14.03.2019 Views

Protestantism in Poland and Bohemia - James Aitken Wylie

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

Confession been universally signed, it would have<br />

been a bulwark of strength to the <strong>Bohemia</strong>n<br />

Protestants.[19]<br />

The reign of the Emperor Maximilian came all<br />

too soon to an end. He died <strong>in</strong> 1576, leav<strong>in</strong>g a<br />

name dear to the Protestants <strong>and</strong> venerated by all<br />

parties.<br />

Entirely different <strong>in</strong> disposition <strong>and</strong> character<br />

was his son, the Emperor Rudolph II., by whom he<br />

was succeeded. Educated at the court of his cous<strong>in</strong><br />

Philip II., Rudolph brought back to his native<br />

dom<strong>in</strong>ions the gloomy superstitions <strong>and</strong> the<br />

tyrannical maxims that prevailed <strong>in</strong> the Escorial.<br />

Nevertheless, the <strong>Bohemia</strong>n Churches were left <strong>in</strong><br />

peace. Their sleepless foes were ever <strong>and</strong> anon<br />

<strong>in</strong>trigu<strong>in</strong>g to procure some new <strong>and</strong> hostile edict<br />

from the k<strong>in</strong>g; but Rudolph was too much<br />

engrossed <strong>in</strong> the study of astrology <strong>and</strong> alchemy to<br />

pursue steadily any one l<strong>in</strong>e of policy, <strong>and</strong> so these<br />

edicts slept. His brother Matthias was threaten<strong>in</strong>g<br />

his throne; this made it necessary to conciliate all<br />

classes of his subjects; hence orig<strong>in</strong>ated the famous<br />

157

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!