causes the astonishment of all worldly-wise men, when they see how some plain little fellow speaks wondrous mysteries; prophesies the future changes in the world and in the Church as if he saw them before his eyes; mentions the names of yet unborn kings and heads of states; proclaims and announces other things that could not be conceived either by any study of the stars or by any endeavour of human wit.[1]
We cannot sufficiently thank God, our guardian, for these things, nor love sufficiently these our heavenly teachers. But let us return to the security of the godly.
(God is the Shield of His own.)
Then I saw that every one of the godly was protected not only by the guard of angels, but also by the venerable presence of God. Thus terror befell those who, contrary to the will of God, endeavoured to touch them. I saw miracles among some of them, how they were thrown into the water or fire, or as a prey to lions and wild beasts; yet they suffered no injury. Human fury attacked some of them shamefully. Bands of tyrants and hangmen, with countless followers, surrounded them. Sometimes powerful kings and whole kingdoms strove unto exhaustion to destroy them.
- ↑ This is an allusion to the so-called prophecies of Kotter, Ponatovská and Drabík. I have referred to them in my "History of Bohemian Literature," pp. 256-259, and pp. 271-273.
