A History of Bohemian LiteratureLützow, Francis, hrabe
History
A History of Bohemian Literature
Lützow, Francis, hrabe
Czech literature -- History and criticism
An important indirect result of the decision of the university was that
a fundamental change in its organisation now took place. After the
vote by which it had been decided to ignore the king's wishes, and to
refuse to accept neutrality in the struggle between the two Popes, both
parties at the university sent deputations to Kutna Hora (Kuttenberg),
where Wenceslas and his court were then residing. The representatives
of the Bohemian party, who were headed by Hus, no doubt hoped for a
favourable reception, as they alone had maintained the views of the
king with regard to the papal schism. They were, however, mistaken. The
king received them very ungraciously, and even accused Hus and other
Bohemian magisters of being the cause that Bohemia had acquired the
evil reputation of being a heretical country. On the other hand, the
king was most gracious to the German magisters, who had probably come
to apologise for their opposition to the royal will, and he assured
them that he would maintain all their privileges.
A complete change in the views of the ever-vacillating king took place
in the following month. At that moment Nicholas of Lobkovic, a man of
learning, and, it is said, a friend of Hus, had obtained considerable
influence over Wenceslas. As "supreme notary", or director of the
Bohemian mines, Lobkovic resided at Kutna Hora, then an important
mining centre, and he was thus thrown into constant contact with
the king at this time. Under his influence, Wenceslas, in January
1409, published the "Decrees of Kutna Hora", which entirely changed
the constitution of the university of Prague. As has already been
mentioned, the university was divided into four nations, three of
which--perhaps contrary to the intentions of Charles IV., the founder
of the university--always voted together, and were jointly known as the
German nation. The Bohemians were thus in their own country permanently
in a minority. A complete change was effected by the decrees of Kutna
Hora. The king stated that, "whereas the German nation, possessing
no rights of citizenship in the kingdom of Bohemia, has hitherto
held three votes" (at the university), "while the Bohemian nation,
the lawful heiress of that kingdom, possessed and enjoyed but one,
we consider it unjust and most improper that foreigners should enjoy
in abundance the profits" (_i.e._ benefices, foundations, &c.) "of
the natives, who consider themselves aggrieved by this deprivation,
and we declare that the Bohemian nation shall, ... according to the
regulations existing in favour of the French at the university of
Paris, and according to similar rules which exist in Lombardy and
Italy, possess in future three votes at all councils, judgments,
examinations, and other acts and dispositions of the university."[35]
Four days later a decree of the king forbade all persons in Bohemia,
both ecclesiastics and laymen, to continue their allegiance to Pope
Gregory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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