overnment for several generations of
P[vr]emysls after the pious prince's demise.... This burial ground, a
very extensive one, is now covered by the Church of Emaus and its
monastic buildings; you can see those twin towers, dark ochre in colour
and topped by characteristic steeple and pinnacles, rising from among
fruit-trees and red-tiled roofs. Na Morani was the name of this burial
ground, after Morana, the goddess of death. It was the correct thing in
pagan society to make pilgrimages to this place in spring: a pleasant
afternoon in a cemetery was a pastime as popular then as it appears to
be to-day. The _cachet_ of Na Morani had been rather spoilt by the
erection of a little church some time in the ninth century, perhaps by
Wenceslaus himself. Anyway, the pious prince found this church a
convenient half-way house between Vy[vs]ehrad and Hrad[vs]any, and he
was wont to put up a prayer or two here before going on to drop a tear
on the Hrad[vs]any relics. The little church was dedicated to Cosmas
(not the chronicler) and Damian, saints of the third and fourth
centuries. It is not known why these gentlemen clubbed together to have
a day to themselves, but this need not act as deterrent to anyone who
wishes to observe their day. Wherever pilgrims visit, there you will
find settlements growing up, beginning with booths and shanties of those
who sell appropriate commodities, candles, wreaths and such-like. The
traffic in these articles continues; it was only last Palm Sunday that I
was offered a variety of wreaths to choose from, small wreaths of
snowdrops and fir twigs, to be worn on the wrist, to be blessed by the
priest and then to be left lying about the sitting-room until fit for
the dustbin. I resisted all temptation to deck myself with snowdrops and
fir twigs; their subdued tones do not match my aura.

It seems to me that Wenceslaus did nothing in particular for his people;
he concentrated on his part as royal saint and martyr, and was already
posing for the statues of himself and the frescoes depicting his good
deeds, which later ages produced. There was little to show for all this
prince's good intentions. Pious, indeed, was Wenceslaus; he spent a
great part of the night in prayer when he should have been recuperating
for strenuous work on the following day: there was plenty to do for a
country threatened on the one hand by marauding Magyars, on the other by
insidious German influence. "He was in the habit of himsel