Page:Zawis and Kunigunde (1895).djvu/169

 “The emperor will promise but never bestow favors in order to counteract the possibility of union among us; and the church will extend its lands, abbacies, and orders, until Bohemia shall be doubly garrisoned with armies devoted to the power of aliens, sustained out of the coveted treasures of its own hills. Our silver mines, that for centuries have largely supplied Europe, are now in the hands of our enemies. Our chief hope must rest in the toughness of the Bohemian character, and its constancy in adhering to the native customs. To sustain Bohemian independence in the midst of these conflicting hostilities will require wisdom indeed.”

“My dear Zawis,” sadly interposed Kunigunde, laying her hand gently on his, “the fate of my boy causes me disquietude. I know that his uncle of Brandenburg is in a measure responsible for his well-being; but I have received no intelligence since Wenzel’s removal into Brandenburg. I fear all is not well.”

“All is not well,” replied Zawis; “the boy, I am indirectly informed, is grossly neglected. He is required to recite twenty masses a day, and that exercise includes his whole education. But I will endeavor to obtain accurate information. The emperor does not propose that Wenzel shall acquire much of the spirit of his fathers; and when he does return I apprehend he will exhibit only the distorted and disingenuous devices instilled into him by his young and artful wife, and her advisers.

“We can expect no more of the unmingled and