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A HISTORY OF BOHEMIAN

language.

LITERATURE

I wish, by translating the books and works

of really good men into Bohemian, rather to enrichen the poor than that, flattering the rich with bad and unwelcome presents, I should be despised and insulted. I could indeed write Latin as well as others who are my equals ; but knowing that I am a Bohemian, I will indeed learn Latin, but write and speak in Bohemian." Besides the above-mentioned translation, Vsehrd also translated into Bohemian several works of St. Cyprian. It must be mentioned that when translating from the Greek, Vsehrd used Latin versions. With the exception of Pisecky, the knowledge of Greek which the Bohemian humanists possessed was not very extensive. Vsehrd did not confine himself to humanistic studies, but continued to practise as a lawyer up to his death in 1520. Among other Bohemian humanists, Gregory Hruby z Jeleni and his son Sigismund — both are better known under the Latinised name of " Gelenius " — deserve special notice. Gregory Gelenius, born about the year 1450, was one of the most industrious translators of classical works into the Bohemian language, and as such has deserved well of the language of his country. The works of Cicero particularly appealed to him, and he not only translated several of them into Bohemian, but also published an Admonition to the Citizens of Prague, which is an adaptation of Cicero's speech Pro Gelenius did not limit his translations Lege Manilia. to the classical writers. He translated several of the Latin works of Petrarch, the Encomium Morics of Erasmus, whose fame in Bohemia was very great, and some of the Latin poems of Bohnslav of Lobkovic. I have already alluded to the indignation with which Bohnslav received this attempt to translate his verses