A History of Bohemian LiteratureLützow, Francis, hrabe
History
A History of Bohemian Literature
Lützow, Francis, hrabe
Czech literature -- History and criticism
Ever restless, Komenský was not prevented, even by the responsibilities
of his new dignity, from undertaking new wanderings. It has already
been mentioned that when the members of the Unity were expelled from
Bohemia many brethren sought refuge in Hungary. They now complained
that for many years they had not seen their brother Komenský, who had
meanwhile acquired such celebrity. Komenský was already meditating a
visit to Hungary when he received a letter from George Rakoczy, prince
of Transylvania, inviting him to visit his domains, and to introduce
there the educational reforms which had rendered him celebrated.
Rakoczy then ruled not only over Transylvania, but also over a
considerable part of Northern Hungary, including the towns of Tokay and
Saros Patak; the latter of these towns was indeed a frequent residence
of the Transylvanian princes. Having obtained the consent of the other
seniors or bishops, Komenský in 1650 again set out on his travels. On
his journey he passed through Puchö, a small town in Northern Hungary,
and assisted at a meeting of the members of the Unity which took place
there. Among those present was Nicholas Drabik, a former school-fellow
of Komenský, who proposed to accompany him on his farther journey.
Drabik had already some years previously forwarded some "prophecies" to
Komenský, and the latter now fell entirely under his influence.
It is with pity and shame that I refer to Drabik's prophecies in
connection with so great and good a man as Komenský; their value was
about the same as that of the political predictions of a third-rate
writer of leading articles; the style is a vile imitation of that
of the Revelation of St. John. The leading idea is the destruction
of the House of Austria, which is described as the _bestia_ of the
Apocalypse. The nations that were to effect this downfall varied in
the predictions according to the political situation of the day.
Turkey was then almost always at war with the House of Habsburg, and
therefore always figured among these nations. At this moment Drabik
announced that he had just had a vision informing him that enemies
coming from four directions were surrounding "the beast." They were
the princes of the House of Rakoczy, "the dearest instruments of God,"
from the east; the Greeks and Servians from the south; the Poles,
Lithuanians, Russians, Tartars, and Turks from the north; the Swiss
from the west! The Hungarian crown was assured to Sigismund Rakoczy, at
whose expense Drabik was then living. Komenský, who had received former
"prophecies," ventured to remark that in them the crown of Hungary had
been assured to Sigismund's father, Prince George Rakoczy (who had
died in 1648). Drabik then "burst out into tears," and thus pacified
the kind-hearted Komenský. It may incidentally be remarked, that when
Prince Sigismund died in 1652, Drabik again calmly transferred his
prophecy, this time to that prince's brother and successor, George II.
of Transylvania.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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