Star.
London, England, 1830-09-10 00:00:00

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF lIELGIUIL

No country in all Europe has been the theatre of ea many revolutions
as that part of ancient Oaul, called Belgium. We shall recapitulate
here the principal traits of its history, dating it from the middle age.
It was in the year 1106 that Godeaq, Count of Louvain, having re.
caved *cm the Emperor Henry V. the inveadture of the Duehy of
Lower Lorrain, assumed for the first time the tide of Duke of Brabant,
and from that period the country began to be considered as a separate
State.

In 1218, Henry 11. ene of the successors of GodelVey, granted by his
testament so all the cultivators of Embalm their liberty, who were al-
ways considered serfs according to the law of the German Empire be.
fore. He delivered them from the tax of mortmain, and ordered that,
like the inhabitants, they should be kedged only by their own
testes. This testament of limy 11. hoe been constantly to
daring all the insurrections which have taken place ender his we-
canon.

These popular commodens were sometimes so violent, that the Bhp
of Preece saw, or conceived themselves, obliged to interpose. Thus
Phili pe le Bel gained in 1304 the battle of Mons en Peelle against
the or people of Flinders; Philip de Valois, in 1338, that
of Cassel; and Charles IIL in 1382, that of Rosbeek ; but at that
paiod the Kings of France were already Invested with the se
(Suserainete), as Lords Paramount of Brabant ; a feeble hdemnity
made by King John to Philip le Hardt (the Bold). his fourth son, for
the impolitic cession of the country, John being incontestibly they heir
of Philippe de Roane the last Duke of the first House of Burgundy.
" By an act of imprudence, for which his children paid very dearly,
King John," says the President Heinault, "Instead of preserving so
important a domain, gave it to one of his sons, by way of a separate
settlement (appanage); to revert to the Crown in Afoul! of heirs male.
Thus it happened by this arrangement that $ French Priam became the
I head of the race of this second House of Burgundy; which proved, in
the sequel, se fatal to France during the long wan she had to wage
WWI
Cherkeightlementire dying, in 1477, without any male isms, his
States ought to have reverted to the Crown of France, bat they pawed
to the House of Austria, by the marriage of Mary of Burgundy, the
'daughter of Charles, with the Archduke Mail ion, eon of the Em.
pone Henry HI. The Em Chemise V. who issued from this
branch, united the Netherlands to the Spanish Monarchy; and It was
under the reign of his son Philip 11. of Spain. that these disturbances
broke out which, after the most obstinate straggle add years' duration,
terminated In the complete and absolute independence of the Northern
part of the Netherlands (the Seven United Provinces.)
The southern part, properly called Brabant, and now more commonly
styled Belgium, remained under the dominion of Austria.-at first of the
Spanish, and subsequently of the German branch.
Louis XIV. repeatedly conquered Brabant and Flanders. Louis XV.
whose armies were commanded by the celebrated Marshal de Saxe, (the
natural sots of the King of Poland and Elector of Saxony and the
Countess of Kooiegantark) Skewing conquered is entirely, end began
even to penetrate into Holland by Bergen-op-Zoom and Blika ts
when, by a coodescence more generous than political, he restored those
provinces to Austria, in 1748, by the Treaty of Aix.3e-Chapelle.
Belgium remained subject to Austria under dm reign of the Empress
Mara Theresa, but revolted, in 1789, against bar son Joseph 11. The
brother and successor of this Emperor, Leopold 11. succeeded in re.
storing his authority in these provinces by the influence of concessions
rather than by the force of anus, althouiSiteadehed made a disedean.
tageous peace with the Turks, giving up and other important
fortresses, fur the purpose of turning his w forte against Flanders ;
but they were shortly afterwards conquered by the French armies from
his sou Francis 11. the present Emperor of Austria. From the year
1794 they constituted part of the French Republic and Empire ill 1814
—that is to say, far 30 years.
Atter the overthrow of the colossal empire of Napoleon. the Holy
Alliance met in Congress at Vienna, to appropriate the spoils of the
viuished, when in their wisdom they thought fit to transfer the so-
✓gnty of Belgium, which had been so long an integral part of the
French Republic, one and indivisible, and afterwards of the French
empire, to the Prince of Named Orange, the restored Stadtholder of
Holland, not by way of a reward or indemnity for his exertions
the gigantic power of Napoleon—ln consideration of which Rusr
caned Poland, Austria, Venice and Lombardy, Freesia pert of
Sattooy and the Itienian provinces, Sweden Norway. and the minor
powers, minor slices (for the poor man had been living, fru-
gally and peaceably, in Harley-street, London, on a pension of 16,0001.
per coo. frau our Consolidated Fund, three fourths of which he wisely
laid by)—bat for the purpose of forming a powerful barrier against
France; and graced and dignified this newly created pewee, by sub-
ennead bestowing a Regal crown on the new sovereign Prince of
the N Thus were four millions of inhabitants, and one
of the meat flourishing countries in Eimer. battered away,
slimmed. and transferred, without their will and inclination being
In the least consulted, like a penal of Negrom in the West ladies,
or as cattle are sold in England. However. the dilftwenee of reli-
ghts, language, laws, customs, and sentiments. between Belgium
lend HoUsod, sendeted this forced sanlipm•Sew fes=losou
pew a source of weakness inseead of emeglit ellact
having been wholly overlooked by Ito mmemiumnlike mempeuniers,
Penes Metteenich and Lord Costimeigh $ though lloglemi was to
hell is the expenditore of Aar slam to eensolliete the
lespostructura raised on an unesundllielibeloa, we am it new shaken
ft the mom, and on the Os d es/4ft t. &ems/ Wen =P-
rod by etriade of Premise hetemels end militias of &Wish
ameeelpm Ifstrever, ohms eseallhe *My net be quite so readily
habsodep new es in Leal Gmilme,rbili time; seed even in that
lane she Swe soda beduidaL was MS Minh
M AMMAN, thMIO WIWI*. Wilt riceitt pefeeeing.l
eseseems, the same and holding the severeigary by much bew
men& demi, than the Ileum of Orange, found to km coat. 8o cam.
mos were insurrections in Belgians, that a German Publicist found in
her mauls ere lees rhan dm Amiga of amereigety ma six internal ,

!revolutions, on an average of each century. Suchl. the disposition of
the people whom bletterakh, t. astlereagli, and Co.npany, toolishli as.
pected to worn of their restless love of ninny by a chimerical, an int.
possible fusion with Holland, under the feeble sway of the ciippled
house of Orange, ruling a country overwhelmed with debt, totally
eclipsed as a nwritime power, and destitute id a native army of ar, y
coosequerct! !