Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 7.djvu/180

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126 EARLY SLAVONIC ANTIQUITIES, however, Karlomann quarrelled with his protege Svatopluk, made himself master of his person, and threw him into prison. The Moravians took up the cause of their prince, and under the command of the priest Slavomir drove the Germans out of Moravia. Karlomann set Svatopluk at liberty, and, in order to recompense him for the injustice he had done him, loaded him with presents. But this good understanding was only apparent — Svatopluk soon attacked the Germans, inflicted upon them immense losses, and deli- vered his native country. The Bohemians, who two years before had risen against Karlomann, were now the object of his attack, because they had taken jDart in the campaign of Ratislav. A German army under the command of the Arch- bishop Luitbrecht invaded Bohemia in the year 872, where he was opposed by five Leclis, viz., Svatoslav, Witislav, Heri- man, Spitimir, and Mojslav, with their respective forces under the general guidance of Borzvays, the Duke of Bohemia. The Lcchs were however beaten ; and the Germans retired after having, in the spirit of the period, laid waste the country. Their reti*eat, although conquerors, was caused by the circumstance that Svatopluk of Moravia had attacked Karlomann with his Saxons, Franks, and Bavarians, and beaten him. In the following year, 873, King SvatojDluk of Moravia acted on the offensive against Karlomann, again supported as he had been three years before by the Bohe- mians and Lechs, who had to revenge themselves for what they had suffered in the preceding year. Karlomann, hardly pressed, begged his father, King Louis, to assist him, and received such aid that through his interference peace was concluded in the year 8 74, not only with Svatopluk, but also with all the other Slavonic prhices who had taken part in this war. " We now come to the other columns, the inscriptions on which are in two rows, and are here represented under B and C. They differ essentially from those of the first column already explained, inasmuch as they are mixed Mitli Latin letters ; they must also be read from left to right in the ordinary manner, and not backwards. "The first rune of this inscription (No. 19) belongs to the class of runes above mentioned, and forms a mono- gram composed of I and E, namely, the Slavonic Je. To this follows a Latin II, a runic struck through twice ;