The Persecutions and Cruelties of the Papists upon the Protestants at Bohemia, Germany, Poland, and Lithuania.
The Persecutions of the Papists against the Bohemians began very early, even about 907 years after the death of our blessed Saviour.—Pope Hildebrand (otherwise called Hellbrand,) was the first that fed upon them, and afterwards Pope Celestine; and persecution continued upon them for many years. John Huss, and Jerome of Prague, were burned in defence of the gospel, at Constance, notwithstanding they had the public faith of the empire of Germany given then for their security.
In the year 1421, one Pichel, a chief magistrate of the city of Limeritis, having taken 24 of the chief citizens, and among them his son-in-law, put them in an high tower, and being there almost famished, they were at last brought out, and condemned to be drowned, their wives, children, and friends, following them to execution with cries and tears: yea, the magistrate's own daughter came with prayers and tears to her father, beseeching him to spare her husband; but he, like a hard hearted wretch, said, 'Cannot you have a better husband than this?' To whom, seeing his cruelty, she answered, 'You shall never marry me to any but this.' And so going along with them, when she saw her husband thrown into the river, she leapt in after him, and embracing him, endeavoured to save his life; but being unable to do it, they both perished together; and the next day she was found with him fast in her arms, and they were both buried in one grave.
Some Protestants were thrust into dungeons and vaults full of snakes, toads, and other filthy vermin: others were put into places full of iron spikes, so that they could neither sit nor stand; they put gags into the mouths of some, and then thrust their host or wafer cake down their throats.
The city of Lesna, was one of the most ancient and flourishing cities in all the kingdom of Poland, which was wholly laid in ashes, being three whole days in flames before it was consumed; in which there perished many hundred Protestants. Here they pulled off the noses of some, and put out the eyes of others. They cut off the hands of a pious matron of Lesna, and then murdered three of her children before her face. Another woman having her hands and feet cut off, and her tongue cut out, they sowed up in a sack, and left her for two days, in which she lived, making a most miserable lamentation.
In the Lower Poland, one Mr. Samuel Cardus, a minister, they used with extreme cruelties, first putting out his eyes, and leading him about as a miserable spectacle; then they pulled off his fingers with pincers, and poured melted lead down his throat, and while he was yet half alive, they put his neck between two folding doors, and so violently severed his head from his body.