ail his loss; since the sun has shone in heaven, no Prince had ever
yet such a man."

_Myself_. What was the name of his Prince?

_Hungarian_. Laszlo the Fifth; who, though under infinite obligations to
Hunyadi, was anything but grateful to him; for he once consented to a
plan which was laid to assassinate him, contrived by his mortal enemy
Ulrik, Count of Cilejia; and after Hunyadi's death, caused his eldest
son, Hunyadi Laszlo, to be executed on a false accusation, and imprisoned
his younger son, Matyas, who, on the death of Laszlo, was elected by the
Magyars to be their king, on the 24th of January, 1458.

_Myself_. Was this Matyas a good king?

_Hungarian_. Was Matyas Corvinus a good king? O young man of
Horncastle! he was the best and greatest that ever Hungary possessed,
and, after his father, the most renowned warrior,--some of our best laws
were framed by him. It was he who organized the Hussar force, and it was
he who took Vienna. Why does your Government always send fools to
represent it at Vienna?

_Myself_. I really cannot say; but with respect to the Hussar force, is
it of Hungarian origin?

_Hungarian_. Its name shows its origin. Huz, in Hungarian, is twenty
and the Hussar force is so called because it is formed of twentieths. A
law was issued by which it was ordered that every Hungarian nobleman, out
of every twenty dependents, should produce a well-equipped horseman, and
with him proceed to the field of battle.

_Myself_. Why did Matyas capture Venna?

_Hungarian_. Because the Emperor Frederick took part against him with
the King of Poland, who claimed the kingdom of Hungary for his son, and
had also assisted the Turk. He captured it in the year 1487, but did not
survive his triumph long, expiring there in the year 1490. He was so
veracious a man, that it was said of him, after his death, "Truth died
with Matyas." It might be added that the glory of Hungary departed with
him. I wish to say nothing more connected with Hungarian history.

_Myself_. Another word. Did Matyas leave a son?

_Hungarian_. A natural son, Hunyadi John, called so after the great man.
He would have been universally acknowledged as King of Hungary but for
the illegitimacy of his birth. As it was, Ulaszlo, the son of the King
of Poland, afterwards called Ulaszlo the Second, who claimed Hungary as
being descended from Albert, was nominated king by a great majority of
the Magyar electors. Hunyadi John fo