Page:Gregor The story of Bohemia.pdf/435

 olic nobles. Still the chief factors in this evil work were the Jesuits. They prowled around like sleuthhounds, seeking out and destroying every vestige of the nation’s former glory. They collected and burned in the public market-place all Bohemian books, without the least regard as to their contents. Indeed, it came to such a pass that whatever was Bohemian was proscribed and doomed to destruction.

In the same year that the Protestants were exiled, the emperor declared the government reorganized. The crown was declared hereditary in the house of Hapsburg, even to the furthest collateral issue, either male or female. The Diet was deprived of its legislative power, its discussions being limited to those questions proposed by the emperor himself. The power of granting subsidies was left to the Diet, but under such regulations that it was practically according to the will of the ruler. In place of the old open courts, there were established courts whose sessions were held with closed doors, and most of the proceedings were carried on in writing, instead of viva voce; and since many Germans were settled in the country, their language, as well as Bohemian, was used in the proceedings. Finally, Ferdinand abolished the General Diets that the countries composing the Kingdom of Bohemia had been wont to hold, thus severing asunder the main bond that had united these provinces.

The humiliation of the country was so great that even the Catholic lords that had helped to establish the government of Ferdinand, now regretted the step, and in vain remonstrated with the emperor, saying that since the instigators of the insurrection had been duly