and my uncle. I brought Master Hus here under the safe-conduct of my lord, the King of the Romans, and your Holiness said that had Hus killed your own brother, he should be safe here, and you would neither let nor hinder him; and lo! here he is arrested while under the protection of the aforesaid safe-conduct.”
The Pope replied little to this, but, taking Sir Chlum aside, he said to him: “You know on what a footing my own affairs are here with the cardinals. They delivered Hus into my hands, and I was obliged to receive him into captivity.” This declaration was probably true, for this Pope was soon after deposed and imprisoned by the Council.
At first Hus was kept in a house where one of the cardinals lodged; but, for greater security, he was removed to a Dominican convent on the shores of Lake Constance, and thrust into a cell three feet wide and seven feet long.
Lord Chlum strained every energy to secure his release, but all in vain. He hoped that as soon as Sigmund arrived he would compel the cardinals to respect the safe-conduct, but in this he was bitterly disappointed. The wily priests soon convinced the emperor that it was not binding upon him to keep faith with a heretic.
The trial of Hus lasted for several days. There was much discussion about all sorts of questions that were of no importance. All manner of absurd charges were brought against him, and sustained by false-hearted priests, who hated him because he had spoken against their depraved lives. But the gist of the whole matter was, that he denied the authority of the Pope and the cardinals, and insisted on referring all to Scripture
