Page:Gregor The story of Bohemia.pdf/77

 mia. Bishop Bretislav, with a large army of German troops, now came to Bohemia to secure the throne, meeting the rightful ruler at Zdik. The Bohemian lords, who shortly before had sworn that they would lay down their lives for their prince, now treacherously forsook him, going over to the side of the usurper, and Premysl was obliged to flee, leaving the ambitious prelate master of the field. Bretislav also conquered Moravia, taking Vladislav, the brother of Premysl, prisoner.

As soon as he was well established upon the throne, the emperor sent him against the Margrave of Meissen, who was in rebellion against him. The prelate-prince devastated the country of Meissen so fearfully, that he himself was struck with shame and agreed to do a public penance.

Bishop Bretislav ruled in Bohemia only four years. Being taken ill, the lords at once proceeded to elect his successor. Being afraid of Premysl on account of their treachery to him, they set Vladislav at liberty, and elected him their prince. Premysl hearing of this, and thinking that, as the older brother, he had better claims to the crown, gathered his friends about him and hastened to Bohemia, for the second time to try to win the coveted prize. But Vladislav, with a magnanimity rarely seen among princes, and especially the princes of those days, decided that he would save his country from the horrors of another civil war. Having a far larger army at his command than Premysl, Vladislav, nevertheless, resigned the government into his brother’s hands, exacting from him a solemn promise that he would do all in his power to promote the peace and prosperity of his subjects.