of horses lay in thousands, exposed to the burning sun that poured down uninterrupted heat on the Marchfield.
Still Otakar’s body had not been identified. At last, towards noon, in front of the center line of the Bohemian position, a body was discovered, horribly disfigured and ghastly with seventeen wounds. It was carefully examined, and by the eye of Lord Zawis fully identified as that of the great Otakar, king of Bohemia. Little remained of the clothing; the splendid raiment, and the shining armor of the previous day replaced by bloody mud; and the kingly rank utterly extinguished in the wreck of reeking carcasses and offal that lay around. The body was placed on a rough bier and at once conveyed to headquarters. There it was again fully identified. A guard was set around the tent where it was deposited. Most stringent orders were issued as to its safe keeping, and Solomon informed to omit no secret or procedure known to his art to preserve the appearance. Solomon applied the only means within his power—plain clean water; but he advised that the body be dispatched at once to Vienna, where the means of embalming prior to interment were at hand. “Your highness perceives that I am powerless to do more,” said Solomon.
Rudolph immediately dispatched the body, carefully enveloped, under a special guard, chosen by his son Albert, to the abbey of the Scotch Minorites at Vienna.
The day was now devoted to the burial of the
