Odd Bits of History: Being Short Chapters Intended to Fill Some Blanks

As Richard's fate is so closely bound up with Edmund's, it may be convenient to review at one rapid glance the fortunes of that poor nobleman after his flight in 1501. He first...

The two were for the first time brought into contact in 1634. Charles was then for the moment--a pretty protracted moment--a lackland prince. Counting a little too confidingly u...

Leopold has been much abused by our writers and politicians, as if he had been a deliberate anti-English plotter and Jacobite accomplice. It is but fair to him to explain why he...

The quarters had been selected because the Duke of Saxe-Coburg wished his sons to be lodged with a professor. There were not many such with sufficiently large dwellings to selec...

But we must now return to Ravensburg and young Welf. Not far off from Ravensburg still stands, conspicuous upon its lofty hill, the old castle of Waldburg, the cradle of the nob...

As _missi cameræ_ the Guelphs had a serious brush with the Church--the only tiff, practically speaking, which ever occurred between them and Rome. Of this quarrel, in which the...

Hard pressed as I am for space, I must find some to say, at any rate, just a few words about Wendish marriage customs. For its gaiety, and noise, and lavish hospitality, and pro...

While still in "la Rue de la Grande Maison"--the Rue de l'Esplanade--Richard de la Pole got entangled in a little love intrigue, which caused a tremendous commotion in the town,...

There were water-fowl near Brühl; there used to be a heronry there. But I do not think the Prince went in that direction. His ordinary shooting-ground was near Bergheim, on the...

But all this has nothing to do with the Church proper, as distinct from the parson. Their religious instinct appears born with the Wends. Religion seems to be in all their thoug...

How the Pretender's enterprise ended we all know. He does not appear to have been particularly attentive to his late host, the Duke of Lorraine. On the 24th of October he sent h...

Voltaire was dazed at the loss, unable to command his words or his steps. He tottered out on to the little flight of stairs, where he sat in dull despair and stupefaction. In sp...

Reporting himself after his visit to Bar, as in duty bound, to King Louis, Leopold declares himself "_charmé de l'esprit, de la sagesse, de la douceur et des manières gracieuses...

After all, the Queen's visit did not come off till spring, 1715. That was, again, a most inconvenient time for the Duke of Lorraine, on much the same grounds as before. He had j...

The advent of the brilliant couple from Cirey, it need not be stated, added further strength to the _philosophe_ party. Abbé Menoux found out that he had reckoned without his ho...

The chapters composing this book appeared originally in the shape of review articles. I owe acknowledgments to the Editors of _Blackwood's Magazine_, the _National Review_ and t...

In outward appearance the Wends are throughout a powerful, healthy, and muscular race, whose men are coveted for the conscription. The first Napoleon's famous "Bouchers Saxons"-...

Menoux was now trembling for his authority. Madame de Boufflers' influence appeared to him to be growing too formidable. They were curious relations which subsisted between Volt...

In 1660 Spain found that she could carry on war no longer. The result was the Treaty of the Pyrenees, which was rather dictated by Mazarin than negotiated between France and Spa...

Of course there is beer and beer. The wise doctors of Salerno very rightly gave particular attention to this subject--as well they might, for beer was adulterated in their days...