y of migratory races during
the first centuries of our era when Teutonic tribes and Celts passed
over Bohemia under pressure from the east. It is strange that the Romans
did not discover the geographical advantages of the site on which Prague
was founded. Roman influence began to make itself felt early in the
first century of the Christian era in these parts, but the trade route
which connected the Danube with the Baltic shore passed eastward of
Prague, it seems via the valley of the Morava and the "Gate of Bohemia"
at Nachod, through Breslau and Stettin, both, by the way, former
Slavonic settlements. There are not many traces of Roman culture, and
what there are seem to have been imposed on the inhabitants themselves
rather than left behind by the Romans. Even Marcus Aurelius, who wrote
about most things under the sun, has little to say of the country north
of his stronghold at the confluence of the Danube and Morava. It was not
till several centuries after the Roman Empire's glory had departed that
Prague became a place of importance, and this was largely due to the
Luxemburg Kings, whose introduction of French culture made of the city a
centre of attraction on the eastern marches of Europe. How and why
Prague lost in importance may be gathered from its history; whether it
will again gain and hold the prominent position to which it is entitled
by its situation must depend entirely on the people of old Bohemia and
the other countries which compose the new Czecho-Slovak Republic in
general and the citizens of Prague in particular; the fortunes of their
country and capital are in their own hands to make or mar. They have
many points in their favour: first, a central position in a country
endowed with great riches; then a sturdy, hardworking and law-abiding
population; and finally a climate that neither encourages idleness nor
puts too severe a strain upon man's power of endurance.

The people of Prague have their theories about the climate of their
country; they maintain that it is governed by certain rules that are
made to apply to Central Europe generally. Thus they will tell you that
the winter is severe, that ice and snow keep the country bound for
several months at a time, that spring comes swiftly but gently with the
melting of the snow and the gradual breaking up of the ice-floes on the
river, that then a fine summer follows, a summer hot indeed but tempered
by cool breezes from the north and showers from south and