Page:Gregor The story of Bohemia.pdf/75

 the Pope, treacherously forsook his former ally, who had been of so much assistance to him in his wars, and promised to help Frederick to secure the crown. As might be supposed, Frederick had promised the emperor a large sum of money; but the regular sources of revenue having been drained by Sobeslav, he was obliged to resort to new, and often illegal, methods of taxation, which pressed very heavily both upon the common people and upon the nobility. The country being brought to the verge of financial ruin, the nobles arose against Frederick, deposed him, and elected Conrad Otto, of Znojem, his succcessorsuccessor [sic]. He fled to the German emperor, who took up his cause, threatening the Bohemians with war if they refused to reinstate him in the government. To satisfy Conrad Otto, he gave him Moravia as a fief, thus detaching it from Bohemia, the rulers of which alone had, up to this time, exercised this right. Frederick was by no means satisfied with this arrangement, and as soon as he was well established upon the throne he raised an army, and sent his brother, Premysl Ottokar, to Moravia, to bring the ruler of that country to his former allegiance. A bloody battle was fought, and although Conrad Otto was not completely subdued, he complied with the demands of Premysl rather than longer shed the blood of friends and kindred.

During the reign of Frederick, trouble arose between him and the Bishop of Prague, who tried to free his estates from all taxation and duties to the State. Being opposed in this by Frederick, like his prince, he carried the controversy to the German court. The emperor decided that the Bishop of Prague was a prince of the imperial realm, and consequently was in