Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

BOGOTA —BOHEMIA. 155
conquest, was the seat of empire of one unconnected with the Sclavonians, and
of the most civilized states of America, his successors were hard pressed by that
that of the Muisca Indians. Owing to people, although his descendants were
the fertility of the great valley of Bogota, never quite expelled from the land. The
which has been thought capable of sus- first of them who is known to us by
taining a population of two or three mil- name was Przemislas, a peasant, whom
lions, it contained a comparatively dense the princess Libussa espoused, 632, and
population of Indians, whose advances in raised to the throne. Although Charlerefinement rendered them, in a certain iagne and some of his successors comsense, the rivals of the inhabitants of pelled B. to pay tribute, this subjection
Cuzco. They traced the foundation of did not continue long. In 840, B., Sitheir religious and political institutions to lesia and Moravia were free from all forBochica, whose history greatly resembles eign dominion, and governed by their
that of Manco Capac. They were sub- own dukes, although still maintaining a
dued by the Spanish general Gonzalo sort of confederacy with the German emXimenez di Quesada. (See Bochica, pire. In 1061, Henry IV gave the title
Cundinamarca, MXuisca; Compagnoni, t. of king to the duke of B., which was not,
xix; Humboldt; Robinson's Bogota.) however, generally recognised till the
BOGOTA, or SANTA FE DE BOGOTA; a time of Wratislaus, in 1086. Afterwards,
city of South America, the capital of the about 1230, Philip conferred the royal
republic of Colombia, and formerly the dignity on Przemlislas and his successors.
capital of the vice-royalty of New Grena- It was confirmed by Frederic II, since
da. Lon. 740~ 15/ W.; lat. 40 36' N. The whose time B. has remained a kingdom.
population has of late been variously The male descendants of the old kings
stated, from less than 30,000 to 60,000. ceased with Wenzel V, in 1305, on whose
It is situated in a spacious and luxuriant death, John of Luxemburg obtained the
plain, elevated 8721 feet above the level crown by marriage, in 1310, and left it to
of the sea, and lies to the east of the prin- his descendants. After this, Charles IV
cipal chain of the Andes. Two small (of the house of Luxemburg, under the
streams flow through the town, which name of Charles I, who very much imjoin the river Funza, or Bogota, at a short proved the kingdom), and his sons, Wendistance. The city contains a magnifi- zeslaus and Sigismund (the latter nearcent cathedral, a university, a mint, an hos- ly lost B. in the religious war with the
pital, and various other public buildings. Hussites), united the crown of B. to that
The streets are wide and well paved, of the German empire. After SigisThe city, by reason of its elevation, en- mund's death, 1437, B. came into the posjoys the temperature of perpetual spring; session of his son-in-law, Albert of Austhe mean heat being 57.74, and the ther- tria, who died in 1439, and the crown
mometer having a range of only a few descended to his son Ladislaus, born after
degrees. The plains around Bogota pro- his death, 1440 (hence surnamed Posthuduce two regular harvests in a year. mus), who being at the same time king of
BOGOTA' or FuNzA river. (See Tequen- Hungary, B. was separated again fiom
damn, Cataract of.) the German states. After his death, 1457,
BOHEMIA, BfEHEIM, BOJENHEIM, has its the people chose George von Podiebrad,
name from the Boii, a Celtic nation, who who had been regent, for their king, in
settled there about 600 B. C., under their 1458, and, in 1469, when he was excomleader Segovesus, a nephew of Ambiga- municated by the pope, they elected the
tus, king of the Bituriges, but were after- Polish prince Wladislaus, who, however,
wards almost all driven out by the Mar- did not come into possession of the throne
cornanni. About the imiddle of the 4th till the death of George, in 1471. He
century, B., then inhabited by German was succeeded, 1516, after a reign of 45
nations, enjoyed a settled and quiet gov- years, by his son Louis. These were
ernment under its dukes, who were, as both also kings of Hungary. Lewis beyet, but little known. In the middle of ing killed in a battle with the Turks near
the 6th century, a numerous army of Mohatz, in 1526, B. fell to the house of
Sclavonians (Czechowe, Tschechen, as the Austria. The brother-in-law of Louis,
Bohemians still call themselves), who had Maximilian's second grandson, the archhitherto inhabited the shores of the Black duke Ferdinand, succeeded to the crown.
Sea, invaded B. (as some say, under the This prince desired the Bohemians to
lcommand of one Zecko), conquered the take up arms in the Smalkaldic war
country, and put it under cultivation. against the elector of Saxony; but, find
According to others, Zecko was entirely ing them averse to his wishes, and threat