Amedeo VI. to Galeazzo Visconti, cost one thousand florins (19,496 francs), and two little female slaves, bought by the same prince in 1367, at Constantinople, cost 72 perperi, (730 francs). English horses, even then, were imported into Italy, and must have been in great request, since the duty which they paid at Bard was comparatively enormous. In 1283 there went through Bard 2225 common horses, and 99 English ones. The former paid 9 danari viennesi (1 fr. 55 cent. each, or 1s. 3 d.), the latter paid 1s. 1d. each, (now equivalent to 12 fr. 88 cent., or 10s. 84d.).—Page 434. We beg to conclude our remarks with recommending this work to such readers as feel an interest in economical and historical researches, as well as to those who wish to acquire sound information on interesting subjects conveyed in an agreeable form. Whatever has appeared to us to call for improvement can be easily altered in a second edition: the plan of the work, its general execution, the importance of the subject deserve nothing but praise, and the author must obtain it from all candid judges. well as it can be made out, [corrected from the work Pitture del Campo di Santo di Pisa, engraved by Lasinio, which seems to have been unknown to Douce]: Se nostra mente fia [fosse ?] bene accorta and with the other points to three open coffins, in which are a skeleton and two dead bodies, one of them a king." Vasari, in the life of Orgagna, says, "E poi da basso San Machario, che mostra a que' tre re che cavalcando con loro donne e brigata vanno a caccia, la miseria umana in tre re che morti, e non del tutto consumati, giacciono in una sepoltura, con attenzione guardata dai re vivi," &c. In the library of the British Museum there is a beautiful MS., forming part of the Arundel Collection, containing an illumination, which at the beginning of the inner column of the page, represents three kings; and three dead bodies, or skeletons, at the beginning of the outer columns. Under the first illumination is written de vivis regibus; under the second de mortuis regibus; each rubric followed by a French poetical dialogue. But there is no doubt the work was executed in England, there being at the top of the page the following quatrain, written all in one line: The first two lines are, of course, spoken by the living kings, and the two last by the dead ones. The MS. is of the earliest part of the fourteenth century, and seems not to have been known to Mr. Douce. See Catalogue of MSS. in the Brit. Museum, new series, p. 22, n. 83. A copy of the French dialogue is given at the conclusion of the preface, and the outline of the illumination has been engraved at the end of the volume. ARTICLE IX. Recent Occurrences at Cracow. AMONG the political problems whose solution is of vital interest to the preservation of the balance of power in Europe, is one whose importance is in inverse ratio to the territorial extent of the country most concerned; but which involves some of the most sacred principles of international law. We allude to the "Free Town of Cracow," the vicissitudes of whose fortunes we have before now taken occasion to dilate upon, and more especially at a former period, when our Minister for Foreign Affairs had solemnly, in his place in Parliament, promised to send an English Resident thither,—a promise which our readers probably well know remains to this day unfulfilled. To show however that the necessity for this step was not exaggerated by us, and to recall to their memory the principal facts of interest respecting this last remnant of Polish nationality, we propose to detail in as summary a form as we can, the circumstances under which the Republic of Cracow was established, the treaties by which its independence was placed under the guaranty of the Great Powers of Europe, and the systematic and, alas! unresisted violation of every stipulation by certain of those Great Powers, so solemnly appointed its defenders. Our rapid narrative of the sufferings of the "Free State" is derived from official documents; its object is to correct the errors which prevail, and to refute the misrepresentations which self-interested tyranny, shrinking from the light, has succeeded in spreading. After the last partition of Poland in 1795, Cracow underwent many vicissitudes; from 1795 to 1809 she remained under the domination of Austria; in 1809 she was incorporated in the grand duchy of Warsaw; at a later period, ceded to Prussia by the Emperor Alexander, she again became, in 1815, an integral portion of the grand duchy. The last fundamental pact of the Republic rests on the arrangements made by the Great Powers in 1815, and the separate treaties concluded by them amongst themselves, at the Congress of Vienna. These treaties are dated the 3rd of 1. Between Russia and Austria. 2. Between Russia and Prussia. 3. Between Russia, Prussia and Austria. 4. Between all the Great Powers, the Acte-General of the Congress of Vienna. The two first-named treaties relate to the whole of Poland, the third exclusively to Cracow; and to this treaty which is called "Additional," is appended, under the same date, the "Constitution of Cracow ;" while by the 118th Article of the Treaty of Vienna, all the stipulations contained in the three treaties above-mentioned are solemnly recognised, and placed upon the same footing as if they had been inserted, word for word, in the general act of the Congress. Thus there can be no doubt as to the degree of legitimate influence and protection reserved to the high contracting parties whose signatures are affixed to the general act, among whom England and France appear as powers of the first order. It is necessary here to recapitulate some of the circumstances which led to the establishment of the Republic. It is notorious that the principal of these was the necessity felt by the Great Powers of maintaining the balance of power, which must have been destroyed the moment any one became possessed of Cracow, and the vast commercial and military advantages which derive from its geographical position. At the Congress of Vienna itself this fear had been openly avowed on several occasions by England, who demanded the re-establishment of Poland, under a foreign dynasty, and the creation of an independent state, placed amidst the three Great Powers. She further insisted on the maintenance of Polish nationality, as the best method of attaching the Poles to the foreign ruler who was to be given to them, whatever form of government might be determined on; and asserted, that by these means alone all danger to the liberties of Europe might be precluded, and the happiness of Poland assured*. These sentiments were shared by Austria; and Prince Metternich so declared, in the name of the Emperor, in his note of the 21st of February, 1815. * See Lord Castlereagh's Note of January 12, 1815, presented to the Committees for the Affairs of Poland and Saxony. At length, after a long and painful period of gestation, was born "The Republic of Cracow," to be for ever a monument consecrated to the independence of at least a portion of Poland. Four hundred and ninety-six square leagues of territory, and a hundred and ten thousand souls (out of 282,000 square leagues and twenty millions of inhabitants) were assigned to the new state, whose existence was assured upon the faith of treaties, and placed under the guaranty of all Europe, in imitation of the free towns of Hamburg, Lübeck, Bremen and Frankfort. The general act of the Congress of Vienna contains, among others, the following provisions in favour of Cracow. Art. 6. declares the town and its territory, free, independent and strictly neutral, under the protection of Russia, Austria and Prussia. By the 8th article the Emperor of Austria guarantees for ever to the town of Podgorze, situated near Cracow, in the Austrian territories, all the privileges of a free commercial city. Art. 9. gurantees neutrality both to the free town and its territory, and this Russia, Austria and Prussia bind themselves to maintain, not only among themselves, but against all others. This article further stipulates that on no pretext whatever shall an armed force be ever permitted to enter the territory. Art. 10. declares that the clauses relating to the Constitution of Cracow, the University, the Bishopric and the Chapter, which are comprised in Arts. 5. 7. 16. and 17. of the "Additional Treaty" touching Cracow, and annexed to the General Treaty, "shall be of as full force and effect as if they were inserted word for word in the present Act." Art. 118. of the general act establishes the same principle a second time, with express reference to the treaties signed on the 3rd of May, 1815, between Austria and Russia, and Russia and Prussia; while Art. 119. engages the high contracting parties to the above-mentioned treaties to adhere to the present act. The primitive constitution of the free town of Cracow consists of twenty-two articles, and contains the following provisions : Art. 1. proclaims the Roman Catholic the religion of the state. Art. 2. secures their social rights to all Christian inhabitants, without distinction of creed. Art. 3. declares all Christian creeds to be under the protection, and equal in the Art. 4. defines the form of government, which consists of a senate comprising twelve members and a president. Art. 5. prescribes the mode of electing these senators, nine of whom, including the president, are to be chosen by the Chamber of Representatives, four by the University and the clergy. By Art. 6. it is provided that six of the senators shall be elected for life; the president is to remain in office for three years, but is capable of being re-elected. Art. 7. fixes the electoral franchise upon the basis of taxation, to the amount of fifty florins per annum*, on landed property. Art. 8. provides for the nomination of certain functionaries by the Senate and the University. Art. 9. establishes communes of from 2000 to 3500 inhabitants, under the administration of a mayor and one assessor. By Art. 10. the month of September is appointed in every year for the meeting of the House of Representatives, whose session is not to continue beyond a month. This elective body possesses the legislative power; it examines the accounts of the administration-regulates the budget-elects the members of the Senate, the judges and magistrates; it further possesses the privilege of bringing to trial before the supreme court of judicature any functionary charged with malversation or exaction. Art. 11. determines the composition of the Chamber as follows: it is to consist of one deputy returned for each commune; of three named by the Senate; three ecclesiastics nominated by the Chapter; three doctors elected by the University; and lastly, six magistrates, acting by turns, as counsellors. The President must be one of the three deputies delegated by the Senate. Art. 12. charges the House of Representatives with the drawing up a code of civil and criminal law, and the regulating the forms of judicial proceedings. Art. 13. provides for the possibility of a difference of opinion between the Chamber and the Senate, respecting the passing of a law. Art. 14. appoints justices of peace, one to every district comprising 6000 souls. Art. 15. establishes courts of judicature and appeal; and Art. 16. defines the composition of the supreme court mentioned in Art. 10., and which is to |