Lectures on The Historians of Bohemia/Preface
PREFACE
If one thing is less known than the history of Bohemia it is the life and the works of the historians who have recorded the annals of that country. The undoubted fact that many works of ancient Bohemian writers have been lost has led to the supposition that no native records of my country except those belonging to the last century are existent. Bohemian history, as far as it has been written at all, has been mostly written on German lines; the hostility between the Slav and the Teuton, which has continued without interruption since the mythical Čechus and his Slav companions arrived in Bohemia, is a sufficient proof that records founded on the evidence of the adverse party could have little value. Palacký was the first to point out, early in the nineteenth century, that many writings of priceless value for the history of his country were still preserved in manuscript in the archives of certain Bohemian castles. It is thus that the writings of Březan Slavata and Skála ze Zhoře—the last-named of whom would be accounted a great historian in any country—became known, though only to a very limited extent. The history of Bohemia is perhaps one of the saddest in the world’s story. A country that for a time had been in the van of civilization became almost a desert, and suffered for centuries from political, national and ecclesiastical oppres- sion.
It is perhaps natural that those who belong to a small and little-known nation should consider it to a greater extent their duty to make their country known, than those who are citizens of a country that has world-wide fame. The words of the great historian Palacký, spoken on the occasion of his last appearance in public which I have quoted at the end of my last lecture, have long impelled me to do what little is in my power to make my country known and refute those who have endeavoured to tarnish its fame.
1 therefore owe a great debt of gratitude to my friend Prof. Morfill, who kindly suggested that I should lecture at Oxford on a subject concerning Bohemia. Nothing could be more in accord with my wishes and the interest of my country than that I should speak of the historians of my country in the world-famed University City that is connected with Bohemia by many ancient links. I wish also to thank the Curators of the Taylor Institution for their kindness and the facilities they have given for the publication of these lectures.
December 10, 1904.