..s^ ,^ O. -.,,•' .0' '^^'-oTo-" ^^^ •S^/^, V.<^'^ Q V , " O . - . » • .0 \D JOHN HU6 BE;F0RE THH; COUNCII, of CONSTAJNfCK. -See Page 169. — Frontispiece. THE STORY OF BOHEMIA BY KRANCES GREOOR *(oj7^/y-^ I CINCINNATI: CRANSTON & CURTS NEW YORK: HUNT & EATON 1895 Copyright BY CRANSTON & CURTS 189S |oroM«tuflj PREFACE. Thk purpose of this little volume is to supply a long-felt want among the Bohemian people; to provide the English-reading public with a concise and trustworthy account of the chief events in Bo- hemian history. As there is no other work of the kind in the English ..language, it seems that this one will be grat'efully'- accepted. The book makes no- pretensions to originality. The statements," as far ^s possible, were taken al- most verbatim from Tomek and Palacky, and, in many instances, their quotations were also made use of. The Bohemian people have a great num- ber of histories of their nation, large and small, 3 4 Preface. written in popular style, and also those excelling in profound scholarship; but all these modern works have their sources in Tomek and Palacky, which are the grand repositories of historical infor- mation of the Bohemian nation. In this work references are not given, partly because there would be so many that the pages would fairly bristle with them ; but mostly because the book is intended for the ordinary student, whose time is too limited to make a thorough study of this little corner of the world's history. More thor- ough scholars would go to the larger works, which are published in German, as well as in the Cech tongue. In regard to names, some deviation has been made from the spelling generally adopted by his- torians. As the Bohemians are supposed to know best how to spell their own Slavonic names, the original spelling has been, in many cases, retained, in preference to that given by foreigners. Thus, Hus is spelled with one s; Sigismund, Sigmund; Vincenslaus, Vaclav; Procopius, Prokop; but, in most cases, the name has been translated into an equivalent English one. Some readers might object that too much space has been allotted to the Hussite wars. The events Preface, 5 in this period of Bohemian history give us a deeper insight into the character of the common people than could be obtained in any other way. During the other periods, the interest seems to circle about the royal family and the nobility, the people being left entirely out of sight; but during the long struggle, known as the Hussite wars, we learn to know the people, their strength of charac- ter, their patriotism, and, indeed, all those other virtues that have enabled them to preserve their individuality and their language in the face of the most frightful disasters and perscutions. This im- portant period shows that Bohemia was behind no nation upon the earth in having its due proportion of men "strong in great things." The book is sent forth with the hope that its pages may remove many a prejudice and misun- derstanding, and so contribute its mite to bring about the feeling of the brotherhood of all men. THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. P^GE. From ths EARi,i:esT Timers to the; Introduction of Christianity, . j^ Characteristics of the Slavs— Samo, about 600 A. D.— Krok and His Daughters— The Maidens' War— Bohemia and Char- lemagne. CHAPTER 11. From the Introduction of Christianity to the Rfign of Ottokar II, 20 Beginning of Christianity in Bohemia— Swatopluk and Borivoi— St. lyudmila— St. Vaclav— The Murder of Vaclav— Boleslav I— St. Vojtech, or Adelbert— Boleslav II— Boles- lav III— St. Prokop— Bretislav— Spytihnev— Vratislav I— Bretislav II— Borivoi— Massacre of the Wirsovs— Vladis- lav I— Sobeslav I— Vladislav II— Frederick and Sobeslav II— Premysl Ottokar I— King Vaclav I— The Invasion of the Tartars — State Institutions. CHAPTER III. From Prfmysi. Ottokar II to thf Rfign of Chari^fs IV, ... ' 85 Premysl Ottokar II— His Military Career— War with Bava- ria—With Hungary— Wedding of Kunigunda and Bela— Ottokar's Divorce— His Fall— Otto of Brandenburg— Re- gency of Zavis of Falkenstein— His Death— King Vaclav II— Made King of Poland— The Bohemian State under the Premsyls— Rudolph of Austria and Henry of Carinthia— King John of IvUxemburg— Vaclav HI— Queen Elizabeth's Death— Prince Charles. 8 Contents. CHAPTER IV. Page. From Charlies IV To the^ Hussite) Wars, 125 Charles IV — Archbishop of Prague— Journey to Rome — The University — Bohemian lyanguage — Reform in I^aw — The Golden Bull— The Growth of Clerical Power— The Prince Vaclav — Death of Charles IV — His Personal Appearance — Agriculture — War — Chivalry — Dress — Social Condition and Civilization in Bohemia in the Fourteenth Century — Domes- tic I^ife — Religion — Schools — Art and Architecture — The Bohemian Reformation — The Forerunners of Hus — Conrad Waldhausen — Millie' of Kremsier — Thomas Stitny — Master Matthias of Janov — Master John Protiva — King Vaclav IV — The Great Schism — Massacre of the Jews — ^John of Nepo- muk — Revolt of the Nobles — Vaclav loses the Imperial Crown — John Hus — The German Fxodus from the Univer- sity — Indulgences — Jerome of Prague. CHAPTER V. From the Hussite Wars to the Reign oe Sigmund, 173 The Hussite Wars — The Beginning of the Taborites— Queen Sophia and Cenek of Wartenberg — Cruelties of the Miners of Kuttenberg — Crusade against Bohemia — The Beginning of War— The Battle of Vitkov— Cruelties of the War— War Continued— The Millennium— The Adamites— The Tabor- ites— The Diet at Caslau— War Continued— The Second Crusade against Bohemia— The Battle of Zatetz— The Em- bassy to Poland— Sigmund' s Campaign in the South— The Polish Alliance — Zizka's Attitude towards Sigmund Cor- vinus— The Siege of Carlstein— Internal Troubles— Zizka takes the Offensive— Return of Sigmund Corvinus to Prague — I^ast Days of Zizka — Biographical Sketch — War Continued— The Event at Radkov— Sigmund' s Alliances- War Continued— Battle of Aussig— Fall of Sigmund Cor- vinus— The Battle of Tachov— The Corvinus Conspiracy — The Siege of Kolin— Negotiations for Peace— Result of the Hussite Success — The Council of Basil — Preparations for the Crusade— The Great Day at Domalitz— The Council of Basil — Proceedings of the Council — The Prague Diet — The Noblemen's Teague — Battle of Eipan — Negotiations with the Council of Basil. Contents. 9 CHAPTER VI. Pack. From Sigmund to Ferdinand I, or The EstabIvISh- MENT OF THE HaPSBURG DyNASTY, 29 1 The Reign of Sigmund — Sigmund and the Taborites — The Reign of Albert — The Interregnum — The Religious Power of the Taborites Broken — George Podebrad — Capture of Prague by George Podebrad — The Monk Capistran— Em- bassy to Constantinople— King I^adislav— George Pode- brad elected King of Bohemia — King George and Pius II— Insurrection against Emperor Frederick — The Age of George Podebrad — Some Distinguished Men of the Age — John Rokycan — Peter Celci^ky — Brother Gregory — Customs and Morals of the People — Extracts from the Writings of Celcicky — Vladislav II — Feudalism — Socage — Law of De- cease — Rebellion — King I,ouis — Rise of I/Utheranism in Bohemia. CHAPTER Vn. From the Estabi^ishment oe the Hapsburg Dynasty TO THE Reign oe Matthias, 358 Ferdinand I— His Reign — The Religious Question — The Small Side, Prague, burned — States in Opposition to Ferdi- nand — Struggle between Ferdinand and the States — The Bloody Diet — Maximilian the Heir of the Bohemian Crown — Maximilian's Accession — Rudolph II — Matthias against Ru- dolph—The Diet of 1609— The I^etter of Majesty— Rudolph's Plots — Troubles begin — Matthias Emperor. CHAPTER VHI. Prom Matthias to the C1.0SE oe the Thirty Years' War, 386 Matthias— Condition of the Peasants— The Reign of Mat- thias — Diet of 1615 — Ferdinand the Successor of Matthias — Trouble about building Churches — The People robbed — The Regents thrown out of the Window — Rudolph Insane — The Anti-reformation — Directors elected — War begins Ferdinand II — Becomes Emperor — Help from the South — From Spain, Italy, Bavaria and Poland — Protestant lyeague — Frederick's Unhappy Reign — War continued^ lo Contents. Page. Varying Fortunes— Battle of White Mountain— Maximilian appointed Viceroy — Punishment of Bohemia — Compulsory Conversions— Protestant Pastors expelled— General Exile — John Amos Komensky — Reconstruction in the Govern- ment— Wallenstein— His Death— Ferdinand III— The War continued — Close of the War — Condition of the Country — Education and I^iterature depressed. CHAPTER IX. From Lkopoi^d to Modern Times, 435 lycopold accedes to the Throne^oseph I his Successor — Maria Theresa— The Seven Years' War— Joseph II succeeds his Father as Emperor— Changes introduced by Maria The- resa and Joseph II — Further Reforms in Education — Jo- seph's Plans of Centralization — The Socage Patent and Up- rising of the Peasants — Torture abolished— Joseph II as a Reformer in Government — The Toleration Patent — Innova- tions — Dissatisfaction with Joseph's Government — I^eopold II — Francis I — Ferdinand I — Material and Intellectual Pro- gress— I^iterary Renaissance— Various Authors — Revolution of 1848— Results— Slavonic Congress— Reactionary Move- ments — Prince Windischgratz— Francis Joseph — Charles Havlicek — Repressive Policy of the Government— Present Condition. ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE. John Hus before the Councii. of Constance, Frontispiece. Chari^es IV Founding the University of Prague, . . 128 John Hus, 157 Death of John Zizka, 242 Return of the Bohemian Bxii^es, 360 RUD01.PH II, King and Bmperor, 374 John Amos Komensky, 420 John K01.1.AR, Author of " Si^ava's Daughter," .... 463 Francis Iv. Cei^akovsky, o . . 464 Francis Pai^acky, Author of " History of Bohemia, . 465 Ferdinand V, the Good, • • . . . 467 Chari.es Havi^icek, 485 II THE STORY OF BOHEMIA. Chapter I. FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY. Thk earliest historical account of the country of Bohemia reaches back into the fourth century B. C. According to Tacitus, the Boi, a Gallic tribe, crossed the Rhine, settled in this region, and from them the country derived its name. Th^ Boi were the fiercest of the Gallic tribes. Being far removed from the influence of Rome, they knew none of the luxuries of civilization, and conse- quently were more hardy and able to withstand the attacks of the surrounding tribes. Finally, weakened by internal strifes, they were overcome, scattered, and passed away from the country, leaving no trace of themselves but a few names ; such as Vltava, Moravia, Brna, Beroun, and others. The Boi were succeeded bj^ the Marcomanni, w^ho held the country till about the beginning of the fifth century A. D., when they in their turn were driven out, and the country was settled by a Slavic race. They came from the east, under the leadership of Cech, and finding the country uninhabited, decided to make it their home. They called themselves techs, from their leader, and the country feechy ; but the sur- 13 14 The Story of Bohemia, rounding Germanic tribes continued to call the country Bohemia, from the Boi, and the people Bohemians. The Slavs, and hence also the Cechs, were of medium size, heavily built, had dark-blue eyes, round , . faces, fair complexion, and brown hair. Characteris- ' . tics of the They were a hardy race, patiently enduring ^^'^'" all hardships; such as hunger and thirst, heat and cold. They were experts in regard to row- ing and swimming. They lived in settled communi- ties, engaged in raising cattle, agriculture, and various mechanical arts. They built their houses of hewn timber, seeking the most solitary places for their loca- tion, in order to escape the depredations of roving, warlike tribes. For themselves, they loved not war, and took up arms only in self-defense. The country being surrounded by Germanic tribes, that subsisted mostly by plundering their neighbors, the Cechs suffered much from the inroads Samo — about 600 made into their territory; and, doubtless, ^■■^* would have been destroyed, and passed away from the earth unknown to history, like many other nations before them, had they not found a mighty deliverer in Samo, one of the greatest warriors of that age. Samo came from the land of the Franks, but it is supposed that he was a Slav, and went to the Bohemi- ans to escape the destruction or bondage that threat- ened him from the overwhelming numbers of his enemies. The Avers, at this time, rising against the Bohemians, Samo carried on a long and bloody war against them, until their power was forever broken. The nation, out of gratitude, made Samo their ruler ; and for many years lived in peace and security. To THE Introduction of Christianity. 15 This great warrior attempted to establish a Slavic State., whose center should be Bohemia. He carried on many wars, especially with the Franks. The king of the Franks, Dagobert, sent messengers to Samo de- manding that restitution be made to some of his sub- jects, who claimed that they had been wronged by the Slavs. As Samo would not grant the request, the Franks prepared for war, calling to their aid the Longobards and Allamans. The southwestern part of Bohemia was soon overrun by the enemy ; and for a while destruction seemed to threaten the country. But Samo, having prepared his army, made a fierce attack upon them ; a battle, raging for three days, was fought at Domaslitz (Taus), in which the Franks were totally defeated and compelled to flee, leaving their baggage behind them. After the death of Samo, for a period of about 150 years, very little is known of Bohemia. The great State he had established was broken up, the Servians, Moravians, Cec.hs, and other tribes, that had been sub- ject to . him, became independent, living under their own rulers and princes. The few historical facts in regard to this period are collected from tradition, from songs, from contem- porary histories of other nations, and from Krokandhis the poems of the Queen's Court manuscript. Daughters. Although there is little authentic history in regard to Krok and his daughters, their names are so interwoven into the literature of the country, that some knowledge of them is indispensable to the thoughtful student. Krok was the ruler of Bohemia about a hundred years after Samo. On account of his valor and wisdom, he was greatly beloved ; and people from far and near 1 6 The Story of Bohemia. came to him to settle their controversies. He had three daughters, Kasa, Tetka, and Libuse, who also were renowned for their learning and wisdom. Palacky remarks that it is very probable that Krok either had sent his daughters to other lands to be educated, or had obtained teachers for them to instruct them in all the learning of the day. Kasa was well versed in the knowledge of plants, especially in regard to their medicinal powers ; she also excelled in the mechanic arts and occupations. Al- though she was looked upon as a witch, she was never- theless held in great honor. Tetka was the priestess of the nation. Besides con- ducting religious services, she instructed the people about their gods, and the manner of worshiping them. The fortress Tetin, not far from Beroun, was named after her. lyibuse, the youngest, excelled her sisters in both gifts of mind and heart. Having a wide reputation for wisdom, deep penetration of mind, and great beauty and strength of character, she was greatly beloved, and when her father died, was chosen to be his successor. She ruled her people in a wise, vStatesmanlike manner. Her court was held in Vysehrad, the ancient seat of government. On occasions of great moment, all three sisters sat together for judgment. The people loved I^ibuse, and rendered her unques- tioning obedience. This, however, did not last. The trouble arose out of a quarrel two brothers had over their inheritance. According to the laws of the land, the property had been divided equally between them ; but this did not satisfy the elder, who claimed he ought to have a larger share. As the princess could not grant To THE Introduction of Christianity. 17 his request without violating the ancient customs, he became rebellious ; found fault with her whole govern- ment, and finally, before all the people, cursed the land that was governed by a woman, and pointing to the neighboring nations — the Germans — declared that there the laws were just, since the country was governed by 77ien. lyibuse, perceiving that Chrudos would not have dared to speak to her thus, had he not had moral sup- port among the other men, at once resigned her author- ity, and advised them, if the hand of a woman was too light to rule them, to choose a man. This, however, they refused to do, but asked her to choose a husband, and that the two could rule conjointly, and that the nation would be obedient to them. lyibuse sent messengers to a certain peasant in the village of Staditz named Premysl, offering him her hand and the government of the country. He received the message joyfully, and, leaving his oxen in the field, he mounted the horse they brought him, and rode to Vysehrad to meet his future wife. Premysl * was the first ruler of the dynasty of the Premyslides, who ruled Bohemia for six centuries. Premysl proved to be a wise and able ruler. He passed many new laws for the government of his peo- ple. Indeed, the ancient writers were in the habit of referring the old laws to the reign of Premysl and lyibuse. After her marriage, lyibuse founded the city of Prague, prophesying its future greatness and glory. To this period belongs the curious story of the war *NOTE. — Among the Slavs, when a prince was initiated into his office, he was clothed in plain garments and led to the seat or throne prepared for him, and not until then was he allowed to assume his princely robes. This wa^ to show that princes came from the peo- ple, and hence derived their authority from them. 2 i8 The Story of' Bohemia. that the women carried on against the men. It was The Maidens' related that after Libuse's death, the women War. were not satisfied with the government of the men, and so determined to cast off their authority. Vlasta, who had been one of the friends of Libuse, became their leader, and under her able generalship many brilliant victories were won. At first the men felt inclined to treat this uprising with scorn ; but see- ing how determined the women were, and what success crowned their deeds of valor, they became thoroughly roused, attacked the stronghold of Devin* with great fury, and compelled the women to surrender. Thus the power of woman was forever broken in Bohemia, and from that time on she was compelled to occupy an inferior position. BOHKMIA AND CHARI.EMAGNB. After the coronation of Charlemagne in 800, he was more zealous than ever in his work of Christian- izing the surrounding nations, Bohemia being included in that number. In 805 a vast German army invaded the country, offering Christianity or death to the ter- rified inhabitants. The Bohemians, taken by sur- prise, were not prepared for war ; consequently, dared not meet the enemy in open battle. They therefore resorted to a guerrilla mode of warfare. Forming themselves into small bands, they fell upon the enemy from their hiding-places, killed all they could, and, before the enemy recovered from its surprise, they were gone. The army remained in Bohemia for forty days; but, with the exception of devastating the Maidenfort. To THE Introduction of Christianity, 19 fields, it accomplished nothing. The following year another expedition was fitted out, but met with no more success than the first. Charlemagne did not succeed, either in compelling the Bohemians to accept baptism or to pay tribute. Christianity was intro- duced into the country later, but from another direc- tion, and by quite a different method — it came to Bo- hemia from her sister province of Moravia. Under the government of Samo, Moravia and Bo- hemia had been united; but after his death, each be- came independent. To escape the ravaging army of Charlemagne, the Moravian princes had accepted him as their liege lord. About the middle of the ninth century. Prince Moimir ruled in Moravia. He ac- cepted Christianity, and, by remaining faithful to his lord, I^ouis the Pious, secured peace for his do- minions. Chapter II. FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY TO THE REIGN OF PREMYSL OTTOKAR II. BEGINNING OF CHRISTIANITY IN BOHEMIA. In regard to Christianity, Bohemia was more fortu- nate than the German States around her. She re- ceived the new religion through instruction, and not, as they had, at the point of the sword. The first historical account referring to this im- portant subject is that fourteen Bohemian lords went to Ratisbon, and, after being properly instructed, were baptized. It is not even known who these lords were ; and yet their action was most important and far- reaching in its consequences. When Christianity was introduced into the country, the Bohemian Church, by virtue of the action of these lords, was placed un- der the jurisdiction of the bishop of Ratisbon, hence under German influence; and it was through this same influence that the Latin ritual, which the people did not understand, was substituted for the Slavic, which was their mother-tongue. During the reign of Louis the Pious, both Bohe- mia and Moravia had peace ; but when, at the treaty of Verdun, 843, the empire was divided among the three brothers, all was changed. Louis I, king of Germany, was an enemy of the Slavs, and constantly made war upon them. Not finding Moimir as sub- servient to his wishes as he desired, he invaded his country, deposed the great ruler, giving the govern- To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 21 ment of Moravia to Rostislav, the nephew of the un- fortunate prince. Thus far, all the knowledge that the Moravians possessed of Christianity came from the Germans; but this was quite meager, and the ruler and people were anxious to receive more instruction. Although Rostislav had received many favors at the hands of the German king, he was suspicious of the purity of his motives, and therefore did not wish to turn to Germany in this matter. Finally, it was decided to turn for help to the East. Rostislav sent an embassy to Emperor Michael, of Constantinople, beseeching him to send him Christian teachers. The message they delivered contained the following passages: " The land, indeed, is baptized; but we have no teach- ers to instruct us and translate to us the sacred books. We understand neither the Greek nor the Ivatin tongue. Some teach us one thing, and some another; consequently, we know not what to believe. There- fore, we beseech thee to send us teachers who can explain to us the words and meaning of the Scrip- ture." Wherever the Greeks introduced Christianity, they gave the people the Church service in their mother- tongue, while the teachers sent by ■ the authority of Rome gave it in Latin; and as quite often little more than the service was read, the people remained totally ignorant as to its meaning. At the time when the embassy was sent to Con- stantinople, there dwelt in Thessalonica a patrician family, whose head was Leo. This Leo had two sons, Cyril and Methodus, who were renowned for their learning and piety. Being well versed, not only in the 22 The Story of Bohemia. classical languages, but also in the various Slavic dia- lects, they were able to carry the gospel to the neigh- boring nations — in fact, were the great missionaries of their day. One great and difficult work that they ac- complished was to translate the Bible into Bulgarian this being still the authorized version for all Slavic dialects. It has the same relation to modern Slavic that Gothic has to German. When the Moravian embassy laid their petition be- fore the emperor, he was so pleased that he decided to send them as missionaries both Cyril and Metho- dus, the greatest lights of his Church ; and they did not come alone, but brought with them a large num- ber of Slavic disciples. The people were filled with joy when they heard both the Scripture and the Church service in a language that they could under- stand. The small missionary band labored with such dili- gence that, in about four years, all the inhabitants of Moravia, having had the word explained to them, laid aside their heathen practices and became Christians, not only in form, but also in reality. The brilliant success of this missionary enterprise excited the jealousy of the German priesthood. They complained to the pope that heresy was taught in Moravia; that Church services were held in the Slavic tongue, when it was well known that there were only three tongues in which it was proper to hold such services; viz., Greek, lyatin, and Hebrew. Cyril and Methodus were accordingly cited to appear at Rome to justify themselves of the imputed heresy. But when Pope Adrian II heard their case, he not only approved of it, but sent them back to continue the To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 23 good work. But before leaving Rome, Cyril was taken ill, and sought refuge in a monastery. Seeing that his end was drawing nigh, he called his brother to him and said: "Behold, brother, thus far we have labored together, drawing the plow in the same fur- row; now I fall by the wayside, ending my life. But thou remain in the work of salvation, and let not love for thy home turn thee aside." Methodus returned to Moravia, and continued his missionary labors ; and Christianized Moravia was not without its influence upon pagan Bohemia. The new doctrine gradually spread in that country, and the year 873 marks the time when it may be said to have been formally introduced. In that year, Methodus baptized the Bohemian prince Borivoi, together with his wife, Ludmila, who were then tarrying at the Mo- ravian court. lyudmila became a most devoted Chris- tian, being very zealous in her labors to spread and strengthen the new faith. On account of her good- ness, her charity, and humble life, she was greatly be- loved by all the people. SWATOPIvUK AND BORIVOI. In the early days of the history of the country, Bohemia and Moravia were so closely connected that one can not intelligently understand the events in the one country without some knowledge of those in the other. It was related in a previous chapter how the Ger- mans invaded Moravia, deposed Moimir, and placed his nephew Rostislav upon the throne. Intoxicated by their brilliant success, they determined to march home across Bohemia, without even asking permission of the 24 The Story of Bohemia. ruler of that country. Very probably, they counted upon the favor of the fourteen lords who had been baptized in Ratisbon, for this was before the baptism of the Bohemian prince. The Bohemians, highly in- dignant that a hostile army dared cross their territory, hastily collected a large army, fell upon the Germans, and defeated them so that they fled, leaving rich spoils in the hands of the victors. The result of this was a war with Germany that lasted four years. Both parties finally becoming weary of the struggle, the Bohemians sent envoys to the German camp to treat of peace. During the armistice, the worn-out soldiers relaxed their vigilance, and the wily Germans, taking advantage of this, suddenly fell upon them, expecting thus to gain an easy victory. But this foul treachery so maddened the troops that they fell upon the enemy with great fury, and, after a fierce battle, completely defeated them. The Germans were compelled to give up their arms, to leave a large num- ber of hostages, and to return to their country by the way the Bohemians prescribed. We now return to Moravia. When Louis deposed Moimir, giving the throne to Rostislav, he thought he was gaining a powerful ally; but in this he was mis- taken. From the time Rostislav assumed the govern- ment, his one aim was to make his country independent of the Germans. He improved the country, extended its boundaries by annexation of the neighboring States; and, in fact, sought to establish a powerful Slavic State. He was, however, unfortunate in that he was not able to arouse the same ambition in his lords; and, in what was still worse, in meeting with treachery in his own family. His nephew Swatopluk, To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 25 an ambitious young man, formed a plot to deprive his uncle of the throne. To this end, he entered into an understanding with Carloman, who succeeded Louis, promising to deliver Rostislav into the power of the German ruler. Although the unfortunate ruler dis- covered the plot, and tried to turn the tables against his perfidious nephew, he was not successful. Swato- pluk took him prisoner, and delivered him into the hands of his arch-enemy, Carloman, who put out his eyes and shut him up in a monastery. The treachery of Swatopluk did not bring him the reward he had expected. The Germans, fearing he would not be any more loyal to them than he had been to his own king, found a pretext for charging him with treason, and cast him into prison to await his trial. In the meantime they again invaded Mora- via, causing fearful destruction of life and property. The people, driven to despair, roused all their energies, chose able leaders, and began to defend their country with considerable success. The Germans, in this dilemma, conceived the plan of placing Swatopluk upon the throne, and thus having an ally in that country. They, therefore, began to show him every consideration to heal his wounded spirit. He received their kindness with so much apparent pleasure that Carloman was deceived, and trusted him so far as to place him in command of a large army that was to march against Moravia. As soon as the army reached the walls of Welehrad, Swatopluk entered the fortress under a flag of truce. No sooner did he find himself alone with his countrymen, than he cast aside all dis- simulation and explained to them the purpose of his visit. He acknowledged his crime against his uncle. 26 The Story of Bohemia. asked their forgiveness, and agreed to make restitu- tion by delivering the whole German army into their hands. The prospect of becoming rid of their enemies so easily was too tempting to be rejected ; therefore, the Moravian lords gladly overlooked Swatopluk's former crimes, and accepted him as their lawful ruler. Their army then fell upon the unsuspecting Germans, and defeated them with great slaughter. There was mourn- ing all through Germany, in Austria, Bavaria, Carin- thia, and other States; for there was scarcely a hamlet where there was not a son, brother, or husband missing. Swatopluk knew full well that the Germans would not leave his treachery unavenged; and he at once be- gan to put his country in a state of defense. To obtain the assistance of Bohemia, he allied himself with the ruler of that country by marrying his sister. There was little time to spare; for even while the wedding party was on its way to Moravia, it was attacked by the Germans, but fortunately escaped with a loss of some six hundred horses. The following year two large armies invaded Bo- hemia and Moravia at the same time. The Bohemian army, commanded by the Prince Borivoi, having under him five of his lords, was defeated by the Germans and driven as far as the river Moldau. The Moravians were more successful. Although no decisive victory was won, the enemy finally left the country. The next year, Swatopluk himself invading the territory of Carloman, marching as far as the river Danube, peace was made, with quite favorable terms to the Moravians. After this, Swatopluk was not again troubled by To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar IL 27 the Germans; and Bohemia, being under his protec- tion, likewise enjoyed peace. He was a great and able ruler. He enlarged his dominions, so that they extended into Hungary, Silesia, and even as far as the city of Magdeburg. His administration of justice was so severe, that to this day, in Moravia, ''To seek for Swatopluk," means to seek for justice. He died in 894. The reign of Swatopluk was important, not because he extended his boundaries — for after his death these labors came to naught— but because, in his time, Christianity took deep root, both in Bohemia and Moravia. The great missionary, Methodus, was made the Bishop of Moravia; and, what meant a great deal in those days, the Pope took the Moravian Church under his special protection. This was to shield the Slavic priests against the attacks of the Germans, who constantly tried to bring the new Church under their own jurisdiction. How far their enmity extended may be judged from the fact that they dared to take so renowned a man as Methodus prisoner, keeping him, for a long time, confined in one of their monas- teries. ST. IvUDMII^A. When Borivoi and his wife, lyudmila, embraced Christianity, the whole court followed the example set by the rulers, and Bohemia soon became a Chris- tian country. lyudmila and Borivoi had two sons, Spytihnev and Vratislav. The elder, Spytihnev, first ruled in Bohemia, and was followed by his brother Vratislav. Both brothers were very pious, caring more for the spread of Christianity than for their own glory. 28 The Story of Bohemia. Vratislav married a IvUtician princess named Dra- homira, or Dogmar. Several children were born to them ; but those that became of importance in history were Boleslav and Vaclav. Vaclav being the elder, was regarded as the heir to the throne ; but his father dying when he was but eighteen years of age, Dog- mar seized the government as well as the guardian- ship of her son. Her ambitious designs were opposed by Ludmila, who, on account of her piety and charity, possessed great influence among the people. She had assumed the whole education of Vaclav, who loved her more than he did his mother, because he perceived with grief that the latter still leaned to paganism. The trouble between mother and daughter-in-law con- tinuing to increase, the latter resigned all court honors and betook herself to her fortress Tetin, resolved to devote her days to prayer and almsgiving. But the hatred of Dogmar followed her to this retreat. One night, while still at prayers, Ludmila was surprised to see strange, evil-looking men enter her chamber. They were assassins hired by Dogmar to carry out her wicked purpose. Not wishing to shed the blood of the unhappy princess, they seized her veil, twisted it around her neck, and so strangled her. Dogmar afterwards repented of this crime, and caused a chapel to be built near the place. The body of Ludmila was taken to Prague, and buried in the Church of St. George. On account of her cruel death and her great piety, she has always been regarded as a saint. ST. VACIvAV. After the death of Ludmila, Dogmar for a time was the absolute ruler of the realm, but she soon got into To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar I I. 29 trouble with the German king, Henry the Fowler, who was at enmit}^ with most Slavic nations. It is supposed that she sent aid to her kinsmen at L^uticia, with whom Henry was at war. When the enemy invaded the country, Vaclav, al- though only twenty years of age, assumed control of the government, and prepared to defend the country. The war which followed, although neither very long nor bloody, proved most momentous in its results to Bohemia. When the German army invaded the coun- try, and coming almost to the very gates of Prague threatened destruction to the city, Vaclav decided to make a treaty of peace. He agreed to place the Bo- hemian Church under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Ratisbon, to pay an annual tribute of five hundred pounds of silver and one hundred and twenty oxen. This was in the year 928 A. D., which marks the be- ginning of that fearful struggle between Germany and Bohemia that lasted for so many centuries, and has not been fought out to this day. There had been war between the two nations before, and doubtless would have been after this, but by this treaty, Vaclav, so to speak, put the Bohemian nation in subjection to the Germans, and thus gave them a moral right to interfere in the affairs of that nation. Vcalav's brother Boleslav, his mother, and many lords protested against this treaty ; but he would not heed their counsel. Educated entirely by his pious grandmother, he desired above all things peace, so that QOthing should hinder the spread of Christianity in his dominions. Then, too, war was repugnant to his tastes; he preferred to attend church, to help to serve mass, to engage in long prayers, to give alms, and 30 The Story of Bohemia. build churches. He would have made an excellent bishop, but as a political ruler he was a total failure. Nevertheless, he was a popular prince, greatly beloved by his subjects. Boleslav and his mother Dogmar tried to induce Vaclav to break the obnoxious treaty ; and being un- successful, they formed a conspiracy against him. Being informed of this, he cast his mother into prison; but later, becoming convinced that his suspi- cions were unfounded, he released her, bringing her back to Prague with great honor. It would have been better had he trusted his mother less ; but he learned this when it was too late. It was the custom of Vaclav to be present each year at the festivals held on the anniversaries of the dedi- The Murder catiou of the various churches. On the 27th of Vaclav, of September, 935, he went to Boleslav, the city of his brother, to be present at the Church serv- ices held on that day. After the service, his brother persuaded him to remain to enjoy with them the fes- tivities of the night. Vaclav, not dreaming of evil, accepted his brother's invitation. But even then it was not too late to escape his doom, had he been a little more politic. While at the tournament, he was warned that his life was in danger, and advised to flee. But he would not believe that his brother could be guilty of so foul a deed, and the warning was left un- heeded. The next morning, going to early mass, he met his brother at the church door, and after a loving greet- ing, thanked him for his hospitality and the pleasant entertainment he had given him. Drawing his sword, Boleslav vSaid, " But I have prepared a still more pleas- To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar IL 31 ant entertainment for thee to-day," and with these cruel words he struck the unfortunate prince upon the head with his sword. Vaclav seized his brother, threw him down, sa3dng, " May God forgive thee, brother, for this deed! " Just then the other conspirators rushed out, fell upon Vaclav, and stabbed him until he lay quite dead. His friends and attendants, except a few who saved themselves by flight, suffered the same fate. When Dogmar heard of the death of Vaclav, she hur- ried to the place, fell upon his body and wept bit- terly. Being warned that her life, too, w^as in danger, she fled from the country, seeking refuge with one of her daughters in Croatia. The body of Vaclav lay a long time upon the church steps, no one daring to remove it. At length a priest ventured to take it up and lay it out in his own house, and, not being molested, he finalty took it to church. The wicked deed being done, Boleslav thought it w^ould be good policy to repent, and there- fore he ordered the body to be buried with great hon- ors. Three years later it was taken to Prague, and buried in the St. Vitus Cathedral, where it rests at the present time. In those days, whenever a crime was committed, the guilty person repented, did penance by devoting a part of the ill-gotten wealth to build a church or en- dow a monastery, and then lived on to enjoy the rest with a clear conscience. Boleslav, in addition to other penance, devoted his first-born son to a monastic life. As might be expected, Vaclav's pious life and cruel death won him the reputation of. being a saint. The old chroniclers say: "Vaclav built churches, richly endowing them, so that the service of God went on 32 The Story of Bohemia. with us continually as among other nations. And God granted him such grace that he could read I^atin books like a priest, and likewise Slavonic ones without error. Not only did he know books, but he kept the faith, helping the wretched, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, protecting widows and orphans, ransoming prisoners, and loving and caring alike for rich and poor." St. Vaclav is regarded as the first patron of Bohe- mia. His image is found on old coins, seals, and ban- ners, and whatever is distinctly Bohemian is gener- ally called St. Vaclavian. BOI.BSI.AV I. The reign of Boleslav is noted for great centrali- zation of power. From the time of Libuse till to the death of Vaclav, the form of government remained the same. The Bohemian rulers, generally called princes, were the elders of the people, their power being limited, and their actions governed by the de- cisions of their lords or lechs, as expressed in their assemblies. The lechs, on the other hand, possessed absolute power upon their own estates, being entirely independent of their prince. This state of things being very detrimental to the central Government, Boleslav early sought means whereby the power of the lords might be weakened and his own strength- ened. As some of these lords were even wealthier than their prince, they thought themselves his equals, if not superiors; and Boleslav looked about how he might enrich himself, and so be able to cope with them in this respect. At this time Bohemia was divided into fifty districts, called zupy, and in each district To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar I I. 33 there was a large tract of land that did not belong to the lords of the zupy, but was regarded as public property. Boleslav seized this public land, with all the improvements upon it, and at once became more wealthy than all his subjects together. In this way he obtained abundant means whereby he might reward the services of men devoted to him. Besides this Boleslav resorted to various other methods, often quite tyrannical, to increase his power, which won for him the surname of "the Terrible." In old histories, up to the time of Boleslav, the lords are spoken of as duces Bcemanorum ; but after his time, they were called merely miliies, or comites, which signified only public officers. The attempt of Boleslav to strengthen his power at the expense of the power of his lords was not en- tirely from selfish motives. He never could forget the disgraceful treaty that his brother, Vaclav, had made with the Germans ; and no sooner had he estab- lished and strengthened his power than he prepared to throw off the hated yoke. There was no necessity to declare war; for, since the murder of Vaclav, the Ger- man king, Henry, had deemed it his duty to punish Boleslav, if possible. War was continued, with some interruptions, for fourteen years ; but at last Boleslav was compelled to sue for peace, agreeing to pay the same tribute that Vaclav did. Boleslav was more successful against his other en- emies. At this time (955) the Magyars were com- mitting fearful depredations in the surrounding coun- tries. With an army of 100,000 men, they invaded Germany, going as far as the city of Augsburg, in Suabia. Boleslav sent a small force to the assistance 3 34 The Story of Bohemia. of the German king, himself taking his stand, with a large army, on the borders of Bohemia. The Mag- yars, after sustaining a severe defeat from the German army, turned with the remaining forces against Bo- hemia; but they were met by the army of Boleslav. A severe battle was fought, in which the Magyar army was almost annihilated. Boleslav continued the war, and succeeded in wresting from the Magyars, not only Moravia, but also a part of Hungary, which countries he annexed to his own dominions. He also extended his territories in other directions, obtaining possession of Silesia and a large part of the country around Cracow. He made an alliance of friendship with Mecislav, the ruler of Poland, giving him his daughter, Dubravka, in marriage. lyike her great- grandmother, Ludmila, she so excelled in the Chris- tian virtues, and was so zealous in her efforts to spread the gospel, that she soon converted her hus- band, and thus was the means of introducing Chris- tianity into Poland. Although Boleslav had gained the possession of the throne through violence, he proved a good and able ruler. He died in 967, and was succeeded by his son, called Boleslav II. ST. VOJTECH, OR ADAI.BERT. Boleslav II was a good and wise ruler, and did much to strengthen Christianity in his dominions. Through his efforts a bishopric was established in Prague. The first bishop was Detmar, by birth a Saxon, but, through long residence in the country, knowing well the Cech tongue. At this time, Christianity in Bohemia was still To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 35 mixed up with many heathen customs. The people said Christian prayers, sang Christian hymns, but at the same time offered sacrifices to their heathen de- ities. They still buried their dead in the sacred groves, and placed more confidence in wizards than in priests. But, what was worse than all this, they refused to give up the practice of polygamy and inter- marriage among relatives, and still sold as slaves c?p- tives taken in war. This state of things was a source of much grief to the Christian priests, and especially to the good Bishop Detmar. At this time, there were in Bohemia two great fam- ilies, named Slavnikovs and Wirsovs. Both being powerful and wealthy, they had more influence upon political affairs than the ruler himself. But of this more will be said in another connection. One of the Slavnikov families had a most promis- ing boy, named Vojtech. The boy showed such love for learning that his parents determined to devote him to the Church, and for this purpose sent him to the famous school of Magdeburg. His winning dis- position and aptitude for learning gained him the love and admiration of all ; and when he was ordained, the Archbishop of Germany, Adalbert, gave him his own name.* After his ordination, Vojtech went to Prague, to be the assistant to Bishop Detmar. The bishop, in spite of his zealous labors, had not been successful in eradicating the heathenish customs from his country; and this was a perpetual source of grief to him. He feared lest the souls of those lost under his teaching "■■•From this the ciirious custom of translating Vojtech to Albert, or vice versa, arose. 36 The Story of Bohemia. miglit be required at his hands. In the enthusiastic young priest he found a ready sympathizer in all his trials; and these, in turn, made a deep impression upon Vojtech's susceptible soul. When Detmar died, Vojtech was appointed his successor, and at once be- gan to labor to establish true Christianity in the coun- try, with even more zeal than his predecessor. In his simplicity of life, his charity, his self-denial, he was indeed a true follower of the Teacher whose doctrines he tried so hard to inculcate. But although the peo- ple loved him, and, wherever he went, showed him the greatest honor, they would not give up their pa- gan customs. Among the higher classes, polygamy was still practiced, and captives taken in war were sold to the Jews as slaves. At last Vojtech became discouraged, and determined to make a journey to Rome to ask the Pope to relieve him of the bishopric. After much deliberation, the request was granted; but when the news of this reached Bohemia, neither Boleslav nor the people would hear of it, but immedi- ately sent messengers to the Pope, begging him to send them back their bishop. Vojtech was accord- ingly sent back to Bohemia, where he was received with great public rejoicings. Vojtech, believing that now the people would heed his counsels, took up the work of ministry with more zeal than ever; but his hopes were doomed to a bitter disappointment. The two great families — the Wirsovs and the Slav- nikovs, the family of Vojtech — were constantly at war with each other; and it was an event connected with this family feud t^iat now brought affairs to a crisis, and led Vojtech to resign his office a second time. To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 37 The wife of one of the Wirsovs, proving unfaithful to her husband, according to the heathen custom was to be put to death, the wronged husband himself per- forming the deed. The woman fled, seeking refuge in the church of Vojtech. The enraged Wirsovs sur- rounded the house, threatening to murder the bishop if he did not give up the fugitive; and the threat, doubtless, would have been carried into effect, had not one of the men bethought himself. He said to Voj- tech that he would not help him to a martyr's crown, but that, instead, he would take signal vengeance upon his brothers. At last the hiding-place of the unfortu- nate woman was discovered; she was dragged out, and beheaded by the public executioner. With heart-breakmg, with grief, and cursing the Wirsovs, Vojtech again left Bohemia, refusing to live in a land where such deeds of cruelty could go un- punished. In justice to Boleslav II, it may be re- marked that, at the time this happened, he was suffer- ing from a severe illness, and his son, who favored the Wirsovs, ruled in his stead. The Wirsovs now made good their threat against the family of Vojtech. They had previously made war upon them, depriving them of all their estates, imtil they were left with but a single fortress. Here they were attacked by their unrelenting foes, defeated, and all murdered — men, women, and children. When Vojtech left Bohemia, he went to Rome, de- termining to end his days in a monastery. But the pope, Gregory V, thought it not well that so able a man should waste his time within cloister walls; and so he again sent him to Bohemia, but on condition that, if the people refused him obedience, he would be 38 The Story of Bohemia, freed from the order, and could go as a missionary to the Prussians. When he returned to Bohemia, the Wirsovs, being 'in power, sent word to him that he need not return ; that they loved not the fault-finder. Vojtech then turned to go as a missionary to the na- tions along the Baltic, where, at last, he won the mar- tyr's crown. Radim, Vojtech's brother, who had shared all his trials, accompanying him upon his jour- neys, succeeded in making his escape. He fled to Poland, and related to the Polish king the tragic events of his brother's death. Boleslav immediately sent mes- sengers, who, upon paying a heavy ransom, obtained the body of Vojtech, bringing it to Hnesdau, where it was buried with great honor. BOIvKSIvAV III. The chief events, in the reign of Boleslav II, were those concerning St. Vojtech, and the strifes between the two families, the Wirsovs and Slavnikovs. Bole- slav II died in 999, leaving the throne to his oldest son, also called Boleslav. Besides him, there were two brothers, Jaromir and Ulric. Of Boleslav III it may be said, as of some of the Jewish kings,— "And he did evil in the sight of the Lord more than they all that were before him." Being very cruel, he was also cowardly; and fearing that his brothers might win more public favor than he was able to secure, he subjected one to a horrible mutila- tion, and tried to smother the other in a bath. They escaped with their lives, seeking refuge at the court of the German king, Henry II. At this time the ruler of Poland was also Boleslav, who, on account of his valor, was surnamed the Brave. To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II . 39 This ruler, seeing that the Bohemian prince was not in favor with his subjects, invaded his territory, and was so successful that he was able to enlarge his own dominions by the annexation of Moravia, Silesia, and Slavonia. The loss of so much territory had the effect of embittering Bolcvslav and making him even more cruel than before, until the people could bear it no longer. In the account given of St. Vojtech, it will be re- membered that the Wirsovs were the special favorites of Boleslav. Indeed, one of. them was his son-in-law. But these favorites were the very ones to plot an in- surrection against him. Vladivoi, the brother of the ruler of Poland^ was invited into the country, and the government put into his hands. Boleslav, forsaken by all, sought refuge at the court of France ; but having previously done an injury to the French king, the latter, instead of granting the desired hospitality, seized the fugitive prince and cast him into prison. In the meantime Vladivoi, not feeling secure upon the throne of Bohemia as long as the two brothers of Boleslav were at the German court, determined to seek there the confirmation of his rights. Henry II granted his request, but on condition that he receive Bohemia as a fief from the German king. Thus the country was sold to the Germans, without the consent or knowledge of its people. The Bohemians soon had ample cause to repent for inviting a foreigner to rule over them ; and when, after a short reign, Vladivoi died, they offered the crown to Jaromir, who was still at the court of the German king. After Boleslav III had been released 40 The Story of Bohemia. from his imprisonment in France, he went to Poland and cast himself upon the magnanimity of his chief enemy, Boseslav the Brave. When Jaromir was called to the government of Bohemia, Boleslav III was still in Poland ; and the ruler of that country, thinking it would be to his advantage to have a voice in deciding who should sit upon the throne of Bohemia, invaded the country, and compelled the people to receive again their old king. The two princes, Jaromir and Ulric, again fled to Germany. Before leaving the country, the Polish prince effected a reconciliation between Boleslav and his lords. The reconciliation on the part of Boleslav III was not sincere; for no sooner was his patron gone than he prepared to take signal vengeance upon those who had driven him into exile. In Shrove-tide, 1003, when all the people were engaged in merry-making, Boleslav, too, made a feast, inviting some of the most distin- guished people of the realm, among which the Wirsovs were the most prominent. In the midst of the festiv- ities a band of soldiers, headed by Boleslav, entered the hall, and at once began the work of vengeance. All the Wirsovs present were murdered without mercy. The people stood aghast at this treacherous deed; but as soon as they recovered from their consterna- tion, they sought redress at the court of the Polish king, who had been the means of reseating Boleslav upon the throne. Boleslav the Brave gathered an army, and immediately marched into Bohemia. The tyrant Boleslav, under a pretense of friendship, was decoyed into the Polish camp, where he received, to some extent, the punishment for his crimes. His eyes To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 41 were burned out, and he was cast into prison in a strong fortress, where, after many years, he ended his miserable existence. Boleslav the Brave then went to Prague, where he compelled the people to accept him as their rightful ruler. The Polish yoke, however, soon grew too heavy to bear, and the people turned their eyes to Germany, where dwelt the rightful heirs, Ulric and Jaromir. A secret treaty was made; and while the Polish ruler was away from Prague, carrying on a war with the German king, the two brothers came with an army to the cap- ital, whose gates were opened to them. The garrison left by Boleslav was easily defeated, and Jaromir was established in Prague as the rightful ruler. Bohemia, although delivered from bondage to the Poles, remained in a most deplorable condition. Jaro- mir, grateful to the German king both for the long hospitality he had enjoyed at his court, and for the help he had received in gaining the throne, entered into a close alliance with him, which proved a source of much trouble to the Bohemians. The Germans kept encroaching upon their territory, building for- tresses upon the very boundaries of Bohemia. The wealth of the country was also continually drained to furnish means to Jaromir to help his ally, Henry II. This creating general dissatisfaction, a conspiracy was formed, Jaromir was driven from the throne, and the government was seized by Ulric (1022). Jaromir, as before, sought refuge at the court of Henry II; but the German king sent him back to Ulric, who com- pleted his act of usurpation and cruelty by putting out the eyes of his unfortunate brother. Ulric is quite a celebrated figure in literature, on 42 The Story of Bohemia. account of the episode with the peasant maiden Bozena, uiric and which IS a parallel to the story of "King Bozena. Cophetua and the Beggar Maid" of English history. One day, while Ulric was out hunting, he es- pied a beautiful maiden washing clothes at a spring of water near the village. He was so charmed with the beauty of her face and the grace of her movements that he ordered her to be taken to his castle, where he made her his wife. Having no heir by his first wife, he felt justified in taking a second one. This was about loio, at which time polygamy was not entirely eradi- cated from the country. The beautiful poems that celebrate this event, however, never mention the first wife of Ulric. ST. PROKOP. During the reign of Ulric, the most illustrious per- son in the country was the hermit Prokop. It will be remembered that when Christianity was introduced into Moravia, the German priests did all in their power to substitute the Latin for the Slavic ritual. At first they were not successful; but when Moravia lost her independence, both that country and Bohemia finally succumbed tc?- German influence, and lyatin be- came the language of church service. This was a great loss to the people; for in those days, when learning was shared by only a few, the hearing of the church service in their mother-tongue was a means of consid- erable edification. Thus it was that when the news spread that a new convent was to be built, where only the Cech tongue was to be used, the whole country was filled with rejoicing, and all the people blessed the ruler who was to grant them this privilege. But although the order for the building of the convent To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 43 came from Ulric, the person to whom the thanks were due was the hermit Prokop, or Procopius. During the reign of Boleslav III, Prokop was a priest at Vysehrad ; but being grieved at the cruelties of his ruler, he left the country, going to Slavonia. While there, he became intimate with a pious monk, who in the church service still used the Slavic ritual, and convinced Prokop that an intelligent worship was more acceptable to God than a mere blind ceremonial. Prokop remained with this monk several years, and the lessons he learned sank deep into his heart. He finally returned to Bohemia, and, seeking a secluded spot in the picturesque region of the river Sazava, he decided to spend his days there as a hermit. About the year 1031, while Ulric was returning from a hunt, in the depth of the forest he discovered a strange-looking man working in a garden. Entering into conversation with the strange man, he was so affected by his words that he fell upon his knees, beg- ging Prokop to hear his confession. This Prokop willingly did; but when he heard the penitent relate the crimes that he had been guilty of, he prayed long and earnestly that God might forgive him, and, with burning words, exhorted him to a new life. Returning home, and meditating upon what he had seen and heard, it occurred to Ulric that it would be a good plan to build a monastery and a church upon the spot where he had met the holy man; and he at once de- cided that, in the new church, prayers should be made to God in the same language in which the hermit had persuaded him to turn from his evil ways and begin a new life. Ulric carried his good resolution into effect. The 44 The Story of Bohemia. church and monastery were built, and, as might be expected, Prokop was appointed the first abbot. This convent proved to be not only the means of Christian instruction to the people, but in due time it became the center of learning to a large territory. A band of zealous monks gathered around St. Prokop, who instructed youths apt in learning in book knowl- edge, and in the arts of painting, carving, and architec- ture. Many Slavonic books were here written, some of which are preserved to this day. A part of this convent is still standing, forming a beautiful chapel, to which pilgrimages are made every year, upon the same day that the Americans celebrate the anniversary of their independence. The life of St. Prokop is surrounded with numerous legends, which unhappily obscure the real significance of his labors to Bohemia. BRETISI.AV. Bretislav, the son of Ulric and Bozena, was destined to re-establish the strength and glory of his country. Inheriting his mother's beauty of person and character, and his father's dauntless and enterprising spirit, he early won the admiration of the people, who called him their Achilles. Kven during the life of his father, Bretislav distin- guished himself in war against the Hungarians. Dur- ing the reign of Ulric, similar feuds arose in Poland to those which had existed in Bohemia during the reign of Boleslav III. The brothers of the Polish king, thinking themselves wronged, appealed for help to Stephen, the ruler of Hungary. Taking up their cause, he succeeded in wresting Slavonia and Moravia from the Polish king; but once having it in his power, he decided to keep To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 45 it for himself. Seeing this injustice, Ulric seized the opportunity to win back those countries to Bohemia, feeling justified in so doing because the Poles them- selves had wrested them from his father's dominions. Bretislav was therefore sent on this expedition. He was so "successful in the undertaking that Stephen was glad to sue for peace, and Moravia was pgain joined to Bohemia. ~ While upon this expedition, Bretislav came to those places that had been the scenes of the missionary labors of Cyril and Methodus; and seeing the city of Welehrad in ruins, he wept, and resolved that the spoils of the war should be devoted to rebuilding the old churches and renewing the ancient strongholds. ■ To make his possessions in Moravia more secure, Bretislav undertook a journey to Conrad II, then the German emperor, to seek a confirmation of Bretislav and his rights. While passing through the city Judith, of Sweinfurt, he saw Judith, the sister of the Margrave Otto, and was so struck with her great beauty that he determined to win her for his wife, even if he should die in the attempt. Fearing that if he asked for her hand, her proud brother might subject him to much humiliation, he decided to take a shorter and bolder way of winning his bride. As was the custom for noble ladies of those days, Judith was living in a cloister, where she was educated by the monks. Taking a few trusty warriors, Bretislav waited at the church-door where Judith was wont to go to her devotions. As soon as she made her appearance, the bold warrior seized her, placed her before him upon his horse, and galloped away amidst the wild confusion of the monks, whose frantic efforts proved unavailing to prevent the 46 The Story of Bohemia. abduction of their precioUvS charge. Bretislav took the beautiful Judith to Olmutz, where the young couple were married, she having first been made the Duchess of Moravia. THK REIGN OF BRKTISI.AV. In 1037, Ulric died, and Bretislav became the ruler of Bohemia. Having been so successful in the war with Hungary, Bretislav determined to restore his country to its former greatness. As Poland was in a state of anarchy, he determined to invade the country, and, if possible, annex it to his own dominions. He succeeded in taking the city of Cracow, where he found untold treasures, collected there by Boleslav the Brave. He also came to the city of Hnezdau, where rested the remains of St. Vojtech. Bretislav, together with his officers, was seized with a desire to carry those precious relics to Prague ; and it would have been done at once had it not been prevented by the Bishop of Prague, who also was in the army. He showed them that this act would be sacrilegious, unless it were done with the greatest solemnity; and insisted that before they touch the relics, they spend three days in fasting and prayer, and solemnly promise to keep all the commands'^ of the martyr. This promise they willingly made, although it is doubtful whether they kept it. However, the body of Vojtech was taken up and brought to Prague, to the great delight of the peo- ple, who rejoiced that the remains of so great a saint should rest among them. '•• Some of the things promised by the soldiers were the following: Polygamy given up under penalty of loss of personal liberty ; adul- tery to be punished in the same way ; public houses to be de- stroyed — they were dens of wickedness ; no business or manual labor to be performed on Sundays. To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 47 While Bretislav was plundering the cities of Poland, Rejcka, who ruled the country in her son's name, ap- pealed for protection to Henry III, who was one of the most powerful rulers of his age. He gladly embraced the opportunity to meddle in the affairs of Bohemia ; and at once declared w^ar against Bretislav. This war lasted for several years, and in the end proved dis- astrous to the Bohemians. Bretislav was obliged to limit his boundaries to Moravia and Bohemia, and to continue to pay the old tribute of five hundred pounds of silver and sixty yoke of oxen. But after this the Bohemian prince became one of the electors of the Emperor of Germany. Complaint being brought to the Pope that Bretislav had plundered the churches of Poland, as a penance he built a beautiful church in Old Boleslav, or, as the name has been mutilated by the Germans, Alte Bungslau. Bretislav was a wise and able ruler. During his reign, many good laws were passed, among which the most important was the one in regard to the succession. Having five sons, he feared lest, after his death, the struggle for the throne might plunge the country into civil war, as had been the case in Poland ; with the consent of the State Diet, a law was passed declaring that the oldest of the Premysls should inherit the throne, whether he came in the direct line of descent or not. SPYTIHNEV II. Bretislav died in 1055, and was succeeded by his oldCvSt son, Spytihnev, who is known in history as the second of that name, the first Spytihnev having ruled but a small part of Bohemia, during the time when the 48 The Story of Bohemia. Moravian prince Swatopluk was lord over both Mora- via and Bohemia. lyike his father, Spytihnev possessed great beauty of person. He was tall, had a ruddy complexion, black hair, and a long flowing beard. He was gener- ous and noble, but very severe and just. This just- ness, however, was mostly towards his own people ; for as soon as he assumed the government he passed an edict ordering all Germans to leave the country, includ- his own mother, Judith, who sought refuge with her son Vratislav, in Moravia. This severe measure seemed to have been specially directed against some lords who had been his father's courtiers, and had done the young prince some personal injury. Some time after this, this same ruler drove away the Slavonic monks from the Sazava monastery, placing the institution in the hands of Germans. The fugitive monks, with their abbot, Vitos, who was the nephew of St. Prokop, the founder of the institution, betook themselves to Hun- gary, where they remained till they were recalled dur- ing the reign of King Vratislav I. The historian Kosmos, being personally acquainted with Spytihnev, says many things in his praise. He was the protector of widows and orphans, who never appealed to him in vain. VRATlSIvAV I. vSpytihnev died in 1061, when he was but thirty years of age; and his brother Vratislav, being the old- est of the Premysl family, was declared the ruler, ac- cording to the law of succession passed during the reign of Bretislav. There were three more brothers, Otto, Conrad, and Jaromir. Otto and Conrad received possessions in Moravia, but Jaromir had been destined To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II, 49 for the Church, with the agreement that when the Bishop of Prague died he should be appointed his suc- cessor. Jaromir was a spirited young man, who pre- ferred hunting to prayer, and not receiving any lands, he went to Poland, where he spent his time in the gay- eties of life at court. The Bishop of Prague dying, the lords sent word to Jaromir to.return to his country, that the bishop's chair was awaiting him. Jaromir accordingly returned, was accepted as the bishop by the lords, but was waiting to receive the confirmation of his office from Vratislav. A Diet was held at Nachod, the lords with their bishop waiting for the ruler to perform the act of con- firmation ; but what was their amazement when they saw Vratislav call to the throne Lanzon, a German, and extend to him the scepter and ring as the sign that he accepted him as bishop. Kojata, one of the chief lords, turning to Otto, exclaimed : " Why stand- est thou here like a block, and dost not take thy broth- er's part ? Seest thou not that one of princely blood is pushed aside, and a stranger, who came into the country ragged, is placed into the bishop's chair? But if our prince breaks his father's oath, we at least shall not make our fathers perjurers in the sight of God. We are ready for any undertaking rather than consent to the choice of this German." Smil, the lord of Zatec, spoke in a similar manner, and then, taking Jaromir and the other two princes by the hand, they led them out of the assembly, followed by many other lords. Vratislav, seeing that the friends of Jaromir w^ere preparing for armed resistance, went to Prague, whence he sent messengers to his brother, promising to confirm him in the bishopric. 4 50 The Story of Bohemia. Jaromir proved a good bishop, being very consci- entious in the discharge of the duties of his office. He was very kind to the poor, giving abundant alms ; but poor clerical students were the special objects of his care, and he spared no pains to help them to be- come thoroughly prepared for their high calling. Al- though Jaromir was a very faithful bishop, he did not succeed in laying aside his spirited disposition. A dispute arising between him and the Bishop of Mora- via in regard to some estate that both claimed, Jaromir went to Olmutz, entered the house of that prelate with an armed force, and himself beat the unfortunate man. For this act of violence he was cited to Rome, and humbling himself duly before the Pope, he finally suc- ceeded in obtaining absolution, but not the estate in question. Upon returning home, he took possession of the estate; but the Pope finally settled the difficulty by dividing it equally between the two bishops. During the reign of Vratislav occurred that mem- orable quarrel between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV of Germany about the question of investitures. Vratislav took the part of the emperor, sending him three hundred picked men to aid him in the expedi- tion against the Pope. This small force did good service, and were the very first to scale the walls of Rome, for which gallant deed, the leader, Wiprecht, was rewarded by receiving Judith, the daughter of the Bohemian prince, in marriage. Vratislav also did good service to the emperor by defeating lyeopold, the Duke of Austria, who had rebelled against Henry while the latter was away on the expedition to Rome. In consideration of these services, Henry gave Meissen to Vratislav, and further honored him by To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 51 giving him the title of King of Bohemia. Up to this time the rulers of Bohemia had been called princes or dukes, as was also the case in regard to Moravia. Henry further rewarded Vratislav by making his brother Jaromir (Gebhart) chancellor of the realm, and provided that at the death of the Bishop of Moravia, the two bishoprics should be reunited. Finally he ac- cepted four thousand pounds of silver as full payment for all the tribute that Bohemia should ever pay to the empire ; but after that the king was to furnish three hundred men to accompany the emperor whenever he went to Rome for his coronation. Vratislav had been called King of Bohemia by the German Emperor ; but this title did not seem real as long as he had not been crowned. There- The corona- tion of fore, as soon as he returned from the wars, vratisiav. grand preparations were made in Prague for this ceremony. June 15, 1086, Prague was the scene of the grandest celebration Bohemia had ever seen. Both Vratislav and his wife Svatava were crowned in the St. Vitus Cathedral. The people shouted : " Blessing, vic- tory, and glory to Vratislav, the great and gracious King of Bohemia and Poland, crowned of God!" The title King of Poland was but nominal, being given by the emperor to show Bohemia's supremacy over that country. Vratislav reigned six years after his coronation. He had five sons, and for some time he thought of breaking the Bretislav law of succession in favor of his oldest son Bretislav; but the young man bringing upon himself the wrath of his father by murdering the favorite courtier of the latter, the crown was finally given to Conrad, the brother of Vratislav. 52 The Story of Bohemia. Vratislav, being a firm ally of Henry IV, many German noblemen and other dignitaries came to Bo- hemia, and, consequently, numerous German customs were introduced into the country. During his reign, the first German settlement was made in Prague, the privilege having been purchased from the king. In 1092, Vratislav lost his life by falling from his horse while out hunting. His body was buried in the beautiful church of St. Peter and Paul that he himself had built and endowed. At the very beginning of his reign, Vratislav righted the wrong that had been done by his brother to the Slavonic monks of St. Prokop's monastery °^^ ^"^ ■ at Sazava, by calling them back and rein- stating them in their old position. They had a very famous abbot named Bozetech. He was a very learned man, and comprehending the spirit of the founder of the monastery, he made it the seat of learning as well as of art. He was himself well skilled in sculpture, wood-carving, and architecture. He made many beau- tiful ornaments for the church, and also drew out the plans for several churches. On account of his devo- tion to the Church and his benevolent disposition, he was greatly beloved, not only by the people, but also by the king, who was a frequent visitor to Sazava. A curious incident is related of Bozetech that shows the jealous disposition of the higher clergy even at this early date. While the abbot was serving mass and the king kneeling before the altar, he took the crown and laid it on the king's head. As this honorable duty belonged only to the bishop, that dignitary was so of- fended that he resolved to impose a severe penance upon the presumptuous abbot. He accordingly ordered To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II . 53 Bozetech to make a wooden cross as large as himself, and carry it upon his shoulders to Rome. Bozetech obeyed, and so won back the favor of his superior. BRKTISI.AV II. After the death of Vratislav, his brother Conrad ascended the throne ; but, dying within eight months, he was succeeded by Bretislav, the oldest son of Vratislav. The reign of Bretislav II is noted for the eflforts he made to root out the last remnants of paganism. The sacred groves were cut down, the dead buried in consecrated ground, and wizards and fortune-tellers driven from the country. It was during the reign of this king that the Crusades began. Many of the Crusaders, coming from the Rhine provinces, marched through Bohemia, causing much trouble by their lawless behavior. As usual, the chief objects of their persecution were the Jews. While in Prague, they tried to compel them to be baptized; and when they refused, they were beaten and robbed, the authorities either not caring, or being unable to prevent such lawlessness. King Bretislav brought much evil upon the country by attempting to violate the law of succes- sion. According to law, his successor should have been Ulric, the son of Conrad, who, it will be remem- bered, reigned but eight months ; but Bretislav deter- mined that his own brother should be his successor. The two brothers, Bretislav and Borivoi, therefore, undertook a journey to the German emperor, to ob- tain his assistance in securing the throne. Henry IV gladly granted this request, since, by so doing, he ex- 54 The Story of Bohemia. ercised a right that in the future could be taken as a precedent, and thus give him a plausible right to in- terfere in Bohemian politics. As Ulric ruled in Mo- ravia, as soon as Bretislav returned he invaded that country, drove Ulric away, and established Borivoi in the government. Shortly after this, Bretislav perished b^^ a violent death. Returning home from a hunt, when he was passing through a dense wood a strange horseman rushed out and thrust Bretislav through with his spear. The people regarded this as a punishment from heaven for his unjust treatment of his kinsmen, The assassin was found, but mortally wounded with his own dagger. BORIVOI. As soon as Borivoi heard of the death of the king, he hastened to Bohemia to take possession of the throne. As soon as he left, the fugitive Ulric re- turned, and regained the government of Moravia, and prepared to invade Bohemia. Following the ex- ample of his rival, he, too, went with rich gifts to the emperor, and the latter, in turn, granted him the fief of Bohemia. But as he received no material support, his expedition against Bohemia did not prove success- ful, and he returned home, giving up all aspirations to the throne. Borivoi proved a good ruler, being greatly beloved by the people ; but he was a weak man, easily influ- enced by others, and unable to protect himself against their intrigues. Swatopluk, the Duke of Olmutz, belonged to a younger branch of the Premysl family. Being a bold and ambitious young man, he determined to secure To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 55 for himself the crown of Bohemia. Not having the shadow of any legal right to the crown, he was obliged to resort to intrigue. He bribed the burg- masters of some of the most important fortrCvSses, in- vaded the country, marching to the very gates of Prague. He expected that the fortresses of Hrad- schin and Vysehrad would be delivered into his hands ; hut, being disappointed in this, he was obliged to leave the country, feeling much chagrined at the miscarriage of his plan. But Swatopluk's ambitious spirit was not to be daunted by one failure. He soon formed another plan, far deeper and more treacherous than the first, in one of his courtiers he found a willing tool to carry out his scheme. This wretch came to Borivoi as though he were fleeing from the wrath of his mas- ter, and begged the king to take him under his protec- tion. Remaining at the Bohemian court, he soon won the confidence of Borivoi, and succeeded in turn- ing him against his best friends, including his own brother, Vladislav, and the powerful Wirsov nobles. Vladislav, being estranged from his brother, entered into an agreement with the usurper, promising to re- main neutral in the coming contest, in consideration of which, the latter, if successful, would declare him his immediate successor. Swatopluk then invaded the country the second time, and the king, forsaken by his friends, was obliged to flee from the country. As usual, he sought refuge at the court of the German emperor, and, promising great rewards, he succeeded in persuading that ruler to take up his cause. Swato- pluk was therefore ordered to appear before his liege lord, as the emperor now claimed to be, and give an 56 The Story of Bohemia. account of his deeds. Fearing to disobey so great a monarch, he went to Germany ; but no sooner had he made his appearance at the court than he was seized and cast into prison. But Swatopluk had powerful friends at home, who would not leave him to languish in prison. The emperor wanted 10,000 pounds of silver for his ransom, and as the court treasury was empty, churches, merchants, and private families were robbed to raise the required amount. The sum was paid, Swatopluk returned to Bohemia, and resumed the gov- ernment without any further opposition. THK MASSACRE OF THE WIRSOVS. The Wirsov family, although not spoken of often in so small a work as this, nevertheless played an im- portant part in the earlier history of Bohemia. Being very wealthy and powerful, they often indulged in ambitious schemes, and consequently were regarded with suspicion at the court. When Swatopluk usurped the throne, there was war between the Ger- man emperor and the Hungarians and Poles, and the Bohemian king, in consideration of the services done him by the emperor, was obliged to render him his assistance. In this war, the two most powerful Wir- sov lords, Bozej and Mutina, were placed in com- mand of the army on the Polish frontier, and, being attacked by Boleslav, the Polish prince, they were obliged to fall back into Bohemia. At this time Swa- topluk was in Hungary, and, hearing the news, he started home, fearing lest a worse disaster befall his armies. On the way home he was met by secret messengers, who informed him that the recent defeat of his forces was due to the treachery of the Wirsovs, To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 57 who had entered into a secret alliance with the Polish ruler. Swatopluk himself, being of a very treacher- ous character, easily believed in the treachery ol others, and so he at once determined to take signal vengeance upon the Wirsovs. On this homeward journey, Mutina, with his two sons, came to meet his king, and was received most cordially. The whole party remained all night at the fortress of Breslau. The next morning the king ordered his lords to meet him in the banquet hall, and when they were all to- gether, he entered, and began to denounce the whole race of Wirsovs, charging them with all manner of crimes. He then turned to his hired murderers, and ordered them to begin the work of death. Such a consternation fell upon those present that for a moment a deathlike silence reigned in the hall; but it was only for a moment, for the assassins were thirsty for the blood of their victims. The Wirsovs present, together with all their friends and attendants, were murdered without mercy. Then the bloody men mounted their horses, and galloped off to I^ibitz, the chief seat of the Wirsovs, to continue the work of death. When the warden announced that a body of horsemen were coming to the fortress, Bozej said : " It 's our soldiers from Hungary ; in God's name let them enter." The assassins repaid the kind welcome by murdering the inmates and plundering the fortress. But the Wirsov family was very large, the members living upon their estates in various parts of the country ; and as Swatopluk had made the determina- tion to exterminate the whole race of Wirsovs, the work of butchery lasted for many days. They were hunted down like wild beasts ; some were found and 58 The Story of Bohemia. publicly executed in Prague, and some chased and killed in the streets of the city. The historian Kos- mos relates how the headsman tore two beautiful boys out of their mother's arms, and cut their throats in the market-place. The people, seeing this horrible sight, crossed themselves and fled, fearing the venge- ance of God. It was estimated that some 3,000 souls perished in this massacre. The perpetrator of this monstrous crime did not long outlive his victims. While on an expedition to Hungary, in passing through a forest, he lost his eye by striking his head against the limb of a tree. The following year, while helping the emperor in the war against the Poles, he remained in the tent of that prince till dark, and, while returning to his own camp, a strange rider joined his guards without being observed. Just as they emerged from the woods, the rider approached Swatopluk, and, ere the latter was aware, he was thrust through with the spear, and fell dead from his horse. The strange rider was never found; but it was supposed that he had been hired to commit the deed by John, the son of Tistova, the only one of the Wirsovs that had succeeded in escap- ing from the country. It will be remembered that the Wirsovs had ex- terminated the Slavnikov family, and that it was their cruelty that had driven St. Vojtech from the country. VI^ADISIvAV I. The sudden death of Swatopluk threw the country into a state of anarchy. The evil precedent estab- lished by Bretislav in violating the law of succession now proved the cause of endless misery to the To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 59 country. The struggle for the crown commenced immediately, even in the camp, and almost in the presence of the enemy. There were several candi- dates, and each tried to win the favor of Henry V, then in the camp, by rich presents and extravagant promises. Henry accepted all the gifts, giving in re- turn many fair promises, but finally decided to aid Vladislav, the brother of Borivoi, who, it seems, was able to offer the highest bribe; namely, 500 pounds of silver. The disappointed candidates determined to defend their rights with the sword, and civil war was the result. Brothers fought against brothers, sons against fathers, old friends plundered each other's estates, and the whole land was plunged into the ut- most misery. Finally, the other candidates dropping off, Borivoi, the brother of Vladislav, alone remaining, the latter became reconciled, and willingly abdicated the throne in favor of Borivoi. This friendship, how- ever, was of short duration. Vladislav again seized the throne, and Borivoi fled into foreign lands, where he remained till he died. Vladislav was a kind-hearted man, and, as far as lay in his power, he tried to make good the losses sus- tained by the people during the civil war. His younger brother, Sobeslav, who had again and again plotted against him, was called to court, forgiven, and Vradi- slav even went so far as to persuade his lords to name Sobeslav as his successor. SOBKS1.AV I. The family of Premysls, unlike most royal families, seemed to increase in a geometrical ratio, and, the law of succession being ignored, there was a continual 6o The Story of Bohemia. struggle between the older members as to who should become the ruler. Each candidate sought to win the favor of the ruling prince, since his approval had con- siderable influence upon the election. Thus Sobeslav, being acknowledged by Vladislav as his successor, mounted the throne without any opposition. But one candidate refused to give up his claims. This was Otto the Black, the brother of Swatopluk. Otto the Black had expected to obtain the crown at the death of Swat- opluk, and, being disappointed, he determined that now, at least, the prize should not elude his grasp. He therefore appealed to lyOthair, who was now Em- peror of Germany. lyike his predecessors, the reigning emperor was glad of the opportunity to meddle in the affairs of Bohemia, and so at once summoned Sobeslav to ap- pear before him and explain how he dared accept the crown of Bohemia without the consent of the emperor. Sobeslav replied to the messengers as follows : " I hope, through God's mercy, and through the help of St. Voj- tech and St. Vaclav, that our country shall not be de- livered into the hands of strangers." In order that this confidence might not appear to be misplaced, he im- mediately began to make vigorous preparations for war. Being a popular prince, soldiers flocked to his standard from all sides, and soon he was ready to meet the enemy. In the winter of 1126, Eothair invaded the country on the borders of Saxony. A bloody bat- tle was fought in which the Germans were totally de- feated, and Otto the Black, the candidate for the crown of Bohemia, fell mortally wounded. A treaty of peace was made by which Lothair agreed never to ask more of the Bohemians than the privilege of confirming the To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 6i elections that they made. The two rulers then be- came fast friends. The war being over, Sobeslav turned his attention to internal improvements. He built and endowed churches and monasteries, and in all possible ways en- couraged art and learning. In those days, Church and education were closely connected, the churches having elementary schools connected with them, and the mon- asteries being the seats of higher education, where painting, music, and sculpture were cultivated, and books written and transcribed. In the twelfth century there were many collegiate churches in Bohemia, where promising young men could obtain a good education. But those that desired to stand side by side with the great scholars of other nations, usually went to Paris or to some of the universities of Italy. Sobeslav, seeing that the law of succession was con- tinually violated, determined to go back to the old law of primogeniture, his personal interests doubtless hav- ing something to do in this decision, since then the choice would fall upon his own son Vladislav. The Diet approved of the plan, and Vladislav was accord- ingly elected. As he was a young man of strong char- acter, who would be likely to rule the country without much regard to the wishes of the nobles, they pro- tested against the election, and chose another Vladislav, the son of the previous Vladislav, as the successor of Sobeslav, believing that, both on account of his mild disposition and his gratitude to them, he would have so much regard to their wishes that they would really be the rulers of the kingdom. Sobeslav died in 1140, and Vladislav, having the lords upon his side, ascended the throne without any opposition. 62 The Story of Bohemia, VI,ADISI.AV II. As soon as Vladislav assumed the government, the lords discovered that they had entirely misunderstood his character. He proved to be a man of sound judg- ment and of great independence of character, and began to rule the country without any regard to the wishes ot those by whom he had been chosen. The indignant nobles met, declared Vladislav incapable of govern- ment, deposed him, and elected in his place, Con- rad of Znojem. Civil war again followed this election. Vladislav refused to give up the throne, and prepared to defend his rights by force of arms. Conrad gath- ered a large army in Moravia, and invaded Bohemia. A severe battle was fought at Males, in which Vladi- slav was defeated, so that he was obliged to fall back to Prague. I^eaving his brother Depold in command of the city, he went to Germany to seek the assistance of the emperor, with whose aid he was finally rein- stated in the government. During this war, there was fearful devastation of the country, and much confusion in regard to the own- ership of property. As this, in many cases, touched church property, the Pope sent his legate, the Cardi- nal Guido, to settle the difficulties. The Bishop of Olmutz had been deprived of his income because he would not join the malcontent lords, who now were compelled to make good to him his losses. Cardinal Guido also succeeded in effecting a reconciliation be- tween Vladislav and the rebellious lords. They did him homage, and he gave them back what possessions he had in his power. Many new regulations were introduced into the To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 63 country, and the law of Gregory VII, in regard to ce- libacy was now enforced, the priests being given the al- ternative either to leave their wives or their Churches. Many priests, holding high positions in the Church, had up to this time lived in open violation of the law, and even now it was not fully obeyed. In fact, mar- ried priests were found in Bohemia even in the reign of Charles IV, in the fourteenth century. During the reign of Vladislav began the second great Crusade. Conrad III of Germany, and lyouis VII of France, took up the cross, and the Bohemian prince joined the expedition with many of his chief lords. The Prince of Saxony, Henry lyco, aided by some Moravian lords and by Bishop Zdik, also undertook a crusade, but not to the Holy lyand. They went to the Slavic tribes of Lutetia and Pomerania to compel them to accept Christianity ; but they met with such spirited resistance that they returned home without accomplishing anything. The Crusade to the Holy lyand also proved a failure. Vladislav, leaving his troops under the command of the French king, started for home, stopping on the way at Constantinople, where he made a treaty of friendship wnth the Greek emperor. Having seen many lands, and learned much that could benefit his people, Vladislav might now have used his experience for the good of his country ; but he was a warlike man, and preferred military glory to the welfare of his subjects. Being home but a short time, he undertook an- other military expedition. He prepared an army to aid the German emperor to subdue the city of Milan, that was trying to gain its independence ; for which 64 The Story of Bohemia. service the emperor promised to grant him the title of king, and to all the rulers of Bohemia after him. But the Diet refused to grant him the money to pay the necessary expenses ; and, moreover, declared that he could not, according to the laws of the country, take the troops across the boundary without the con- sent of the State Diet. But the intrepid warrior was not to be turned from his purpose so easily ; he raised an army of 10,000 volunteers, fitting them out at his own expense. The Bohemians distinguished themselves greatly in this expedition, the fame of their valor spreading to all parts of Europe ; but, aside from this, it proved of no practical benefit to the country. Vladislav undertook several more military expe- ditions, winning great renown. But he was not sus- tained in this by the most thoughtful men of his realm ; they could not see that any benefit came to the country from these wars. Vladislav's success was not due so much to his superior wisdom as to the counsels he received from his adviser. Bishop Daniel. This prelate was more of a statesman and politician than a Churchman. Indeed, his wisdom in regard to matters of state may be inferred from the fact that Vladislav sent him, as a special favor, to the German emperor, Frederick, at whose court he remained many years, being the chief adviser of that ruler. Although Frederick was bound to Vladislav by so many acts of friendship, yet as soon as Bishop Daniel died he began to intrigue against him. He harbored at his court the two sons of Sobeslav, who had not given up their claim to the Bohemian throne. Vladi- slav, desiring to keep the crown in his own family, To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar IL 65 induced the Diet to elect his son Frederick king of Bohemia, which, being done, he resigned the govern- ment into his hands, himself entering a monastery, where he remained till his death, in 1 1 74. FRKDKRICK AND SOBESIvAV II. The abdication of Vladislav had not the desired effect; for Kniperor Frederick, knowing well the state of affairs in Bohemia, determined that the prince of that country should be of his own appointing. The chief candidate for the throne was Sobeslav, the son of Sobeslav I. During the reign of Vladislav, this prince had invaded Moravia, intending to make that the base of his operations against Bohemia; but, through treachery, falling into the hands of the ruler of that country, he was cast into prison, where he lan- guished till the time when Frederick ascended his fath- er's throne. Emperor Frederick now ordered the King of Bohemia to release Sobeslav, and both to appear be- fore him, that he might decide which one had the bet- ter claims to the crown. Sobeslav was immediately released, brought to Prague, and treated with the ut- most distinction, Frederick hoping that he might thus win him to himself, and dissuade him from his am- bitious designs. But Sobeslav had no notion of giv- ing up his claims. He fled to the emperor, com- plained that he was not safe in Bohemia, begging that monarch to take up his just cause. King Frederick, being of a somewhat timid disposition, now obeyed the summons of the emperor ; and, moreover, tamely submitted when the latter declared Sobeslav to be the rightful heir to the Bohemian throne. In consideration of these services, Sobeslav was 5 66 The Story of Bohemia. obliged to fit out an army to aid the emperor in the ItaHan war. Sobeslav proved a good ruler, doing all in his power to promote the welfare and prosperity of his subjects. The common people loved him, greatly, both on account of his father, Sobeslav I — of glorious memory — and because he was equally kind to the poor and lowly as to the wealthy, who in scorn called him " The Prince of Peasants." But having spent fifteen years in prison, he had not learned the ways of the world, and consequently w^as unable to cope with the craft of enemies and the selfish schemes of friends, who continually imposed upon his generosity. On account of the help that Sobeslav received from the emperor, he was obliged to aid him in the Italian war; but after having spent two years in Italy, losing many men, the emperor was obliged to give up the struggle. Another war broke out concerning the archbishopric of Salzburg. There were two rival claimants for this position, the cause of Archbishop Albert being taken up by Pope Alexander and Henry II, the Duke of Austria, as against the emperor, who had appointed another prelate to the position. Sobeslav fitted out an army of 60,000 men, then invaded the dominions of the Duke of Austria, where he committed such fearful devastations, not sparing churches and monasteries, that he brought upon himself the wrath of the Pope, who excommunicated him, giving his crown to his former rival, Frederick, the son of Vladislav. Frederick invaded the country, and, al- though Sobeslav defended himself bravely, he was defeated, and compelled to leave the country. The Kmperor Frederick, having become reconciled, with To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 67 the Pope, treacherously forsook his former ally, who had been of so much assistance to him in his wars, and promised to help Frederick to secure the crown. As might be supposed, Frederick had promised the emperor a large sum of money ; but the regular sources of revenue having been drained by Sobeslav, he was obliged to resort to new, and often illegal, methods of taxation, which pressed very heavily both upon the common people and upon the nobilit}^ The country being brought to the verge of financial ruin, the nobles arose again.st Frederick, deposed him, and elected Conrad Otto, of Znojem, his succcessor. He fled to the German emperor, who took up his cause, threatening the Bohemians with war if they refused to reinstate him in the government. To satisfy Conrad Otto, he gave him Moravia as a fief, thus detaching it from Bohemia, the rulers of which alone had, up to this time, exercised this right, Frederick was by no means satisfied with this arrangement, and as soon as he was well established upon the throne he raised an army, and sent his brother, Premysl Ottokar, to Mo- ravia, to bring the ruler of that country to his former allegiance. A bloody battle was fought, and although Conrad Otto was not completely subdued, he complied with the demands of Premysl rather than longer shed the blood of friends and kindred. During the reign of Frederick, trouble arose be- tween him and the Bishop of Prague, who tried to free his estates from all taxation and duties to the State. Being opposed in this by Frederick, like his prince, he carried the controversy to the German court. The emperor decided that the Bishop of Prague was a prince of the imperial realm, and consequently was in 68 The Story of Bohemia. duty bound to render allegiance to the emperors and not to the princes of Bohemia. Thus the Emperor Frederick tried to divide the kingdom of Bohemia into two realms, one spiritual and the other secular. Prince Frederick now tried to win the favor of the emperor by joining him in a crusade to the Holy Land ; but he died before the preparations were completed. Hew^as succeeded by Conrad Otto, of Znojem, who, up to this time, had ruled in Moravia. The emperor also died shortly after, while on the crusade, and his son Henry was elected to succeed him. He is known in history as Henry VI. At the death of Frederick, Bohemia was plunged into the most fearful anarchy. Several princes of the Premysl family tried to win the throne, and in the struggle did not scruple to resort to the most unlawful and ignoble measures. At length the nobility elected Vaclav, the son of Sobeslav ; and Premysl, the brother of Frederick, being the rival claimant, immediately went to Henry, the German emperor, promising him 6,000 pounds of silver if he would grant him the fief of Bo- hemia. Henry, following the example of his father, gladly accpted the offer, and Premysl, otherwise called Ottokar, became the ruler of Bohemia, Vaclav being compelled to give up the throne. Ottokar being unable to raise so large a sum of money, the Bishop Bretislav was sent to the German court as security until the debt should be paid. Henry, how^ever, soon became tired of Premysl Ottokar, and as he had the right to place him upon the throne, so now he claimed the right to depose him. Bretislav, the wily prelate, had succeeded in winning the favor of the emperor, and so was declared the ruler of Bohe- To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 69 mia. Bishop Bretislav, with a large army of German troops, now came to Bohemia to secure the throne, meeting the rightful ruler at Zdik. The Bohemian lords, who shortly before had sworn that they would lay down their lives for their prince, now treacher- ously forsook him, going over to the side of the usurper, and Premysl was obliged to flee, leaving the ambitious prelate master of the field. Bretislav also conquered Moravia, taking Vladislav, the brother of Premysl, prisoner. As soon as he was well established upon the throne, the emperor sent him against the Margrave of Meis- sen, who was in rebellion against him. The prelate- prince devastated the country of Meissen so fearfully, that he himself was struck with shame and agreed to do a public penance. Bishop Bretislav ruled in Bohemia only four j^ears. Being taken ill, the lords at once proceeded to elect his succeSvSor. Being afraid of Premysl on account of their treachery to him, they set Vladislav at liberty, and elected him their prince. Premysl hearing of this, and thinking that, as the older brother, he had better claims to the crown, gathered his friends about him and hastened to Bohemia, for the second time to try to win the coveted prize. But Vladislav, with a magnanimity rarely seen among princes, and especially the princes of those days, decided that he would save his country from the horrors of another civil war. Having a far larger army at his command than Premysl, Vladislav, nevertheless, resigned the government into his broth- er's hands, exacting from him a solemn promise that he would do all in his power to promote the peace and prosperity of his subjects. 70 The Story of Bohemia. PREMYSI. OTTOKAR I. Premysl, surnamed by the Germans Ottokar, was endowed by nature with the qualities that make a good ruler. He was not only a good general, but also a statesman, and it was both these qualities that enabled him to restore his country to her former independence. When Premysl Ottokar became the ruler of Bohe- mia, the States constituting the German Empire were torn by internal dissensions, and as formerly the em- perors had profited by the domestic troubles in Bohe- mia, so now Premysl Ottokar determined to profit by similar troubles in Germany. After the death of Henry VI, the German lords and princes were divided into two hostile parties. One party wanted to choose as emperor Philip of Hohenstaufen, the brother of Henry VI, since his son Frederick was still too young to rule; the other party wanted Otto, the Duke of Brunswick. Premysl, being one of the electors, favored Philip, and that prince suc- ceeded in securing the election. As a reward for this service, Philip declared Premysl the King of Bohe- mia, and also made that title forever hereditary in the rulers of that country. Both Premysl Ottokar and Philip were crowned the same day at Mayence. But Philip had an inveterate enemy in the Pope, Innocent III, who favored Otto of Brunswick, since the latter had promised, if elected, to do great things in establishing the power of the Church in his domin- ions. By favoring Philip, Premysl incurred the enmity of Innocent III, which was a great misfortune, since he needed the help of that prelate in several matters. In violation of the customs of those days, the Bohemians To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar IL 71 had chosen their own bishop, and they desired the Pope's confirmation of this act ; then Premysl wanted a divorce from his wife Adleta, and permission to marry another lady. After much negotiation, the Pope consented to grant these favors, but only on con- dition that Premysl withdraw his allegiance from Philip and transfer it to Otto. For this act of obedience, the Pope showered his favors upon Premysl Ottokar. He confirmed all the old rights and privileges of Bohemia, so that they never again could be touched by the German emperors ; at the same time the country was ranked among the other kingdoms of Christendom (1204). He acknowl- edged the independence of the country; declared her rulers to be kings equal in dignity to any princes of Ger- many. In those days, such declarations from the head of the Church were of inestimable value, since it was generally conceded that the Pope alone had the right to grant royal titles. In accordance with this theory, the first coronation of Premysl was declared null and void, and he was crowned a second time by the Pope's legate, Cardinal Guido. Another favor granted to Premysl, which filled the whole land with rejoicing, was the canonization of St. Prokop, the founder of the Sazava monastery. Premysl Ottokar had espoused the cause of Otto against his own judgment, and the Pope also found that his confidence in that ruler had been misplaced. No sooner was Otto well established upon the imperial throne than he forgot all his promises toPope Innocent, and, indeed, came out in open hostility against him. Refusing to be admonished, he was excommunicated, and Frederick of Hohenstaufen was declared his sue- 72 The Story of Bohemia. cesser. This turn of affairs proved exceedingly fortu- nate for Premysl Ottokar. His sympathies being with Frederick, he espoused his cause with sincere joy, and it was through his assistance that Frederick was able to gain possession of the imperial throne. What high value Frederick placed upon the services of Premysl may be judged from the concessions he made to him : Bohemia should forever be a kingdom ; the emperor should never impose any duties upon the rulers of that country, except the three hundred horsemen to accom- pany them to Rome, or, in default of this, three hun- dred pounds of silver ; the investitures of the Bishops of Bohemia should be given by the Kings of Bohemia, and not, as had hitherto been done, by the emperor. In addition to this, several strongholds on the borders of the country were ceded to Bohemia. Thus Premysl, by knowing how to take advantage of favorable circumstances, secured dignity and inde- pendence for his country. When he ascended the throne, the country was on the verge of ruin, and there is no doubt that if such a state of affairs had con- tinued longer, Bohemia as Bohemia would have been blotted out of existence, being torn up into petty prin- cipalities, and divided among the various German princes. Premysl Ottokar, fearing that what had been gained in his reign might be lost in the next, called a Diet, and had it pass a law in regard to the succession. The Diet, following the custom in vogue among other na- tions, passed the law of primogeniture, according to which Vaclav, the older son of Premysl Ottokar, was declared the successor. To give greater weight to this decision, Vaclav was crowned and made joint ruler To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 73 with his father. The younger son was given the gov- ernment of Moravia. Before the close of Premysl's reign, trouble arose between him and the emperor. Frederick had prom- ised to give his oldest son Henry in marriage to Premysl's daughter Agnes, who, for this reason, was brought up at the court of lycopold, the Duke of Austria, since, as the prospective empress, it was necessary that she should become accustomed to Ger- man manners and customs. When Agnes was seven- teen years of age, Premysl expected that now the promise would be fulfilled; so what was his amaze- ment when his daughter was sent back to him in dis- grace. I^eopold had persuaded the emperor to give Henry to his own daughter, Margaret. Premysl re- sented this slight by a declaration of war, which, aside from satisfying his offended dignity, led to no practical results. Agnes was so deeply hurt that she abjured wed- lock, choosing rather to spend her days within cloister walls. She joined the order of the Sisters of Clara; but, being a highly gifted woman, and having been educated with a view to public life, she could not rest content with spending all her time in devotional ex- ercises. Although out of the world, she kept herself informed of its doings. Being greatly beloved by her brother Vaclav, she became his best friend and coun- selor. She was also held in high regard by the Pope, who often consulted her in matters of Church and State relating to Bohemia. Agnes had great influ- ence in regard to the organization of benevolent in- stitutions in Prague. She organized the order of St. Clara in Prague, which had a hospital connected with 74 The Story of Bohemia. its convent. She was abbess of this convent for forty-eight years. However pious her life, and full of good works, she never forgot the slight put upon her by Henry, and, through her influence upon King Vaclav, she made that prince feel both her power and her enmity. , KING VACIvAV I. Premysl Ottokar died in 1230, and his son Vaclav, already crowned during the life of his father, ascended the throne without any opposition. This ruler, twenty-five years of age at the time he assumed the government, was a brave and spirited young man, energetic in his actions, but estranged from his peo- ple by his German education. Indeed, Vaclav loved everything that was foreign, and during his reign foreign manners and customs were introduced into the country as never before. This tendency to push Slavic customs into the background was already marked at his coronation. In the old days, the chosen prince was led to the simple stone seat, which was a sort of throne, and installed into his ofiice in a very simple manner. He was given the leathern hand-bag and wooden shoes brought to Vysehrad by the first Premysl, to remind him that princes come from the peo- ple, and hence derive their authority from them. But in the coronation of Vaclav, he was taken in great pomp to the cathedral, where, with magnificent ceremonial, he was crowned by the archbishop, thus indicating that his authority was derived from the Church, and not from the people. The continual contact with the German nations, during the reigns of both Premysl and Vaclav, made the Bohemian people acquainted with the intellectual To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 75 progress of Western Europe ; but, at the same time, it was the means of introducing into the country many evil customs hitherto unknown. The higher classes became more and more luxurious in their mode of life, and in the same proportion as the lords waxed fat, the peasants upon their estates waxed lean, until servitude as grievous as slavery gradually became in- troduced into the country. Vaclav set the example of luxurious living, by in- viting into the country Ojir, of Friedberg, to organize a court equal in magnificence to any in Europe. For this service he received the fortress Bilin, with all the adjacent estates. In connection with the magnificent court came also the tournament, which was introduced into the country during this reign. The knights vied with each other in their rich coats of mail, their hel- mets and shields overlaid with gold and precious stones, satin cloaks embroidered with silver and gold, and costly trappings for their steeds. King Vaclav was also an admirer of the fine arts, especially of poetry and music. Wandering singers and troubadours were always sure of a warm welcome at his court. A fragment of a love-song, said to have been composed by him, is still extant. Although Vaclav was very fond of music, there was one kind of music that he could not endure, and that was the ring- ing of bells. Whenever he was to pass through a town or village, couriers were sent ahead to warn the people not to offend his majesty's sensibilities by ringing their bells. At this time much stress began to be laid upon birth. For a man to be counted " good," it was neces- sary that he could refer to his noble lineage at least 76 The Story of Bohemia. from " four corners ;" that is, both his parents and grandparents had to be of noble blood. During the reigns of Premysl and Vaclav, the lords built many fortresses, imitating in this the nobles of other countries. These fortresses, built by the different lords, helped to establish the custom of taking surnames. Up to this time no family names had been used. Some- times a son, wishing to have some way of being known from other men of the same name, took the name of his father ; but this name was not permanent. Thus, supposing his name was John and that of his father Herman, he would be called John Hermanov, which meant Herman's John. But Hermanov did not remain the distinguishing name of his family ; for his son, in turn, might assume his father's Christian name. Permanent family names were at first assumed by the nobles from some device upon their standards, and from their castles or fortresses. Thus Sir Wok, whose device was a rose, built a fortress (i 241-1 246), and named it Rosenberg ; after that the men of the family were known as the Lords of Rosenberg. The same may be said of the origin of Sternberg, Lichten- berg, Wartenberg, and others. . There was a peculiar custom in those days of giv- ing the same name to several sons of the same family. Thus, a father of one of the old families, called Vitek, had five sons, of whom one was called Frederick, a nd all the rest Viteks ; consequently Vitek was adopted as the surname, in the Bohemian language the plural being Vitkovci. The common people soon imitated the higher classes, but they generally adopted as surnames the To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar IL 77 names of their occupations, or some event in their lives determined the question. THE INVASION OF THK TARTARS. The most important event in the reign of Vaclav was the invasion of the Tartars. Of all the barbaric hordes that swept like a flood upon Europe from the interior- of Asia, that of the Tartars was the most terrible. The Tartars had their home in Northern Asia, in the vicinity of I^ake Baikal. John Plan-Kar- pin, a brave monk, penetrated into the heart of their country, and made Europe acquainted with some of their customs and institutions. According to his ac- count, the chief of the Tartars was Genghis Khan, who was not only the commander of their armies, but their prince and lawgiver. He possessed unlimited power over the lives and property of his subjects, but his oSice was not hereditary. He was elected by his lords, and had he attempted to gain his throne in some other way, his life would have been forfeit, and he would have been put to death without mercy. He was regarded as the son of God, the lord of the whole universe, whose duty it was to bring all nations into subjection. The army of the Tartars was sub- jected to the severest discipline, the smallest fault being punished by the execution of the whole divis- ion of ten, to which the offending soldier belonged. But the most dreadful crimes committed against the enemy were not only left unpunished, but were praised and rewarded. From this it may be judged what an enemy Europe had to cope with. The Tar- tars first devastated and plundered a large part of Asia, and then turned against Russia. Many fugi- 78 The Story of Bohemia. tives, glad that they escaped with their lives, brought to Europe the news of the fearful ravagings of those savage Mongolians. The great powers at this time were the Pope and the emperor, and it was their duty to prepare Europe against the threatening invasion. The Pope, indeed, declared a Crusade, but took no active measures to or- ganize and send the army against the enemy ; and the emperor did not seem to realize the extent of the danger, and so did nothing to meet it. The luxury-lov- ing, sentimental, and dissipated King of Bohemia, for once seemed to wake up to a realization of the magni- tude of the danger threatening, not only his own do- minions, but all Europe. The tournaments, the feasts, the hunting expeditions were all forgotten, and Vaclav bent every energy to put his country in a state of de- fense. The country was overrun by couriers bearing fiery appeals to all the lords to urge them to make every possible preparation to meet the enemy. Vac- lav saw that new fortresses were built, and old ones repaired, and all was done with such haste that even priests and monks were impressed into service to help in digging trenches and building fortifications. In a short time the country was well fortified, and Vac- lav, at the head of 46,000 men, 6,000 of whom were German allies, went to meet the enemy. It has been estimated that the army of the Tartars numbered half a million men, although some histori- ans place it at a much higher figure. It was divided into three parts ; the first division was to attack north- ern Germany, the second Bohemia, and the third Hun- gary. Hungary was the first victim of the blood- thirst}^ savages ; then the lot fell upon Moravia. The To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 79 war was not carried on merely with the armies, but the people, men, women and children, were murdered without mercy, after enduring frightful cruelties. Some of the people, indeed, saved their lives by escap- ing to the forests, where they perished from sickness and starvation. The army destined to invade Bohemia first fought a battle at Yobrem, in Poland. The Bohemian army was hastening to the assistance of the Poles, but did not reach them in time. King Vaclav wrote to Prague as follows : " When the Tartars were in Poland, we were so near that we could have reached the army of Duke Henry in a day; but he, alas! asking neither our help nor advice, alone risked a battle and woefully perished. Hearing this, we marched on, hoping with God's help to avenge his death ; but the Tartars, dis- covering our intent, took to flight, and in one day, from morning till night, marched a distance of forty- four miles." Some days after this, the Bohemians and Moravi- ans joined their forces, and, aided by the army of Frederick of Austria, they waited for the enemy at Olmutz. A severe battle was fought, in which the Tartars were defeated. They fell back to Hungary to join the rest of their forces, to be better prepared for another battle. But the second battle was never fought. Some time after the news reached the Tartar horde of the death of their chief, the great Khan of Tartary, and the commander of the army, wishing to take part in the election of a new ruler, hastened home, and the invasion was never renewed. Although Vaclav was quite successful in war and 8o The Story of Bohemia. in his relations with other nations, his domestic af- vaciav's Do- fairs were by no means happy. He had set Politics, all his hopes upon his oldest son Vladislav. At an early age he had had him betrothed to Kedruth, the daughter of the Duke of Austria, hoping by this marriage to bring about the union of Austria and Bo- hemia. But the premature death of the young man brought to naught all these hopes. The next heir to the throne was his second son, Premysl Ottokar; but Vaclav hated him, and for this reason had devoted him to holy orders. But when he saw that the people looked to Premysl as their future king, he gave him the government of Moravia; but at the same time he was on the lookout for some pretext to send him out of the country. As Premysl Ottokar was a very promising young man, possessed of many qualities that would enable him to be a better ruler than his father, the lords de- termined to secure to him the succession, even against the wishes of Vaclav. A conspiracy was formed, and in 1248, while the king was gone to one of his fortresses in the country, the lords met in Prague, formally de- posed him, and elected his son in his place. Civil war was the result. The events that followed are summed up by the historian of those times, as follows : '' King Vaclav was driven from the throne. Queen Kunhut died of grief, schools in Prague were closed, a large part of the city was burned to the ground, and the guards of the churches left their posts and fled." Premysl's army was much larger than his father's ; consequently he could easily have defeated him had he been willing to join battle with his forces ; but this he would by no means do. Finally, through superior To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar II. 8i military skill, lie succeeded in wedging in Vaclav's army so that there was no hope left but defeat or star- vation. A treaty of peace was made. Ottokar was declared the rightful ruler, Vaclav being assigned sev- eral fortresses. The Pope, however, declared this treaty null and void, since it had been made under compulsion. It was finally decided that the two kings should rule conjointly. This, however, did not sat- isfy Vaclav, and at the earliest opportunity he broke his oath, and attacked Ottokar so that he fled for his life. The king then took possession of Prague, and gave a grand church festival to celebrate the victory. To crown all, messengers were sent to the fugitive son, asking him and his friends to return to the city, as the king was ready to pronounce a general anmesty. They were received with great honor. The king em- braced, not only his son, but also the other lords that had been in rebellion against him, giving them the kiss of peace. This magnanimity on the part of King Vaclav proved to be but the impulse of the moment. Shortly after, he had some of the lords arrested and cast into prison. One of them was beheaded, and another broken upon the wheel. Premysl Ottokar was also impris- oned, but only for a short time. He was finally re- instated in his possessions of Moravia, where he remained till his father's death in 1253. STATE INSTITUTIONS. Till about the middle of the thirteenth century the State policy, judicial methods, manners and customs in public and private life, were strictly Slavonic. The country was divided into districts called zu- 6 82 The Story of Bohemia. pas. Bach zupa consisted of a fortified town or in- closure, with its citadel, and the adjacent fields belong- ing to the inhabitants. The chief officer of the cit- adel was the castellan, or zupan ; in the town, the chief ofi&cer was the justice or squire, who, together with the sheriff, constituted the judiciary. In criminal cases, the whole town was held responsible, it being the duty of all the male inhabitants to go in pursuit of the criminal and bring him to justice ; in default of which they were subject to a heavy fine. Cities with corpo- rate towns were unknown until after the age of Otto- kar II. The fortress connected with the town was built upon a plain, with easy access to water, since, in times of danger, it was the place of refuge for the inhab- itants, together with their cattle. It is estimated that there were about forty such fortified towns in Bohemia. In addition to these, there were fortresses built by the wealthy land-owners or noblemen, for the protection of their families and dependents. These were usually built upon precipitous heights, where a small body of men could defend themselves against a superior force. There were also villages built upon the estates of the noblemen. The people very early began to be divided into classes. Those that owned land were a sort of aris- tocracy, and were called zemans. A part of these ze- mans were the nobility ; but it is not possible to state exactly what was the difference between a common zeman and a nobleman. In general, it may be said that those zemans that were able to fit out a small body of men to aid their prince in time of war, con- stituted the nobility ; while those that were obliged to go as soldiers themselves were the plebeians. Both To THE Reign of Premysl Ottokar IL 83 the wealthier and poorer zemans had tenants upon then- lands, called kmets, and the kmets, with their families, constituted the bulk of the population. They were sometimes called sedlacy, this name being ap- plied to small land-owners in Bohemia at the present time. The kmets, as tenants, paid rent in kind, and did menial servi-ce for their lords; but as they were not attached to the soil, they can not properly be called serfs. In theory, the noblemen, zemans, kmets, tradesmen, and other people, were equal before the law; but, as might be supposed, the powerful soon learned to oppress the weak, and gradually the idea grew that the life of a man was valuable according as he had means and influential friends. There was an ancient law that provided that' if a nobleman killed a peasant, he paid a greater fine than if the peasant killed the nobleman ; but contact with Teutonic neighbors soon taught the Slavs to reverse this method. During the continual struggles for the throne, the country being in a state of anarchy, the common peo- ple lost much of their original liberty. Sometimes the poor peasant, being plundered by each of the con- tending parties in turn, only saved himself from star- vation by accepting land from some lord upon very severe conditions. On account of excessive taxation, the smaller zemans often sold their lands to the wealthier land-owners, and thus there was a constant tendency towards greater and greater inequality. At first titles of nobility were not hereditary, being dependent upon the wealth and official position of the person ; these being lost, he was again a plebeian. And thus it often happened that members of the same family belonged to different social classes. Dur- 84 The Story of Bohemia. ing tlie Crusades, many rights and privileges were granted to the knights and noblemen to induce them to engage in the enterprise. In cases of inheritance, the property was divided equally among the children ; but if a daughter had received her dowry at marriage, she had no further claim upon the estate of her father. In the division of property, the oldest son, called the " elder," divided the property into equal shares, and the youngest son or daughter, as the case might be, had the first choice ; then came the next youngest, and so on, the ''elder " taking the last share. It is evident that it was to his interest to make as equitable a division as possible. Questions of state were decided at the General Assembly. This was made up of the clergy, nobility, and the small land-owners, or zemans. The people who did not own land did not possess political rights, hence could not take part in the Assembly. As representation was unknown, it sometimes happened that the Assembly was made up of several thousand men, and consequently had to be held in the open air. The administration of the law was placed into the hands of twelve kmets. Their acts are referred to even as late as the fifteenth century. Chapter III. FROM PREMYSL OTTOKAR II TO THE REIGN OF CHARLES IV. PRBMYSI. OTTOKAR II. PRKMYSiy OTTOKAR was one of the greatest princes that ever ruled in Bohemia; and, in his day, he may be regarded as the greatest prince in Europe; his country, if not the largest, being the wealthiest and most renowned in military glory. The kingdom of Bohemia under Ottokar included Moravia, Carinthia, Lusatia, I^ower and Upper Austria, the dominions ex- tending from the Riesengebirge on the north, to the Adriatic Sea on the south. The protection of Ottokar was sought by the Dukes of Poland, Silesia, and by several Italian States. "The political power of Ottokar may be ascribed to a happy combination of circumstances and events rather than to his own character and achievements. He gained Austria, even before the death of his father, by being elected to the government by the lords of that country. To strengthen his hold in the newly-acquired territory, he did not hesitate to marry Margaret, the widow of the Emperor Henry, a woman twenty-three years his senior. His own strength was also due to the weakness of his natural rivals, the various princes of Germany. Yet Ottokar was an excellent ruler, doing much to develop the resources of his country. He enacted some good laws, and wrought quite a reform in the administration of jus- 85 86 The Story of Bohemia, tice. He gave a great impetus to trade by establish- ing a uniform system of weights and measures. Vac- lav had squandered most of the crown estates by giving them away to his favorites; and, as these had been gained by fraud, Ottokar did not scruple to re- store them to the crown by compulsion. This was done in a very summary manner. The lords were in- vited to the palace in Prague, and, without any warn- ing, seized and cast into prison, and there kept till they were willing to give up the estates in question. In this way Ottokar gained much wealth, but also the deadly enmity of these lords ; and, in time, their vengeance. Besides depriving his nobles of the un- lawfully-gained estates, Ottokar humbled them by cur- tailing many of the rights and privileges granted them by his father. Indeed, the reign of Vaclav was the golden age of the Bohemian nobility; they had be- come rich and strong, and consequently very unruly. As an offset to this power, Ottokar established another privileged class ; these were corporate cities, the in- habitants of which, enjoying many privileges, were very loyal to their king. Nor was this all ; they were also a source of revenue. In the establishment of corporate cities, the king gained a great deal ; but, at the same time, a grievous wrong was done to his own subjects. The inhabitants of these cities were mostly German immigrants, the introduction of whom into the country never failed to bring trouble. The two nationalities might have been mutually helpful, but history proves that they never were. The genius of intellectual development for the two races was diifer- ent, and each was better off when left to grow accord- ing to the spiritual laws of its own nation. The intro- To THE Reign of Charles IV, 87 duction of so many foreigners into the country was in itself a great evil, but the special privileges granted to them were even worse. The new towns were given the exclusive right to all trade and manufactures within a distance of three miles from their boundaries. This brought thousands of small tradesmen to ruin. Forbidden to work at their trade in their native vil- lages, and having no other means of sustenance, they were compelled to become thieves or beggars. Be- sides this, it was an intolerable hardship to the people of the villages to be obliged to go to the German town for every little thing that they needed in the household. Most historians praise Ottokar because he did not resort to any unjust and illegal method of taxation ; but the establishment of corporate towns, with special privileges, was a far greater evil than any illegal taxation; the latter would have occasionally been a heavy burden, while the former proved a permanent evil. Indeed, the right of exclusive trade was after- wards extended to the estates of the nobility and the clergy. Among the old cities that were granted corporate rights were Prague, Kuttenberg, Pilsen. I^itomeritz, Hradetz, Budweis, Rolin, Melnik, Domazlitz, and some others. These were known afterwards as royal cities. Aside from this great wrong done to the native tradesmen, Ottokar tried to be just to his subjects, and to protect the lower classes against the oppression of the higher. For this reason he was quite popular with the common people, but secretly hated by the aristocracy. S8 The Story of Bohemia, PRKMYSI, OTTOKAR'S MII,ITARY CAREER. Premysl Ottokar was a man of war, and his nu- merous victories caused his fame to be spread all over Kuirope. The first war that he engaged in was a crusade against the Prussians upon the Baltic. At this early period in history, the people inhabiting the countries that now constitute Northern Germany belonged to the Slavonic race. They were still heathen, notwith- standing the repeated efforts of the Germans to pre- sent the gospel to them at the point of the sword. The Slavonic races were open to the teachings of Christianity when presented to them in the right spirit, which is shown in the cases of Moravia, Bo- hemia, and Russia, all of which received the new re- ligion from choice, and not from compulsion. It is not pleasant to reflect that Premysl Ottokar, a prince of their own blood, should join their inveterate ene- mies to invade their country, offering them the new faith, while, at the same time, they secretly hoped it would not be accepted ; in which case they would have a plausible pretext to murder them and obtain pos- session of their wealth. This crusade was undertaken by the German branch of the Knights of Jerusalem, and the Pope had requested Premysl Ottokar to send as large an army as possible to their aid. As some of the for- tresses of the Prussians were built in deep forests, surrounded by rivers and marches that made them al- most inaccessible, the time chosen for the campaign was winter, when the ground was frozen. With an army of 60,000 men, Ottokar invaded the country. To THE Reign of Charles IV. 89 Before attacking the enemy, they entered the sacred groves, cut down the ancient oaks, and burned the images, thus showing the people the helplessness of the gods in whom they had placed so much faith. Having lost faith in their gods, the Prussians were struck with a panic and easily defeated; and, there being no other alternative, they consented to be baptized. To conciliate the conquered, and make the new re- ligion appear more attractive to them, the commanders decided to stand as sponsors to the chief Prussians. King Ottokar stood sponsor to the first nobleman, giv- ing him his own name, and, what was of more value, many rich gifts ; Otto, the Margrave of Branden- burg, and other German princes, followed the royal example. The common people, seeing their leaders treated with so much consideration, hastened from all directions, willingly receiving baptism. In commemoration of the success of the enterprise, Ottokar founded a new city, which was named Kon- igsberg, after which he returned to his own country. This campaign against the Prussians greatly en- hanced the glory and military renown of Ottokar. Upon the death of the Kmperor of Germany, he was offered the imperial crown ; but fearing that, beyond the empty title, he would have more trouble than gain, he declined the honor. The wretched condition of the German Empire may be inferred from the fact, that no home prince could be found to accept the imperial crown ; and the electors were obliged to go to a foreign land to seek for a suitable candidate. Richard of Cornwall, brother of the English king, was chosen to be emperor, the Bohemian king at once forming a treaty of alliance and friendship with him. 90 The Story of Bohemia. Philip, the Archbishop of Salzburg, who was Otto- kar's cousin, had trouble with his chapter, upon which War with he was deposed, and another archbishop ap- Bavaria. pointed in his place. As the deposed arch- bishop refused to give up his office, war broke out, and Ottokar went to the assistance of his cousin. He was defeated, and compelled to leave the country in dis- grace, after giving up several towns and fortresses to the Bavarians. Ottokar, however, soon retrieved his military honor by a series of brilliant victories over the Hungarians, war with Bela, the King of Hungary, declared war Hungary, against Ulric and Philip, the Dukes of Ca- rinthia, who appealed for aid to Ottokar. At the same time the people of Styria rose in rebellion against the Hungarians, and turned for help to Ottokar, promising to make him their ruler if once free from the Magyar yoke. Ottokar granted the request, sent an army into Styria, which drove out the Hungarians, and estab- lished a Bohemian nobleman in the government. This proved the beginning of a great war between Hungary and Bohemia. The rulers of both countries made vast preparations for the coming contest. King Bela impressed into his service all the able-bodied men of his dominions, besides making alliances of friendship with the neighboring States. He soon had an army of 140,000, composed of Magyars, Croats, Bosnians, Serbs, Bulgarians, Italians, Greeks, and even a regi- ment of Tartar mercenaries. Ottokar collected his troops from Bohemia, Mora- via, and Austria, several German princes also sending some troops. His army numbered 100,000 men, among them a regiment of 7,000 cavalry, composed entirely To THE Reign of Charles IV. 91 of Bohemians, and clad in steel armor from head to foot. In the spring of 1260 the two great armies met upon the opposite banks of the Danube, where they re- mained for several days facing each other, neither dar- ing to run the risk of crossing the river. At length, Ottokar sent messengers to the Hungarian camp, ask- ing King Bela, either to let the Bohemian army cross the river, or to cross it themselves, he pledging his honor that they should not be molested until they were safely over, when both armies could fight with the same ad- vantage. King Bela decided to cross, whereupon Ot- tokar withdrew with his army to give the enemy abun- dance of room for landing. While thus falling back, his regiments became separated from each other, and the Hungarians, perceiving this, thought it a favorable moment to make an attack and gain an easy victory. Thus Stephen, the son of Bela, unmindful that the truce had not yet expired, most treacherously fell upon the main division of the Bohemian army, which, for a moment was thrown into confusion. But the alarm being sounded, the regiments were soon in the place of danger, ready to meet the foe. Just as they were about to make the attack, the sun came out, the fog that had before obscured their vision vanished, and the whole army saw before them the iron seven thousand waving the banner of St. Vaclav. This was a good omen : St. Vaclav would fight for them. A wild shout burst from the soldiers, and, as if by inspiration, the vast army united in singing the old Slavonic hymn, " Hospodine pomiluj ny "— (Lord, have mercy upon us). Then they rushed to battle with so much enthusiasm and impetuosity that the enemy soon began to fall 92 The Story of Bohemia. back, and finally ran to the river in a headlong flight. Eighteen thousand men of the Hungarian army re- mained upon the field of battle, while fourteen thou- sand more perished in the waves of the Danube. King Bela, humbled in spirit, sued for peace. It was made upon conditions that Styria should remain under the government of Bohemia, and the Hunga- rian king should give his son Bela in marriage to Kunigunda, the daughter of the Viscount of Branden- burg, and niece of Ottokar. This victory over the Hungarians won much renown for both King Ottokar and the Bohemians. On accounnt of the 7,000 cavalry clad in steel armor, the Tartars called Ottokar the Iron King ; but throughout Europe he was called the Golden King, on account of his wealth and the magnifi- cence of his court. The wedding of the son of the Hungarian king and the niece of Ottokar was held three years later, on the The Wedding ^cry grouuds where the great battle " was gunda^ind fought; and, as it well illustrates the wealth ^^^^- of the Bohemian king and the splendor of his court, a short description will here be given. The preparations for the wedding were on so grand a scale that many princes, doubting the reports, sent emissaries to Vienna to spy out the real facts. The place selected for the wedding-feast was near the vil- lage of Kressenbrunn, about ten miles from Vienna. Tents were put up, having all the accommodations of permanent dwellings. A bridge wide enough for ten riders to go abreast was built across the Danube. Two large palace-like tents were set up, in which each king, surrounded by hundreds of retainers, knights, and no- blemen, tried to outvie the other in the magnificence To THE Reign of Charles IV. 93 of display, so that this fete may well be compared with the Field of the Cloth of Gold of the time of Henry VIII of England. Although several hundred thou- sand guests were present, the provisions prepared for the occasion were on so generous a scale, that, after all had eaten and drunk to their heart's content, three times as much as had been used still remained. The bride was attired in a purple robe embroidered in Arabic gold; and it was said, in those days, that the precious stones ornamenting her head-dress were more costly than the crown of the King of England. It is needless to add that the guests for days were regaled with the richest viands and the choicest wines, and, seeing one display after another of the wealth of Bo- hemia, were dazzled, and returned home to their re- spective countries with their minds full of the glory of the King of Bohemia. All the glory that Ottokar enjoyed grew dim at the thought that at his death the dynasty of the Premysls must cease ; for his wife Margaret, now fifty- ottokar's Di- five years of age, had borne him no chil- ^o^^^- dren. It seems that he had lived in peace with her ; but as far as conjugal fidelity is concerned, his character was not above reproach. The object of his illicit love was Agnes, one of Margaret's maids of honor, by whom he had three children — a son and two daughters. As Agnes was of a noble family, Ottokar tried to obtain a dispensation from the Pope, whereby the children could enjoy all the privileges of legitimacy. The Pope granted the request, but added a proviso that de- stroyed the very thing that Ottokar had hoped to gain — no illegitimate child was ever to inherit the crown of Bohemia. Failing in this, Ottokar's last re- 94 I^HE Story of Bohemia. sort was a divorce. This was readily obtained, since Margaret herself was not only willing but anxious to withdraw from a court where she was regarded as an obstacle to the king's happiness. Having secured his liberty, Ottokar married Kunigunda, the daughter of the Russian prince, Rostislav Michalovic. Some time after, the newly-married couple were crowned with great splendor in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. From this time on, Ottokar signed himself King of Bohemia ; for although he had been called king by his subjects and by the foreign princes, he himself never assumed the title till after his coronation. His hopes for an heir were realized in this marriage. Kunigunda bore him two children — a son and a daughter. One of the greatest evils that the Bohemian rulers had to contend with was the continual interference in ottokar's ^hcir affairs by the German emperors. But Fan. during the reign of Ottokar II, the empire had become so demoralized that it seemed on the verge of ruin, and Ottokar, taking advantage of this, was able to raise his country to such power and great- ness as had never before been done by any other ruler. This interval of freedom, however, was not lasting, and Premysl Ottokar had cause to regret that he had declined the imperial crown when it had been offered him. As long as Richard of Cornwall occupied the imperial throne, Bohemia did not have much to fear from Germany; but when he died, in 1272, affairs im- mediately assumed a threatening aspect. The Ger- man princes now cast their looks about to find a man for an emperor, who should help them to humble the pride of the Bohemian prince, and who, at the same time, should not stand in the way of their own ag- To THE Reign of Charles IV, 95 grandizement. They found such a prince in Rudolph, the Count of Hapsburg, who, having some small pos- sessions in Switzerland and Suabia, was too weak to assume any great authority over his constituents, and, moreover, agreed to wrest from the kingdom of Bo- hemia its recently acquired territories — Austria, Styria, and Carinthia. While this election was going on, Ottokar- was out of the country engaged in another war with the Hungarians ; but his office of elector was usurped by lyouis of Bavaria, his most inveterate enemy. As soon as he learned of the election of Rudolph, he made peace with the enemy, and hastened home, and at once entered his protest against the elec- tion as being unlawful, since he, one of the rightful electors, was not present. For some time he was sus- tained in this by the Pope ; but Rudolph, being a man of much diplomacy, soon succeeded in winning that prelate to his side. The Bohemian king was cited to appear before the newly-elected emperor to explain why he had not already come to swear his allegiance. Premysl Ottokar refusing to obey the summons, Ru- dolph declared his possessions as falling to the empire, and himself as being the sovereign lord of Bohemia and Moravia. Premysl Ottokar now found himself surrounded by the greatest difficulties. His nobles, instead of standing by him in the hour of need, basely deserted him, rejoicing that now had come the time when they could satisfy their own private desire for revenge. They had never forgiven him for depriving them of the illegally.obtained crown lands. Then, too, Pre- mysl's State policy constantly aimed at centralization of power, which was directly opposed to the inter- 96 The Story of Bohemia. ests of the upper classes. Then it was said that the lords hated him because he showed much favor to the Jews and the Germans. Rudolph made very extensive preparations for war, being sustained by the princes of the empire, who willingly sent large forces to his aid. Besides this, he secured the alliance of the King of Hungary, who was glad of the opportunity to help to humble the pride of his old enemy. The Hungarian army was to invade Moravia and Austria, while the imperial army marched into Bohemia. The Bohemian king, surrounded by thankless and disloyal lords, could raise but a small army as com- pared with that of the emperor ; yet he did not lose heart, but did the very best he could with the means at his command. The Hungarians, according to agree- ment, invaded Moravia, marching with little opposition as far as Vienna. Here they were met by Rudolph's army, who, instead of going first to Bohemia, had also marched directly to Vienna. While Premysl Ottokar was marching in put suit of the imperial army, a con- spiracy broke out among some of the .first lords of the kingdom, who at once commenced to devastate the estates and cities of the king. This unexpected blow decided the fate of the unfortunate king. By this time his army was reduced to but 20,000, while that of Rudolph was five times as large. Seeing that a battle at such fearful odds would be but useless bloodshed, Ottokar agreed to make peace, the terms of which were very hard indeed. Premsyl was obliged to give up all his possessions except Bohemia and Moravia, which he received as fiefs from the emperor. In addition to this, it was agreed that Vaclav, the only To THE Reign of Charles IV. 97 son of Ottokar, should marry the daughter of Rudolph, and Hartman, the son of the latter, the daughter of the Bohemian ruler. By this double marriage, Rudolph hoped that he might secure Bohemia to his own house, in case the line of the Premysls should die out. It must be added that the betrothed parties were mere children, consequently the marriage was not to take place till many years after. As hard as were the above terms for the Bohemian king, there was one clause in the treaty that was even more grievous. The emperor, desiring to take the rebellious lords of Bohemia under his protection, declared them his own vassals, who were answerable for their actions only to him, and not to the King of Bohemia. This was vir- tually destroying the independence of the country, mak- ing it a mere province of the emperor's other posses- sions. After much negotiation, which, however, led to no results, the emperor refusing to give up his claims to the loyalty of the lords of Bohemia, Ottokar was driven to desperation, and so began to prepare for another war. In this war the princes of the realm did not re- spond so heartily to the call of their emperor to fur- nish troops ; nevertheless, he was able to raise a much larger army than Ottokar, who had only the princes of Silesia to aid him. A decisive battle was fought upon the very grounds where Premysl Ottokar had won such a brilliant victory over the Hungarians in the earlier part of his reign. But in those days the army of the king fought as one man ; while now, there was divis- ion — treachery in the camp. During the action, while the tide seemed to be turning in favor of the Bohe- mians, one of the chief lords cried that all was lost, and that who could, should save his life. This caused a 7 98 The Story of Bohemia, panic; Premysl Ottokar, seeing that all was lost, plunged, with some of his faithful followers, into the thickest battle, and fell pierced by many swords. The defeat of the Bohemians was complete. Of the 30,000 men engaged in the battle, 12,000 were left upon the field (1278). Some personal enemies of the fallen king, finding his body, tore off the clothing, and brutally mutilated it. When Rudolph afterwards saw the body, he gazed with consternation upon all that now remained of one who, in life, had been the great- est ruler of his time. When the news of the fall of Ottokar reached Bo- hemia, the common people were filled with sorrow. Premsyl Ottokar had been a good and just ruler, and had often taken up the cause of the poor against the wealthy classes that oppressed them ; and this very virtue in him led, ultimately, to his ruin. The death of the king brought the country into a state of anarchy. The selfish lords, caring nothing for the people, did nothing to oppose the approach of the enemy, and thus Rudolph marched through Mo- ravia without any let or hindrance, leaving misery and death behind him. Among the distinguished prisoners in his train was the Bohemian queen, with her seven- year-old Vaclav. The imperial army marched into Bohemia as far as Kuttenberg. Here they were met by some Bohe- mian lords with a small force, and negotiations for peace were entered upon. It was agreed that the emperor should hold Moravia for five years, and that Bohemia should be governed by regents until Vaclav, the son of Ottokar, should be of age. To perpetuate his hold upon the two countries, the agreement entered upon To THE Reign of Charles IV. 99 with Ottokar concerning the double wedding of the royal children was again renewed ; and lest something should again happen to prevent carrying out the plan, the marriage ceremony was actually performed. Guta, the daughter of Rudolph, was married to Vaclav, and Agnes, the sister of Vaclav, to Rudolph's son, of the same name. As none of the children were more than ten years old, they still remained with their parents, Vaclav living with his mother in Prague. Otto of Brandenburg was made regent of Bohemia, and appointed guardian of the young prince. OTTO OF BRANDENBURG. After the departure of Rudolph from Bohemia, the greatest disorder and misery prevailed. The regent filled the land with swarms of favorites brought from Brandenburg, whose interest in the country extended no further than their own purses. These favorites held the most lucrative positions; but, not being satis- fied with their incomes, they got money from the peo- ple by the most cruel extortions. The native lords added to the state of anarchy that prevailed by forcibly seizing the estates that had been given them by Vaclav I, but taken away by his son, Premysl Ottokar. Instead of putting down such disturbances. Otto encouraged them, since they gave him the opportunity to interfere and obtain rich re- wards from those enjoying his favor. Not satisfied with this, he plundered the churches and monasteries of their wealth, enriching thus his own estates in Ger- many. Entering into an understanding with some of the native lords, he deprived the queen of her estates, using the income for his own benefit ; and finally loo The Story of Bohemia. went so far as to imprison both, her and Vaclav in a strong fortress, where she was kept under a strong guard, and deprived of all the comforts to which she had been accustomed. A Diet having been called, the nobles tried to obtain the liberty of the queen, but to no purpose ; Otto, as guardian and regent, claimed the right to keep them in confinement. The queen finally succeeded in making her escape, where- upon she fled to Moravia ; but the young prince was left behind to pine in solitude all alone. The native lords, seeing that the condition of the country was growing worse and worse, and that the foreign adventurers were becoming rich at the ex- pense of the native lords and citizens, began to hold meetings, and secretly to prepare to cast off the for- eign yoke. The facts transpiring, Otto took the young prince and fled with him to Brandenburg. Rudolph, now fearing that Otto had some evil design against his youthful son-in-law, decided to come into the country himself to settle the difliculties. It was de- cided that Otto should still remain the guardian of the prince, but that the latter should be sent to Prague, the government promising to pay 15,000 pounds silver for his release. To restore the country to peace, all the Germans that had been brought to the country by the regent were now ordered to leave within three days under a penalty of death. The lords who had taken possession of the crown estates were ordered to give them up, and if they had any claims upon them, to seek redress by^process of law. By these means peace was again restored ; but the evil effects of the state of anarchy were not so easily obliterated. In the state of anarchy, many of the peasants fled )' To THE Reign of Charles IV. loi to the woods to escape with their lives, the fields lay neglected, and a fearful famine was the result. The dead and dying lay everywhere, uncared for and un- buried, and pestilence was soon added to the list of horrors that the country was passing through. The winter of 1281-1282 was one of extreme misery. About 600,000 persons perished. The following year the land -was blessed with an abundant harvest, and, order and security being restored, the country soon began to recuperate its wonted strength. THK RKGKNCY OF ZAVIS OF FAI^K^NSTEIN. In the year 1283, Prince Vaclav, then twelve years of age, came back to Prague, to the great joy of all the people, who looked upon him as the one who was to restore the country to its former peace and pros- perity. Being still too young to rule, the government was placed into the hands of those nobles who had taken the most active measures for the release of the young prince. At this time, his mother, Kunigunda, returned from Moravia, bringing with her the power- ful Lord Zavis, of Falkenstein, to whom she had for some time been secretly married. This nobleman, in a short time, won such an ascendency over the young prince, that he was chosen chief chancellor, and his favorites were given almost all the other ofQces of profit and trust. This again brought the country upon the verge of civil war, and Rudolph again came to the country to restore peace. It seems that the trouble was settled in favor of Falkenstein ; for soon after, he celebrated his wedding with the queen, and then, as stepfather of Vaclav, and chancellor, he as- sumed entire control of the government. On the I02 The Story of Bohemia. whole, it may be said that he ruled well, putting down, with a strong hand, the unruly nobles, as well as the bands of robbers that infested the country. He pro- tected the interests of the crown by compelling some lords to give up the estates they still held ; but, at the same time, he did not scruple himself to take pos- session of vast estates that did not rightfully be- long to him. Queen Kunigunda having died, Falken- stein, claiming to be her heir, held cities and fortresses that had formerly belonged to her while Queen of Bo- hemia, but which she had no legal right to will away to any one outside of the royal family. Falkenstein's policy not only roused the jealousy of the nobles, but also that of the emperor, who feared that the young Vaclav would have more regard to his wishes than to those of his father-in-law, and there- fore he determined, if possible, to put an end to the government of Falkenstein. To win the favor of Vaclav, he resigned the government of Moravia as soon as the five years were out for which he was to hold the country. Then he offered to bring to Vaclav his wife, if he would agree to dismiss Falkenstein ; and as the young prince had for some time been very desirous to see her, he was easily persuaded to send away that nobleman. Falkenstein, hearing of the plots against him, resigned his office, and departed to his castle of Furstenberg, where, shortly after, he took another wife, the sister of the King of Hungary. About a year after this, there were great rejoicings in the Furstenberg castle. A son had been born to ^^^ ^^^^j^ ^^ Falkenstein, and grand preparations were Falkenstein. j^adc for the christeuiug, to which were in- vited both Vaclav and many distinguished noblemen. To THE Reign of Charles IV. 103 The enemies of Falkenstein now saw an opportunity to revenge themselves upon him, which they did in a most infamous manner. They made Vaclav believe that the friendship of Falkenstein was not sincere; that he had invited him to the christening to get him into his power, so that he could murder him. They, therefore, advised Vaclav to pretend to accept the invita- tion, but to ask Falkenstein to come to him to Prague, and that then the whole party would return together to Furstenberg. Falkenstein, not suspecting treach- ery, came to Prague, and was immediately seized and cast into prison. He then received orders to give up all the estates that had formerly belonged to the crown, and that he had illegally obtained. Refusing to com- ply with the demand, he was taken to the white tower, and there kept in close confinement. Falkenstein had numerous friends and relatives among some of the most powerful noblemen of the kingdom. These now took up his cause, securing the aid of the King of Hungary and the Prince of Breslau, and commenced a war with the young king. Vaclav secured the aid of his father-in-law, who sent an army to Bohemia under the command of his son Rudolph. The friends of Falkenstein remaining in rebellion, Rudolph gave the young king some bloody counsel. He advised him to have Falkenstein carried from for- tress to fortress, calling upon his friends to surrender, and, in case of refusal, to threaten to have the noble prisoner beheaded before their very eyes. The advice was followed, and several fortresses thus fell into the hands of the king; but when they arrived at Frauen- berg, near Budweis, where the brother of the prisoner was in command of the garrison, he refused to surren- I04 The Story oi< Bohemia. der, not believing that Vaclav would carry out so cruel a threat. Falkenstein also refusing to consent to give up the fortress, the king ordered him to be executed upon the meadow in the sight of his brother. The rebellious lords were overcome, and the estates in ques- tion were all restored to the crown. For a long time, Vaclav's mind was disturbed by the thought of this cruel deed ; but, finally, he suc- ceeded in quieting his conscience by giving a part of the wealth of his victim to build a beautiful monas- tery at Zbraslav, about a mile from Prague. KING VACLAV II. At the time of the murder of Falkenstein, King Vac- lav was nineteen years of age. Owing to the hardships that he had endured during the guardianship of Otto of Brandenburg, whose aim seemed to have been either to kill the prince gradually, or at least leave him unde- veloped in mind and body, Vaclav was of a timid dis- position, small in stature, and delicate in health. Nev- ertheless, he proved to be a very good ruler. Being endowed by nature with many good qualities, as soon as he was at liberty he applied his mind to learning, especially to the study of such subjects as should en- able him to restore his country to its former pros- perity. The good effects of the just administration of laws soon began to be felt, and the condition of the peas- ants was greatly improved. One of the main sources of wealth to the country were the silver-mines at Kut- tenberg, which were greatly developed during the reign of Vaclav II. Having an abundance of silver, King Vaclav ordered good money of standard purity to be To THE Reign of Charles IV. 105 coined. These were called groats, or groscheti, sixty being counted to a pound of silver. The coinage of money belonged exclusively to the rulers of countries, who often abused the privilege, both by making poor money and by frequent changes. Whenever new coins were minted, the people were ordered to return the old, always at a discount, and thus the frequent changes were a source of revenue to the ruler, but an intolerable hardship to the people. Vaclav did away with this evil by ordering good money to be coined, that remained in circulation, not only in his own coun- try, but was gladly taken as legal tender in all other Kuropean States. During this time the country known afterwards as Poland, was composed of several principalities, the rulers of which were at war with each other, vaciav made As their quarrels showed no signs of being Poialid. settled, through the instrumentality of Gryfina, the aunt of Vaclav, the government was offered to him, and thus Bohemia and Poland were united under one crown. Later, similar troubles arising in Hungary, Vaclav was also offered the crown of that country ; but he refused it in favor of his son, who was therefore made King of Hungary. King Vaclav was a devoted son of the Church. Being immensely wealthy, he endowed churches and monasteries, granting many privileges to the priest- hood. He was also exceedingly fond of show. He aimed to have his court equal in splendor to any court in Europe. During his coronation, in 1297, the feasts and public entertainments were on so grand a scale as had never been seen in Bohemia before. To enable everybody to have a share in the good things provided, io6 The Story of Bohemia. a well was improvised by St. Havel's Church where wine instead of water flowed free for all. King Vaclav had a great deal of trouble with his brother-in-law Albert. In 1291, Rudolph died, and Albert immediately began to take measures to be elected king of the Romans, the title Emperor of Ger- many being for some time discontinued. Having be- haved toward Vaclav in a very domineering manner, the latter opposed the election, and thus Adolph of Nassau became the successful candidate. This brought on a war between the rival kings ; and finally, through the mediation of Guita, Vaclav's wife, the brothers-in-law were reconciled, and Albert secured the crown. But the young queen dying in 1298, the old state of things soon returned. Notwithstanding all of Vaclav's partiality to the Church, he did not es- cape having a quarrel with, the Pope, that prelate tak- ing the part of Albert against Vaclav. Albert ordered Vaclav to give up the crowns of Hungary and Poland, since he had accepted them without his consent. He further demanded that he transfer to him for the term of six years the silver-mines of Kuttenberg, or, if not, pay him the sum of 80,000 pounds silver, since, as vas- sal of the emperor, he was in duty bound to pay tithes from the mines, which for so many years he had neg- lected to do. As Vaclav refused to comply with these demands, war was declared. The king hastily collected an army, marched into Hungary, and took his son Vaclav, to- gether with all the crown jewels, back to Bohemia with him. Albert, in the meantime, had invaded Bo- hemia, marching directly to Kuttenberg, where the silver, doubtless, tempted his cupidity. The city was, To THE Reign of Charles IV. 107 however, well defended by some Bohemian lords, so that all the efforts of Albert to obtain possession of it proved unavailing. Many of his soldiers died of vari- ous diseases, said to have been caused by drinking water from a spring that the miners had poisoned. When Vaclav's army was on the march to help the be- sieged, Albert became alarmed, and returned back to Austria, The following year preparations were made to continue the war; but Vaclav was taken ill and shortly after died, being but thirty-four years of age. VACLAV III. Vaclav III, although already King of Hungary, at the death of his father was but sixteen years of age, yet he ascended his father's throne without any oppo- sition. King Albert sent messengers to Prague to ne- gotiate for peace, which was readily granted, Vaclav III giving up Eger and Meissen to Albert, who at the same time agreed not to interfere in his possessions in Poland and Hungary. King Vaclav III soon disappointed the hopes of the people. He had, indeed, been endowed by nature with many gifts of mind and heart, but he also pos- sesed a natural inclination to all manner of dissipation. Surrounding himself with young men reckless as him- self, he spent his nights in card-playing, drinking, wan- dering about the streets, and indulging in the lowest debauchery. While under the influence of liquor, he was very generous, and gave away the crown estates to his favorites, as if it were but a pastime. Shortly after making peace with Albert, he gave away the crown of Hungary to his friend Otto, the Duke of Ba- varia. He doubtless would have disposed of Poland io8 The Story of Bohemia. in an equally summary manner, had he not been awak- ened to a sense of duty by the earnest exhortations of the Abbot of Zbraslav, who had formerly been one of the chief counselors of King Vaclav II. As rebellion had broken out in Poland, he raised an army and began his march into that country ; but his career was cut short by the hand of an assassin (1306). The mur- derer being immediately put to death, it was never as- certained whether it was an act of private revenge, or whether he had been hired to commit the deed by some of the political enemies of Vaclav. THE BOHEMIAN STATE UNDER THE PREMYSI.S. King Vaclav III was the last male descendant of the ancient house of Premysl and lyibuse, that had ruled over Bohemia for almost six centuries. The govern- ment of Krok and his daughter L^ibuse had bound the various . petty princes under one head, but not very closely. In still more ancient times, the government had been mostly patriarchal, and the various dukes, being descendants of the ancient families, were very jealous of their liberties, and would tolerate no en- croachments upon their rights. The relations existing between the ruling family and the people constituted the law of the land. Boleslav the Terrible (935-967) did a great deal for the centralization of power by tak- ing possession of the public lands, also by various ar- bitrary measures that increased his own wealth at the expense of his subjects. The power of the rulers in- creased until Premysl Ottokar I secured the title of king for himself as well as for all Bohemian rulers that should come after him. The legislative power was in the hands of an Assem- To THE Reign of Charles IV, 109 bly and of the king ; the executive belonged to the king alone, while the judicial was independent of him. The expenses of the government and the court were defrayed from the income of the crown estates ; and when this did not suffice, the Assembly voted taxes, which, therefore, came at irregular intervals. In the earlier stages of the country's growth, the As- sembly consisted of all and any free citizens that chose to come ; but when it reached the dignity of being called a State Diet, it was restricted to a few of the privileged classes. These were known as the States, and consisted of the nobility, the clergy, and the knights. Premysl Ottokar I added to this the fourth estate ; viz., the citizens — inhabitants of royal cities. At first there was no difference in the laws for the large land-owners — or noblemen, as they were called — and the small land-owners, or sedlacy; but in the course of time the nobility became a privileged class, and the rights of the poor people were continually en- croached upon until they were reduced to servitude. This servitude meant several days of labor in the week for the lord, and many other tasks that, at times, were very grievous. The nobility, in consideration of doing military service, were exempt from taxation, which, for that reason, fell all the more heavily upon the common people, The conquest of territory was an afiair of the crown, carried on at the expense of the king, or by the aid of such noblemen as willingly gave him their assistance. The power of the government was limited by two outside forces, that of the German emperor and the no The Story of Bohemia, Pope. The King of Bohemia, again, was one of the seven electors of the emperor The emperor claimed feudal sovereignty over the country, enforcing his claim whenever it was for his interest to do so. As was the case in all European countries in those ages, the Pope and priesthood, together with the various orders of monks, exerted a wide and powerful influ- ence. In the earlier history of Christianity this in- fluence was good ; but as the Church grew strong in worldly power, it grew weak spiritually, and the mon- asteries, instead of being the seats of learning, became the dens of wickedness. Education, at this time, was mostly confined to the clerical profession. Vaclav III wished to establish a higher institution of learning in Prague ; but the no- bility opposed this, claiming that, with such superior educational advantages, the clergy would become so powerful that they would regard themselves as above the nobility. The schools were always built in con- nection with the churches and monasteries. RUDOIvPH OF AUSTRIA, AND HKNRY OF CARINTHIA. When King Vaclav II died, he left, besides one son, four daughters, the eldest of whom, Anna, was married to Henry, the Duke of Carinthia. When Vaclav III undertook the expedition to Poland, he left the government in the hands of this duke. When the news of the king's assassination reached Bohemia, some of the nobles thought it advisable to elect Duke Henry to the throne; others preferred Rudolph, the son of Albert, who had succeeded his father in the empire. Before definite action could be taken, the emperor declared that, as Bohemia was a feudal de- To THE Reign of Charles IV. m pendency of the empire, he could dispose of it as he saw fit; so he gave it to his son Rudolph. To enforce this claim, he invaded the country v^ith a large army, and the Assembly, partly from choice and partly from necessity, accepted Rudolph as their king, if he would consent to marry one of the Bohemian princesses. He immediately espoused Elizabeth of Poland, the widow of Vaclav" II. This was the beginning of the dynasty of the House of Hapsburg in Bohemia. Rudolph reigned in Bohemia less than a year. Be- ing surrounded by German favorites, and always con- sulting the wishes of his father rather than those of the native noblemen, he was hated more and more, and a revolt would doubtless have taken place but for his timely death, which took place while he was besieg- ing the fortress of an unruly noble. It had been agreed that, should Rudolph die with- out male heirs, the crown should fall to his brother Frederick. The latter had many friends in the country, among whom the most powerful was Marshal Tobias of Bechyn. But the old candidate, Duke Henry of Carinthia, also had many friends, and thus the election proved to be one of the most exciting ever known in the country. Although Marshal Tobias was ill at the time, he was so zealous for the Austrian succession that he had himself carried into the hall, and there de- fended the claims of the house of Austria with so much vehemence that he incurred the wrath of most of the Bohemian lords. He charged the noblemen with having the interests of the country so little at heart that they would elect a weak ruler, who could not cope with the enemies of the country. When the lords ordered him to be silent, and not insist upon the 112 The Story of Bohemia, election of a foreigner and an enemy, he replied scorn- fully : ** If you insist upon having a king of your own people, go to the village of Stadic ; there, among the peasants, you may possibly find some old uncle of the family of Premysl. Bring him here, and place him upon the royal throne." This slurring reference to the humble origin of their kings, roused the wrath of the lords to the highest pitch. Ulric of lyichtenberg sprang up, and, without a word of warning, plunged his sword into the breast of the unfortunate man. Other acts of violence followed. The friends of Austria fled for their lives, leaving the field clear to the adherents of the Duke of Carinthia, who was elected without any further opposition. In the meantime Moravia had accepted Frederick as their king, and Albert immediately sent an army to help his son to gain the Bohemian crow^n ; but all these preparations for war came to naught by the death of Albert, who was murdered by his own nephew, to whom he had refused to give the estates that right- fully belonged to him. At the news of the election of Henry, there were great public rejoicings, the people showing much con- fidence in the good- will and ability of the new ruler. But all these hopes were doomed to a bitter disap- pointment; for King Henry soon showed that Marshal Tobias was entirely correct in the estimate of his char- acter ; he was weak, and totally unfit to govern. In the beginning of his reign serious troubles arose between the citizens of some of the large towns and the nobles ; but King Henry looked on in abject help- lessness, doing nothing whatever either to prevent or settle the quarrels. He felt a repugnance to every- To THE Reign of Charles IV. 113 thing that required active exertion, and spent most of liis time in eating and drinking. In his reckless gener- osity he gave away estate after estate, until his own income was so small that he could not set a good table. Then, being reduced to want, he did not scruple to adopt cruel and unlawful measures to extricate him- self out of his difficulties. At last the people neither feared nor loved him, and the lords began to discuss the necessity of deposing him, and electing another king in his place. At this time there lived at court a young woman who attracted general attention on account of her beauty and intelligence. To unusual wisdom and pen- etration of mind she added a fearless spirit and true, unfeigning patriotism. Taking an intelligent interest in public affairs, she showed much concern at the sad state in which her country was found. As might be supposed, she belonged to the royal family, and was no one else than Elizabeth, the second daughter of King Vaclav II. King Henry soon perceived that, on account of her good qualities, she might prove dangerous to him; consequently he selected a suitable partner from among his lords, and tried to persuade her to an early mar- riage. But she declined all such offers, doubtless thinking that there was something higher in store for her. In this she was not disappointed. The nobles finally decided to depose Henry, and to set Elizabeth upon the throne, not as an independent ruler, but as the wife of Prince John, of I^uxemburg, the son of the German emperor, A deputation was sent for this purpose to the German court, and the marriage was agreed upon, though the emperor showed some reluct- 8 114 The Story of Bohemia. ance on account of the extreme youthfulness of his son, who was but fourteen, while Elizabeth was eigh- teen years of age. This was indeed a strange turn in the affairs of the State. Not long before, a Bohemian nobleman had been openly murdered because he dared espouse the cause of the house of Austria, and now a deputation of Bohemian lords go to the German court to implore the emperor to let his fourteen-year-old boy rule over them. And yet the principle of desiring a na- tive to rule over them was a true one ; and it would have been well for the country had their leaders been consistent, and now had chosen a native, rather than a German. The Princess KHzabeth had endured many a slight and hardship from her royal brother-in-law ; and, in- deed, for a while it was feared that he cherished evil designs against her, and she was placed under the pro- tection of the city of Nimburg, that had been founded by her father. Now, when she was betrothed to Prince John, it seemed that her trials had ended, and that a life of happiness and usefulness to her nation was opening before her. The marriage was to be cele- brated at Spires, where the German king and queen, with all their court, were waiting the arrival of the bride. The emperor met her at the threshold, and, giving her his right hand while he held his son with the left, he said, deeply moved : " Welcome, royal child of Bohemia ! Thou hast thus far been an or- phan ; henceforth thou shalt be my daughter, and I shall be thy father. Here is my only son, thy future husband. Forget the trials thou hast endured at home, and rejoice with us !" Queen Margaret stood by, im- To THE Reign of Charles IV. 115 patient for the moment when she could embrace her new daughter. At this loving reception the bystand- ers were moved to tears. After the marriage, which was celebrated with great splendor, King John went with an army to Bo- hemia to win the crown that had been offered him ; for, however weak and dissipated King Henry was, it was not -expected that he would lay down his honors without a struggle, which supposition proved to be well founded. Calling to his assistance Frederick, the Margrave of Meissen, King Henry prepared for a stout defense of his rights. For some time John did not dare approach Prague, but captured some cities in the southern part of Bohemia ; but finally he turned his march to the capital, the gates of which were opened to him through the treachery of some lords. King Henry, seeing that all was lost, left the country. KING JOHN OF I^UXEMBURG. After the departure of King Henry from Prague, a Diet was immediately called, in which the lords took the oath of allegiance to their new king ; and John, as a ruler of a new dynasty, gave a written agreement promising to preserve the liberties of the country. As this was the first document of the kind ever given by a King of Bohemia, some of the provisions deserve special notice : The king promised to call no foreign- ers into the land to be his officers and counselors; he was forbidden either to give away or sell any of the crown estates to foreigners ; in case of the death of some of his subjects, the king was to lay no claim to their inheritance, but all such inheritance was to fall to the relatives of the deceased, and only in default of ii6 The Story of Bohemia. these, to the crown ; no Bohemian lord was ever to be ordered to go on any military expedition out of the country ; the king was to impose no taxes except for his coronation and to raise the dowry for daughters of the house royal ; and all such taxes were to be ac- cording to a fixed rate. After this agreement, the coronation was held, and King John established in the government. Although one of the articles of the royal docu- ment provided for the exclusion of all foreigners from the government, nevertheless, because of the extreme youthiulness of the king, the emperor gave him sev- eral German lords to be his counselors. The Bohe- mian lords did not object to this, since the chief of these was Peter, the Archbishop of Mayence, who had been greatly loved and honored by Vaclav II. I^ater, when the German lords began to grow too domineer- ing, King John was held to the agreement, and or- dered to dismiss them. When the nobles had established King John and Queen Elizabeth upon the throne of Bohemia, they imagined that they had done their country a good service, and that his reign would be an era of peace and prosperity to all the people. These hopes, how- ever were doomed to the bitterest disappointment. In the whole history of the country, the government of King John of lyuxemburg was unquestionably one of the worst ; and in regard to private life, a more unfortunate marriage could scarcely have been con- tracted ; and, doubtless, the domestic troubles in the royal family were, to some extent, the cause of the public disturbances. Although Queen Elizabeth was a very beautiful To THE Reign of Charles IV. 117 woman, who would have graced any court in Europe, the boy husband was too undeveloped either to ap- preciate her noble qualities or comprehend the duties and sacredness of married life. He soon grew tired of her, and began to take long journeys to various countries in Europe, neglecting both his wife and the government. His ideal seemed to be a knight-errant, who wandered about the world in search of adven- tures. His exploits at tournaments made him famous all over Europe. He was especially popular at the French court, which was due partly to his lavish gen- erosity, and partly because he was bound by ties of relationship to the French king, the latter having mar- ried his sister Mary. While the French lords and ladies sounded his praises to the skies, his own sub- jects cursed him, calling upon Heaven to deliver them from his tyrannous exactions. He cared so little for his kingdom and his family that, most probably, he would have staid away altogether, had he not been obliged to return, from time to time, to replenish his purse. His income proving insufficient to carry on his extravagant life, he resorted to all manner of ex- tortions, not scrupling to rob his own household, so that, at times, they suffered for the necessaries of life. The follies of the king reached a climax, when, being in need of funds, he tried to exchange the king- dom of Bohemia for a petty province upon the Rhine. The queen, refusing to give her consent, brought upon herself the wrath of her truant husband, who treated her worse than before At this time one of the most powerful lords of the kingdom was Henry of I^ipa. For some time he had ruled Moravia as the regent of John ; but his haughti- ii8 The Story of Bohemia, ness was such that he offended the queen, through whose influence he was removed. For a while civil war raged as the result of this. Finally the offended lord was reinstated in his office and reconciled to the king, but hating the queen all the more. Elizabeth's refusal to consent to the bartering away of her country, although approved of by all the lords, nevertheless was now used as a pretext to set the king against her. Lord Henry succeeded in making him believe that Elizabeth aimed to deprive him of the crown in favor of her son Vaclav, a child three years old. King John hurried to Bohemia in great wrath, seized the unsuspecting queen, and cast her in prison in the city of Melnik. The infant son was sent, with two nurses, to the fortress of lyoketsky, and there kept in a dark tower for two months. Finally the queen was rescued by some lords, and taken back to Prague, where a suitable residence was pro- vided for her. Two years later (132 1), a reconciliation was effected between the royal couple, but it was not of long duration. The lords unfriendly to the queen succeeded in rousing the king against her, and this time she was obliged to flee for her life. She found refuge at the court of Bavaria, the Duke of Bavaria having been betrothed to her oldest daughter, Mar- garet. The boy Vaclav was then taken to the court of France, where he remained for many years. At his confirmation he was named Charles, after his uncle Charles, the King of France, and it is by this name that he is known in history. Two years after the queen's flight to Bavaria, King John, learning of her innocence, gave her permission to return to Bohemia. To THE Reign of Charles IV. 119 Queen Elizabeth, however, was not blameless. She possessed an exceedingly proud and haughty dispo- sition, was very jealous of honors and dignities that she thought rightfully belonged to her, and unrelent- ing in her vengeance against those who offended her in this respect. For many years there was trouble in the land on account of the rivalship between Queen Elizabeth and Elizabeth of Poland, widow of Vaclav II.* Elizabeth of Poland held her court at Hradec (Koniggratz), and was spoken of as the Queen of Hra- dec, in distinction from the Queen of Boh emia. Lord Henry of Lipa was a favorite of the Queen of Hradec, and both he and that queen were guilty of many a slight against the unfortunate Queen of Bohemia. An example of this was the marriage of Agnes, the daugh- ter of the Queen of Hradec and Vaclav II, hence half- sister to Elizabeth. This marriage was contracted without the knowledge and consent of the King and Queen of Bohemia, and consequently, to say the least, was a lack of courtesy equal to an insult. Both the king and queen regarded it as such, and the Eord of lyipa, at whose advice the marriage had been contracted, was degraded from his high ojSices. Several powerful lords taking his part, the country was plunged into civil war. This, however, was not the only war caused by the rivalry between the two queens. On one oc- casion, when the atrocities committed were too fright- ful to behold, Queen Elizabeth, instead of relenting and showing some pity for her subjects, who really were not at all to blame, took her children and went to her fortress of Eoketsky, where she remained until peace was restored. * Vaclav's second wife, hence not the mother of Elizabeth. I20 The Story of Bohemia. The real and imaginary wrongs of Queen Kliza- beth, the rivalship between her and the Queen of Hradec, the intrigues of the lords, the wars between them, — all this has furnished rich material for several brilliant historical romances, produced by modern Bo- hemian novelists. King John's continual absence from his country and his constant demand for funds, together with the wars carried on among the various nobles, brought the coun- try to a condition of wretchedness, such as it had not known for a long time. In the absence of some strong hand to govern, the strong oppressed the weak, there being no means of redress. The land was infested with robbers, who plundered the inhabitants without let or hindrance. Sometimes whole villages were destroyed, the inhabitants scattered in all directions, many of whom perished in the woods from starvation. And King John himself became a public robber. His own sources of income having been drained to the last farthing, he robbed the churches of their ornaments, and stealing the crown and the crown jewels from the palace, he sold them, using the money for his own private ex- penses. In consideration for some service done the Pope John XXII, he was given permission to collect at one time the tithes that the Pope claimed to be due for three years. This vast sum of money he also appro- priated to his own use. In the darkest hour of the reign of King John, Eliz- abeth died. She was but thirty-nine years of age, but Queen E^iiza- broken down in health and spirits, and for- beth's I " 1 I Death. sakcu by all except her seven -year -old daughter. As the dawn of her life had been glorious, so her sun now went down in the utmost gloom. To THE Reign oe Charles IV, 121 In 1333, three years after the death of Cueeu KHz- abeth, a new day seemed to dawn for the poor, beg- gared kingdom of Bohemia. King John, prince betaking himself to his county of I^uxem- ci^aries. burg, sent into Bohemia his son Charles, then seven- teen years of age, to be his regent. Charles, although young in years, was old in wis- dom and- experience. The French court, which to his father had been but the theater for the display of his chivalric qualities, proved to the son a school where he learned political economy and statecraft. Grief for the loss of his mother, whom he tenderly loved, and from whom he had been so cruelly separated, doubtless had considerable influence in softening his character and making him grave and thoughtful far beyond his years. His dignified bearing and conversation soon won the hearts of the people, and this time their confidence was not misplaced. The first thing that he did was to set in order the royal housekeeping. lyike the regents before him, he was still obliged to send a great deal of money to his father; nevertheless he was able, out of the special sub- sidy granted him by the Diet, to redeem several of the crown estates; and in two years, by dint of great economy, he redeemed ten estates with their fortresses in Bohemia, and six in Moravia. In these he estab- lished courts for the regular administration of justice to people of the adjacent territorj^ He undertook long journeys through the land, often in disguise, diligently seeking to make liimself acquainted with the condition and needs of the people. The palace of Hradschin having been destroyed by fire a few years before, King John, instead of making 122 The Story of Bohemia. any effort to rebuild it, preferred to take up his abode in a citizen's private residence in the Old Town of Prague ; but no sooner had Charles seen the ruins than he began to study how the misfortune might be reme- died. The lords were helpful to him in this, and soon the palace walls gleamed against the sun, where for a number of years there had been nothing but ruins. The palace being rebuilt, Charles brought over his youthful wife, Blanche, the daughter of the French king. The popularity of Charles, however, did not please his father ; for the lords, that profited by the disturb- ances in the land, soon succeeded in arousing the sus- picions of the jealous king, whom they warned to be- ware of his son, that his zealous effort to improve the condition of the people was merely to win their good will, so that he might usurp the government. The king immediately deprived Charles of the regency, leaving him only the title of Margrave of Moravia and the income from a single estate. Charles bore the in- dignity without a murmur, and left the country to help his brother Frederick to protect his estates in Tyrol against the encroachments of the Kmperor of Ger- many. In the winter of 1337, John, accompanied by his son Charles, went upon an expedition with the German knights against I^ithuania. The exposure to the cold and damp weather brought on a disease of the eyes to the king, and afterwards he became totally blind. No- body in Bohemia pitied him ; the people looked upon it as a punishment from Heaven for his misdeeds, and especially for his robbery of their churches. After the death of Queen Klizabeth, King John had To THE Reign of Charles IV, 123 married again ; as might be expected, a foreigner, Be- atrice of the house of Bourbon. He brought her to Prague with her infant son Vaclav; but the people manifested no joy at her arrival, on all occasions show- ing their preference for Charles and his wife Blanche, which so displeased the king that he sent Charles out of the country, and finally departed himself, leaving the goverament in the hands of a regent. At this the people manifested so much displeasure that John, fear- ing a rebellion, reinstated his son in the government, and, in 1341, declared him his successor. King John continued to extort money from his kingdom until Charles himself would bear it no longer. In 1342 he gave his father 5,000 -pounds of silver, and ordered him not to come into the country again for two years. Doubtless there would have been much trouble, if not civil war, between Charles and his father had the latter remained idle in his county of I^ux- emburg ; but fortunately he went to assist his friend, the French king, against the English, where his igno- minious life was ended by a glorious death. This was at the battle of Crecy (1346), which proved so disas- trous to the French. When all was lost, the Bohemian lords that had accompanied King John to the war, begged him to flee and save his life ; but he replied : " God forbid that a king of Bohemia should ever flee before the enemy!" Then, ordering his horse to be fastened to those of two of his most faithful knights — since, on account of his blindness, he himself could not have directed him — the three rushed into the thickest battle, being immediately cut to pieces by the enemy. Some fifty of the Bohemian knights perished in the same way, Charles, too, was present in this battle; 124 The Story of Bohemia. but, being wouuded intlie earlier part of the action, lie was carried from the battle-field by the orders of his father, who, after all, did not wish to leave Bohemia without a ruler The memorable w^ords of the king became the watchword of Bohemian soldiers ; and this, perhaps, was the only legacy that was left to Bohemia by her knightly ruler, King John of Luxemburg. Chapter IV. FROM CHARLES IV TO THE HUSSITE WARS. chari,e;s IV. Whii,^ Charles was in France with his father, a dispute was going on between Pope Clement VI and lyouis, the German emperor. The Pope finally suc- ceeded in winning the electors to his side, Ivouis was deposed, and the Bohemian king elected in his place. As King of Bohemia he was the £rst of that name; but as emperor he is known in history as Charles IV. Although duly elected, Charles was by no means in possession of the imperial crown; and, for a while, war with lyouis seemed to be inevitable ; but when hostilities were on the point of breaking out, Louis died, and Charles imagined now that he could secure the prize without any opposition. But here he was mistaken. Two of the electors declared the election of Charles null and void, and began to look about for another candidate. But it seems that the imperial crown was not so very desirable, judging from the scarcity of aspirants to the dignity. It was first of- fered to Kdward of England, who refused it; then to the Margrave of Meissen, who likewise declined the honor ; and finally to Count Giinther of Schwarzburg, who accepted it. This Giinther was a mercenary ad- venturer, who had served under various princes, and who cared so little for the imperial crown that when Charles offered to buy it of him, he gladly accepted the proffered sum of 20,000 pounds of silver. As Bohemia had always had a great deal of trouble 125 126 The Story of Bohemia. from the interference in her affairs by the German em- perors, it was of great moment to Charles to have un- disputed possession of the imperial throne. He there- fore attempted, by various diplomatic measures, to win over the opposing electors. His wife Blanche having died, he married Anna, the daughter of the Elector of Palatinate upon the Rhine, and gave his own daughter in marriage to Rudolph, the Duke of Austria. By these measures he succeeded in obtain- ing undisputed possession of the imperial throne. The political events in the reign of Charles IV are not of much significance. Although he had obtained an excellent military training under his warlike father, and had carried himself valiantly in the few battles that he had engaged in, nevertheless he had no love for war, and avoided it at all costs. He devoted his whole time to the improvement of his kingdom, so that the history of his reign is more a record of the re- forms he introduced than any account of political events. Even before the death of his father, Charles had succeeded in inducing the Pope to change the bishopric Archbishop of Prague to an archbishopric. This was m Prague. ^^ evcut of the greatest importance. As a bishopric, Bohemia was under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Mayence; and in .those days, when Church and State were inseparable, this often caused a great deal of inconvenience, if not hardship, to the government. The negotiations for this change afford a curious illustration of the geographical knowledge of those times. Charles was required to take an oath that Mayence was a distance of twelve days' journey from Prague, and that, to reach it, the Bohemians wexs-obliged to cross foreign territory; and further. To THE Hussite Wars. 127 that the Cech tongue was Slavonic and not Teutonic. The first Archbishop of Bohemia was Ernest of Par- dubic, a man of much learning, and greatly beloved on account of his goodness and integrity. In the year 1347, Charles was crowned in Prague as King of Bohemia, the ceremony being performed by the new archbishop. For the occasion, The coro- Charles .ordered a beautiful crown to be "^t^^^- made of the purest gold, and, lest it should meet the fate of the old crown of Bohemia, he had it placed upon the head of the skeleton of St. Vaclav, whose remains rested in the cathedral at Hradschin. Later, he obtained from the Pope a document pronouncing a fearful curse upon any one who would dare touch with sacrilegious hands this national treasure. Owing to the fact that the crown was kept in the tomb ot Bohemia's patron saint, it is always called St. Vaclavian. In 1354, Charles, together with his wife Anna, un- dertook the journey to the capital of Christendom, to be crowned by the Pope as King of the journey to Romans. He was received in the Italian ^°°^^" cities with great demonstrations of joy, which, how- ever, were not sincere. After his coronation, while tarrying in the city of Pisa, he was attacked by the people and soldiers, and had not his attendants per- formed prodigies of valor, both he and his wife would surely have been cut to pieces by the enraged popu- lace. Thanking God for his deliverance, and liberally rewarding his guards, he hurried out of the country. In 1348 the Pope issued a bull for the es- The univer- tablishment of a university in Prague. This ^'*^" may be regarded as the great event in the reign of Charles IV. 128 The Story of Bohemia, There had been opportunities for higher education in the country connected with the monasteries and collegiate churches ; but none of these had the power to grant degrees, and a college degree was one of the requisites for candidates to some of the highest offices in the State. As there was no university in the whole of the German Empire, students aspiring to those honors w^ere obliged to journey either to Paris or to Bononi in Italy, either of which incurred much hard- ship and great expense. As Charles had obtained his education in Paris, he modeled the new university after the one in Paris. There were four faculties — Theology, Jurisprudence, Medicine, and Philosophy. The perinanent head of the university was the Archbishop of Prague ; but a rector was elected every year, who had direct super- vision of the different faculties. The head of each faculty was a deacon, also elected for a year. The elections were carried on by nations of which there were four; viz., Bohemian, Bavarian, Polish, and Saxon. The Bohemian electors included Hungarians, Moravians, and other Slavic peoples ; the Bavarian, all Germans ; the Polish, students from Silesia and Russia ; the Saxons, Danes and Swedes. At first the professors delivered lectures in their own houses; those of theology, in some of the churches. The same year the university was organ- ized, a college was built which provided lecture halls for twelve professors. The university had a direct influence upon public education ; for whoever desired a degree was required not only to pass all the examinations, but to spend two years in teaching in some of the parish schools CHARLE;S IV FOUNDING THE UNIVERSITY OF PRAGUE. To THE Hussite Wars. 129 of the country. Having fulfilled these requirements, the student received the degree of Bachelor ; but this did not entitle him to lecture in the university, this privilege being enjoyed only by those who possessed the degree of Doctor or Master. The Bachelors, how- ever, were permitted to read lectures approved by the faculties of some other university. The -growth of the university was something phe- nomenal. In less than fifty years from the time it was founded, there were 200 Doctors, 500 Masters, and 30,000 students. The rapid growth of this institution was due to the encouragement given it by the emperor. He not only richly endowed it, providing it also with good libraries, but he took a personal interest in the work. He was present at the lectures and public disputa- tions, at times even neglecting his meals in order to hear the closing of the debates. Charles was also a patron of art. Under his direc- tion there was formed a fraternity of painters, sculp- tors, carvers in wood, and jewelers. This, to a cer- tain extent, answered the purpose of an Academ^^ of Arts, and continued in existence till the eighteenth century. He also passed many wise measures for the en- couragement and protection of trade and agriculture. Under his wise administration of laws the country prospered, increasing in wealth and population. This was especially the case with Prague, whose ancient limits of Old Town and Small Side became far too narrow to accommodate the increased population. Charles, therefore, laid out a suburb, which he named Carlstadt, but which the people persisted in calling 9 I30 The Story of Bohemia, New Town. The growth of New Town was very rapid ; for Charles not only granted special privileges to those who builded there, but put up many fine residences at his own expense, renting them upon very easy terms. Among the other structures that were put up by Charles was the cathedral at Hrad- schin, which was enlarged and partly built in this reign, the fortress of Carlstein, numerous churches and monasteries, and the stone bridge across the Moldau. The fortress of Carlstein was intended to be impregnable to all the munitions of war used in those days, and was to be the safe for the crown jewels and other valuables of the kingdom Among the many good qualities of this king, that which especially won him the hearts of the people Bohemian was the respcct he showed for their native i^anguage. language. A uumbcr of rulers before him had shown a strong preference for the German tongue ; and this is by no means surprising, since so many of the rulers, as well as the noblemen, had gone to Ger- many to get their wives. In regard to foreign wives, Charles was not the exception ; but he early appre- ciated the importance of the cultivation of the vernac- ular as the means of information among the masses, and so he set the example of using the language himself. After his ten years' stay in Paris, he had en- tirely forgotten the language of his noble mother ; but he set to work, and soon was able to read and write as readily in Bohemian as in any of the other four languages* that he was master of. Under his patronage, many books were translated I^atin, Italian, Frencli, German. To THE Hussite Wars. 131 into Bohemian ; and further to encourage the cultiva- . tion of the native tongue, a convent of Slavonic monks was established in New Town. This was used as a means to cultivate friendly relations between Bohemia and other Slavonic nations. The Bohemian language became the language of court and in the government of cities and towns ; but in the previous reigns, the Ger- man tongue had gained such an ascendency that even so energetic a ruler as Charles was not able to stem the tide of foreign influence. In the year 1356 a Diet was held at Prague, at which Charles offered to the consideration of the States a new code of laws, called Majestas Carolina ; but Reform in it was rejected, only some of the provisions ^^^' being embodied in the laws of the land. The laws of Bohemia, like those of Germany, France, and England, had an historical basis, the de- cisions of the Supreme Court being recorded and used as precedents. These records w^ere kept in I^atin, al- though the discussions were in the vernacular. The sessions of the court were open to all ; the accused could plead his own case or have counsel. At first there was a jury, but later it was discontinued. The grave faults in the laws were, that the judges appealed too often to the so-called God's judgments. Ordeals were common, and the casting of lots also. Confusio, or Error, was also resorted to. Thus, if a person be- came confused or stammered, it was said that God had judged him. Charles declared that such practices were a wicked tempting of Providence, and therefore they were abolished. More stringent laws were passed in regard to rob- bers. A law was passed providing that, even if such a 132 The Story of Bohemia. criminal were pardoned so that he escaped the gallows, he was to remain dishonored forever. Although Charles introduced many reforms, what he did came far short of what he would have liked to do. During the reign of his father, the nobility were left to be absolute rulers over the peasants upon their estates ; and now, if Charles would be at peace with them, he must leave them to a considerable extent in th^ enjoyment of their assumed privileges. This is well proved by their refusal to accept the Majestas Car- olina. Some of the provisions of this code of laws were such as to make one shudder at the inhumanity of those times, when such laws could be proposed and rejected. Some of the provisions were as follows : *' It is not be- coming for a lord to put out the eyes of his people or of strangers. Should any one be guilty of this, he falls into the displeasure of the king, and his goods to his mercy. A lord must not carry himself proudly to lay upon the block and cut off the limbs of his subjects." One would naturally infer that, at times, some of the lords had resorted to such horrible modes of punish- ment, otherwise Charles would not have incorporated this law in his Majestas Carolina. Some of the laws in vogue at this time prove the wide difference between peasants and the higher classes. Thus if peasants or citizens had wronged each other, they were permitted to fight with clubs, not swords ; for they were chlapi (churls). But if a person of lower birth hit one belonging to one of the upper classes, his hand was cut off, and he ^vas obliged to give security that he would not seek vengeance. Should a peasant strike his lord, his head was forfeit ; the lord, however, could do with him what he pleased. To THE Hussite Wars. 133 The emperor alone could not change such barba- rous laws; but he did what he could to alleviate the condition of the poor people and to some extent re- dress their wrongs. The week before Easter and the. week following were devoted to hearing the cause of the poor and oppressed. Charles, as judge, sat upon a throne put up at the main entrance to the court of the palace, where the widow, the orphan, and the peas- ant could bring their grievances without any cere- mony, and receive quick justice. In his travels over the country, he often stopped in the various towns to hear the cause of the oppressed. In a season of great want he ordered the building of a wall about the city so as to give the poor people employment. It was no w^onder that the people blessed him, calling him the father of their country. Shortly after the Diet held in Prague for the con- sideration of reforms needed in the administration of law, an imperial Diet was held in Nurem- ^^e ooiden burg. Delegates from all the States com- ^"^^' posing the empire were present, and many important measures were discussed ; but w^hat rendered this Diet memorable was the passage of the set of laws known as the Golden Bull. This decree, which, a German au- thor says, was the only good thing that the Emperor Charles IV did for Germany, remained for centuries the fundamental law, governing and holding together the loose confederation of States composing the German Empire. The Golden Bull fixed the number of electors at seven, three ecclesiastical and four secular. They were the Archbishops of Mainz, Treves, and Cologne; the Count Palatine of the Rhine; the Duke of Saxony ; the 134 The Story of Bohemia. Margrave of Brandenburg, and tlie King of Bohemia. Each of these princes was to hold a high office under the emperor, those of the princes being merely nomi- nal, while those of the clerics were real. The other articles in the Golden Bull provided for the regulation of taxes, disposition of the revenue, coinage of money, limitations of the rights and privi- leges of cities, and various other laws concerning the government of the empire. The Golden Bull, so excellent in itself, met with hot displeasure from the Pope, who could not look on with indifference when he found himself without any voice in the elections for the emperor. As a compensa- tion for this slight, Charles was obliged to grant many concessions to the clergy. Charles IV was very pious, spending much time in fasting and prayer ; and partly on account of his own The Growth rcligious tendencies, and partly on account of Clerical _ - ^ Power. of the pressure or events, he granted many favors to the clergy. Many new churches and mon- asteries sprang up, and the old were endowed and im- proved in appearance. At the present time, to the five millions of inhabitants in Bohemia, there are nine- teen hundred parish churches, while in the time of Charles there were twenty-three hundred, and the pop- ulation was only about three millions. Not only did the churches increase in number, but also in wealth, which was especially the case with the higher ones. Thus the Archbishop of Prague had the revenues com- ing from four hundred villages and some dozen cities, which enabled him to hold a court equal in magnifi- cence to some of the princes of the empire. The higher clergy lived in idleness, luxury, and indulged To THE Hussite Wars, 135 in all manner of dissipation ; and the lower priesthood followed their example as far as they were able. Many persons totally unfit for a clerical life succeeded in se- curing benefices with large incomes, and then lived like great lords, their duties being performed by some hired substitute. As church service became more and more perfunctory, clerical life became easier ; consequently, more young men crowded into it than into any other profession, until there were far more priests than places. To provide all with something to do, or rather with some income, the larger churches were permitted to have several priests, each to be paid mostly by what he could make in performing the various church duties, such as christenings, burials, confirmations, and the like. This distribution of labor led to much jealousy and hatred. The greed of the priests drove them to conduct that was scandalous ; fierce brawls were an every-day occurrence, and even bloody fights were in- dulged in. In granting so many privileges and concessions to the Church, Charles IV acted from the purest motives; but the results were evil, and that continually. He sowed the land full of dragon's teeth, which, springing Up in the following reigns, so tore and lacerated the country that it barely escaped with its life. One of the most grievous faults of Charles IV was his excessive fondness for his family. When his son Vaclav was born, the public manifestations The Prince of joy ordered to be made by the king were ludicrous, if not blasphemous. Then, in his anxiety to secure the succession to this infant, he had him crowned King of Bohemia when a mere child. Nor was this all ; in direct violation of the provisions of 136 The Story of Bohemia. the Golden Bull, the boy was also elected King of the Romans. Doubtless these premature honors were the cause of much of the incompetency of Vaclav, and the dire misfortunes that came to the country because of it. Death of Charles IV died in 1378, in the sixty-third Charles IV. ^^^^ ^^^ j^-^ ^^^ jj^ ^^^ buHed in the ca- thedral at Hradschin, where his body rests to this day. In regard to personal appearance, Charles IV was rather small and thick-set ; he was somewhat round- personai Ap- shouldcred, his head and neck thrust for- pearance. ^^.x^) his face was broad, his features coarse, his eyes large. He dressed in plain black broadcloth, without any ornamentation whatever, his coat being buttoned up to his chin. His favorite pas- time was whittling. He whittled on all occasions, even when sitting as judge and listening to the most serious cases. At times it seemed that he was paying more attention to his knife than to the pleadings of the counsel ; but the decisions he gave proved that he had not lost a word» In the management of his domestic affairs, Charles was economical to stinginess ; but in great undertak- ings he showed a generosity truly princely. In affairs of state he listened patiently to his counselors, but generally acted according to his own mind, and a decision once reached was held as final. Although five centuries have passed since this Father of Bohemia lived — and since that time fearful storms and changes have come over the country — yet, at the present time, no one can travel over the land without meeting on every side works that perpetuate the name of Charles IV, rendering it dear to every Bohemian heart. To THE Hussite Wars, 137 SOCIAI. CONDITION AND CIVII.IZATION IN BOHEMIA IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY. As early as the thirteenth century the people be- gan to be divided into two nations, the Germans and Bohemians. The Bohemian language was used at first by the native nobility, the ' ^* - clergy, and the common people ; the German, in the royal cities and villages settled by German immigrants. The German settlers brought with them their own customs and habits, which differed considerably from those of the natives ; but, in course of time, the two civilizations became blended, although it must be con- fessed that the Bohemians became far more German than the Germans Bohemian. This was due to the fact that, for several reigns, both the rulers and the nobility showed a morbid preference for everything that was foreign. Had it not been for the denationalizing tendency, the German immigrants would have been a benefit to the country. They generally were industrious and enterprising, and aided considerably in developing the resources of the country. It was mostly due to them that the silver-mines of Kuttenberg and German Brod became such a source of wealth. They also helped to improve the manufactures of the country. Yet these were not in a high state of excellence; for linens were imported from France and Bavaria, broadcloths from Ghent, and Bohemian goods found a market only in Poland and Hungary. The unfavorable side of the German colonists was that, in time of war, they invariably joined the side of the enemy. L