The New York herald., 1873-11-17

out OF the window Of the council chamber by the
indignant Protestant mobiles and deputies
In 1918, Tor Bohemia was then almost an entirely
Protestant land. The doctrines OF Huss had lived
and nourished Tor nearly two centuries; bus the
great thirty Years War came, and the battle or
White Hill, when the Catholics again triumphed,
anu anenstein lived in one OF the squares below
she caste In royal splendor on his s60ooo year.
win MS astronomer Sen6 TO interpret the stars Tor
MIN. But Bohemian history goes much further
PACK than that OF the Hradisch, which was only
haps in the ruins which YOU see on the crest Of the
opposite mountain, the Wissehrad, or Acropolis,
whose story leads you to the days OF St. Wenzel and
to the days OF heathendom. True we pilgrims
mount to the Hradisch tomorrow MORN because
the Wissehrad no longer exists and the remains or
st. Wenzel and st. Nepomuk, and a hundred his
torieal and unhst0rcaI relics. preserved In tho
cathedral, whose unfinished form looms up in the
mellow moonlight But tonight we revel In men,
ores OF Wissehrad because these memories lead
US to the story OF st. Wenzel with whom we have
to do on the morrow.
THE BOHEMIAN AoRoPoLIs
The Wtssehrad crowned the heights overlooking
OF EhrenDreitsten. on the Rhine, or the Blocks
berg, overlooking BudaPestn, on the Danube.
Shall tell the story OF beautiful Libussa, princess
prlestess and prophecies, who once dwelt there,
and who once ioretold the future greatness OF
PragueS She was the great anoestress OF the Bo-
hemlan dukes and kings, and consequently OF st.
Wenzel. Wen, on the crest tnat hill Queen
Lbussa built her nest. She was not a Christian
woman, but had queer habit OF worshipplng
name; to whom (ye mythOlOgiSts may remem-
ber), IKE to St. VT or vitus roosters were con
sisters one kasna who helped TO do tine governing,
and TheKa, woman strong In the knowledge OF
close to the Old castle and overlooking the river
which tells sad stories ab0ut Libussa's life. This
ominous place is called Lbussa's Bed, and here the
fckle woman took her lovers as soon as she tired
OF them and precipitated them from the TOD OF the
rock.
THREE HUNDRED NOBLE czEcHs
were thus annihilated Dy the glowing Princess
But these little affairs OF the heart seem TO have
run the same then as now. Llbussa lell In love
10 dnu utth utV.ntA uhnn ah
caused TO be captured and brought to her-whose
name was Przemysl. He 1t was who captivated
became her recognized husband and king, the an
cestor OF the long line OF GzechiAn dukes and kings
OF Bohemia. But this Is not all the ssory. Lbussa
died, leaving one OF her maids, by name Wlasta,
who iel in love with Przemysl and wished to be-
come Queen OF the Czechs; but Przemysl being a
king, and consequently OF divine descent-no mat
ter whether the Queen found him y lowly peasant
or not-did not see matters IN this light, and told
e Lovely 10 ssne UTs Was9a 81 o ao sa
raging mad, and swore ste would be Queen OF
Bohemia and leave Przemysl out in the cold. SO
she lett the perch of the Wissehrad and went about
the city and gathered together all the wives VINO
lived unhappily with their husbands and armed
them--there were some 400-and built q castle
over the river on the side where Prague proper
now stands, and made war on King Peter OF the
took knights and mobiles prisoners, of some cut of
noses and ears, others she cast into the wells
and dungeons, and accepted a few as regular lovers
to the army Then they cut of the thumos OF all the
boy children so that they could not draw the bow
and the right breast OF the girls that they should
not be hindered in handling that instrument OF
war. But one fine day King Przemysl got very
mad himself and sent all his soldiers capture the
Amazon princess and her followers, which they
did. All the Amazon maidenS then had their heads
cut OF, and King Przemysl thenceforward lived In
peace.
Are not these pretty little legends, you ask IKE
the scores that seem to attach to all European
moases cne 70 the gray ns Sas Not SO fast
here rude historian We are creeping about the
roots OF Bohemian history. This same przemys
began his rule about the year OF our Lord 900. He
had q nephew who succeeded him, and his name
was Wenzel-St. Wenzel he has become. the
traditional bearer OF an idea the Bohemian per-
soni1ed idea OF national regeneration and inde-
pendence, like theBarbarossa Of the Germans. Wen
Eel s the patron SAINT OF Bohemia-of the Czechs,
more properly speaking, for he ls no friend OF the
German. And since 1t Is this saints festival we
are to celebrate tomorrow, few words on his
be eanonized my be interesting. The pilgrims on
the big square sung his virtues to night and win
invoke his aid tomorrow In restoring Bohem1a's
Wenzel's title was Duke OF Bohemia and after
929 his ducDy was tributary to the German Empire.
Duke Wenzei was a very pious prince. Had he not
been 80 he could never have attained to the honor
OF being patron saint OF Czechenland. Good as he
was, he had g. brother wicked enough for two who
wished to rule the land, and placed himself at the
head OF an insurrectlonary party, who said that
Church and its priests Tor this world And, in
truth, Wenzel exhibited as much piety as monk.
grapes Tor the sacramental bread and wine; he
would NOW and thresh tie grain himself and gather
and press the grapes, and sometimes, when engaged
In experimenting the building OF churches ana III
looking alter ecclesiastical affairs, would neglect
those Of the State. one day he was invited by
inaugurating church at Old Bunglaw. on
the morning OF the 2sth OF september,
sssu;t o ss3 saurcS tae aoss
of the sacred edince, however, he was met by his
brother and host, Boeslaw, whom he thanked for
Boleslaw looked at his brother through one eye,
ana said, as he drew his sword and smote. his
brother hard blow on the head-"True, but will
serve thee in a still more hospltable way to-day"
number OF other rebels came about him and just
murdered him as he clung to the , said door ring.
or rather portion or 1.-THE remains OF the Duke
were transported to the historical hll and there
saint extended. The Church made him saint, and
the people began to look on him as model prince,
ance, with which all the rulers OF Bohemia should be
crowned. Two OF his descendants ruled as dukes;
then the dignity OF royalty was awarded the Bo-
hemian rulers by the German emperors, and at one
time King Ottocar H.. who ruled from 1858 to 1878
gained Austria Styria, Carniola and Carintha, and
ruled from the Baltic to the Adrlatic.
ST. wENZEL'S CROWN AND CZECHIAN HOPES.
1t Is but natural that the Czech should love to
dwell on the memories OF Bohemia's great past.
But this past Is gone forever to the present race.
Forming constituent part OF the Austrian En-
pire, they cannot and do not ask more than a
nominal recognition OF the independence OF st.
Wenzes crown. They wish that Francis Joseph
may be induced to grant them semndependent
haLohal eds!ence, 70 De crowned WIN the CROWN
oil St WenZe at Prague, just as he submitted
to be crowned with the crown of st. Stephen at
Pestn, and be anointed in due form King OF Bo-
hemia Time and time again the Czechs have
fancied themselves on the eve Of attaining their
demands, In which old and young Czechs are
united, but Francis Joseph has so far managed to
escape uncrowned. Two three years ago they
were exulting at the prospective ceremony and
remember to have purchased some books OF
old Frankfort antiquarian TO post myself up about
the expected ceremonies. but both the Czechs
and myself were disappointed. But up
there, In one OF the chapels OF the
cathedral, In q niche known. only to few
mortas, are preserved the wenzel crown, the
sceptre, the apple and sword and other precious
paraphernalia necessary for the coronation, an
nointmcnt and inauguration OF a ull-blooded
Bohemian king. How far near the CZechs may
be rom attaining their ends cannot be said with
any degree OF certainty. They have already man
aged to almost taboo the German language In Bo-
hemia IL Is painful Tor pure-booded Czech to be
Thought a German 'cnckoop or German ''chaer."
III you address man on the streets oil Prague in
German he ls ukelY euaanh q shakn he q