The Burgundian part of Helvetia became converted to Christianity soon after the establishment of the Burgundian kingdom, towards the end of the 5th century. The Alemanni of Eastern Helvetia remained much longer in the rude heathenism of their Teutonic ancestors. Towards the beginning of the 7th century, the Irish monk Colum banus, and his disciples, preached the Gospel to the Alemanni of Helvetia, and as they made pro"ess among them they broke the images of their god Wodan, and chapels in various parts of the country. This was the origin of the afterwards celebrated churches and abbeys of St-Gall, Disentis, Seckingen, Glarus or St.-Hilaritus, St. Leodegav of Luzern, and the Munster of ZUrich. The monks taught also the rude natives to cultivate the soil, to sow corn, to plant the vine, and other useful arts.
Under the successors of Charlemagne, the feudal system was estab lished in Helvetia. The counts or governors however soon made them selves hereditary ; they became au zeraina of their respective districts, of which they were before only magistrates; they took possession of the crown lands, and received the fees of the crown tenants, who became vassals of the local lord. The abbeys and monasteries likewise had their own vassals, many of whom, being originally small proprietors of ellodial property, preferred placing themselves under the protection of the church.
When the Frankish empire became divided among the successors of Louis le in 840, German or Eastern Helvetia fell to the share of Louis of Bavaria, and continued afterwards attached to the duchy of Suabia. Burgundian Helvetia fell to the lot of Lotharius, who had the title of emperor and king of Italy.
The chief events in the history of Switzerland may be conveniently given in the form of n chronological table : 880. Rudolf, count of Transjurano Burgundy, was proclaimed by the bishops and lay lords of his government, assembled at St-Maurice, in the Valais, King of Upper Burgundy. This new kingdom of Bur gundy lasted till 1016, when Rudolf !IL, having no malo issue, made over his kingdom to the emperor Henry IL 1097. Berthold of Zahrineen, a great Suabian lord, is made by the emperor Henry IV., • kastvcgt; or warden, of the town and district of Ziineh, and afterwards his son Conrad of Zahringen is made landgraf of Burgundy.
1152. Frederick of Hohenstauffen appoints Berthold IV. of Zithrin gen imperial warden of the bishoprics of Lausanne, Geneva, and Sion.
1178. Berthold IV. of Zehringsm builds Freyburg.
1191. Berthold V. incloses the town of Bern.
1218. Frederick II. gives imperial charter' to the towns of Bern, Soleure, Basel, and Schaffhausen.
1264. Rudolf of Habsburg, by various inheritances, becomes one of the most powerful lords in Helvetia.
1273. Rudolf is elected emperor. He favours the independence of the towns.
1291. Death of Rudolf. His son Albert, desiring to annex the free towns and their territories to his patrimonial estates, attacks Bern and Zurich, but is repulsed.
1300. The three forest cantons, Schwyz, -Uri, and Unterwalden, which had been for ogee free communities under the protection of the empire, refuse to acknowledge Albert as their duke.
1307. Werner Stauffacher of Schwyz, Walter Furst of Uri, and Arnold von Melchthal in Untervralden, conspire to free their country from the tyranny of Gassier. William Tell kills Gensler.
1308. The insurrection of the Waldstiitter, or Forest Cantons. Albert's officers are driven away, and their castles razed. Albert, whilst preparing to march against the Waldstatter, is murdered by his nephew, John of Habsburg.
1315. Leopold, son of Albert, defeated at Morgarten by the people of the Waldstatter, who begin to be called by the general name of the Schwyzers. Federal pact of Brunuen, among the three Waldstfitter.
1332. Luzern joins the confederation of the Waldstitter as the fourth canton.
1351. Zurich and Glarus join the confederation, and the Enrichers defeat Duke Albert of Austria.
1352. Zug and Bern join the confederation as the seventh and eighth cantons. A federal Diet is appointed.
1386. Leopold II. of Austria marches an army against Luzern, and is defeated and killed at Sempach, on the 9th of July.
1388. The Austriana invade Glarus, and are defeated at IsTafels. 1389. Truce of twenty years between Austria and the Swiss.
1415. The Swiss cantons invade the Aargau, which they divide among themselves. Origin of the subject bailiwicks.
1418-22. The people of the Waldstiitter invade the Val Levantine and other valleys south of the Alps, which they constitute subject bailiwicks.
1422. The Valais becomes an independent state allied to the Swiss cantons.
1424. The Graubund ('Gray league') formed at Trons gives its name to the whole of Rhtetia.
1436. Death of the last count of Toggenburg. Civil war between Ziirich and the other cantons.