III. And if not, we walk in patience, With its twelve gates open thrown. To that Rome where CHRIST is Pontiff, There they taste the leaves of healing; Make perpetual melody. 'Gloria DEO in excelsis !' PRINCE OF PEACE, we long for Thee! SKETCHES FROM HUNGARIAN HISTORY. BY THE AUTHOR OF 'COURAGE AND COWARDS;' ‘IVON,' &c. XVII. FROM THE ADRIATIC TO THE BALTIC. A. D. 1352 TO A. D. 1382. WHILE Louis was fighting in Naples, his uncle Kasimir had been engaged in an unsuccessful contest with the Lithuanian Prince Keystut, who had taken possession of Gallicia and Lodomeria. Louis, who felt bound on every occasion to support his uncle, and had joined him and several other princes of Europe in a crusade against the Lithuanians in 1344, now came again to his assistance, recovered the lost provinces, took Keystut prisoner, and restored him to liberty only on condition of his receiving Baptism and doing homage. These conditions were readily accepted, but utterly disregarded. Keystut returned to the faith of his fathers, and, in conjunction with his friends the neighbouring Tatars, pursued his attacks upon Kasimir so soon as Louis' back was turned. Louis was not now the romantic passionate youth he had been ten years previously. Energetic he still was, but his energy was no longer under the control of blind though generous impulses. He had learnt experience and self-restraint, and henceforth devoted himself more and more to labouring for objects which were not only desirable in themselves, but were also not impossible of attainment. Another change too had come over him, and made itself more and more felt as years went on. Whether it was that, in the late struggle, he had become convinced of the utter impossibility of contending successfully with the Holy See; whether prudence whispered that it would be well to keep on good terms with the head of the Church; or whether, as seems most likely, his religious feeling taught him increasing reverence for ecclesiastical authoritycertain it is, that Louis, who had hitherto paid little heed to the Pope, and had often acted in opposition to him, now shewed the greatest submission to his will, and even allowed himself to be urged by him to acts of intolerance against those whose faith differed from his own. A campaign against the heathen Lithuanians, would he knew meet with the Pope's approval, and it was daily becoming more necessary to the well-being not only of Poland but also of Hungary, that these wild neighbours and their Tatar allies should be brought under control. This then was one of his projects. Another and not less important one was the recovery of the Dalmatian sea-coast from the power of Venice. But before entering on either of these campaigns, Louis thought it well to assure himself of the friendship of the neighbouring princes, and to this end attended a congress at Vienna, (1353) where he renewed his former league with Albrecht of Austria, and also met the widowed Emperor Karl IV., who was on the look-out for a third wife who should increase his dominions. The niece and heiress of the childless Duke of Schweidnitz, who had been brought up at the Hungarian court by her great-aunt, the Queen-mother, would, he thought, suit him very well; as the lands which she was to inherit were conveniently situated with regard to Bohemia. She had been betrothed to his son, but as her destined bridegroom was dead, and his father a widower, the latter offered himself as a substitute, and was favourably received. In his own choice of a bride, Louis was guided by far different motives. It is true that he needed no additions to his already extensive dominions; but he might have found some advantage in an alliance with one of the great houses of Europe, any of which would gladly have accepted him. Louis, however, in this instance determined to be guided by no conditions of policy or state-interest, but offered his hand and heart to Elizabeth, daughter of the Ban of Bosnia, with whom he had had frequent opportunities of becoming acquainted, during her long sojourn at his mother's court, where she had been educated in company with Anna von Schweidnitz. It may be in consequence of the friendship existing between their wives, that, shortly after the two weddings, the Emperor and King made a family compact, by virtue of which it was arranged VOL. 11. 16 PART 63. that the children born to them should intermarry. Thanks to this arrangement, Sigmund, son of Karl, married Louis' daughter Maria, and subsequently became King of Hungary. In the summer of this same year ambassadors arrived from Genoa, inviting Louis to join them in a league against Venice; but the eight years truce was not yet expired; and moreover, Louis was the more disposed to put off for the present trying conclusions with the great Republic, because his assistance was greatly needed in Poland. Pope Clement, who had greatly praised his zeal against unbelievers, and had begged him to continue his efforts, generously made him a present of all the land he had taken or should hereafter take from them. In the spring therefore Louis armed for a grand campaign; and as it was looked on as a holy war, not only the Hungarians but many foreigners willingly flocked to his standard. The Lithuanians were speedily driven out of Lodomeria, Volhynia, and Podolia, and the allied armies then crossed the Bug, to chastise the Tatars for their repeated inroads. But the wild tribes fled, some over the Dnieper, some over the Danube; and one of the chiefs, who had been defeated two years before by the Hungarians, avoided all encounter with the troops, and asked for a safe-conduct to the camp. On being brought thither, he walked up to King Louis, and boldly asked what injury had roused the Hungarian ruler to attack him, and what advantage he expected from a victory. Louis replied that his wish to spread the religion of Christ had led him to begin the campaign, and went on to propose to the Khan that he should renounce heathenism, acknowledge the protecting sovereignty of Hungary, and pay a yearly tribute. Your speech,' answered the Tatar, 'seems to me not quite reasonable; you make demands as though you were already a conqueror, before the fate of arms has decided between us. It is possible that fortune may be on my side. However, as I and the nobles of my people have long intended to adopt your faith, I do not refuse to do homage or send you yearly gifts-not, however, as tribute, but as a return for the protection of Hungary. This you can tell your High-priest, and then inform me what more we are called upon to do.' Thus ended the campaign. A league was made with the Tatars, and Louis sent monks to instruct, or at least baptize them. Of their doings, however, we have no record. At the conclusion of the war, fresh documents were drawn up relative to the Polish succession, which the Poles, in gratitude to Louis, confirmed to him and his male descendants, adding also a provision that if he died without a son, the crown should go to the son of his brother Stephen, Duke of Sclavonia, who had died this year. (1355.) Louis on his side promised to respect the rights and liberties of the Poles, and acknowledged their right to choose a king for themselves on the extinction of the male line of the Hungarian branch of the House of Anjou. While Louis had been thus engaged in the north, some fighting had been going on between the Ban of Macsó and the Prince of Servia, who had of late years become very powerful by the conquest of Macedonia, Belgrade, and great part of Macsó, Syrmia, and Bosnia, and had taken to himself the title of Emperor. But Duschan could not but expect that so soon as the Italian campaign and the crusade against the Lithuanians should be over, Louis would not leave these wrongs unavenged, and he therefore made a secret league with Venice, and sent an embassy to Innocent VI., promising to join the Roman Church, and asking to be appointed leader of a crusade against the Turks. Like his predecessor, Innocent was deceived by these professions, and despatched a Legate to Duschan with flattering letters, promising to do all he wished. But the Servian Prince, together with the title of Emperor, had adopted as far as possible the ceremonious pomp prevalent at the court of Constantinople, and required the Legate to kiss his foot, an act of homage which he refused. Whereupon Duschan in a rage forbade his subjects to attend the Romish service on pain of losing their eyes. The Legate at once quitted the Servian court, and hastened to Hungary, where he begged Louis to avenge the insult done to the Pope. Louis was by no means indisposed to accede to this request, for it was high time some stop should be put to Duschan's encroachments, and he was glad to enter upon a struggle which could not long be avoided, at a time when he might reckon upon the sympathy of the Pope, and indeed of all Catholic Christendom. He was still occupied with the affairs of Poland when the Legate arrived, but at once sent the Ban of Macsó to Servia, and soon after himself assembled a large army at Agram, to the great joy of the Pope, who appointed him 'standard-bearer to the Church,' and called on all the people of Christendom to pray not only for the success of his arms, but also that he might be blessed with children to inherit his virtues. Recruits poured into the camp from all quarters; but suddenly, to the astonishment of the whole world, Louis changed his plans, and led the vast army he had collected against his ancient enemies the Venetians. Some writers are of opinion that this had indeed been his intention from the first, but that he had thought it politic to conceal his scheme in order that the Venetians might be taken unprepared. This view of the case, however, supposes in Louis an amount of duplicity quite at variance with his generous and open-hearted character; nor is it borne out by the facts of the case. The truce with the Republic had expired, and Venice was anxious to renew it; but at the very time when she was making proposals to this end, Louis discovered that she was also secretly sending assistance to Duschan; and feeling convinced that he could not fight successfully with Servia until Venice should be reduced to a state of quiescence, he determined to turn his arms first in her direction. Former experience in 1845 had taught him that any attempt at taking the sea-coast towns must fail unless his army were supported by a fleet, and he therefore resolved to attack the Republic this time in her own territory. Many others besides Louis had reason to complain of Venice, and the Princes of north Italy were only too glad to take this opportunity of avenging their wrongs by joining the Hungarian army. Albrecht of Austria too joined the King; and together they soon took several towns, making Padua, by permission of Francis of Carrara, the head-quarters of the army. Several attempts at peace were made; but, having gained so many advantages, Louis was the more determined t› listen to no proposals which did not contemplate the unconditional surrender of Dalmatia. Even the Pope's Legate could only obtain from him a truce of five months, though Venice, finding him immoveable, had had recourse to a singular and unworthy expedient by way of propitiation. The Venetian ambassadors declared that a noble named Julian Baldichino had offered to deliver Louis dead or alive into their hands, but that their senate had magnanimously refused the offer. As they could not say how Baldichino proposed to effect his purpose, Louis asked to have the man sent to him, promising that no harm should befall him. Baldichino accordingly came, and reminded Louis that when he was in the camp at Treviso, he used to go almost every evening to the wooded banks of the river Sile, and there write, or wander up and down till quite late. There he had intended to fall upon him, with two companions, bind and carry him off alive, or else drown him in the river. He had communicated his design to the senate, but not the way in which he proposed to accomplish it; and had asked in return, as the price of success, a large sum of money and the town of Castelfranco. But the senate had meanly endeavoured to make him discover his plan, without pledging itself to the payment of the reward he demanded; and he had therefore given it up. The whole project had been frustrated, not by the magnanimity, but by the avarice, of the Venetian senate; and Baldichino, throwing himself on his knees, prayed for pardon, which Louis, pleased with his honest confession, readily granted, and sent him home richly laden with presents. The five months truce did not lead to a peace, and the war was renewed in the spring of 1357, both in Italy and in Dalmatia, with great success. The whole of Dalmatia was at last recovered, and united to Hungary more closely than before; and Venice, being hard pressed at home, found herself obliged to make peace on any terms her conqueror chose to dietate. Louis restored all his conquests in Italy and Istria, but required the Doge to renounce the title of Duke of Dalmatia, and fever more to interfere with her affairs. By this treaty seven islands on the coast were secured to Hungary, besides Dalmatia with all her towns, cities, and harbours, from the middle of the Gulf of Quarnero or Fiume, to the borders of Durazzo; and Venice further pledged herself to build and equip twenty-four galleys for the Hungarian king. These affairs settled, Louis was at leisure to redeem his promise, of which the Pope had several times reminded him, to make war upon the heretics of Servia. He succeeded in recovering Belgrade, Syrmia, and Macsó; and his generals defeated certain conspirators in Bosnia, who had risen |