to the woods to escape with their lives, the fields lay neglected, and a fearful famine was the result. The dead and dying lay everywhere, uncared for and unburied, and pestilence was soon added to the list of horrors that the country was passing through. The winter of 1281–1282 was one of extreme misery. About 600,000 persons perished. The following year the land was blessed with an abundant harvest, and, order and security being restored, the country soon began to recuperate its wonted strength.
THE REGENCY OF ZAVIS OF FALKENSTEIN.
In the year 1283, Prince Václav, then twelve years of age, came back to Prague, to the great joy of all the people, who looked upon him as the one who was to restore the country to its former peace and prosperity. Being still too young to rule, the government was placed into the hands of those nobles who had taken the most active measures for the release of the young prince. At this time, his mother, Kunigunda, returned from Moravia, bringing with her the powerful Lord Zavis, of Falkenstein, to whom she had for some time been secretly married. This nobleman, in a short time, won such an ascendency over the young Prince, that he was chosen chief chancellor, and his favorites were given almost all the other offices of profit and trust. This again brought the country upon the verge of civil war, and Rudolph again came to the country to restore peace. It seems that the trouble was settled in favor of Falkenstein; for soon after, he celebrated his wedding with the queen, and then, as stepfather of Václav, and chancellor, he assumed entire control of the government. On the
