František Vaňous

“ Foremost in this movement must be mentioned the talented poet Bohuslav z Lobkovic and John Hodějovský from Hodějov, who, though not a writer, was a generous patron of literature. When Protestantism superseded Hussitism, John Blahoslav, a member of the Bohemian Brethren, wrote an elaborate defence of Humanism, and three religious bodies then began to emulate one another in fostering Humanism: the Catholics, who had suffered greatly during the Hussite wars, the Bohemian Brethren, who at this time were at the zenith of their literary development, and the Protestants, who were growing in force. ”

“ Second Period.—The appearance of John Hus in 1404 marks the second period of Czech literature. During this the Czech language passed from its old form to the medieval stage, and this epoch may be called the golden age of Bohemian literature. Devotional prose was in preponderance. The literary merit of John Hus consists in his establishing a diacritical orthography, making the written language more simple and stable; but, on the other hand, his activity caused dissensions in the Church, which brought on bloody wars and the ruin of literature. ”

“ It is closely allied to the Russian, Polish, Bulgarian, and other Slav languages having a common origin. The evolution of Czech literature dates back to 863, when Moravia and Bohemia, through the efforts of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, the apostles of these two countries, were converted to Christianity and thus became participants in the great work of civilization. Of all Slav literature, with the exception of the Bulgarian, the Czech is the oldest and, until the seventeenth century, was also the richest. ”

“ The veneration of the Blessed Mother developed rapidly and fostered a deeper respect for women and children. The founding of the University of Prague, in 1348, by Emperor Charles I was a mighty factor in the improvement of Bohemian literature in all branches. ”

“ Václav Beneš Třebízský, Catholic priest (1849–1884) ; Servác Heller (1845) ; Ignat Herman (1854) ; Alois Jirásek (1851) ; Karel Klostermann (1848) ; Václav Kosmák, Catholic priest (1843–1898) ; Václav Řezníček, Ph.D. (1861) ; Antal Stašek (1843) ; Alois Šmilovský (1837–1883) . Třebízský and Jirásek are the most famous novelists. The most prominent of the rising generation are:—Bohumil Brodský, Catholic priest (1862) ”