for himself the crown of Bohemia. Not having the shadow of any legal right to the crown, he was obliged to resort to intrigue. He bribed the burgmasters of some of the most important fortresses, invaded the country, marching to the very gates of Prague. He expected that the fortresses of Hradschin and Vyšehrad would be delivered into his hands; but, being disappointed in this, he was obliged to leave the country, feeling much chagrined at the miscarriage of his plan.
But Swatopluk’s ambitious spirit was not to be daunted by one failure. He soon formed another plan, far deeper and more treacherous than the first. In one of his courtiers he found a willing tool to carry out his scheme. This wretch came to Borivoi as though he were fleeing from the wrath of his master, and begged the king to take him under his protection. Remaining at the Bohemian court, he soon won the confidence of Borivoi, and succeeded in turning him against his best friends, including his own brother, Vladislav, and the powerful Wirsov nobles. Vladislav, being estranged from his brother, entered into an agreement with the usurper, promising to retain neutral in the coming contest, in consideration of which, the latter, if successful, would declare him his immediate successor. Swatopluk then invaded the country the second time, and the king, forsaken by his friends, was obliged to flee from the country. As usual, he sought refuge at the court of the German emperor, and, promising great rewards, he succeeded in persuading that ruler to take up his cause. Swatopluk was therefore ordered to appear before his liege lord, as the emperor now claimed to be, and give an
