Page:Gregor The story of Bohemia.pdf/407

 built their own churches, claiming that they had the tight todo so. But the authorities denied this, saying that the privilege was granted only to royal cities, although the people claimed that lands under the jurisdiction of the Church were also royal. The Abbot of Braunau finally drove away the pastor, and ordered the church to be closed; but the people refused to give up the keys, and sent a deputation to the authorities in Prague. The messengers were cast into the White Tower as disturbers of the public peace, and word was sent to the people to submit to their masters, and shut the church. Another deputation was fitted out, but it fared no better than the first; and finally gens d’armes were sent to Broumoy to compel the people to obey. But although the aldermen of the town were convinced that all their efforts to keep their church would prove futile, and were willing to obey the order, coming as it did from the king himself, they found themselves powerless in presence of the angry people. Men, women, and children rushed to the church, seizing stones and such weapons as they could find, and, posting themselves at the door, were ready to die in defense of their rights. The soldiers, not wishing to shed blood, withdrew, and thus the church remained in the hands of the people until the breaking out of the revolution.

Not so successful, however, were the people of Hrob. In this town they were fined, imprisoned, refused the nuptial ceremony, and, indeed, so harassed that, out of sheer weariness, they consented to attend the Catholic Church. But in order to destroy all remembrance of former happier days, the archbishop, after having driven their pastor out of town, ordered