370 HELV 
daring that they were difpofed to live in peace with the 
duke, notwithftanding the numerous fuffjeds of com¬ 
plaint which they had againft him, but they would ne- 
gled no means of defending themfelves if he attacked 
them, full of confidence in the protection which heaven 
would yield to the juftice of their caufe. Not doubting 
that their deftrudion was determined, they made every 
preparation in their power, and refolved to fell their 
lives at a dear rate. The confederate forces were thir¬ 
teen hundred, while thofe of the invaders were reckoned 
at twenty thoufand. Leopold marched on the fide of 
Zug ; and Rodolph Reding of Schwitz, an experienced 
foldier, weakened by age, but whofe wifdom, patriot- 
ifm, and fkill, merited the confidence of-his country¬ 
men, advifed them to feize the heights of Morgarten, 
which commanded the defile by which the enemy was 
to enter their territories. The battle, fo glorious to 
the valiant few, which takes its name from that memo¬ 
rable fpot, is defcribed by Mr. Planta in the following 
animated terms : 
“The 15th of October, of the year 1315, dawned. 
The fun darted its firft rays on the fhields and armour of 
the advancing hoft; their fpears and helmets gliftened 
from afar; and, this being the firft army ever known to 
have attempted the frontiers of the cantons, the Swifs, 
viewed its long protraCted line with various emotions. 
Montfort de Tettnang led the cavalry into the narrow 
pafs, and foon filled the whole fpace between the moun¬ 
tain and tire lake. At this moment fifty exiles on the 
eminence raifed a fudden fhout, and rolled down heaps 
of (topes and fragments' of rocks among the crowded 
ranks. The confederates on the mountain, perceiving 
the impreffion made by this attack, ruflied down full 
fpeed, but in clofe array, and fell upon the flank of the 
difordered column. With maffy clubs they dallied in 
pieces the armour of the enemy ; and with long pikes 
they dealt out blows and thrufts wherever opportunities 
offered. Here fell Rodolphus of Hapfburg Lauffen- 
burg, three barons of Bonftetten, two Hallwyls, three 
Urikons, and four of the houfe of Tockenburg ; two 
Gefslers were likewife found among the flain ; and the 
vindictive Landenberg met his doom from the hands of 
thofe he had long wantonly oppreffedi The confede¬ 
rates loft a Ion or coufin of Walter Furft of Uri, the 
lord of Beroldingen, and the aged baron de l’Hopital, 
whom his fon had in vain endeavoured to dilfuade from 
engaging in the perilous conteft. The narrownels of 
the defile admitted of no evolutions ; and a flight froft 
having- injured the road, the horfes were impeded in all 
their motions: many leaped from this unufual conflict 
into the lake ; all were ftartled ; and at length the 
•whole column gave way, and fell Suddenly back on the 
infantry, which had already advanced into the pafs; 
thefe law the precipitate retreat before they could learn 
its caufe ; and, as the nature of the country did not al¬ 
low them to open their files, they were run over by the 
fugitives, and many of them trampled to death by the 
horfes. A general rout now enfued; the Swifs purified, 
and continued the (laughter; all the auxiliaries from 
Zurich fell on the poft that had been afligned them ; 
and Leopold was, with much difficulty, refcued from 
the carnage by a pcafant, who, knowing the bye-paths 
in the mountains, led him to Winterthur, where the 
hiftorian of the times Taw him arrive ia the evening, 
pale, fullen,. and diimayed. Thus did the confederates, 
In lefs than three hours, withopt much lofs, but by. 
fkilfully availing themfelves of the imprudence of their 
enemy, and by their own timely and vigorous exertions, 
gain at once a complete and decifive victory.” 
In confequence of this event, thp confederates on the 
8th of December, in the fame year, entered into a perpe¬ 
tual alliance. As this fignal victory was gained in the can¬ 
ton of Schwitz, and the men of that diftriCt particularly 
fignalizcd themfelves in the aCtion, the other two can¬ 
tons were from that time joined to it by the common 
E T I A. 
name of Switzers ; which name was extended to all tne 
other cantons and their allies, on their being received 
into the union. The firmnefs and intrepidity with 
which the Switzers conducted themfelves in the reco¬ 
very of their liberties, were equalled.by nothing but the 
moderation with which they behaved to their tyranni¬ 
cal rulers, whom they conducted out of their territo¬ 
ries, and contented, themfelves with exacting an oath 
from them, that they-would never more fet foot in that 
country. 
The freedom which the cities aflerted, and their riling 
profperity and power, roufed the jealoufy of furround¬ 
ing chieftains, united their forces and councils, and im- 
elledthem to hoftile attacks; andHelvetia feems to have 
een at that time what Europe unhappily has been of late. 
Berne had incurred the high difpleafure of the empe¬ 
ror Louis of Bavaria, by refufing to recognize him while 
the papal fentence of excommunication was in force 
againft him ; and nothing lefs than the annihilation of 
this proud city could appeafe his indignation. He was 
tire author of the war which the confederacy of nobles 
waged againft them, and which was> terminated by the 
glorious battle of Laupen, July 21, 1339. This confe¬ 
deracy was headed by the count of Nidau, who had ac¬ 
quired high military renown in Paleftine ; and the counts 
of Neufchatel, of Valengin, of Arberg, of Gruyeres, 
and of Eberhard, with the powerful count of Kyburg, 
all devoted to the emperor, and entertaining irrecon- 
cileable hatred towards Berne, had entered into it; 
while by the fide of the vaffals of thefe haughty chief¬ 
tains, appeared the burghers oFFriburg, the late allies 
of Berne. The Bernefe neither defpifed the danger,, 
nor gave themfelves up to fear. They profefled them¬ 
felves ready to liften to equitable propofitions of peace, 
but intimated that they fhould not relax in their prepa¬ 
rations to repel force by force; and they called on their 
allies, feveral of whom fent them fuccours. The ftate 
of Berne appointed Rodolph of Erlach its commander- 
in-chief. The day of Laupen was highly fatal to the 
power of the nobles; fince the count of Nydau, their 
leader, the count of Valengin, the young count of Sa¬ 
voy, three counts of the houfe of Gruyeres, and a num¬ 
ber of great lords, fell in the field of battle. The whole 
country was covered with arms, with horfes, with the 
dead, and with the wounded ; and the lofs of the nobles 
was eftimated at fifteen hundred horfe and three thou¬ 
fand foot, while that of Berne was very inconfiderable. 
The adion lafted only two hours. Berne, valiant in 
battle, (bowed itfelf not lefs moderate in the terms of 
peace which it offered. The houfe of Neufchatel, 
which had joined the league of nobles againft Berne, 
(nearly related to its head, the count of Nydau, who 
, fell at Laupen,) eleded the commander of the Bernefe 
to be the guardian of the infants of the deceafed count. 
The brave Erlach accepted the truft, and faithfully 
dilcharged it; and thus did thefe children find a pro- 
tedor in the conqueror of their father, while the ftate 
of Berne approved and ratified the arrangement. This 
lingular trait does high honour to all the parties. 
Zurich, Claris, and Zug, had already joined the con¬ 
federacy ; and Berne, fhortly after the memorable bat¬ 
tle of Laupen, threw its weight into the lame fcale, and 
thus extended the union to tight cantons ; which are 
often diftinguiflied as the eight ancient cantons, becaufe 
they remained at this number (or a hundred and twenty- 
five years. It is a miftake’, to regard the Helvetic Con¬ 
federacy at this time as a iyfiem combined with reflec¬ 
tion, with the defign of purluing a certain objed, and 
of acquiring in common an enlargement of territory and 
power. The principal, and almoft the foie, aim of its 
founders was the fecunty of their ancient rights againft 
the enterprifes of princes and nobles. When we (peak 
of independence as the objed at which they aimed, it 
muft, if applied to their efforts at this period, be taken 
in a reftrided fenfe j fince the formation of an indepen- 
