DIVO IOANNI NEPOMENENO ANNO MCCCLXXXIII
AB HOC PONTE DEIECTO EREXIT MATTHIAS L. B.
DE WVNESWITZ ANNO MDCLXXXIII.
He was here drowned for not revealing to the King of Bohemia a confession of his Queen.
The famous university of this place, which in the time of John Huss consisted of forty thousand students, is not even now so far diminished, but that when they have occasion to assault the Jews, or other citizens, they can muster about twelve thousand. They consist of young persons, not collected into regular societies, as with us, but lodging in private houses, from whence they repair to the public schools at the appointed hours of lecture. There are three of these schools, one in each part of the city, where all academical learning is professed by the ablest of the Jesuits; for these have the sole direction of the university, and are the only rich prevailing persons in Bohemia, particularly in the capital city, where they amount to the number of a thousand.
November xxiv.
This day we leave Prague, and proceed four miles, thro an open ploughed country, to Sloney. In the way we receive the confirmation of the good news, which we first heard at Iglaw; that seventeen Spanish galleons in the port of Vigo were fallen under the power of our grand fleet, eleven being taken, and six sunk; and that the whole squadron of Chateaurenault, being twenty nine men of war, were either sunk or taken.
November xxv.
His Excellency continues yet at Sloney, a small but walled town, with a large market place, as usual in these parts. It was formerly a seat of protestants, and therefore barbarously destroyed by Ferdinand the third. The day following we intend for Launa, three miles from hence; but the place being taken up for the quarters of five thousand Saxon soldiers, now moving against Bavaria, we lodge at Clamston, half an hour short of it; where we continue two days, by reason of a great quantity of snow, which then fell.