OF THE EO:IAX EMPIEE 145 who, in tvvo memorable battles, for ever broke the power of the Hungarians.^ The valiant Henrj' was roused from a bed of sickness by the invasion of his countrv* ; but his mind was vigorous and his prudence successful. " My companions/' said he on the morning of the combat, " maintain your ranks, receive on your bucklers the first arrows of the Pagans, and prevent their second discharge by the equal and rapid career of your [Battle of lances." They obeyed, and conquered ; and the historical pic- ture of the castle of Merseburg expressed the features, or at least the character, of Henry, who, in an age of ignorance, en- trusted to the finer arts the perpetuity of his name.*" At the end of twenty j-ears, the children of the Turks who had fallen by his sword invaded the empire of his son ; and their force is defined, in the lowest estimate, at one hundred thousand horse. They were invited by domestic faction; the gates of Germany of otho the were treacherously unlocked ; and they spread, far bej'ond the 955 ' Rhine and the >Ieuse, into the heart of Flanders. But the °^^ vigour and prudence of Otho dispelled the conspiracy ; the princes were made sensible that, unless they were true to each other, their religion and countrv were irrecoverably lost ; and the national powers were rexaewed in the plains of Augsburg. They marched and fought in eight legions,*^ according to the division of provinces and tribes ; the first, second, and third were composed of Bavarians ; the fourth of Franconians ; the fifth of Saxons, under the immediate command of the monarch; the sixth and seventh consisted of Swabians : and the eighth [Battle of the ^ LechXeld]
- They are amply and critically discussed by Katona (Hist. Ducum, p. 360-
368, 427-470). Liutprand (1. ii. c. 8, 9 [=c. 24-31]) is the best evidence for the former, and Witichind (Annal. Saxon. 1. iii. [c. 34-49]) of the latter ; but the criti- cal historian will not even overlook the horn of a warrior, which is said to be preser'ed at Jazberin.
- 'Hunc vero triumphum, tam laude quam memoria dignum, ad Meresburgum
rex in sup>eriori coenaculo domus per Cwypa-itac, id est. picturam. notari [le^. notare] praecepit, adeo ut rem veram potius quam verisimilem videas : an high encomium (Liutprand, 1. ii. c. 9 [= c. 31]). Another palace in Germany had been painted with holy subjects by the order of Charlemagne ; and Muratori may justly affirm , nulla saecula fuere in quibus pictores desiderati fuerint (Antiquitat. Ital. medii ^vi, torn. ii. dissert, xxiv. p. 360, 361). Our domestic claims to antiquity of ignorance and original imperfection (Mr. Walpole's lively words) are of a much more recent date (Anecdotes of Painting, vol. i. p. 2, &c. ). [This Nnctory is commonly called the battle of Merseburg ; but it was fought at Riada (according to Widukind, i. 38, who in such a matter is the best authority), and Riada probably corresponds to Rietheburg, where the streams of the Unstrut and Helme meet. The event should be called the battle of Riada. The Italian Liutprand who names Merseburg is not such a good witness as the Saxon historian. ]
- [Giesebrecht has made it probable that by legion Widukind (iii. 44) meant a
- ompany of 1000 men. Gesch. der deutschen Ka'serzeit,. i. p. 831.]
VOL. VI. 10
