ed much, indeed undue, emphasis, said some, in
order to impress upon the youngsters that a serious change of life was
upon them, for, quoth the elders: "Beanus est animal nesciens vitam
studiosorum."

CHAPTER IX

Showing how Prague grew and added beautiful buildings to its glory under
the rule of Charles, the Father of his Country. Tells also of Charles's
troubles, and introduces his son Wenceslaus. Shows why this son should
be considered as the "Good King Wenceslaus" of our Christmas carol.
Makes mention also of Sister Anne and her husband, Richard II of
England. Tells about Susanna and the King. Introduces well-known names
of those who pass in filmy pageant across the old historic Charles
Bridge--John Nepomuk, John Hus, and others. Gives a fleeting vision of
another native King, a great man, and of other rulers who had their day
and passed on. Talks at some length of the river of Prague, the Vltava,
and gives some of its reflections. Leads up from earliest aquatic habits
of the Slavonic inhabitants to those of the present day, and is, though
a long chapter, by no means a dull one.

Prague, as you may imagine, had grown, despite the troubles it had
passed through, both in importance and in extent. When Charles IV came
to the throne, the city still consisted of three parts as before; during
his reign a new town was added, and this was made necessary by the rise
of the University which Charles had founded. Charles must have been
considering the idea of creating a seat of learning in Prague before he
accompanied his father to Crecy, for we find him writing to the Pope on
the subject while he was yet recovering from his wounds and before he
returned to Bohemia. It was at a Diet held at Prague in 1348 that
Charles announced his intention of founding a University, and he set
about it with his customary energy. The King himself took in hand the
organization of this his new foundation, ably assisted by the
Archbishop, Ernest of Pardubic, as Chancellor. Students of many
countries, many nations, flocked to Prague, evidence of the fact of the
city's central position in Europe, and soon the new University ranked
with those older institutions--the only ones of the kind in
Europe--Bologna, Paris and Oxford. The number of students increased
rapidly: by the end of Charles's reign there were some six or seven
thousand of them. The trouble was to accommodate them all. The
professors held lectures in their own apartments, in m