sion both in Portugal and the Brasils. The Brazilians, 1830, compel Pedro to abdicate in favour of his son on Pedro's arrival in Europe, he succeeds in driving Miguel from the kingdom, and secures the throne to his daughter.-Don Pedro died 1834.

7. Holland and Belgium.

Holland and Netherlands are words of the same meaning; "hollow," "low," land.

By Netherlands we may understand, Northern Netherlands, or Holland, Island of the Batavians; and Southern Netherlands, or Belgium; "Gallia, Belgica."

A.D. 70 about. Civilis, a Batavian prince, won many victories over the Romans.

In the fifth century the Batavians, and in the sixth the Belgians, were reduced to submission by the Franks: by the Frisians in the seventh.

843. By the peace of Verdun, Batavia and Friesland were annexed to the new kingdom of Germany; adminis

tered by governors, who at length became independent.

923. Theodoric was appointed count of Holland by Charles the Simple of France: the title became hereditary. In the eleventh century the country was divided into duchies, counties, and imperial cities. Some pro

vinces were governed by dukes, others by counts, &c. Of these rulers, the counts of Flanders were the most powerful.

1079. The county of Guelderland was erected by the emperor Henry IV.

1339. It became a Duchy.-Utrecht was subject to its Prelates, who had frequent contests with the earls of Holland.

1383. The possessions of the counts of Flanders passed to the

house of Burgundy; which by marriages, force, or cession, soon obtained the largest part of the Low Countries.

1433. Holland was resigned by Jacqueline (heiress of it) to Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy.

1477. Charles the Bald, last duke of Burgundy, fell in the battle with the Swiss.-His daughter Mary married the emperor Maximilian, and thus brought the Netherlands to Austria.

Modern History.

1512. The seventeen provinces formed under the name of the Circle of Burgundy, an appendage to the German

empire.

1548. Charles V., grandson of Maximilian, united them with Spain-as for ever inseparable from it.

In the reign of Charles V., the Protestant religion spread in the Batavian and Belgic provinces.

1565. Holland and some other provinces revolt from Philip II., of Spain.

1567, &c. Philip's twelve years' war in the Netherlands.During the duke of Alva's government of five years, 18,000 persons perished by the hand of the executioner.

1576. The revolt in Holland was joined by almost all the other provinces. But the prince of Parma (1577, &c.) reduced the most southern to the Spanish power.

1579. The five northern provinces conclude the union of Utrecht; declare themselves independent of Spain; and put themselves under William, prince of Orange, by the title of Stadtholder. The seventeen provinces had suffered alike from the tyranny of the sovereign ; but particular jealousies prevented a general union.

1580. The union is joined by Overyssel; and in 1594 by Groningen. Thus arose the republic of the united Netherlands, afterwards called Holland.

1584. William of Orange assassinated: Maurice succeeds him, and followed the steps of his predecessor.

1609. Peace of Antwerp, of twelve years duration: the independence of Holland: seven provinces after a struggle of thirty-seven years.-The other ten provinces were soothed by a new charter, and continued to profess popery.

1618. The Synod of Dort; the tenets of Arminius condemned. 1621. War in the Netherlands renewed; 25 years, to the

disadvantage of the Spaniards. During this period the republicans raised themselves to the rank of the second maritime power, and to much influence in the political affairs, of Europe.

1648. Peace of Westphalia: the United Provinces free and independent states.

1652. Sea battles with England: Blake and Tromp, &c. 1656. The office of Stadtholder abolished; but in 1672 restored in the person of William III.

1672. He defended his country against Louis XIV.—War with England to 1674.-De Wit; De Ruyter and Tromp; Prince Rupert.

1688. William III. filled the English throne till 1702. 1702. The office of Stadtholder abolished for 20 years; it was then restored, and declared, under certain restrictions, hereditary in the family of Orange.

1713. The Spanish Netherlands restored to the house of Austria, which held them to the French revolution.

1795. The French formed the Batavian republic.

1806. Louis Buonaparte king of Holland.

1813. The Dutch recall the prince of Orange; proclaimed sovereign prince of the Netherlands.

1814. Belgium and Holland united, to form a kingdom for the

prince of Orange.

1830. Belgium freed themselves from the Dutch dynasty. 1831. Prince Leopold of Coburg king of the Belgians.

8. Norway.

Norway (Norre, the proper country of the Normans,) forms the most western part of the ancient Scandinavia.-Little is however known of it before the end of the tenth century.— Charlemagne (808) was harassed by the Norwegians.-The country seems to have been divided among petty princes till about 850, when it was united by Halfdan the Black.— Norway remained under the sway of his son Harold Harfagre from 863 to 934.—Before and after this period, the Norwegians made their descents on the coast of France. A.D. 910. The reduction of all the petty monarchies into one

kingdom by Harold Harfagre.-Many discontented princes and nobles left the kingdom. Rollo, one of these proceeds to France; and in 912 the province of Normandy was surrendered to him and his warlike followers.-Olaus, or Olaf I. established the Christian religion, not without violence, at the end of the tenth century.

991. Sweyn, king of Denmark, reduced Norway, and held it fifteen years.

1006. It became independent under Olaus II.

1028. It was again conquered by Canute II.; at his death. 1036. He left Norway to his eldest son, Sweyn; but the country soon had its own monarchs.

1042. Magnus I. of Norway was appointed king of Denmark; at his death the crowns were separated.

1163. The Norwegians offered their crown to Waldemar, king of Denmark, who accepted it; but after his death they soon shook off the yoke.

1319. Magnus VII. of Norway accepted the offered crown of Sweden; but through his tyranny he was obliged to

return to Norway.

1376. Olaf IV., his grandson, was elected to the throne of Denmark. He was the son of Hackon VII., king of Norway, and of Margaret, daughter of Waldemar IV. of Denmark; dying at the age of seventeen, his mother Margaret succeeded in the government of both kingdoms. She was soon after invited to the throne of Sweden; and

1397. She brought about the "Union of Calmar;" the object of which was to unite for ever the three kingdoms under one sovereign.-She died 1412, after having raised herself, by prudence, energy, and address, to power and grandeur unequalled in Europe from the the time of Charlemagne. She has been called "the Semiramis of the North." -The union soon led to discontent, discord and bloody wars.

1439. Christopher, duke of Bavaria, was invited by Denmark to take the crown; and he was acknowledged by Sweden and Norway.

1448. Norway was united to the house of Oldenburg, now occupying the throne of Denmark; it being governed by a Danish viceroy.

1814. Thus it continued till 1814, when it was ceded to Sweden, as a compensation for the loss of Finland. It is, however, a distinct kingdom, with its own laws and legislation, and only acknowledging fealty to Sweden. A viceroy resides at Christiana; and the nation is represented at Stockholm by a deputation of three Norwegians. The religion of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark is the Lutheran.