Macedonians of old; and the means then used, to excite the Greeks against the enemy of their race, may find a counterpart in those, now beginning to be employed to rouse the prejudices of the Slavonians. Like the "Regale Numisma" of Philip, the gold of Russia performs its part; and the fear for Europe is not, as Napoleon* suggested, when a "bearded Czar" shall wield the sceptre, but when Russia shall possess wealth enough to further her projects, and shall command the co-operation of the Slavonic populations. On the other hand, there is reason to believe, that the liberty of Europe will not be endangered by the increasing power of Russia: she has an encroaching, rather than an invading, tendency; she is unassailable herself, but her system of government, her social condition, and the difficulty she has in keeping up a large army at a distance from home, prevent her being formidable to any but her immediate neighbours; many of the Slavonians are not disposed subserviently to perform a part, to suit her purposes; and so long as the other states of Europe are true to their own interests, no fear need be entertained from the magnitude of her Empire.t

* Of the two alternatives, mentioned by him, of Europe becoming either Cossack, or Republican, the former seems, from recent events, to be by far the least probable.

† Since writing the above, new events have occurred, which may materially change the state of affairs in Eastern Europe; but there is the same reason to believe that much will depend on the conduct of the German and Slavonic populations.

CHAP. IX.

HISTORY OF DALMATIA, FROM THE ARRIVAL OF THE SLAVONIANS TO THE PEACE OF 1814.

The Avars expelled by the Slavonians, or Slavi. — Rule of the Byzantine Emperors.-Dukes of Dalmatia.- The Franks. Kings of Dalmatia. — Narentines; their Piracies; conquered by the Venetians. - The Doge takes the title of Duke of Dalmatia. - The Croatian Kings.The Hungarians come into Dalmatia ;- Coloman ;— their Contests with Venice. Träù taken by the Venetians. — Zara ; — is besieged. The Templars. Great Siege of Zara.- St. Francis. - Tartar Invasion.- Free Cities.-Zara besieged and taken; rebels; besieged again. -Louis of Hungary. - Zara declares in favour of Hungary; is besieged by the Venetians, and taken. Louis becomes Master of all Dalmatia. Maria and Elizabeth taken Prisoners. Sigismund marries Maria of Hungary. Stephen Tuartko, King of Bosnia. The Turks; they put an End to the Kingdom of Servia; - they defeat Sigismund. Ladislas in Dalmatia.- Harvoye. Sigismund recovers Part of Dalmatia. -Makes Peace with Venice. Bosnia invaded by the Turks. They obtain Possession of Bosnia and Herzegóvina.- Battle of Mohatz.- Clissa taken from the Hungarians by the Turks. The Morlacchi. — Diary of 1571: Attacks of the Turks: Victory of Lepanto: Story of Elena Alberti and Baciccio.- Other

Venetian Documents of 1574: The Pastrovicchii: Death of Messer Rolando: The Feretics: Story of Adelino and Maria Vornich: Mode of treating the Turks: Crafty Policy of Venice towards its Subjects: Story of Ante.-Treaty between Venice and Sultan Selim. — Clissa taken by the Uscocs, and retaken by the Turks. The Uscocs.-Foscolo takes many Towns from the Turks, raises the Siege of Sebenico, and takes Clissa. - Peace of 1669.-Siege of Vienna.- Cornaro's Successes against the Turks.-Peace of Carlovitz.-Siege of Sign.Peace of Passarovitz. Fall of Venice. - Austrians in Dalmatia.- The French. Ragusa.- Count Caboga's Speech. The Russians and Montenegrins attack Ragusa; and take some of the Islands; they leave Dalmatia; the Treaty of Tilsit. - The English take Lissa ; Victory off that Island. —English and Austrians cooperate against the French.-Dalmatia recovered by Austria. HISTORY OF THE USCocs, from Minucci, and Fra Paolo.

THE events which gave rise to the occupation of Dalmatia by the Slavonians, when Heraclius, in the seventh century, invited the Chrobati * (or Croatians), and Serbs, to expel the Avars, have been mentioned.†

From that time, the population of the country became almost solely Slavonic, except in the large towns, which continued to be chiefly inhabited by Roman citizens; and few of the original Dalmatian

* Or Chorvates. A.D. 634.

† Above, Vol. I. pp. 13. 16, 17. For the early History of Dalmatia, before that time, see Appendix A.

inhabitants were to be found, except in the islands, and in some of the cities on the coast. The coun

try, however, was still under the dominion of the Byzantine Emperor, and the Governor, who retained the title of Prætor, was charged to receive the tribute in his name, and remit it to Constantinople. But at the beginning of the ninth century, the whole of Dalmatia, with the exception of the maritime towns, ceased to be under the protection of the Greek court, and the Slavonic tribes, breaking off their allegiance, became independent of the empire.

After the loss of Ravenna, which had been the residence of the Præfects of the Adriatic, Zara became the capital of the province; it was selected to be the station of the Greek fleet; and the Præfects received the title of Dukes of Dalmatia. These arrangements, however, were of short duration, and the maritime towns were not long in following the example of the rest of Dalmatia.

The first Duke, whom we find mentioned, is that Paul, who went with Bishop Donatus as ambassador to Charlemagne. According to Lucio, it is uncertain whether he was the first Duke, or a successor of those, whom Longinus, the Exarch of Ravenna, is supposed to have instituted in Dalmatia, when he created the dukedoms of Italy: though the most reasonable conjecture appears to be, that the Dalmatian duchy was contemporaneous with the Italian, and dependent in the same man

ner on the Exarch of Ravenna, who commanded in the Adriatic; and when the Exarchate ceased, the dukedom of Zara became independent.

The Greek emperors, alternately neglecting and re-establishing their rights in Dalmatia, had already opened the way to the several competitors for dominion, who successively obtained a footing in that country; and, as early as 806, the Dalmatians submitted to the Franks. But a few years after the death of Charlemagne, those strangers were expelled; and the authority of the Dukes, afterwards Kings *, of Dalmatia, was established by the Croatian Terpimir, in 837.†

The Adriatic was at that time exposed to constant piracies; and the Narentines, a Serb-Slavonic race, who still retained the religion and superstitions of their Pagan ancestors ‡, taking advantage of its intricate navigation, and numerous ports, impeded the commerce of that sea, and infested the towns on the coast. This first directed the attention of the Venetians to Dalmatia; and preparations were made for checking their depredations; when a new enemy, more formidable than

*The first who assumed the title of King of Dalmatia was Peter Cresimir, in 1052.

† See a diploma of his, in Farlati, (iii. 51.) beginning, “During the reign of the most pious Lothario, King of the Franks, in Italy . . . . . . I, Terpimir, Duke of the Croatians," &c.

Farlati says they were not converted to Christianity till about A.D. 872; long after the other Slavonians of Dalmatia. Farlati, iii. 257. See above, Vol. I. p. 17.