Switzerland the country and its people Author:Clarence Rook Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III THE GROWTH OF THE REPUBLIC The great victory of Morgarten had set the seal on the freedom of those three Forest cantons; but they made only the n... more »ucleus of the Swiss Republic. Nevertheless, the surrounding cities and districts were inspired by the success of these mountaineers and peasants. In the fourteenth century this centre of Europe was, in its political aspect, loosely organised, ruled by all kinds of authorities, nobles, abbots, petty potentates, with the claims of the greater rulers, and more particularly the Habsburgs, hammering at the gates. Yet within six decades from the triumphant success of the three Forest cantons, the Swiss Confederation had grown to comprise eight states. There was no notion at the time of any submission by one state to another ; each preserved its individual life. The central idea was the creation of a body politic strong enough to assert its independence against the encroachments of Austria, and the history of the time is one of bravery and patience. Lucerne was the first to cast in its lot definitelywith the Forest cantons. Placed on the northwestern point of the lake, where the Reuss makes its entrance, it was the general mart of the district. You may still walk across the quaint old covered bridge—the Kapellbriicke—which was built before the victory of Morgarten, and see the pictures suspended from the roof, many of which represent scenes from the life of St. Leger, a patron saint. Some say, indeed, that by one of those mysterious phonetic processes, Lucerne derives its sweet name from St. Leodegar. Others prefer the more obvious derivation suggested by the watch-tower, called the Wasser- thurm, which stands near the end of the bridge. It is said once to have served as a lighthouse to boats, and the Latin " Lucerna " gives a...« less