360 
on these elevated places appear to 
be stunted; such as the pine, the 
birch, and a great many others, 
which from the class of trees de- 
scend to that of humble shrubs, 
merely because they have become 
alpicoles; that is to say, inhabitants 
of the highest mountains. 
History of the Swiss Union, and Cha- 
racter of the Inhabitants of, the De- 
mocratic Cantons”. 
From Watkins’s Travels, vol. I. 
N 1315, Uri, Schweitz, and Un- 
- derwalden, entered into a perpe- 
tuai league for their mutual defence, 
being fearful of encroachments by 
the house of Austriat. In 1332, 
Lucerne joined this alliance, in op- 
position to a design which had been 
formed by the Austrian party to pre- 
vent it, and get possession of the 
town. In 1351, Zurich, from simi- 
lar motives (a conspiracy of its ban- 
ished citizens) made the fifth con- 
federate canton; and, from ils su- 
perior power and wealth, was con- 
sidered as the first of the association. 
The following year Glaris and Zug 
acceded; and in 1355, Berne, though 
a previousalliance subsisted between 
it and the three first Waldsteett. Be- 
fore this period, the cantons allied 
themselves for their mutual protec- 
tion; but we find, from experience, 
that the love of freedom is so closely 
connected with ambition, that no 
sooner haye we acquired our literty, 
than we are desirous of increasing 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1792. 
our dominion at the expence of our 
neighbours. ‘Thus it was in the pre- 
sent instance, though with more ap- 
pearance of justice, as the enemies 
of the Swiss were the aggressors ; 
but it too often happens that, among 
nations, justice and interest are sy- 
nonymous. ‘Two circumstances now 
arose, which induced them to take 
a more active part, and bear arms on 
the offensive: the first was the rest- 
less ambition of the Dukes of Aus- 
tria; who, by secret intrigue, as well 
as open force, would have reduced 
thein toa state of vassalage: and the 
second, the encouragement of the 
emperors, who, jealous of the grow- 
ing power of Austria, persuaded 
them, by assurances of support, to 
violate all treaties. Hor the purpose 
of terminating these dangerous fac- 
tions, the allied cantons, in 1370, 
entered into a convention, which re- 
gulated every thing with the Ger- 
mans, aud for the general welfare 
of the league. 
But Lucerne, probably conscious 
that the new allies would make its 
private quarrel a common cause, 
broke with the house of Austria, for 
the purpose of exonerating itself from 
a duty imposed upon its iohabitants 
at Rothenburg. This brought on a 
general war, which, after two fa- 
mous victories gained by the Swiss 
in 1386 and 13388, at Sempach in 
Lucerne, and Nafels in Glaris, was 
concluded by an advantageous 
peace ; but aware of the dangerous 
consequence that might result from 
too great presumption on their va- 
lour and alliance, they entered into 
* Mr, Coxe’s reflections upon the general state of the thirteen Swiss Cantons 
we have given in the Annual Register for? 11719; p- 13. 
+ There was an alliance w hich had suibsivied between these three cantons ever 
since the year L291; 
oyer the Austrians at Morgarten, 
but it was not made perpetual till 1315, after their victory 
a con- 
