Stephen Sisa : The Spirit of Hungary

From his death bed, János Hunyadi gave his two sons, László and Mátyás, this warning: "The two of you should never be present at the Royal Court at the same time."

The dying hero had good reason for his warning. As a father, he was anxious to protect his sons from the virulent hatred of King László V's court toward the Hunyadi family.

László V and his entourage stayed completely aloof from the deep national mourning which followed János Hunyadi's death. while the people mourned, the King's inner circle began plotting to break up the Hunyadi power in a way so intriguing and shocking that, in later centuries, it would inspire works by poets, writers, painters and even operatic composers.

In the real-life drama that followed Hunyadi's death, the following characters played leading roles:

King László V, the handsome seventeen year-old grandson of King Sigismund who, owing to his youth, was under the guardianship of the Austrian Emperor Frederick III. László was a charming young man, but his winning ways were often cover for deception.

Count Cillei, the boy-king's Austrian tutor and chief advisor whose influence led László into a life of ease and pleasure-seeking for the purpose of gaining dominance over him in state affairs.

László Hunyadi, the intelligent elder son of János Hunyadi, who at twenty-three was a man of action rather than a deep thinker. Soldiering was the only way of life he understood. His belief that his father was King Sigismund's natural son, making him as legitimate an heir to the throne as László, fanned his own secret ambitions to become king. For the time being, he was Captain General of Hungary.

Mátyás Hunyadi, seven years younger than his brother László, who at sixteen was already László's match in physical prowess. He would develop military skills that would later make him unbeatable in knightly contests. Mátyás was also an intellectual, trained by Bishop János Vitéz, one of the most erudite minds in Europe. With an early interest in history and foreign languages, Mátyás was barely twelve when he assisted his father in interpreting and writing confidential documents. From a young age he dreamed of taking his place among the greats of history - Alexander, Attila, Hannibal, Julius Ceasar, and his own father - but he recognized that the time when he might sit on Hungary's throne was still distant. Among his personal traits was shrewdness, an attribute which would help him throughout his life.

At the time the drama began to unfold, Mátyás was being held in Buda under the terms of a reconciliation agreement between his late father and Count Cillei, in which they betrothed their children, Mátyás and Elizabeth, and then exchanged them as "hostages" to secure peace. Elizabeth was only ten years old at the time. In Buda, Mátyás was under few restraints, but he preferred solitude and walking incognito through the streets to the partying at the Royal Court, where his official position was chamberlain.

Mihály Szilágyi, the uncle of the Hunyadi children through his sister Erzsébet, their mother. A man of steel on the battlefield against the Turks, his rough appearance and manners made him unsuitable for court life. He shared the lower nobility's dislike for the upper classes, blaming them for subordinating the nation's interests to their own.

Erzsébet Szilágyi, the Hunyadi family matriarch, a woman as tough as seasoned leather, both physically and mentally. Where Mihály was prone to emotional outbursts, she suppressed her feelings to the point of apparent insensitivity. It was she who supervised her sons education and encouraged them to seek the highest positions. She also supervised the vast Hunyadi estates, with the splendid Vajdahunyadvár as headquarters.

The Drama Unfolds: Act One

One of King László's first deeds, in an attempt to break up the Hunyadi influence, was to issue a decree replacing László Hunyadi with Count Cillei as Captain General of Hungary. Shortly thereafter, a royal party including Cillei and 4,000 troops set off from Buda to Nándorfehérvár, the military headquarters of László Hunyadi and Mihály Szilágyi, with the intention of taking over this key fortress as a

prelude to obtaining control over all the other strongholds in Hunyadi possession. (Cillei's daughter and Mátyás' bride, Elizabeth, had died of an illness at Vajdahunyad castle at the age of 11, rendering the reconciliation between Cillei and the Hunyadis immaterial.)

László Hunyadi and Mihály Szilágyi ordered the fortress opened to receive the King and his entourage, which included the chamberlain Mátyás. After they had entered - but before the 4,000 troops could also march into the city - the drawbridge was lifted.

With their troops locked out, the royal party felt trapped. Cillei became very agitated, but his protests were to no avail. The King appeared unconcerned.

Act Two

The next day, while the King was attending Mass, Count Cillei was summoned to the Council room. Mihály Szilágyi waited with his cohorts in an adjoining room.

László and Cillei realized that the moment for the final showdown had arrived. Loud arguments between the two broke out immediately. László accused Cillei of undermining his father's honor by unfounded accusations of mismanagement of the Treasury, of inciting the King against the Hunyadis, and of interfering as a foreigner in Hungary's affairs. Lastly, László produced a freshly intercepted letter from Cillei to the Serbian King in which Cillei implied that his men would kill the Hunyadi brothers at Nándorfehérvár.

The showdown, which had begun with words, was ending with the sword. As a duel between the two men ensued, Szilágyi and his men rushed into the room, each eager to run his sword through "the most wicked man" in the country. This was the end of Cillei.

The King's reaction was surprising. When László Hunyadi brought him news of his uncle's death, the young monarch, after momentary shock, quickly regained his composure. He declared that his uncle's death could be considered the dispensation of God and that he, the King, was willing to forgive those who had killed Cillei. As a sign of his forgiveness, king László graciously accepted László's invitation to visit his family at Temesvár.

Act Three

A few weeks later, the King did indeed arrive at the beautiful Hunyadi castle at Temesvár, where he and his entourage were received with great pomp. His hosts, however, still were mourning in memory of János Hunyadi.

The King ordered the mourning to be suspended, because "the great Hunyadi is now in Heaven in the company of angels with eternal light shining upon him. This is not a cause for mourning, but rejoicing." And rejoice they did. Days of revelry followed, during which the King captivated everyone with his charm - everyone except Hunyadi's widow. Erzsébet Szilágyi finally revealed that she wanted assurance that he would not take revenge on her sons for the death of Cillei. To dispel her fears, the king promised to re-appoint László Captain General, with the additional title "Master of the Horse." He also promised, at the widow's insistence, to take a solemn oath to never undertake action against the Hunyadis.

King László V took the oath in the presence of the Hunyadi family and the chief lords of Hungary during a Mass celebrated in the castle's chapel on November 23, 1456. The date is important here because exactly a year later a dramatic event would occur.

In addition to vowing to forgive and forget, the King also adopted Hunyadi's widow as his own mother, and László and Mátyás as his own brothers.

But just before his departure the King ordered László to return with him to Buda as his Captain General and Master of the Horse. Mátyás, already in the King's entourage, would have to go back to Buda with him as well.

"I won't let you go, Matykó!" exclaimed Mátyás' mother, her maternal instincts alert. "Remember what your father said on his deathbed! The two of you must never be present at Court at the same time!"

And, with the King's permission, Mátyás stayed home - for a while.

Act Four

A letter from László changed the situation. He called his brother to Buda to help him prepare for an important tournament. After initial protests and despite her premonition, mother allowed Mátyás to go.

When he arrived at Buda to join László's staff, Mátyás found the mood at the Court heavy with tension. The Hunyadis' old enemies still had the King's ear, and rumors circulated that something sinister was in the making. One day László surprised Mátyás with the news that he had been compelled to resign his post as Captain General. Both decided to stay alert and wear their shirts of mail day and night.

Their precautions turned out to be too little, too late.

The following night, an armored party broke into Mátyás' room and took him prisoner. As he was being led to the dungeon with his right hand and foot

chained together he saw that László and other friends of the Hunyadis were already behind bars.

After a short formal hearing the next day, a kangaroo court, composed of the Hunyadis enemies, found all of them guilty of conspiracy against the King and sentenced them to death.

Their father's warning must have haunted his sons during these dark hours.

Act Five

The beheading of László Hunyadi was set for six the next evening in Saint George's Square. When it came time for the execution - in the King's presence - the headsman was so upset that his first blow missed its mark. The second blow was cushioned by the thick, blond hair that reached László's shoulders and did little harm. The third blow finally struck, but not fatally. László stood up and broke into a run, protesting his God-proven innocence. The King, ignoring the time-honored practice that after three unsuccessful attempts by the executioner the condemned should be set free, signaled the headsman to finish the job.

Perhaps out of guilt, king László V commuted Mátyás' death sentence to imprisonment. Meanwhile Mátyás' friends in death row managed to escape from their cells with outside help.

Epilogue

When it became known that László Hunyadi had been executed, a rebellion broke out, led by Mihály Szilágyi. General indignation was so strong that the King thought it wise to leave the country. He established his Court first in Vienna, then in Prague. Wherever he went, he took his prisoner Mátyás with him. While in Prague preparing for marriage, László died suddenly of a mysterious illness. Some asserted that his death was caused by plague, but others thought he had been poisoned. Of even greater interest is the spine-tingling date of the King's death: November 23, 1457 - one year to the day since he took the false vow never to harm the Hunyadis.

Stephen Sisa : The Spirit of Hungary