivating. Balogh, though remarkable for his atten- tion to dress, which seemed to fit him rather for a leader of the fashion than for the champion of his country's riglits, was one of the boldest leaders of the opposition. AVhile the Act concerning the Urbarium was still pend- ing, a powerful ally was added to the party of the Reformers in the person of Wesselemn, who had hitherto been engaged with the aflairs of his own pro\ince. The Transylvanian Diet had met in 183-1', but under auspices wliich were not calculated to render the Austrian Grovermnent more popidar than before. The stormy debates which followed were for- bidden to be published ; "Wesselenjd, in spite of illegal con- fiscations on the part of the Government, contrived to spread a knowledge of them by means of lithography, and finally * The Counts Karolyi were allied by marriage to the farjily of the Batthidnys. 198 MEMOIR OF KOSSUTH. [a.D. 1834. presented his lithograpliic press to the chamber; a few hours later, a proclamation was issued in the name of the Emperor, by which the Diet was dissolved, and the Arch- Dnke Ferdinand d'Este, who had been sent down as the Eoyal Commissioner for the opening, and who had already rendered himself obnoxious by the introduction of additional troops, and by his well-known despotic sentiments, was no- minated absolute Governor of the Province. The Austrian rule had by this time so completely alienated all feelings of respect in the minds of the people, and Wesselenyi had so won upon their affections by acting as the champion of their ancient and constitutional rights, that though the weak, the cautious, and the timid, began to draw back, fearing he might have carried matters too far, a word from him would have called forty or fifty thousand men into the field : he loved his coimtry however too well to commence an insurrection, where he might stiU hope to obtain his end by lawful and pacific means. He quitted Transylvania at the dissolution of the Diet, and repaired to the Hungarian Diet at Pres- burg, there to join the ranks of the Heformers. An action was immediately commenced against him for the publication of his Journal, but he was prevented from attending the summons of the Court by severe illness. He was therefore condemned for contmnacy, and threatened with arrest should he return to Transylvania. He had further incensed the government by his conduct when on his way to the Hiingarian Diet. Arrived at Szatmar, he found the Comitat engaged in discussing what instructions they shoidd send their deputy in the Hungarian Diet respecting the Reform of the TJrbarium. Wesselenyi succeeded in convincing them, that to act justly towards that class of their countrymen who wanted their protection, would in the end, conduce to the welfare of every order in the state, and when speaking of the manner in which the privileged classes (even those A.D. 1834.] BAEON WESSELENTI MIKLOS. 199 whom he was at that moment addressing), appropriated everything to themselves, he compared them " to vampires nourished by the life-blood of the people," No sooner had he taken his seat as a Magnate in the Hungarian Diet, than he was indicted for high treason : Balogh rose in the House and declared " he should not consider himself guilty of any great crime if he adopted the very words of Wesse- lenyi." For this, he was rewarded by being included in the prosecution. The Diet protested against the infringement of the liberty of speech of one of its members, and the Government, now aware it had made a false move, secretly offered Wesselenyi immediate pardon if he would demand it; the offer was indignantly rejected. Deak rose in the House to propose a remonstrance being laid before the King against the illegal measures of his Ministers. He was followed by a few words from Kossuth, of whom Paget, who happened to be present at; the debate, thus speaks; "Kossuth, a young man of considerable promise, spoke next ; he was content with two or three sentences, declaring strongly his opinion, and the side on which he should vote.* .... Kossuth has been most usefully employed during the Diet. Grovernment, in spite of the laws of Hungary, in spite of the protests of the Diet, forbids the publication of the debates, and maintains here, as elsewhere in the Austrian dominions, a strict censorship." Though unable from his position to take any active part in the Diet, Kossuth had been employed in labours of the utmost importance for the country. The absence of a free press was at this moment a real misfortune to Hungary, Questions were at stake on whose issue the future welfare • In this Mr. Paget must have been mistaken, as though Kossuth could speak, he could not vote as an " ablegatus ahsentium." His worda were few, as young men in that capacity, and without a vote were not much listened to in the Diet. 200 MEMOin OF KOSSUTH. [a.d. 1834. of the nation greatly depended. The middle class among the " Nobilea" were duly impressed with their urgency. In the highest and lowest, belonging to the patrician order, there were ppfjudiees to be oAereome as well as an aversion to any radical change. The large landed proprietors feared the losses they might incur by the proposed Reform of the Urbarium, Avhile the lesser " Nobiles"* were jealous of those ) privileges which alone separated them from men who were in every other respect their equals. According to the Hungarian statesman whose work has been referred to already ; " the condition of the peasantry was not only the most important question at issue, but the only internal question affecting the principles of government or politic-al rights. The con- dition of the peasantry was the only inherent and organic evil ; other caoIs arose from the interference of Austria ; this continued to exist supported loy her power. To solve the difficult}'', and emancipate the land and the men,\ it was ne- cessary to beat Austria bact. It was not so much a ques- tion of convincing the country, as of combining its action. This was what Kossuth accompKshed." By Austria was not meant the sovereign iu the exercise of his legitimate authority, but the interference and intrigues of his adrisers the Austrian Ministers, who had no more right to dictate in the affairs of Hungary than the English Mioisters had in those of Holland, when "William III. was Kiug of England. The main source by which public opinion is formed in other coimtries, a free press, had been wrested from the * The lesser " Mobiles" were called in derision the Bocskoros Nemea, or Sandal Nobles, from the sort of shoes they wear in some parts of Hungary. f The land and tJit men. This expression was used in Hungary at that time to express the rights of property and the personal rights of the peasantry. A.D. 1834^.] jouexjlL of kossuth. 201 nation b}' the usurpation of the Austrian IMinisters. To supply this defect, and to make the people at large ac- quainted with the transactions of the Diet, Kossuth applied himself to the editorship of a journal, which he entitled, " The Orzaggyiclesi Tuddsitasok," or, Parliamentary' Mes- senger. His object principally was to produce concert in the deliberations and resolutions of the Comitats. The Members of the Diet were not only representatives, but delegates from the separate Counties, whose assembled " Mobiles" gave them instructions how to speak or vote;* it was thei*efore the more necessary, in order to carry any question of importance, that ever}' Comitat should be in- formed of the opinions of all the Eepresentatives in the Diet, as without such knowledge there could be no com- bined constitutional action. The diary, or daily record of the proceedings of the Diet was too dry in its details, and contained too voluminous a report of all the speeches, to be read except by the few, whose sole occupation was politics. Kossuth's journal was the first publication in the form of a newspaper which had dared to comment on the acts of the Diet and of the Government ; praise and blame were admi- nistered in a fair spirit and able manner, and while it served * Once in every three years the " Nobiles" of every county were accustomed to assemble under the presidency of their lord-lieutenant (F6 Ispdny). At the same time, the civil corporations of each town met under the presidency of a Commissioner, especially appointed for the purpose by the Government. In these assemblies were elected by acclamation or ballot the magistrates and municipal functionaries for the three years next ensuing, who were obliged to give their consti- tuents an account of their stewardship at quarterly meetings called congregations. At these congregations all the acts of the government were submitted to the assembled body, in order in case of any illegality they might be forwarded, as gravamina or grievances, to the Diet. In those congregations too, the instructions for the Deputies to the Diet were prepared. — From the Observer, July, 1849. 202 HEMOIB OF KOSSUTH. [l..D. 1836. to encourage the patriots, it helped to discountenance the spirit of reuA^tion. To evade the letter of the decree which forbade the debates bein^ printed, he, like Wesselenyi, made use of a litho^jrapliic press. The Palatine intimated a desire on the part of tlie (Joveniment to purchase it from him, thereby acquainting liim with the disapprobation his proceedings had incurred ; he therefore resorted to a written correspondence, which he carried on by means of hired secretaries. Ilia papers wen* next intercepted at the Post Office, and he was compelled to transmit them to their destination by carriers hired for the purpose, but the de- mand for the journal increased so rapidly, that at one time an edition of some thousand copies was circulated. Hia success exceeded the expectations of his friends, and while opening the eyes of men to the real state of the country, he roused them to demand a redress of grievances whose exist- ence Austria would willingly have made them believe it waa their interest to maintain. This memorable Diet closed its sittings in the spring of 1836. Apparently it had effected little ; each project of reform which had been taken into consideration by the House of Deputies, had been dropped one by one, as they were successively postponed, or negatived, in the House of Magnates. The former had alone maintained their ground on the subject of the Urbarium, but even in this they had finally been forced to succumb to the intrigues of the Government, and the violent opposition of the Magnates. The fundamental principle of the act remained the same, and it was only improved by some further regulations of the duties belonging to the peasant and to the landlord. The high expectations which had been raised of this Diet, were doomed to disappointment. But if it had failed in carrying the measures for which it had striven so manfully, it had bequeathed a greater good to the coimtry by the A.D. 1836.] JOUBKAL OF KOSSUTH. 203 moral influence exerted, and had led the way to future vic- tor\'. Not only did the peasantry themselves (forming five- BLXths of the Hungarian people) aspire to possess those rights which are the natural inheritance of every man in a free commonwealth, but a large majority of their privileged fellow citizens had acknowledged the justice of their claims, and the duty they themselves owed to them as well as to humanity in their maintenance. The peasant was astonished to find liis defender and champion arise from the ranks of those who had hitherto been his oppressors, and to behold his claims rejected by the King, whom he was taught in church and in school to consider his protector. The leaders of the Liberal party were revered and looked upon as the true representatives of the people, and the persecutions they had to endure from a foreign (iovernment only caused them to be regarded with the greater affection by their country- men. Even some of the staunchest opponents of reform now admiite.l, that the change which had taken place in public opinion throughout the countrj' was so overpowering, that the Conservatives could not prevent the measure for the emancipation of the peasant being carried in the next Diet. The eyes of the millions were opened ; the desire for justice which animated the rustic population had reached the indus- trial and mercantile inhabitants of the towns; even they called loudly for a fairer representation, and for a re-organ- ization of their municipalities. The journal of Kossuth, like the wand of a magician, had raised a spirit in the laud. It had united hearts and bauds in the cause of justice and patriotism, and stimu- lated men to sink selfish interests in a generous desire for the good of their countrvmen. The truths revealed in the speeches of Deak, Klauzal, Beothy, Bahigh, Kolcsey, and Wesselenja, had re-echoed throughout Hungary, and become household words by the pen of Louis Kossuth. 201i MIMOIE OF KOSSUTH. [a.D. 1830. CIIAPTEH IV. ^T. 3i— 39 A..D. 183G — 1841. Austrian policy hostile to the constitutional liberty of Hungary — Form of Ilunyarian Ooveminent — Viceregal Council — Hungarian State Chancery — Deposition of the Chancellor, Count Adam lieviczky ; replaced by Count Fidelia Falffy — The Fresburg Casino — Arrest of several of the Members by order of the Austrian Governinent — The Comitdts of Hungary protest against this illegal act — Want of combined action in the Comitdts — Kossuth com- mences another written newspaper ; its reception through- out the country — Treats of the Impeachment of Wesse- lenyi, Sfc. — Embarrassment of the Austrian Govern- ment — Kossuth ordered to stop his work — He defends his right as a Hungarian " I^obilis'^ — The Vice Ispdny and the Comitdt support him — Is arrested by order of tlie Austrian Government — His Imprisonment for two yean — Is brought to trial in 1839 — Conduct of the Judges — Youths of the Presburg Casino — Kossuth condemned icith TVesselenyi and others to further imprisonment — The Diet o/"lS39 refuses to comply with the tcishes of the Austrian Govermnent — The Chancellor Falffy recalled — Count Anthony JSIaildth appointed to his place — The Govern- ment demands large supplies of men and money — Deter- mination of the Diet — The Government yields — State of the Prisoners on their release — Kossuth, broken in health, retires to Farad — Changes which had taken place during A.D. 1836.] rOEM OF nUXGABlAN GOVER>'MK>-T. 205 his confinement — Death of his Father — Effect of his imprisoment upon his character — Becomes the editor of the Pesti Hirldp (Pesth Journal.) Although there was no further occasiou for the work in which Kossuth had heen hitherto engaged, he was not long suffered to remain idle. The terror witli wliieh the revolu- tionary spirit of 1830 had inspired the Courts of Europe, had begun to subside; Germany and Italy were silenced, and Poland had been crushed by the iron arm of despotism ; but in the kingaom of Hungary liberty still breathed, and INIettemich and his satellites could not rest, till her last spark of life was extinguished. They had been victorious over almost every project of refonn in the late Diet, but it was impossible to be ignorant of the fact, that their victories had only added strength to their opponents, that the spirit of disaffection had spread widely, and that the people of Hungary were more determined than ever to assert their ancient rights and liberties, and to extend them to those who had hitherto been excluded from a just participation. The Government of Hungary was conducted by the Vice- regal Council (Concilium rcgium locum tenentiale) over which the Palatine presided. It consisted of what were called the five and twenty intimates, appointed by the King from the Catholic Prelates, Magnates, and '" Mobiles" of Hun- gary. The King was supposed to be advised by them on questions which he laid before them, and they were bound to see the acts of the Diet duly executed. But though they v-orresponded immediately with the King, all their com- jiunications were obliged to pass through the Hungarian State Chancery in Vienna, the mere tool of the Austrian Ministers, who, instead of trjing the effect of conciliatory measures with Hungary, adhered more obstinately than ever to the principle of intimidation. The Diet had no 206 MEMOin OF Kossrxn. [a.d. 1836. sooner been disHolved, tlian the Chancellor, Count Adam Keviczky (who had liberal tendencien) was deposed, and Count Fidelia Paltiy, a creature of the Court, servile, igno- rant, and Btubborn, took his place. Liberty of Bpeech had already been attacked in the persons of WeBselenyi and Balo'i^h, and the next step was to attempt to put a stop to the liberty of association. There were a number of young men in Preaburg belong- ing to the best families of Hungary, who were employed during the sitting of the Diet, as secretaries or clerks to the Deputies, which served to initiate them into the duties of public life. Some of them had formed themselves into a club or debating society, called the " Presburg Casino," where the great questions of the day, or any subject of political in- terest, were discussed. Papers wTitten by themselves were read aloud, and books and newspapers provided for the use of the members. The manner in which the leisure houra of these young men was thus spent, far from incxirring ceusiu-e, met with general approbation. During the sitting of the Diet they were allowed to continue their meetings without interruption, but no sooner had it been dissolved, and the youths belonging to the Casino had returned to their respective homes in the country, than four of them were arrested in the same night, by an order of the Austrian Government. Tom by soldiers from the midst of their families, they were conveyed to the fortress of Buda, there to await their trial, on a charge of higb treason, pre- ferred against tbem by the Attorney for the Crown. The event caused a sensation throughout the whole country. AMiile the larger number of persons joined in ar indignant outcry against the authors of the arrest, some, lesf interested in political matters, were too ready to believe tha false reports circulated against these young men, and attri- bute to them words which they had never uttered. The A.D, 1836.] 8EC0KD JOUBXAL OF KOSSUTH. 207 publicity of the meetings, however, was of itself sufficient to prove the absurdity of the charges made, and it was evident to the thinking and educated part of the community, as weL as to the mass of the people, that the ease was improvises to serve the purpose of the Austrian Ministry, who hopea to undermine another of the Hungarian liberties. The Comitiits, or County Meetings, as if by one impulse, made an energetic protest to the King against the proceedings of his Ministers, but a deaf ear was turned to their appeal. Perhaps so daring a measure as the arrest of these four young men would scarcely have been ventured upon, had not the laws concerning high treason been couched iu so ambi- guous a form, as to give the act some appearance of legality. In this case, however, tlie dullest intellect could perceive, that the application was false, and an abuse of the spirit of the laws, such as could only have been attempted with the most sinister intentions. There remained but one course for Hungary to pursue, which was, by the opportunities afforded through the political institutions of the country, to oppose a steady and constitutional, though passive, resistance to Austrian encroachments. The " Comitiits " were indeed imaninious in their ^news respecting the conduct of the Government during the late Diet, but to produce any prac- tical result from this unanimity, and to present a barrier to the illegal measures forced upon the nation, it was impera- tive that the same hannony in opinion, and combination in action and expression, should be continued in the intervals when the Diet was not sitting. Again Kossuth was called upon to exert his talents for the service of his country ; a centre, or focus was wanting, and he undertook to supply the deficiency by a regular communication in the form of letters which he addressed to the several Comitats, These letters, or written newspapers, he entitled the " Torvenyhatosagi Tudositaaok," Messenger 208 MEMorn of kossutm. [a.d. 1836. of the jSrunicipal liodics ; tla* work was one of herculean labour, aa iiiHk'ud of only reportin>^ the acts of a single Diet, he proposed to give an abstract of those of iifty-two local Parliaments ; he met with ready co-operation in the various Counties, in each of which, as well as in several of Tran- sylvania, he established correspondents. Out of the hete- rogeneous mass of facts and opinions thus laid before him he constructed a harmonious, well-arranged whole, moulded it into shape, and clothed it with a language adapted to the comprehension and taste of those for whom it was intended. His sound logic and vigorous style was not destitute of that ornament which was required to render it attractive to the [lungarian people ; their imagination was fascinated whUe their reason was convinced ; the profound politician and the man of the people alike approved of the work, and men of opposite ^^ews hailed the arrival of the " Ton-enyhatosagi Tudositasok" (Messenger of the Municipal Bodies). Its reception was as great in Pesth as in the provinces, and the very peasantry in the villages bespoke the written newspaper of Kossuth, which was read aloud every Sunday by the notary to hundreds of attentive listeners ; nearly every Comitat ordered copies to be retained in the archives, as besides furnishing them with infonnation on the opinions and actions of all the Parliaments of the kingdom, it was the principal source through which they became acquainted with the leading topics of the day. The first subjects wliich occupied its pages were the late impeachment of Wesselenp and Balo'gh, and the arrests of the youths of the Presburg Casino. The Viennese Govern- ment, though much embarrassed by the sensation these events had occasioned, and by the still farther publicity- given to them by means of Kossuth's newspaper, could not find a shadow of legal pretext for interference with him ; they could not even hope to weaken its effect on the people A.D. 1837.] AEBEST OK KOSSCTH. 209 by a rival paper. They had no resource left but force, by which to destroy so dangerous an antagoniBf. A message was in the first place sent to Kossuth, with an order to desist in his work, and when he pleaded his right as an Hungariaa " Xobilis" to write and despatch what letters he pleased, the Palatine, as Lord Lieuti'iiaut of the king- dom, sent an order to the Vice Ispany, or principal officer of the County of Pesth, to prohibit the publication, and the letters already in the Post Office were condemned to de.Htruction. The Vice Ispany, before executing this com- mand, referred the matter to the Comitat, without whose sanction it wonid have been illegal for him to act. The sanction was refused, and this attempt at an arbitrary invasion of their liberties was communicated by the Co- mitat of Pesth to every other Comitat in Hungary. The consequence of their refusal was, that in the month of May, 1837, the Attorney for the Crown tik-d an es officio indictment of " no^a infidelit^itio,^^ or lower treason, against Kossuth. He was at this time residing in the neighbour- hood of Buda, when, in violation even of the law which in similar charges admitted to bail, he was arrested by a com- pany of Grenadiers, under the conmiand of Count Thurn, and conveyed to the fortress of Buda. His trial was suspended for two years, in which time he was kept in solitary confinement, denied the use of books, pen and ink, and prohibited from holding any communica- tion with his parents or friends. To a man of his active habits, it was a period of severe trial; but, far from sinking beneath it, the long hours of quiet thought and contempla- tion onlv sensed to give fresh vigour to his intellect, and renewed energy to the inexhaustible powers of his mind. He himself, when speaking of this period, said : " It was two years of life lost, but it was all my after life gained." la 1839, sentence was passed on Kossuth, Wesselenyi, aud p 210 MEMOIR OF KOSBLTir. [a.D. lS.'i9. the four youths of the Presburg Casino. Two of these last were released, while the remaining two were condemned severally to an iinprisonment of four and of ten years' duration in a fortress ; though it was expre»sly declared in tlieir sentence, that the charge of high trenson, for which they were indicted, could not be proved against them. In- timidation and bribery were alike used by the Austrian Court to bias the judges against the prisoners. Two of them were found honest enough to resist both ; one re- signed his office, while the other abeented hiiusell" for a time.* The prisoner Ladislaus Lovassy, one of the most distin- guished youths of the Casino, was only twenty-two years of age, of a wann and iiiipa^tsioned temper, endowed with un- common abilities, and a fervid eloquence. All the ardour of his enthusiastic nature was enlisted in the cause of his country, and when, during his trial, his persecutors fre- quently suggested to him that signs of penitence might ob- tain a more lenient sentence, if not his release, be firmly maintained the righteousness of bis cause, and boldly charged his judges with their iniquity. His companion in misfortune, Lapsanzky, a dull youth, who had always borne a dubious character, was more than 8usp>ected of having secretly denounced his coTorades to the Austrian Govern- ment. His harder sentence, of ten years' imprisonment, was supposed to be only a subterfuge to impose on the pub- lic, an idea to which the mystery which hung over his sub- sequent fate, gave a colour of probabUibf. Kossuth and "Wesselenyi were each condemned to four more years' imprisonment in the fortress of Buda, where, * The Judges in the higher Courts of Hungary were nominees of the King, and the case of these young men is only an additional proof of the superiority of the Institution of the Jury over a tribunal com- posed of men appointed by any political power in the State. A..D. 1839.] HIS IMPEISOITMENT. 211 under the depressing influence of solitary confinement, the bodily strength of the Transylvanian patriot, which was already failing, was doomed to exhaustion. The younger age of Kossuth was in his favour, and as he was now per- mitted to read, provided the books he selected had no poli- tical tendency, he determined to take advantage of the leisure afibrded him, to prepare his mind for future and greater exertions. The book he selected was Shakespear»^, and for the first time he applied himself diligently to the study of the English language ; the wisdom of Metternich could not dinne that the prisoner in the fortress of Buda, was, through his means, acquiring the masterdom of a weapon by which, only a few years later, he woidd rouse the sjTnpathies of a Continent for the trampled down people of Europe, and make Austria tremble for her own safety. In the profound knowledge of the human heart taught by our great poet, Kossuth imbibed a deeper philosophy, and per- haps learned more political ^^^8dom, than he might have found in all the avowedly political works which he was pro- hibited to read by the fears of Austrian tyrants. Much of his time was also devoted to the study of matliematics, and, as he was now permitted to hold intercourse with his friends, he expressed, in a letter written to his mother from his prison, the delight this science afforded him, by com- pletely abstracting his mind from the painful position in which he was placed. The Diet met again the year Kossuth was condemned, and the feelings of the Hungarian people had been wrought to such a degree of exasperation, that every one was prepared to expect a stormy session. The Members of each Comitat sent instructions to their delegates, not to listen to any proposal on the pail of Government, until Kossuth, AVesselenyi, and the youths of the Casino had been liberated, the proceedings against them declared illegal, and the law on treason revised p2 212 MEMOItt Of KOSSUTH. [a.d. 1840. and more exactly defiued, in order to provide againut the possibility of a recurrence of similar abuses on the part of those in authority.* The King and his Ministers, who could not blind them- selves to the unanimous feeling which prompted these demonstrations, would probably have tried to avoid sum- niouing the Diet, had it not been forced upon them by the a{)prehensiou of war, caused by the accession of Thiers to the ministry of France, and the dubious aspect of artalrs in the East. Austria again required a grant of money and soldiers from Hungary, and anxious now to conciliate the representatives, recalled the Chancellor Palfly; the two Pre- sidents of the High Courts of Pesth (the agents of Goveni- ment in the late trials) were also removed, and plxiced in offices of trust in A^ieuna. In their stead, Count Antony Mailath was appointed Chancellor, and his cousin. Count John Mailath, Chief Justice of the realm. Both were reputed honest, and attached to their country, although they were devoted adherents to the Imperial House. Metternich and his colleagues thought these concessions sufficient to satisfy the Hungarian people, and at the opening of the Diet in the autumn of 1839, demanded four millions of florins and 38,000 recruits. They found themselves, how- ever, mistaken ; the majority of the Deputies refused to comply, unless the above-mentioned grievances were first redressed, and the clause in the Urbarium which had been so long disputed in the preceding Diet were also conceded. The contest lasted six months, during which time, the supporters of Government hinted to the leaders of the opposition, that an amnesty might be granted to Kossuth and his companions, if the Diet would withdraw their other claims, and send up a humble petition to the King for their • See p. 207. A.D. 1840.] EZLEASE OF THE PEISOI^EES. 213 release. The proposal was indignantly spurned by the patriots; but the Conservatives at last succeeded in carrving an amendment by a majority of one ; in consequence of which it was agreed that the Eoyal propositions should be taken into consideration. The following day (the 29th April, 1840), a resolution from the throne was read before both Houses, proclaiming a general amnesty to aU political offenders (as the King was pleased to denominate those who had acted in accordance with the laws of their countrv), and granting the redemption of the peasants' duties.* The Diet, in return, voted the four millions of florins and the recruits, and was immediately dissolved. The prisoners were once more restored to liberty, and, with the exception of Lapsanzky, returned to their families. He has never since been heard of, though some assert that he has been seen in Austria, bearing a feigned name, and in the emplo^Tneut of Government. The ardent spirit of Lovafisy had sunk under his calamities, and ho left the fortress of Buda, a maniac. Wesselenvi, broken and infirm in health before entering his prison, had become totally blind ; Kossuth, however, though suffering from illness oc- casioned by long and close confinement, revived in the free air of the mountains of Parad, where he retired on his release, and where the extraordinary vigour and elasticity of his spirit seemed to exercise a beneficial influence on his bodily health. He had come out an altered man, but altered only by a further growth and development of his intellectual and mental powers. In seclusion, as in the world, he had never rested ; the stream which had entered • The celebrated clause now became a law, though by no means with all the force of its original conception. Conditions and restrictions had been inserted, as concessions to the Magnates and the Crow», which had weakened its efficacy, and consequently rendered it fer lei«B adrantageous to the peasantry than had been expected. 214 MEMOIB or KOSSUTH. [a.d. 1841. the cavern witli the t'urce of a inouutaiu torreut, rolled forth from its durkness a mighty river. Changes liad also takm place in the circle of his own family. Jlis mother was now a widow ; her husband having died while Kossuth was in prison. He had left her in very narrow cireuuistances, and, di-privcd of her son to whom she would ha e looked for 8uj)port, her position awakened the sympathy of those in whose cause he was a sufferer. A sum of money was therefore subserilx'd, and the interest presented to her ; but no sooner had Kossuth left his prison than he refused to accept the principal which waa offered him, and by his desire it wa:j devoted to the foundation of a school for the eneounigement of natioiml industry. He remained a short time in retirement at Parad for the re- cover}' of his health, and soon after his return to Pesth, on the 9th of September, Istl, he married Tlieresa Mez- lenyi, the daughter of an Hungarian " Nobilis" of good family. Her affection for him had first been awakened by the patriotic virtues and sufferings which had excited the enthusiasm of her countrj'. Tlieir marriage was followed by the union of her brother with Kossuth's youngest sister. Rich in experience, bis plans matured, and appearing be- fore the public now in the light of a p>olitical mart}-r, Kos- suth found himself at once in the position of a leader in the meetings of the Comitat of Pesth. Ludwig Landener, a publisher in that city, had obtained a license for the publi- cation of a political paper ; at his desire Kossuth accepted the editorship, and Grovemment permitted the transaction to pass unnoticed, as they believed no danger could ensue from a work which must be submitted to their censorship. The " Pesti Hirlap," or Pestb Journal, therefore ap» peared in 1841, and with it commenced the most important period in the life of Kossuth, prior to the revolution of 1S48. A-D. 18il.] . -THE PE8TI HIBLAP. 215 .--' CHAPTER V. ^. 39—42. 1841 — I8i4. Ueoions of the Austrian Government for granting Kossuth pernii-tsioH to edit the " Pe^ti Ilirldp" — Its popularity — Writers in the " Fcsti Ilirhip" — Count Stephen Szechenyi — The KeJet Xtpe (People of the Etist) — Early Life of Sztchenyi — His schemes for the material improrement of Hungary — An Aristocratic lieformer. Kossuth contrasted with Szechenyi — Kossuth's vieics more Conservative and practical — He desires the " JW biles*^ shall reform themsvlres — Admonishes the Ultni- Radicals and the Aristocracy respectirtly — Sztchenyi's enmity against Kossuth — Kossuth publishes his vindi- cation — The Goremtnent starts an opposition paper, the " ViUig'^ (Light) — Success of the " Pesti Hirlup.'' The Viennese Cjvbinet had g^ranted permission to Kossuth to edit the Pesti llirlap, in the hope tliat so unusual a con- cession on their part would either conciliate a dan', the lujion of Ilungarj' with Tran.-^ylvania, the reform of the 216 HEMOin OF KOSSITH. [a.d. 1841 jiunicipalities, the extenBioii of tlie frauchwe, centralization and inunicipnl government, &c. &v. lie uecured the aerviceB of men of IIk' lirHt tiilent for his pajKT ; and, at) the articles always* aj»j>eari'd with the hi^^iuiture of tlie writerw, they carried with them considerable weight, as being known to express the opinions of the leading men of Hungary. Szeutkiraly, Bi'z:tTt''dy, Baron Jcii*eph E4, aa in former times they were only the great officers of the Court and Governors of Counties, and were simply Barons or Counts of the kingdom. Considerable obscurity seems to exist concerning the origin and rights of the Chamber of Magnates. At one time the two Chambers sat together. It has no power but that of veto or approval of an act sent up by the Lower Chamber, and it is not settled whether those who have a right to their seats derived from their title alone have an equal vote with those who derive theirs from offices and estates. — Paget' s Hungary and Tramylrania, vol. i p. 182. + The practical effect of this maxim may be seen on the Continent, and that of the reverse in England and America. Napoleon did all for t'leFVench people, and his fame rests more on his material improvements and his laws, than on his victories ; yet the French people continue under a despotism, by whatever name their govermnent is called. a..'d. 1'541.] szrcHKMi. 221 Englaud, he forgot that municipal institutions, and self- government, which he despised and underrated at home, were the foundations of all her prosperity. He was, in short, a friend to centralization, that system upon which the liberties of IVunce, as well as those of other couutriea of Europe, have long since been wrecked. Yet it was the pride of Szechen}-i to be considered the only practical statesman in Hungary : it is for posterity to pronounce wlietlier tliat man was really worthy of the name who endeavoured to shake the basis of the political institutions of his country, in order to substitute an idea of his own, built almost entirely upon an imitation of a foreign nation, or he, who like Kossuth, desired rather to reform and improve existing institutions and adapt them to an age of hijL,'hcr civilization than that in which they were first devised. While Szechenyi claimed to be considered as the prophet and dictator of the people in all political and social matters, Kossuth was only ambitious of the honour to be a faithful exponent of the genius, tlie wishes, and inclinations of Hun- gar}'. By the ancient law of the country, the King shared the legislative power with the Diet, and conducted the ex- ecutive through the central boards, but the laws as well as the orders of the central boards were enforced by the Comitats or their officers. These officers were " Nobiles," and most of them landed proprietors, elected every three years by men of their own class, and were neither depend- ent for their salaries upon their electors nor upon govern- ment.* The central boards, the higher courts of justice, and even the material advantages enjoyed in France, with the ex- ception of PariB, and still more in Germany and Italy, are inferior to those which result from the effoi-t« of the people in England and Americu. • The salaries were paid by the unprivileged claaa, " They were,' 222 MEMOIR OF KOSSUTH. [a.D. 1841. aud all the ino«t important ofTiccs of the State were, on the other hand, filled by Austrian dependants, and were con- Bcquently corrupt. If Auhtria, »erun3 of a majority in the Diet, by the iniiiibi-r of her partisans there, issued an illegal act, the Comitate refused to execute it, and where bo large a body of people were concerned, it was impossible to bribe them to jicquie.scence ; it wiw, therefore, by these institu- tions alone that the liberties of llungar)' had been main- tained throuj^h eipht centuries, in spite of every attempt to overthrow them by the sword or by the sceptre of despotism. Corruption and faction were circumscribed within the limits of the Diet and were chiefly successful in the upper chamber, whose members were for the most part, the willing instru- ments of Austrian tyranny. Any reform of the Diet was next to impossible, since it must have proceeded from within itself, and the self re-organization of a political body has been at all times slow. The sole guarantee, therefore, for constitutional freedom in Hungary, lay in the Comitats, the pure uncontttminated source of the self-government oi the people. Combined action there could alone oppose the centralization of Austria. The sagacious and practical genius of Kossuth was no where more apparent than in his clear comprehension of this truth in the commencement of his career, and the steadiness with which he adhered to it throughout. A^"hen he first entered upon political life, the official communication between the counties was confined to local business, but through him they had learned that the great interest of the nation was their principal concern. Like Szechenyi, he thought it vain to eihaust the strength of the country in struggles against the might of Austria, in remarks Brace, in his Travels in Hungary, p. 258, " hardly larger than a workman's wages in America ; the ofl&ces were made aa much as possible places of honour, and the citizens served for the excit«ment or the fame, and received only what woiild pay their extra expenfies." A.D. 1S41.] THE PESTI HinLAP. 223 tne hope of obtaining further concessions at the present hour, but unlike him, he considered the resignation of a single remaining right, too dear a price to pay for all the material advantages upon which the latter built such high expectations. He was as jealous as AVesselenyi had been, of the liberties of the countn-, but he did not cling to the dead letter of the constitution, and waste time and strength by fighting the ground inch by inch ; he rather acted upon the principle on which the constitution was founded, and esteeming the municipal institutions as the true safeguards of freedom, he endeavoured to make them fulfil their original purpose, and begin by reforming themselves. The man'ellous success of Kossuth must be chiefly attri- buted to this line of policy, and those who reproach him with too democratic tendencies, must be here reminded that his reforms were in their commencement purely aristocratic, that he called upon the " Nobiles" to regenerate them- selves, and upon the high aristocracy to lead their fellow " Mobiles" in the good work. The Pesti Hirlap comnienceoral death, from wlience there in no resurree- tiou." KosHUth wan alwayii averse Ui revolutionary habU-. *' Those Bchenies of wisdom are futile," he wrote, '* which do not proceed from law, but within the boundariea of law, we nuiHt listen to the iiihpirations of sound reai*on, and we mav not forj^et that under tlie shadow of a constitution which it ha« taken centuries to erect, the live* and interests of millions rest, w ho have a« stning claims on our considera- tion Hiul forbearaiK-e as on our justice." "With these views he was desirous that while claiming a more just construction of the laws respecting the tenure of land, the interests of the pn-seiit proprietors of the soil should not be overloiew8, which could not be carried out without their acquiescence. Kossuth, instead of cherishing ill-will towards the author of schemes de\'ised purposely to frustrate his own, promised him his most active support. He redeemed his word when in the Comitiit of IVsth, he urged the cause of his rival in so chivalrous a manner, bestowing such sincere commendation on his patriotism and spirit, that Szechenyi was himst-lf shamed into silence. But even the united eflbrts of the patriots could not prevail upon the "Nobiles" to submit to taxation in any form. Kossuth was deeply mortified, but while owning his disappointment, he acknowledged that it was almost hoping too much from human nature, to expect any body of men to make so large a sacrifice of money as well as of their personal rights, even though an appeal were made to their justice and generosity. He was now per- suaded that the privileged orders possessed neither the moral force nor the ability to regenerate the nation ; one way was still oj>en ; the more liberally disposed, those who were sincerely desirous of progress, must quit the circle of their own caste, and seek support among men of the unprivileged order; and the people for whom they were labouring must no longer remain passive spectators, but rouse themselves to co-operate with their friends. It was to the Honnratiores, the most highly educated men belonging to the middle class of Hungary, to whom Kossuth now turned. These com- prised the chief intelligence of the countrj' ; those who not 232 MEMOIR OF K0S81 ni. [a.d. 1842 bfiiipj of noble dcBccnt, wcrt' excliultMl from the privilcp^es of the " NubilcH," thoupjh ()cvu[)vii»f^ the ]K>Kitioii of j>ro- fes.sional men, physicians, hiwyern, or olluvrH iu tlie army. AVhile the Catholic hii-nirchy Mere mo«t of them, if not all, "NobilcH," the ProtcBtant cler^)' even when noble by birth, belonged by their oihce to the Honon comraercc bv the Border TarilV betAveen Austria and Hungary*. The indirect taxation by the oppressive Tariffs c»f Austria had been wrested by the Austrian Government from the control of the Diet. As Free Trade principles had always been pre- valent in Hungar}, the duties iipon Hungarian prf>duce •would have been little more than nominal ; the Tariff" was, * This is not peculiar to Hungary, but iuaeparable from the exiet- ence of a hierarchy, or Church paid by the Stite. The Dissenting Ministers of England, however superior in iutellectuiil or moral qualities, though not now subject to disabilities on account of their profession, are looked upon both individually and as a class, as inferiort by the lay members and clergy of the Established Church. A.D. 1842.] THE BOBDEE tahiff. 233 therefore, levied under the fonn of heftvy Austrian exports, transit, and import duties, aud it was supposed in Hungary, that the abolition of the Tariff would open a freer market for her produce. Kossuth undertook to demonstrate that tliis expectation was illusorj- : the exports of the natural prtv ducts of Hungary were already so lightly taxed, that they nught be said to enter Austria free, whereas the products of Austria imj)orted into Huiigan»' were burdened with a heavy duty : as these consisted chiefly of manufactured goods, and the interest of the Austrian manufacturer had already been secured by laws which repressed Hungarian industr}', by prohibiting all trade between Hungary' and any other country but Austria, the market would be no greater than before, even though the Tarift' were abolished. The Austrian article being attainable at a lower price would only sen'e in this case to destroy the germ of commercial industry springing into life in Hungary. But, on the other hand, if entire Free Trade were conceded, Hungary would then find a greater market for her raw products, and would receive the produce of the industry of all countries both more perfect and cheaper than the monopolized nuuuifac- tures of Au.stria. AVith or without the Border Tiu-itl', Hun- garj' was, in her present condition, at the caprice or will of Austrian traders, and it was only the high price the people had to pay for Austrian goods, occasioned by the duty Upon them, which now gave a stimulus to home manu- factures. Therefore since entire Free Trade was denied, Kossuth demaiuh'd in the name of the Hungarian people, instead of an abolition of the Border Taritl', a n)ore equitable system both as regarded foreign goods, and Austrian manu- factures ; and further, that the Tariff should not be so con- structed aa solely to favour the latter country ; that the Hungarian merchant should not be forced, from tlie ab- seroe of all competition from abroad, to dispose of the raw 234 MEMOIR OF KOSSUTH [a.d. 1842. products an well aa the manufactured goods of hia country to Austria, at a price below liu-ir real value, while the Hun- garian purchaser waa at the same time obliged to pay an exorbitant price for Austrian manufactures, becauHC other foreign manufactures were excluded from the liuugariau market. " Our situation," Kossuth justly remarked in the " Pesti Hinap," " at present resembles a prison in which we are only pennitted as much freedom aa will enable us tuirt Batthyanyi, immediately subscribed to pur- chase a large estate with the intention cf presenting it to him. They were desirous of increasing his influence in the country, and by rendering him independent of his profes- sional labours, to enable iiim to devote his whole time to politics. But Kossuth who, though !Jot a wealthy man, en- joyed a Buftlcient competence to satisfy the unambitious desires of himself and of his family, and who had never allowed himself to be bound to any party by the ties of in- terest, steadily refused the generous oiler. 212 MEMuiB or KOdsurn. [a^d. 1841. ciiai'ti:h \ 1 1. MT. 12—1 1. 181-1— 18^«J. Vote of the Diet upon the eommrreial quettion — KoarutVi rietcB irith regard to Protection and Free Trade — T%t JV' with fon'ign luv- tions. It commenced with a lar;;e capital, and at the close of the first year the director of the company presented a BatLsfactorj' balance to the nieinlu-rs in a genend mivting. The busincHA of the compuiy and the number ui' the share- holders increased in the course of the aecond year; but, unfortuimt<'lv, the dinvtor, thoutjh a young man of talent, had a turn for sptvulation, and after entaiii;liiig himself in debt, involvt*trial enterprises which owed their origin to him. He was not, howevcT, to be discouraged; he persuaded the members of the " Kereskedelmi Tarsasag,'* tliat it wa.s a duty they owed their country to maintain their |>osition, even at a large pecuniar\' sacrifice; and instigated by him, they discharged the obligations they had taken upon themselves towanls the merchants and com|»anie9 abruud, and thus touxx'cdx-'d iu restoring tlu-ir honour and 2iS MEMOIB or K088UTII. [a.D. l^i credit ; ulier which he re-orpuiired the company, and plact-d two ahlo dirtTtont at itH hi-ad. It flouriiihcd tn'en duriug the truubleH of the lievulutiuu, aitd wa« only duwulYed in 1851, wlu-n the Auiitriau niinitftcre, Schnarwuberg and Biu-h, would nse8 ; it w ould have propitiated Croatia, since that pro- >-inc!e would ha\t? derived considerable benefit from the chief trade of Hujigary passing through her territory', uniting her at the same time more closely to the sister country, and an outlet would have been affbrdi-d for the agricultural pro- ducts of the rich plain of Hungary-, for the Banat and S>t- mium. Hungarian grain would thus have been brought into competitiou with that of Odeasa in the London market. A.D. 1S45.] THE T^DKOTLET. 249 While Kossuth was still urfjiwfj the subject upon the pubhc in the " Pesti Hirlap," a company ■was fornu-d bv his iudefatigable zeal, and works conunenced for a rail- road as far as Carlstadt. In the Diet of lS43-4-t, the "Mobiles" offered to guarantee an mterest of five per cent, on the capitjil, ujwn their own private fortunes. The Go- vernment, however, either prompted by fears for the in- terests of Trieste, or acting by the couuivauce of fiussia, refused to sanction the bill. On the 7th January, 18-15, an edict was passed by the Austrian Government to the effect, that in order to put an end to the abuses which had taken place in con.>*equence of the societies lately organized in liuntjary and Tnmsylvauia, the said societies would no longer b».* permitted to exist, unless their statutes were revised and sanctioned by the gracious approval of his Majesty. The C'omitiit.s were ad- monished that wherever such were found, they should give information as to their origin, aim, and progress, and should order their discontinuance until they had received the Koyal ass(>nt. The Oovenimmt, however, did not venture to give these societies their real name ; therefore, although the Co- mitats knew well that the W'degjlet was int<'nded, most of them replifd, that no society answering the d«*hcription and wanting the Koyal sanction existed within their jurisdic- tion, but only a few branch societies of the Vedegjlet which had emanated from the Diet. Upon this answer being received, the Government tk up the qurstion on statis- tical, instead of political, grounds. An official statement was published, in which the annual n-venue derived by Hungary from A ustro- Hungarian commerce was set down at fourttM-n million florins. Kossuth entered into a strict examination of the accuracy of this statement, and in August, 1H4(5, delivered a masterly oration upon the subject before the General Assembly of the Vedegjlet, which lasted 260 MEMOIB OF KOHSI'TII. [x.V. 1^4<}. three hours, lit* provi-d, by a deUil of fiu'U, thiit a fidjie balance hat) htu'ii hiid bcfort' the public, and afU*r f^ivijig an exact atialvHiM of the v^holt* hvhUmu of the Amitru-Iiuii^pinAii Turitf, he dcniutiHtnit^'d by the nuMt authentic Htutihtical and coiiiinerriHl returns, thnt it wom fnuiied so as tu enable the llerediUiry StaU'n of Austria to derive profit from Hun> gary ait fnitn a colony, and that this intention had already been fulfilled to an alarming extent. In tluKe varioun nehenieH for the material improrement of his country, KoMuth hail been brou|;ht into closer con- nexion with the leading Maijnaten of the Oppo«ition jiirty. Yet while rea*lily eoneurring in projt-ctij which did n«-'i ii- terfert* w ith their claiw prvjudicea, they still shrank from the ehawtisenient their »elfi»hneH» and injustice received from his pen, and refund to abate one it**m of their exclunivo pretenaious, even to admit the best educat^nl and most in- tellij»ent men of the countn.' to participate in their privilege* aa free citizens. The enthusiasm with which the VedegAlet had at first been hailed, had bepfim to subside; some of the Aui-operate for the purpose of guarding the rights of the nation ;" and since Hungary- had been hitherto deprived of a j)urely Na- tional and Parliamentary' Government,* the Opposition had not, and could not limit their 0]H>ration8 simply to " con- trol, and where nctvs«an' to oppose the Government but must further consider it imperative upon tliem to endeavour to bring about moderate refonns." For this end they were resolved to persevere st<»adily in mainUiining their too frequent attitude, "that to which history has given the name of Op|X)sition, and with which the Keform party has bei-n long identified." Far, however, from cUiiming the initiative as their exclusive right, they declared themselves alw ays ready, "as far as possible, to support every good and lawful measure proposed by Government ;" their object being not to obtain high places in the State, but a victory of the good cause. • Fr«>in the miffrage being rnnit«d to one claM, and from the iut«r- fereoce of the UoTi-ruiueut in the niunicipalitiea of the towne. 8 2 2G0 iiisToni Of HcxoABT. [a.d. 1817. *' Ijct that wliicli in good come from what quarter it may, by \s hoiimot'vrr brought forward, it may dt'|M.'iid U{>on our Hup* port, and that we »hall do our be»t U) further it." They [•rocecdfd to express thi-ir conviction, tluit " if the intercuts of tbe citizens of ull chuuH>ii in the Statu were once united, luitional and constitutional development, the welikre and niatcriid pntspcrity of tlu-ir luitive land, and the most powerful 8up|>ort to the llirone would be aocured." For this purpose they demanded that " the TnuiMvlvanian Coun- ties should be united to liungar}',* that the * Nobile** and pleb<>innti should shore one common taxation^ that all men sliould be equal In-fore the lawn, that the citii*ii ikhould be fairly represented in the Municipalitii^n and in the Diet, that the im{H>sition8 of the Urbarium should be wholly removed, that the Avitizitatt should be abolished, and that then* should be a national system of education." The OpjMisition, while n-solved to uae all legitimate means in the approaching Diet to obtain these ends, declared their intention '• never to give their consent to a single step which by unjustly surrendering the above mentioned lawful re- ijuests would sacritice the interests of liungart-, or render I liem subordinate to those of the hereditary dominions of Austria." The Programme, it will be observed, demanded one com- mon taxation of all classes without distinction of the two kinds of taxes; experience had now taught Kossuth that his tirst project of a partial taxation instead of gradually leading towards the desired measure, only served as an impediment. • See Chaj'ter, xL p 277- + The Avitizitat related to tLe teniire of property in a Cumlj. It could not be legally sold, and its disposal was strictly cared for. The Si'ns, on coming of age, might demand a certain portion a« alimony ; and at the death of the father, the estate was equally divided among them all — See Pagit't Hungarj, VoL I., p. 4C4. I i..D. 1847.] SPEECH OP KOSSUTH. 2GI Had he, in the first instance, demanded all instead of part, the Conson^atives would hardly have ventured to return an unqualified nei»ative ; they would, probably, have estot- med themselves fortunate if they could have conciliated their opponents by what must have been acknowled^^l to be only a fair partition ; but the time for nei^otiation was now pjist ; the '* Nobiles" must either con!«ent to their own immediate taxation^ or wait till the tax was imposed upon them by others. Political wisdom and past experience held out a waminpthat it was more prudent to anticip.ite an inevitable evil than to be overtaken by it, and since taxes were ueeesjiary for the support of a state, those who, although capable, refused to contribute thfir shnr*-, failed in one of thrir chief dutien, and thert-fore wt-n* unworthy to enjoy thi- rii^hts of citizens. "The future exint«-noe of natimi!*." said Kos.xutli, " is nut an enifjma which rt*«}uin»« the yift i>f prophecy to discover ; it is rather a mathematical problem whose solution can be best found in a ri^ht compri'hen.sion of the national history and its various relations. Thi-n-fore, I venture to pnuiounce without affectinj; to be a pn»phet, but only by a ^fiance at the given numbers, that when we ask ourselves by whose agency the existence of Hungary' is to be secured, and by whom the Hungarian people will become a truly constitu- tional nation, strong, free, and haj)py; we must not in our answer omit the nobles, whose political power has been steeled by the battles of a thousand years, or erase them from the list of labourers in the cause. It is because I do not forget them that I behold in the future of my nation the Noble one with the people, united by freedom, the true hearted first-born among his brethren, the leader of the family, who meet him everj-where with love and confidence, infusing couratre and S4'lf-r»'linnce in them by his strength, in the van of all their struggles, and still invincible, keejiiiig 2G2 MEMOIU OF K088UTU. [a.D. 18-17. 1 lio watch at every poiiit of danger which thrcateiui the loiimiun home. In a word, the future of my nation preseuta ittiilf before me in u form w here the powerful inlluenee of the " Nohileh" appeur», not by injuriouM privilegen but by moral hlren{i[tli and luslorieul importance, and an the wed from whence the fruit of unixerHul freedoui hhall be develojH'd." About thid ])eriod tlie old I'ulutine, Arcli-Duke JoM'ph, died. The choice of a HUcccHMjr wuh a mutter of no HUiall moment. The appointment waa for life, and waa a pre- lo^'iitive of the Diet, in which the Crown could not iiiterfere. The I'ahitnie presided over the Central litmrda, which were tilled with the nomiuevH of the King. He wan the chair- man of the hij,'her courts of justice, and the guardiun of the Coijj-tituti^in a^uin^t the encroachments of the Uovernment; the mediator between the Soverei^i and the country, and hud the j)o\ver of convoking tin* Diet, when this obligation was lu'glected by the Crown ; tinally, he was I'rebident of the Diet, and commander of the insurrection, or general levy of the " Xobiles." The prospect of the election of the Aich-Dukr Stephen, the son of Joseph, was regarded with dread by the Court of Vienna,* who suspected him of covetuig the crown of St. Strphen; and even the nation were disinclined towards hint, aa they feared again to trust the guardianship of their Constitution to an Austrian Arch- Duke. Long before the death of the old Palatine, the higher aristocracy had begun to entertain thoughts of elect- ing a Hungarian ^Magnate to fill his place. The Palatine Joseph, however, had been much respected, and the Arch- Duchess was attached to Hungary, charitable, kind, and sincerely desirous to promote the welfare of the people; • The Arch-Dtike Stephen belonged to the younger branch of the House of Hapsburg, which waa looked upon with much jealousy at Vienna. A D. 18-47.] ELECTIOK FOH THE DIET OF 1847. 263 their son had, therefore, early imbibed an affection for hia native land, and soon after the death of the Arch-Duke, Kossuth proposed, in the Comitat of Pesth, that their dele- gates, at the approaching Diet, should receive instructions to vote for the election of Stephen. The proposition to place a Magnate in the vacant office would have been danger- ous to the peace as well as freedom of Hungarv : though the Areh-Duke was yet untried, and it might be doubtful into what scale he would throw his influence, yet it was the least hazardous experiment of the two ; and it was hoped that he would lean towards the measuri'S advocated by the party of the Opposition. The motion wjis therefore carried, and as all the other Comitats followed the example of Pesth, the Court and high aristocracy saw they had no chance of success for any other eandiilate, and accordingly agreed to sanction the choice. The Diet of 1847 was approaching. The Government, strongly supported by the t'oiisrrvative party, employed every means in their power to obtain a majority. The Koyal Administrators exert^'d themselves to their utmost, and neither bribery nor intimidation was sparetl. They Bucceetled in defeating many men of emiiieiiee belonging to the oppj8it thi« prujcct. KoMHuth hiul no coitiu-xion by birth with Pcsth, aiid had ouly rt'cintly ttt-quirt'd a umall property thero. Hiii bt'Liifj rftunifd an nii-mUT would, thcn'fon*, be unpre- fodi'iitod. llf had BfVi-ral coinpftilum, hif;h in oflicr, and iutluential from their j>oiiitiun. Se dreaded hi* i»cheme» for the euuuK-ipation of the jK'a»antry, and for other n-forni*. Or- dinary niindit eould not embrace the va^tnemt of hi« ideaii, or comprehend how ever}' project tended toward« one aim, and therefore by nuch he wa» accuM-d of versatility, while the timid feared his jKipularity with the maiw of the people, or were alarmed at the bold attitude he had assumed towards the Austrian Government ; more than all, the Govcnunent itself waa sure to use all its power and influence to pnvent his election. Kossuth himself hesitated. He did not aim at personal distinction, and he was uncertain if bin succeas iu the Diet mi^ht equal that he had met with in the pretis, and iu the Comitat. He doubted lest his sphere of useful- ness mij^ht not be curtailed, and that by incurring the jealous rivalry of his own friend>, he mi^ht not injure tbe cause for w hieh he had laboured during so many years. Count Louis Batthyanyi overcmme all these scruples and set aside everv- objection which present<.-d itself; he threw the whole weight of his influence into the balance, sparing neither money* nor exertions to secure the victory to Kossuth ; yet there was, at that time, no strong bond of sympathy betweeu these two men. • Direct bribery was not used in this InBt&nce by tbe Liberal party, but the money was expended (as has hitherto i-een customary in all elections) in treating the electors, and bringing them up to the polL A.D. 1847 ] COU>'T LOUIS BATTllTAXTI. 2G3 Count Louis Batthyam-i was boru iii IsOO, and lost his father in childhood; be eutert'd the Austrian semce at sixteen years of age, and whik* utationed hi Jtalj devoted himself to literature and the line arts ; he quitted the anny on attaining his nnijority, and from that time devoted liim- self to the study of polities and became a constant attendant on the Comitiits. lUn marriage with the Countess Antonia Zichy added a considerable fortune to his own, and he travelled through the Eiu»t and a great part of Europe ; on his return he divided his time bi'tween Vienna and hia estates in Hungar}', where he commenced his patriotic ex- ertions by establishing a sugar manufactory, and by making large plantations of mulb«'rry -trees. After ls;i5 he becuino almost exclusively engaged in politics, and endeavoured to follow in the steps of Szt'-ehenyi, though clos«ly allied with the Liberal party; he applied himself especially to the study of the Hungarian Uuiguage, and was the first Magmito who removed his winter residi'nce from Vieniui to Pesth ; at the same time he did not Umh' favour with the more libenil members of the n»ynl family, and continued to receive visita from the old Palatine Jos«'pli up to the time of his death, and fnim the Arch-Duke lSt«*phen. Ardent by nature and devotedly attached to Hungary, he was constant in hia endeavours to presene her independence ; but though gifted with a generous and noble mind, he was not exempt from that laxitv of privut«* monils, and that want of an enlarged comprehension of human nature, which is almost inevitable in one belonging to any body of men set apart from their ft'llow men by great wealth, or the artificial circumstance of hen-ditar}' rank. He was by birth and sympathies a thorough aristocrat ; where Kossuth treated public opinion with deference, Batthyanyi treated it with scorn ; he lamented what he called his compatriot's weak concessions to the people, while Kossuth regretted the pn-iudices of birtli and 368 lUMoin OP kobbuth. [x.d. 1847. the Htubborn dettnni nation of will, which characterized the Count. In the uHHociutions where they had been coUcaguea, as well a.s in public all'airH, they haaliara, if they could only live under the protection of a consul. The consumption of cotton alone in Hungary equals twenty-four million of Horins, and yet we pay for the hundred weight one hundred peanant^, ami aaked for hie p««Hport. He produced it immediiitely, but WM« 8uri>riM«?d bj being told, that oa pa88}>orts were now contrary to l»w he could not proceed, for having one in hiii poBsessiou. t2 27G MEMOIB OF KOSSUTH. [a.D. 18t7. ami tin florins more tliun il' we jjur(hatM.d it from the English, who are carrying on a war with China, wliile our markets are unviHited. And why? Because no Engliiih flag waves here. We must endeavour to remedy this aa far as poHHibk", by an otJer of advautugeuuii tennH. The right of settlement ia not suftjcient ; a iihorter time muat aLto be fixed to obtain political rights ; the proposed law mentionn five years. But an long mm industry' does not receive the attention it dcHen'es, as K)ng aa the increase of manufac- tories is not looked u|)on as a benefit to the country, foreign capital and foreign resources will not flow towardii Hun- gary." .... He pleaded cHpecially for Fiume, where Italian was the language of the p«'Ople, and where restric- tive laws would act to the disadvantage of Hungar)- herself. Even though the Magyar tongue Hhould l)e enforced else- where aa the medium of oUicial communication, he con- sidered an exception *' should be made in favour of a maritime city whose vocation was to welcome all nationa led thither by commerce." CHAPTER XIII. 1847—1848. November to March. Xransyltama — Counties of Hungary granted to the Princes of Transylvania — Restored to Hungary — Acts of the IHet—Xeglect of the Gocemment — Speech of Kossuth upon the conduct of the Government — £fect of his Speech — The Representation — Speech of Kossuth on the Representation — Amendment of Kossuth carried — Rejected by the Magnates — Kossuth urges the Nation should come to a distinct understanding with the Govern- ment — Sis new motion carried — Ihrm of the Bej^e- A.D. 18-47.] THE BOBDEB COr>TIES. 277 sentatioH — Royal Administrators — The suiject to he avoided in the Sepresentation — Opposed by Kossuth — Hi* original proposition accepted — Carried in the House of Magnai-es. The question of Transylvania was analoflfous to that of Croatia, as both were separate provinces annexed for many centuries to Hungary, and whose amalgamation in language, laws, and rights, with the sister countrv, was necessary to form one united and powerful nation. When Hungary was ruled by the Kings of the House of Arpdd, and those of succeeding Dynasties, the border Counties of Krasua, Zarand, Szohiok, and Kovar, had be- longed to her, but when the Hungarians elected the Austrian Hapsburg D^Tiasty, while Transylvania continued to be ruled by her native Princes, the border Counties were re- signed to the Princes of Transylvania, but onlv for the life- time of each Prince, with the understanding that they still formed a part of the kingdom of Hungary.* At the death of every Prince, the Counties revertfd to Hungarv, until after Bome new war they were restored, as a condition of peace. But when, in 1695 ,t Transylvania became subject to Austria, these compacts ceased ; the Counties returned permanently to Hungary-, and an act to that effect wiis passed into a law. In 1733, Charles III. granted these four Counties again to Transylvania, without consulting the Diet. The ensuing Diet, 1741, protested against the act as ilk-gal, and sub- sequent Diets ftiiiUly succeeded in obtaining from Maria Theresa, Leopold II., and Francis I., a consent to the restitution of the disputed Counties. As the executive, however, lay in the Government, the act was never carried into effect; and in 18.36, a new law passed the Diet, by which it was not only declared that the Counties were to be • See p. lOi t At the pMce of Carlowicr. See p. 138. 27A mi:mi)1u or kohhltu. [x.d. 1^7. ri'stori'd to Hunynrv, but that tlu-y ahould from that time lorth be couHidert-d to I'onn a part of the kingdom, M'udiuK dilt ^iitrH to the lluiif^anaii Ditt, Ac. Ac: the e&ecutioii of tin" law wjui however Htill deferred. Ill 1817, the Government waji prvpared to encounter the n'proiu-hert of tlie (^pjMmition on tltin i»ubjii"t ; the Coii!*erv»- tives, hop«'d to ward off the Hlonn, bv brinj^ng the queiition forw jird thcmi»clve«, and by informing the Diet of the tuccfM the (iovernineiit hud met with, in certain negotiation it and iiiea.««un'» wl>ieh had Ix-en taken pn*pamt<cted law. The Ktatement however fkiied in it:! desired eflect. It wiu» upon thin or8iuide, but to convince, and he laid anide all the flowers of oratorj", to aildreiw the understanding, rather tlian the iinai;inution, of his audience. "A simple statement of facta is tlie most conrincing rhetoric;" he commenced. "As good works are ot iiion- avail before God, than the best turned phrase in prayer, as the bliK>d which is shed cries louder to Heaven than the tumultu;u-y noise of curses, so do the remnants of the mangled law speak more distinctly than any utterance of coniplaijit. I will simply lay before you true and unadorned f;iots; but with the filed detennination that if my hopes are bot rayed, come what will, I shall be ready to adopt the most extreme mcasurt^s permitted by law, rather than suffer the lluugariau laws, the dignity of the Hungarian 1 gia- lature, and the just exercise of the judicial power to be trodden under foot amidst cowardly lamentations. In the year 1741 the grandfathers of our fathers ordered the re-annexation of the separated provinces; ninety-five years elapsed, and a new law was required to give apparent secu- rity for its perlbrmance — but only apparent ; eleven years have since passed away and the law is not yet executed ; the L.^ 1847.] THE UOUDKU COl'NTIES. 279 tactics of the Goverument have taken a new direction, and if we do not prevent it, ninely-five more years may be recorded in our history, to hold up to our shame iuto what a deptli of weakness lluiijijan' has sunk, into such a depth of weak- ness, that her laws will become a dead letter, her com- mands an empty sound. The act of 18."JG is divided into two sections ; the first, relates to the representation of the Counties in the Diet, and yet three Diets have passed, and Kov;ir n'mains unsummoned ;• and though the remaining Counties have been summoned, they have sent no repre- sentatives, because they justly doubt the real intention of the Government to exivute the law The second stvtion of the act, relates to their re-incorporation into the Administration, which the Government has not only ne- glected, but now h«lf excuses on the plea of resistance on the part of Transylvania If we take a just view of this transaction, we shall find that the Government has committi-d nine offenc»'S agiiinst the State ; first, that that jK)rtion of the act rt*Uiting to the restoration of the Counties, the administrative, the extvution of which was assigned to the (t oveniment, has been left unfulfilled ; becondly, the remainder of the act, which, had it not been directly hinden-d, and which without the int^-rference of Government would have been execut«-' Sovereifjn nho lias iqMjken bo deciuively hi« irpevoaible will ooncemini^ the n>-aiineiation of the Count ien, an appeal i» made to the re»i»tanoe of Traniiylrania, aa a sulliciiMit ob8tui*le to claim the attention of the ilouae." Kovsuth pasaed from thia topic to that which n'lated to theae Counties beinp uurepre8ent<.'d in the Diet, and eupecially the caM* of the County of Kovar, which had always had a aeat and Toto in the Hun- gtihan Diet, until afU*r the Act of re-annexation had poased ; he cittxl one instance amonf^ other*, of the direct violation of the law on the jwirt of the (invenunent, in the conduct and Mubitc'quent fiite of the Fi>Ispany of £>xolnok : the King M>nt by him the royal summons to the Comilat to elect tlicir menibi'n«, but he abittuiix-d frvim delivering; the mes«af(e ; the Comitat upon thi(« ciprea^ed their desire to aend a deputy to tha approaching Hungarian Diet, but the Ko-Ii»p!iny uned measures of coercion to prevent them exenM»in>; their lawful ri^htH ; the " Nobiles " apjM-alcd to the Diet, and the Diet referred the matter to the Goven^ nieiit, demandinfi^ that the Fi>-lspany should be forced to resjHct the laws, but the only resiUt of their reuu>nstrauce was that the transgressor was rewarded for his illegal cou- *tsa;;e to obsen'e, that a general antipathy against the re-auneiation exists in the Counties themselves. I ai$k if it exists, who called it forth ? But it does not exist ; aa a clear proof of which, I joyfully hail the petition of those Transylvanian patriots who, neither terrified by the ang^' looks of those in power, nor by the fanaticism of their countni'men, anxiously stretch forth their hands towards that law of their sister nation which has been sanctioned by their common sovereign, which will heal the wounds of a century, wounda which have not ceased to bleed in fortune and miisfortune, and like the torments of conscience cannot be cured even by the wonder working balsam of time." Kossuth particularly called the attention of the Diet to the fact that this petition had the signatvu^es of people of the highest respectability in Transylvania, and not of the mere populace. "Who," be asked, " could in future trust in the laws of the Z^Iagyars, if they could betray these men ? "Who could place his hopes in the sanctity of law if their hopes were rendered vain, and they returned to their homes, to be the objects of persecutioiL: A.D. 18t7.] THE BEPBESEXTATIOX. 283 Yes, indeed, of persecutiou! for such is the couditiou of Transylvania, that respect for the laws of the Hungarian nation and for the King, is there a crime; it is a crime to look with aflection upon Hungary ; with them indeed the nation must despair lest right should no longer be pro- tected or law held sacred. But if it has come to this, then let us rather close the doors of this chamber, for our legis- lative power, by which we propose to establish the happiness and fame of our nation, is become a breath, a plaything. But no, I confide in my nation, I confide in our King's attach- ment to the laws ; for I am convinced if he were infonned of the real state of the case, his lawful command would at once break the thread of court intrigues as of a spider's web." Kossuth concluded by proposing that past injuries should be forgotten, and that the Diet should only demand satis- faction for the present and security for the future. The instantaneous impression made by this speech was at that time unexampled in the records of the Chamber of Depu- ties. "When it ended, Anton Barbaczy, the leader of the Government party, rose, and in a few words expressed the concurrence of himself and of his friends in the statements of Kossuth, and the proposition was accordingly carried unanimously. Having thus given a sketch of several of the principal topics which occupied the Diet, we must proceed to that in which the Liberal and Conservative party struggled with most determination, each to maintain their own particular views. The debate; on the Representation to be laid before the King commenced on the 22nd November. It had never been a necessary form in the Hungarian Parliament to discuss the speech from the Tliroue, but a list of the gravamina, or grievances complained of, and which had been entrusted to the delegates from their several Comitats, waa 284 utyoiR or KosBrrn. [a.o. 1847 nt once Rcnt up to the Kinj^. To thin K4*pr««enUtioo had btvii iwltltd, in the two or tljrf«» Dirt* which preceded UuU of 1847, a voto of thaiikfl for thf conceiMiiona promi*ed in the Mpwch, and it had bi*come fa«hioDablo to call it ** Tlie Addrt'Bii." In the H»'pmM'ntAtion now reed to the Lower ChnnibtT, thf f>n»t |>nnipm]>h« contnini'd miTely expreiMiion* i)f thnnkn, and paiMu-d without a diiuM-ntirnt Toice : the Bix> t4H'nth and M*vent4H>nth demanded that hia Majeety ahouJd Hutiunon an annual Pirt to nn"*^ at Tenth, t- ■ il of Hungary, inBt«'ad of I*rfnburf» ; and further nt . •, the Diet was willing to paas auch measurea as would conduce to reooneile the c(»nflirtin(» i>jt4'n*«l(i of Iluntjarr ant! The j»even conrludinjj para^^raphii n-lnted to the j r grievanres of whieh the nation complained, esitocially that of the Itoyal Adminintratom. The ronsenativrs ohjeeted to the form of the B^re- si*ntatit>n, and pn.)jKmed that it should be confined to a simple expression of thauk» for the King's consent to that act whii-h (leertH-d the Hungarian language should be used in place of the Latin, aa well as for other liberal mea«ure«. Kossuth, on the other hand, obscrred this might be accepted as a sign that the nation was satisfied with what had ftlready been done ; whereas, greater and more \-ital reforms Were needed, which the whole system of the present GoTem- nient was opposed to ; therefore, while returning thanks to the King, he maintained that the thanks should be qualified by such statements as would plainly evince that the Boyal concessions were considered insufficient. " The time for the eiprewon of empty thanks," he ob- Borved, " is past ; preceding Diets have already done that. I represent a Comitat which demands reforms, and insists upon our conduct being so directed as to obtain them A single glance at the relations of Europe proves that the future of the other States of Austria is connected with kJ>. 1848.] TUE BEJaESENTATIOS. 2S5 the free Constitutional prosperity of llungan'. But under the pn*aent system thia Constitutional prosperity is iuipus- sible, for the Act of 171H)« is still a dt-ad K-tter, and the Government of Hungar)- is any thing but independent and constitutional. This arises from the OoTemmeut of Con- !«tituti<>ii:d Huii^nn." being counectt*d}w ith that of Absolutislie Au.itria, wIikIi ^■:\n hv as little for the well-being of Hunguni' a."* for that of the Ilereditar}- Dominions, whoso interests^ tLA well as those of the Monareh, would be promoted by a eliange from a despotie to a eunstitutional form. Therefore, besides thanks for the Royal concessions, let the Address contain the opinion of the Diet upon their insufficiency ; let it point out how impossible it is to satisfy the nation by such half measures, as long as the whole tendency of the policy of Government continues adverse to the rights and Constitution of Hungary ; as an exaniple of which, the case of the Administrators may bi« adduced, aiid not alone a temporary measure, such as the displacement of these officers be urged upon the Gorenunent, but an entire abolition of the whole system." Barbaczy and Sotiisich, on the Consen'ative side, protested against the proposed amendment, and moved again for a simple address of thanks, while Siu-ehenyi suggested that, without entering into any detail of grievances, a general desire for reform might bo expressed. The debate lasted fivo days, at the end of which time Kossuth's anieiidtnent was carried, and sent up to the Magimte.s ; it was there sup- ported by Nicolas Esterhary, Karolyi, Zichy, and many bearing names of distinction, but, nevertheless, it was * Art. 10. HuDg^ry U a fr«e and indrpcndrat klni^oni, in no way 0ubordinat« to any <^>th« gorcruetl \>y ha InwfuUy crowned king, not according to the cuatouia of the «tiicr bcraditarj domiuiona, but according to ita own right* and cuatom^ Act of 1790 c«nfinned by the Emjieror King Leopold II. 280 \ivifnin or kohbi'th. [a.d. 1816. tiimJlvnjtvtrd.nnd Bout bru-k to tin- I^»\»«-r Chanihtr, with th« mlvici- thiit till* Dcputii-H should I'oiitiiiL' tlu'iniM-lvcK to a vut4* of tlmiikM, ur alludt> to their grievances in general term«, and pOHt]><)iH' the qiirHtion of the annual nieetingM of the DiH to a h«-|>arnt^' luldn-M, or only mention grievance* of long Htonding, aitd omit that of the lioyal Adrainivtratoni. A utonny dfbate folhiwed in the Lower lloime, in which KoHMUth urged the nfc<*»jiity of coming to a dij tine, and for the few liberal measures granted to us ; we must for the present confine ourselves to those grievancea indicated by the Magnates, and as soon as we can agree A.D. 1S18.] THE BOTAL RE8CBIPT. 287 Upon the form of the Address, I shall move for a special rfpre»t*ntatiou to be drawn up in relation to the Act of 1790, of the negligence of the Executive Power in not car- n, ing out the Act of liCiO, &c" The debate again lanted three days, at the end of which tiine the Kcpresentatiun in its original forni was laid a^ide, and directions were given that another should be drawn up in its stead On the liOth of January" the Palatine read to the Diet a dLHTument he had received from Vieniui, entitled, '* Koyal iieseript on those measures adopted since the sitting of the last Diet in relation to Coinitjital Adinini!«tration." In this Keseript the (iovernineiit ap|H'ared to doubt the wisdom of the appointment of the Koyal Administrators. It ran thus, ** Deeply moved by the anxiety and excitement oee!i.iioned in the C'omit«t« by the ap|>ointment of AdminiiitratorM, the just pain of the Government is increaiM>d by the apprehen- sion and • ' ' ' which app4*ar to exercise an injurious 1 isent Diet;" to remove which, although ronrniced of the legality of the act ; " we are resolved that the nomination of Adminiittrators shall bo resenred for exe»'plional cases, and to maintain in full vigour the ancient Comitital administrative system, as well as the dignity of the Fi>-I»pnny ; and as nnm as the un- Ujfual circumstances which make the ai){Hiintment of Koyal Administrators necessary shall disajipear, to restore the Fo-Ispanys to the full ex-r-i-- of their legitimate func- tions." The Ktiyal Rescript neither sati.sfied the Con.H^^n'atives nor the Liberals ; the former thought it too great a con- •■ftsion to public opinion, and the latter doubted whether ttie : it contained would be fulfilled : the party of tip ' _ _ 'ion had long ceased to place any confidence iii tho Government, yet there were some who argued the 288 MLMoia ur kusbltu. [a..d. Ib48. Uc'M.Tlpt Du^ht to be* met AJi a conciliatory step frotn Uie tliroiu', and Mhuuld iftnuve all apprfhetijiioiu uf further UMur|>aXi()i)rt on tlu- part uf the Sovervif^n. KcMisuth rainlj in)int4d to the fiu-t that the new appuintmentA were t imtioiial ^ievoiicc, and anti-eonBtitutioiial ; rvrn the mamfeat l';il«eh«>(Ki contained in the Kovnl li**»cript itaeLf, where it lUiMerted thu Adnuuijttrutuni were uuiy appointed in excep« tiunal CAMCH, whervaa thoao officiala had been imposed oa thirty-two out of the fifty Coniitata of Mun^try, did Dot prevent a motion in ita favour being carried by a majoritj of twenty-four a^^nat twenty-three. The utmost oonfuaiua ft)ll()we gates met at the house of Szemere, and dn'w up a Represen- tation which waa the next day read and printed- On the 12th it was carried by a majority of thirteen in the Lower Chamber, and on the 29th it was finally accepted in the Chamber of Magnates. A.D. ISl*? ] THE rREXCII REVoLCTIOy. 2S9 CHAPTER XII. March, 1848. y.^ect of the Trench Jicpolution of February on Hungary — Austrian Sotet — Sj>cccA of Kosruth on the State of the Finances — On the Secessity of Constitutional forms of Oovernment being established throughout the Austrian Dominions — On a Reitponsihle Ministry being jtroriJed for Ifungary— -and on an entire change of the policy of Austria throughout the Empire — Kossuth moves that a yational form of Government shall be apjHtinted in Hungary, independent of foreign infuence, and Consti- tutional Governments be granted to all the Austrian JJominions — The motion unanimously carried in the Chamber of Drputir* — The Magnates determine to trait the return of the Palatine from f'ienna — Jlmnrte lievo- lutioit — Kossuth's speech circulated in Vienna — Consti- tution granted to the llennese — Arrival of the Hungarian Jtrputation at 1'ienna — Their rrcrption /»•/ the King — Kossuth addresses the Viennese people — lirturn of the Deputation to Prrsburg — Enthusiastic reception by the ■ people — Kossuth proclaims Count I^uis Jiatthyanyi tlie first resjKtnsible Hungarian Minister. The nt'wn of the Frcnrh Kt'volution of Februnrv roa*."hi-(l Presburg in thf bfpnniiig of Mnnh, and cau»t*d a general panic. Tlio statt- of the An^trian tinancfM had for many Vfam bo«>n known to be on the wTf^e of bankruptcy, and it wa.1 fean'd that affaim might be hurried to a crisis by the iitormy a.«|>ect of the ix)1iti<-ul worKl. Should the rule of Metteniieh be brought to a sudden tenninatioD, the swon* could alone enable Austria to with- 1*00 MCMOin oi k«* V . I [a.0. 1^18. Btaiul till" fotivulMion winch wan hljakiiiLr ;ih Kurope, and rivil wiir inuHt plun^'t' tito oiuntry iiitu the miiiic tiuaiK-Ul liitUoultiott frum which it hnU KufTfrt'd in Ibll and 181G. An ininu-dintf ilitttruttt of Auntrinn bank i\oU'» waa the con> Hoqui'Mof of thi' jtn-hent nlnnn ; a (^i'IrtuI run upon the baaku in tla* town* lollowfd, and paper money wa« refuaed, even in the villngeH. In the Diet, the Conaen'ative Deputy for Baab gave notice, that lie meant to bring forward a motion to inquire into the real value of the Austrian notes, and although Bcveral very weighty matters were still pending, the Oppo- sition readily eonjk'nted to defer ever)' other question for the a>nsideration of one of such immediate importance. He accordingly moved on the 3rd March, aa the financial cala- mities which had visitetl Hungary dur; ' h licvolution, nugnt yet be fn-sh in the : . , ■•- sent, and as recent events in France had already affected the currtMicy, and <.K-cai8 exercise over our incomes and property, we cannot re»t contented with a mere communication of the htate of the bank, which i« in itself only a matter of detail, a sequence of a whole; we muiit demand the budget of the Jluntntrian receipts and expenditures, and the Const itutioTial administration of the finances; in a word, an inde|K>ndent liuu^arian lk>ard of Finance, without which, the foreign power which rules over us, will pluni^e us into endless embarrai'sment. " It', on the other hand, we have a resjwnsible Ministry, we can provide for the splendour of the throne, for the luressities of our countrk', for the fulfilment of our 1.. " " duties, and secure the pn>jH?rty of our fellow citizens aj: all fluctuations which may threaten them. I will therefore only add, on the subject of the bank, it is my belief that the necessary means to tranquillize the public mind have already been taken, since, a^ a preliminary step, the public have been officially enlightened with regard to the relations of the bank, aud that in all parts of the couutrj' measures A.n. IStS.] spEFxn of Kossriii. 203 h:ive b^Mi aoopted, where retjuired, to redeem the iintes. Should the Goverumeiit wi»eh' ehan^e the teudeuey ot" its poliey, 1 trust that eoiitidence will return; i-onfidenee which is not only necessary for our interest, but for that u( the reissuing dynasty. But iu ordt r to jM>int out the reuiedy, 1 must go back to the twuroe of the evil. " When in the very cotnmencenieut of thi;J Diet, the Address to the Throne was moved, I considered it my duty to enter into an analysis of the relations of our inter- nal affairs, as well as of those which have aris wliifli guides the affairs of the general Kmpire, besides administering the internal affairs of our country, possesses an undue influence, which, if not contrary to law, is anti- constitutional in its elements, its composition, and its ten- dency. " Further, I maintain«d that where our interests and tho?M« of the C" 1 j)eople8 of the Kmpire meet each other, our ind- ; , our freedom, and our well-being can only be secure upon the basis of one common con- stituencv. I t«M)k a general survey of the lamentable origin and development of the bureaucratic system of go eminent 20 1 MKMOIB or KOBSrTH. [a.d, 1S18. at ViiMuiii. I nMiiiiulod you how the fabric of iU enervatt'd |)()\vi'r wiirt n-ari-«l u|)<»n the Hubjiif^nt^d liberties of our liii<;lil)MiirH, and an 1 recountt-d the e<»ii •» of thin fatal iiuu-hitu-ry of (iovrrmnent, and Iook< •,,- book of life ill which events reveal the historj' of the future, I pro- nouiKi'd, in the earncBtncM of tnith, and fidelity to the ri-if^ninj^ family, that he who Mhotild reform the syntein of the (Government on a conxtitutional bnKiM, and eMtabliah tlie Thnme UjMin the lib«'rty of the jMHiple, would be the »ec()nd loundrr of the 11oum> of llapfbur^. "Since I j)n»nounced those word*, thrtinea Bustained by Ftato-craft have fallen, and nations who, but a few tnonthii back, could not have dn'ameh(>uld remain thus immoveable. With a bleeding heart I biliold how nuu'h noble power, how much peal talent is wasted in thankless labour, reminding me of the torments of t!»f tnjKlinill. '* The surt'oenting vapour of a heavy curse hangs over us, and out of the leaden chambers of the Cabinet of Vienna a eonsuming wind sweeps by, which benumbs our nerves, and ivj^resses our spirits' flight. But if hitherto. I have only Itan'd, because I i)erceived the influence of the Viennese r-ystom had caused an irreparable injurr to our countrv, because constitutional progress is insecure, and because, during three centuries, the contrast between the Abso- lutislic Government of the Empire and the constitutional existence of Hungary- has never been adjusted, and never can be adjusted without the resignation of one or the other principle; my fears are not noir for this alone; I grieve to think that the stagnant bureaucratic policy, which is incorporated into the State Councils of Vienna, leading the A.D 1848.] SPEECH OF KOSSUTH. 29o Empire on to destruction, should also compromise the future existence of our beloved D^niasty ; and that our count rv, which requires all its powers and all its resources for its own prosjK'rity, should be led to make sacrifii-es which oppress the iH'ople and to endure an endless series of calamities. Such to me is the present aspect of aflairs ; and as such, 1 consider it my bounden duty to call the attention of the honourable members to the evils which threaten our coun- try. We, to whom the nation has confided the task to pro- tect her present and secure her future existence ; we may not wait with closed eyes until our country is inundated with an ocean of calamities ; our task is to f;o forth to meet the evil, and should we hesitate in the performance of this duty, we shall bi- responsible to God, to the world, and to our own com»ciences, for the misfortune which will be the consequence of our delay. AVhen political changes occur, and the time for a peaceable adjustment h.is pass*'d away, when the die is irrevocably cast, and we have nr^hvteil tsee, tht-n will repentanei- come too late, and the Omnip"'' "t TliMist-lf c.innot restore moments wasted in inaction. " I, at least, if ai« a patriot I al.-»t) inu.Ht share in this tanlv reiH'utance, will not fuil in my responsibility as a Delegate. lA*t me remind the honourable members of the period of the French war. What had Hungjiry to do with the in- ternal atfairs of the French people ? Our Diet waa assem- bled in the year 1790, but our ancestors did not interist thems«'lves in any thing beyond our international politics; and what was the result ? Tliat our jKX)r countrv had fjr five and twenty years to bear the punishment for an error committed without our sanction, although at our expeiixe, 29G iiEMOiB or KOBSUTn. [a.d. lt»18. that the blood of our people flowt-d in Htreams, and that our pOHsesHioiiH and our projHTty wtTC cawt into the whirlpool. In »pite of theue enurniouH wurrificeB, our fathers aaw the Uoyal liouiio doonu'd to fly before the vict4)riouji arma of the "\V'e«t : this city itnelf, the UHUal Beat of our lejjiulatun*, in the haudij of the conqueror, and ainidflt the destruction of the empire, the lamentable financial embarnutsmeuts cauiied by the xtate bankruptcicn involved our unhappy thoufjh innocent country. While HulTerinj; under thin great cala- mity vfc could not eonnole ourwelvea with the reflection^ that we had done all in our j>ower to avert the coming danger while there wan yet time. God forbid, that History hhould pa^sa a like sentenoc on this Diet ; God forbid, that we tihould reproach ournelves with havl:. ' ted to ward oft* the danger we saw menacing the i our King, menacing our couutr>' ; God forbid, tluit we should have on our consciences the remembrance of a duty unfulfilleii. I call upon the honourable members to raise their policy to a level w ith passing events ; let us derive strength from our responsibility as citizens, which imposes upon us the duty of fitting our resolution to the greatness of the occasion. I do not dwell upon circumstances which have occurred within the Empire and abroad, as they are universally known; but 1 express my decided conviction, and maintain, that the true cause of the interruption of the tranquillity of the Empire, and of the evil consequences which ensue from it, lies iu the Viennese system of Government ; and it is with the apprehension of worse consequences that I assert my belief, that the continuance of this perverse policy, opposed to the interests of the people, and to the just claims of rational liberty, is as much as to corapromisse the future existence of the D^-uasty. Artificially contrived political systems can maintain themselves for a considerable period, as there is a long road between the patient endurance of a people and A.D. IS-tS.] SPEECH OF KOSSUTH. 207 their despair. But there are political systems, wnuh lor tlie ver}' reason that they have been long maintained have not gained but rather lost power, and at last the moment arrives when it is dangerous to continue them ; for their long life haa ripened them for death. We may share in its death, but we cannot ward it off; I know it is hard for an old system as well as for an old man to part with tlje idea of a hjng life ; 1 know that it is painful to see that by whicli it is constituted falling away piecemeal; but when the founda* tions are weak, its fall is inevitable, and we, to whom tho fate of a nation is confided, must not yield to human weak- ness. The people are eternal, and we desire that the fatherland of this people should also be eternal ; eternal the splendour of that Dynanty Mhich reigns over us. Tho men of the pa«t w ill in a few short days descend into the grave, but the inheritance of a splendid throne awaits tho hojH'ful heir of the lions*' of I^:lp^burg, the Arch-Duko Francis Joseph, who already, at his first entrance into life, has Mon the affections of the nation,* a nation which will derive its strength from freedom, but whose ancient splendour cannot be sustained by the unhappy machinery of N'iennese jH>licy. llie Dynasty must therefore choose be- tween their own prosperity and the maintenance of a sy!*te!n of (Jo\eniment coveri'd witli the rust of ages ; and 1 fear, that if the loyal declaration of the jK'ople does not step between, the Viennese policy will seek a short respite for its own existence, at the expense of the Dynasty, in a new edition of the deivased Holy Alliance. • Tho i.rwwnt Emperor Krancit Jojtcph, uephcw of the Emperor K'pliiuiml. He h*d » Hungnrian tutor, when verj- youug, and Kj.oke the Hungarian lanp'iage with e*Ae. When about fourieen yearn of ngf, he rwitciJ I'enth, «n people. Hut first, I must observe that, although 1 shall allude to several questions which have come before this Diet, I do not mention such grievances aa the nou-anne\ation of the Counties, religious inequality, and the important relations of Croatia, because I purpose only to speak on subjects of such vital importance that if (as I with reason expect) they are granted, they will bring along with them the guarantee for a remedy of all other grievances," Ac. At the conclusion of this B|H'ech, Kossuth read the sketch of a Representation to be laid by the Diet before the King, conceived in the same spirit as the words he had just spoken; it was here asserted that "the development of constitutional life, and of such laws as were essential to the moral and material welfare of the nation could only attain to existenre and reality when their execution was mtrusti-d to a national Government, independent of all foreign influence; such alone being the responsible expression of the principles of the Constitutional majority; therefore the Diet dc-mandi-d, as a fuiulamental condition and substantial guarantee for all refonns, the total change of the present system of adminis- tration and the substitution of a responsible Hungarian ministn'." Further it asserted, "that his Majesty would also find the surest means to avoid all possible disasters, and to place his faithful subjects on a friendly footing with one another, besides cementing the various provinces of the p.npire most securely by surrounding the throne with those L'onstitutional forms in all parts of his dominions which the neces«iti(.>a of the age now rendered indispensable." 300 MKMOIU or Ku^hL•IH. [a.d. 1848. Even the Coiwervativea were moved to enthiuuLHtn by KoHsuth's oration, and the Hurcantic veiu of Szecbeuyi wa« for a moment utopped ; acchuimtions resounded from all BideM of the IIuuHc, and the motion wa« carried amidiit dtafi'iiini; eheers. The next morning it van »ent up to the ^Iugnate8, but there Count Mailuth rt*que0ted them to wait the return of the Palatine, who had left Prenburg for Viemm Boon after tlie arrival of the newu of the French Revolution; many of the MuirnuteB had accom|)anied him, ajid thoiM.- who remained approved of Count Mailath'ii ingenious device to evade giving a decided answer to the Deputies; they feared to offend them by rejecting the addreiw, which, if they had accepted, they might have incurred the dinpleaiiure of their absent colleagucM. In spite of C»mnt Ix)uis Batthyanyi's remon.stnmces, the motion of Mailath was carried. On the Sth of March Kossuth moved, that oa in the ab- sence of the Palatine and of a considerable number of Mag- nates, the ordinary sittings of the Upper Chamber were interrupted, the Kepresentation should no longer be de- layed on that account, but sent up to the King from the Deputies alone: he feared lest before the ^racaniitia, or list of grievances, could reach Ferdinand, the Conservative ^lagnates then at Vienna, would obtain adviuitages to their party prejudicial to the liberties of Ilungan.-. His pro- position was however rejected, and another resolved upon, by which a remonstrance was to be sent to the Upper Chamber, urging the Magnates to reconsider the Representa- tion. Events, however, took place on the 13th of March at Vienna, which gave the Deputies an assurance that their just demands would no longer meet with opposition. "When the first news of the Revolution of Paris reached Vienua, the funds fell thirty per cent. ; and while the people assembled in the streets and cafes to discuss the political events of the day, the Imperial family met in council to deliberate on their own course of procedure. The Vien- A.D. 1848.] TIEXXA. 801 nese did not hesitate to express their sympathy with the Freuch |>eople, and while, as a testimony of their animosity to the present system of government, the medical students of the University refused to accept appointments as sur- geons in the Austrian army, a petition was sent up to the (ioveninient hy authors and publishers entreating that the censorship of the press should be modified. A majority of the Koyal family, taking alarm at the threatening aspect of ntluirs, pro{K»»cd to conciliate tla* Viennese by yielding to tlifir desires. Jint the Arch-Duke Louis, who had promised his brother the Emperor Francis, to conduct the government of the Empire on desj)«»tic principles, refused to grant the smallest conces.sion, and he wiw supported in his views by Metternich,* The meeting of the Diet of Lower Austria had bi^en fixed for the IMth of March, and petitions were preparing to be presented by the Members of the Diet to the Emperor. On the 12th a petition was read in the Uni- versity, which had been drawn up by one of the Professors, soliciting an extension of |>olitical freedom. Many thou- sand copies of KosKuth's siKi>ch had bivn circulated in the city, which was thus n»ady to receive it with enthusiasm, and on the l.'Jth a large body of the students of the Uni- vende into the midst of them, and advised them disi>en«e, but they refu-sed to return home until their j.etition had been presented to the Emperor, and they had learned the result. • Sc« page 158 302 MKMOlIt or KOSHUTH. [a.d. 1S48. The " Land MarMhal" Huon iifu-rwardii ndmitU'd a depu- tation of thu HtudentM into thu " I^ud Haiui," who, how- ever, n(»t hriiitj received on they exj>ected, aud ahimied for their perrtumil Hufety, npjietired lit the wiitduWM of the build- iiij» and called to their comrodeM, that they had been be- trayed. The younj^ men without, niithed to their rescue, niui the Btret't beeaine a j*eene of diw>rder and confusion. The Arch-Duke ininiediately called out the troopii, and ordered tlu'm to fire u|>on the unarmed people. 11 Lit orders were only partially oln-yed ; n»o»t of the HoldierM fired in the nir, and only one student fell dead and about a do£en of the people were woumled. Hut the mob was now routed to fury, and nearly Huctvedcd in dra^(;ing the Arch-Duke him- self from luH horse; more troopa were called out, and aevenl men were killed and wounded. Prince Metteniich proposed to put the city under martial law, and pive the command to Prince Windi.Hch^jratJt, but the Emperor would not consent, and at length himaelf gave orders that the firing should cea^, and that the soldiers should be withdrawn, though ordered to positions where they could conunand the city. In the night an attack was made upon the hated secret police, and the militia joining tlie people and the students, furnished them with the arms they HNjuired. In the atlet even alluded to. The Emperor drove through Iho streets in an ojH-n carriage on the afternoon of the 15th of March, and was received with loud acclamations by tho people, who took the horses from his carriage and drew it themselves to the Palace ; on his return Ferdinand issueu another prtK'lamation, by which Deputies were summoned from every province of Austria to frame a Constitution for the Empire. In the mean time the Palatine had returned to Presburg, and Kossuth proposed a deputation should be sent to him frmii the Lower Chamber, praying him to insist upon the Magnates taking the Kepresentatiun into immediate con- sideration. He was hims^-lf immed to lead the deputation, and soon returned with a favourable answer. The Repre- sentation, therefore, was that day carried by acclamation in both Chambers, together with Liberty of the Press, Trial l)y Jury, and Annual Diets, to be held at Pesth. In the cvcuiug the youths of Prceburg walked in a procession. 301 MKMOIB OF KOSSUTH. [a.d. 18 IS. boarinK torclirs, in licmour of KuHMuth, who pn'»ent»*d to llii'in Count Louis IJuttliyunyi an the probabk* future Prime ]\IiiiiMtor of iluntjary. Instt-ad of tnuinnuttin;,' the K<'j)rf»cntation through the Hungarian Chancvry (jw had btn-n cuntoniar)'), a Deputa- tion set out on the inornint; of the 15th of March, for Vienna. It comiisti'd of eij^hty uteniberA of the Diet, led bv the Palatine Arch-Duke Stephen, and followed by about two hundred and fifty permms. Two Hteain boata conveyed t'uin to Vienna, wliich they reached that afterooon, when the VienneHC were rejoicing o%'er their promiaed Consti- tution. The IIunjipirianH were received at the landint; place by thousands, who came out to meet them on the first new* of their arrival, and accompanied them to the hotel where Kossuth took up his residence. The numbers iucrea»ed every instant, and n'peated cheers welcomed the " Deli- verer," the name by which the Hungarian patriot waa greeted. Handkerehiefs waved from the windows, and flowers and pjarlands were thrown to him by the enthu- siastic populace. The next morninfjtlie Deputation, with their leader, the Palatine, waited on the King. Ferdinand received them graciously, and replied to their petition in the Hungarian language, to the eflect that he had at heart the interests of the peoples who lived under hia aceptre, and that hia fondest wish was to fulfil the desires of the Hungarian nation. After half an hour's audience, in which their requests were granted, the procession left the Castle, and returned to the hotel ; the whole way thither was lined with the National Guards, and Kossuth and Prince Esterhazy were raised in the arms of the populace, and borne in triumph amidst loud cheers. Arrived at their hotel, the Rakoczy march was played before the door, while the cla.shing of swords beat time to the music, and with one voice the mul- A.D. 1S48.] HCNOA-RIAN DEPUTATIOH. 305 titude called on Kossuth to address them. He advanced to the window, and speaking first in the Hungarian, afteni'arda in the German language, acquainted the people that the Deputation was eatit*lied with the answer of the King, and that their demands had bet^u granted ; the Palatine had been named Viceroy and Plenipotentiary of tlie Hungarian kingdom, and Count Louis Batthvanvi had been ordered to form a responsible Minifitrv for Hungary. He eiprcsued the joy which this intelligence would give his fellow citizens, who, in the short space of a few ilays, had gained that whicli had once appeared hopeless, and how they would also rejoice in the Constitution which had been promised to the Hcn'ditary States of Austria. He concluded by exhorting his audience to remain tranquil, but to a tninquillity joined with pi)wer ; " for it was not enough to liuve gained a jewel, it must also be presened." The spei'ch of Kossuth, on the 3rd of March, had roused the latent aspirations of the Viennese after political and Constitutional liberty ; and such was his popularity and influence with this careless and pleasure-seeking people, that the fate of the Hapsburg Dyna-nty aiul of the Austrian Empire was at that hour in his hands. His almo^jt un- exampled influence over the Viennese, excited and new to liberty, might have tempted a man of inferior virtue or wi.sdom to a less modenile use of power. His count rv had been (tj)pressed for three centuries under the Kings of the Hou.Hc of Hapsburg, but neither Kossuth nor the Hun- garian |MM»ple were adverse to the Monarchy, but onlv op- posed to the vicious system of administration of those bv whom the Sovereign was surrounded. He relied on th«" power of right, and on his nation, which he believed suffi- ciently strong to a.H.Hfrt its own independence, and at a time, when nothing he chose to ask could have been denied, he waB contented with claiming no more than that for which X 31J6 WKWOIB of KOasllU. [a.d. 18i8. lilt' Hclbrmcnj Inul Htrivi-n ilurinj; uo many yi*arn ; a ^c^e laws lay in the Diet alone, and that whoiM> ever ventured to usurp this right to himself, was guilty of au illegal and arbitrary act. The demaudii of the depu- tation wen^ therefore laid a^ide. During the ft)ur past nionths the influence of Kossuth had daily increased in the Diet, and it might hare been sup- posed that he would have desired to continue to act with men, many of whom he had gained over to his own opinions. The Cabinet of Vienna also dreaded the result of a new election, which, in all pr bability, would return a larger number of R;ulical members, and the Hungarian people theuiselres could not desire to displace the long tried champions of their cause, those to whom they were now doubly indebted by their recent victories. Yet even under these circumstances, Kossuth proposed that the Diet should dissolve itself. On the ISth of March he moved, that this Diet, which only represented the class of '' Nobiles," should declare itself incompetent, aud should yield to a new and real repre- sentation of the people. A declaration to this effect was accordingly passed, and sent down to all parts of the king- A.D. 1S4*^ " THE URBAKirM. 309 dom. Kossuth further moved, that before they separated, and without delay, the followin{^ questions should be taken into consideration : *' Ist. The limit of the powers, and the form of Government of the responsible Ministry of Huu- f,Tir)' ; 2ndly, The system of representation by whi»'h the next Diet, which waa to be held at Pesth, should be con- stituted; 3rdly, That one common taiation should be levied on all the inhabitants of the land ; 4thly, The entire cessa- tion of the Urbarial relations, with an indemnification to be a*«siijnfd to the pn-sent proprietors of the soil ; 5thly, The immediate organization of a NatiouiJ Ciuiird to preserve internal jx-ace and the freedom of the country; and, Gthly, The abolition of the Censorship, by which to secure a free I'ress, and trial by Jury." ** When these subjects," con- cluded Kossuth, " have been considered, our duty as legis- lators in the present Diet will have ended, and we ought to resign our j)laces to a rfpres4.-utation bxHt-d on the will of the maji>rity of the people." By the enactment of these laws alone the union of the nation could be rendered com- plete, and the intrigues of Austria to weaken Hungary, by sowing dissensions between the unprivileged and privileged classes, be counteracted. The long desired reform of the Urbariura in its full extent and real meaning wa-* at last carried. One of tlie Deputies proposed that the question of the indemnilication of the landlords should be ])oi«tponed to some other occasion, but Kossuth opjKjsed this motion, as unjust towards the minority, whose interests were at all events to be temporarily sacrificed, lie also successfully opposed two schemes; one for rendering the National Guards more demixratic, by admitting the Proletarians* of small cities • I'r.U-tariAn*,— all ihoti who are without a fixed capital or occu- pAtioo. :U0 ifEMOIR OF KOSRUTH. [a.D. ISiS. anthill tlitir ranks, and the other to curtail the prerogative of the Crown, and only permit the disnolution of the Diet on certain prescribed conditions : when this last propoeition was niadi', Kossuth resolutely maintained the ancient right of tlie soverei;;u to adjdurn, el<»»e, and dissolve the Diet. Fearing that individuals niif^ht suQer in the first intro- duction of the new laws and regulations which had just passed, he proposed, when the reform of the Borough Mu- nicipalities came before the Diet, that if thone who were then in authority were displaced, they should at any rate be provided with pensions, and that even the members of the extinct Hungarian Chancer)' should be admitted into the state council at Pesth. The Deputies fnmi the towns, who had almost been •without a vote (only sixteen among the one hundred and four members being permitted a voice) were granted, on a motion from Kossuth, each a separate vote, equal to the electors in the Comitiits. He was fully awaj-e that this act of justice would in all likelihood be pre- judicial to his jx>r8onal influence, us the Deputies from the towns were reputed to entertain anti-national, or at the best only semi-liberal sentiments ; yet, at his suggestion, the same rights were extended to a still more dangerous class of persons, the Deputies from the Chapters of Cathe- drals, who had hitherto been hostile to all his measures. He had never yet stooped to expediency, nor would he on this oix'asion alter his conduct, although he might have alleged the common excuse of statesmen and bureaucrats, when the claims of justice are evaded on the pretext of serving the ends of justice. He was desirous to avoid all sudden change, in which the majority might be benefited at the exj^ense of the minority, and therefore when carrying through his long cherished scheme of the reform of the Urbarium, he provided that the distinctive appellations of " Xobiles " and plebeians shoxildonly cease with the present generation. A.D. 1S48.] THE nU>OAKlA>- CABINET. 311 Kossuth likewise proposed that the powers of the ministry, who were just entering into office, should be restrained within certain limits, such as would render their authority compatible with the free exercise of self-government in the people: " Nothing," he asserted, "is more prejudicial to freedom, than too much interference on the part of a go- vernment." On the 23rd, the bill which confirmed the ministry passed the Chamber of Magnates. The Cabinet fonned by Batthy- anyi consisted of the most moderate men of the liberal party, Louis Kossuth was appointed Minister of Finance, Francis Deak, Minister of Justice ; Gabritl Klauzal, Minister of Coiiunerce ; Count Stephen Szechenyi, Minister of Public Works; Baron Josef Eotvos, Minister of Public Instruction; General Lazar Meszaros, Minister of AVar ; Bertalan Sze- mere, Minister of the Interior; and Prince Paul Esterha'zv, Minister of Foreign Aftairs. General ]Meszaros was a gallant and experienced olllcer, and a better soldier than statesman; Bertalan Szemere, one of the Deputies in the Diet, had been for many years a leading man among the Liberals, and was reputed to be a strict Calvinist ; he was persever- ing and laborious, reserved yet ambitious, and though per- sonally little liked, was considered by Battliyanyi a neces- sary adjunct in his Cabinet, as the representative of an influential sect and party in Hungary. Prince Paul Ester- hazy, formerly Au.strian ambassador to Great Britain, was selected, for his high family and position, to remain about the person of the King, and was entrusted with the manage- ment of the international concerns between Hungary and tlie Austrian provinces. It was with much difficulty that Batthyanyi persuaded Kossuth to form one of the Ministn,'; he was not ambitious of office, and he knew that he differed on several points from Batthyanyi, and from those who composed the rest 312 MEMOIIl OF KOSSLTH. [a.D. 1848. of liid Cabinet; but the Premier considered his presence to be indispensable, and tluit no Cabinet could exist in Hungary from which hi' was cxcUidcd. Kossuth was not as (•rcduh)us as many of hia coUfagut-H, of the fair promises they liad received; he was well aware that the Viennese Ministers would not regard with favourable eyes the eflbrts of the Liberal party to maintain ordiT and independence; and therefore, while earnestly chcrishinf^ the hope of peace, he thought it expedient to be prepared to resist external aggression ; he could not believe that a few weeks would ehange the whole jxilicy of Austria, and urged that imme- diate preparations should be made to put the country in a state of defence. Batthyanyi, on the contrary, could see no reason for distrust. AVith views narrowed by an aristocratic education, he could nevi-r comprehend the true character of the people who confided in him, and he feared democracy more than the tyranny of despots. The Italian revolution had broken out in Lombardy on the 18th March ; General Eaditzky was eipellid from Milan on the 22nd, and Count Zichy was forced to sur- render A'enice on the 23rd. In the mean time a republican demonstration had taken place in Pesth, headed by !Moritz Perczel, a gentleman of good family, who had served in the Austrian army as a caih't while a boy, and when the Polish revolution of 1830 broke out, had deserted, and joined the insurgent Poles : he vras betrayed, and taken prisoner, and woiald have been tried by a court martial, had not consideration for his youth (as he was only eighteen years of age), and the interest of his friends, succeeded in commuting his punishment into dismissal from the army. Honest though imprudent, and more generous than wise, he had adopted ultra-Eadical views, and now became leader of a Eepublican faction. Crowds assembled in the streets of Pesth to discuss political A.D 18-i8.] THE HUyOABIAy CABtKET. 313 questions, especially that of the emancipation of the Jews, and whether they should be admitted into the National Guard, a proposal which was advocated by the Hungarian, but opposed by the German population. The principal inhabitants of the town, alarmed by the excited state of the people, deputed Francis Pulszky, a gentleman who had already taken an active part in political life, to be the bearer of a petition to Prcsburg, informing Count Louis Batthyanyi of the state of affairs. In consequence of his representation, the Palatine took mesaures for the maintenance of order, and as the ministr)^ could not enter into office xintil tlie king had sanctioned the new laws, which could only take place at the close of the Diet, he instituted a committee of Public Safety with civil and military authority, for the si>cu- rity of the country. The commission consisted of Klauzal, Szemere, Pulszky, and Paul Nyary, the Vice Ispany of the County of Pesth. On the 23rd, after Batthyanyi liad announced the new Ministr}' in the Chamber of Magnates, he hastened to Vienna to demand the royal sanction, as well as the King's con- sent to the law^ which had just passed in the Diet. The Palatine and Deak followed, and were joined by Prince Esterhazy. A report in the mean time, gained ground in Pesth, that they had met with unexpected difficulties, and that there was even some idea that the concessions of the 17th of March would be withdrawTi. The excitement, there- fore, continued to increase, and the more so as no in- formation arrived from Batthyanyi and Deak of the success of their mission. Kossuth endeavoured to appease the populace, by putting as favourable a construction as possible on the telegraphic despatches, though, in the Diet, he de- nounced with indignation the intrigues carried on by the court party at "S'ienna. On the 24th of March, the Palatine, who was with Bat- 814 MLMUIU UK KOSSITH. [a.D. 181& thynii}! nnd i)»*iik, wrote u private U-tUT to the Emperor, which he did not even communicate tr> the MiuiiiterH, but which, Home inonthn hiter, wiw found in the Viennese archivcH, and published ; the contents fully justified the feura and anticipations of Kossuth. Though sincerely at- tached to llunijiiry, the land of his birth, the Arch-Duico Stephen wanted tiriiiness, couraj^e, and strength of cha- racter, lie knew the Court, and the jealousy with which his conduct was regarded, and wavered between his feora of losing popularity in Hungary, and of forfeiting the con- fidence of his sovereign, or rather of those by whom Ferdi- nand was surrounded. The letter of the Palatine, though written at a time when Kossuth, Batthyanyi, and their col- leagues had but just exj)re«.Hed their gratitude for his pa- triotic exertions, ran as follows:* "Toua Majestv, " The state of Hungary is at this moment so critical, that the most violent outbreak ia to be daily expected : anarchy reigns in Pesth. The authorities are displaced from their sphere of action by a committee of public safety ;t and whilst the council of the lieutenancy, under the strong pro- tection of Count Zichy, maintains, at least in appearance, its authority, the board of exchequer is almost null. The Nobles also, have risen in masses to secure rights, *ent tlie hero of the dav, and if we delay longer, hid star likewise might wane, liut we must know beforehand, what is to be done, in case he should be dissatisfied and resign; lastly, the third measure would be to recall the I'alatine, and send a Koyal Coiniiiis- eary to Presburg, inve»tenra- tiou. " I do not know whether anything mij^ht be gained by nogotiatioiiH with IJatthyiuiyi and Dmik,* but I knuw that tho nt'gDliiition ran uuly b«' Hiuv«*H!«ful tlinjuj^h thrni ; for if niatteni come to a di»ru«Mion at I*rf»burj», everj'thing is to be apprehended. With regard to tliii*, however, I take the liberty an a faithful sen'ant of the state to ejUl your Majesty's attention to a circumstance which is of great ini|>ortance ; what will take place should the negotiation!! prove un» successful and Hatthyanyi be ready to risk everj'thing and resiijn his oflice ? I consider it to be my duty to obsen'e that, without exaggerating the state of affairs, we ought, in such an event, to be prejMired to oppose the demonstration of the young men of Pref«burg and of a part of the Nobles, which will probably take place, with an armed force along the Danube and on the road between Presburg and Pesth. In this ciuse the third measure alone would remain, and supposing the means for its execution to be there, it would have to be carried out with all expedition. " But here certain questions arise, (a) Is there not a want of sufficient money ? consequently, is it possible to send a large military force to Hungar}-, by which I understand at least forty or fifty thousand men. (6) Is this force near at hand, and ready for immediate action ? Further; (c) is a commissary to be found who is willing and able to undertake the office? And, lastly ((/), is it not doubtful whether the measure would answer the proposed end ? Will not a greater force be required in Gallicia and Italy ? '• If a favourable reply can be given to these queries, which I am myself unable to answer in my position; I have nothing further to remark ; supposing that a compromise is attempted with Count Batthyanyi, and that moreover the * Batthyanyi and De&k being at Vienna at the time. A.D. IS^S.] LETTEE OF THE PALATINE. 317 opinion is taken of the great officers of the realm, who, in any caj*e, must be summoned to Vienna ; I frankly confess that, in the present state of aH'airs, I pronounce in favour of tlie second measure, and 1 do not doubt that the higli officials (though 1 have not yet consulted them) would be of the same opinion; 1 have only ascertained the views of the Chief Justice Mailath. "If, however, your Majesty, according to your wisdom »]>ould consider the tirst or third measure more fitting, your Majesty will doubtless issue your commands in conformity with the existing laws and the usage hitherto observed, and iufonn me whether I am for the present to remain at Vienna or whether 1 may depart in any other direction. "Stepuex." " 24th March, 1S4S." CHAnEii XIV. ISIS. March, April, May. Arrival of the Royal Mrttaye in Preahurg—Batthyani appeal* to the Palatine, trho promises to intercede trith the King — Jtepuhlican demonstrations at Pesth — The King yields — The Palatine returns urith a second Message from the King Kossuth returns thanks to the Palatine— The Kino dissohes the Diet in person — Speech from the th rone— The Ministry adjourn to Pesth— Francis Pulszky, Under Secretary of State, in Vienna— His early life — Batlhyani as a Minister — Kossuth's health fails — He retires into the country — /* employed on Financial matters — Anecdote of hi* domestic life. Ok the 2f>th ef March, the Palatine returned to Presburg, 318 yEMoia or kossutu. [a.d. 18i8. bearin{» a royal nu'SBn^je, (tjuchfd iu the Unguage of the old Iluitf^uriun CMiaiicory, which it proposed to retttorv ; it dirri'fd that the n'V«-nue of Hiiiigury nhould in fulurt* be paid into thi' AiiMtriaii cxi-hfqutT, uiid tluit ail inattvnt appt-rUiiniiig to the lIutiKarian tariff, eoiuage, and com- ini'rer nhould hi' Bubji'ct to the Vienneiie authoritien ; fi- "■ timt thf military fon-i* of Hun^'ani- Mhould Ik* Huboi . to the Vienneue Council of War, thim n-ndcring the Jiun- gariaji Miniritcni of Fiuaiici* aiid of War mertdy nontiiml, while the real jK)wcr would n-inain with the Cabinet of Vienna. Thin nu'Hsage cauiM'd the greatcBt i tion, and all the printed copiea which could 1" ' pub- licly burned. Hatthyanyi, ij^norant of the iwcret f the Palatine, app«'alcd to him to urge ujM>n ■ i. ^ recall oif this obnoxious measure, and Kubjoined that, if thia request were n-fused, he and his ctilleagues Wduld resign. The Palatine not only promised to exert his iufluencc at Court in their favour, but even to make his own continujince in ofBce a condition of compliance ; Szt'-chenyi in the Lower Chamber spoke with energy in condemnation of the Message, and Kossuth, though he said little, expressed the determi- nation of the Liberals not to yield. The alarm occasioned by the continuation of the Kopublican Demonstration at Pesth, also probably assi.sted the arguments of the Palatine, and hastened the measures of the Court party, who at length permitted the King to give a favourable answer to his demands. On the 31st of March the Arch-Duke returned with the repeal of the Koyal Message, which was that day read in the Diet ; all was granted which had been demanded, but the manner and style of the address sufficiently ennced the disinclination of the Court. Not only were the Ultra-Eadicals still dissatbfied, but even Deak could not A..D. 1848.] BESOLlTIOyS OF THE DIET. 819 repress the obscnation, that the concession was only a verbal form, to which the nation itself must impart life. On the Ist of April Kossuth returned thanks to the Pala- tine in the name of the Diet, for the exertions he had made to pre«er\'e the concessions of March. The few remaining days parsed apparently in jx-rfect harmony with the Cabinet I'f Vienna. The King himself c:ime to Presburg on the llth of April to dissolve the Diet in jH'rson. and in his speech from the thn)ne assured *' his faithful Hungarian people, that he wished them all h:ip[)iiiess from \\\> heart, as he found his happiness in theirs." The substance of the resolutions passed in this Diet, and conUnned by the King, was as follows: That the executive power should be exercised through the nnnistry alone; that the Palatine, in the absence of tlie King should be invested Willi ull royal jKJwer, excepting the appointments of the dig- nitaries of the church, officers of the army, the high Harous of the Kingdom, and the disjK»!ial of the army when out of Hungary; that every member of the Cabinet should be res|H)n- sible for his oiheiul acts, and liable to impeachment l)y the Chamber of Deputies, and to be tried by a committee from the Chamber of Magnates; (hat the sessions of the Diet be held at Pesth, and the laws sanctioned during the session by the King ; that perfect equiUity of rights as well a.<« of public burdens should be established among all the people of Hungary, without distinction of class, race, and denonunation ; that the franchise should be extended to ever}' man possessing property to the value of three hun- dred florin."*, or an income of one hundred, to ever)* one who had received a diploma in a university, and ever)' artisan who employed an apprentice ; that with the concurrence of both countrie.H, Hungary and Tran.sylvania, and their Diets, should b<' incorjwrated ; that the nunjber of representatives •cut by Croatia to the Diet should be increased from throo 820 MEMuiB or KOSSUTH. [a..d. 1848. to cigliti'cn, and tla* iiitenial inntitutions of that province ri'inain tht* suinc iw btfitre ; tlmt the niilitarv froutiers of Hiuij,'iirv, or hordt-r tr»>«»j)», hhould be placed under the uutliority of the llunf^ariaii Mininter of War.* On the Hth of April the MinJHtrv having been confirmed in their oHiee, were n'eeivelleet«jr of Hungarian documenta, which he pre- sented to the National Library of Peath, As Pulzky in early life wa.s led to the study of archa'ologj-, and possessed an independent fortune, he visited Italy aa soon as he had completed his education, and resided there four years. Though only eighteen years of age, he was chosen a corre- sponding Member of the Archaeological Instituteof Kome, and received an offer from the Austrian Ambassador there to be attached to the embassy. In 1831 he attended the sittings of the Diet at Pnsburg as a Juratis, or Student of Law, and in 1835, he, with Vukovicsf and Lovassy, establiEbed the Presburg Casino, or debating club, for which J^jvassy paid so dearly. Here he formed the friendships of Kolcsey, the poet, who died in 1S39, of Deak, and of Kossuth. In 1S36 he travelled in Germany, France, and England, and thus escaped the arrests which took place at that time among the youths of the Casino. He returned to Hungary in 1837, and published a description of England, giving a very ♦ See Austria in 1848-49, by W. H. Stiles. ToL iL p. 55. t Afterwards Minister of Justice under Kossuth. Ji.0. ISIS.] FRANCIS PL r.szKr. 321 favourable' picture of tlu' country, which obtained a wide circu- lation in Hungary, at a time when the reputation of Englan(i stood high, as the type of a free constitutional monarchy, llti was elected by the Consen'ative party, in his native Count v of Sanjn, their Deputy to the Diet of 1837, but took a decided part against the Government for the condemnation of Wesselenyi, Kossuth, 'Lovassy, and Lapsansky. Subse- quently, he wart upon a conunittee with Deak, Klauzal, Be- reredy, Sri-ntkiraldy, &c., appointed to examine into the state of the Commercial Code, and was also member of another committee for the Codification of the Criminal Law.* At the close of the Diet he n'turned home, and was appoint4'd Director of the Protestant College, as his ances- tors han;, R|>eaker to the liadeii Diet, and one of the fiot legal authorities of Ornnany, and wa^* pronounced by him to I'o the most compluto aad perfect code in exiatence. T 322 MEMOIB OF KOBSUTU. [a.D. 1S48. few miles from tlic caj)ital, Pulnzky wujj st-nt to suppress it. Ho was advised to take the militarj' with him, but refused, ami Huccoedrtl in dirtperHing the rioUTH without rvtmrUu^ ter all Europi', neemed to him to have cleared the at- mosphere ; he trusted that the old system of diplomacy had been replaced by open and honourable conduct in poli- tical matters, and tljat Princes had suddenly been trans- tonncd into friends of the people ; he believed that men who had hitherto acted with selfishness and duplicity were now impelled by motives as pure and patriotic as his own ; and ever ready to give credence to the fair promises he re- ceived, his countenance was radiant with joy each time when he returned from his frequent journeys to Vienna bearing some message favourable to Ilungajy. Ilis suspicions were the less easily aroused, as his chief intercourse was with Ferdinand himself, who, conscientious but weak in intellect, was as much the dupe of those around him as the Hun- garian ^linister. Biots, which took place in various parta of the kingdom, owing to the recent emancipation of a peasantT}' who had been too long kept in thraldom, made the presence of military necessary, and as the whole number of regular troops in Hungary did not exceed eighteen thousand men, the Ministry thought it advisable to apply for assistance. Eepeated applications were there- A.D. 1848.] STATE OF THE FiyAKCES. 323 fore ina, as Minister of Fituinee, were diret't«*d towartbi the milling; interestii. On the 15th of May, lie Nummoiied the direetora of the iiiininf; diBtrietn, as well n» the a^^ents of private mining; eHtabliithinentit to a conference with him at Pi'i«th, in order to take their advice on the Ix-nt manner to improve the nuHle of working the mines, and to secure the general intoreitts aa well aa thoae of prirate indiriduals en- g:ii»«d in them. lie wnt a etu! • ' into that part of the eountr>' to take ehnrp* of ti. ^ .nd silver Udonging to the ExchtH)Uer, to place it under • responaible guarantee, and tt) make nrmnfjenientu for it* ctiinage. IJy the 8th of July, he WAM able to i»»\w the fintt Hungarian colna in thalers, florinit, and zwanKigi-ra, and to hare them couTeved fnnn Kremnitr to lV.-«th. From the h&ste in which t • • . wtre at finosing them to be rubbish, h'- h.vl uH4'd them to light the fires. Kossuth bid the man not iii'«tre»8 himself, aa he could write them over again, and sat down with an unrufBcd temper to recommence his work. 320 MEMOm OF KOSSUTU. [a.d. 1&48. CHAPTEE XV. May, June, July, 1848. The Court — Latour Viennese Minister of War — Return of Kossuth to Pesth — Croatia — Insurrection of the Serbs — Necessity for military prepoi'ations — Baron Josef Jella- chich — His life — The Emperor proclaims him a rebel — Troops and fortresses placed at the disposal of the Hungarian Ministers — Latour sends artillery and ammunition to Jellachich — Exchange of the Italian and Hungarian soldiers — Manifesto of Jellachich — He invites the SclavacJcs of Hungary to join his standard — They refuse — Kossuth's Hirldpja (Kossuth's paper) — The King invited to Pesth — The Diet opened in July — Speech from the throne — The President of the Diet announces the intention of the Minister of Finance to hring forward a motion respecting the defences of the country — Opposed by the Vltra-Padicals — The Italian question — Debate on the proposed motion of the Minister of Finance — Kossuth summoned to defend the cause of Ministers. The Arch -Duke Louis had been obliged to leave Vienna in May, and those immediately about the person of Ferdi- nand (the Camarilla, or backstairs Cabinet as they were called) seized on the reins of Government. They placed no confidence, in the Ministers, who were denied access to the Sovereign, and it was only through a Lady of the Bed- chamber they were on the 16th of May apprized that Ferdinand had been secretly conveyed to Inspriick. The ancient loyalty of the Hungarians induced the Diet to send a deputation to him immediately on hearing of his flight A.D. 1848.] EOSSrTH EETITENS TO PESTH. 327 from Vienna, and entreat him to take up his residence in Buda Pesth. Count Latour -was in May appointed Austrian Minister of "War, and the rest of the Cabinet was composed of Wessenberg, Pillersdorf, Kraus, Dobblhof, Baumgarten and Sommaruga. The Hungarian Minister of Commerce, Klauzal, sent that same month to Kraus proposing to enter with him into a negotiation to modify the Tariff between the two countries. On receiving an evasive reply, Klauzal raised the duty on Austrian sugar, hoping thus to force the Minister to give a decided answer. He at the same time renewed his offers to Kraus, but added that if he refused to take the matter into consideration, he himself must grant the wish of the Hungarian people by opening their com- merce at once to all nations, through the port of Fiume. In reply, the Austrian Minister assured him they were engaged in a re\'ision of the Tariff, and would consider the Hungarian propositions in September. Kossuth returned to Pesth in the middle of June, though still in feeble health. Alarming insurrections, which had broken out in the South of Hungary, while the country was yet unprovided with means of defence, had obliged his colleagues to confess the wisdom of the precautionary measiires he had advised. Though the insurgents were Serbs and Wallacks, the Hungarian people were surprised to find Austrian officers engaged on both sides, and neither ministerial nor royal proclamations forbidding assistance being afforded to the rebels, seemed to produce any effect. When, after the fall of Mettemich, the demands of the Hungarian people had been granted, Louis Gay, the head of the Hlyric Confederation, came with a deputation to Vienna, to petition for a separation from Hungary, and a responsible Ministry for Croatia. Although this could not be granted consistently with the unity of Hungary, and 328 MEMOIR OF Kossuxn. [a.d. 1818. with the oath the Sovereign had taken at his coronation, the petitioners were made to understand that the refusal was solely and entirely owing to Magyar influence. AVlien therefore the Croats found they could gain nothing by this means, they raised the black and yellow standard of Austria, in place of the Hungarian colours, and called upon the peopk' to protect their Sovereign against the encroachments of democracy. In the middle of ISfay the Serbian insurrection commenced. Every horror which the human imagination could devise, was perpetrated upon the unfortunate victims ; some were roasted alive, some buried to their necks in the earth and left to be devoured by swine, the eyes of others bored out, and in their savage cruelty the rebels spared neither age nor sex. Those who had hitherto been most adverse to any- thing like military prepartions now began to see the necessity of resorting to active measures without delay. Commissioners were accordingly sent down into the country with troops, and were invested wnth full powers to act, where necessary. Batthyanyi, who believed this insurrection to be the only danger which threatened Hungary, expected aid from Austria, while Kossuth, who considered it to be the commencement of a greater struggle, could not blind him- self to the double part playing at Vienna. Both, however, were agreed on the necessity of immediate action, and that a grant of money and of soldiers should be demanded at the meeting of the next Diet. These views accorded with those of the Cabinet of Vienna, as increased supplies were also required to suppress the insurrection in Lombardy. But the Austrian Ministers had no sincere intention that they should be employed against the Croats, whose rebellion had been fomented by their own agents, active in stimulating the enmities of race against race, in the hope of weakening Hungary. Eajacsics, the Greek Patriarch, who had rejected A.D. ISIS.] BAHON JOSEPH JJILLACllICU. 329 the ofier of a synod jjroposed by Eotvos, and had incited the fanaticism of the people, and Jelhichich, the Ban of Croatia, were willing instruments by whom to execute the infamous designs of Austria. Joseph Barou Jellachich was born in Croatia, in 1801, and was the eldest son of an officer of rank, who died leaving his widow and children in poverty. Jellachich was educated in the Theresien Academy, in Vienna, where he attracted the notice of the Emperor, Francis the First, who used to point him out to strangers as a prodigy, lie served first in the army in Italy, and subsequently in Bosnia, where he distinguished himself in several actions. He rose to distinction, and was highly favoured by the Royal Family, especially by tlie Arch-Uuchess Sophia, the mother of the young heir to the Throne, and by them he was singled out as a fit tool by which to carry on their intrigues against Hungary. Batthyanyi had hardly been appointed Minister, when Jellachich was named, by a Koyal decree. Ban of Croatia, without even requesting the counter-signature of the Premier. Although the proceeding was irregular it was over- looked, and thus emboldened, Jellachich, when summoned to put himself in communication witli the Hungarian Ministr}', refused obedience, declared the connection be- tween Hungary and Croatia changed, and called a Diet at A gram on the 5th of June. On the 10th the King publicly decreed, that in consequence of the illegal conduct of the Ban, he was deprived of all his civil and military offices and dignities, and proclaimed a rebel, while all the troops stationed in Hungary, whether Hungarians or Austrians, as well as all the fortresses of the country, were placed at the disposal of the Hungarian Minister of "War, and under the jurisdiction of the Hungarian Cabinet. In the face of this decree, Latour supplied Jellachicli with artillery and ammunition, while Austrian officers assisted iu the rebellion of the Serbs and Wallacks. 830 MEMOIR OF KOSSUTH. [a.D. 1848. On the 19tb of June, Jellacliich, with the Greek patriarch Rajacsies, and a deputation from the Croatian Diet, pro- ceeded to Inspriick, where, in the presence of Esterhazy, he was informed of tlie Emperor's displeasure at his con- duct, of his Majesty's resolution to maintain the unity of the Hungarian Cro\\'n, and that the Diet at A gram was dis- solved. His cold reception by the Emperor was atoned for by the Arch-Duchess Sophia, who, by her friendly and familiar conduct towards him, made amends for the ungra- cious treatment of Ferdinand.* After he left Inspriick, the Imperial decree of the 10th of June was sent to him ; but aware of its insincerity, he continued his journey to Agram, where he was received by his own adherents with the utmost enthusiasm. The Arch-Duke John, having been requested to act as mediator, summoned Jellachich and Batthyanyi to a con- ference at Vienna. After presenting them to one another, he advised them to come to an amicable understanding, and then bidding them farewell departed for the Frankfort Par- liament, where he had been appointed Eegent. Jellachich made demands to which it was impossible for Batthyanyi to accede, and at the termination of the conference, the Ban inquired, " Shall we meet again?" To which Batthyanyi replied, " Perhaps upon the Drave." " Xot upon the Drave," answered Jellachich, " but upon the Danube." From their first appointment the Ministers had urged the exchange of Austrian troops serving in Hungary, for Hungarian troops serving imder Eadetzky in Italy. A promise had been made that it should be done with the least possible delay, though gradually, so as not to encounter a ver}^ heavy expense, or to render the Hungarian regiments inefficient. But now that the Hungarian ^Slinisters could • See Memoirs of an Hungarian Lady, vol, ii. p. 60. A.D. 1848.] Kossrxn hielApja. 331 no longer blind themselves to the fact, that the Austrian troops were not to be relied upon, they demanded an imme- diate exchange, in order to provide against treachery in their own army. JeUachich, mean time, secretly countenanced by Latour and by the members of the Eoyal Family, issued a Mani- festo, and sent to the Sclavacks of the North, inviting them to join the insurrection. When Kossuth opposed the ultra- Magyar party, and urged that equality of rights and pri- vileges would tend more to promote the nationality of Himgary than enforcing one general language, he could not have foreseen how soon his assertion would be practically borne out. The laws which had been successfully carried in March and April, for the relief of feudal burdens, the equality of taxation, &c., in which the Sclavacks were like- wise included, had satisGed their desires, and they refused to assist in a rebellion against the Hungarian Government. But the ignorant AVallacks of Transylvania, and the Croats and Sclaves of the South, joined the standard of the Ban. Kossuth once again endeavoured to influence the countiT' through the Press. A newspaper, entitled " Kossuth Hir- la'pja" (Kossuth's paper), was edited by a well-known author, J. Paiza, and became the organ of the Minister of Finance. It consisted of two closely printed sheets, con- taining a correspondence from all parts of Hungary, and a careful Chronicle of European events. Its title ensured its popularity, and Kossuth wrote articles with his signature attached to them, relating to the condition of the country, and the duties imperative upon himself and his colleagues in case of war. "I desire," he wrote, "an honourable peace ; and because I wish for peace, I maintain that it is indispensably necessary we should be prepared for war ; no one fears the sleeping giant. To be unprepared is more dangerous than weakness, it is certain death." 332 MEMOIR OF K0S8UTU. [jL.D. 1&-18. A (It putation had bei-n s«-nt to the King, in June, he* Beechiii;,' him to coino in jHTrton to Pesth to oprn the Diet, but no anBWLT was returned to thia request. As the first National Diet, eK-etcd by nearly, though not entindy, uni* Torsal Kullrage, it fornied an era in Hungarian history. Servants, apprentieen, and all who were dejK'ndent upon the will of otherH, were not permitted a vote. The property qualifieation differed in kind in the countr}' and the towns, but the prineipal ohjert attaim d wa^, that property and intelligence had been Hubntituttd for the privilege of mere birth. A projMjrty of thirty pounda' value in tlie countr}*, and an income of ten pounds in the towns, entitled the p»ty, and with the knowledge and connivance of His Majesty, or of the members of His Majesty's royal house. I, therefore, in order that all the inhabitants of the king- dom, without distinction as to creed or language, may have their minds set at rest, hereby declare, in conformity with the sovereign will of his Majesty our most gracious King, and in hit royal name and person, that it is his Majesty's firm and steadfast determination to defend, with all his royal power and authority, the unify and integrity of his royal Hungarian crown, against every attack from without, and every attempt at disruption and separation that may be made xrithin the kingdom ; and, at the same time, to maintain in- violate the laws which have received the royal sanction. And while his Majesty will not sutler any one to curtail the lib«Tties sirured to all classes by the law, his Majesty, at well as all the members of the royal family, strongly condemns the audacity of those who venture to affirm that any act what- toever, contrary to law, or any want of respect to constituted authorities, can be n*concileable with his Majesty's sove- reign will, or in any way compatible with the interests of the roval dvna-^tv." 83i MEMOIR OF KOBSUTH. [a.D. 1R48 AftiT five days spent in preliminnries, the National Ab- sembl y was, on the lUtli of J uly, declared by the prebident Piiziiiandy eoustituted. Though it was customary to commence with a represent- ation ol" grievances, the President announced that it waa the intention of the Minister of Finance to bring forward, in the first place, a motion respecting the defences of the countr}'. This proposition was met with violent disappro- bati(jn by the ultra-liadieals. The Ministers had already, on the oth of July, drawn up a protocol by which they were prepared to announce their intention of proposing a grant of troops to Austria, for the suppression of the movement in Italy, on the ground that they were bound by the 1st article of the Pragmatic Sanction to afford aid to Austria, etiam contra vim externam, and that the states, comprising the realm of Hungary, were to be presen'ed by the monarch icque indivisihiliter, as his hereditary estates ; the sovereign, at the same time, promising for himself and his successors, to compel his subjects of every condition and degree to obsen'e the laws and rights of Hungary. The Hungarian Cabinet desired to throw the responsibility of the acts, re- cently committed to the prejudice of Hungary, upon the Viennese ministers and not upon the King ; therefore, unless Hungary were prepared to come to an open breach with Austria, and to rebel against her lawful King, she was as much bound to maintain her part of the compact, as the sovereign was bound to be faithful to his coronation oath. From the time the King of Sardinia entered Lombardy, the war might justly be termed defensive : orders had been sent from A'ienna to General Eadetzky to offer independence to the Lombards, and constitutional nationality imder the Austrian crown to Venice ; Eadetzky suppressed both de- spatches, but as he continued in favour at court, it appears probable that he acted m obedience to secret iustructiona A.D. 1848.] 0nA5T OF TROOPS FOR ITALY. 835 from Vienna. The Austrian Cabinet, however, made use of this feigTied liberality to advance their interests elsewhere, and the Hungarian Ministers were deceived into a belief that the Italians had rejected the fair overtures made them by the sovereign, and were unreasonable in their demands. In the protocol of the 5th of July, it was therefore proposed that the troops should be granted to the King, on condi- tion that the rebellion should be crushed in Hungary, and that they were not to be employed against Italy, unless the Italians rejected the offer made to them of national inde- pendence, and a constitution co-ordinate with that of Hun- gary, under tlie Austrian crown. Events had however lately transpired, which caused a just apprehension and suspicion of the Austrian Court and Cabinet. The Hungarian troops sent against the Serbs had met with soldiers of the Austrian army acting with the rebels, and it had been ascertained as a fact, that Greneral Meyerhofe, the Austrian Consul at Belgrade, was openly enlisting bands of Serbs to reinforce them, and General Bechtold, who wad commissioned by the King to lead the Hungarians against the insurgents, was accused of disposing of his troops in a manner wliich must inevitably cause their decimation. The Opposition in the Diet was roused to in- dignation at the intelligence of these proceedings, and was therefore eager that the Representation should precede all other matters. They considered the speech from the Throne to have been intentionally worded so as to buy an increase of troops, from the Hungarian Ministers, by conceding a strong protest against the Serbian rebellion : and Paul Nyary, the former Vice-Ispany, of the county of Pesth, one of the principal leaders of the ultra-Liberals, commenced the de- bate. He was a man of a calm yet bold temper, and at once accused the Ministers of a leaning towards Austria. The two brothers Madarass, noted for their impetuosity, followed, 33G MEMOIR OF KOSSUTH. [a.D. 1818 and were supported by IMoritz Perczel. E6tvo!», Beze'redy, and others, vainly endeavoured to convince them of their error, and Joseph Madarasa at length, in the heat of argu- ment, accused the Cabinet of treason. The Minister of Justice, Deak, feeling himself unequal to the encounter, sent for Kossuth, who, though suftering severely from indis- position, which was increased by the eftbrt he felt himself obliged to make, hastened to obey the summons, and ascend- ing the Tribune, defended the cause of Ministers with such cogent reasons that all further objections were silenced. The assembly broke up in a state of extraordinary excitement, when the President announced a majority in favour of ]\linisters, and that the following day Kossuth "would bring forward his motion on the defences of the country. CHAPTEE XVI. July Wih, 18-48. Kossuth's Speech on the Defences of the Country. On the morning of the 11th of July, the great hall lead- ing to the Chamber of Deputies was crowded to suffocation, and those who could not gain admittance into the galleries and adjoining rooms, surrounded the building : the hour approached for the opening of that day's Diet ; and cheers, which resounded along the streets, announced the arrival of the Minister of Finance. The shouts were re-echoed from every mouth as he entered the Chamber. He was at that time so reduced by illness, that he was obliged to be sup- ported by two of the Deputies as he tottered up the wide steps, leading to the Ministerial benches ; but the sympathy of the House seemed to renew his strength, and after a A.D. i8-iS.] Si>£l.CU OF KOSSUTH. 337 solemn pause, ia whioh the President opened the sitting, Kossuth slowly ascended the Tribune, but appeared so much indisposed that it was thought impossible he coidcl speak a quarter of an hour, or remain standing half that time; the Deputies from all sides, called on him to be seated; he thanked them, and replied, "that later in the day, if he should find it necessary, he Avould take advantage of their permission."* After a pause of a few seconds, he began his oration, while in the deep silence which pervaded the Assembly, his clear, though feeble, voice could be heard to the furthest end of the chamber, and as he warmed with his subject, it became firmer and more distinct.f " Gentlemen, in ascending the Tribune to call upon you to save the country, I am oppressed Avith the greatness of the moment ; I feel as if God had placed in my hands the trumpet to arouse the dead, that if sinners and weak, tliey may relapse into death, but that if tlie vigour of life is still within them they tnay waken to eternity. The fate of the nation at this moment is in your hands ; with your decision on the motion which I shall bring forward, God has placed the decision on the life or death of Hungary ; and because this hour is so important, I have resolved not to use the weapons of rhetoric, for I cannot but believe, I cannot but feel convinced, however opinions may differ in this House, the sacred love of our country, aud a desire for its * When excited by any subject of interest, Kossnth has been fre- quently known to speak for an extraordinaiy length of time, though his bodily health was such as to make it at first appear impossible even to himself, and after labours and fatigue which would have com- pletely exhausted a stronger man. + The extracts from this celebrated speech have been partly taken from E. I. Horn's German translation, and partly from the English of llcadiey, iu Lis Life of Kossuth. 3. 8 m:;moir ok KasscTH. [a.d. 1B48. iiiJepei)dcnee, hu:iuur, aiul freedciu. in so general aiiio;i^ ua, that wo would all be equally ready vo offer the Lst «lrop of our bluod for its sake. Wlicrc thiw feeling in g( )ieral, Xxo stimulus is needed to urge upon you to choose the proper means for its salvation. Gentlemen, our touniry is in danger. It is, i)erhai)s, enough to pronounce ihe.-e words, for with the dawn of freedom, the veil of darki.ehw h:i8 fallen from the eyes of the nation. You kutice, perhaps of patriotism, and the general enthusiasm may yet avert the full force of the fatal words too late ! But it is certain that the Nation and the E.xecutive Power have retarded justice, and that this very delay has caused tho subversion of existing institutions at the very moment wlien justice has been done to the people. " Gentlemen, — you are aware that the Nation has granted A.D. 181S.] CHOATIA. 339 all its rights and privilcgjj to Croatia The rights we have acquired for o'oj'scives we ]\a\X! like^\^se acquired for her, the liberty that was granted to the people of Hungary was likewise granted to the Croats, and we extended to them the indemnity we granted to our Nobles at our own cost, becaujje their country is too small and too impoverished to raise the indemnity within itself. Croatia fero-ed lor her nationality — a fear produced by misconception and error, for the Diet has expressly decreed that the Croats slmll have ihe full right to make use of their OAvn language in the adminis- tration of their own laws, and not only k-ft tlieir nnuiicipal pri\'ileges unimpaired, but extended and auginented them. .... The last Diet did not only leave the power of the Ban (upon which so much stress is laid) undimiLdiJxed, bui even secured his influence in the administration of the country, by a law which admitted him to a seat in the llungari;.T; Council of State ; the ^Iini.str}-, accordingly, without d«.-lay, invited the newly-appointed Ban (that Ban who had been thrown like a curse about our necks in the last moments of a power which has fallen under the scourge of truth and freedom, but which hoped once again by him to conjure up the demon of re-action), the Ministry in^^ted him to take his seat in the Hungarian CouncU of State, and to confer with them on the surest means by w hich tranquillity', order, and peace could be best secured in Croatia. The Ban replied by open rebellion, and thus cut off the possibility of coming to a right \mderstanding ; the Ministry', nevertheless, have neglected nothing which they thought might be for the advantage of Croat i;i and of the Military Frontiers. I can comprehend a people who, deeming the freedom they possess too little, take up weapons to acquire more, though they indeed play a hazardous game, for such weapons are double- edged; but I cannot comprehend a people who say the freedom you offer us is too much, we will not accept your z2 3 to MKMOIR OF KOSSfTir. [a.D. IHIS, oIUt, l)ut \vi' will go aiul Huhiiiit ((U.-Hclvcd to trie vukc of Ab«olutit*iii ; vet Huch are tl»e people of Croatia, for in the petition which the Apjram Conventicle sent to his Majesty tlu'y entreat to be allowed to separate theniselves from Hungary, not to form a 8elf-exiHting, independent nation, but to submit themselves to the Austrian Ministers The same part was formerly played by La Vendee, though here it has not been occasioned by a reign of Terror, but l)y re-aetionary intrij^ues woven under the guise of hypo- critical tidelity to the sovereign. " The Serbian rebellion must be treated as a separate nftair ; it is impossible to trace its motives. Croatia, al- though united to us by the llungaruui Crown, which cannot unloose the tie without incurring the guilt of high treason, is ncviTthdess a distinct country ; but whoever wctuld establish a separate power on the territory of Ifungar)' her- self, is a traitor and rebel Even where guilt is proved, jjrentlemen, the shedding of blood is no light matter; and, therefore, the Government believed they would desene the approbation of God and man, if they could avoid forcing the misguided people into the horrors of a ci\"il war, and have therefore left nothing untried to attain this end. " Gentlemen, we are admonished by another circum- stance to place the country in a state of defenco, which circumstance is the position of the countries on the Lower Danube.* As I require that the internal affairs of Hungary fcf.iall not be interfered with by any other nation, so I do not desire that the Hungarian nation shall interfere with the internal aftairs of any other country. I shall only observe that a powerful Eussian army has appeared on the banks of the Pruth, which may be destined to move in any direction, to the right, or to the left ; which may act as a friend, or as * The principalities of Moldavia and NVallachia. l.D. 1S18.] AUSTRIAX MIXISTER3. ^ \.\ a f<)e, and as either event is possible, the nation must hold itself prepared.* Finally, gentlemen, I must allude to our relations with Austria. Injustice, I confess that it appears to me only natural that the Viennese Government should refjret its inability to dispose of Hungary any longer; but it does not follow because regrets are natural, they are also justifiable, and still less that a nation should yield any of its rights from compassion Certain attempts have been made to recover the departments of Finance ::nd AV;ir lor the Viennese Cabinet. The rest of the Hungarian Cabinet would soon follow, for whoever hiM his hand upon tlie purse and upon the sword of the nation, will soon have power over the whole. The disturbances in Croatia are evidently connected with this scheme, for Jellachich has declared that he asks for no increase of lilx'rty, but only that the departments of Finance and AVai shall be delivered up to the Ministers at Vienna. In the latter days of June, the veil of State secresy was lilted; the Vieiuiese Miuist«r.s were pleased to inform the ^Ministry of the King of Hungary, in the name of the Emperor of Austria, that if we did not conclude i)eace with the Croats on any terms, they would act in opposition to us ; which is as much as to say, that the Emperor of Austria proclaims war on the Kiug of Hungary, • In June, a Russian army had entered MoMavia On the Ist nf September, in answer to a question from Lord D. C. Stuart, Lord Palmerston assured the house, the " Kusdian army bad entered at the request of the Prince of Moldavia, only to maintain the quiet of the provinces, and without orders from St. Petersburg ; that the corps was not 1 irge, and its stiy would be temporary." Tliis reply sileu''ed further incpiir}-, but it seems to have been false throughout. The Hosjiodiii- did not want the army, but the Austrian Cabinet did. Undoubtedly it waa sent by orders from St. Petersburg. When Lurd Palmerst<>:) a.sserted that no orders had been sent from St. Petersburg, he coulil not speak with authority, except from a Rtissian source. See the I'T'j'jr u of Ru.^Mut, Westminster JtcrUic, Oct. \bi>'i. 'M2 MKMOIU OK KrfSlTll. [.V.D. ISIH, wilt) i.s liiiiisilf. AVIiutcviT opiiiidii, f^t'iitlciiit'ii, you ninv fntiTtiiiii ot'tlie JNIini.stry, I am fonviucctl that you will give U8 credit for an attachment to the honour of our countrv, and that it would he superfluous to aMsurr you that we re- plied to this iiu-naee in a manner hi-eoming the dignity of the nation. Just after we had despatched our answer to Vienna, a second messaj^e arrived, complaining in bittt-r terms of the conduct of the Hungarian Ministt-r of Finance, because he had not sent money to the rebel Jellachich. iSince the Croats broke into open rebellion, I had of courst* suspended the remittances to the Commander-in-Chief at A gram ; I were not wortliy to breathe the air of heaven had 1 sent money to an enemy. But tlie Viennese MiniBters thought otlierwise, they considered my refusal to be a desire to undiTinine the Monarchy ; and transmitted, according to their own statement, 100,000 florins, but in reality 150,000 florins to the favoured traitor. This act alone might rouae tlie indignation of this House; but gentlemen, the Ministry which hoped to prolong its term of eiistence by such a policy, is no more. The Aula of Vienna has crushed it ;• and I hope that of whatever men the next Ministry' may be composed, they will know that if they do not mean to denr their allegiance to the Emperor of Austria, who is also Kin g of Hungary, and to side with the rebels against their sovereifn^ lord, they cannot pursue this policy without bidding de- liance to Hiuigar}' ; who in that case, will throw the broken alliance at the feet of Austria, which nourishes rebellion w ithiu her, and seek friends elsewhere. I have no cause of complaint against the Austrian people ; I only wish them strength and a leader, both of wliich have hitherto been * In Juns, the new Viennese Ministrj- was composed of Wessenberg, Foreign Atfai-s ; Dobblhof, Home Affairs ; Kiaua, Finance; Dr. Bach, Justice ; Horubostel, Commerce ; Schwanzer, Public Works ; Latour, X.D. 1S48.] EEUkTIOXS ABROAD. 343 wanting. IV^y words do not refer to tlicm, but to the Aus- trian ^linisters With the Austrian relations on the one hand, the state of the countries on the Lower Danube on the other, the Serbian insurrection, the Croatian rebellion, the Pan-Sclavonic agitation, and re-actionary movements, the nation is placed in imminent peril. In what foreign alliance could the nation tiud protection and safety ? I will not underrate the importance of relations with foreign countries, and I consider that the Cabinet woukl be guilty of a dereliction from the path of duty, if in this respect they did not exert themselves to their utmost. At our very first entrance into office, we com- menced a correspondence with the British Govenuncut, and explained that Hungary has not (as many have at- tempted to promulgate) extorted rights and liberties from her King, but tliat we stand with him on one common ground, and that we have also entered into an explanation with our Sovereign on our common interests on the Lower Danube. AVe have received a reply on the part of the British Government, such as we might have expected from the liberal views, and from the policy, of that nation. Li the meanwhile, we may rest assured that England will only a.ssist us, in as far as she finds it consistent with her own interests. As for France, I entertain the most lively sym- pathy with the French, as the cluunpions of liberty ; but ] do not desire to see the existence of my nation dependeii'. xipou their protection and alliance. France has just sc-.ii ;; st-roiul Brumaire ; France stands on the threshold c>f a Dictaturship, perhaps the world may see a second Washing- ton ; probably we shall see a second Napoleon rise from the ashes of the past. This at least is certain, that France has given us a lesson which proves that revolutions are not always conducive to liberty, and that when lihrrty exceeds Hi propir limits, a nation struggling for freedom may he 3-11- mi;m()Iii of kossutii. [a.d. 1848 placed under the yoke of tt/raiiui/. It is indeed t(» be lamented tliat in Hueh a glorious nation as France, the blood of 12,CXXJ citizens should be shed by their lellow-citizeiis in the streets of Paris. >ray God preserve our own country from such a 8Cour;^e ! JJut whatever aspeet the atfairs of France may assume, whether that man whom Providence has placed at the head of the nation prove a »ecoiul AN'ashington, who knows how to reject a crown, or a Hccond Napoleon, wlio will erect the tem|)le of his sanf^uinary glory on the ruins of tiie people's liberty, one thing is certain, that France is a long way from us. Poland relied on French Bvnipathy ; she received that 8\^llpathy; yet Poland is no more! The third power whose assistance we may seek, ia the German Empire. Gentlemen, I feel that Hungary is destined to live witli the fri-e (jlerman nation, and that the free German nation is destineil to live with the free llung.-irian nation in the most friendly intercourse, and that both must watch over the civilization of the east of Europe. Tht refore, a^ soon as Germany made the first step towards her unity, by convoking the Frankfort Parliament, we considered it to be one of our first duties to send two of our countrvTiien (one of whom has now been elected President of this House*) to Frankfort, where they have been received with the respect which is due to the Hungarian nation. But as the Frank- fort Assembly is still struggling for existence, and is not yet sufficiently matured to enter into negotiations with foreign powers (which can only take place after the election of the Eegent.t and the appointment of a ministry), om of our ambassadors remains in Frankfort to negotiate respect- ing the league we desire to enter into with Germany, as * The President Pazmandy. + The Arch-Dukc, John of Austria, was appointed Regent to 11:4 German Empire in the Frankfort Parliament L.D. 1848.] INCKEASE OF THE ARMY. 345 Boon as the official relations can with propriety be con- sidered. . " The danger is imminent, or rathor threatens to become 80, and ia gathering on the liorizon of our couutrv ; but above all, we ought to seek strength to repel it in our- selves. That nation can alone sunive, which has vit:d power within itself; but the nation, which cannot be sus- tained by its own strength, and is dependent on the assistance of others, has no future. "I therefore caU upon you, gentlemen, to form a generous resolution. Proclaim that, with a just appreciation of the extraordinary circumstances which haa occasioned this Diet to be summoned, the nation has determined to make any sacrifice for the defence of the Cro\\Ti, of its own freedom, and independence. But in order to make tins important resolution elVective, and if possible, to mediate an honourable peace or else be Nictorious in battle, the Government sliall be authorized to increase the effective force of the army to 200,000 men, and in furtherance thereof, immediately to equip 40,000 men, the rest to be levied, as shall be ex- j>edient for the safety of the country, and the honour of the nation. " The expense of raising an army of 200,000 men, its armament and maintenance, will amount to forty-two million of florins, but that of levying 40,000 men, from eight to ten million. Gentlemen, if you assent to this motion, I pro- pose within a few days to lay before the House a detailed financial scheme, but I beg to state that nothing is further from my thoughts than to demand a taxation of forty-two million of florins on tlie nation. !My scheme, on the con- trary, is that every one shall contribute according to his means, and if that does not suffice, we must trust to our credit to make up the deflciencj'. I am happy to ainiouncc that the plan I shall propose, is based upon an estimate 3iC Ml.MolK OF KOKHITH. [a.O. IH-iH. afrrvi'int^ with tlu* nitf of tiuatioij fucd a centun' ago for TraiiHS Iviiiiia l»_v Maria Tin n-wi, and i« in reality fv«n more nKuirnitc Hliould the iiiipOM-d taxation not jmlKcc for thf orjjanization of a military forw* mich a« the ])n-H('nt rircuiiiHtancfM ini|M'rativcly di-tiuuid, I Hhall fhiiin from thr Kxt-fiitivr the powi-r to ojx-n n <'n-dit to any amount wliit-h thr lt»*ppeiR'ntativr« of the nation »httll con- !«i(liT neeeimar)'. This credit ehall miiiply the deficiency (■ith«T in the tthajw of a h>an, or by the iaiiue of paper money, or by Bonje other financial o|)«Ttttion. *• Gentlemen, I am of opinion that the future exiatence of the nation depends on the n'Holution paiwed by the IIoum* on this ateued on every side, and fe«lii within itiulf the will and the power to repel the dancer, that the quosJtion of the pn'(«enation of the country ou^^ht to ft.ind alone. '* To-dav we an- tin- Ministers of the nation: To-iimrrow others may t;ike our place: no matter! The Minii«ter!* may be changed ; but thou, oh! my couutr}*, thou muat f<»r ever remain, and the nation itself, by whatever Ministry- guided, must alone presen'e thee. To do this, it muht develop its strength. Therefort' to avoid all mijwppn-- hensious, I here solemnly and deliberately demand of this House, a grant of 200.(XK) soldiers and the necessary pecuniary assistance." .... Overcome by the importance to the country of the demand he was making, Kossuth's speech failed him as he reached this part of his oration. All remained silent a few seconds, when Paul Nyary, who the day before had opposed him with so much energy, stood up, and raising his right hand, as if in AD. 184S.] EFFECT OF KOSSlTll's Sl'KECn. 347 the act of tnking an oath, broke the hilenoe by exchiimiiifj with a loud voice; " Mt-gjuljuk," "We j,T^int it." Four hundred right hands were in an instant raised towards heaven, anil as one man the Deputies repeated tlie words of Nyiirv. Kossuth in the niejuitiuie had recovered his com- j>oHure, and folding his anns across his breast, continued with a voice still trembling with emotion: — " WTiat I desired to say was, that this n^quest on the part of the Government ought not to be considered an u demand for a vote of contidence ; no, we ask your vote for the preservation of the country ; and gentlemen, if any breast sighs fur freedom or any desin* waits for its ful- filment, 1ft that breast sutVcr yet a little longer, and have patience until we have saved our count ni'. You have all risen to a man, and I bow before the genen»sity of the nation, w hile I add one more nvjuest ; let your energy e»jual your iMitriotism, aiid 1 venture to atfinii that even the gates of hell shall not pn-vail against Hungary." The burnt of patriotic enthusiaxm and joyful emotion which hailed this s|Hvch stands alone in the history of Hungarian parliaments. LiU-rals aiul Consen'atives, Mo- derates and ritras, pressed forwanl to gnisp the hiunl of the orator, and to con^^itulate him and tlie nation on his succi'ss. As he departed, aceomjuuiied by a ffW friends, ho was followed by the chtvrs and bk-^siugu" of tlu* midtitude; the excitement within the ht)u.s<' was miclu that in spite of the urgency of alVairs, the IVi-sidtait was obLif^wl to bdjourn the sitting for an hour. All the passionate expression which is inhen-nt in the imtit)n wrw* called fortJi on thin (Kvasion ; some melted into tears, old men and young, friends and foes, euibracctl : " I would give the happiness of my life, and even part with all that remains of it, for the delight of having witnessi'd this hour," exclaimed one; 31S MEMOIR OF K088UTII. [a.U. IStS. " Niiw, f(»r llif lirwt tim<\ I bili«-vc in the future cxintontf of Iluiij^ary," -oposal of Ministers respectiiiff the destination of the troopi — Opinion of Kossuth — 21ie JiaJicals oppose the troops being sent to Italt/ — The clause of Kossuth — He mores that Ilunqarg should fte entrusted trith the (guidance of her international concerns — Kossuth opposes tiro motions in the Diet ; one /or the union of the ttco Chambers, and the other for the establishment of Government schools — The Kossuth notes — The Budget — The King orders the Pala- AD. 1S4S.] nr.sTiNATiox of the tboops. HID tine to rctit/n t/ic Viccroyally — Uatfhi/nnyi ami Utah at Vienna — Jt Uachich and the Croat* seize on Fiume in the name of the Kmperor of Auttria — The Austrian tninis- ters icarn the Palatine that the ]ir^x*ror Uass to the King - I n»ihffactory reply of the King — Its reception — The dc/rut^ution leave Vienna and hoist the red Jlag in place of the tricolor. It woj" not ponce howt-viT, but a lon^ ]H'ritMl of strifi' v.hich awaiteil H unpin'. Tht> prant of tnH)ps and of nionrv liatl bft n niatli', but lh«-ir di->tiuaticiii wa^j yi*t unrcrtai*. With 8Ui-l» rt'c-t-nt proofs of tin- jx-rliiiy of Austria, it appi an-d inadnciuii to place additional wua}K)ua iu hiT handtt, which nui^ht bhnrtly be tunu-d nj;ainst Hun^\r)' ; and tlioui^h it >ut nird uIho a nioruJ iuitpiity for a nation on the cm* of a ritru|;j»lc for her avax libt-rticu, to aMxitft in suppri'ssins those «»f anothi-r, Batthyaiiyi and a nuijority of his collfaf^ucs*, who wt-re still in favour of tniru^ conciliatory measures with the court, proposed that a part of the troops granted by the Diet should be destined for the au^jiucntation of the army in Italy ; in nturn, tlicy hoped to receive the ashistanee of Austria to suppress the insurrection of the Serbs and Croats at home : but while Uatthyanyi maintained his belief in the j»ood intentions of the royal family, and, con- vinced tliat Hungary could not save hers^elf without extcnial ainal govern imiit , aJtliui:, tliut ho lad rejuiceJ in kis iuiuoHt 84iul at tliuir ij.io.iJHM.'iJ, and fur the moment had forp-tton that their viotoriea wc«ro pnrchaseil with tlie LIuckI cf Huiij;ury. Nine-tenths of the House vot« d witii '.*. inisters ; but the (>[),c«iiiui',thoughinahw;uull uiiuority.ht ill protested aguiu8t any portion of the tr-tops being wnt to Italy They con- t-juded, thut tbe moral effiet tjf their consent to such a measure, even though thcsoMiers wcTeenjph)yeneioUH spirit by wliich this r.MiiiIl body in tlie Diet wuie actuated cannot l^j suflieiently touiuJiMided, but in their love of liberty they forgot tliat they also owed a moral obligation to th«-ir Sovereign, who hiul ni>t yet wholly for- feited tlieir allegittnce, 'J'hey were out-voted by the majo- rity who held to the letter, as well ao to the spirit of the law, as a matter of right and ju.stiei', to whatever conse- quences ii might lea4l ; Kossuth png;;i»kt'd tlie insertion of a clause, by which the Austrian Cabitn't should not be per- mitted the entire disjiosal of tlio troops, Vmt only toemploy tliem against Itiily, •/ r> quirt tl, aftrr the drvumd fur fixe iu»litHtiim$, madt! by the Italian I'roriittft, lnul bt-en amply tjrittifiid ; and further, that it sho i!d be stipnhited, that if it proveose«l clause also enaetxxL, tliat the continu- ance of the grant for the 8Upj>ort of the Austrian Govern- ment would dei»end upon the upright malnUiianoe ul thes« conditions. At the re^juest of the Diet, KosKulh drew up a formula to th s effect, which ho produced on tho (lullowing iir,'} ilKMOIU OF KOSSl'TII. [a.D. 1818 tl.iy. The flaiisc wiw liowi-vrr oppoJH'd by liattluaiiyi aud l)c)ik, uiul thcHinall party of the (){>{»osi-d Count Josiph Piilffy, who pro- posed to unite the UpiM-r and Lower Chand)ers into one. lie thought it unadvis;ible to disturb the existing hartnony in the Diet, by a resolution whii-h would have given cause of offence to the high Aristoeraey, without producing any very important result for the c«>untrk'. He also opposed a motion of ' linhnunt t)f (Jovernment Sehools. a I premature under pre- ut circumstances. The state of the Hungarian Exchequer rr ■ 1 oid incurring any additional ?\^ > for reasons r this result, and in the < nsuing month the note*< wiiv iv;uly for circulation. Contributions of silver plate alio jjourod in from all parts of the country, h . ' ■ V lar<^> exun was r\5ilizi-d, which was at least a de- II u of iIm; unanimity of f-diug among the people. A A 2 I.IO MEMOIB OF KOBS-TII. [a.D. Ib48, In tlif mean time the victdrii-H of HatKtzky, in Italy, had imparted utw eourage to tl>e Viennrik? Cabint-t. A iioyal Meuhatje informed the Diet that the King liad rccovewd hiii health, and tlnTefiire intendi-d to n-uume the<> ifo his own handri, and dcHin-d the Palatine to p ^ ^* r of Vieei-oy or Koyal Pleni{>oti-ntiary. Tlii» Metisa^e cau»(d the utmost eonuternation, a», in faet, the l'alatini*'8 oHiee of Vieeroy could not e« a»o until the arrival of the King in Hungary, idnce the ap{)ointmcnt wan not occaaioned by hi« Majehty'M indinj)08ition, but ^^^aa exprc»»ly made to supply hirt prt-Renee in JIungnry, and then-fore could not \»- nfTvHvd h\ Ilia reiitoration to hrtUth. Iktthyanyi and Deak had gone to Vienna to ........ .... hign manual to the Ihlls uhich had already pajMcd the Diet. Tlie King received them with court*»y, but referred them to Latour, the Viiinu-se Minister of War, to li*aru the l{oyjU intentions. Latour recommended them to apply to tlu* Premier, Baron Wesst-nberg, who would gi>e them information respecting the views of the Austrian Cabinet, liatthyanyi replitd, they wanted nothing from the Austri'in Cabinet, but had been n-fernd to him individual! ' n :i knowledge of his M.TJesty's desires : but no fur; .-r \\:is vouclisafed. In the midst of tLij? j:»erplcxity and doubt a courier arrived, with the tidings that the Croats, under .Ifllachiih had, on the Ibt of September, occupied Fiume and its seaport ; and that, in the name of the Empentr of Austria and King of Croatia, tlu-y had removed the ollieers whom the Emperor, as King of Hungary, had him- silf appointed. At the same time Batthyanyi received :: letter from Klaural, the Hungarian Minister of Commerce, stating that a long official document f;-o;u the Austrian ^Ministers had arrived at Pesth, addr.-s&cd to the Palatine Areli-Duke Stephen, stating tliat the King had exceeded * is powers in granting the Hungarians a separate respon- A.D. ISi-S ] DtttlMLNT OF TUE AUSTKlAN MIMSTF.Il.S. '.ioj sible Miiiifrtrk', and dtmanding that the Dopartiiu-nt of Finanot', aiid the Admixiistration of the Military fruutierjs should be com:uitt4petisable. The document was acccnnj^uiied by an autograph letter from the King. ••\t,r ♦*^iv'^ ..f h\< ap- probation of what it contained. The Dit't at Pesth wiu* routed to tli ■ utluiM t ;u.lignati.»n by this Irtter, and Kossuth found it lUlIiciJt to n'htnuu tlieir anger within just bounds; he however succeeded in p«'rsuadiiig the Deputies t<» wait in patience a few days, until further infonualitui could reaeh them from Vienna, 'llie ■ iteinent against the Viennese Cabinet extended to the xNMole Au»t ''tn, and the Hungarians began even to liHjk wi'h 1. . u[>on the conduct of the Croats, whom they now rvgarded only as blind instruments of Austrian duplicity. In their eageniess they were even inclined to ronr«-de m<»re than was reas«»nablo to tliu deluded jjcople ; Kossuth, therefore, spoke as foUowd oii the 2nd September : '•As it was never my wish to hear onj nation utter ground- K'ss accu-tatious against another, I expressed some years agt> in the (Jeneral Assembly of the Coniitiit of Pesth, when the pres«-nt state of alTairs could not have been foreseen, n>v doubts whether the grievances of the Croats, however un- f. uld \h' peaceably adjusted so long as one nation V i . ;':y exciteurin<; eountr}'; ott the pn-Ht-nt Diet ha.s deelared itself pn'parcd to niaintain the independence :uid nationality of Croatia as well a» to fulfil the ju«t and reasonable denuuuU of the C'roatu, when, I t*ay, we recall all this, and on the other hand consider the dremlful calamities inseparable from Civil War, I believe it to be now high tur.e for the Lei»islature to take counsel in tho very com- mencement of their ofhcial labours how they can best fulfil their enfja>;ement8 towards the Croats." Tlie Diet hereupon passed a resolution tliat, although all amicable advances on the part of Hunf^rj- had been hitherto met in a hostile spirit, the representatives of the country 8till desire to offer the hand of friendship to Croatia, and invite tlie Croats to a haniionious settlement of differences, la}-ing aside all gmmidless matter of diiqnite. They solemnly declared that, " as it had never been their intention to abate the smallest portion of the : -v, rights, and liberties of the land of the Croatia:.- - .ic nation, they would jjLidly embrace any means to pre- serve peace, and to obtain a friendly understanding with them," &c. The intelligence received firom Batthyan\-i and Deak did • See p. 2S8. A.D. lSi8.] DEPUTATION TO TTEy>rA. 359 not toinl toalbv the inditniationof the Diet agaiiit^t the Aus- trian Ministers and the Court ; but to modo»fd thot a deputation from tin* House should wait ujHin the King to learn his Maji-sty's intentions; tlmt they should uuii^t on an inunt-diate audience, and not remain in Vienna lon^r than four-and-twenty hours. Th»' deputation wa^i named on the Kpot ; it consist«'d of one liundriMl Dfputifs, twenty of whom were from tlu' Upj^r House, and led by tlie Presid.nt P^man(l\ On the Hth of SeptvmlHT they arrivi-.l at \ i una, ami If audiencv was tixed for the followinj^ moniln^ nt < Ifven o'clock, in the Royal Palace of Silvonbruiui. Count Batthyanyi, who wa.-* to introduce the Deputation, wad there at the ap[/ointed time, and impatiently paci'd Uio court of the Palace, vainly awaiting? both the Dejmtation, and the I^inl Chamberhiin to usher him into the lloyul pn-»enc<'. The eau.xe of the debiy wa*« sterious ; that momin;^ news had rea«.'hed Vienna from Apram, the capital of Croatia, that Jellachich had published an autof^rajjh letter of the King, dated the Ith of September, by which th • Ban waa n'instated in all his dij^iitioa and olhces ; it likewise expressed the Royal approbation of his acts, an proofs of his fidelity to hi« Sovereign. The Hungarian Deputies 'MO Mi.Moiu OF Kossi'xn. [a.d. 18i8. nMi.il Hc.'irffly tTcdit llic niitliciitifity of the newH ; tlu'V Imd (loiil)tr(l the faith «jf the Austrian Cabinet, but hotl not ex- peeti'd thin treaeherv on the part of their King; the public at hir^e however attributed Jelhieliieirrt restoration to favour HoU-ly to the inlluenee of the Areh-Duehe»H S«jphia, as the Kujperor wan well known to be only a tool in the hands of those who surrounded him. The Areh-Duke John, who had exeereised the best infbu-nce over him, had been lalled to J'ninkfort.nnd while the Kiupress Mariana lived in s.'elusit)n, ilevotrd to the eare of her husband's health, the ambitious Arch-Duehess, with the Ministers, Wessenberg and Latour, were at liberty to carry on their intrigues round the person of the Sovereign. Prince Esterliazy, who lor s(tme weeks past had been coldly received at Court, had rt'sii,Mi d his charge as Hungarian Minister of Foreign A Hairs, and the whole management of the int 'rests of Jlungary had, consequently, devolved on the Und -r-Secre- tary of .State, Pulszky. When the news of the publication of the King's letter arrived, he therefore ha^stened to Wes- senberg, to inquire whether it was authentic. He found the Austrian ^finister confined to bed, but Wessenberg feigned great indignation at the conduct of Jellachich, and without denying the authenticity of the letter, assured him that neither he nor anyone belonging to the Council of State liad been apprized of the matter, and this with such an appearance of truth, that Pulszky waa completely d.'ceived. jMeaii time the Deputation hesitated whether to proceed on th.^ir mission, but a majority at length decided that the t'eremouy must be gone through. At one o'clock a long tile of carriages drew up at the palace, where Batthyanyi had b en waiting for two hours. The Deputies were all attired in deep mourning, and were thus tishered intt) the A.D. x8-48.J ADDRESS OF TnE DEPUTIES. 3G1 presence of the Kin country, and in the maint4'nanee of the just rights of Hungary against the rebels, whatever standard, or whatever uanie they might usurp: that the people of Croatia miglit be relieved from the military despotism t<» which they were subjected, and enabled to lay their lawful demands before the Hungarian Diet ; that Fiume and th«* Sclavonic provinces should be immediately restored ; that bis Majesty should give his sanction to the bills passed by the Diet ; and, Lkstly, that the King should come in person to Pesth, and, in the midst of his people, support and direct the measures of the Diet, and of the Constitutional Govern- ment. At the conclusion of the Address, the Emperor, in a faltering voice, read his reply. He promised to maintain in- violate the laws to which he had sworn, and to preserve the integrity of the country; and excused himself for not sanc- tioning the bills for raising troops and money now pre- sented to liim, on the plea that the manner in which they were voted would not benefit the interests of the country. He also alleged that the delicate state of his health would not allow of his proceeding directly to Hungar}', in com- pliance Anth the desire of his faithful subjects. AD. ISiS.] DEPABTUBE OF THE DEl'UTATIOK. 3G3 As the Emperor concluded his unsatisfncton.' reply, the Deputies bowed in silence. Nothing had bt^vn stated to throw a shadow oi" doubt upon the authenticity of the letter to the Ban, and the Hungarians were now nmde aware that lor the four past months they had been the dupes of the Austrian Court. As they quitted the audience chamber, and descended the stairs of the palace, ^»everaJ of the Him- garian body guard, who hod that day been in attendance on the King, eaid to their countrymen, " As soon as we are needed we will come to Hungary ;" and a.s the Deputation stepped upon the steamer which was to convey them from \'ienna to Pesth, they mounted the red feather in their hats as a sign of their deterniiiuition to wage war with Croatia. On their arrival at the Hungarian capital, the red Hag waved from the nia»t of their vessel instead of the tri- ' «iloured standard of Huniran'.* CIlAPTEIi XVI II. September, 18-iS. The commencement of the llumjaruin lievolution solely to he attributed to Austria — KoKsuth desirous to strengthen the country — Jtllachich crosses the Dravc — Publishes a Manifesto — Conduct of Latour towards tl»^ inhabitants of Jfei-sskirchen — Jtllachich astnutcd by Austrian troops — Conduct of his soldi<'rs — Mr. FonbUuujue, liritish Consul- General at Bclyrade — The Arch- JJuke Francis Charles— liesiy nation of Batthyanyi and his Colleagues • Kor the account of the arrival an«l «leriarturD of tbc deputation, Bee the Memoirs of a ilungiiriau Lady. VoL i., i>. 131. S(U MEMOlll or KCSSUTU. [a.d. 1848. — The Diet calls upon KoxHttth to auume the Dictator- ship iif the count ri/ — The Arch-Duke Stephen ocyuainta the Deputies with the resit/nation of Minisfera — Debute upon the subject — Advance of JelUichich — Kossuth pro- piiseg to complete his financial plan — The Diet determine on levying the truops without waitinr/ for the Royal sanction — Kossuth invited, with Szemere, to undertake the government until the King had appointed the nru) Cabinet — Batthyanyi second* this motion — lieasons for the confidence of the nation in Kossuth —Resolution of Kossuth and Szemere — Szech*nyi retires — Batthyanyi still trusts that conciliatory measures may save the country — He desires to form a Mitiintry without Kossuth — Is supported by the Palatine — Tin- uositnm nf the Palatine towards his own family. AusTniA, and not ITungary, had commenwd a Revolution. As if it were not sufTiciently galling to a nation to be subject to the illegal control and interfortnce of a foreign Cabinet; treachery v»-as now added on the part of the monarch. The unhappy influL'nce of one family, which has given to the world, -with few exceptions, a succession of unworthy Princes, has destroyed the Constitutional Governments of Spain, Bohemia, Lombar ly, Austria, and Belgium, and riveted the most bigoted form of Romanism round their necks: and the intention of the Royal Family that Hun- gary should form another of the unhappy nations who, by folly or misfortune, had been victims to the ambition of the Hapsburg D\Tiastv, w;i3 now apparent. Tnc revolutionary spirit of IS-iS had not yet reached Hungary ; the mass of the people had recently obtained rights and privileges which entitled them to be considered free citizens, and contented with that which they had already received, all they and their A.D. 1818.] JELLACniCn CROSSES TUE DIIAVE. 3G5 Nobles required was, that ]Iuugary should be allowed the tree exercise of her aneient Coustitutioual form of Govern- ment, and that a mutual good understanding should subsist between them and tlieir lawfiJ sovereign. AVitii the ex- ception of a small body of men who were dazzled with the plendour of a Court life, the Nobles and the people, Batthy- uiiyi and Kossuth, had one and the sjime end in view, and the two leaders only dillercd aa to the mode in which it >uld best be attained. IJatthyanyi still hoped and believed III measures of coneiliTSrEES. 367 the Arcli-Duke Frauds Charles, the brother of the Em- peror, aud the father of his successor on the Austrian throne. He warned him that " the measures of the Vien- nese Cabinet would for ever estrange Hungary- fi'om the Imperial House ; and that the intrigiies to undermine, and in fact to nullify the laws, which had been constitutionally voted, and solenuily sanctioned by the King, would greatly shake the authority of the Crown." Batthyaiiyi and his colleagues resigned on their return to Pe&lK, and on the 11th, Pazmandy officially announced the failure of the de- ])utation in their mission to Yieniia, Prom that hour wlien the flagrant treacherj^ of the AuytrJan Court had been ex- posed, the Diet began to mistnast the conciliiitoiy policy of Batthyanyi, and now -with one voice called upon Kossuth. "He alone," they cried, "can Sfive the country, let him be }iamed Dictator." The multitude without re-echoed the words of the Deputies, and the noise and tumult at last became such, that the voices of the speakers within the House coixld not be heard. Paul r> } ary was at length deputed to address the people, and persuade them to wait in patience for the further resolutions of the Diet. The Arch-Duke Stephen, anxious to prevent any occasion of oflfence to the Imperial family, opposed the motion. In announcing the resignation of the Cabinet to the Diet, he acquainted the Deputies, that he had already sent a new list of Ministers to A^ieuna, aud that until he had received the Eoyal approbation he intended to take the Government into his own hands. Madai'ass declared this announcement to be contrary to law, as it want-ed the counter-signature of the INIinistere themselves, and his proposal to govern alone to be likewise contrary to law, as the coimtry could only be ruled by a responsible Ministry. Kossuth assented to this A-iew of the question, and further demonstrated that tlie Palatine had nnnecessarily adopted this couise, since, 30S MI.Miilll (tl Ktts>llll. \.U. i(>l^ tli<»u;;li till- 1 ai'iiK-l liatl n-xitjiud, S/.»'iiii'rt*, *' -Icr of tlu- Jiitorittr, rt-taiiH-d iiii* oHiiH- until the a^ ■ nt of the new MiiUMtrv, and ther»*forf without hui count4frosed that the Diet HJiouhl authorize him to com|ilete hi« financial mrheme, by which he ho|>ed to provide for the defenee of the countrv, and whirh, with the reitt of the Minititeriol UilU, had bein tuioontlitionally rtjeeted l>y the Kin^;. llin ; accepted unanimonidy, and a de(*laration nuitl. , :..„. ...... his Majesty Hlmll ((auction the law for opening a credit to meet the want** «>f the eoiuitr}', the Diet • for the circulation of the Uvo florin n.. . Minister of Finance, and as representatives of the nation, guanintce tlie full nomin.il value of tl revenue derived from the land." They 1". the notes should be received in all public banks in place of coin, and aa the country could not be 1 * time of dauffor, they cmjwwored the Mi troops granted by the law pa!<»cd in the Diet, though un- confirnud by the Sovereijoi- l''urthcr it was dc* : ' ' * the bat t:\lionsj of llonveds* should receive the wv.: . maud in the Hungarian language, and that their standard^ uniform, and badges, should all be Hungarian. The ex- tremity of the times justified this act of the Diet, which thus took upon itself to bring a law into force, wliich was vet unsanctioned by the King. The Diet, as well as the people, * Honveds - defeudera of the oountry. Troope lerieJ for th« expreas piupose of defending the country, and who Berved eoldy OD th« coo- dition of not being employed for any other purpoee. They were all infantry and artillery moint«'d to find that he not only vas unanihitious of the honour, but that he proposed nothing, but the enforcement of law*, w hich, though refused by the >■' '1, had become absolutely necessary to supply the ex; r the country; his calmness and njoderat ion had the immediate effect of tranquillizing the public mind ; it checked the violence of the Kadicals, and inspired all with hojH\ The Diet recovered its etjuilibrium at the very moment, that the ground seemed to be giving way beneath it. In order to carry out the resolution just voted, Ko>8uth v^as unaiiinumsly called u|)on to resume his seat beside Sjiemere on the Ministerial benches, and Louis Uatthvanvi expressed his acquiesccmt' in the general desire. "It is to be hi»jH(l," he said, "that no one will suppose that the fear of impending dangers has chased me and my colleagues from the Ministerial benches. Our resignation was onlv a i*»jns« quence of our ackti' iit that in the present dif- ficult cireuuistanivs, \ii\a :i action is necessarv, and that that unanimity was wanting among us Tli<* irnsponsiblility of the Vii-eroy is neither accordant with law, uor nH|uired in the present moment. We need a responsible, but unitid and energetic Goveniment. The general voice has already named the man ; thenfore, I al.-o say, let us tni.st in Louia K»»s.«iuth; let us confide the Oo- vernment to him, for at all events it will be guided in a decided dinx'tion, and in an hour of daji;;er like the present, any direction is better than none." Kossuth resumed 1 is place on the ^lini^te^^a! benehcs, ajnidst enthusiastic cheers. He was desired by the llou.se t«) prepare a list of Ministers to act provisionally, until the King, or the Palatine as his y ■ . should have defniitively setth-d the t'abinet, and u I' . 1 was sent to the I'alatine to acqujiini Iiii.. tliat n u 370 MiMoiii or Kosbi ru. [ad. 1S18, tliL' Diet (.'oiiMiiliTtHl Ilia rcet'iit mtH ill«'{^al. but at tlu* luimo time reqiUBted hin (i|)iiii(Mi t»f the iiirwurfw they hud adopted. Ko8i*uth named iu» hiu coadjutora, the Under 8ecretarie« of Stute of the hit*- MiiiiHterH, Ix-nideH Paul Nvary, Dionys Pazmandy (the IVoiiU'iil i»f the Diet), and Baron Perenyi, end invited them to a conference the following day, to con- Huit upon the ort^iuuKation of a Pr<»vi»ional Government. While the Deputation were with the Palatine, Koitsuth dilated on hi» Hnaneial HchemeH, and moved that the new battalioiiH of Ilonveihi should, at the eoncluMJon of the war, be connidert'd a« belonging to the regular troops, and there- fore that the wouiuled and aged should receive iMMisions, and the wi'In'^H hiu! ipriili:iiis of tlm-c ^ho fill ^ll(lu^(^ In- maintained. Tli«' Diet ha\ing naimd Ku.-.-'Ulli hca»l ut t!»c' rrovihiuiial Mini>iry wa.s not only a mark of particular confidence, but an acknowledgment that his riewa though opposed to those of most of his collea^gues, were correct as to what waa necessan,' for Hungary in the present junc- ture. He had always urged, that to place the country in a state of defence was the surest guarantee for peace, but he had been obliged to yield to the sanguine ho|)es and credulity of Batthyanyi ; his suspicions of the Austmn Cabiuet had been fully confirmed, and his energetic endea- vours to enforce the laws conceded in March, his opposition to the policy of his Chief, w ere now all justified ; he was even blamed by some, for not having sooner detached him- self from his colleagues, and roused the country to a sense of its danger. But it had ever been his principle to ward otf rather than invoke the revolutionary spirit ; his constant aim, indeed, had been to urge the people to reminly existing grievances by prompt and effective niea.«ures, but always to keep within the boundaries of law. and to ctrry them out eteadilv, and without violence. A.U. ISki.] TUt lALATINE. 371 On the 12th of September Kossuth aiid Szemere pro- liined their resolutiun to use every means to repel the threatened danger, but to be ready, even at the last hour, to accept any amicable advances made by tlie enemv. Above ail, they admonished the people to refrain from violent demonstration*, Bueh as those of the preceding dav, whicli wi-re unfavourable to true liberty, since the utmost tmn- quillity was required to allow the ministers to overcome the diUiculties which lay before them. Still farther, to appease the excitement which prevailed, and to revive the feeling of loyalty towards the Sovi-reign, all the grievances complained of were imput<'d to evil a^^lvisers about the throne. The proclamation was received witli loud cheers, first, for the King, and, secondly, for the liberty and independence of the people, Hatthyanyi alone still nourished hopes of peace and con- cdiation with Austria. He had entreated Kossuth to con- tinue in the Cabinet, contrary to his own inclinations ; yet now, though sincere in his prttfessions of confidence in him u l» 1 ■ acting as Provisional Minister, he proposed to form a Cabinet from which he sliould be excluded. He was sup- ported in this view by the Palatine, who desired, if possible, to avoid the collision with his own family to which he would l)e exposed, should an open rupture take place b«twecn the tlin)ne and the nation. As a I'rinor of the blood royal he was naturally disimlin d to separate himself from tlie other njerabers of the House of Hapsburg, while, at the same time, his sincere attac'iment to Hungary, his libend views, and his sense of justice made him lean towards the cause of the people. The jealousy between the elder and younger branches of the H4>_\al Family n-sembled that between the Bourbons and Orleanists of France, aud the dislike enter- tained by the near relatives of the Emperor towards the Arch-Duke Stephen, had been strengthened by his owing S D 2 372 Mcuoin or Kosiirii. [a.o. 1846 fii» eU'ctiuii n» Palatine mainly to tin* iuflucnci* of Kuwiuth, »nd by ninny iiubM'qucnt ai*tM uf n-oi patriutijim, iiotwitli- ^tuullinf» tlu* IfttiT, whirli f«-ar, or a dt-nin* to r- «'-«t«'cni of luM tmn family, imtmidiHl liiiu in an > to MTito.* JiUnchich hu«l btfo unrrprovnl «heD ht* ■.' iiturfd to bum thi- imap«' «- at A^rani ; and in ad(ln*»«in^ him, he i> ^ r<-fii»ed hin) the title of Palatine. (IIAITKK \i\ September, lbl«. Kossuth anil the Palatine — Jtatthyanyi imfonat the J)lel he has been appointed by the J'alati$te to form » neie Cabinet — KoMtuth tiipj>ort4 Jiatthyanyi — Thf nete i'ahtmet— The Palatine takct the command vf the armtf — II rrtjurxts the King to order Jcllachich to tcithJt^. i ... Palatine rrerire* a tetter from the King— Jrllaehich rrfuset to meet the Palatine — The Palatine viBigns, an ( retires to Germany — Kt'stuth rouses Hungary to enrr- grtie action— Xew battalions formed — Count Lamberg oppiiinled Commander-in-Chief of the trt-'ps in llun- ijciy and Croatia — Pulszlry remonstrate* with Latomr on the illegality of this appointment - Secret Correspondene* hrttcern I^atour and Jcllachich — PuJ-. ' Tvonrt to preccnt luimberg going to Pesth — t i at the camp — The Diet declares the appointnteni of Lamherg illegal — He arrires in Pest h— Is advised to Irace the city — Is murdered by the mob — Sensation in the Diet — Letters found on I^mherg — The battU of Sukoro — JtUachich appointed Military Dictator of Ilungary — • See chill, xiii p. 314. A.D. 1S48.] TUE i.M.AriXE. 873 Drftvtt of the Croat* — Death of Count Zichif — Kossuth, Sztchcnyi, and lia/thyanyi — Guryry — Gencnil Jloya. Kossi'Tii was as de«irou« m Batthyanyi or the Pjiiatino, to maintain, if |>0!t{4iblt', a gcxMl undi-rvtojidiivR with tl)t> King; and, whilf cx)uunl»»ioned by the An-h-Duke to ciprt'sn hi« r^'ijri't for the ilK*;^ Ktcp he had been inducinl to take, he trtjed U|)on the nienibera tlieir duty towards him jwrsonally. " I maintain," he otnitinmyi, "that the Areh-Duke St^-phen, to whom the nation owes unbounded thanks for l>i.-< «K.'r\ievrt a the past Diet, merits them equally in the preiteut. I, aiid ail t}i..«.- who, undiT til' • cin-iim^tanees of the time, an- cx'lfd Uj>on for «■ ^i.iry exerlionM, nuu»t bear uitnesik what a hard battle he has to fight. Hinco wo com> • lenoed our Miniiiterial cann-r the An-h-Duke haj* n*jK>»ed 1) no bed of n>seort4*d uiKh'nitanding with the ,\rch-Duke, who is faithft^ to the rights of the ation, I am also convinced that the thrune can only be pres«*ned by the maint^-nanw of thene rights and liln-rties; N'j^ides, it is of imj)ortanee that tlje pri'wnt proxisional stat." 'lould not continue, and that we should receive a di-finitive :.' :.t. I trust that, whoever may undertake the ■J :it, tlie House will not take umbrage at any HJiglil 1 tfereDCo of opinion, but, above all, look to the great end, ih.r ttalvntion of our t-ountn', and thrrctun' iii»t auuw tuc l;flufLCf of privatf iiyin|mthi«-ii or iuiti|iathiea to prevail. I move that the IIoum* aiipoint a di-imtatiun to lar theae ^iewB IxTorc the I'nlntiiu-, aijd to di-nuutd tho t<'nmri-tv" of our IVoviHioiial (ioMTumfut l»y thf power* grant*'! by tlu' hiWB of ISIH." The IIouM- uaa preparinf; to acquii-vce in thia motion, and to name the deputation, when J/ouia liatthyanyi rfiac and a»Mun*d them tlu-ir wiahea had lHi*n fon-irt ailed, and that lie himiielf had bet-n already cunonandol by the Pala> tine to form a new Cabinet. Murmun of diaapprobation fn»m the ijallerieH and the extrenu' left followed this an* nouncement ; but Ufore they luul extended further, KoMUth rose to expresti his satiafaetion that the wishes of the Diet had lHH>n antii'ijmted, and the ■ as the P.u ' ! •«eU'rt«'d a man wIiojh* uamew.'i- ■ d with l;. of Huii^arinn freedom, as the President of the first respon- hible Ministr}'; one who, after the Arch-Duke, deserved tlie numt en^dit for obtaining the couc»s«iona of Man-h. This declaration silenced the Kiuiii-als with their leaden*. Madnmss and Percrol, and removed all further ob?t- ' fn>ni the Palatine and Hatthyanyi, wlio, on the mor of the 13th. announwd an unexpected chan|»e in the list of Ministers where the names of Kossuth and Szemere did not apjH'ar. It consisted of Count Alexander Erdody, Baron Josrf E«it\-oi«, Baron Pionys Kemeny, Baron Nicolas Vay, General Meszaroi", Coloman tJhicxy, an^i AT.i.r'.i- S/furl;- rdldy. At the request of Batthyanyi, the P:i..iti;.c Icfi 1' to place himself at the head of the Hungarian army agri l: Jellachieh. and was enthusiastically receired by the troops. A deputation, at the same time, was sent by ■' '■ inan to the Viennese Diet, projx)«-T'»trian Empire, the deputation must be tvnsiderr*'. na from a foreign couutr}*. A« wkju as Hatthyanvi learnt the result of their miiwion, he desired Puls/.ky to a(*quaint the K • _'. that he could only fonii a Cabinet on condilion tliat J.ilachich should be commanded to withdraw his trtH)p5 from Hangar)', and that all questions ndating to (.'roatia and Ilnn/ "1 be settled by arbitration. Tlio Arch- nuke I'r:; ' irU-s an.«*»ered for tho King, that " His Majesty approved of the ctinduct of the Areh-Duke St4*phen 111 taking the command of the IIunt^ri:m lro<»pH, .-i*! had nothing to objeet to the names which Count Uatttivanyi propo«i>d for his Cabinet ; but tliat all things else should be pro\ idi'd." But inst4>a«l of Jellachirh being orden*d to >»ithdraw his troops, the Arch- Duke Stephen re*vive«l an autograph letter from the King, comntanding him to avoid any colli- sion with the Croatian army advancing upt>n Pesth. He therefore invite*! Jellachich to a conference upon the HuIa- ton (I'latten Stv) in view of both armies ; the llungarmns being encamped on the north-western bank of the lake, and the Cn>atian on the south-iast^-m. The steamer containing the An h- Duke reached the middle of the lake, aj»d boats wen* sent to eonvey Jellachich and his aid-de-camp ; but the Han turned to his officers, and in»|uired if they gave their consent t c(>iiinmnd U) (fi'nenil 3fo^. and haiii(nK*d to X'iriina. lit- had tli«-n- an inU-nirw uith iNiUxkv, to «houi lit* i-&|>rt*i«fH-d his d(*f|) Tt-fi^rft for tin* fntv wliioh lie uw ini|M>ndin(; (ivrr Ilun^^ary r.ml tin* Moiuirt'by. He sArr- wanlH n*tin'd to liiii futalt-H in (ifmiany. then* ho luu nv iiiiiiiH'd rvrr f»iu«T in a iMirt of luMiMumMr r\ ' art. liiko tlif thiruly man in lh«' drin-rt, «i. „ , 'i-iui tounnU till' wator which other* kno«r to be ■ nirrv phantom of thr bmin, n» li.itthynnyi folI«iw»'«i i, " » of liin iiiin^^ination, and riling to tiit* fu'. ; , . ' 'on* ilintion with Austria, while atill miatnuting the power of llun^rv to n>niiit the Cmatijui army ; but KoMUth, in n priK-htiiiation i hnjuent from ita {Mitriotic ardour, vtnive to roii!«e the »inkini; hopea of hia country, *nd excite tbe ]K>4)pli> to iMiId and energetic action, lie appealed to the eternal decriHtj of the Ahnighty jKjwer, by whom none are furttukcn who do not fomake themai'lvea, and by whoae divine law n ri>;hteoti« raui*o nnmt eventually triumph over jK'rjurv and injtu^tice; he deiH'ribed the host of Jellachich a3 great in number, but unHU))]>orted by moral rectitude and the enthu.'«ia«m of the |>eople ; he exhorted the iluno ^'urian nation to fulfil an imjM'rative duty, and riae to a man •iiid crush the enemy who invaded their country ; aad in gloA in«j tcm»s he denounced those who should ahriuk from ita ptrt'onnanif : lastly, in a call to anna, he hailed the future I'rtidoni, happiness, and fame of Hungary in theae w ctiich and hU forces were at that time Btationed. iiJ). ISiS ] APPEAL or K088UTU TO THE NATION. 377 women shall dig a det'p grave, in which wo w ill bury our cuemicu, or the UAine, the honour, the nation of lluiw <:• ry. And on thb* grave »liall Mtand a nionuuient ju- e< ribfd with a record of our »haine, ' So God punishes .•owardiee;' or we will plant on it the tree of liberty, eter- iiAjly green, from out whose foliage bIuiU Ik* heanl the voice cf God, fliM-aking an from the fierj- bush to Mose.-*, 'The ."pot on which thou »tande«t ijt holy ground, — thuit do I -.■'.'' ' r-ave. To the Mo^^arM fix-odom, renown, well- File ap|H-al waii not unan«wer\ti8Ui |ir':;re«»ed ; but it wa« not their intention tliat they should ;« ■ Je their (juarrel on the field of batth- : a \ictonf, even il' g:uned by Jellachich, would ha\e been dijuidvantageous to Austria, by n*ndering nmttem des{M-rate b«^ween her and liungar}'; it waa thercforv of in)i)ortanc«> that this should be prev«'nt*Mi, An attempt of the Austrian Ministers to moke all the f the ir. ^ submit to Jella- ■1; thee ^-orrison of Komorn tuul refused to surrender to the Ban in spite of an express i.r.hr to that effect which he had n'ceived from Latour. lie n [ili«'»l ; "that the King conveyed his legal orders by the Hungarian Ministers, and therefore he could not accept onlers from his Majesty's Austrian Ministers." The pre- sent circum8tanc«'s of the countrj' therefore seeme