Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 7.djvu/17

 12 S. VII. JULY 3, 1920.] NOTES AND QUERIES. the late Duke of Hamilton. It is possible that it is of Maria, Lady Coventry, sister of the Duchess of Hamilton of that day. HERBERT READE. LYTTON QUERIES. In Part II. chap. ii. of ' Lucretia ; or, Children of Night ' occurs feld in Thurgovia. But towards the end of the eighteenth century, Baden and other places in Argovia (Aarau particularly) came again into fashion. Separate Diets of the Protestant Cantons (Zurich, Berne, Basle, Schaffhausen, Glaris, Appenzell, a/R), and their Allies (Bienne, the following passage : I Geneva, Neuchatel, Mulhouse, Grisons, City " Cleveland Row. . . .At last, as she passed the of St. Gall) were usually held at Aarau, last house to the left, a house then owned by One Zurich acting as " Vorort." who at once far sighted and impetuous, affable K fn aratP D?W<? nf the Catholic Canton* and haughty characterised alike by solid virtues ,, Separate JJiets of tlie ^atnoiic Cantons and brilliant faults would, but for hollow friends, (Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, Zug, have triumphed over countless foes, and enjoyed Soleure, Fribourg, Appenzell i/R.) and at last that brief day of stormy power, for which their Allies (Bishop of Basle, Abbot of St. statesmen resign the health of manhood and the Gall Valais) usually met at Lucerne which hope of -age as she passed that memorable | n _.;_ ^La o. rwi^K " T7+ mansion, &c. To whom is the author referring ? F. C. WHITE. DIETS OF THE SWISS CON- FEDERATION. (12 S. vi. 296.) ALL the quotations mentioned by MR. _. _,. .. __ . Canton acted as Catholic Vorort. During the eclipse of Swiss independence, after the French invasion of 1798, the Diet disappeared altogether for five years. Dur- ing this period Aarau was first the capital of the " Republique Helvetique une et indivisible." In consequence of political unrest the Government soon moved to Lucerne, then to Berne and finally to Lausanne. From 1803 to 1815, the period of Napoleon's " Mediation," the Diet was again the central Government of the Confederation. But there were now nineteen Cantons of JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT, are substantially i wh i c h six were " Vorort," each for a period correct but not precise enough in detail. | of only two years (Zurich, Berne, Basle, Soleure). The Diets. From 1815 to 1848 ("Constitution of Though the Swiss Cantons after the Reforma- I Lucerne, Fribourg, tion and until the French Revolution were rnet at the " Vorort " divided into two groups which held separate From 1815 to 184 Diets, general Diets of all the thirteen Cantons 1815,") when there were 22~ Cantons, T the and their Allies and subjects were held at number of " Vororts " was reduced to least once a year. Zurich acted as " Vorort." three : Zurich, Berne, Lucerne, each acting Her chief magistrate (Bin-germeister) re- as suc h f or two years. ceived and dispatched letters in the name Only after the introduction of the " Federal of the whole Helvetic Body or the thirteen Constitution of 1848 " was it found neces- Cantons alone. He received foreign sary to abolish the itinerant "Vorort," ministers accredited to Switzerland, and he and to choose a permanent residence of the sent out the convocations for the meetings Federal Government. Zurich, Berne and of the General Diet (gemem-eidgenossische Lucerne were the places which had the chief Tagsatzung) over which he presided. But titles for the distinction of "capital" of Zurich derived no material advantage from Switzerland. Lucerne, in spite of her central her honorary rights as "Vorort." Just as position, was ruled out as she had lately there was no capital of the Confederation been the headquarters of the rebellious there was no fixed place for the meetings of Sonderbund. Zurich, though it is still the the Diet. Many were held at Zurich, others biggest city and the intellectual centre of at Berne or Lucerne, but most of them at German-speaking Switzerland, had to cede Baden, a town conveniently situated between her place to Berne which is situated on the Zurich and Berne. As Baden was subject borders of French-speaking Switzerland, to several Cantons, Catholics and Protestants and whos e territory and population (for could meet there on " neutral " ground. the whole Canton) considerably surpass When, as a result of the Civil War of 1712, those of Zurich. Bernese influence became predominant at I / j) r ^ LATT Secretary, Baden, and the Catholics felt less at home Nouvelle Society Helvetique, there, the Diets were often held at Frauen- 1 28 Red Lion Square, W.C.I.