. The fascination of Switzerland. tem to good account, andif they gave away things spiritual they were care-ful to receive back things temporal. The city commonwealths of Berne, Solothurn,and others were drawn into the same chaoticfeudalism, for the rich and prosperous burgessesgrasped the power, and commonwealth forthe other citizens ceased to exist. Altogether about 200 of these nobles, prelates,or burgesses took the name of their manors andturned their offices into a sort of freehold here-ditary title, endeavouring to hold them almostindependently of the Empire of Germany, towhose King Henr
. The fascination of Switzerland. tem to good account, andif they gave away things spiritual they were care-ful to receive back things temporal. The city commonwealths of Berne, Solothurn,and others were drawn into the same chaoticfeudalism, for the rich and prosperous burgessesgrasped the power, and commonwealth forthe other citizens ceased to exist. Altogether about 200 of these nobles, prelates,or burgesses took the name of their manors andturned their offices into a sort of freehold here-ditary title, endeavouring to hold them almostindependently of the Empire of Germany, towhose King Henry III. they were vassals in thethirteenth century. Amongst these great nobles there was Peter ofSavoy, sufficiently renowned to give his sister inmarriage to our King Henry HI. Another wasRudolf of Hapsburg, who made himself ruler byright of sword or gold over estates and townsfrom St. Gall to Berne. Rudolf was so powerful that he was electedKing of Germany in 1273, secured the Duchy ofAustria for himself by conquest, and placed8. OF SWITZERLAND the cantons stewards in all his lands, including the stateswhich we call Swiss. The three forest states—Uri, Unterwalden, andSchwyz — began to resist the Hapsburgs whothereupon gave orders to their stewards to bespecially tyrannical. If Werner Staufacher of Schwyz had a finehouse he must be insulted and told that peasantscould not be suffered to live in such style. IfWalter Fiirst of Uri had money, he must be taxedand fined. As young Arnold of Melchthel was driving hisfathers fine yoke of oxen in Unterwalden, theywere taken from him. When he resisted andfled for his life, the steward in revenge put outthe fathers eyes. But the Hapsburgs underrated the innate loveof freedom in the canton peoples, and forgot thatthe Alps bred a race that is fearless and bold. These three patriots gathered round themothers, strong in muscle and shrewd in a certain night each of them brought a bandof ten : sinewy herdsmen from Schwyz, robustp
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1912
