A HISTORY OF BOHEMIAN LITERATURE

196

principled

Yet no one who

a time-server as Lomnickj",

reads this poem in its entirety can doubt that here, at The poem loses least, Lomnicky is thoroughly sincere. greatly by quotation ; yet I shall translate a few lines

from a song that undoubtedly shows us Lomnicky his best. It begins thus : — " There was

all

once

in this Bohemian land a

noble

lord well known

at

to

the people,

glory was great, whose name, Peter Vok of Rosenberg, was

Whose

everywhere celebrated.

.

.

He was as a shining light

will

.

to

this country,

for

which the race of

no longer shine?The father of the fatherland is dead ! No more, Bohemians, be able to lay on him the burden ofpower. Rosenberg

Already is

will you

buried in the monastery of Vyssi Brod, which his ancestors erected and founded. At that monastery many noble lords assembled; much grief had they at this funeral. On Candlemas Day was he sorrowfully buried; Let every one record the day When death deprived us of this glorious lord; a great loss have we felt, a great grief has God inflicted on us. When seventy-two years of age he finished his earthly course, left this world. Born at Krumlov, he died at Trebon; suddenly struck by illness, he saw the day of death. In worthy old age he left this world; departed from earthly misery to eternalfame." he

Somewhat later, Lomnicky, mourners, writes : — " /, the founder of song, lament love drives me {to do so).

Saying:

^

the

other

him together with you, for my

My

benefactor, too deeply for me do you sleep; but thou, of the poor, knowest thy {heavenly) reward' T may yet serve his memory, have written this short simple

the friend

That

for

addressing

I

song. '

Lord Peter was the last of the illustrious family of Rosenberg.