his request without violating the ancient customs, he became rebellious; found fault with her whole government, and finally, before all the people, cursed the land that was governed by a woman, and pointing to the neighboring nations—the Germans—declared that there the laws were just, since the country was governed by men. Libuse, perceiving that Chrudos would not have dared to speak to her thus, had he not had moral support among the other men, at once resigned her authority, and advised them, if the hand of a woman was too light to rule them, to choose a man. This, however, they refused to do, but asked her to choose a husband, and that the two could rule conjointly, and that the nation would be obedient to them.
Libuse sent messengers to a certain peasant in the village of Staditz named Premysl, offering him her hand and the government of the country. He received the message joyfully, and, leaving his oxen in the field, he mounted the horse they brought him, and rode to Vysehrad to meet his future wife.
Premysl[1] was the first ruler of the dynasty of the Premyslides, who ruled Bohemia for six centuries.
Premysl proved to be a wise and able ruler. He passed many new laws for the government of his people. Indeed, the ancient writers were in the habit of referring the old laws to the reign of Premysl and Libuse. After her marriage, Libuse founded the city of Prague, prophesying its future greatness and glory.
To this period belongs the curious story of the war
- ↑ Note.—Among the Slavs, when a prince was initiated into his office, he was clothed in plain garments and led to the seat or throne prepared for him, and not until then was he allowed to assume his princely robes. This was to show that princes came from the people, and hence derived their authority from them.
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