2i8

A HISTORY OF BOHEMIAN

LITERATURE

he was indeed several times engaged in controversies, Prokop was the principal orator of the "large party"

in 1494 and at Chlumec in 1496. He was then, as Blahoslav tells us, "the foremost man of the Unity." Prokop spent the greatest part of his life at Brandeis, and died there in 1507. He has left a considerable number of works, all written in Bohemian. Besides the Explanation of the Fifth Chapter of St. Matthew, which has already been mentioned, he wrote Five Letters to Brother Lucas on his ' The Bark; and the Book against (Lucas's) work entitled Antichrist. Better known than Prokop is Brother Lucas, the foremost representative of the "large party" during its struggle; he is yet more noteworthy as the man who after its victory reorganised the Unity, and, to a certain extent, altered its institutions in a more enlightened and liberal manner. The works of Lucas, all written in Bohemian, are numerous ; he is indeed, next to Komensky, the most voluminous writer of the Unity. Lucas, generally known as LucAS OF Prague, was born about the year 1460. He was greatly impressed by the writings of the early members of the Unity, and, together with his friend the young nobleman Lawrence of Krasonicky, he joined the community about the year 1482. He soon attained a prominent position among the brethren, and in 1490 was already a member of the " smaller council." When the differences of the Unity between the "large" and the "small" party arose, Lucas declared himself energetically in favour of the former, and was indeed one of its representatives at several assemblies. The discord among the brethren, and the religious uncertainty which was at the meetings

at Reichenau