Page:Gregor The story of Bohemia.pdf/152



We have now reached the most important period in Bohemian history, that of the Reformation of the fifteenth century. This great movement, which stirred the nation to its lowest depths—and, indeed, almost effected its ruin—has by some short-sighted critics been attributed to the teachings of John Hus, but a more fallacious theory could hardly be advanced. The nation had reached a state of high intellectual advancement on the part of the laity, and gross corruption on the part of the clergy, which made a reformation inevitable, even if there had been no such a man as Hus. Another error that is taught by many authors is, that the Reformation was due to the influence of the doctrines of Wycliffe, as expounded by some of the doctors of the university, and especially by Hus. These teachings did have considerable influence; but they would never have produced such tremendous results had not the ground been so well prepared to receive them.

One of the main causes that led to the Reformation was the establishment of the University of Prague. This elevated the standard of culture and intelligence, and prepared the people for the teaching of the forerunners of Hus.

Charles IV, seeing the gross immorality of the clergy, cast about for some means to remedy this evil. With this end in view, he invited to Prague an Augustine monk, Conrad Waldhausen, who had gained much popularity in Vienna on account of his zealous preaching. At first Waldhausen was