Page:Gregor The story of Bohemia.pdf/95

 duction of so many foreigners into the country was in itself a great evil, but the special privileges granted to them were even worse. The new towns were given the exclusive right to all trade and manufactures within a distance of three miles from their boundaries. This brought thousands of small tradesmen to ruin. Forbidden to work at their trade in their native villages, and having no other means of sustenance, they were compelled to become thieves or beggars. Besides this, it was an intolerable hardship to the people of the villages to be obliged to go to the German town for every little thing that they needed in the household. Most historians praise Ottokar because he did not resort to any unjust and illegal method of taxation; but the establishment of corporate towns, with special privileges, was a far greater evil than any illegal taxation; the latter would have occasionally been a heavy burden, while the former proved a permanent evil. Indeed, the right of exclusive trade was afterwards extended to the estates of the nobility and the clergy.

Among the old cities that were granted corporate rights were Prague, Kuttenberg, Pilsen, Litomeritz, Hradetz, Budweis, Rolin, Melnik, Domazlitz, and some others. These were known afterwards as royal cities.

Aside from this great wrong done to the native tradesmen, Ottokar tried to be just to his subjects, and to protect the lower classes against the oppression of the higher. For this reason he was quite popular with the common people, but secretly hated by the aristocracy.