the Germans; and Bohemia, being under his protection, likewise enjoyed peace. He was a great and able ruler. He enlarged his dominions, so that they extended into Hungary, Silesia, and even as far as the city of Magdeburg.
His administration of justice was so severe, that to this day, in Moravia, “To seek for Swatopluk,” means to seek for justice. He died in 894.
The reign of Swatopluk was important, not because he extended his boundaries—for after his death these labors came to naught—but because, in his time, Christianity took deep root, both in Bohemia and Moravia. The great missionary, Methodus, was made the Bishop of Moravia; and, what meant a great deal in those days, the Pope took the Moravian Church under his special protection. This was to shield the Slavic priests against the attacks of the Germans, who constantly tried to bring the new Church under their own jurisdiction. How far their enmity extended may be judged from the fact that they dared to take so renowned a man as Methodus prisoner, keeping him, for a long time, confined in one of their monasteries.
ST. LUDMILA.
When Borivoi and his wife, Ludmila, embraced Christianity, the whole court followed the example set by the rulers, and Bohemia soon became a Christian country.
Ludmila and Borivoi had two sons, Spytihnév and Vratislav. The elder, Spytihnév, first ruled in Bohemia, and was followed by his brother Vratislav. Both brothers were very pious, caring more for the spread of Christianity than for their own glory.
