I have already noted that the St. Anthony of one
particular kind of temptation (I forget whether he was of Padua or
elsewhere) was not as popular in Bohemia as were many other saints.
After all, the clergy of Bohemia were probably no worse than that of
other countries, and Rome was not of much use as a "godly ensample";
there is, for instance, that little story told by Richenthal in his
chronicle about one of the Popes travelling across the Alps to some
council or other. This pontiff, it appears, "clothed himself with curses
as with a garment" and his horrible imprecations filled with terror the
souls of the pious peasants who flocked to see him. So when by some
accident the carriage of His Holiness was upset and himself pitched into
the road he exclaimed: "Here I lie in the name of the devil." This
sounds a bit feeble, and I could probably do better myself under similar
provocation; but such language at all is very shocking in a clergyman.
It is chiefly German historians who complain of Charles as being
priest-ridden, and also of neglecting the affairs of the Empire while
concentrating too much on Bohemia. This is a matter for historians to
wrangle about; personally I consider that by his Golden Bull, which very
much restricted the power of the Popes to interfere with the election of
Kings of the Germans, and in the protection he extended to priests
accused of heresy for their ardour on reform, Charles proved himself a
strong man, free from undue outside influence, and no bigot. But we are
concerned with what Charles did for Prague, and will take a look round
the churches which meant so much to him, many of which he built or
restored himself. One of these appeals to me particularly; I cannot say
why exactly, perhaps because I heard some glorious music there, one grey
evening in Lent. St. Henry's has long been famous for its Musical
Society. I have mentioned this church before; it is dedicated to St.
Henry and his wife Kunigunde. It is interesting and unusual to find a
married saint; in fact, as in this case, a couple of them. The portraits
of these two may be seen in the chancel of St. Henry's Church, but it
was too dark for me to distinguish anything on the occasion of my visits
there; moreover, I was sufficiently impressed with the shapely Gothic
pillars, the work of Charles IV's craftsmen, which rose over the
dilapidations of a much earlier building. Charles lost no time about the
restoration of St. Henry's, as he se