English Translation

54-8. Since a wealthy bourgeoisie and lower nobility were lacking, the Bohemian nobility relations of this time are particularly concise. It was carried out an ever stronger alignment with the international noble forms of life, which şich expressed above all in, the rejection of the national languages, above all from the Czech. French became the common language of the nobility. By the l8th century, in the Czech nobility sector of the Czech Republic, the Czech language had been spoken mainly in the frequency, but this was now completely stopped. French, in court circles, at best Italian or Spanish, had been used sehon to a weaker extent of German. But the result of this cen tralization is just as unexpected and decisive. "The fact that this Czech patriotism of the l8th century did not necessarily require the knowledge and cult of the Czech language had the remarkable peinterpretation that the new nobility, which flooded the country, could gradually be won for Bohemia." (Pekař). This left the Bohemian aristocracy united in all realignments to Vienna. He understood that his position vis-à-vis Vienna could only grow if he could appear as a right-wing descendant and perpetrator of the old national traditions, even though only a small number of his members were actually at home here, so a latent state reserve remained even after l620, which repeatedly became politically noticeable in the l8th century. On the one hand, the nobility neutralises the national moments as it strengthens the social and territorial aspects on the other side. This is already evident in the Theresian times and still - , - 6 -