Imatges de pàgina
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federacy; and the firft chapter opens with a fhort fketch of the tranfactions of the council of Conftance. The proceedings of this affembly, of fuch note in its day, throw new light on the actual ftate of Europe at the time, and on its fubfequent hiftory. It is a curious circumftance that this affembly, though catholic, and though the documents relating to it are principally German, has found in l'Enfant, a proteftant, and a Frenchman, a more fair and fatisfactory hiftorian than it has been the fate of other councils to obtain. We make no exception in favour of the eftimable Fra Paoli. It will not fuffice to traverse the beaten roads; we muft wander into bye-paths, if we would thoroughly know the vaft field of hiftory.

We have feen the Helvetic bodypolitic reach its prime, and we now are called to witnefs the operation of thofe feeds of diffolution, which are inherent in all the works of man; to obferve the fhocks which convulfe the folul frame, which tend to undermine fome pillar, or to break fome hinge, and which commence the gradual change from perfection to decay.

No votaries have been more intoxicated than thofe of liberty. They attribute to their divinity every poffible excellence; and they defcribe her as pacific and moderate. Hiftory forces on us a different opinion, and wrefts from us a confeffion which we take no plea fure in making; that liberty infpires her fons too often with ambition, and with the love of aggrandizement. This is inftanced in a very remarkable manner, in the cafe of the Cantons of Uri and

Underwalden; whofe fequeftered fituation, it might have been expected, would have guarded them againft facrificing at the thrine of ambition. It was in an attempt to make good a foreign acquifition, (that of Bellinzona,) that victory firft proved unfaithful to the Swifs banners; and it was at the battle of St. Paul's before that city, that a Swifs was firft known to furrender himfelf a prifoner of war.

Previously to the Italian difafter, in the courfe of the troubles of the Vallais, a fpirit had difcovered itfelf, widely different from that which animated the confederacy in its better days. A demagogic ceremony, practifed by the infurgents, is too curious to be paffed over; we fhall tranfcribe the author's account of it, as given in a note:

The mode in which the authors of the commotion effected their purpofe, is fingular, though analogous to what popular leaders ever prac tife in order to concentrate the various grievances complained of into one fingle image, word, or fentence. They produced a club, on which a human face was rudely fculptured, and tied it to a young birch-tree, which they plucked up by the root. This they called the Mace, and fet it up as an emblem of the injured people. The figure was afked who it had chiefly to complain of; and the names of the principal families being called over, when that of the perfon aimed at was mentioned, it was made to bow profoundly in token of humiliation, and earnest entreaty for relief. All thole who took compaffion on it drove a hob-nail into the trunk of the tree, thereby denoting their number and firm refolve, without

betraying

betraying their names. When the number was thought fufficient, this pageant was carried throughout the country, and placed before fuch houfes and caftles as were doomed to deftruction. Whoever reprobated the violences committed by the infurgents was threatened with the mace; and the perfon who was the principal object of the confpiracy, had no option but that of flying the country.'

In Chap. II. Mr. Planta makes the following obfervations, to ferve as a clue to guide us through the maze of the enfuing melancholy

events:

The ftate of fecurity in which the cantons now found themfelves, foon induced them to turn their thoughts to objects of private advantage, or at beft to conceive that a tender regard for the welfare of their particular city or canton was all the patriotifm that could now be demanded of them. Each canton thus gradually acquired a diftina character.* Berne became lordly and domineering; but this very fpirit, and the prevailing influence of that city, proved in the fequel the main fpring of the confequence of the confederacy as a ftate. Zuric carried on an extenfive trade, and hence fuffered its commercial views to warp all its public as well as private delibera; tions; and we accordingly feldom find it in unifon with the reft of the confederates. The three foreft can

tons preferved, indeed, their pastoral fimplicity; but their emulation being once excited, even Mount St. Gothard was not high enough to reftrain Uri and Underwalden from attempting conquefts in Italy, in which they were feebly afflified by their allies.'

This chapter contains the fad details of the war of Zuric; a contest as inveterate and deftructive, as thofe ufually are which arife among friends and confederates. The fplendid Stufli, who exercifed abfolute way over the minds of the Zurichers, is a character which the political reader will carefully furvey. Author of incalculable ills to his country, and to the confederacy, and comproniifing the very existence of both as independent powers by his treaty with Auftria, he retained his influence over the people undiminifhed, to the day in which he bravely fell, fighting for the cause of which he was the foul. The defcription of the bloody combat at the lines of Hirzel is exquifitely pathetic. If the ambition of the dangerous Stu had in the courfe of the narrative called forth our refentment, yet, at the view of his noble fall, we are not enough mafters of ourselves to refufe him our regret. The frantic valour of the small band of intrepid Swifs, who fold their lives at fo dear a rate to the dauphin of France, (afterward Louis XI.) in the action of St. Jacob, near Bafle, is drawn in its true colours. The curious

Thefe,

Their rulers, and not the people at large must be here understood. cheerfully contented in the ferene enjoyment of their dear-bought liberty, confined within a narrow circle of communication, and chiefly addicted to their domestic concerns, have never fuffered new fangled doctrines, or fpecious political fpeculations, to bias or perplex their honeft purposes. Should their modern reformers fucceed to guide them into new paths of morality, the late conduct of the Swifs guards at the Louvre will probably be the laft inftance of the fincerity and inviolable truth to their engagements, which, together with undaunted courage, have ever been confidered 25 the diftinėtiva features of the national character of this people.'

reader

reader is gratified, when he learns that this engagement was the first caule of the intimate connection between France and Switzerland, formed foon afterwards; which has been productive of fo many important confequences, which remained to our days, and which had fo tragical a termination.

In commencing the fecond vofume of this work, we approach the period at which the hiftory of Helvetia mingles itfelf with, and ultimately (as it were) lotes itfelf in that of other ftates. We are to fee its people for a fhort time, indeed, act up to their ancient characters, and achieving fplendid events; but we next behold them as allies, and laft. ly we hear of them only as mercenaries. In what remains of his talk, therefore, the Helvetic hiftorian can no longer intereft by novelty of matter; nor does the fubject retain the fame dignity, and afford the fame fatisfaction. Helyetia ceafes, very foon, to be the region in which men of invincible bravery, of primitive manners, of fentiments pure as the cryflal ftreams illuing from their glaciers, and of integrity and honour as unfhaken as their native mountams, are feen Spurning the oppreflor's yoke, breaking his bands, defying his prowefs, and baffling all his attempts to force or induce them to refume their chains. The temple of Freedom is foon to be converted into a theatre for gladiators, formed to be let out for hire to combat in the deftructive games of ambition. It is true that Helvetia did not all at once leap into the arms of difgrace; it required time, as well as confummate addrefs, to familiarize her to what was fo contrary to the feelings and habits of her better days. It must

be admitted that mealures most honourable to her, and deeds full of glory, attracted the notice, and awoke the withes of a crafty fedurer, and gave rife to the machinations by which he undermined Helvetic virtue.

Like other wanderers, the

does not deviate from her former paths without exhibiting, at times, her qualms of confcience, her fits of repentance, and her gufts of good refolution: but thefe weaken by degrees; and the fettles down to a commerce, than which nothing more difgraceful is recorded in the annals of human depravity, a commerce in the blood of her children. Do fpeculatifs, with great force of reafonings, maintain that all wars, except for felf-defence, are contrary to morals and true religion? What fhall we fay, then, of a people who farnifh warriors for gold, who lend them to every caufe indifcriminately? This difgrace of Helvetia is not to be difputed, nor palliated; yet juftice requires that we fhould add, that it is almoft the fole offence with which this people are chargeable.

The period on which we are entering exhibits to our view two remarkable men, whofe actions and fate have had eminent influence over the fablequent ftate of Europe; Lewis XI. of France, and Charles the Bold, the laft duke of Burgundy. The former was a monfter in pri vate life, and callous to every principle, but poff:ffed of extraordinary difcernm nt as to what refpected the interefts of his crown, who, before Machiavelli wrote, reduced to practice all his rules; fo that he might have ferved the fame end in politics to that ingenious writer, that Homer and the Greek trage dians are faid to have done to Arif

totle

cloven afunder, and he had two other wounds, each of which was mortal. He was interred with folemn pomp at Nancy; but feventythree years after, his remains were transferred to Bruges, to be depofited in the fame tomb with those of his daughter Mary. Moft of the Burgundian nobility, who had not fallen at Granfon or Morat, were here either killed or taken; and a third Burgundian camp became the prey of the victorious enemy.'

totle in matters of tafte. Not only, cy. His head is faid to have been as it has been faid, did he fet himfelf and his fucceffors hors de page, but he did the fame by his kingdom. Without ftriking a blow on bis own part, without incurring the expenfes or riking the hazards of war, he effected the deftruction of a rival more powerful and wealthy than himfelf, namely, the abovementioned duke of Burgundy; who, though valorous and high-minded, and at the head of one of the first ftates in Europe, yet, by unfkilful and headlong measures, brought down ruin on himself and his houfe, and involved his fubjects in endlefs calamities.

Chap. III. of Book II. (the firft of this volume) details the particulars of the grand cabinet achieve ment of Lewis XI. and records the feats of Helvetic valour at Granfon and Morat, and the fall of Charles before Nancy. In the battle which takes its name from that city, the ill-fated prince, when he faw that all was loft, refolved to engage in perfon.

He rushed among the combatants with the fury of a lion, and flew many with his own hand; but most of his people, efpecially the cavalry, having now forfaken him, and feeing himfelf entirely abandoned, he determined to confult his own fafety, and rode full speed towards the road that leads to Metz. Being hard preffed by his purfuers, he attempted to leap over a ditch; but his weary horfe being unable to clear it, they both fell into the trench, and here Charles met his fate from hands unconscious of the importance of the life they were abridging. After having been fome time milling, his body was found among other dead in the ditch, and conveyed to Nan

Thus fell the duke of Burgundy; and thus was brought about an event, the confequences of which Europe feels to this very day. A fmall part of his territories went to the fecret author of his ruin; but the greater was conveyed by his daughter, on her marriage, to the houfe of Auftria, now growing to a height of power unequalled fince the days of Charlemagne.-It has often been asked why Lewis XÍ. did not fecure the whole of the Burgundian territories, by marrying the dauphin to the heirefs; but it is not eafy to folve this question. Could he have foreseen what has happened fince in Europe, with the bloodshed and calamities which thefe provinces were to occafion, we might have fuppofed that he facrificed the interefts of his crown to the gratification of his malignant feelings. What feeds of contention have thefe provinces nourished! Witnefs the wars in which Spain exhaufted the wealth of the Indies; in which our Elizabeth difplayed masterly policy; in which fo many great commanders gained immortal fame; and which employed the elegant pens of Bentivoglio and Strada. Witness the repeated wars maintained by the different powers of Europe, to pre

yent Belgium from falling into the hands of France; wars in which the greatest generals of modern times have earned their dearly-bought laurels.

The IVth chapter relates the events of the fanguinary conteft between the Helvetic confederacy, and the Suabian league. This war owed its origin to the attempts of the imperial tribunals to renew their jurifdiction over Helvetia.

By the peace of Bafle, which terminated this moft deftructive ftrug gle, the empire renounced all jurifdiction within the territories of the confederacy; the independence of which was, therefore, at this time, virtually acknowledged, though this was not formally done till the peace of Weftphalia.

Chap. V. narrates the tranfactions of Milan, from its firit invafion by Lewis XII. 'to the battle of Biccoca. Few human minds are altogether free from national prejudices; and the prefent philofophic and candid hiftorian fhews himfelf, in this chapter, to be not a little biafled by their influence. The Swifs achievement at Novarra is related as if within the regular courfe of events; but when we come to Marignan, where the author's countrymen are defeated, the event in his view of it is a phænomenon of moft difficult folution. A great number of particulars are brought together, in order to explain and account for the prodigy; and he appears to confider thefe preliminaries as neceffary, in order to render it credible that the French were victorious in a battle with the Swifs.

That the reader may form fome idea of the connection which fo long fubfifted between the Helvetic con

federacy and France, we lay before him the following extract :

At length, however, on the twenty-ninth of November, of the fucceeding year, a general pacification was concluded at Friburg, by which the French king, as duke of Milan, ceded for ever to the cantons the poffeffion of the tranfalpine bailiwicks, and the provinces of Valteline, Chiavenna, and Bormio, to the Grifons, with an option, however, of their furrendering their principle caftles in thofe diftricts to the French king for the fum of three hundred thousand crowns: all the privileges, that had ever been held by the confederates in the kingdom of France, were revived and confirmed: the payments flipulated by the convention of Dijon were ratified, with the addition of a free gift of three hundred thoufand crowns to the whole Helvetic body, and an annual fubfidy of two thoufand livres to each of the canfons, to the Valais, and to the Grifon leagues. This compact was declared to be perpetual, and has in fact been the bafis of the many leagues that have ever after been made between the crown of France and the Helvetic confederacy.”

The VIth chapter treats of the affairs of the confederacy during the period of the reformation; the character of which is well drawn in the fhort paffage here quoted:

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Religious diffenfions unfheathed the fword, and gave rife to animofities and calamities, which for many years perplexed and tormented a large portion of the human race; and armed men againft each other, who, had they been influenced by the charity which was the bafis of their faith, would have reconciled

their

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