and
appears to have lived till about the middle of the seventh century.

There ensues a complete lapse in the chronicling of the history of
Bohemia until Cosmas took up the tale.

Having no historical records of events since the days of Samo, he drew
upon a rich store of legend which, coloured by his lively imagination,
forms a glowing and vivid background to the story of this interesting
and attractive branch of the great Slavonic race, I am not competing
with Cosmas. Bohemia has produced many chroniclers and historians since
his day, men whose soul was filled with pride and love of race, whose
mind was bent on giving to the world truthfully recorded history, men
whose imagination nurtured on lovely legends, on great traditions amid
the beauties of one of Europe's fairest countries, found expression in
works of lasting worth: I need only mention such names as Palacky,
Tomek, and Luetzow among many.

Of strangers who have been charmed to pertinent utterance by the glory
and beauty of Prague there is an imposing array. In the fifteenth
century AEneas Silvius, afterwards Pope Pius II, came this way, and
described Prague as the "Queen of Towns." Then Goethe, whose glowing pen
could add colour to the vibrant beauty of Italian landscape, writes of
Prague as "der Mauerkrone der Erde kostbarste Stein." We will interpret
this, as it is no longer the fashion to understand German, especially in
Prague: "the most precious jewel in the mural crown of this earth."
Another German, Alexander von Humboldt, gives to Prague fourth place
among the world's "cities beautiful."

Rodin considered Prague as the "Rome of the North," a comparison that
seems rather trite at first, but those who feel the meaning of this city
will understand and appreciate the French sculptor's judgment. Prague
has, at least superficially, one quality in common with Rome; in your
wanderings in either city you may come suddenly upon something of beauty
so stupendous as to take your breath away.

Other French visitors of importance show a tendency to dwell upon the
character of the Bohemians in general rather than on the beauty of their
capital. With keen perception they draw the deeper meaning from out the
stones of Prague; thus in the fifties of the last century writes
Viollet-le-Duc, "Prague est une capitale dans laquelle on sent la
puissance d'un grand peuple," and Massieu de Clerval is yet more
emphatic: "si un pays peut se vanter d'une nationalite indestru