Page:Bohemia's claim for freedom.djvu/24

 that a constitutional regime was firmly established at a time of the absolute reign of autocracy in Germany. It also shows to what a high degree of political consciousness the people had attained: and all this at a time when the most complete slavery was in force in the German-speaking countries; the constitution in Germany as we know it being granted as late as 1848, and that of Austria in 1849.

NE very potent factor in the situation was the German attempt to subjugate Bohemia by the influence of the Church. The first attempt to introduce Christianity was made as far back as the ninth century, but the political aims of German missionaries were so evident that all their efforts were frustrated.

Christianity was introduced by Borivoj and his wife Ludmila. They were in Moravia, where Cyril and Methodius propagated the Gospel, having been sent for that purpose from Constantinople. As the services were conducted in the Slavonic language, the new religion soon became popular amongst the masses; but in the reign of Boleslav II, the Pope extended his influence to Bohemia, Prague became a bishopric, and the Slavonic liturgy was superseded by the Latin. "This was strongly resented by the people, and was a bone of contention for centuries, finally 20