HEROES OF THE "HOLY CROWN."

Otago Witness, Issue 3524, 27 September 1921, Page 54

HEROES OF THE "HOLY CROWN."

By

Jessie Mackay.

(Concluded). lire Augwin line of • Hungarian sovereigns ended with the death of .Mary, daughter of Louis the Great, who had married Sigismund of Luxemburg. Sigisniund .3 daughter, Elizabeth, married Albert. Duke of Austria, whom Hungary elected as her king. Thus early, in 1438, did Hungary first make trial of the Hapsburg domination. Albert was soon King of Bohemia and Emperor of Germany, and Hungary found no peace in that. The vengeance of the Hussites, whose leader had been martyred under Sigismund, flamed out once more, and the Turk, now firmly entrenched in Eastern Europe, stirred up trouble among the peasants of Transylvania.. But the pressure of the Turks brought out a champion, whose name still rings down the ages. A Transylvanian knight, John Hunyadi, had turned the Ottoman forces awav from Semendria. and followed up this victory so ably that he was made co-ruler of lransvlvania, with his faithful lieutenant Lj.aki, and from that time was the head and front of every effective stand against the lurks. The siege of Belgrade by Murad brought out the heroism of the Hungarian leader, and the devotion of his men. One of his captains, Simon Kemeny, induced Hunyadi to allow him to personate him in the crowning battle, with five hundred self-doomed men behind him. ihe Turks, with tremendous slaughter, bore down the little band, fighting like lions to the last, whereupon the real Hunyadi, with fresh reserves, dashed out on the amazed Turks and inflicted a defeat- that rang through Europe. Thus did the noble Hungarian leader fight the battles of Christendom, while the other Christian princes gave him their admiration and their hollow promises instead of the solid backing which might have driven the Turks back to Asia. ' The folly and worse of the Hungarian king, Wladislas, with his jealous Polish guards, wrested victory out of Hunyadi’s hand. Wladislas |■ and the legend of Hungarian invincibility lost its spell for tho superstitions followers of Islam. But Hum-adi was now made Governor of Hungary during the minority of the next king. Fortune turned against the Hungarians. Treachery of the Wallachians and Serbians gave this \A allace of middle Europe over to bis enemies, and wonderful to relate, tlie Sultan refused the shamful offer, declining to put “the greatest hero of Europe in a dungeon. lhe traitors were forced to release Hunyadi. Foiled and insulted the hero stood before his enemies like some lovely crag beaten by the inwaves. The weak, light-living young King of Hungary had been turned against, the magnificent governor who had so faithfully guarded his inheritance during his minority and virtual imprisonment by the German Emperor. The singleminded patriotism of John Hunyadi triumphed over every feeling of resentment : he was the one man who could hold _ back Hungary’s enemies, but the atrocious jealousies and conspiracies of tie court prevented him from receiving the

need of his victories. The last of these was the tremendous rout of the Sultan's armv before Belgrade. But Hunyadi, who had met the Sultan's magnificently equipped host with a motley band of crusaders armed at his own expense, did not live to press his victory home; he died of plague a few da vs after. All Europe mourned this Ulagvar knight without fear and without reproach, but the mean enemies of his house still wrought evil to his widow and his heroic sons, La'zlo and Malthias. Incredible a. it ■seems, Laszlo Hunyadi was condemned by the court party and executed on a false charge. The country was roused; the wretched king tied to Austria, where he met an inglorious end. The throne was vacant. Hungary had made her choice before the formal election began ; she would have none but the young hero, Malthias Hunvadi, in whom burned the high, spirit of his father. Disaffection and conspiracy were put down ; his enemies silenced ; the Pone strove to gather a crusade led by Malthias. But the neighbouring princes had not a spark of the Hunyadi fire in their selfish hearts. Though never leading a crusade Malthias Hunyadi won vet another tremendous victory over the Turks. He then turned his victorious arms on that nest of plotters against freedom, proud A ienna. It fell; the Austrian Diet was forced to swear allegiance to Hungary. Now Malthias had more leisure to carry out Ids schemes of betterment for the poeple, going among them in disguise to find out at first-hand what they reallv needed. He was the idol of the poor and of his soldiers, whose hardships lie shared. He instituted great reforms in taxation, in the administration of justice, and in education. He fostered art and founded universities. He was a typical figure of the Renaissance: the splendour of his court was only equalled bv the simplicity of his manners and the readiness with which he permitted approach During his reign Hungary reached the zenith of her glorv—a glory soon turned to humiliation bv the weakness and selfseeking of kings who came after, who could not control the selfish nobles. He was but forty-seven when lie died on Palm Sunday. 1490. “King Malthias is dead; justice has fled.” said tile people. Hungary was to know conquest, vassalage. all but. despair, vet never to lose her high spirit and the hope which uplifts her to-dav in the midst of so many "miseries. Tlie iron crown is still the visible sign of past achievement and unforgotten glorv. The soul that keeps her a nation still will carry her on to a day of restoration and unification.