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 cessor. This turn of affairs proved exceedingly fortunate for Premysl Ottokar. His sympathies being with Frederick, he espoused his cause with sincere joy, and it was through his assistance that Frederick was able to gain possession of the imperial throne. What high value Frederick placed upon the services of Premysl may be judged from the concessions he made to him: Bohemia should forever be a kingdom; the emperor should never impose any duties upon the rulers of that country, except the three hundred horsemen to accompany them to Rome, or, in default of this, three hundred pounds of silver; the investitures of the Bishops of Bohemia should be given by the Kings of Bohemia, and not, as had hitherto been done, by the emperor. In addition to this, several strongholds on the borders of the country were ceded to Bohemia.

Thus Premysl, by knowing how to take advantage of favorable circumstances, secured dignity and independence for his country. When he ascended the throne, the country was on the verge of ruin, and there is no doubt that if such a state of affairs had continued longer, Bohemia as Bohemia would have been blotted out of existence, being torn up into petty principalities, and divided among the various German princes.

Premysl Ottokar, fearing that what had been gained in his reign might be lost in the next, called a Diet, and had it pass a law in regard to the succession. The Diet, following the custom in vogue among other nations, passed the law of primogeniture, according to which Václav, the older son of Premysl Ottokar, was declared the successor. To give greater weight to this decision, Václav was crowned and made joint ruler