nd schemes for improving the state of the country
and its capital, which he carried out systematically. He must have
begrudged the time he was obliged to spend in travelling abroad in
various imperial interests, when there was so much to claim his
attention at home. He certainly never went abroad for pleasure, for his
trips to Italy and Burgundy, undertaken at different times, were matters
of duty. It was the correct thing for an Emperor to be crowned at Rome,
and Charles was always strictly correct. On the way to Rome it was
obviously the right thing to call at Milan for the iron crown of the
Lombard Kings, which was also an imperial perquisite. Then on another
occasion Charles called at Arles to receive the crown of the Kingdom of
Burgundy, which country formed part of the Empire. Charles had some
business to transact with the Pope at Avignon near by, business
connected with Church Reform, which movement was gaining in strength in
Bohemia and which caused that country much suffering for conscience'
sake. These journeys were episodes in the life of the Emperor; the work
of the King of Bohemia lay in and about his capital, ancient Prague.
From my terrace I will point out to you some of the glorious monuments
raised by that Founder King.

Charles's first concern seems to have been for his people's spiritual
welfare: from all accounts some attention to this side of the national
life of Bohemia was sorely needed. The first and most obvious duty was
to set about the restoration of the Royal Castle, the Hrad[vs]any, with
its venerable cathedral. Both castle and cathedral were inadequate to
the high mission of Prague as a royal and imperial residence. The castle
had been repaired fitfully by one king or another as we have seen, and
had been provided with strong towers chiefly used as dungeons, and had
been allowed to fall into disrepair by the impecunious and extravagant
John. The cathedral was probably in not much better case. We have seen
glimpses of that sacred fane with its memories of royal saints and
martyrs, how St. Wenceslaus built the first church on the site of the
present one, as a casket to hold that precious relic the arm of St.
Vitus, given him by Henry the Fowler. The words of the chronicler will
give you some idea of this first church: "Ecclesiam Sancti Viti quam
Sanctus Wenceslaus construxerat ad similitudinem Romanae ecclesiae
rotundam." This building was yet unfinished when Wenceslaus was
martyred. The body