The revolutions of Europe

282 Pages·1839·2.75 MB·English

by  Christopher William Koch

CARL [TDK UNIVERSITY
CARLETON UNIVERSITY
120II3222H3"
DATE DUE
031997
91999
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THE
REVOLUTIONS OF EUROPEt
in:INU
AN HISTORICAL VIEW OF THE EUROPEAN NATIONS
IK'.M TUB
SUBVERSION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE WEST
ABDICATION OF NAPOLEON.
DY
CHRISTOPHER
W. KP C H
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LONDON: WIIITTAKER AND AVE MARIA LANK
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TKAN'SLATOirs I'KKFA( K.
THE VnvrorTH* REVOLUTIONS OF EUROPE,by M. Koch, hasbeen long known and highly
esteemed on theContinent, asawork of incontestable merit, and entitled to hold tl
rankamong productionsof its kind. It occupied tin- laboursand researchesof thirty years
uftin- author's life; and had the benefit of receiving, at different intervals,several addition**
ami improvement.* from his own hand. As a concise, luminous, and accurate summary of
il history, it stands unrivalled. The principal events and vicissitudes of more than
fourteen hundred ye.irs an- her.- condcn-cd within an incredibly small space; bringing, as
-. uiuler one view, the successive changes and destiniesof Europe, from the f.ill ofthe
Roman Empire, in the fifth century, to the restoration of the Bourbons in France. The
eouiitrie^ whieh the different nations from time to time have occupied. their laws and
institutions their progress from barbarism to refin. in nt the revivalofartsandsciences
the origin ofinventionsand discoveries and the wonderful revolutions,bothmoraland poli-
tical,to which they gave birth, arc here detailedatonce with brevity andperspicuity. The
authorhasrestricted himselfas it were tothe pure elements oressenceofuseful knowledge,
discarding from his narrative every thing that did not minister to solid instruction. II.-
book hasbeen compared to asort of chart or genealogical tree of history, where only the
grandand prominent events have been recorded, striptofall theirsecondaryandsubordinate
circumstances, which often distract theattention withoutadding in the least to the interest
or elucidation of the subject. His researches have thrown a new light on some of the
difficultiesand obscurities of the Middle Ages, particularly with regard toChronologyand
Geography. 11isveracity and precision are unimpeachable; and, though hisstyle hasbeen
thought inelegant, hiscandour,judgment, and erudition have never been called in question,
fallpartiesand of oppositeopinions, both in politics and religion, have united their
suffrages in his praise. M. I'ontanes,Grand Masterofthe Unixersityof 1'aris; M.bvesque,
: -nt of the Class of Ancient History and Literature, and M. Dacier, Perpetual
Secretary of the Third Class, in the Institute; M. Fourrroy, Director-General of 1'ublie
Instruction at Paris; M. lY'-deric Huchholx, of Berlin, who translated the Tableau into
(ierman; and many others, have spoken ofthis book in termsofthe highestcommendation,
and obtained ita place in most ofthe t'niversities. Schools, and Libraries on theContinent.
The REVOLUTIONS, although an excellent digest of the history and policy of Europe,
claims no higher merit than thatof anelementary work. It wasoriginally designed for tin-
young entering on their political studies, and is an outline that must befilled up by sub-
it reading, and from collateral sources. With regard to the prc.-cnt English edition,
the Translator has only to say, that he has endeavoured to give a faithful transcript of his
author, and asliteral as the idiom of the two languages would admit, lie has been more
studious of fidelity to his original thanelegance of style or novelty of expression. 1
prefixed a short sketch of the author's life, abridged from two of his biographers, MM.
Sclurll and Weiss.
Tin- : Periods bring downthe HistoryofEurope tothe Freneh Kc-.olntion,which
isall that ourauthor undertook, or rather lived to accomplish. The period from that
to the restoration of the Hourbons in 1815, has been continued by M. S< hu-11.* the editor
h's Works, and author of the History of the TreatietqfPeace.Sec. As the conti-
nuation, houexer, differsalittle in some points from the \iewsof the original, and isnot
so full on others as might be \\Mird, the Translator has introduced tuch additions and
amendments as seemed necessary to complete what was defu-lent, according as nearly as
If. Schci-ll hasalso inttraperaedafewexplanatoryparagraph*,which, in the present volume, the
render \\ill timl iucliuktl withinbrackets [ J.
LIFE OF KOCH.
pos-ible with the spirit and designof theauthor himself. These alterations, as well as the
authorities on which they have' been made, will be found carefully marked.
LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER W. KOCH.
CHRISTOPHKR WILLIAM KOCH, equallydistinguishedasalawyer andalearned historian, was
born on the Mh of May, 1737, at Bouxwiller, a small town inthe seigniory of Lichtenberg,
in Alsace, which then belonged to the Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt. His father,who was a
member of the Chamber of Finance under that prince, sent him toanexcellentschool in
his native place, where he received therudiments of hiseducation. Atthe age of thirteen,
he went to the Protestant Universityof Strasburg, where he prosecuted his studies under
thecelebrated Schcepflin. Lawwastheprofession towhichhewas destined; but he showed
an early predilection for the study of history, and the sciences connected with it, such as
Diplomatics, or the art of decipheringandverifyingancientwritsand chartularies, Genea-
logy, Chronology, &c. Schcepflinwas not slowto appreciate the rising merit of his pupil,
and wished to makehim the companion of hislabours. He admitted him to his friendship,
and became themeansofestablishing him as hissuccessor in that famouspolitical academy,
which his reputation had formed at Strasburg, by attracting to that city the youth of the
first families, and from all parts of Europe. Koch devoted much of his timeto the Canon
Law, and soon gave a proof of the progress he had made in thatbranch of study, by the
Academical Dissertation which he published in 1761, under the title of Commentatio de
Collatione dignitatum etbeneficiorum ecclesiasticorumin imperio Romano-Germanico. This
treatise was a prelude to his Commentary on thePragmatic Sanction, which he published
in 179 a work which excited an extraordinary sensation in Catholic Germany, and pro-
cured theauthorthe favourable notice of such prelates as were most eminent for learning
and
piety.
Aftertakinghis academic degree, Kochrepaired to Parisin 1762, where he staid ayear;
honoured withthe society ofthemost distinguished literati in the capital, and frequenting
the royal library, whollyoccupied in those researches which prepared him for the learned
labours in which he afterwards engaged. On his return to Strasburg, he wrote the con-
tinuation of the Historia Zaringo-Badensis, of which thefirstvolume only wasdrawnupby
Schcepflin. All the others wereentirelythe work of Koch, though they bear the name of
the masterwho had charged himwith the execution of this task. Schcepflinbequeathed to
the city ofStrasburg, in 1766, hisvaluable library and hiscabinet of antiques, on condition
that Koch should be appointed keeper which he was, in effect, on thedeath ofthe testator
in 1771. He obtained, at the same ti;me, the title of professor, which authorized him to
deliver lectures; for thechair ofSchcepflinpassed,according tothestatutesoftheUniversity,
fo another professor, a man of merit, butincapable of supplying hisplaceasan instructor
ofyouth in the study ofthe political sciences. ThepupilsofSchcepflinwere thustransferred
to Koch,who became the head of thatdiplomatic school, which,for sixty years, gave to the
public so great anumberofministersandstatesmen.
In 177'.J the government of Hanover offered him the chair of public German Law in the
;sity ofGottingen, which he declined. Nextyearthe Emperor Joseph II., who knew
well how to distinguish merit, complimented him with thedignity ofKnightofthe Empire,
an intermediate title between thatof baron and the simple rank of noblesse. About the
same period lie obtained the chair of Public Law at Strasburg, which he held until that
university was suppressed at the French revolution. Towards the end of 17'.>, the Pro-
testants ofAlsace sent him as their envoy toParis, to solicitfrom theKingand theConstitu-
tional Assembly the maintenanceoftheir civil and religious rights, accordingto the faith of
former treaties. He succeeded in obtainingforthem thedecreeofthe 17thofAugust,17W,