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 States were so divided in their allegiance to the Popes that nothing was accomplished. At these Diets, Václav also took the part of the cities that, at this time, were at war with the nobles, who tried to curtail their corporate privileges. But in this he also failed of accomplishing his purpose. The cities were defeated and deprived of many of their ancient rights. These failures so vexed Václav that he determined to throw up the imperial crown; but a reconciliation between him and the princes of Germany was effected at the Diet in Eger, where he also entered into negotiations concerning his second marriage. He married Sophia, the daughter of Duke John of Munich. She was a very accomplished and enlightened princess, and later proved a warm friend of the followers of Hus.

While King Václav was attending the Diet at Eger, a serious disturbance occurred in Prague. A priest carrying a eucharist was mocked by a Jew. This so enraged the populace that they rushed into the Jews’ quarter, and massacred about three thousand of the inhabitants.

King Václav early began to manifest a dislike of the higher clergy on account of their pride and lordly assumptions. This hatred was provided with abundant fuel by the actions of the Archbishop John of Jenstein, a man of sound morals, but a fanatic in regard to his theories of the worldly power of the Church. In his attempts to show his own authority, that prelate had many quarrels with the lower clergy and with the doctors of the university, and even with the king. On one occasion, one of the friends of Václav having been wronged by the archbishop, the king had that prelate arrested, keep-