by what scripture the councels haue power to defeate þ^e autority of their emperors in such secular causes touching safeconducts, & outward safetie: then will I answer him more fully herein. But to þ^e purpose again of þ^e story.

MarginaliaIohn Hus taketh the Emperours safecōduct.Iohn Hus seing so many fayre promises, and the assurance which the Emperour had geuen vnto him, sente aunswere vnto the Emperour that he would come vnto the counsel: But before he departed out of the Realme of Boheme, and specially out of the towne of Prage, he did write certayne billes long inough afore aswell in latine as in the Bohemian language, and Almain, and caused them to be set vp and fastened vpon the gates of the cathedrall churches & parishchurches, cloysters & Abbayes, signifying vnto them al that he would go to the general councell at Constaunce, whereof if any man haue anye suspicion of his doctrine, that he should declare it before the Lorde Conrade, or Bishop of Prage, or if he had rather, at the generall coūcell, for there he would render & geue vp vnto euery one and before them all, an accompt and reason of his faith. The example of his letters & intimatiōs set vp wer these, the copy wherof here followeth.

MarginaliaLetters of Iohn Hus set vp.MAister Iohn Hus, Bacheler of Diuinitie, will appeare before the most reuerend father the Lord Conrade, Archbishop of Prage, and legate of the Apostolicke seat in the next conuocation of all the Prelates and clergie of the kyngdome of Boheme, beyng ready alwayes to satisfie all men whiche shall require him to geue a reason of his faith and hope that he holdeth. And to heare & see all such as will lay vnto his charge either any stubbornnesse of errour or heresie, that they should write in their names there, as is required both by Gods lawe & mans. And if so be that they could not lawfully proue any stubbornnes of errour or heresie against him, that thē they should suffer the lyke punishmentes that he should haue had, vnto whom altogether he will aunswer at the next generall Councell at Constance, before the Archbyshop and the Prelates, and according to the decrees and Canons of the holy fathers, shewe forth his innocencie in the name of Christ. Dated the Sonday next after the feast of saint Bartholomew.

MarginaliaAn other intimation of I. Hus set vp, for his going to Constance.I Maister Iohn Husnetz, do signifie vnto all men, that I am ready to come & stand before þ^e face of my Lord the Archbyshop, and to aunswere to all thinges wherof I am falsly accused in the next conuocation of Bachelers, & chieflye to this point, that in many places they do reporte me an hereticke, not hauyng respect vnto iustice or to lawe, neither yet to my merites or desertes. Therfore since that you whiche do neuer cease to sclaunder & backbite me with your woordes do vnderstand & know these thinges, come forth openly before the face and presence of the Lord Archbishop, and with an open mouth, declare & shewe forth what false doctrine or other things you haue hearde me teache contrary to the catholicke fayth, MarginaliaThe offer of Ioh. Hus to hys enemyes.& if that I shall be founde fautie in neuer so small a matter contrary or agaynst the faith of Christ, or in any false doctrine, & that I do chose that or other thyngs cōtrary to the faith of Christ, then I will hold my peace and suffer punishement as an hereticke. And if there be no man that will resiste agaynst me or accuse me in this point, once agayne I say vnto you that I am ready to appeare at Constance in the famous cōgregatiō, to the end that I may stand in the cōpany of the deuines euen before þ^e face of the Pope. Therfore whosoeuer knoweth any false doctrine contrarye to the faith of Christ in me, let him come thether and shew it forth boldly, if he haue any thyng to lay agaynst me, and for my parte I will not be slacke, if I may vnderstād or know it, to answere as well to small as great, as touchyng the truth whiche I haue receiued of God, & desire to be defended. All you good men therfore whiche loue the truth, say now whe-ther by these my woordes I do thinke or go aboute any thyng, either contrary to the law of God or mā. If I be not admitted then to be heard, be it knowen and manifest vnto all men that it happeneth not thorow my fault the same day.

MarginaliaA writyng of Iohn Hus set vp at the kings gates.VNto the Kinges maiesty, the Quene, and to all such as are of hys Councell, and to all other Rulers and Magistrats, whych now are in the kings court, I Iohn Hus, doe signifie and publishe, that I haue vnderstand, not by anye vayne rumor or tale, that there bee letters brought from the Pope to the kinges maiestye, the contentes whereof is this: That the kynges maiesty should bring to passe, that the heretickes which were now lately sprong vp in hys kyngdome and dominions, shoulde not take any firme or strong roote, for so much as without anye deserte, as I trust by Gods grace, the fame or noyse is sprong and blowen abroade: it shall be our part to foresee and take heede, that neither the kynges maiestie, neyther the noble kingdome of Boheme, shoulde be driuen to beare or suffer any reproche or slaunder for me. Wherfore now of late I haue sent my letters to and fro, whych I haue wyth great labour and diligence, caused to be openly set vp, to thys intent, that I might thereby cause the Archbishop to be careful and diligent about the matter, signifieng openly, that if there were any man in all Boheme, whych did know me to be a follower of any false or corrupt doctrine, that he should profes his name in the Archbishop hys court, and there to shew forth and declare what he thought. And forasmuch as ther woulde none be found or come forth, which would accuse me, the Archbishop cōmaunded me and my procurers to depart in peace. Wherefore I require and desire the kinges maiesty, whych is the defender of the truth, also the Quene and their councellers and all other Rulers and Magistrates, that they would geue me a faythfull testimoniall of this matter. For somuch as I haue oftentimes willed and attempted this, and no man hath eyther accused me or troubled me. I do it moreouer to be knowen vnto al Boheme, and to all nations, that I will be present euen at the first tyme before the councell of Constance, in the most famous place in the presence of the Pope, the Pope being president. And finally, in the presence of all others whych wyll come to that moste famous place, and that whosoeuer hath any suspicion of me, that I haue eyther taught or defended any thing contrary vnto the fayth of Christ, let hym come thyther also, let hym declare there before or in presence of the Pope, and all the doctours of diuinitie, what erronious or false doctrine I haue at anye tyme followed or holden. More, if he shall conuince me of any error, or proue that I haue taught anye thing contrary vnto the Christian fayth, I wyll not refuse to suffer whatsoeuer punishment shall be due for an hereticke. But I hope and trust, euen from the bottome of my hart, that God wil not geue the victory vnto vnfaithfull and vnbeleuing men, the which do wyllingly kycke and spurne agaynst the truth.

The same time Iohn Hus sent his procurers to the lord bishop of Nazareth, ordeined by the Apostolicke sea Inquisitour of heresie of the citie and dioces of Prage, requiring him, that if he had found any errour in hym, he would declare it openly. But the sayde bishop before the sayd procurour, and the publike Notarye, with many other credible witnesses answered, that he had often talked with Iohn Hus, and that hee neuer knewe anye thing in hym, but as becommeth a godly and faythfull man, and this his testimonie of Iohn Hus hee approued by hys letters, the copy wherof is hereunder written.

MarginaliaThe testimony of the good byshop of Nazareth.WE Nicholas by the grace of God Byshop of Nazareth and inquisitor, specially deputed by the Apostolicke seat for heresies both of the citie & dioces of Prage, by these presentes we do it to bee knowen vnto all men that we in tymes past haue often communed and talked with that honorable man maister Iohn Hus, Bacheler of Diuinitie of the famous vniuersitie of Prage, & haue had diuerse and sondry conferēces with him, both of the Scriptures and diuers other matters, and in all his say