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[Illustration: ANCIENT SWISS LAKE DWELLINGS, ZURICH LAKE. (_From Design
by Dr. F. Keller._)]




The Story of the Nations

THE STORY OF SWITZERLAND

BY

LINA HUG

AND

RICHARD STEAD

NEW YORK
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
London: T. FISHER UNWIN
1890

COPYRIGHT, 1890
BY
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS

_Entered at Stationer's Hall, London_
BY T. FISHER UNWIN

Press of
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
New York


THE STORY OF THE NATIONS

12MO, ILLUSTRATED. PER VOL., $1.50

THE EARLIER VOLUMES ARE

THE STORY OF GREECE. By Prof. JAS. A. HARRISON
THE STORY OF ROME. By ARTHUR GILMAN
THE STORY OF THE JEWS. By Prof. JAS. K. HOSMER
THE STORY OF CHALDEA. By Z. A. RAGOZIN
THE STORY OF GERMANY. By S. BARING-GOULD
THE STORY OF NORWAY. By Prof. H. H. BOYESEN
THE STORY OF SPAIN. By E. E. and SUSAN HALE
THE STORY OF HUNGARY. By Prof. A. VAMBERY
THE STORY OF CARTHAGE. By Prof. ALFRED J. CHURCH
THE STORY OF THE SARACENS. By ARTHUR GILMAN
THE STORY OF THE MOORS IN SPAIN. By STANLEY LANE-POOLE
THE STORY OF THE NORMANS. By SARAH O. JEWETT
THE STORY OF PERSIA. By S. G. W. BENJAMIN
THE STORY OF ANCIENT EGYPT. By GEO. RAWLINSON
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER'S EMPIRE. By Prof. J. P. MAHAFFY
THE STORY OF ASSYRIA. By Z. A. RAGOZIN
THE STORY OF IRELAND. By Hon. EMILY LAWLESS
THE STORY OF THE GOTHS. By HENRY BRADLEY
THE STORY OF TURKEY. BY STANLEY LANE-POOLE
THE STORY OF MEDIA, BABYLON, AND PERSIA. BY Z. A. RAGOZIN
THE STORY OF MEDIAEVAL FRANCE. By GUSTAVE MASSON
THE STORY OF MEXICO. By SUSAN HALE
THE STORY OF HOLLAND. By JAMES E. THOROLD ROGERS
THE STORY OF PHOENICIA. By GEORGE RAWLINSON
THE STORY OF THE HANSA TOWNS. By HELEN ZIMMERN
THE STORY OF EARLY BRITAIN. By Prof. ALFRED J. CHURCH
THE STORY OF THE BARBARY CORSAIRS. By STANLEY LANE-POOLE
THE STORY OF RUSSIA. By W. R. MORFILL.
THE STORY OF THE JEWS UNDER ROME. By W. D. MORRISON.
THE STORY OF SCOTLAND. By JAMES MACKINTOSH.

For prospectus of the series see end of this volume

G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS, NEW YORK AND LONDON

RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED
TO
PROFESSOR GEORG VON WYSS
AND
PROFESSOR G. MEYER VON KNONAU




PREFACE.


For many reasons, some of which are obvious to the least thoughtful, the
history of Switzerland is peculiarly interesting, and not least so to
English-speaking peoples. In the first place, the "playground of Europe"
is every year visited by large numbers of British and Americans, some of
whom indeed are familiar with almost every corner of it. Then to the
Anglo-Saxon race the grand spectacle of a handful of freemen nobly
struggling for and maintaining their freedom, often amidst enormous
difficulties, and against appalling odds, cannot but be heart-stirring.
To the citizen of the great American republic a study of the
constitution of the little European republic should bring both interest
and profit--a constitution resembling in many points that of his own
country, and yet in many other respects so different. And few readers,
of whatever nationality, can, we think, peruse this story without a
feeling of admiration for a gallant people who have fought against
oppression as the Swiss have fought, who have loved freedom as they
have loved it, and who have performed the well-nigh incredible feats of
arms the Switzers have performed. And as Sir Francis O. Adams and Mr.
Cunningham well point out in their recently published work on the Swiss
Confederation, as a study in constitutional history, the value of the
story of the development of the Confederation can hardly be
over-estimated.

Few of the existing accounts of Swiss history which have appeared in the
English language go back beyond the year 1291 A.D., the date of the
earliest Swiss League, and of course Switzerland as a nation cannot
boast