Ladislas and Matthias, to his side, and
tenderly blessing them, begged his venerable
friend, the patriotic and valiant monk, John
Copistrarn, to bless them too.

The monk did so, holding his hands only a
short time over Ladislas, whilst he offered up
his prayers long and fervently for Matthias,
whose brilliant future, as King of Hungary,
he unveiled with bold prophetic eye to the
dying parent.

John Hunyad committed his sons to the
peculiar care of the king, thinking that they
would find no better or truer protector than
the man for whom he himself had preserved
the throne; but the confiding, honest-hearted
Hunyad could not have placed them in more
unholy hands.

The visible attachment of the people to the
young brothers, in whom they saw all their
father's virtues sustained, awoke a bitter
jealousy in the king, which his wicked
counsellor, the Austrian Count Cilley, continually
increased.

On one occasion, at Belgrade, finding
Ladislas alone in his room, Cilley began a
dispute with him; angry words ensued,
whereat Cilley drew his sword and fell like
an assassin upon the unarmed youth.
Ladisias parried the stroke with his arm,
which was slightly wounded. The youth,
much stronger than his adversary, then seized
and held him with such force that Cilley
could no longer use his weapons. The noise
attracted some of the attendants of the
brothers, who, on perceiving the danger of
their beloved master, killed the count on the
spot.

The king pardoned the innocent Ladislas,
and swore on the Host, in the presence of
their mother the widow of John Hunyad,
never to revenge Cilley's death on either of
the brothers; but his friendship was only
feigned, for he no sooner arrived with his
protégés at Buda, than he ordered their
arrest, proclaiming by heralds the discovery
of a conspiracy against his lite. He then
commanded the immediate execution of
Ladislas to take place before his castle.

The youth of the victim, then in his
twentieth year, together with the popular feeling
of veneration for the family, so excited
the executioner, that he struck thrice with his
sword without effect. After the third stroke
Ladislas had sufficient strength and presence
of mind left to stand up and declare that he
had already endured his punishment; for, by
the laws of the country, even the lowest
criminal, after receiving three unsuccessful
strokes was pronounced free. At the same
time he summoned the perjured king to meet
him before God's tribunal within a year and
a day. As he stepped forwards, he stumbled
over his long robes, a present from the king,
and fell to the ground, when the executioner,
at the command of a courtier, put an end to
his life.

The news of this horrible murder spread
quickly, and the inhabitants of the town, and
soon after the greater part of the country,
rose in arms against the king, who, cowardly
in danger as insolent in prosperity, escaped
from Buda to Vienna, and from thence to
Bohemia, taking the younger Hunyad with
him as prisoner.

In Prague, whilst waiting the arrival of
his bride, death overtook him, and he sank,
at the early age of eighteen, a victim, as the
people said, of remorse for the unholy deed
he had caused to be perpetrated.

The Hungarian nation, out of gratitude to
John Hunyad, unanimously elected Matthias,
then in his fifteenth year, their king, and
never did a nation entrust its welfare to
better hands.

Matthias— himself descended from the
people, whose noblest type he was— had early
acquired by wise lessons, but still more by
sad experience, an unusually acute judgment
and steadfast purpose, adding to the heroism
of his father all the virtues of a wise ruler.
He held the reins of government with a
degree of ability and wisdom, such as history
has seldom been able to record of even her
most distinguished sovereigns.

His love of knowledge and his endeavours
to improve the education of his people won
for him his greatest glory.

Buda became the meeting-place of the
most learned men of that period; the
library then contained fifty thousand volumes
and manuscripts in costly bindings of gold,
silver, and velvet; and whilst the king
protected the extensive boundaries of the realm
with his invincible " Black Legion,"  * making
the Hungarian name abroad both great and
feared, the culture and prosperity of the
people attained a height hitherto unknown;
for by their natural inclination they became
easily habituated to more refined customs and
better mode of life.

Schools were founded in Presburg, Waitzen,
Groswardin, Erlau, Grau, &c., on the plan of
the University at Buda. Thus, whilst in the
rest of Europe only a dim light of knowledge
shone, in Hungary the most glorious era of
Greece and Rome seemed to be returning.

The Magyar, until now only accustomed to
the wild excitement of war, saw with astonishment,
but not with discontent, his beloved
king pass his life in the halls of their love of
liberty, knowing that it kept the spirit of the
nation alive, and thereby he could carry out
great projects.

Living much amongst his subjects he knew
their wants and predilections, and thus could
the better provide for their well-being;
consideration and kindness for them shone in all
his actions.

Whilst travelling through the county of

* The " Black Legion " was a corps of six thousand
regular foot soldiers. Matthias organised them himself,
and kept them in his pay also in time of peace as the élite
of his army. This Legion mustered the bravest men, who,
with their irresistible charge, often decided a victory.
Matthias knew most of them by name.