appeal to arms, as were those of the Poles or the Hungarians, nor were they qualified for such an attempt. It must be kept in mind that the landed estates, and hence the means, are still in the hands of foreign lords; the Bohemian gentry having been laid in the grave in 1620; and that the towns are largely occupied by Germans. The Bohemians have since had a wonderful lesson in the achievements of Hungary during the last thirty years. What Kossuth and his compatriots, were unable to achieve by violent means in 1848, Deak and his followers have quietly gained by appeals to reason and the use of constitutional efforts. Making all allowance for the outward pressure upon Austria, which greatly helped the Hungarians in regaining their constitution, it cannot be denied that the recent history of Hungary has given the world an example which should lead to greater faith in parliamentary government. The Bohemians have not yet a leader of equal capacity and determination with Deak to lead to a constitutional victory in the same way, and the opposition of their German fellow-countrymen is still too much for them. Although divided amongst themselves, they are undoubtedly developing constitutional government, and by degrees obtaining concessions from Austria. Thus they have recently obtained permission to use the Czech language in the deliberations of their Diet, and have re-established the Bohemian University, of which John Huss was Rector in Prague.
The events of 1859 and 1866 greatly helped the Bohemians. The Protestants, specially, benefited by decrees issued in 1861, 1868, and 1874. A perusal of these decrees would lead one to believe that complete religious freedom had now been granted; and while nominally this is true, as the laws are worked out by officials frequently over zealous for the Romish Church, and as there is still too much of the vexatious meddling of the paternal kind so peculiar to Austrian bureaucracy, practically a great deal has yet to be secured.
The Evangelical Alliance have recently drawn attention to a victory, by constitutional means, of great importance to the civil and religious liberty of the whole Austrian Empire, secured on 22nd April last, when the Supreme Court of law at Vienna decided that parents who had for
