The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe/Volume 3/An Instrument of Testimonial, how Master Huss and his Procurer were denied entrance into the public Procuration, celebrated and holden in the Archbishop's Court
*An Instrument of Testimonial,[1] how Master Huss and his Procurer were denied entrance into the public Procuration, celebrated and holden in the Archbishop's Court.
In the name of God, Amen. In the year of His nativity, 1414; the seventh indiction, on Monday, the 27th day of the month of August, at three of the clock, or thereabouts; in the fifth year of the bishopric of our most holy father and lord, the lord John, by the grace and providence of God, pope, the twenty-third of that name, in the lesser city of Prague, before the archbishop of Prague's court.
The most reverend father in Christ, the lord Conrad, by the grace of God archbishop of Prague, and legate of the apostolic see, and all other lords, abbots, priors, presidents, deans, archdeacons, scholars, canons, prebendaries, and all other prelates of the city and diocese of Prague, celebrating and holding a solemn congregation, for divers causes, in his court aforesaid: There appeared personally the worshipful Master John Jessenitz, doctor of the decretals, and procurer, in the name and behalf of that honourable man, Master John Huss, formed bachelor of divinity; by the commission of whose procuration, it is evident enough, unto me, the public notary within written, that he, knocking at the porch or gate of the archbishop's court aforesaid, required that either the said Master John Huss, or that he, in the name and behalf of Master John Huss his master, might be suffered to come into the said archbishop's court, to the presence of the said lord archbishop and the prelates who were there congregated together, for so much as Master John Huss is ready to satisfy all men, who shall require him to show any reason of his faith and hope which he holdeth, and to see and hear all and singular, who were there gathered together: that is to say the lord archbishop and prelates, or any of them who would lay any manner of obstinacy, of error, or heresy unto him, that they should there write in their names, and according both unto God's law and man's, and the canon law, prepare themselves to suffer like punishment if they could not lawfully prove any obstinacy of error or heresy against him: unto whom altogether he would, by God's help, answer before the said lord archbishop and the prelates, in the next general council holden at Constance, and stand unto the law; and according to the canons, and decretals of holy fathers, show forth and declare his innocency in the name of Christ. Unto whom Master John de Jessenitz, doctor, a certain famous man called Ulricus Swabe, of Swabenitz, marshal of the said lord archbishop, coming forth from the said court, did utterly deny, unto the said Master Doctor and his party, all manner of ingress and entrance into the same court, and to the presence of the archbishop aforesaid, and of the prelates there gathered together: saying and affirming that the lord archbishop, with the prelates aforesaid, were occupied about the king's affairs, or business; requiring, notwithstanding, that the said Master Doctor would tarry in some place without the said court; also, that when the archbishop and the prelates had finished the king's affairs, he might then return, and have liberty to come into the court there. The said Master John Huss and the doctor of law tarried awhile, intreating to be admitted into the said archbishop's court; but seeing himself to prevail nothing, he made, there, a solemn protestation of his request, that both he, and also Master John Huss and his party, could not be suffered to come into the archbishop's court, to the presence of the archbishop and the prelates, but that they were utterly denied thereof; desiring me, the public notary here under written, upon the premises, to make him one or many public instruments. These things were done the year, indiction, day, month, hour, bishopric, and place above written, these honourable and wise men being there present: Simon Tysnove, bachelor of divinity; Simon de Rochezana, proctor of Pilsna; Nicholas de Stogitzin and John de Partizibram, masters of arts; also Frana Etzotronis and Jerome Dzrolonis of Prague, John de Nichintz and Jerome de Ugezd, students of the dioceses of Prague and Litomistens,[2] as witnesses of the premises. And I, James Voles, sometime son of Ambrose of Prague, by the imperial authority also of all the masters, doctors, and scholars of the famous university and study of Prague, being sworn public notary, was present at all the aftairs aforesaid, and did see and hear them all to be done in form abovesaid; but, being occupied about other weighty business, I have caused this same to be faithfully written by another notary, and have subscribed and published it with mine own hand, and have reduced it into this public form, and contirmed it with my accustomed mark and name, being desired and n required to bear witness of all and singular the premises.*
And these were the things which were done before John Huss took his journey to the general council of Constance, the which I minded briefly to rehearse; whereunto I will also annex somewhat as touching his journey thitherwards.
John Huss taketh his journey to Constance.About the ides of October, 1414, John Huss being accompanied with two noble gentlemen, that is to wit, Wencelate of Duba, John of Chlum, he departed from Prague, and took his journey towards Constance. And in every place as he passed, he notified his presence by his letters which he sent abroad, and especially in every good town, or city of name; the tenor whereof ensueth: