COSMAS

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descent, and early in life adopted the ecclesiastical career. He became canon and afterwards dean of the

chapter of Prague, and accompanied the bishops of Prague — whose position then gave them considerable political importance in Bohemia — on several missions. The last chapter of Cosmas' book, dealing with matters of which he had some personal knowledge, has therefore far greater value than the rest of the work. The regulations concerning the celibacy of the clergy were not at that period, nor indeed far later, observed by the Bohemian priests, and his ecclesiastical dignities did not prevent Cosmas from marrying, at the age of forty-one, Bozetecha, to whom he was sincerely attached, and to whom he refers in his chronicle as "rerum cunctarum comes indimota mearum." It was only after Bo^etecha's death in 1117 that Cosmas — perhaps to solace his sorrow by study — The writer was then began his great historical work. a man of over seventy years, and traces of senile garrulity can be found in his book. Still Cosmas appears to us as a man of great learning and perspicacity, sharpened, no doubt, by some knowledge of the practical politics of his day. With regard to the critical faculty, he was undoubtedly superior to the contemIn his writings porary chroniclers of other countries. he almost always distinguishes between popular traditions, "senum fabulosae narrationes," for which he could find no authority, and records which he believed to be founded on truth. The classical reading of Cosmas was very extensive for his times. His writings show a thorough knowledge of the works of Sallust, Ovid, Of these, the lastVirgil, Terence, Lucan, and Horace. named, if we may judge by Cosmas' frequent quotations.