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although it never learned anything； never forgot anything。
The recollection of that morning in the town of Hamm； when
news had reached him of the decapitation of his brother；
remained a constant warning of what might happen to those
kings who did not read the signs of the times aright。 Charles；
on the other hand； who had managed to run up private debts of
fifty million francs before he was twenty years of age； knew
nothing； remembered nothing and firmly intended to learn
nothing。 As soon as he had succeeded his brother； he established
a government ‘‘by priests； through priests and for
priests；'' and while the Duke of Wellington； who made this remark；
cannot be called a violent liberal； Charles ruled in such
a way that he disgusted even that trusted friend of law and
order。 When he tried to suppress the newspapers which dared
to criticise his government； and dismissed the Parliament because
it supported the Press； his days were numbered。
On the night of the 27th of July of the year 1830； a revolution
took place in Paris。 On the 30th of the same month； the
king fled to the coast and set sail for England。 In this way
the ‘‘famous farce of fifteen years'' came to an end and the
Bourbons were at last removed from the throne of France。
They were too hopelessly incompetent。 France then might
have returned to a Republican form of government； but such
a step would not have been tolerated by Metternich。
The situation was dangerous enough。 The spark of rebellion
had leaped beyond the French frontier and had set fire to
another powder house filled with national grievances。 The new
kingdom of the Netherlands had not been a success。 The Belgian
and the Dutch people had nothing in common and their
king； William of Orange （the descendant of an uncle of William
the Silent）； while a hard worker and a good business man；
was too much lacking in tact and pliability to keep the peace
among his uncongenial subjects。 Besides； the horde of priests
which had descended upon France； had at once found its way
into Belgium and whatever Protestant William tried to do was
howled down by large crowds of excited citizens as a fresh attempt
upon the ‘‘freedom of the Catholic church。'' On the 25th
of August there was a popular outbreak against the Dutch
authorities in Brussels。 Two months later； the Belgians
declared themselves independent and elected Leopold of Coburg；
the uncle of Queen Victoria of England； to the throne。
That was an excellent solution of the difficulty。 The two
countries； which never ought to have been united； parted their
ways and thereafter lived in peace and harmony and behaved
like decent neighbours。
News in those days when there were only a few short railroads；
travelled slowly； but when the success of the French
and the Belgian revolutionists became known in Poland there
was an immediate clash between the Poles and their Russian
rulers which led to a year of terrible warfare and ended with a
complete victory for the Russians who ‘‘established order along
the banks of the Vistula'' in the well…known Russian fashion
Nicholas the first； who had succeeded his brother Alexander in
1825； firmly believed in the Divine Right of his own family；
and the thousands of Polish refugees who had found shelter
in western Europe bore witness to the fact that the principles
of the Holy Alliance were still more than a hollow phrase in
Holy Russia。
In Italy too there was a moment of unrest。 Marie Louise
Duchess of Parma and wife of the former Emperor Napoleon；
whom she had deserted after the defeat of Waterloo； was
driven away from her country； and in the Papal state the
exasperated people tried to establish an independent Republic。
But the armies of Austria marched to Rome and soon every
thing was as of old。 Metternich continued to reside at the Ball
Platz； the home of the foreign minister of the Habsburg
dynasty； the police spies returned to their job； and peace
reigned supreme。 Eighteen more years were to pass before a
second and more successful attempt could be made to deliver
Europe from the terrible inheritance of the Vienna Congress。
Again it was France； the revolutionary weather…cock of
Europe； which gave the signal of revolt。 Charles X had been
succeeded by Louis Philippe； the son of that famous Duke of
Orleans who had turned Jacobin； had voted for the death of his
cousin the king； and had played a role during the early days
of the revolution under the name of ‘‘Philippe Egalite'' or
‘‘Equality Philip。'' Eventually he had been killed when
Robespierre tried to purge the nation of all ‘‘traitors；'' （by
which name he indicated those people who did not share his own
views） and his son had been forced to run away from the
revolutionary army。 Young Louis Philippe thereupon had
wandered far and wide。 He had taught school in Switzerland
and had spent a couple of years exploring the unknown ‘‘far
west'' of America。 After the fall of Napoleon he had returned
to Paris。 He was much more intelligent than his Bourbon
cousins。 He was a simple man who went about in the public
parks with a red cotton umbrella under his arm； followed by a
brood of children like any good housefather。 But France had
outgrown the king business and Louis did not know this until
the morning of the 24th of February； of the year 1848； when
a crowd stormed the Tuilleries and drove his Majesty away and
proclaimed the Republic。
When the news of this event reached Vienna； Metternich
expressed the casual opinion that this was only a repetition
of the year 1793 and that the Allies would once more be obliged
to march upon Paris and make an end to this very unseemly
democratic row。 But two weeks later his own Austrian capital
was in open revolt。 Metternich escaped from the mob through
the back door of his palace； and the Emperor Ferdinand was
forced to give his subjects a constitution which embodied most
of the revolutionary principles which his Prime Minister had
tried to suppress for the last thirty…three years。
This time all Europe felt the shock。 Hungary declared itself
independent； and commenced a war against the Habsburgs
under the leadership of Louis Kossuth。 The unequal
struggle lasted more than a year。 It was finally suppressed by
the armies of Tsar Nicholas who marched across the Carpathian
mountains and made Hungary once more safe for autocracy。
The Habsburgs thereupon established extraordinary
court…martials and hanged the greater part of the Hungarian
patriots whom they had not been able to defeat in open battle。
As for Italy； the island of Sicily declared itself independent
from Naples and drove its Bourbon king away。 In the Papal
states the prime minister； Rossi； was murdered and the Pope
was forced to flee。 He returned the next year at the head of a
French army which remained in Rome to protect His Holiness
against his subjects until the year 1870。 Then it was
called back to defend France against the Prussia