Page:The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe Volume 3.djvu/525

Hercules, with a most stout and valiant courage, hath subdued even the world itself, the mother of all monsters and cruel beasts. This story were worthy some other kind of more curious handling; but, forasmuch as I cannot otherwise perform it myself, I have endeavoured according to the very truth, as the thing was indeed, to commend the same unto all godly minds; neither have I heard it reported by others, but I myself was present at the doing of all these things; and as I was able, I have put them in writing, that by this my labour and endeavour, howsoever it were, I might preserve the memory of this holy man and excellent doctor of the evangelical truth.

 

What was the name of the author who wrote this story, it is not here expressed. Cochleus, in his second book 'contra Hussitas,' supposeth his name to be Johannes Pizibram, a Bohemian, who, afterwards succeeding in the place of John Huss at Prague, at last is thought to have relented to the papists.

This godly servant and maytyr of Christ was condemned by the cruel council, and burned at Constance, a.d. 1415, about the month of July.

How grievously this death of John Huss was taken among the nobles of Bohemia and Moravia, hereafter, Christ willing, shall appear by their letters which they sent unto the council; and by the letters of Sigismund, king of Romans, written unto them, wherein he laboureth all that he can, to purge and excuse himself of the death of John Huss.^[1] Albeit he is not altogether free from that cruel fact, and innocent from that blood, yet, notwithstanding, he pretendeth in words so to wipe away that blot from him, that the greatest part of that crime seemeth to rest upon the bloody prelates of that council; as the words of the king do purport in form as followeth.^[2]

 

The Letter of the Emperor Sigismund, to the Nobles of Bohemia.

 

In the mean time as we were about the coasts of the Rhine, John Huss went to Constance, and there was arrested, as is not to you unknown; who, if he had first resorted unto us, and had gone up with us to the council, perhaps it had been otherwise with him. And God knoweth what grief and sorrow it was to our heart, to see it so to fall out, as with no words can be well expressed; whereof all the Bohemians, who were there present, can bear us witness, seeing and beholding how careful and solicitous we were in labouring for him, insomuch that we many times with anger and fury departed out of the council; and not only out of the council, but also went out of the city of Constance, taking his part, unto such time as the rulers of the council, sending unto us, said, that if we would not permit them to prosecute that which right required in the council, what should they then do in the place? Whereupon thus we thought with ourselves, that here was nothing else for us more to do, nor yet to speak in this case, forasmuch as the whole council otherwise had been dissolved. Where is to be noted, moreover, that in Constance, the same time, there was not one clerk, nor two, but there were ambassadors from all the kings and princes in Christendom: especially, since the time that (Petrus de Luna giving over) all those kings and princes who took his part, came to us; so that whatsoever good was to be done, it was now to be passed in this present council, &c.^[3]

 

1. Ex Cochleo de Hist. Huss. lib. 4.
2. Interea (inquit) nobis adhuc in partibus Rheni existentibus, pervenit ad Constantiam, &c.
3. Ex. regist. Imp. Sigismund. ad Nobiles, &c.