de
to assassinate the king, by means of what has been denominated "the
infernal machine." On the second day of the great political festival in
honour of the three days of July, 1830, as his majesty was riding
along the Boulevard du Temple, surrounded by the crowded citizens,
and attended by his civil and military servants, an explosion like a
discharge of musketry took place from the window of an adjoining house.
The effect was terrific. Several officer's of rank were killed on the
spot, as well as some grenadiers of the national guard of Paris, besides
mere lookers on, while many were severely wounded. The horse on which
the king rode was wounded, but he himself escaped unhurt. The assassin
was captured, and he turned out to be a Corsican, of the name of
Fieschi, who had been a noted vagabond for many years. The questions in
dispute between Belgium and Holland remained in the same unsettled state
in which the preceding year had left them. In Belgium the formation of
Sir Robert Peel's ministry excited alarm, lest the policy of the great
powers should now be less favourable to that country, and in particular
lest Britain should refuse to interfere to compel the Germanic
confederation to concede to the demands of the Belgians on the duchy of
Luxembourg. Communications from the English ministry, however, allayed
these fears; and finally they were relieved from them altogether by the
return of the Whigs to office. In the autumn of this year the Emperor of
Russia met the King of Prussia at Kalisah, and the Emperor of Austria at
Toplitz; but neither of these meetings seemed to have been brought about
for the purposes of political deliberation. In Greece, on the 10th of
June, King Otho having come of age, assumed the reins of government, and
the regency deposited its functions in his hands. The changes which took
place gave great umbrage to the Greeks, who were already displeased at
seeing so many offices in the hands of foreigners. Their displeasure was
increased at finding there was no intention of sending away the Bavarian
military. Turkey, during the present year, remained unchanged in her
relations to the great European powers. On her western frontier she
was occupied in putting down an insurrection which had broken out in
Albania. The Porte was likewise under the necessity of using its arms
against some tribes which had rebelled in Kurdistan. These disturbances
saved the Pacha of Egypt from any attack by the Porte in his n