4. In 1815, the Seven Provinces, or Holland, and the ten southern or Belgian provinces, were united by the Congress of Vienna, and erected into a kingdom, by the name of the Netherlands, under the government of the Prince of Orange. This union continued 15 years.

5. In 1830, encouraged by the revolution which expelled Charles X. from France, the Belgians revolted, and established a separate kingdom by the name of Belgium; and Prince Leopold of Saxe Coburg, widower of Princess Charlotte cf England, was raised to the throne.

POLAND.

1. Miceslaus, Prince of Poland, introduced Christianity into the country in the 10th century. The most flourishing period of the monarchy was during the 15th and 16th centuries, when Poland ranked among the most formidable states of Europe.

2. Casimir III., surnamed the Great, in the 14th century founded the University of Cracow, patronized learning, en couraged industry and commerce, and furnished the nation with a code of written laws. In the latter part of the 14th century, Jagellon [Ladislaus V.], Duke of Lithuania, by his marriage with Hedwiga, Queen of Poland, united the two

countries.

3. Under the reign of Sigismund I. (begun in 1507), the kingdom reached its highest pitch of dominion and splendor. c. It afterwards declined, but its falling glory was, for a time, upheld by John Sobieski, the last great man among its sovereigns. 4. Poland was conquered by the sovereigns of Russia, Aus tria, and Prussia, and subjected by them to three different partitions: the first in 1772; the second in 1793; the third in 1795, when Stanislaus was deprived of regal dignity, and his ill-fated country, by an act of the vilest tyranny, was blotted out from the list of kingdoms.

5. After the peace of Tilsit, in 1807, the most of Paland that had been taken by Prussia was erected into a sovereign state, under the title of the Duchy of Warsaw. In 1815, a part of the duchy of Warsaw was given to Prussia, under the name of the duchy or province of Posen. Most of the re mainder was erected into the kingdom of Poland, a constitu tional monarchy, vested in a viceroy, appointed by the Em peror of Russia.

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6. The Grand-Duke Constantine, brother of of Russia, being appointed Viceroy of Poland, the government in the most oppressive manner. insurrection broke out, which terminated, after a san struggle, in the entire subjugation of the Poles; and the king dom of Poland was incorporated into the Russian empire.

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7. The emperor Nicholas exercised the utmost severity against the Poles. The Universities of Warsaw and Wilna, and many minor schools, were abolished, and public libraries and museums were carried to St. Petersburg.

SWEDEN.

1. This country, together with Norway, formed the Scan dinavia of the ancients, long the seat of the Goths and Vandals. — In 1388, Sweden became subject to Margaret of Denmark, styled the Semiramis of the North, who joined the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in one, by the Union of Calmar, in 1397. But her successor being destitute of her great abilities, this union fell to nothing, and Sweden was, for a long time, disturbed by insurrections and war.

2. In the early part of the 16th century, the Swedes were delivered from the oppression of Christian II., King of Denmark, styled the Nero of the North, by Gustavus Vasa, a descendant from the ancient kings, and an enlightened prince, who was raised to the throne in 1523, and who promoted the welfare of his subjects, and introduced the Protestant religion.

3. The reign of Gustavus Adolphus, surnamed the Great, forms a distinguished era in the history of Sweden. He was eminent as a statesman and a sovereign, and is ranked among the greatest commanders of modern times. He took part with the Protestants in the Thirty years' war, and was their most distinguished general. After having gained a series of advan tages, he was slain in the battle of Lutzen, in 1632.

4. Charles XII., who possessed an enthusiastic passion for glory, and a romantic spirit to a degree of infatuation, is by some styled the Alexander, and by others the Madman, of the North. After a brilliant career of victory in his wars with the Danes, Poles, and Russians, he was, at last, entirely de feated by Peter the Great, in the battle of Poltava, in 1709、 since which, the Swedish territories have been exposed to a progressive reduction by the rising power of Russia.

5. Gust in 1808

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IV., having lost Finland, which was conquered, ssia, and, by his mad schemes, brought his king. ink of ruin, was, in 1809, deposed, and Bernaof Bonaparte's marshals, was elected crown prince. In 1814, the loss of Finland was repaired by the acquisition of Norway.

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6. On the death of Charles XIII., in 1817, Bernadotte was raised to the throne by the title of Charles XIV., and, after a pacific and prosperous reign of 26 years, was succeeded, in 1844, by his son Oscar.

DENMARK.

1. In 1448, the crown of Denmark fell to Christian I., of the house of Holstein or Oldenburg. The monarchy was origi nally elective, and great power was possessed by the nobility until the year 1660, when, partly in consequence of the unfavorable issue of a war with Sweden, and partly on account of the oppression of the aristocracy, it was changed to an hereditary absolute government.

2. In the beginning of the 18th century, Denmark, during the reign of Frederick IV., waged an unsuccessful war against Charles XII. of Sweden, which was ended in 1720; from which time the country enjoyed almost uninterrupted peace till 1801. 3. During the pacific reigns of Christian VI. and Frederick V. (1730 to 1766), the kingdom was in a prosperous condition. The latter was assisted by Count Bernstoff, a distinguished statesman, whose nephew, of the same name, acted an impor. tant and conspicuous part in government, during the reign of Christian VII.

4. Christian VII. (1766), a weak and dissolute prince, mar ried Caroline Matilda, sister of George III. of England, who was accused of having had improper connection with Count Struensee, the minister and favorite of the king. Struensee was condemned and executed, and Matilda, after being impris ored, was permitted to pass the remainder of her life at Zell, ir. Hanover.

5. In 1801, Copenhagen was attached by a British fleet under Lord Nelson; and in 1807, when the country was at peace, the city was bombarded by a British armament, under Lord Cathcart and Admiral Gambier, under pretence that information had been received that Denmark intended to throw herself into the scale of France. The whole Danish fleet, consisting

of 18 ships of the line, and 15 frigates, were surrendered to the British. This unjust transaction has been generally and loudly exclaimed against.

6. In January, 1848, Frederick VII. succeeded to the throne of Denmark; the duchies of Sleswick and Holstein soon re volted; but, after a severe and sanguinary struggle, they were reduced to their allegiance.

PRUSSIA.

1. The foundation of Prussian greatness was laid by Frea erick William, surnamed the Great Elector, who succeeded to the government in 1640, and had a long and prosperous reign. His successor Frederick, a weak and vain prince, was raised to the rank, and received the title, of king, in 1701.

2. Frederick II., surnamed the Great, after suffering much hard treatment from his father, ascended the throne in 1740; and, being ambitious of conquest and military glory, he immediately invaded Silesia, with a fine army, which had been left to him by the late king, and was so successful as to obtain the cession of that valuable province.

3. In 1756, Frederick published a declaration of war against Maria Theresa, Empress of Germany, who was aided by the French and Russians. The contest, which was carried on with great spirit on both sides, and was signalized by many hardfought and bloody battles, was terminated by the peace of Hubertsberg, in 1763: "and thus, after a seven years' sangui. nary struggle, to which his unprincipled projects had given rise, and in which, independent of other sufferers, more than half a million of combatants had fallen in the field, everything was replaced on its ancient footing, and the only gainful result was simply this, that Frederick of Prussia had been furnished with an opportunity of proving himself a consummate com mander, animated by an unconquerable spirit of military her oism, and endued with one of the coolest heads and hardest hearts in Christendom."

4. Frederick afterwards applied himself to the internal im provement of his kingdom; rebuilt towns, encouraged agricul ture, manufactures, and commerce. In the first partition of Poland, he was the prime mover and the principal agent. He is esteemed one of the greatest commanders of modern times, and was, perhaps, the most indefatigable sovereign that ever

existed. He was fond of literature, and possessed extensive literary acquirements, and considerable merit as an author. out he was despotic in his disposition, and had little sense of justice or humanity.

5. In the European war which followed the French revolu tion, Frederick William III. suffered a great defeat by the French, under Bonaparte, at Jena, in 1806; and at the peace of Tilsit, in 1807, he lost nearly one half of his territories. In 1813, he joined the coalition against France, and his army, under Blucher, contributed a powerful aid in the overthrow of Bonaparte at the battle of Waterloo; and by the treaty of Vienna, in 1815, he gained a large accession of territory. Since the treaty of Vienna, the condition of Prussia has been in various respects much improved, especially in regard to education; and it is now one of the best educated states in Europe.

6. In 1840, Frederick William III. was succeeded by his son, Frederick William IV., whose reign, especially during the years 1848 and 1849, has been characterized by political agitations and convulsions. Earnest and repeated demands were made by the people for a more liberal form of government, and, in 1848, a new constitution was proclaimed, which guarantees political and religious liberty, the freedom of the press, the abolition of all aristocratic privileges, and a legislative body of two houses.

RUSSIA.

1. The importance of Russia, which is now one of the most powerful sovereignties of Europe, is of recent origin. The foundation of its greatness was laid by Peter the Great, who reigned from 1696 to 1725, and who was one of the most extraordinary princes that eve appeared. He joined in a coali tion against Charles XII. of Sweden, and, after suffering some defeats, gained the great battle of Poltava (1709), and enlarged and strengthened his empire.

2. Catharine II., who obtained the sceptre, in 1762, by the dethronement and murder of her husband, Peter III., had a long and splendid reign. She displayed extraordinary talents for government; carried on the system of improvement which had been begun by Peter the Great; employed able ministers and generals, among the most celebrated of whom were Su warrow and Potemkin; and enlarged her empire by the ad.