with the greater. merchant and the capitalist. The apprentice voted as well as the master. The municipal government was renewed yearly, and all native-born or naturalized citizens above the age of fifteen, had the right of suffrage, and were eligible to office." "7 The artisan was on a level with the The approach of Charles was speedily known, and consternation prevailed throughout the country. What should be done? Should Liege resist when Louis had faltered? But the all-powerful argument which influenced their decision was the sight of the army before their walls. "Twenty-eight thousand mounted troopers, besides a multitude of archers and other foot," was no despicable force; and Charles himself, whose inflexibility was well known to all, was not one to be wheedled or cajoled by promises. They must surrender at discretion, submit to the terms which the young count imposed, or it was easy to see what fate was in store for them. Negotiations were accordingly commenced; and though furious invectives were hurled at the envoys, who were denounced as "Traitors! sellers of Christian blood!" the "Piteous Peace" was finally concluded, in which the people agreed to supplicate the forgiveness of the prince they had offended, and of the Count of Charolais, and to "yield henceforth an unqualified submission to the mandates of their sovereign.' " 18 Liege being subdued, the attention of Charles was next turned to Dinant, another of the cities which were subject to his father, and famous in those days for its production of articles of household utility, "pots and pans, and similar wares,' which, under the name of Dinanderie, were well known throughout Europe, being regularly exported, not only to France and Germany, but to England, Spain, and other countries." 19 As the conqueror advanced, and drew near its walls, . letters and messages were sent in all directions to invoke the pleadings of some friendly voice to avert the doom which seemed to threaten them; negotiations were also opened with some of the principal followers of Charles; and failing in these, a direct appeal was made "to the most excellent, high, and pu17 Vol. i. p. 329. 18 Ibid. p. 357. 19 Ibid. p. 385. issant prince, and most redoubted lord, the Count of Charolais;" but all was vain! The doom of the ill-fated city was sealed; and though a truce was granted for a very short time, yet after the lapse of months of anxiety, the edict was issued by the implacable Charles, and Dinant fell, never to rise to its former distinction.2 20 The reduction of these cities, though justified by the policy which brooks no opposition, was a sad blow to the industry and commerce of the realm. Charles had triumphed; but the people had suffered. Thousands of diligent artisans were ruined, and all that was gained was a barren power, based upon fear instead of affection. This was the fault of the fifteenth century. It was an age of license, and of cruelty in war; and provided a foe was effectually subdued, it mattered little to the haughty conqueror at what expense of life or suffering the victory was gained. Liege and Dinant had presumed on their freedom; to humble them was to teach other cities the folly of assuming independence of feudal restraint. "Let the sovereign rule, though the people perish." Such was the selfish policy of the age. In the summer of 1467, Philip the Good was called to his rest, and Charles the Bold was publicly proclaimed as "Duke of Burgundy, of Brabant, of Limbourg, and of Luxembourg; Count of Flanders, of Artois, of Burgundy, of Hainault, of Holland, of Zealand, and of Namur; Marquis of the Holy Empire; Lord of Friesland, of Malines, etc., the people responding "with a jubilant acclaim."" He was at this time at the age of thirty-three, "in the full vigor of a mind that seemed incapable of vacillation or of fear, and of a body that never shrunk from labor or felt fatigue." " The Burgundian court, at the date of his accession, was thronged with envoys from foreign States, with deputations from provinces and towns, with solicitors for offices and pensions, for pardons and rewards. The prince, though still young, was held in the first consideration among European sovereigns. With the splendor of his 20 Vol. i. chap. viii., ix. 21 Ibid. pp. 438, 439. 22 Ibid. p. 441. "inherited position and the glory he derived from his immediate predecessors, were combined the eclat of his own achievements and the reputation of a bold and aspiring disposition. He was regarded as the representative of chivalry and the champion of feudalism." "3 23 We have now reached a stage in the narrative of Mr. Kirk, when Louis and Charles were both in the height of their greatness and power. The former, as lawful king of France, could justly claim the allegiance of Charles, who, though sovereign of Burgundy, was but a vassal of the crown, and a subordinate prince. But Charles could ill brook the acknowledgment of inferiority; and his haughty temperament and indomitable will led him to resist every attempt to reduce him to submission. The struggle, therefore, between king and king was speedily renewed, and this time with the more fierceness, as each felt it was to decide his destiny, and to prove to the world the relative strength of the old civilization, which Charles represented, and the new, of which Louis was the unworthy champion. We may admire the valor and prowess of Charles, and the courtly qualities for which he was so famous. There was much in the man to command respect; and by personal bravery, he was eminently fitted to reflect lustre upon the cause he espoused, and to throw over its dying struggles a sort of halo, which has made the theme a favorite with the historian as well as with the novelist. The darker traits in the character of Louis have served to throw into the shade the noble cause of which he was the advocate. It may well be doubted whether either of the combatants realized fully the importance of his position, or had a clear idea of what he was attempting. The end sought by Charles was simply to assert his feudal sovereignty and embellish the glory of the court of Burgundy; the end sought by Louis was to assert his own sovereignty and elevate France by aggrandizing himself. Neither sought the good of the people, nor was either inspired by the loftiest ambition. It was a private feud,personal struggle; and if, as the result, feudalism and chivalry 23 Vol. i. p. 405. а were effectually overthrown, and the liberties of the people extended and confirmed, the praise belongs, not to the men, but to that Being who holds in his own hands the reins of government, and makes even wrath an instrument of mercy. We do not purpose in closing this article to give even an abstract of the second volume of Mr. Kirk's. That battles were fought and victories won; that there was subtle diplomacy and perfidious negotiation; that England was involved in the meshes of war, and a counter-revolution was inaugurated there, all these, as historical facts, are graphically told, and a sketch is given of the league against Charles, which was the beginning of the end of his daring career. But the labors of the historian are not yet completed. We have the promise of a third volume at some future time, and when this appears, we may be able to resume and finish our account of Charles the Bold. We will simply add here that the work of Mr. Kirk has been faithfully done, and the material at his command has been skilfully used. The narrative is graceful, smooth, and flowing; nor is it lacking in masculine vigor and strength. It is one of those works which can be read with pleasure as well as with profit; and the cheerful philosophy with which it is imbued, together with its masterly delineations of character, and the broad generalizations which mark its pages, will give it a place side by side with the works of Prescott, Motley, and others. We advise all who are interested in historical literature to purchase and read Kirk's Life of Charles the Bold. xx ARTICLE XXI. In Memoriam: A Tribute to Thomas Starr King. "TO-DAY is the fourth of March; sad news will go over the wires to-day." Thus spoke Thomas Starr King, of San Francisco, at about eight o'clock in the morning; and a few minutes afterward he was dead. As the intelligence spread,. Unusual stillness was in the there was sorrow on all faces. marts of trade. Public business was suspended. The courts, and the Legislature were adjourned. The national flag was everywhere set at half-mast. The city was in mourning. The whole community was paralyzed. "A Christian minister," it was said from the bench, "a Christian patriot has fallen. Tears will fall for him in the heart of poverty and distress; they will dim the eyes of brave soldiers from the Mississippi to the Potomac; and good men and true men, all over our land, made better and truer by his great, brave, and lucid thoughts and his burning eloquence, will weep for him as for a brother." 1 And this was seen as the news of the calamity went over the wires and through the land. It expressed the general sense of a great public loss, and the wide feeling that one of uncommon gifts and work had gone to his reward. A proud Eastern inspiration lifted the thought of the Pacific mourners to a view of the cheering side of the Providence, in words of solemn joy and triumph : Mingle, O bells, along the Western slope, With your deep toll a sound of faith and hope! That the brave sower saw his ripened grain." The beauty of Israel had fallen on high places. For him,. however, there could be no mourning. The early vow had |