More on Jan (John) Slechta

A history of Bohemian literature  By Francis Lützow (hrabě)

The Italian land taught me Greek.
Therefore have I left a Memorial behind me,
Isocrates translated into Bohemian speech.
More work I cannot undertake, for I am dead.
Good Bohemian, be thankful that I accomplished this,
Now that my earthly life is ended" 

Another very distinguished Bohemian humanist was John Slechta, who was afterwards ennobled and received the title "ze Vsehrd." He must not, however, be confused with Viktorin Cornelius ze Vsehrd, who has already been mentioned. Born in 1446, Slechta was like Bohnslav of Lobkovic, with whom he was on terms of friendship, and many of the early Bohemian humanists, a fervent adherent of the Church of Rome. Like Lobkovic, also, he had a strong dislike to the language and to the religion of his country. Like most humanists, he was a great letter-writer, and many of his letters, some of which are in his own language, have been preserved.

A curious proof of the intense dislike which some, though by no means all, Bohemian humanists felt for the peculiar religious views which attracted the attention of foreigners to their country can be found in the correspondence of Slechta with Erasmus of Rotterdam. Slechta, in a letter referring to the " Bohemian Brethren," informed his correspondent that "an emissary of ' Pikardus'1 had infected first Zizka's army and then all Bohemia with pestiferous doctrines of sin; thence the ' Bohemian Brethren' proceeded to recognise communion in the two kinds, and to choose as bishops and priests rude laymen who had no culture, were married, and had children."

The answer of Erasmus is very characteristic; he regrets that the Bohemians do not conform to the universal custom as regards communion, but he openly states that he does not understand why Christ's original regulations on this subject have been changed. As to the choosing of their own bishops and priests, this does not, to Erasmus, appear contrary to the early regulations (consuetudo veterum).

The most ambitious work of Slechta was, no doubt, his Microcosmus. The book, which was written in Latin, has been lost, and we can therefore only judge of it from the preface that is still existent, and from the numerous references to it that can be found in the correspondence of Slechta and his friends. Slechta appears to have forwarded copies of his book to many of his friends, wishing to obtain their opinion as to its contents. In his preface Slechta declares that he intended dealing with the relations of the body to the soul according to Plato's works, of which, by means of a Latin translation, he appears to have had some knowledge.

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