MISCELLANEA. No. XI. L. INAUGURATION OF THE PRINCES OF CARINTHIA. AMONGST the numerous expedients resorted to in every age, and in every quarter of the globe, to diffuse the sublime doctrines of christianity, I doubt whether the annals of history afford one of a more singular nature than that, by the judicious application of which, i a large and powerful body of professed idolators were induced, not by persuasion or menace, but by the instigation of their gluttonous appetites, and we will hope too, by a sense of shame, to abjure a false and impious religion. Nor is it impossible but that the remarkable ceremony, which once preceded the accession of the Carinthian princes to power and dignity, may have had a considerable degree of influence in impressing on their minds that memorable maxim, "Homo sum, et humani à me nil alienum puto:" a maxim, to which, unhappily for mankind, princes and rulers but too frequently shew themselves utterly insensible. When the Scythian vandals subjugated Noricum, it was a prevailing custom amongst that barbarous people, to carry their whole household about them in carts (karren) and thence it arose that the expatriated natives gave them the name of Carinthians (kärner) and the conquered country, that of Carinthia (kärnthen). The Roman generals, having afterwards expelled the invaders, entrusted the government of Carinthia to Austrian lieutenants. Bonosus, one of the latter, was so confirmed a drunkard, that he had not his equal throughout the whole Roman empire; and the emperor used to say of him, that " he was born not to live, but to drink." Yet he was never known to be intoxicated, whilst the German ambassadors at his table, although they also carried drinking to a most disgusting excess, were no longer masters of their senses, and suffered all their secrets to be drawn from them. Bonosus subsequently rebelled against the Emperor Probus, and, being vanquished, hung himself; on which occasion the Romans scoffingly called him, "the hanging hogshead," for at one meal alone he had frequently drunk half a butt of winc. 1. と Carinthia not long after became the portion of Bavaria, and its administration was delegated by Thrassilo to his son Throdo. Charlemagne, however, having exiled this young prince to a monastery, as a rebel, created Ingwon, a Frankish Count, Duke of Carinthia. Notwithstanding christianity had been long since preached in that country by Virgilius, Bishop of Saltzburgh, and the apostle of the Carinthians, its sacred light was still but partially visible, and whilst the citizens and peasants, with heart and voice acknowledged the true God, the knights and nobles continued addicted to the most gloomy idolatry, alledging, as a pretext for their pertinacity," that the new doctrine was good enough, but not suitable to persons of rank and dignity; for the Christian faith required charity, humility, and the like, all of which were disgraceful to true nobility: that, had the Romans adhered to the religion of their forefathers, they would have remained invincible, and that Christ was the meanest of all gods, as he had imparted to his followers nought but labour, anxiety, persecution, contempt, and all kinds of mortifications, which were unbefitting gallant knights. Moreover, that he was so jea-", lous a god, as to allow no other god or goddess to exist at the same time with him :" and they indulged themselves in other impious assertions, which were a cause of great uneasiness to the good bishops. This induced Ingwon to devise a whimsical expedient in order to shame them out of their heathen superstition. He gave a banquet, to which the nobility and peasantry were promiscuously bidden, and when his guests were asembled, he placed at his own table, and those next him, the whole of the Christian peasantry, whom he regaled with costly viands and wines. The Pagan groupe of nobles on the other hand were forced to content themselves with a repast of black bread, raw meat, and sour wine, served up outside of the banquetting hall on crazy tables. Astonished and exasperated, the nobles demanded the reason of this indignant treatment: whereupon their host replied, "Those countrymen and low fellows have purified their souls by holy baptism: but ye stink of idolatrous abominations, and shall not come near me !" There was more efficacy in this one argument, than in all the sermons of Arno, Bishop of Saltzburg; and that they might render themselves deserving of a place at the duke's table, and a participation in his sumptuous entertainments, the Carinthian nobles hastened by multitudes to the baptismal font! Ingwon, in remembrance of this event, which occurred in the year 790, made a decree: " That from that time forth, every Carinthian prince should be invested and installed by a peasant." This rer markable ceremony was observed in the following manner. Upon the accession of a new prince to the government, a certain peasant of Glasendorf,* repaired to an open field near Kärnburg, about a mile from Klagenfurth, and there seated himself on a round fragment of marble, upon which the arms of the country were graven. The inhabitants being assembled within inclosures erected round the marble seat, the prince made his entrance, clad in a coarse country habit, and with a staff in his hand, preceded by the Count de Goertz, as hereditary Count Palatine of Carinthia, on either side of whom two small banners were borne... The prince, supported by two noblemen, was followed by the whole nobility, with the standard of the dukedom of Carinthia, and there were led on his left hand a black ox, and on his right, a lean, worn-down cart-horse. As soon as he, who was seated on the marble fragment, perceived the prince approaching, he called out to him in the Sclavonian dialect: "Who is it that bends hither his pompous course ?”— To this the surrounding multitude replied, " The prince of the " land approaches !"? The peasant then demanded aloud: "Is he a freeman? a righteous judge? a promoter of our welfare? a professed assertor of the Christian faith? a protector of the widow and the orphan?" "Yea," replied the multitude, "all these he is, and will be!" The prince thereupon went up to the peasant, and, stretching forth his hand to him, solemnly vowed, "That he would not disdain to become so poor for justice sake, as to be necessitated to live on such flesh, as the or and horse afforded!" The peasant then asked him: By what means, and by what right wilt thou make me relin"quish this seat?" To which the Count de Görtz replied, "Thou wilt be bought off with sixty-pence? The ox and the horse shall be thine, the toga, which the prince has exchanged for the frock, shalt thou also have, and thy house and chattels shall be free and untaxable for ever." "Upon which the peasant gave the prince a slight Astroke on his back, exclaiming, "Be a righteous judge," and arising to make room for him, departed with the cattle. *The privilege of investing was granted to a peasant's family in Glasendorf, probably from its having been the first to embrace christianity, and the descendants of that family were surnamed the Dukes of Glasendorf. [To be concluded next month.} REVIEW OF LITERATURE. Non totam subito præceps secura per urbem Marc. Hieron. Vida. A History of the early Part of the Reign of James II. with an Introductory Chapter. By the Right Honourable Charles James For. To which is added an Appendix. 4to. pp. 486. 17. 16s. Miller. 1808. Continued from P. 441, Vol. III. In our last number we spoke fully of Lord Holland's interesting preface to this fragment of history, which now claims our more particular attention. Mr. Fox observes, and it is unquestionably true, that "in reading the history of every country, there are certain periods, at which the mind naturally pauses, to meditate upon, and consider them, with reference, not only to their immediate effects, but to their more remote consequences." Opening of the Introd. Chap. Three great periods then present themselves to his view. The first from the accession of Henry VII. the root of the house of Tudor, to the year 1588: the second from 1588 to 1610, on the events of both of which he briefly descants, till he comes to the third, and "as it is that," says he," which immediately precedes the commencement of this history, it requires a more detailed examination; nor is there any more fertile of matter, whether for reflection or speculation. Between the year sixteen hundred and forty, and the death of Charles the Second, we have the opportunity of contemplating the state in almost every variety of circumstances. Religious dispute, political contest in all its forms and degrees, from the honest exertions of party, and the corrupt intrigues of faction, to violence and civil war; despotism, first in the person of an usurper, and afterwards in that of an hereditary king; the most memorable and salutary improvements in the laws, the most abandoned administration of them; in fine, whatE-VOL. III.* ever can happen to a nation, whether of glorious or calamitous, makes a part of this astonishing and instructive picture." P. 8. This picture is drawn with a very masterly hand. The un justifiable conduct of the attainder of Lord Stafford, and the commencement of the civil war, by Clarendon and other Tory writers, intemperately denominated a rebellion," are most clearly and benevolently discussed. The execution of Charles is not less marked with acuteness." Mr. Hume," says he, "not perhaps intentionally, makes the best justification of, by saying, that while Charles lived, the projected republic could never be secure. But to justify taking away the life of an individual upon the principle of self-defence, the danger must not be problematical and remote, but evident and immediate. The danger in this instance was not of such a nature; and the imprisonment, or even banishinent, of Charles, might have given to the republic such a degree of security as any government ought to be content with. It must be confessed, however, on the other side, that if the republican government had suffered the king to escape, it would have been an act of justice and generosity wholly unexampled; and to have granted him even his life, would have been one among the more rare efforts of virtue. The short interval between the deposal and death of princes is become proverbial; and though there may be some few examples on the other side, as far as life is concerned, I doubt whether a single instance can be found, where liberty has been granted to a deposed monarch. Among the modes of destroying persons in such a situation, there can be little doubt but that adopted by Cromwell and his adherents is the least dishonourable. Edward the Second, Richard the Second, Heury the Sixth, Edward the Fifth, had none of them long survived their deposal; but this was the first instance, in our history at least, where, of such an act, it could be truly said, that it was not done in a corner." P. 13-14. The last expression may be thought to be homely, but it is not without strength, and it must be recollected that it is scriptural. This sacred simplicity was his idol. Although it cannot we should think, be denied, that Charles deserved hanging every day of his life, yet it can as little be doubted, but the opportunity given to him on this occasion "to display his firmness and piety, has created more respect for his memory than it could otherwise have obtained. Respect and pity for the sufferer on |