and persuasions of the popular hero appeased the storm. This manifestation stimulated him in the final resolution to save his fatherland from the infidels, or perish. The Ottomans were steadily consolidating their power in Europe. The new pontiff, Calixtus III., invited Christendom to a crusade against them. these conspiracies, letters from Belgrade announced that Mohammed, with an innumerable fleet and army, had crossed Serbia, and was advancing on the Danube. At this moment, all hatreds, disputes, ambitions, ceased; one name alone resounded among high and low, in every street, in every valley-Hunyadi! He was exalted, flattered, surrounded, proclaimed a hero, a savior, by the very men who had calumniated him. In the midst of this unspeakable enthusiasm, he hasten But Christendom remained deaf to the invitation; Hungary alone was expected to strike the Crescent. Capistrano, a pious Franciscan friar, was sent to preached the completion of the army, took leave the crusade to the Hungarian people. By of his king, whom he entreated to remain the pontifical influence, the internal dis- firm among his people, as he would soon sensions of the realm were settled, and hear that the Crescent had been crushed Ladislas fully acquainted with the treason by the Cross. Nevertheless, the general of De Cilley, as well as the magnanimity terror did not subside; exaggerated reof his intended victim. The king sent ports were circulated. The population his excuses to Hunyadi, who hesitated in of Buda abandoned the city; the streets accepting them. He yielded, however, were deserted. Not a man, not a soldier, in the name of the fatherland, and was could be seen. In the mean time, Hunappointed captain-general of the king. yadi was flying, as it were, southwards. dom. Ladislas renewed, in a solemn assembly, the expression of his gratitude and esteem for the ex-governor of the kingdom, confirming all the recompenses aird donations he had bestowed upon him. In the meantime the Crusade was in vain preached in Germany and Poland; it only brought a few thousand lawless volunteers. Hunyadi, after having invited all the Hungarian nobility to march under the national standard, once more resolved to implore the assistance of the Christian princes. Only one, the Duke of Burgundy, after great professions, contented himself with performing some military marches in Germany, after which he returned to his duchy. The captain-general met with great difficulties in raising his army. A singular lukewarmness had followed the excessive terror of the Turks, who were represented as having abandoned their systematic aggressions. Hunyadi implored his countrymen to have no faith in their apparent inactivity. He entreated the king to come to Buda and convoke a Diet; Ladislas consented. The assembly, eloquently addressed by Friar Capistrano, voted, in momentary enthusiasm, fresh supplies of money and men; but a latent opposition of the enemies of Hunyadi was baffling the efforts and exertions of the captain-general'; difficulties were fostered in every way. The object was evidently to ruin Hunyadi personally, who required all the manly energy of his nature not to despair and succumb. In the midst of Mohammed had pitched his tents under the walls of Belgrade, on the 15th June, 1456. He had brought with him about a hundred thousand men, with an enormous mass of ammunitions, artillery, and engines of war. He had echelonned two hundred vessels on the Danube and the Save, to cut off all communication of the besieged with Transylvania and Hungary. Belgrade was defended by a few hundred Magyars only, but men of long experienced valor, commanded by Michael Szilagyi, brother-in-law of Hunyadi. They all swore to defend the city to their last breath. The sultan flattered himself to take it in less than a fortnight; before which, he said, his father, Amurath, had lost seven months, and all his glory. The siege commenced; it was carried on with prodigious vigor. Huge engines poured down on the city showers of destructive missiles. A first, a second, a third week passed on, Belgrade, with its walls tottering, was still resisting. Every assault of the Ottomans had been repulsed; but the besieged, emaciated, exhausted, must soon sink; their only hope was in the mercy of God, and the arrival of their savior, Hunyadi. Hunyadi was advancing, but with very inadequate forces for such an emergency. Fortunately, Friar Capistrano and his monks had explored Bohemia, Poland, Valachia, Moldavia, and at their voice about sixty thousand volunteers, poor, simple citizens, monks, peasants, students, COUNT HUNYADI. 399 all enthusiastic in their faith, and ready | enemies, whilst his silvery voice encour to die for Christ, joined the Hungarian aged the Christians. The friar, Capistraarmy. The first great difficulty was to penetrate into the besieged city. Hunyadi, after consulting with Capistrano, the worthy, indefatigable friar, and his companions in arms, resolved to attack the naval barrier on the Danube, raised by the Ottomans. Two hundred little vessels were prepared with an incredible celerity on a stream, tributary of the Danube. A select body of men was placed upon them, and the little fleet, carried down by the stream into the Danube, and towards Belgrade, surprised the Ottomans. A deadly combat took place; a wild encounter, hand to hand. At the same time, a bold, skillful sally on the part of the besieged threw disorder among the Turks, who found themselves surrounded. They still fought like lions, while worthy Capistrano endeavored to terrify them by presenting to them the cross, in the thickest of the battle. After five hours of destruction, when the river seemed transformed into a stream of blood, the Ottomans, vanquished, disappeared; half their flect was burned down, and the Christians entered Belgrade in triumph. Still the position of the city remained perilous. The sultan was thundering forth on its walls, and would soon be able to launch two hundred thousand men upon it. Hunyadi, assisted by Capistrano, urged the besieged to resignation, exalted their devotedness, soothed their sufferings by words of kindness, tenderness, and hope, foretelling their final success, and elo quently depicting the glory that would follow, and the eternal recompense that awaited them in heaven. At the same time, he was attending to the provisions, arms, entrenchments, and all the means for a deadly defense, exercising the inexperienced to the use of the sword. no, impassible, joining his fervent prayers and exhortations, cross in hand, in the midst of this butchery, seemed as if he were invulnerable. But the masses of the Ottomans increasing, thrusted the Christians backwards. The infidels were overpowering them; they took possession of the first rampart; the crescent had been already planted on several parts of it; the Hungarians were exhausted and discouraged. "Oh," exclaims Hunyadi, preparing for death, "Oh, Belgrade is lost!" Capistrano, raising his hand in a prophetic impulse, pointed to heaven, and calmed the despair of the hero. Hunyadi then cut his way through the Ottomans and rallied his men. In the mean time, the besieged conceived, in their distress, the plan of throwing down on the assailants burning faggots, mixed with sulphur. Capistrano-transformed into a captain by the dangers of his fellow-Christiansled, in close array, a body of about two thousand men, with whom he rushed on the Turks, and obliged them to retreat. At this moment Hunyadi reappeared, fell, with the rage of despair, on the infidels, and drove them away, after another terrible encounter. In the exultation of victory, he followed them in the plain, accompanied by Capistrano, attacked and dispersed the principal corps of Ottomans. Thus, inflamed by victory, reäction of a momentary despair, the Hungarians continued to advance till they laid their hands on the Ottoman artillery. But Mohammed was foaming with fury. He called out to his cavalry, and, his broad cimiter in hand, darted At the first onset he was wounded, fell, upon the Giaours. and disappeared. From this moment the Christians were in possession of a comHunyadi had been seven days in Bel- tillery, pursued the fugitives with an unplete victory; they took the Ottoman argrade when the Ottomans, in thick col- heard-of audacity, penetrated into the umns, were seen emerging from their camp of the infidels and plundered it. camp and unfolding themselves at a short The night, and the fear of being surprised distance from the walls. The thunder of brought them back into the city. On the their tremendous artillery battered the following day the Ottomans had vanished, city. In a few hours heaps of ruins filled leaving twenty-four thousand dead, their the ditches; a broad breach was made. artillery, and the enormous splendid bagThe Ottomans yelling at the sound of gage and provisions of their the myriads of voices crying "Allah"-yadi announced the victory to his king rushed to storm the place. They met with admirable humility; he never relat camp. HunHunyadi and his Magyars. During five ed any of his victories without adding, hours the broad, flashing sword of Hun- " Deo auxiliante." yadi appeared every where, mowing down Hunyadi was not destined to relish the felicities of his triumph. A few days after the defeat of the Ottomans he fell a prey to a slow fever, to some plague or epidemic disease. From his state of exhaustion and long exposure, the disease very soon assumed a character of great gravity. He was transferred to Semlin, on the other side of the Danube, away from the ruins and dead bodies. The worst symptoms became, nevertheless, manifest. Capistrano was exhorting the poor sufferer to patience, and when he found that the fatal hour was at hand; when he understood that the hero must soon leave this world, the monk thought it his duty to reveal the truth to him and recommend him to prepare for it. Hunyadi, smiling, explained that, having so long and so much been exposed to death, he had long since made his will, disposed of every thing; that his faith had always been unbounded, that he had always lived, suffered, been wounded, in the service of the true religion, and that he could not, therefore, have any thing to fear. He then thanked and blessed the pious monk, and requested him, when he returned among his countrymen, to tell them that Hunyadi János had died the death of a Christian. A crowd of nobles had arrived at Semlin. They were admitted in the room where lay the suffering hero. They surrounded him and gazed on the ghastly figure that was so terrible and formidable a few days before, and will be nothing more than a little dust on the morrow; they admired the extraordinary man, so often betrayed and calumniated, whose whole life had been a perpetual sacrifice to his country. Hunyadi called his two sons, Ladislas-a brilliant youth who had fought by his side at Belgradeand the youngest, Mathias, yet a boy, but lion-hearted, with an eagle's eye, a lad who was destined to avenge his father and his country. The dying father did not exhort them to avenge the insults he had suffered; he did not awaken in them ideas of ambition, but only spoke to them words of pardon, forgetfulness, fidelity to the king, urging them to devote them selves, body and soul, to the glory of the Hungarian fatherland and the preservation of its liberties. The sons knelt by his side, and the father blessed them. He then turned to the Magyars, pressing reverently round him, and addressed them in the national idiom. He explained the clauses of his will which referred to the fatherland, recommending to them to continue what he had commenced; to destroy the Ottoman power; to keep harmony and concord among themselves, without which the Hungarian republic would perish. He tendered his sons to his countrymen, investing the eldest with his command and prerogatives till the ulterior decision of the king; he then bid a last adieu to all, entreating his beloved Capistrano to pray for him. He called afterwards every one present separately to his bed, holding out his hand to each, pardoning, thanking the others; he then dismissed them. He desired to be carried into the Church of the Virgin; and, in the midst of his faithful companions in arms-all kneeling, praying, weeping-he received the sacraments at the hands of Capistrano. He was immediately taken to a chapel prepared for him, and laid down, Capistrano reciting the prayers for the dead. Hunyadi once more cast a feeble glance of tender farewell on his friend, and closed his eyes. A few minutes after his soul fled from this world. Capistrano rose, and, his face bathed with tears, pronounced these words: "Farewell, star of heaven! Crown of the kingdom, thou art no more! The light of the Christian world is extinguished! Alas! the mirror in which the soldiers of Christ always saw victory reflected is dashed for ever! Now, O conqueror of the enemies of the divine name, thou triumphest among angels! Thou reignest in heaven with Jesus. Oh! thou art truly happy! We are the unfortunate men; thou hast left us in the valley of tears! O brave John, farewell, farewell!" The deliverance of Belgrade had thrown the Hungarian nation into delirious rejoicings. Soon after, the news followed that Hunyadi was dead. A mournful despair, dark forebodings for the future, succeeded to the exultations of an unexpected and splendid victory. The people had lost their protector-the Secondary Magyar nobility their intrepid commander. The whole country was in tears. De Cilley alone could not wholly conceal his extreme joy; he conceived that now the kingdom of Hungary would be a prey to his cupidity. The king had the good taste to man ifest a real, or feigned sorrow. He confirmed Hunyadi's son, Ladislas, in all the dignities of his father, and publicly expressed his gratitude for the great commander who had saved Hungary and pre served his crown. Christendom deplored the loss of the man who, although so often abandoned by all, had worn out his life in the service of his country. The pontiff ordered at Rome a solemn service in honor of the Magyar hero, and conferred upon him the title of "Defender of the Christian Faith." Mohammed II., on hearing the death of his great enemy, fell into a long, silent, brooding gloom; and afterwards, with tears in his eyes, exclaimed that, in his age, no prince ever had such a subject. Nothing, therefore, was wanted to the glory of Hunyadi: neither the tears of the people, the enthusiastic admiration of those who had fought under his banner, nor the honorable testimony of the enemy he had vanquished. The external appearance of the great Magyar was that of a soldier. He was of middle height, well proportioned, although with a vigorous frame. His large head was covered with thick, dark chestnut, curling hair, his face, ruddy and broad, had something of military roughness, with an expression of pride and energy; a be nevolent good-nature often radiated from his lips. His large dark eyes, overshadowed by thick eyebrows, had an expression of unfathomable depth, inspiring terror when they flashed forth the lightnings of intelligent activity, of impetuosity, or scornful indignation. He was simple in his mode of living, but careful in dress, like all the Magyars. He was always to be distinguished among the nobles, in the assemblies, ceremonies, and especially in battle, by his floating, embroidered, broadsleeved mantle-his white plume, fixed with diamonds on his kalpak-by the gold and silver ornaments that, adorned the equipment of his horse. This splendid attire was no doubt a great source of fond attraction to the people and the army; but it rendered him also conspicuous in the confusion of the thickest conflict, and enabled his companions in arms, dispersed in the tumult of battle, to rally round him. In his private life he was modest, generous, extremely charitable, and tenderly attached to his family, and of a constant purity in his manners. His private virtues have even been acknowledged by the too hostile chroniclers, from whom have been derived all the attacks on his public life; but their hostility has succumbed ignominiously under the grave and impartial researches of history. The life of Hunyadi is, at this day, as it will ever be in the land of the Magyars, a holy legend-a model of genius, heroism, self-denial, and probity a principle of vitality and regeneration in the Hungarian people. The calumnies of De Cilley and a few dastard nobles pursued the hero after his death. They again took possession of the weak mind of the king; they led him to acts of the grossest ingratitude and cruelty. Ladislas, Hunyadi's eldest son, who was in possession of his father's dignities, found himself accused of an imaginary plot, submitted to a mock trial, and was one evening murdered by the headsman of the king, in an obscure corner of Buda, the king himself sitting by a window to witness his death. Subsequently, (March, 1457,) a formal decree was framed and published, by the same prince and his council, destined to demonstrate the reality of all the calumnies accumulated on the father and the son, and written in the coarsest language. This royal document received a most effective refutation. The Hungarian nation, palpitating with hatred, flew to arms. The wretched royal calumniator fled to Vienna, then to Prague, where he died miserably, four months after the murder of Hunyadi's eldest son. A National Diet was assembled under the walls of Pesth, for the election of a new sovereign; and in the midst of the enthusiastic, delirious acclamations of the patriots, people, and nobility, Mathias Corvinus, a boy fifteen years old, the second and worthy son of the savior of Hungary, was proclaimed king on the 24th January, 1458. The hero Hunyadi thus received in death, an eternal crown of gratitude. From Fraser's Magazine. RECOLLECTIONS OF CEYLON: ITS FORESTS AND ITS PEARL FISHERY. A dew-drop falling on the wild sea wave, Which thrust it forth, as it had feared-to die; ALTHOUGH I had resided four years in Ceylon, that most lovely little island, "where every prospect pleases, and only man is vile," and had traveled over almost every portion of it, circumstances had prevented my being present at Aripo while a pearl fishery was going on, until the year 1859. The fisheries always take place in the lull of calm weather between the termination of the north-east and the commencement of the south-west monsoons. This weather extends usually all through March, to the middle of April. The route from Colombo to Aripo is any thing but interesting; and as the months of January and February, from their comparative coolness, are the pleasantest for traveling, we made arrangements for a long tour from the south, through the "happy hunting grounds" on the east coast to Batticaloa, striking thence across the whole breadth of the country to Aripo, on the opposite side of the island. scenery and beauty round them; but by far the pleasantest mode of performing a journey is on horseback. Nothing but fowls and eggs of an infe rior quality is procurable in the "jungle," (as every where beyond the precincts of the few provincial towns is designated.) Every article required for a two months' journey-provisions for men and horses, guns, ammunition, wine, beer, soap, candles, pickles, etc., etc.-had therefore to be carried with us; and as men's heads and shoulders are the only means of transport, our party was necessarily rather a large one. Each race differs as to the manner in which the load is carried. A Tamil cooly prefers carrying his on the top of his head. A Cinghalese makes use of a "pingo," an elastic piece of wood placed across one shoulder, to either end of which his burden is attached. Moormen carry theirs on their backs, with a strap round the head, after the fashion of English porters before light carts came into uni Those who after a comfortable break-versal use. fast at home seat themselves in an express train to dine with a friend three hundred miles distant, unincumbered with any thing save a railway rug and the last Fraser, can have but little idea of traveling in Ceylon, where a journey of three hundred miles becomes a serious business. The modes of progression are various. Some people, with an eye to state more than to speed, are carried in covered chairs; some bury themselves in a palanquín, a kind of sarcophagus, wherein they must renounce all hope of enjoying the Having portioned out the baggage, and given the coolies a day's start, we left for Badulla early in January. The beautiful mountain of Namunu Kooli had been our landmark long before we reached the town it overshadows, Badulla lying on the verge of the mountain zone to the eastward. For the next twelve miles the road to Ella Pass winds through the lovely Ouvah country, gradually ascending until the small table-land on which the Rest House stands is reached. This flat is situated between two magnificent hills, |