A History of Bohemian LiteratureLützow, Francis, hrabe
History
A History of Bohemian Literature
Lützow, Francis, hrabe
Czech literature -- History and criticism
Lomnický showed his gratitude by
writing on the death of Peter of Rosenberg perhaps his one touching
and heartfelt poem. That Peter was, like his brother, interested in
alchemy, hardly requires mention, for almost all the great Bohemian
nobles then followed the example of Rudolph, their sovereign, who
delighted in the study of alchemy.
Peter's interest in music was also very great. Even before inheriting
Wittingau from his brother William, he had established a small
orchestra at Běychin, and he afterwards devoted much time and expense
to the improvement and aggrandisement of the magnificent orchestra
which Lord William had founded at Wittingau. Březan, in his biographies
of both brothers, gives an interesting account of the cultivation of
music in Bohemia in the sixteenth and the beginning of the seventeenth
century. Lord Peter also undoubtedly showed a considerable amount of
interest in other arts. In Březan's biography, written in chronological
order, we read under "December 19, 1598.--The Lord of Hradec sent our
sovereign lord (Lord Peter) eighteen pretty painted figures, very
poetical, and representing Venus."
In Bohemian politics Peter of Rosenberg played a very important
part, and his change of creed appeared as an event of the greatest
importance on the ever-varying stage of Bohemian political life.
Peter of Rosenberg was on terms of intimacy with Christian of Anhalt,
perhaps the greatest statesman of the seventeenth century. He acted as
Anhalt's representative in Bohemia, and was no doubt initiated into
his far-reaching plans. Anhalt, as recent research has sufficiently
proved, intended to use the dissensions between Rudolph and his brother
Matthew for the purpose of totally destroying the power of the House
of Habsburg. On these and similar subjects of the greatest interest
Březan has little or no information to give, and his biography, as
already stated, is disappointing.
The book, written in chronological order, contains accounts of Lord
Peter's travels, but here, too, a mere outline of the occurrences is
given. When mentioning Peter's journey to England, Březan merely tells
us (under February 1563) that "after Lord Peter had been received in
England with Christian kindness by her royal majesty Queen Elizabeth,
and had then been kindly and graciously dismissed, her majesty was
graciously pleased to grant him a royal decree addressed to all her
officials and to those of all the towns." Březan then gives the full
wording of this passport, if we may thus call it, in which Lord Peter
is described as "one of the chamberlains of our good brother the King
of the Romans."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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