Page:Lectures on The Historians of Bohemia by Count Lutzow (1905).djvu/14

 fate of Bohemia to play at least once a part in history—as did the Netherlands and Sweden in later days—that was quite disproportionate to the extent and population of the country. After the battle of the Zizkov, when the Bohemians defeated almost the whole world in arms against their capital, and yet more after their wonderful victories during Prokop’s campaigns in Germany, the Bohemians were at least within measurable distance of obtaining the supremacy in Europe—at least for a time. As writes one of the chroniclers of the Hussite wars: ‘The Bohemians had never before fought so glorious a campaign in Germany. Had they craved for glory as did their ancestors, they would have marched onward as far as the Rhine and subdued many countries; but they contented themselves with their rich spoils and returned to Bohemia.’

Only a few years ago I should have mentioned as earliest Bohemian historian, Cosmas of Prague, ‘the father of Bohemian history,’ as he used to be called. Historical research, very active since the revival of the Bohemian language at the beginning of the last century, has rendered it at least doubtful whether Cosmas was the first of Bohemian historians.

The learned Professor PekářPekař [sic] of the National University of Prague, published recently a work entitled Nejstarší Kronika česká (the oldest Bohemian chronicle), which has caused great sensation in the learned world of Bohemia. Professor Pekář endeavours to prove that Kristián, also called Strachkvas, brother of the Bohemian duke, Boleslav II, was the author of a chronicle entitled Life of St. Ludmilla and Martyrdom of St. Wenceslas. Kristián died in 995, and if it can be proved that he is the author of this chronicle, it