Page:Gregor The story of Bohemia.pdf/86

 tives, glad that they escaped with their lives, brought to Europe the news of the fearful ravagings of those savage Mongolians.

The great powers at this time were the Pope and the emperor, and it was their duty to prepare Europe against the threatening invasion. The Pope, indeed, declared a Crusade, but took no active measures to organize and send the army against the enemy; and the emperor did not seem to realize the extent of the danger, and so did nothing to meet it. The luxury-loving, sentimental, and dissipated King of Bohemia, for once seemed to wake up to a realization of the magnitude of the danger threatening, not only his own dominions, but all Europe. The tournaments, the feasts, the hunting expeditions were all forgotten, and Václav bent every energy to put his country in a state of defense. The country was overrun by couriers bearing fiery appeals to all the lords to urge them to make every possible preparation to meet the enemy. Václav saw that new fortresses were built, and old ones repaired, and all was done with such haste that even priests and monks were impressed into service to help in digging trenches and building fortifications. In a short time the country was well fortified, and Václav, at the head of 46,000 men, 6,000 of whom were German allies, went to meet the enemy.

It has been estimated that the army of the Tartars numbered half a million men, although some historians place it at a much higher figure. It was divided into three parts; the first division was to attack northern Germany, the second Bohemia, and the third Hungary. Hungary was the first victim of the bloodthirsty savages; then the lot fell upon Moravia. The