RELIGION.-In eight of the cantons the Roman Catholic religion is established; in seven, the Protestant; and in the remaining seven, both these forms of religion exist together.

LANGUAGE.-The Swiss speak French German, or Italian, as they border on those several countries.

Switzerland is the most elevated and tl e most mountainous country in Europe, and has long been celebrated for the diversity, beauty, and sublimity of its scenery. Its lofty mountains, covered with eternal snow, and its glaciers or seas of ice, contrast beautifully with its fertile valleys, its picturesque lakes, and its crystal streams. See page 129.

HISTORICAL SKETCH

The inhabitants of ancient Switzerland were of Celtic origin. They were called Helvetii by the Romans; and the country was subsequently called Helvetia. The present name of the country is derived from tl e Canton of Schweitz, which was the most distinguished in the revolu tion of 1307. The Helvetii were subjugated by Julius Cæsar in the year 60 B.C.; and they so continued till the dissolution of the Roman empire, when the Burgundians and the Germans became masters of the country.

During the middle ages, Switzerland, like most parts in Europe, consisted of a number of small, but independent states, which only nominally acknowledged a superior. From an early period the Counts of Hapsburg, who originally possessed a small territory in the Canton of Berne, began to acquire power and influence in Switzerland; and when Rodolph, the head of the house, was elected Emperor of Germany, in 1273, the greater part of the country owed him allegiance. The encroachments of his son Albert, and the tyranny of Gesler, the Austrian governor, drove the people into rebellion. The mountain Cantons of Schweitz, Uri, and Unterwalden, were the first to take up arms against the Austrians; and having totally defeated them in the famous battle of Morgarten, they formed a permanent alliance, which was the foundation of the Helvetic Confederation, or the Republic of Switzerland. Lucerne, Zurich, Glarus, Zug, and Berne joined the Confederation between 1332 and 1353; Aargau was taken from Austria in 1415; St. Gall, Thurgau, Friburg, Soleure were admitted between 1451 and 1481; the Grisons in 1497; Basle and Schaffhausen in 1501; and Appenzell in 1513. Shortly after Tessin was taken from the Milanese, and Vaud from Savoy.

In 1798 Switzerland was overrun by the armies of France, to which it was subjected under the name of the Helvetic Republic; but after the fall of Napoleon it regained its independence; and its ancient form of government was re-established under the sanction of the Congress of Vienna. On this occasion, too, the number of its cantons was increased to 22, by erecting what were formerly subject and allied districts into canions.

GREECE.

GREECE is bounded on the north by the Turkish provinces of Albania and Thessaly; on the west and south by the Mediterranean; and on the east by the Archipelago.

Its length from north to south is about 200 miles and its breadth from east to west is about 160. Its AREA, including the islands, is about 19,941 square miles; and its POPULATION (1879), 1,980,000.

Greece comprises three great divisions, namely, Hellas, or Continental Greece, called also Livadia; the peninsula of the Moiea, and Euboea or Negropont, and the other islands.

The whole country is divided into 13 nomarchies,a and subdivided into 59 eparchies.a Five of the nomarchies are in the Morea, three in Hellas, and five are made up of the islands.

CHIEF TOWNS.-Athens (63,000), the capital, is a mean town, but interesting from its ancient name and splendour. It still contains many relics of its former magnificence. Nauplia (or Napoli di Ro mania), the late capital, is the best-built town in Greece, with a fine harbour and a fortress; population, 10,000. Tripolitza (10,000) was the residence of the Turkish Pacha, and the capital of the Morea. The Turks razed it to the ground, but it has been partly rebuilt. Syra (21,000), on the island of the same name, has an excellent harbour and a flourishing trade. It is the principal station for steamers to and from Constantinople. Hydra (6,000), on the island of the same name, is also an important town, with a large trade. The Hydriot sailors are noted for their skill and intrepidity. Patras (25,000) is noted for

a A Nomarchy (nomos, law, and archē, a magistracy) is a province governed by an officer called a Nomarch; an Eparchy (ěpi, over, and arche, a magistracy) is a district ruled by an Eparch.

its commercial activity. where Lord Byron died. Sparta.

Missolonghi (6,000) is memorable as the place
Mistra (2,000) is near the site of the ancient

SEAPORTS.-The principal seaports are Athens (the Piræus), Patras, Nauplia, Syra, Kalamata, and Navarino.

ISLANDS. The largest island is Negropont or Euboea. The smaller islands are Kuluri (Salamis), Ægina, Hydra, Spezzia, Andro, Tino, Mikoni, Syra, Zea, Thermia, Serfo, Sifanto, Milo, Paros, Antiparos, Naxos or Naxia, Santorin, Delos, and the

IONIAN ISLANDS.

The Ionian Islands, on the west coast of Greece, formerly a republic under the protection of the British crown, were voluntarily relinquished to Greece in 1864.

These islands are Corfu, Paxo, Santa Maura, Ithaca, Cephalonia, Zante, and Cerigo.

CHIEF TOWNS.-Corfu (16,500) is the capital, but Zante (17,000), on the island of the same name, is the largest town of this group.

The EXTENT of these seven islands in square miles is about 1,000, and the POPULATION is about 230,000.

The Inhabitants are a mixture of Greeks and Italians. They are ingenious and active; and export considerable quantities of wine, oil, oranges, lemons, and dried fruit.

Earthquakes occur frequently in these islands, and oftener in Zante than any of the others.

GULFS.-Patras, Corinth, Lepanto, Ægina, Nauplia, &c. CAPES.-Colonna, Matapan, Malea or St. Angelo, &c. MOUNTAINS.-Parnassus and Helicon, in Livadia; Taygetus or the Mountains of Maina, in the Morea. See page 134.

SURFACE AND SOIL.-The surface of the country is beautifully diversified with mountains, valleys, and plains. The soil is, for the most part, very fertile; and the CLIMATE is, in general, mild, delightful, and healthful, except in the low and marshy tracts round the shores and lakes

The monarchy established in Greece is under the protection of England, France, and Russia.

The national religion is the Greek Church, so called from having been established by the Greek emperors, the successors of Constantine the Great.

HISTORICAL SKETCH.

The first inhabitants of Greece were the Pelasgi, Lelèges, and other barbarous tribes who originally migrated from Asia through Thrace and Thessaly.

Thus

In process of time they formed themselves into a number of states, governed by kings or princes called tyranni. The continued stream of migration from the East contributed to civilize them. Cecrops at the head of an Egyptian colony, settled in Attica; Danaus, another Egyptian, from whom the Greeks were called Danai in Argos;

Cadmus, the Phoenician, who introduced alphabetic writing into Greece, in Boeotia; and Pelops, a Phrygian prince, in Peloponnesus,a to which he gave his name.

The most ancient kingdoms of Greece were Sicyon and Argos. The former is said to have been founded by Egialeus, 2089 years before the Christian era; and the latter by Inachus in the year 1856 B.C.

CECROPS became king of Attica in the year 1556 B.C. He divided the country into twelve districts, and instituted the celebrated court of justice called the Areopagus, which we find in existence in the time of St. Paul. AMPHICTYON, the third king of Attica, established the Amphictyonic council, which consisted of deputies from the different states of Greece, who met twice a year to consult for the common interest. This council had a great effect in uniting the Greeks, and in inspiring them with a feeling in favour of their common country, of which they gave glorious proofs during the Persian invasions.

THESEUS, a succeeding king of Attica, united the twelve districts of Cecrops into one, making Athens the capital. This was about 1234 years before the Christian era; and about thirty years previous to this, was the famous Argonautic expedition under Jason, Theseus, Hercules, and other Grecian heroes. The account of this expedition is largely blended with fable. It was said to have been in search of a celebrated fleece of gold; but commercial enterprise or predatory warfare seems to have been its real object.

CODRUS, who devoted himself to death for his country, was the last king of Athens (B.c. 1070). After him the regal dignity was abolished, and a chief magistrate elected under the name of Archon or ruler. At first, his authority was for life; afterwards for ten, and subsequently for one year. At last, nine Archons were chosen, the chief of whom was called the Archon, and the current year was called by his name.

The kingdom of Thebes was founded by CADMUS from Phoenicia, who built that city, and introduced alphabetic writing into Greece (B.C. 1493).

The war against Thebes was the first instance of a league among the Grecian states. The cause of it was a contest between Polynices and Eteŏcles, the sons of Ædipus, for the throne of Thebes. The brothers killed each other, and most of the confederate chiefs were slain, but their sons, the Epigoni,b as they were called, renewed the war ten years after, which terminated in the capture of Thebes. The misfortunes of the family of Ædipus are the subject of several Greek tragedies.

Shortly after this the famous expedition against Troy was undertaken by the princes of Greece under Agamemnon. The siege of Troy, which lasted ten years, rests chiefly on the authority of the poet Homer, who has celebrated the event in his well-known poem the Iliad, so called because the subject of it is the destruction of Ilium or Troy (B.c. 1184).

Before this time the Greeks had begun to send colonies to Asia

a Peloponnesus, that is, the island of Pelops. Its original name was Apia; and it is now called the Morea.

b Epigoni, that is, sons or descendants.

Minor, Italy, and Sicily. The Eolians founded Smyrna and other cities in Eolia to which they gave their name; the Ionians, Ephesus, &c., in Ionia, and the Dorians, Tarentum and Locri in Italy, and Syracuse and Agrigentum in Sicily.

The states of Greece were united by language, religion, and a feeling in favour of their common country. This union was produced principally by the Amphictyonic council, and the celebration of the various games to which they all resorted, and during which all hostilities were suspended. These were the Olympic, the Isthmian, the Pythian, and the Nemean games. The union of the Grecian states, however, was rather against the invaders of their common country. Amongst themselves there were often bitter jealousies and deadly wars. SPARTA, or LACEDÆMON, was the first state which obtained an ascendancy over the others. The military superiority of this state was owing to the effects produced by the celebrated laws of Lycurgus which continued in force for about five hundred years.

In imitation of the Spartans, the inhabitants of ATHENS solicited Draco, a man of high character for wisdom and integrity, to draw up a code of laws for them. The laws of Draco punished all crimes equally with death; and hence they were said to have been written with blood. Their excessive severity soon caused them to be abolished; and SOLON, one of the seven wise men of Greece, was chosen as their legislator. The laws of Solon, which remained in force as long as Athens continued a free state, had a great effect in forming the character of its inhabitants. The Athenians were distinguished from all the other inhabitants of Greece by their love of literature and their cultivation of the fine arts, which they brought to the highest state of perfection. Under Pelopidas and Epaminondas THEBES became the leading and most powerful state of Greece. But as its glory had arisen with those brave and illustrious leaders, so it declined on their death.

After the death of Epaminondas (B.C. 363) MACEDONIA, which had been regarded by the Greeks rather as a barbarous province than as a part of Greece, acquired great power and pre-eminence under Philip an artful, but able prince, and his celebrated son, Alexander the Great, who, at the age of twenty-five, left his native country with an army of 35,000 men for the conquest of the world. On the fall of Corinth (B.C. 146), Greece was formed into a Roman province under the name of Achai.

It would be tedious to trace the history of Greece through the cen turies of servitude and disgrace that preceded the acknowledgment of its independence by Turkey in 1829. Stirred by the appeals of Lord Byron and others, their ancient spirit revived in 1821 in the modern Greeks, and they determined to be frec. A desultory but desperate struggle was commenced, and in 1827 the destruction of the Turkish and Egyptian fleets, at Navarino, by the English, French, and Russians, broke the power of the Porte, and led to the acknowledgment of Grecian independence in 1829. Otho I., a younger son of the King of Bavaria, accepted the crown in 1832, and continued to wear it until the revolution of 1862, when he was deposed.

On the 18th of March, 1863, the National Assembly offered the crown to the second son of Christian IX. King of Denmark, who accepted it and assumed the title of George I., King of the Hellenes.