The letters of John Hus/Letter 79, To Barons Wenzel de Duba and John of Chlum

For other English-language translations of this work, see Letter of Jan Hus to Wenzel de Duba and John of Chlum.
Jan Hus3149108The letters of John Hus1904Robert Martin Pope

LXXIX. To Barons Wenzel de Duba and John of Chlum

(Undated: ? middle or end of June)

Most gracious benefactors and guardians of the truth, I exhort you by the tender mercies of Jesus Christ to lay aside at once the vanities of this world and fight for the eternal King, even Christ the Lord. Put not your trust in princes, in the sons of men, in whom is no safety,[1] for to-day the sons of men are liars and deceivers, and to-morrow they will perish; but God abideth for ever. He hath servants not because He is in need of them, but for their own welfare. What He promises to them, He holds to; what He pledges himself to grant, He fulfils; He deceives no man by a safe-conduct and dismisses no faithful servant; for He saith: Where I am, there shall My servant be also.[2] Each of His servants He, their Master, maketh to be master of all that He hath, giving to that servant Himself, and with Himself all things so that he may possess all things without weariness or fear, nay, without any lack, and may rejoice with all the saints in unending joy. Oh, blessed is that servant whom, his master when he cometh, findeth watching![3] Serve then, dear lords, with fear this King Who will, I trust, bring you now to Bohemia by His grace in good health, and afterwards to the everlasting life of glory. Farewell!

Methinks this is my last letter to you, for tomorrow I suppose I shall be cleansed from my sins in hope of Jesus Christ by a dreadful death. I cannot write of what I passed through last night. Sigismund hath acted deceitfully throughout. God spare him, and that only for your sakes; you yourselves heard the advice which he gave.[4] I beg you to have no suspicion of the faithful Veit.[5]

On June 29th Hus wrote his last letters of farewell—three in number—to his dearest friends. There is in them no trace of struggle, only the peace of God. Hus had entered already the

Porte after stormie seas.

  1. Ps. cxlv. 3.
  2. John xii. 26.
  3. Luke xii. 43.
  4. At the Council; see p. 213.
  5. P. 225.