Part 17

An order of chivalry, founded at Riga in 1201, by Albert of Buxhœwden, Bishop of Riga. Their statutes were similar to those of the Templars, and their special object was to spread Christianity among the Livonians and neighbouring tribes. In 1237 a section of the Teutonic knights of Lithuania was merged into the Livonian order. The order was dissolved in the sixteenth century during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the Grand Master ceding Livonia to Poland.

Local Government Act, 1888.

An Act carried through Parliament by Mr. Ritchie, establishing County Councils, to which were entrusted the various administrative functions previously exercised by committees of the county magistrates. The larger boroughs were exempted from their jurisdiction, being left under the control of their own municipalities, while a special County of London was created, comprising all the newer suburbs.

Local Government Act, 1894.

An Act completing the Local Government Act of 1888 by the creation of Parish and District Councils. One of the most important provisions of this Act is that giving the newly established bodies power to acquire land, compulsorily if necessary, for the purpose of providing labourers’ allotments.

Locofocos.

The name given in 1835 to the Radical section of the Democratic party in the United States. At a meeting of this wing of the party, an opponent present turned off the gas, whereupon candles were procured, and lit by “locofoco” matches, from which time the faction was dubbed by its opponents the “Locofocos.”

Lodi, Treaty of.

A treaty signed in 1454 by the Republic of Venice and Duke Sforza of Milan, by which Sforza secured the whole of the Milanese.

Lœt.

In Saxon times labourers dependent on the feudal lord on whose land they worked. They are, however, not to be confounded with the theows, or slaves.

Lögretta.

Among the Norsemen, the Law Court, the highest authority of the State under the King. It consisted of thirty-six members, partly _ex-officio_, and partly elected.

Loi Bérenger.

A law passed in 1891 in France, by which, in the case of first offenders, the tribunal might suspend the sentence for five years. If during that period the culprit did not again make himself amenable to the law, the sentence lapsed. If again convicted, however, he had to serve the old sentence as well as the new.

Lollards.

A religious sect, followers of Wycliffe, which arose in Edward III’s reign. They attacked the abuses of the Church, and especially the wealthy religious orders, and claimed the right of private interpretation in matters of doctrine. They are said to have numbered, at one time, fully one-third of the population of England. In spite of continued persecution, the sect remained powerful through several reigns, and they doubtless paved the way for the ready acceptance by England of the Reformed Doctrines in the reign of Henry VIII.

Lombard League, First.

A league of sixteen cities of Northern Italy, headed by Milan, and including Venice, formed in 1167 against Frederick Barbarossa. The league defeated the Emperor at Legnano in 1176, and in 1183, by the Peace of Constance he granted practical independence to the cities, subject to the recognition of his suzerainty, and the payment of certain small dues.

Lombard League, Second.

A league formed under the Marquis d’Este in 1255, to resist Pope Alexander IV. This league consisted mainly of the Guelf cities of Lombardy, while Alexander’s principal supporters were Ezzelino of Verona and his brother Alberic of Treviso. Ezzelino was disastrously defeated at Cassano in 1259.

Lombards.

The Italian merchants who spread over Europe during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were known as Lombards. They were the first bankers of modern Europe.

London Company.

A company formed in 1606, under charter from James I, with the object of colonizing Virginia.

London Convention, 1832.

A convention between Great Britain, France and Russia on the one side, and Bavaria on the other, by which Greece was erected into an independent kingdom, under the guarantee of the Powers, and Prince Otto of Bavaria placed on the throne, with the proviso, however, that the crowns of Greece and Bavaria should never be united in the person of one sovereign.

London Convention, 1862.

An instrument signed in London by Great Britain, France and Spain, agreeing to demand from Mexico a guarantee for the better protection of the subjects of the signatories, and at the same time undertaking not to seek for any territorial acquisitions, nor to interfere in the internal government of Mexico. It soon became evident that Napoleon III was determined to force Mexico into a war, with the object of placing Maximilian of Austria on the throne, whereupon Great Britain and Spain withdrew from the convention.

London Convention, 1884.

A convention between Great Britain and the Transvaal, amending the Convention of Pretoria of 1881. All direct reference to the suzerainty was omitted, but it was expressly stipulated that no treaties should be negotiated with Foreign Powers (excepting the Orange Free State), or with native chiefs, without the consent of Great Britain. The suzerainty was thus maintained in fact, as Great Britain retained full control of the foreign relations of the Transvaal. Provision was also made for the presence of a British Resident at Pretoria, and certain questions of frontier were re-adjusted.

London, Treaty of, 1674.

The treaty between England and Holland closing the war of 1672, which arose out of England’s claim that foreign ships should salute her flag wherever it was met in the narrow seas. Holland accepted the principle involved, and agreed to pay an indemnity of 2,000,000 guilders. (_See_ Honour of the Flag.)

London, Treaty of, 1827.

A treaty between England, France and Russia, during the Greek War of Independence. The contracting parties bound themselves to take action for the purpose of securing the independence of Greece under Turkish suzerainty. The destruction of the Turkish and Egyptian fleets at Navarino followed closely the signature of this treaty.

London, Treaty of, 1833.

An agreement between Great Britain and France on the one hand, and Holland on the other, providing for the erection of the Flemish and Walloon provinces into an independent kingdom, to be known as Belgium. This treaty was confirmed by the five Great Powers in 1839.

London, Treaty of, 1839.

A treaty signed by Austria, France, Great Britain, Prussia and Russia, confirming the provisional treaty of 1833, with regard to the separation of Belgium from the Netherlands, subject to certain small changes as to the navigation of the Scheldt and the boundaries of Luxemburg.

London, Treaty of, 1841.

_See_ Dardanelles.

London, Treaty of, 1852.

A treaty signed by Austria, France, Great Britain, Prussia, Russia and Sweden, settling the succession to the Danish throne upon Prince Christian of Schleswig Holstein and his issue. The integrity of the Danish monarchy was acknowledged, but the rights of the German Confederation over the Duchies of Holstein and Lauenburg were not in any way touched by the treaty.

Lone Star State.

The popular name for the State of Texas, derived from the single star in its coat of arms.

Long Diet.

A Diet which met at Zurich in 1813, and after declaring the Constitution of Mediation extinct, proceeded to evolve a new Federal Constitution, known as the Federal Pact, which was accepted by the Powers at the Congress of Vienna in 1815.

Long Parliament.

The Parliament which met in the reign of Charles I, in 1640, and lasted till 1653, when all that was left of it, known as the Rump, was forcibly expelled from the House by Cromwell.

Long Parliament of Versailles.

The first Parliament of the Third French Republic, which was not dissolved till December 31, 1875.

Longjumeau, Paix de.

A treaty between Catherine de’ Medici and the Huguenots, signed March 20, 1568, by which various concessions were granted the Huguenots. It was signed by the Queen to save Chartres, which was in danger of falling, and was broken within six months. It is known as the _Courte Paix_, or the _Paix Fourrée_.

Longshanks.

The nickname of Edward I of England.

Longsword.

The sobriquet of William, Earl of Salisbury (1196-1226), the natural son of Henry II, and also of his son (died 1250).

Loo, Treaty of.

A treaty signed in 1701 by England, Holland and the Emperor, to oppose the designs of Louis XIV. The signatories aimed at the conquest of Flanders, to be given to Holland, of Milan, Naples and Sicily, to be added to the Empire, and of the French and Spanish West Indies, to be divided between the two maritime Powers.

Loose-Coat Field.

The name given to the battle near Erpingham, in Rutlandshire, in 1470, where Edward IV defeated the rebels under Sir Thomas Wells.

Lorcha “Arrow.”

The boarding of this vessel, flying the British flag, in the Canton River in 1856, and the arrest of twelve of her crew on a charge of piracy, led to the war with China in 1857-8, when the English were aided by the French. The war resulted in the reception of British and French legations at Peking, and the concession of certain additional privileges to traders and missionaries.

Lord Paramount.

Under the feudal system the Sovereign was so called, as the owner of the whole of the land, the great nobles holding under him as tenants-in-chief.

Lords Appellant.

A body of peers, in the reign of Richard II, who impeached, as guilty of high treason, the Archbishop of York, the Duke of Ireland, and other favourites of the King, in 1386. They afterwards convened the Merciless Parliament, in 1388.

Los von Rom.

A movement started about 1899 by the Austrian Pan-German Deputies, to detach their followers from the Roman Catholic Church. The object of the movement is to make the German States of Austria more acceptable members of the German Empire than they would be as rigidly Catholic countries, in the event of the break up of the Austrian Empire.

Louis, Code.

A codification of the laws relating to criminal procedure and evidence, issued as an edict by Louis XIV in 1667.

Louisiana Purchase.

The purchase from France by the United States in 1803 of New Orleans and the territory West of the Mississippi, extending to the eastern spurs of the Rocky Mountains and to the British frontier on the North. The price was 15 million dollars.

Louvain, Articles of.

A confession of the Catholic Faith, drawn up by the University of Louvain by order of Charles V in 1544. All Charles’ subjects in the Netherlands were required to conform to these articles, under pain of death, and that this was not an idle threat was shown by the burning at the stake, at Tournay, in February, 1545, of Peter du Breuil, a Calvinist preacher, who refused to obey the proclamation.

Loyale Epée, La.

A sobriquet of Marshal Macmahon (1808-1893).

Lübeck Law.

The law administered in the law courts and in the foreign factories of the Hanseatic League.

Lübeck, Treaty of.

A treaty between the Emperor Ferdinand II and Christian IV. of Denmark, signed in 1629, after the latter had been driven out of Germany by Tilly and Wallenstein. Christian retained all his possessions, and agreed to interfere no further in German affairs, except in his capacity of Duke of Holstein. He made no stipulations in favour of any of his German allies, none of whom, in consequence, were parties to the treaty.

Luddite Riots.

A series of outbreaks in the manufacturing districts of England, and especially about Nottingham, in 1811, as a protest against the introduction of machinery into the factories. The rioters, or rather conspirators, for their proceedings were secret, used to assemble at night, break into a factory, destroy the machinery, and then disperse, as a rule unmolested. They took their name from an idiot lad, named Ludd, who thirty years previously had gone about in the Nottingham district breaking stocking-frames.

Ludlow’s Code.

A code of laws compiled by John Ludlow in 1650, for the colony of Connecticut.

Lügenfeld.

The camp of Lothair, son of Louis the Pious, near Basle, where Louis surrendered to his revolted sons in 833. The false pretences by which the surrender was obtained, led to the incident being called the “Field of Lies,” or Lügenfeld.

Lumber State.

The State of Maine, U.S.A., is so called, on account of its valuable forests.

Lunéville, Treaty of.

A treaty between France and Austria, following on the disasters to the Austrian arms at Marengo and Hohenlinden. By its provisions France obtained an extension of territory on the north, as far as the Rhine from the Swiss to the Dutch frontiers, together with the cession of the Belgian provinces. In Italy Austria retired from the Milanese and the Venetian provinces, up to the line of the Adige, while Tuscany was taken from the Austrian Grand-Dukes, and conferred upon the House of Parma, with the title of the King of Etruria.

Luxemburg Treaty.

A treaty signed in 1867 by Great Britain, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Holland, Russia and Prussia, agreeing to maintain on the throne of Luxemburg the House of Orange-Nassau, and constituting the Duchy a perpetual neutral State under the guarantee of the Powers. It was further agreed that the fortress of Luxemburg should be demolished and the Prussian troops withdrawn, and that the Duchy of Limburg should form part of the Netherlands.

Lydford Law.

A phrase having the same signification as “Jedburgh Justice.”

Lynch Law.

The substitution of an irregular trial for the regular process of law, common in the Western States of America during the wilder days of the fifties and sixties, and now rife in the Southern States, in the case of negroes charged with offences against white women. The name is supposed to be derived from James Lynch, of Piedmont, Virginia, who introduced it in 1688, to enable criminals to be promptly dealt with when the proper officers of the law were scattered and hard to come at.

Lyons, Council of, 1245.

A council summoned by Innocent IV in 1245. It deposed the Emperor Frederick II, and absolved his subjects from their allegiance, thus endorsing the claim of Gregory VII that the Church could appoint and depose Sovereigns.

Lyons, Council of, 1275.

An Œcumenical Council, held in 1275 under Gregory X, at which the rules governing the election of the Pope by the Cardinals were amended by the provision that the Cardinals, within ten days of the death of the late Pope, should be shut up in conclave until his successor was elected.

M

Maamtrasna Murders.

The murder of a family named Joyce in Ireland in 1882. Ten men were put on their trial for the crime, of whom two turned Queen’s Evidence, and the remainder were convicted, three being hanged. In 1884 Casey, one of the informers, declared that he had given false evidence against Myles Joyce, one of the men who had been hanged, and that he had been ordered by the officials, on pain of capital punishment, to swear away this man’s life. A searching inquiry confirmed the justice of the sentence, but the case was made the pretext for a violent attack in Parliament upon the Irish Secretary.

McKinley Tariff.

A Tariff Act passed in the United States in 1890. Large increases were made in the import duties, and the measure as a whole was one of thoroughgoing protection. It was repealed in 1894.

McMillanites.

The Cameronians were so called, after the Revolution, from the name of their minister, McMillan.

Mad Cavalier.

The sobriquet of Prince Rupert of Bavaria, nephew of Charles I.

Mad Parliament.

A Parliament of Henry III, which met in June 1258. It was by this Parliament that the Commission was appointed which drew up the Provisions of Oxford.

Madame Véto.

_See_ Monsieur Véto.

Madman of the North.

A sobriquet of Charles XII of Sweden (1682-1718).

Madras Mutiny.

A mutiny of the officers in the Madras Army of the East India Company in 1809. It was caused by the action of the Board of Directors in depriving the officers of some of their perquisites. Sir George Barlow appealed to the sepoys, who supported the authorities against their officers, and the latter were forced to give in. With the exception of twenty-one of the ringleaders, the mutinous officers were forgiven, and allowed to resume their posts.

Madras, Peace of.

A treaty between Haidar Ali and the British, closing the first Mysore War in 1769. It provided for mutual restoration of all conquered territories, and a mutual guarantee of the integrity of each other’s dominions.

Madrid Conference.

A conference of the Powers, held in 1880, to consider the affairs of Morocco, and especially the treatment of Jews, and the right of foreign nations to protect their subjects. An agreement was arrived at, and a joint Note addressed to the Sultan, insisting on the necessity of respecting liberty of conscience, and of enforcing toleration on the part of his subjects.

Madrid, Treaty of.

A treaty between Charles V and Francis I, putting an end to the captivity of Francis, signed in 1526. The French King ceded Burgundy to Charles, and renounced the sovereignty of Flanders and all his rights in Italy.

Maffia.

A secret society which largely controlled the appointment of officials, and practically governed Sicily. The disclosures following the murder of Signor Notarbartolo, deputy for Palermo, in 1899, caused the Italian Government to institute a searching inquiry, which led to the suppression, temporarily at least, of the Maffia.

Magdeburg, Sack of.

At the capture of Magdeburg by the Austrian General, Tilly, in 1629, during the Thirty Years’ War, the Protestant inhabitants were put to the sword with ruthless barbarity.

Magna Charta.

The Great Charter of English liberty, extorted from John by his Barons in 1215. It prescribed the constitution of the Great Council of the Kingdom, the members whereof were to be summoned by writ; it defined and limited the feudal obligations of the Barons and other tenants of the Crown; restricted the powers of the sheriffs and other royal officers, and secured the liberties of the free towns. It further declared the right of an accused person to be tried by his peers.

Magnum Concilium.

The Great Council of the Realm, which in Norman times took the place of the Anglo-Saxon Witanegemot, and was the forerunner of the Parliament. It consisted in the main of the King’s great vassals, and with the King exercised legislative functions and initiated taxation. Its constitution was defined, and the mode of summoning it prescribed in Magna Charta.

Magyars.

The original Turanian invaders of Pannonia, the modern Hungary. The name is now applied to Hungarians generally, whether of pure Turanian descent or not. It is often erroneously used as referring to the Hungarian nobles or magnates only, but it carries with it no idea of rank or dignity.

Mahdi.

The expected Messiah of the Moslems, said to have been promised by Mohammed. The title has been claimed by several pretenders, the best known being Mohammed Ahmed, who headed a rising in the Eastern Soudan in 1881, and afterwards captured Khartoum.

Maid of Norway.

The daughter of Eric, King of Norway, and grand-daughter of Alexander III of Scotland. On the death of her grandfather in 1286, she succeeded to the Scottish throne, but died on her voyage to Scotland, leaving the throne open to numerous claimants, of whom Balliol was eventually chosen. Had she lived she was to have become the wife of Edward, son of Edward I of England, thus uniting the two crowns.

Maid of Orleans.

The name given to Jeanne d’Arc, after the relief of Orleans in 1429.

Maid of Saragossa.

The name given to Agostina Zaragoza, in consequence of her bravery at the siege of Saragossa in 1808, where she took her part with the soldiers in fighting the guns on the ramparts.

Maiden King.

The sobriquet of Malcolm IV of Scotland (1153-1165).

Maiden Queen.

Elizabeth of England is so called.

Maillotins, Insurrection of the.

A rising in Paris in 1382, against a tax on the sale of provisions and merchandise. The name is derived from the heavy iron maces with which the majority of the insurgents were armed.

Main Plot.

_See_ Bye-Plot.

Maine Liquor Law.

A law passed in the State of Maine, U.S.A., in 1851, prohibiting the trade in intoxicants. It has since been incorporated in the constitution of the State, rendering repeal impossible without previous recourse to a popular vote.

Maintainers.

Bodies of retainers in the service of the great feudal lords. It was to check the abuses arising from the system of maintenance that the Star Chamber was originally established.

Maire du Palais.

The prime ministers of the later Merovingian Kings, and the _de facto_ rulers, as these monarchs took no part in the Government. The last Maire du Palais was Charles Martel, the father of Pepin, and founder of the Carlovingian dynasty.

Maison du Roi.

The military household of Louis XIV of France. It consisted of the Gardes du Corps and the Mousquetaires du Roi, all gentlemen by birth, numbering twelve thousand.

Majestäts Brief.

An edict issued by the Emperor Rudolph II in 1609 granting to all Bohemians of certain recognized religions freedom of conscience, admission to the University of Prague, and the right to build churches on Crown lands. The edict further declared that any subsequent ordinances issued in contravention of this charter were null and void.

Major-Generals, Cromwell’s.

Twelve officers, commanding the twelve military districts into which Cromwell divided England in 1655. They were given command of the militia, and their functions were to suppress any Royalist rising, and to supervise the collection of the 10 per cent. tax levied from Royalists. The plan was abandoned in 1651, Parliament refusing to vote the money for the militia.

Majuba Hill.

The scene of the defeat of General Colley’s force by the Boers on February 27, 1881, which virtually closed the Boer War of that year. The surrender of the British Government to the Boer demands is generally known as the “Majuba Surrender,” and the bitter feeling thereby aroused caused “Remember Majuba” to be a sort of war-cry at the outbreak of the war of 1899-1902. The Paardeberg surrender on the anniversary of Majuba in 1900 was hailed as in some degree wiping out the disgrace attached to the word.

Malcontents.

In 1578 the Walloon troops of the Netherlands, being irritated by the promulgation of the Religious Peace, and by their pay being in arrear, mutinied under the leadership of the Seigneur de Montigny. Attempts to appease them were fruitless, and eventually, with the support of the nobles of Hainault and Artois, the mutiny ended in the formation of a confederacy of the Walloon provinces, pledged to support the Pacification of Ghent, and owning allegiance to Philip II.

Malet’s Plot.

A plot contrived by General Malet and the Abbé Lafone, in 1812, to dethrone Napoleon. By means of forged papers Malet persuaded a section of the Paris garrison that Napoleon was dead, and that he was entrusted by the Senate with the command of the troops. He then proceeded to the police ministry, where he arrested Savary, the minister, and the prefect of police. Attempting, however, to dispose in the same way of General Hullin, the Commandant of Paris, he was overpowered by the General’s orderlies, and the plot came to an abortive end.

Maletolte.

An additional tax of forty shillings the sack on the export of wool imposed by Edward III in 1337.

Malignants.

During the latter part of the Civil War and under the Commonwealth, those who had borne arms on the King’s side were so called by the Parliamentarians.

Malisset, Société.