increased by irruptions from the north, so that in the 5th and 6th centuries, under the rule of the Franks, they formed the principal element of the population. For several centuries the history of the Franks is the history of the Netherlands. Afterwards the country was divided into a number of independent duchies, counties, and free cities. Among these may be mentioned the duchies of Brabant, Limbourg, and Luxembourg, the counties of Flanders, Haiuault, and Namur, the bishopric of Liege, the lordship of Malines, &c. Of these the county of Flanders rose to be superior to all the others, and became distinguished for its industry and commercial activity. In 1385 the male line of the counts of Flanders became extinct, and their possessions passed into the hands of the dukes of Burgundy, who soon after, in various ways, came into possession of the whole of the Netherlands. In order to strengthen their power they sought to repress the spirit of liberty, and to do away with the free institutions that had sprung up in the country ; but notwithstanding this the people continued to increase in wealth and prosperity, and industry and commerce flourished more and more among them. In 1477 Mary of Burgundy, only daughter and heiress of Charles the Bold, married the Archduke Maximilian, son of the Emperor Frederick IV., and thus the Netherlands came into the possession of the House of Austria. Maximilian succeeded to the imperial throne in 1493, and the following year he resigned the government of the Netherlands to his son Philip, then a youth of seventesn years of age. The latter, in 149G, married Joanna, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Castile, and died in 1506, leaving to succeed him a son who afterwards became Charles V. During the reign of this monarch the Protestant religion began to spread in the country, though its adherents were subjected to much persecution. His son and successor, Philip II. of Spain, by his cruel persecu tions and his attempt to establish the Inquisition in the country, drove the people into open rebellion. The duke of Alva, who was sent at the head of a Spanish army to reduce them to subjection, perpetrated upon them the most horrid cruelties, devastating the country in every direction, and erecting scaffolds in every city. At length the northern portion of the Netherlands succeeded in establishing its independence, and became the republic of the Seven United Provinces, while the southern portion, or Belgium, continued under the rule of Spain. In 1598 Philip ceded Belgium to .his daughter Isabella and her husband the Archduke Albert, under whom it formed a distinct and independent kingdom. Attempts were then made to restore the prosperity of the country and improve its internal condi tion ; but, unfortunately, Albert died without leaving issue in 1621, and the country again fell into the hands of
Spain.declining fortunes of Spain ; and in the wars that broke out between that power and France and Holland, it was exposed to the first attack, and peace was usually purchased at the expense of some part of its territory. By the treaty of the Pyrenees (1659) the county of Artois, Thionville, and other districts were ceded to France. Subsequent French conquests, confirmed by the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle (1668), took away Lille, Charleroi, Oudenarde, Courtray, and other places. These were, indeed, partly restored to Belgium by the peace of Nimeguen (1679); but, on the other hand, it lost Valenciennes, Nieuport, Cambray, St Omer, Ypres, arid Charlemont, which were only in part recovered by the peace of Byswick (1697). After the con clusion of this last treaty the Spanish Government attempted to restore prosperity to Belgium by the introduc tion of new customs laws, and by other means, particularly by the construction of canals to counteract the injury done to its commerce by the closing of the navigation of the Schelcl by the Dutch. But these attempts were of little avail i consequence of the breaking out of the War of the Spanish Succession, which was only brought to an end by the peac of Utrecht in 1713. By this treaty Belgium was assigne to Austria, and took the name of the Austrian Netherlands Yet such was the enfeebled state of the country that Hollan retained the right, which had been conceded to her durin the late war, of garrisoning the principal fortresses on th French frontier, and her right to close the navigation c the Scheldt was also recognised. In 1722 a commerce company was formed at Ostend by Charles VI., but thi was sacrificed in 1731 to the jealousy of the Dutcl During the Austrian War of Succession almost the who] country fell into the hands of the French, but was restore to Austria by the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748). Belgiui was undisturbed by the Seven Years War (1756-63), an during the long peace which followed enjoyed considerabl prosperity under the mild rule of Maria Theresa, whose repr< sentative here, Prince Charles of Lorraine, conducted affaii with great judgment and moderation. The empress did muc for the advancement of education, founding, among otht institutions,the Belgian Academy of Sciences, and opposed th undue power of the clergy. Her son and successor, Josep II., got into difficulties with Holland, and compelled the power to withdraw her garrisons from the frontier towns but was unsuccessful in his attempts to free the navigatio of the Scheldt. It was, however, in his attempts to refon internal abuses that he failed most signally here as in otin parts of his dominions. He excited the religious feeling of the people against him, by attempting to curb the powt of the priests, and he offended the states by seeking t overturn the civil government. Numbers of the malcoi tents left the country, and organized themselves as a militar force in Holland. As the discontent became more gener; the insurgents returned, took several forts, defeated th Austrians at Turnhout, and overran the country. On lit December 1789, the people of Brussels rose against th Austrian garrison, and compelled it to capitulate, and o the 27th the states of Brabant declared their independenci The other provinces followed, and, on llth January 1791 the whole formed themselves into an independent stat under the name of United Belgium, with a congress i manage its affairs. After the death of Joseph II. L successor, Leopold II., issued a proclamation on 3d Mare 1790, wherein he promised the restoration of the forme constitution if the people would return to their allegiance This, however, they refused to do, and they also rejects/ the proposal of a congress to meet at the Hague for th settlement of their differences. In the end of Novembei therefore, a strong Austrian army was sent into Belgiun and the country was subdued without any great oppositioi The constitution as it existed at the end of the reign c Maria Theresa was restored, an amnesty was proclaimed f o past offences, and the opposition of the states was put dowr The short period of peace which followed was terminate by the breaking out of the war with revolutionary Franc* The battle of Jemappes (7th Nov. 1792) made the Frenc masters of the country to the south of Lie ge; and the battl of Fleurus (26th June 1794) put an end to the Austria rule in Belgium. The treaty of Campo Formio (1797) an the subsequent treaty of Luneville (1801) confirmed th conquerors in the possession of the country, and Belgiui became an integral part of France, being governed on th same footing, receiving the Code Napoleon, and sharin, in the fortunes of the Republic and of the Empire. (See France.) After the fall of Napoleon and the conclusioi of the first peace of Paris (30th May 1814), Belgiun was for some months ruled by an Austrian governor
general, after which it was united with Holland undo