Page:Gregor The story of Bohemia.pdf/71

 country, and the law of Gregory VII, in regard to celibacy was now enforced, the priests being given the alternative either to leave their wives or their Churches. Many priests, holding high positions in the Church, had up to this time lived in open violation of the law, and even now it was not fully obeyed. In fact, married priests were found in Bohemia even in the reign of Charles IV, in the fourteenth century.

During the reign of Vladislav began the second great Crusade. Conrad III of Germany, and Louis VII of France, took up the cross, and the Bohemian prince joined the expedition with many of his chief lords.

The Prince of Saxony, Henry Leo, aided by some Moravian lords and by Bishop Zdik, also undertook a crusade, but not to the Holy Land. They went to the Slavic tribes of Lutetia and Pomerania to compel them to accept Christianity; but they met with such spirited resistance that they returned home without accomplishing anything.

The Crusade to the Holy Land also proved a failure. Vladislav, leaving his troops under the command of the French king, started for home, stopping on the way at Constantinople, where he made a treaty of friendship with the Greek emperor.

Having seen many lands, and learned much that could benefit his people, Vladislav might now have used his experience for the good of his country; but he was a warlike man, and preferred military glory to the welfare of his subjects.

Being home but a short time, he undertook another military expedition. He prepared an army to aid the German emperor to subdue the city of Milan, that was trying to gain its independence; for which