After that he was compassed in wyth the woode vp to the crowne of the head, they cast al his garments vpon the woode also, and with a firebrande they set it on fire. The whych being once fired, he begā to sing with a loude voyce: In manus tuas domine commendo spiritum meum. When that was ended, and that he began vehementlye to burne, he sayde in the vulgare Bohemian tonge: MarginaliaThe laste wordes of M. Hierome.O Lord God father almighty, haue mercy vpon me, and be mercifull vnto mine offences, for thou knowest how that sincerely I haue loued thy truth. Then his voyce by the vehemency of the fire, was choked and stopped, þ^t it was no longer heard, but he moued continually his mouth and lips, as though he had still prayed or spoken wythin himselfe.

MarginaliaThe crueltie of hys death.Whē as in a maner his whole body w^t his beard was burned round about, and that there appeared thorow þ^e great burning vpon his body certayne great bladders, as big as an egge, yet he cōtinually very strōgly & stoutly moued & shaked his head and mouth, by the space almost, of one quarter of an houre. So burning in þ^e fire, he liued with great payne and martyrdome, whiles one mighte easelye haue gone from S. Clementes ouer the bridge, vnto our Lady church: he was of suche a stoute and strong nature. After that he was thus deade in the fire, by and by they brought his bedding, his straw bed, his bootes, his hoode, and all other thinges that he had in the prison, and burned them all to ashes in the same fire. MarginaliaThe ashes of M. Hierome cast into the riuer of Rhene.The which ashes, after that þ^e fire was out, they did diligently gather together, and cary them in a cart, and caste them into the riuer of Rheine, which ran harde by the City.

That man which was the true reporter hereof, and which testifyed vnto vs the actes and doinges aboute the condemnation of Maister Hierome, and sent the same vnto vs to Prage in writyng, doth thus conclude: MarginaliaThe witnes of the writer.All these things, sayth he, I did behold, see, & heare to be done in this forme and maner. And if any man doo tell you the contrary, doo not credite hym, for all those thinges which happened vnto hym, when he came toward Constance, and also at hys firste commyng vnto Constance of his own free will, and afterward when he was brought bound vnto Constance, as is aforesaide, I my selfe did see and perfectlye beholde: and for a perpetuall memory therof to be had for euer, I haue directed þ^e same vnto you, MarginaliaThe truth of thys historye.not lying or falsifieng any poynt thereof, as he which is the searcher of all mens hartes canne beare me witnes: willing rather to sustayne the note of ignoraunce and rudenes of stile, to beare witnes vnto the truth, then I would by any meanes bee compelled by ticklyng or flattring the eares of the hearers, with fained and cloked speech to swarue or goe aside from the truth.

Thus ende the tragicall hystories of Mayster Iohn Hus, and maister Ierome of Prage, faithfullye gathered and collected by a certaine Bohemian, being a present witnes and beholder of the same, written and compiled first in latin, and so sent by the sayd Bohemian into his country of Boheme: and againe trāslated out of the latin with like fidelitie, into our English toung.

In the meane time while mayster Ierome was in this trouble, and brought before the Councel, the nobles and Lordes of Boheme and of Morauia (but not a little agreeued thereat) directed their letters vnto this barbarous councell of popish murderers, in tenour and forme of woordes as followeth.

¶ To the right reuerend Fathers and Lords in Christ, the lords Cardinals, Patriarkes, Primates, Archbishops, Byshops, Ambassadours, Doctours, and Maysters, and to the whole Councell of Constance, We the Nobles, Lordes Knights andEsquiers, of the famous Marquesdome of Morauia, wyshe the desyre of all goodnes, and the obseruation of the commaundements of our Lord Iesu Christ.

FOrsomuch as euery man both by the lawe of nature & also by Gods law, is commaunded to do that vnto an other man, which hee would haue done vnto hym selfe, and is forbydden to doo that thing vnto an other, which he would not haue done vnto himselfe, as our sauiour saith: all thinges whatsoeuer you wyll that men should do vnto you, the same do you vnto them, for thys is the law and the Prophetes, MarginaliaMath. 7.yea the law is fulfilled in this one poynt: thou shalte loue thy neyghbour as thy self: MarginaliaRom. 13.We therfore (god being our author) hauing respect as much as in vs lyeth vnto the sayd lawe of God, and þ^e loue of our neighbour, before did send our letters vnto Constance for our dearely beloued friend of good memory Maister Iohn Hus, Bacheler of Diuinitie, & preacher of the Gospell. Whom of late in the Councel of Cōstance (we know not with what spirite being lead) you haue condemned as an obstinate hereticke, neyther hauing confessed any thinke, neither being lawfullye conuict, as were expedient: hauing no errours or heresies declared or layd agaynst him, but onelye at the sinister, false, and importune accusations, suggestions, and instigations of hys mortall enemies, and the traitors of our kingdome and Marquesdome of Morauia. And being thus vnmercifully cōdemned, you haue slaine him: with most shamefull & cruell death: to the perpetuall shame and infamye of our moste Christian kyngdome of Boheme, and the famous Marquesdome of Morauia (as we haue wrytten vnto Constance, vnto the most Noble Prince and Lord, the Lorde Sigismonde, kyng of Romaines, and of Hungary, the heire and successor of our kingdom) the which was also red and published in your congregations, whiche we will here also haue enroled: and haue burned him, as it is reported, in the reproche and contempt of vs. MarginaliaTlhe cause of Iohn Hus cleared by the testimonie of the nobles of Bohemia.Wherfore we haue thought good, euen now to direct our letters patentes vnto your reuerences now present, in the behalfe of master Iohn Hus, opēly professing and protesting both with hart & mouth, that he the said Maister Iohn Hus, was a iust, good and catholike man, and a long season worthely commended and allowed in our kingdom, for his life and conuersation. He also preached and taught vs and our subiectes the law of the Gospell, and of the holye Prophetes, and the bookes of the old and new Testament, according to the expositiō of the holy doctors approued by the church, and left many monumentes in writing, most constantly detesting and abhorring all errours and heresie, continually admonishing both vs and all faythfull Christians to do the lyke, diligentlye exhorting al mē as much as in him lay by hys woord, writinges, and trauel, vnto quietnes and concord: so that, vsing all the diligence that we might, we neuer heard or coulde vnderstande, that Maister Iohn Hus had preached, taught, or by anye meanes affirmed any errour or heresy in his sermons, or that by any maner of meanes hee had offended vs or our subiectes, either by woorde or deede, but that he alwayes led a quiet and godly lyfe in Christ, MarginaliaAll that will liue godly in Christ. 2. Tim. 3.exhorting all men diligently, both by his wordes and works, as much as he might, to obserue and kepe the law of the Gospel, & the institutiōs of the holy fathers, after the preachyng of our holy mother church, and to the edifying of mens soules. Neither did these premisses, which you had so perpetrated to the reproch both of vs & our kingdome & Marquesdome, suffice and content you, but that also without all mercy and pitie, you haue apprehended, imprisoned, & condemned, & euen now peraduenture, lyke as you did Maister Iohn Hus, you haue most cruelly murdered þ^t worshipful mā, maister Hierom of Prage, MarginaliaDefence of M. Hierome of Prage.a man abounding in eloquence, maister of the seuen liberall artes, and a famous Philosopher, not being seene,