Wenceslas IV Lore Books

Description

About King Wenceslas IV and how he reigned badly and ended even worse.

Text

Wenceslas IV

He is the ruler of the Lands of Bohemia and the former emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, although many evil of tongue do say he is no true king and side with his half-brother Sigismund. In the year of our Lord 1361 he was born unto Emperor Charles IV and his wife Anna of Schweidnitz, and through the right of primogeniture did inherit the throne from his father. At the young age of but two years old he was crowned King of Bohemia and at the age of but fifteen he sat upon the throne of the emperor, both actions that aroused outcry, for to crown a new king whilst an older one is still alive is neither ordinary nor common and, all the same, the young king cannot rule until he reaches adulthood.

When later King and Emperor Charles died and Wenceslas rightfully sat upon both thrones, he ruled well at first, but poor councillors and unwise rulers of the lands of Europe did vex him greatly, and thus the king, abandoning his initial enthusiasm, turned his attention instead to drinking and hunting. And thus in the empire did discontent with the new ruler grow, and Wenceslas, instead of reconciling conflicts, fled from them, for he did not need to resolve them. And thus it came to be that he did not go to receive his crown, for he desired not to enrage the French, who at that time had their own Pope in Avignon, and he did cause such indignation in the Margraviate of Moravia that Jobst of Moravia had him imprisoned, until the king resolved the troubles in his country. But in place of resolving conflicts Wenceslas’s disregard for proper rule persevered and he was freed by his brother John.

Discontent grew and many other noblemen did protest and a League of Lords was formed to remove Wenceslas from the throne and on it they would have preferred to see sit his second brother, Sigismund, who ruled in Hungary at the time. Wenceslas heeded neither warning nor threats of the Lords and continued to rule as he saw fit, or rather to devote himself to amusements, and when the Lords had no more patience for him and a rebellion against him broke out, he requested the assistance of his second brother, Sigismund, to whom he entrusted rule of the land. He, however, did not help his brother, but took his royal castles and imprisoned Wenceslas, for not just rule did Sigismund take, but the crown of Bohemia as well, which a certain fraction of the Lords did welcome, for they were glad to see order and law restored in the kingdom. In these days, King Wenceslas remains Sigismund’s captive, whilst Sigismund, the Ginger Fox, plunders Bohemia.