of the Christians from the Holy Land by Saladin, obtained grants of settlements in Italy, Germany, Hungary, &c.

A long series of wars ensued, in which the original inhabitants of Prussia were almost extirpated by these religious and military knights. The remainder, oppressed beyond all human tolerance by their conquerors, at last revolted, and implored the aid of Casimir IV. king of Poland, A. D. 1454, who invaded Prussia; and, after a bloody war of twelve years duration, a peace was concluded, in which it was agreed that the part called Polish Prussia should continue under the protection of Poland, and that the Teutonic knights should possess the other parts, but to acknowledge themselves vassals to the sovereign of Poland. The knights, disdaining the vassalage, made frequent attempts to shake it off, till at last Albert, margrave of Brandenburgh, grandmaster of the order, embracing the doctrines of Luther, and willing to aggrandise himself at the expence of the knights, agreed to share Prussia with his uncle, Sigismund 1. king of Poland, on condition of paying homage for the protection of that crown. The proposal was accepted. Albert took the title of Duke, A. D. 1525, in his new territory; hence the present kingdom is called Ducal Prussia, and that part in possession of Poland, and on the western side of the Vistula, Regal Prussia. Thus ended the sovereignty of the Teutonic order in Prussia, after it had subsisted three centuries.

*

Brandenburg remained long in subjection to Poland; and the investiture of Prussia was granted by the Polish kings to each succeeding margrave.

Frederic-William, elector of Brandenburg, surnamed the Great, had Ducal Prussia confirmed to him and his heirs, being freed from vassalage (A. D. 1657) by Casimir, king of Poland; and he and his descendants were

* Mem. de Brandenburg, tom. i.

declared independent and sovereign lords of this part of Prussia.

With these titles, and as grand-masters of the Teutonics, they continued till A. D. 1701, when

Frederic, son of Frederic-William the Great, raised the duchy of Prussia to a kingdom, and on Jan. 18, 1701, in a solemn assembly of the states of the empire, placed the crown, with his own hands, upon his head and that of his consort; soon after which he was acknowledged as king of Prussia by all the other Christian powers. In memory of this event, he instituted the order of the Black Eagle.

His son, Frederic-William, succeeded to the crown A. D. 1713 ;—a wise and political prince, who, by rigid economy, amassed a prodigious treasure, though he maintained for his own security an army of 60,000 men, which he prudently left his son to employ. A number of useful and magnificent foundations rendered his reign glorious." If we may be said to owe the shade of the "oak," observes the royal historian, "to the acorn from which it sprung; in like manner we may discern, in the sagacious conduct of Frederic- William, "the source of the future greatness of his succes

sor."*

This prince died A. D. 1740, when Frederic III. ascended the throne, who will justly be celebrated by future historians, as one of the first military, political, and literary characters that ever graced a throne. He dying in 1786, was succeeded by his son.

Frederic IV. The conduct of this monarch convinced Europe that the aggrandisement of his kingdom was of more importance, in his estimation, than to keep his word, or maintain the rights of those with whom he was in alliance. He helped to plunder Poland, which he was bound to protect; and broke his treaty with England and Germany against France, as soon as he found

Mem. de Brandenburgh, tom. ii.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX

TILDEN FOUNDATIONS

it convenient. He, November 16, 1797, was succeeded by his son

Frederick V. the present emperor, whose temporising policy had nearly lost him his kingdom; being defeated at the decisive battle of Jena, by the emperor of the French, who shortly after took Berlin, his capital.[See more of Prussia in the Appendix.]

RELIGION. The Prussians are in general Lutherans; but as a great number of the colonists are Calvinists, they have also their churches, not only in the cities and towns, but in some villages they have a particular church appropriate to their use; and in some places they perform divine service in the Lutheran churches. The Roman catholics have a few churches in this kingdom.

CHAPTER XXIV.

INTRODUCTION TO FRANCE.

This country, more than any which has yet come under our notice, has a particular claim to attention. In the course of the last eighteen years, it has undergone more astonishing revolutions than any other on the face of the globe. Situated in the heart of Europe, boasting a population of between thirty and forty millions, independent of the petty sovereignties which it has either created or has brought within its influence; flushed with conquest, and commanded by an ambitious chief, who places at an immense distance perhaps all the heroes of ancient and modern history, and aspires (as is generally believed) to universal domination. We have devoted to this article as great a proportion of our work as the importance of the subject and our circumscribed limits would allow us.