1 86 



The Review of Reviews. 



Huss, the clerical and German rule of the Habsburgs 

 is out lor their suppression. Far from being a political 

 party, the Czech nationality absorbs all parties, and 

 groups them in one when the interests of race are at 

 stake. It is not directed against any individual, but 

 for the oppressed race it is solely a demand for liberty. 



DEMAND FOR POLITICAL LIBERTY. 



From conversations which the writer had with 

 various Czechs, he learnt that while the Czechs hate 

 the Germans, and especially those of Vienna, they do 

 not desire separation from Austria. They have no 

 desire to be absorbed by Russia, because though they 

 like the Russians, they have no enthusiasm for the 

 autocratic government of the Tsars ; they do not seek 

 independence because they do not feel strong enough 

 to preserve it ; and they do not want annexation by 

 another Slav State because they believe it would cause 

 innumerable difficulties. Notwithstanding their suffer- 

 ings, they think it is to their interest to keep Austria 

 strong, because the destruction of Austria might give 

 Germany such power that they would run the risk of 

 being absorbed by the German Empire. 



Occasionally they dream of a great Slav union, but 

 as they do not foresee practical means of realising it in 

 the present state of things in Europe, their ambition is 

 confined todemanding political liberty. Their ambition 

 would be realised if they could obtain from Austria 

 recognition of their historic rights to the crown of 

 Bohemia— that is to say, administrative autonomy in 

 a federated Austria. They never neglect an oppor- 

 tunity to increase their national and international 

 power. They have great sympathy for the French 

 people, and it is noteworthy that the only official 

 invitations to witness the Sokol performances were 

 sent to France. The Mayor of Paris and ten municipal 

 councillors were present, and fifty French athletes 

 were admitted to take part in the festivities. 

 The Historian of Bohemia. 



The great Sokol festival at Prague in the last days 

 of June was brought to a conclusion on July i by the 

 inauguration of a monument to the great historian of 

 Bohemia. Francois Palacky (i 798-1876). In the mid- 

 July numluT of the Revue des Deux Moiides, M. Henri 

 Hanlich gives a short account of Palacky and his 

 work. 



It was in 1818 that Palacky first began to take part, 

 on the literary and national side, in the history of 

 IJohemia, and it was not long before he resolved to 

 devote himself entirely to the work of writing a history 

 of his country. The greatest ignorance as to the past 

 of Bohemia prevailed, but he saw in the past the 

 promise of the future, and in history the instrument 

 of resurrection. He spent the first ten years in making 

 researches among archives both in Bohemia and in 

 other countries. The first volume of the " History of 

 the Czech People " appeared in Germ;ui in 1836, but 

 the Czech eflition of the book was not ready till 1848. 

 I'ive more volumes appeared at inlcrx'als, the last in 

 1876, a short time before the author's death. The work, 



alas ! stops short at the comin'; of the Hat 



1526. ' 'hurgs '" 



BOHEMIA AND THE CZECH CAUSE. 



The most remarkable chapters, those p . 

 with life and written with warm eloquencrP'^^'-'"8 

 portions relating to the events of the fifteent' ''■'"^ '•"^ 

 — the heroic struggle of Bohemia, united as^ century 

 for the defence of the doctrines of Huss and tb°"^ ^^'^ 

 of the nation against Germanic invasion. Ir defence 

 the history Palacky's aim was to give the' ''•vr''^'fg 

 aspirations a solid foundation, that of histo,'^''*^'.'^" 

 The first effect of his influence and of that of- "Rhe- 

 torical school which he created was to rally B"^ .' 

 to the Czech national cause. In 1848. when he pn^r"'''' 

 political life, Palacky formulated the nation-'^'-'''^^ 

 gramme of Bohemia and stated the Czech oil P™' 

 Notwithstanding the serious set-back in 1871, h ^stion. 

 lost faith in an autonomous Bohemia. He belie ^ never 

 destinies of a nation were determined by the dt''^" *• 

 its civili-sation, and not by the numerical stret'S'"'^^ ° 

 the people, and he e.xhorted the people to e'."''^ °' 

 themselves morally and intellectually to assur"""'-'''. 

 national existence, and .to enable them to res.^ their 

 some future day the place in life and in '-T'^ ^'^ 

 which belonged to them by right. history 



REAL DETECTIVE SPORI, 



La Lectura contains an account of the brea '. 

 of a band of brigands, forty years ago, by the G'^^^S'^P 

 of Cordova. Persons were seized, carried into cai^^p™°'' 

 and a ransom demanded. After the captives h''Pe'^''''y' 

 released the authorities desired to obtain clue;'^" bttn 

 w'hereabouts of the place of captivity and the ^ ';^.'^"^ 

 place of the brigands, but without success ; the "id'ng- 

 could give absolutely no information. victims 



They had been seized and blindfolded (if t' 

 may be used) by means of dark-coloured sp^ "-^ '''^™^ 

 through the lenses of which they could see not ~ . ''•'^^•''' 



The Governor hit upon the idea of sending '""g; 

 agents all over the province disguised as begg' P0''C6- 

 was part of their duty to ask for alms in a lot ^'■^" . 

 at short intervals, whether they met anyone 1 voice 

 and to shout the name of the locality in whi'' °'' "°''' 

 chanced to be ; thus : " This is — ^, on t*"* ^^^y 

 between and ." ,^^^ ■""^d 



It came to pass one day that a prisoner h-| 

 beggar's cry, and unconsciously memorised t '^'^''" the 

 words ; he was not able to make any rep^ ^ exact 

 indeed, thought little of the circumstance, so ' ,'^ ^ ' V} ' 

 was he by his incarceration. After having b^^t'oubled 

 somcd, he went to the Governor to add his cc ■'^" ™"' 

 to those of other victims. The Governor aske' 'f'^P'^'^.j 

 he had heard the cry of a beggar while in Ci"" . *? 

 and immediately the words came to his niiu^P''^ ''y* 

 stated exactly what he had heard. pi "'" '> ^^ 



That was the clue whiili the Governor waf 



His men followed it, and ultimately discof^ seeking. 



liiding-i)lace of the brigands and broke up thaf''-'" '•"''' 



e band. 



