and whose people bore in origin, language, | miles and 45,000 inhabitants. history and manners, the closest affinity to the Danes, was now violently severed from her sister kingdom. Denmark received, by way of compensation, another small slice of German territory, cut away with the large pruning-hook of the imbecile soulvenders at Vienna, from the newly liberated bulk of Germany. What injustice and blunders were committed by the selfish and short-sighted diplomatists of the Holy Alliance at Vienna! Poland, Italy, Belgium, Norway and Lauenburg dismem bered and shuffled about at the mere whim and caprice of gambling politicians! And now-in 1848-they have either freed themselves with the sword, or are still fighting and bleeding for their freedom. Lauenburg alone must now, by the German Parliament at Frankfort, be forced to renounce an alliance, which Denmark so unwillingly acceded to in 1815. The circumstances which brought that German duchy under the Danish crown are very remarkable. When King Frederik VI. was obliged by the treaty of Kiel, in 1814, to cede the kingdom of Norway to the crown of Sweden, the king of that country, on his part, offered as an indemnity to the King of Denmark and his successors, the duchy of Swedish Pomerania and the principality of Rügen, with seventy-five and a half German square miles and 160,000 inhabitants. Prussia now stood forward and demanded the cession of these maritime provinces, proposing to give Denmark an equivalent. erritory, which it did not possess. But in order to fulfil its promise, Prussia then peruaded the King of Hanover-George III. f Great Britain--to cede the duchy of Saxe- | Lauenburg, with nineteen German square The poor Lauenburgers remained six days Prussian subjects, and were then, on the 4th of June, 1815-" à perpétuité et en toute souveraineté et propriété"-transmitted to the King of Denmark. The Frankfort deputy Weleker, has lately had the most hopeless difficulty in persuading the quiet and industrious Lauenburgers that these treaties are null and void, and that they, as Germans, belonging to the common glorious fatherland, were to take up arms against their former Danish liege lord. Such were the relations between Denmark and the duchies of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg in 1815. There did not at that time exist any party spirit, any Schleswig-Holstein separatistic tendencies, which might have prognosticated any hostile conflict between the two different nationalities of the monarchy. That movement began later, and originated not with the people, but with the nobility-the Ritterschaft-and the swarm of German employees, forming a bureaucracy, who by the ambitious intrigues of the princes of Augustenborg, were led to hope that by a final rupture with Denmark, they might deprive her both of Schleswig and Lauenburg, and thus form an independent state of their own, which by its important maritime position on the Baltic and the North Sea, might, as they said, become the handle of the sword, which Germany was to throw into the scales of fate on the Northern Seas. A second article on this imperfectly understood, but interesting subject, will relate these movements in the duchies, and the events of the civil war they have occasioned. THE WAR OF CHIOZZA. [CONTINUED FROM PAGE 410.] XV. WHILE they were laboring with such admirable dilligence to augment the republic's means of resistance, four warriors were making head against the enemy with the small forces they had been able to assemble. Every day that they should gain would change the situation of affairs for their benefit. They had dispatched light vessels in every direction, to recall Carlo Zeno to the assistance of Venice, he having been detached at the commencement of the pending campaign, with a squadron of eight galleys, to which he had been able to rally several others in the ports of the Levant; but from him, for some time, no news had been received, his dispatches having been intercepted. His assistance was uncertain, and would only be received late. In the meantime, Pisani occupied himself in pressing the new armament, and in preventing the progress of the enemy. Taddeo Justiniani, who commanded the galleys already armed, would under no pretext compromise a squadron which was the only hope of the Venetian marine. The flotilla risked itself more readily, because it had a sure retreat in the shallow waters, to which the Genoese galleys could not pursue it. This force, which was almost always engaged in unprofitable enterprises, was at last enabled to seize on a favorable occasion offered by fortune. Barbadigo, at the head of a detachment of fifty boats, surprised one evening, at low water, a galley and two other vessels of the enemy, stationed before the port of Montalbano, occupied by the troops of Padua. The galley could not manœuvre, and was, with the other vessels, carried by boarding. The flotilla bore away for Venice, with the full force of oars, towing the two small vessels they had captured; while the flames that rose from the galley announced from afar to the Venetians that last their arms had achieved an opening triumph. Suddenly, all the city was in a state of enthusiastic excitement; and when the boats arrived with their prizes, and five hundred prisoners, every one demanded to be led against the enemy. Pisani was careful not to give way to so imprudent a confidence. The fleet however was reisforced. The month of September passed away, and they already had the certainty of being able to present a fleet of more than thirty sail towards the middle of October. The whole of October was passed in unimportant operations, as the Genoese admiral had been compelled to sea twenty-four of his galleys to the easter shore of the Adriatic, in search of provis ions. The fleet and army that held Ch ozza experienced all the privations to which they had condemned the Venetians. The Doge publicly announced, that as soet as the galleys should be ready, he shoul embark with a portion of the senate, in der to take the command in person, n solved to avenge his country, or to p at the head of its defenders. This exple, given by the prince of the repuls an old man of more than seventy yea redoubled emulation. The occurrence some small successes increased their hy pes The flotilla captured a convoy of provis : sent from Padua to Chiozza. Cavalli co pelled the Genoese to evacuate Malame which they destroyed before abando it. The Venetian galleys continually p formed their evolutions, but returned night to the Grand Canal. As yet, r telligence had been received from C Zeno. Of all the possessions of the repu there remained to it only a small in the midst of the salt marshes on the s of Italy. Three Genoese galleys seen to prepare to attack it. Pisan against these galleys with a detachm the flotilla, forced them to fly, and sued them even to the waters of C. He had even arrived by a more direct | trina, which is called the pass of Chiozza. route before they reached the town, and To the north, another communication is hoped to cut off their retreat, and to place opened with the sea, by the interval which himself between them and the port; but, separates the island from the continent, assailed on two sides by a cannonade, to and is called the pass of Brondolo. It will which he had nothing to oppose, he was be seen that when one is in the port of Chicompelled to seek safety across the shal- ozza, and wishes to regain the sea, it is low waters, which he was not able to do necessary to go out by one of these passes, until some of his boats had been destroyed or to ascend the lagunes by the canal of by the enemy. Antonio Gradnigo, of a Lombardy, and go in search of the passes ducal family, was among those who perish- of Malamoreo, of the Lido, or of San ed in this expedition. Erasmo. It therefore entered into the " plan of the Venetian admiral to shut up the enemy in the lagunes, by opposing to him at each of the three issues of Chiozza, of Brondolo, and of the canal of Lombardy, not precisely an armed resistancefor they were the stronger party-but an inert and insurmountable obstacle. It was necessary to carry, conduct, and establish these obstacles in each of the channels, and to prevent the Genoese from destroying them. Finally, it was necessary to place the Venetian fleet outside of the issues, so that it should not itself be shut up among the lagunes, exposed to sustain an unequal combat, and in order that it might be enabled to disperse the new fleet which was coming to reinforce the allies, and which had perhaps already sailed from Genoa. It was now towards the close of the year 1379. The Genoese fleet, which had kept the sea for a long time, had not been able to recruit on the shore of Chiozza, where for four months it had experienced all manner of privations. It was necessary to bring twenty of the vessels into port, either to repair them, or to afford their crews some repose. The twenty-four galleys which had been detached, had returned and discharged the provisions with which they had been laden. Three others were so posted as to defend the pass. The allies expected a fleet from Genoa, which must soon bring them reinforcements. It was not without astonishment, mingled with alarm, that they saw thirty-four galleys in the waters of Venice; but they were far from believing that this fleet was in fighting condition, and that the Venetians had so far recovered confidence as to become the aggressors in their turn. XVI. On the 21st of December, after a solemn mass, the Doge left St. Mark's, with the standard of the republic in his hand, and went on board of the ducal galley, followed by the greater part of the senators. Pisani had conceived the project of compelling the Genoese fleet to surrender; but in order to succeed, it was necessary to avoid fighting, since that fleet was superior in number, and incomparably better armed. It was necessary to surprise it in the port where it had had the imprudence to place itself. But they could not close even that port. The town of Chiozza is situated on a group of small islands amid the lagunes. It communicates by a bridge, as we have previously seen, with the neighboring island. Therefore it is separated from the sea by that strip of land which to the north leaves a passage between it and the island of Pales This very complicated operation was at the same time a daring conception. We shall see what the difficulties were which presented themselves to its execution. The thirty-four Venetian galleys, accompanied by sixty armed barks, and by several hundred boats, left the port in the night between the 21st and 22d of December, and directed themselves in silence towards Chiozza, across the lagunes. Pisani and Justiniani, who had taken the command of the advanced guard, towed two large vessels, destined to be sunk in the passes, in order to close them. They avoided approaching the port where the Genoese fleet lay, and before day-break they arrived in the channel of Chiozza, which is between the island of Palestrina and that of Brondolo. One shore of this pass had belonged to them since the Genoese had evacuated Malamoreo. Pisani made his flotilla immediately advance, and throw four or five thousand men on the opposite shore, with orders to carry the extremity of Brondolo, so that the fleet should have less difficulty in closing that pass; but the island of Brondolo was covered with troops, who fell upon the Venetians and compelled them to reembark in disorder, and with considerable loss. Pisani, however, had brought up one of his great hulks, which he intended to sink in the middle of the channel. The presence of the enemy's troops on the shore rendered this a very perilous operation. Seven Genoese galleys, which had had time to prepare themselves, hastened up before it was terminated, and attacked the hulk together, and set it on fire. It was sunk in the passage. The Genoese galleys were dispersed by the remainder of the Venetian fleet, and immediately a multitude of boats, laden with stores, came up, filled the hulk, and made of it a dike that obstructed the channel. As a portion of the Genoese fleet was disarmed at the time, they could not oppose to the Venetians a force sufficient to compel them to remove. The next day, Pisani completed the closing of this channel, by sinking other vessels there, and by joining them together with a strong stockade, which was protected by a battery placed on the southern extremity of the island of Palestrina. This operation finished, it remained to do as much in the pass of Brondolo; but they could not do that on a sudden, and the enemy occupied both shores of the pass. This arm of the sea is not more than four paces in breadth, and there is little water in the middle of it. It is navigable for vessels only close to its banks. It was, therefore, necessary to come under the fire of the enemy in order to bring up the small vessels to be used in closing the pass. Pisani confided this operation to Frederico Cornaro, whom he detached with four galleys. Fourteen Genoese galleys came to oppose the undertaking. Pisani advanced with ten of his own in order to sustain his people. The combat was terrible in this contracted field of battle; but, finally, in spite of the attack of the enemy's vessels, and of the fire of all the batteries on the shore, the channel was closed, as that of Chiozza had been the preceding day. But the work was not yet completed. It was necessary to complete the hastily made stockades, to place them in a defensible state against the tempests, and to protect them against the efforts of the enemy, who would lose no time in endeavoring to destroy them. The admiral, leaving his flotilla in the lagunes, ascended the canal of Lombardy with his galleys, in which canal he sank large vessels, left the lagunes by the passage of the Lido, sailed along the islands, and placed himself outside of the channels on the sea-shore. Henceforth, the Genoese had no means of issue. It was necessary to overthrow these barriers in order to save themselves from being compelled to surrender. The Venetians posted themselves before the passes in order to cut off from their enemy all hope of escape. This was a perilous position, as a squall might drive them away, render all their labors useless, and raise the blockade. It was particularly difficult to maintain possession of the channel of Brondolo, under the continual fire of the batteries erected on both shores. Sixteen galleys were detailed to guard the stockade there, before which they regularly relieved each other, only two remaining at once in the channel. The enemy did not cease to attempt the removal of these obstacles. So severe a service began to dishearten the crews of Pisani's ships. The Doge, in order to inspire them with resolution, swore not to return to Venice until after the capture of the enemy's fleet. Nevertheless, Venetian constancy was exhausted the seamen declared that it was sheer obstinacy to wish to keep the galleys in the passes, where they every instant ran the risk of foundering, and which lost a portion of their crews every day-that it was exacting more than could be expected of human power. The admiral did his best to exhort them, and to encourage them by his example. He explained to them the importance of the port, which, if given up, they could never hope to regain. All that he could obtain was a delay; and he solemnly promised them to leave the ground on the first of January. that is, in forty-eight hours, if on that day the fleet of Zeno should not arrive. That fleet was expected with no less impatience by the generals than by the soldiers. The army was giving way discouragement. All that had been complished would turn out a complete loss. The enemy, already superior in a ber, and soon to be reinforced, would gain all his advantages. The blockade | and desolating their commerce. Amid intense anxiety, all awaited the termination of that period which Pisani had so venturously fixed. One portion saw in it only an end to perils above their courage to endure; the other, the ruin of a great project, and the inevitable loss of the country. All eyes were continually fixed upon the sea, when, on the first of January, they perceived eighteen sail in the distance. It might be the Genoese squadron that was coming to the assistance of Doria. Twenty light vessels were sent to reconnoitre it. They returned, under full sail, their signals announcing that the squadron which was approaching was that of Carlo Zeno. XVII. The arrival of Zeno revived all hopes. Not only did his return render the Venetians numerically superior, but his crews, composed of experienced mariners, were capable of surmounting difficulties before which the inexperienced sailors of Pisani must have succumbed. Zeno, on arriving, went on board the ducal galley to render an account to the chiefs of the republic of all that had happened to him since his departure from Venice. With his squadron of eight galleys, he had at first cruised on the coast of Sicily, where he had taken and burnt a great number of Genoese merchantmen. During the winter he had presented himself before Naples, in order to attempt a negotiation with Queen Joan, hoping to bring her to a change of party, and to enter into an alliance with Venice. This negotiation had procured for him the advantage of passing a portion of the bad season in port; but the news of the battle of Pola had overthrown all his hopes of reconciling the queen with the republic, and he determined to carry the war to the coast of Genoa, in order to retain there the disposable forces of the republic. During the whole summer he ravaged the Ligurian shores, attacking all weakly fortified points, pursuing the Genoese squadrons, His name His instructions recommending him to protect the merchant fleets which the Venetians had in the Syrian ports, he set sail towards the Archipelago, rallying to his squadron some galleys which were in those latitudes, and aided the Emperor Calojohannes to subdue his son. He went to Beyrout to take charge of a convoy destined for Venice, and it was while he was there that he received intelligence of the danger of the capital. The squadron and the convoy made all haste in order to arrive there. Off Rhodes, they had fallen in with a great Genoese galley, the largest in the world, and which they immediately attacked with four galleys. The combat was unequal, but this vessel, which was of much stronger build than the Venetian galleys, making a vigorous resistance, it had been necessary to take her by boarding. In this action, Zeno had received two severe wounds-one in the eye, and the other in the foot. Arrived in the Adriatic, and beaten by a tempest which had engulfed one of his galleys, he had thrown his convoy into the port of Panuzo, and had hastened to the assistance of his country. XVIII. Although not yet recovered from his wounds, Zeno desired, on the day of his arrival, to take part in new dangers; and his courage was honored with the most perilous post. He was ordered to take position with his squadron in the pass of Brondolo, where, for eight days, the other galleys had suffered so much. The next day a violent tempest assailed the fleet. The galleys were torn from their anchors, and were dispersed. The Genoese, seeing the station abandoned, hastened to the shore in order to attack the works of the Venetians. Zeno could bring forward only three galleys, the terrible fire of which compelled the enemy to remove. The following day, in spite of the wind, which blew more furiously than before, he obstinately kept firm before the Genoese batteries. The combat lasted all day. One Venetian galley was so badly treated that she was compelled to surrender. That which Zeno was on board of, was dragged by the currents and thrown by the tempest on shore, at the foot of a tower occupied by the enemy. It was |