lled because it is formed of twentieths. A
law was issued, by which it was ordered that every Hungarian nobleman,
out of every twenty dependants, should produce a well-equipped horseman,
and with him proceed to the field of battle.

_Myself_. Why did Matyas capture Vienna?

_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 for some time disputed the throne with
him; there was some bloodshed, but Hunyadi John eventually submitted, and
became the faithful captain of Ulaszlo, notwithstanding that the Turk
offered to assist him with an army of two hundred thousand men.

_Myself_. Go on.

_Hungarian_. To what? Tche Drak, to the Mohacs Veszedelem. Ulaszlo
left a son, Lajos the Second, born without skin, as it is said, certainly
without a head. He, contrary to the advice of all his wise
counsellors--and amongst them was Batory Stephen, who became eventually
King of Poland--engaged, with twenty-five thousand men, at Mohacs,
Soliman the Turk, who had an army of two hundred thousand. Drak! the
Magyars were annihilated, King Lajos disappeared with his heavy horse and
armour in a bog. We call that battle, which was fought on the 29th of
August, 1526, the destruction of Mohacs, but it was the destruction of
Hungary.

_Myself_. You have twice used the word drak, what is the meaning of it?
Is it Hungarian?

_Hungarian_. No! it belongs to the Mad Wallacks. They are a nation of
madmen on the other side of Transylvania. Their country was formerly a
fief of Hungary, like Moldavia, which is inhabited by the same race, who
speak the same la