obably date from the time of King
Vratislav; there was a distinct revival of love for things beautiful in
those days when the peoples were beginning to see the light that was
rising, gently but persistently, over the subsiding chaos that had
claimed Europe for the past three centuries and more. True, the world
was still a confused and worrying sort of place to live in; apart from
the soul-sickening public quarrels between Rome and the Empire, there
was a good deal of private enterprise in that line between all manner of
petty potentates. Nevertheless there was some improvement to be noted,
first in the tendency of fostering national feeling in place of a
confused cosmopolitanism, secondly by the effects of the Cluny movement
in its endeavour to reform the Church. The tendency of the time
expressed itself in beautiful illuminated manuscripts, and Prague is
lucky in the possession of many such. It is probable that Duke
B[vr]etislav II, grandson of the first prince of that name, encouraged
the expression of his people's religious and national sentiments, in
those illuminated manuscripts of the Bible, of Missals, and the
"Cantionales," those works so beautiful in design, so loyal and sincere
of execution, their colours as fresh as when the artist's hand withdrew
reluctantly from the finishing touch.

B[vr]etislav II had had a misfortune in his youth; he had caused a
courtier of the name of Zderad to be murdered. Zderad had insulted the
young Prince; what with that and the courtier's unpronounceable name it
is no wonder that B[vr]etislav was roused to act indiscreetly. He found
it advisable to spend some years abroad after this little affair, and
only returned home when his father's neck was broken out hunting.
B[vr]etislav took up the anti-pagan line very strongly. It seems
strange, but there was still a certain amount of paganism lurking in
secret places in Bohemia. It was not safe to indulge in heathen rites at
home, but there were places abroad where it was still possible. One of
these places is still a fashionable holiday resort, the Island of Ruegen
in the Baltic Sea. Here there was a temple at Arkona, to Svantovit, the
god of air and light, besides a local and household deity president over
all Ruegen, called Rugevit. I can quite imagine a couple of Czech
householders, law-abiding and good church-goers, conspiring to get away
from the family for a bit and take a trip to Ruegen, just for a flutter
with the old gods. Wh