The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18

composed by MIN, entltIod Inc Regulations
OF War" and war song. or hymn. are among
the most precious relics in the Bohemian libras
rlcs. They give thorough insight into the
real character OF the hero Of the Hussite wars
who has been so often compared to Oliver
Cromwell tits only after reading his Military
Regulations which. while on the one hand es-
tablshing the rule OF an iron discipline and
enforcing religious practices. proclaim on the
other the absolute equality OF the different
classes OF mon composing the Taborite army,
that we are able TO comprehend the victories Of
the Hussites over superior forces. The author
OF tho book before US rejects the current
account OF Ziskas death. according to which
he persisted disappearing and ordering that his
body should be flayed. his skin used as drum
and his body thrown to the wild beasts. an ac-
count first given by Eneas Sylvius. and since
repeated by countless writer's.
One OF the most original OF Bohemian writer's
wns Peter ChclcIcky. who. however. was en-
tirely out OF sympathy with his countrymen
during tho momentous period from 1920 to
1434. when their great victories attracted the
attention OF all Europe Checicky may be de-
scribed as a Socialist but his socialism was
that OF the primitive Church or OF Count Toll
stoi. Horror OF bloodshcd and all violence is one
OF his disin ctive tenets. and absolute obedience
to all. even the most unjust. authority Is en-.
joined. His ideal Is the communism OF the prime
tive Cnufcn, rs ne imagined III. lie reRarueu
the fabulous donation OF Constantine" as the
source OF all evil. He asserts that when the
Church was then for the first time enriched.
an angel spoke the words: =" To-day has poison
been infused into tho Church OF Christ" AZ
the primitive Christian took no part In the
Government Of the Roman Empire. therefore
no Christian can hold any office OF State.
Again. in tho primitive Church. all we're equal:
therefore temporal and ecclesiastical grades
-. H..t \ -.
all temporal and spiritual authority, Chelccky
sometimes seems to expound very modern
ideas. There is no doubt that Chelcicky's in.
tiuence contributed greatly to the formation OF
the Socsty of h9
vhrf6 SS@hsys the Fss
the fn sn and sn Shufcs on hom Ws
is known as the Compact" had a favor
able effect upon the ihtelloctual develop
ming with the last years OF the fifteenth
century and ending with the downfall Of Bo.
Mountain In 1920. f. the one in which the Boz
hemian language Obtained It's greatest eI,sn;;
to carry on their proceedings in the national
language. This step had been already. taken
yet greater impqrtapce was the fact that Bohe-
milan at this period became tho language eX-
the thes f Estates Bohsa or In the mnds
OF many Dohemians. the preservation Of the
teal Independence. AZ lately az 1915 only
h Ss s S3 aS hoss who sseas
naturalized Bohemians should be bound TO in
f@sSs s@f their fH es s Ee
XToon T. tho he national apE9age is marked
and the political nationalist movement which
we have witnessed in this century.
Perhaps no country in modern times has suf.
!ered so much misery and degradation as Boz
hemia experienced after the battle Of the White
Mountain. Thenceforth, Bohemian literature
became. and continued for many years. an all
most complete blank. 1t was at this time that
the great destruction OF Bohemian books be-
gan, and it was carried far into the eighteenth
century. Catholic priests accom- panied by SOL
diers visited the houses of the Bohemians.
even the cottages OF the peasants not being
exempt. and. tho visitors were gen.
orally unacquainted with the Czech Lam
guage it was thought best to annihi-
late all books written in that tongue.
The Jesuit konas boosted OF having burned
10000 Bohemian volumes up to the year
1850. 1t is. OF course, only possible to CONGO.
ture the value OF the lost works. but Bohemian
writers concur In believing that many had con-
siderable historical merit 1t is noteworthy
that even the historical work OF Pope Plus III.
(.Eneas Sylvius). which deals with Bohemia.
was ordered to be thrown upon the pyre.
From the fatal year 1920 to the end Of the
eighteenth century no book appeared in the
Czech tongue that is Low considered worthy Of
notice. The mobiles and educated classes Of
this period. if they wrote at all. used
the German or the Latin tongue. Even
Joseph Dobrovsky the patriarch OF
Slavic phoogy." who was born in 1853.
did not believe that his native tongue, the
Czech. would again become one Of the
European languages that possess an independ-
ent literature. His recooctions carried him
back to the time when 1t was little more than
an idiom used by the peasantry in the outlying
country districts Of Bohemia. Even when in
tho present century the movement in favor OF
reviving the national tongue acquired strength,
hpoornyS KY never sympathzed with it. When
whether it should live or not had been Already
decided in the affirmative 1t was chiefly to
saiarik and Talacky-hat the revival o. the eI Eo.
helhian language and literature WINS due. At
made 6ms kmoWs as sFe[y s asa
an Interesting, tact that many Of his trans
fi III Tsrs o1O o fgfft os are ,s EHx
psssa IN tsRot h. roShses Obtained great
written in 1871. when the Bohemian Language
, WAS only (nst awakening from sleep OF nearly
same writer translated tioethe's Herman na and and
inorothea '4nd poems by schiller and Burger.
BRANDS AtaIa The earIiest 81 bih a erma,
original works was his History OF Bohemian
Literature. first published in 1925 Ten years
later appeared his vast dictionary OF the 10.
hemian and German languages. Even now.
when Czech literature has acquired a remark.
been superseded ~ NV
The greatest poet of the early stage OF the
bohemian revival was John Collar. who was
born in 1893 in the Slay district OF northern
Hungary, and who died IN 1852, Collars
slaVy Deera' daughter OF Slavaj seems tn
nave contributed. more than any other poetical
work. 70 the revival OF bohemian literature.
some bohemia An patriots have hoasted that thew
knew the whole enormous collection OF sonnrts
oy neart some ofthe Introductory verses 10 the
t!2ns in the whole range OF Inodern SIay poetrv
y, mnie Collar devoted TO the regeneration Of
one J2ec9 language his poetic talents. Safarik
emPIoYed Tor the same purpose vast cruditIon
ana unusual ability as a rhilologIst His
TorKs deal principally with the origins Of the
SlaN language and race and OF tho early litern.
tnre OF Bohemia. His most important work.
i Sayic Antiqnity, /" is an attempt to record the