MATTHIAS I., CORVI'NUS (1443-90). King of Hungary from 1458 to 1490. lie was the second son of Janos Hunyady (q.v.), and was sleeted King of Hungary in 143$, in spite of the opposition of some of the great nobhis, who offered the crown to the Emperor Frederick 111. The boy King fought successfully against the Emperor, who sold his claims to the crown in 1463. Matthias had in the meantime to contend against the Turks, at that time under the rule of Sultan :Mohammed 11. In a war of several years' duration the Hungarian arms asserted themselves successfully against the forces of the conqueror of Constantinople. After some hostili ties with Stephen, Waywode of Moldavia, Mat thias engaged (1468) in a war against his father in-law, George Podiebrad, King of Bohemia, which occupied him for some years, and was followed by a war with Poland. after which he again turned his arms with success against the Turks. Matthias reached the height of his power when in 1485, in a war with the Emperor Freder ick Ill., he made himself master of Vienna. the
Hapsburg capital. There he died five years later. Matthias Co•vinus was a great patron of arts and letters, and adorned his capital with the works of renowned sculptors, in addition to a library said to contain 50,000 volumes. He sent a large staff of literary men to Italy for the purpose of obtain ing copies of valuable manuscripts. Ile also adorned his Court by the presence of the most eminent men of Italy and Germany. and himself was an author of no mean ability. At the same time the affairs of the Government were not neg lected. The finances were brought into a flour ishing condition, industry and commerce were promoted by wise legislation, the army was reor ganized, and justice was strictly administered. Consult Fischer, Itdnig Mathias Corvinus and seine Bibliothel,7 (Leipzig, 1878).