whole disposable force was required to bring Hungary, even after an exhausting struggle, into submission to Vienna, how can Austria presume to stand a moment before that Ally, now backed by the Dependency which her own arms had before reduced.

Had England known that it was her own hand which had stifled Poland, Hungary might have been spared. If she could now understand that it was again her hand that had stifled Hungary, Austria and Turkey may hereafter be spared. I shall make the endeavour to put her in possession of this truth, from the Blue Books. We must first, however, glance at the petty treacheries within, by which armies were led to slaughter.

CHAPTER II.

Events in Hungary.

AT the very moment of the dispersion of its Government Hungary was achieving at Pakozd its first victory. The vaunting Jellachich was absolutely beaten by a handful of men; he signed a suspension of arms, and decamped in the night, leaving ten thousand of his rearguard prisoners.

The Austrian Government, infuriated at the murder of Count Lamberg and the defeat of Pakozd, declared Jellachich, who had been so easily defeated, and so ignominiously driven out, Lieutenant-General of the kingdom, and reinforced his army with the garrison of the capital. A sanguinary Insurrection at Vienna itself was the result.

The Hungarian army had pursued Jellachich to the frontier; there it halted, waiting legal authority to cross. The Diet at Vienna gave an evasive answer, and enabled Windischgrätz to assemble and dispose his forces for the bombardment of the city. The Hungarian army arrived too late, and was placed by treachery in the power of the Austrians; its general, Moga, said before the court martial, by which he was afterwards tried, that the Austrian generals did not know how to take complete advantage of the opportunity he had given them.

Kossuth, on the field of battle (Schwechat), displaced Moga, and made over the command to Görgey: from that hour the Russian Intervention became inevitable. It has been supposed that the treason of Görgey was an afterthought: I have it from Hungarian officers that, at that very moment, he spoke undisguisedly of the futility of the struggle;*

* He had personal ties with the establishment of the Archduke Michael. Strange expressions are attributed to him, which were interpreted as marks of genius, as those of Szechenyi were of madneзs.

yet it was the offer to lead the troops to Vienna that induced Kossuth to give him the command.

Görgey retreated across the frontier, followed by Windischgrätz; both armies then remained in inaction for weeks! In consequence of Görgey's representations of the necessity of concentration, the troops were collected from all parts, and placed under his command. Windischgrätz at last

advanced. Görgey had drawn out his forces on an extended line-they were driven in upon every point, save one (Wieselburg); he announced to the Government this action as a victory, and retreated. First, he neglected to take up a position on the Lake Neusiedler, from which he could not have been dislodged; next, he passed through Raab, neglecting equally the intrenchments, which had, at great expense, been thrown up; then avoiding the impregnable position of Comorn, he made a straight course to Buda, as if, like the flying Scythian, to draw the Austrians on. Pertzel advancing with about 13,000 men, reached Moor, when Görgey was distant about fifteen miles, and making sure of support, engaged the advanced guard of Windischgrätz— he was left to be beaten. Himself neglecting the Capital, its defences, its defenders, and the Danube, passed by Buda in hurried flight, evacuated the town, and abandoned the defence of the river and of the castle. Had he made a stand anywhere, he would have been joined by Pertzel's, and other small corps then on their march; new levies were hastily being raised, and the army of 20,000 men in the south was marching to join him; even while his army was at the lowest number it could not have been left in the rear; had he stood still anywhere Windischgrätz could not have penetrated into Hungary.

Görgey had, during his retreat, written to the Committee of Defence to say that he could not insure the safety of the capital twenty-four hours: the Diet, in consequence, retired to Debretzin. He now issued a Proclamation, in which he charged the Diet with abandoning the army, and declared

that the army thenceforward would act for itself. This appeal was not responded to by the soldiers.

Then, leaving the plain at the mercy of the enemy, he carried his army northward among the mountains. He divided it into two corps,-one of 10,000 men, commanded by Guyon, the other of 15,000, which he headed in person. These advanced or retreated, for it is difficult to define his operations, on parallel lines. He suffered the corps of Generals Simonich, Goëtz, and Jablanowzski, to enter unopposed by different passes, and was pursued by them. On the right flank he was cut off from the plain country by the main army of Windischgrätz advancing from the Danube to the Theiss: in front, his passage was barred by Schlick, who, entering from the north, had taken up his position along the line of the great Gallician road, with 25,000 men, and occupied passes which it was supposed 100,000 men could not force. Görgey had always kept suspiciously close to the Gallician frontier; he had been deaf to every appeal from Guyon for cooperation: now no escape was left him, save by entering Gallicia and capitulating. Then it was that Guyon, at the battle of the Braniszko pass, unexpectedly opened a passage to both corps; Görgey allowed Schlick to carry off the remnants of his army when they were in his hands.*

Obliged through Guyon's inconvenient victory to effect his junction with the main army under Dembinski, he was present at the battle of Kapolna, where the Hungarians were decisively engaged with the main army of Windischgrätz; he abandoned his post : he then called his officers together, and deposed the Commander-in-Chief. Next day the action was renewed without results; both parties retreated. After the first day at Kapolna, Windischgrätz had written to announce too hastily the utter discomfiture of the Hungarians, and thereupon was issued the Proclamation abolishing Hungary

This action, scarcely paralleled for its fortunate audacity and its important consequences, was the theme of coarse jokes in Görgey's tent and at his table.

as an independent State. Up to this hour the Hungarians were acting by virtue of the royal authority.

Kossuth now decided that a bold push should be made on Vienna with the main force under the command of Görgey, strengthened by the garrison of Comorn, leaving 10,000 men to invest Buda. Görgey sent against Vienna 10,000, and 37,000 to Buda, of which 7,000 were cavalry. After storming several times, he wrote to say he could not take it. Kossuth replied, "Since you I have sacrificed Vienna to Buda, at least take Buda." Görgey afterwards accounted for the loss of the occasion, time, and men, by Kossuth's intermeddling. He then managed to consume week after week in inaction, till the Russians were in the centre of Hungary. This was the denouement of the Drama, and its action thereafter has little interest.

Narrated of some former time, would not the tale discredit history? Might not the existence of Kossuth and Görgey be denied, with more show of reason than that of Python and Chimæra? Their motives defy, their achievements surpass, scrutiny and possibility.

An adventurer is taken out of the lower grades, to be made General of an army by a country lawyer, who has become head of a nation; this army is the sole defence of the insurgent nation; it is before the Capital of an Empire, where its presence alone had created a Revolution. The adventurer carries this army in flight through a difficult and narrow border district, where in all times this kingdom had made good its stand, or at least, attempted it: as he retreats reinforcements pour in; by merely standing still he can resume the offensive, still on he goes, leaving here to the right, a position which could not be turned; there to the left, a fortress that could not be taken. He passes by the Capital with all its resources, bisected by a mighty river; he terrifies and disperses the Government by false reports, and then denounces them as cowards; having led the enemy into the centre of the country, he carries his army to the mountains, through the passes of which other bodies are