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A HISTORY OF BOHEMIAN LITERATURE

Stitny's children, the second to the larger circle of readers for whom the later editions of his works were intended. In the first preface Stitny gives us a general account of the contents of his work, informing us that it will consist of six books. The first, " Of faith and of hope and of love." The second, " Of virgins and of widows and of married people." The third, " Of the master of a family, of the mistress, and of the household." The fourth, " How the nine orders of people bear the similitude of the nine choirs of angels." The fifth, " How the devil tempts us." The sixth, " How we purify ourselves from our sins." In his second preface Stitny defends his resolution to use the Bohemian language in his writings. "Those who blame Bohemian books," he writes, " perhaps wishing alone to appear learned, will do well to fear God's vengeance, and to remember how guilty those are who would stop letters and needful messages contained therein ; thus preventing the Lord God, the Eternal Bridegroom, from instructing His bride in His will, and comforting her in her distress." Stitny's views on this subject will remind English readers of those of his The second preface also concontemporary Wycliffe. tains a passage showing the great importance which Stitny attached to the reading of the Scriptures ; Stitny's teaching, as indeed that of all the Bohemian reformers, differs greatly from that of the Church of Rome on this important point. He writes : " This also mark carefully, beloved brethren, that the Holy Scriptures are, as it were, letters sent to us from our home ; for