Page:Bohemia's claim for freedom.djvu/26



to be little doubt that he understood well that the spiritual freedom of the nation must form the basis of her political freedom. This was surely also the main cause which led him to embrace the doctrine of Wycliffe, which was the pure exposition of the rights of the individual towards the Church. Subsequent events in the University confirmed him in the necessity of reforms. The Germans tried their best to make their influence bear upon the life and character of the University.

At that time the administration of the University was entrusted to officials selected by representatives of the four nations into which students and teachers were divided. Each nation had one vote—an arrangement which made it easy for the foreigners to combine and defeat the wishes of the Bohemians.

As early as 1385 the Bohemians had attacked 22