should seek refuge at Lesno or Lissa,[1] in Poland, under the protection of Count Lescynski, who was himself a member of their community. It was during these travels that Komensky first became acquainted with the so-called "prophecies" of Kotter and Eliza Ponatovska; together with the later "prophecies" of Drabik, they had a great influence on Komensky in his later years. There is, however, little trace of their influence in the "Labyrinth,"[2] so that it is unnecessary to refer to them here.[3]
In January, 1628, Komensky, accompanied by several other exiles, left Bohemia—that he was never destined to revisit. When the exiles arrived at the Silesian frontier, "they all knelt down and prayed to God, with cries and many tears, entreating Him not finally to avert His mercy from their beloved country, nor to allow the seed of His word to perish within it."[4]
On the 8th of February, Komensky arrived at Lissa. He spent there a considerable number of years conscientiously fulfilling his duties, both as preacher and schoolmaster of the small Bohemian community that had settled there. It was at this time that he wrote many of his educational works
- ↑ In the present Prussian province of Posen.
- ↑ See, however, note 1, p. 393, chap. xlvii.
- ↑ The influence of these "prophets" on Komensky has great, though very painful, psychological interest. I have referred to them in my "History of Bohemian Literature," as mentioned in the note to chapter xlvii. referred to above. There is a fuller account of Kotter's "prophecies" in my "Bohemia: an Historical Sketch," pp. 396-398.
- ↑ Zoubek, "Zivot Komenského."
