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A HISTORY OF BOHEMIAN LITERATURE

—Nor did

they (the Romans)—With such overwhelming

honours—Receive their emperor—As were then awarded to him (Alexander)—And rightly were they given to him,—The honours which he then received.—For starting with but a small force—And after enduring many troubles—He had struggled so vigorously for his cause —That the whole world bowed down before him—May God deign to listen to his Christian people and ordain this,—That there be such a king in Bohemia!—I warrant that then in a short time—Lithuania and the Tartars—Men of whatever name—The Besermans and the Prussians—Also the unconformed (not yet baptized)

is

a

is

is

is,

It

!

it,

O

it

is,

Russians—Would be in such a state of terror—That they would accept baptism—And renounce their idols— And this could happen—Were but one obstacle removed —That that the Germans, who are strangers here—Wish and hope—That on the bridge of Prague—[May God avert this]—No Bohemian be seen any longer^—And may perhaps soon happen—That we shall see none of them j(the Germans) any more—Admire your king, he city of Babylon—For, know worthy of wonder —He the conqueror of the whole world—The terror of all other kings" has already been stated that the author of the Alexandreis There unknown. however, no doubt that the book the work of Bohemian noble. The whole current of thought, the descriptions of battles and the pomps of chivalry, the author's pedantic accuracy with regard to the different grades of the nobility, his dislike of the German townsmen (up to is

a

1

This appears to have been proverbial expression. In DalimiVs Chronicle made to say that soon no Bohemian will any (see later) King Ottokar be on the seen longer bridge of Prague.