Page:Zawis and Kunigunde (1895).djvu/105

 “Bohemia, on the verge of Europe, and largely influenced by eastern civilization and habits of thought, has long formed an obstacle to the ambition of this Italian. By an insidious bargain with the present emperor, who has renounced all claim on Italy in exchange for the fair provinces of the Tchekh, that never belonged either to emperor or pope, this Italian now gathers armies even from Tartars and Cumanians for our overthrow. He assumed to come as an apostle; he claimed our conscience, then our thoughts, then our policies, and now he fills our academies, our homes, our fortresses with his agents, who obey and exalt him first, and pretend some concern for our laws in order that they may pervert them still more insidiously to our enslavement. His agents rob our city treasuries that they may buy meretricious honors from him. He has done this in every country, until from being an apostle without scrip or sandal, he places his iron-shod heel on the necks of kings. Our walls may crumble, our lives may be forfeited, but there is a soul in Bohemia that will outlive Italian craft and Roman domination.”

At this point report announced the approach at the distance of a few miles of a strange company of persons on foot, all in habit, looks, gestures and language different from aught hitherto observed.

“I surmise,” said Lord Zawis, “that these strangers are the unfortunates whose approach from the west had been vaguely intimated to me before the recent battle.”

Lord Witek, Pietro and a small guard went forth