Thus the protestantes by the feare of their enemies made the more bolde and couragious, pursued them thorow the woodes, and had a great pray and spoyle of them. Nothwithstandyng, Albertus, when he hearde tell that the Cardinal was entered into Boheme, wyth all speede came agayne out of Austrich wyth his armye, and besieged the strong towne of Prezorabia: but when he vnderstoode how the Cardinall was fled, he lefte of hys purpose, MarginaliaGreat slaughter in Boheme by Duke Albert.and returned throughe Morauia, whiche was not yet subiect vnto him, and destroyed aboue fifty townes with fire and sword, tooke manye of their cities by force, and spoyled them, committing great murther and slaughter, & so afflicted them, that they tooke vpon them his yoke, and promised to be subiect and obedient to him vnder this condition, that as touching religion he would be bound to do that which the councel of Basyll should determine.

MarginaliaThe Councell of Basill.Then was there an Ambassade sent out of Boheme vnto Basell, where as Sigismund held the councell, who during the time of warres, had kept himselfe at Norenburge. When as he should take his iourney vnto Rome to be crowned Emperour, he wrote letters vnto the nobles of Boheme, MarginaliaA letter of the Emperour to the Bohemians.wherein was contayned howe that he was a Bohemian borne, and how he was not more affectioned to any nation, then to his owne, and that he went to Rome for none other cause, but to bee crowned: the whiche his honour should also be a renowne to þ^e Bohemians, whom to aduannce it hath bene alwayes hys speciall care.

Also how þ^t through his endeuour the Councell was begō at Basell, exhortyng all such as were desirous to be heard as touchyng religion, that they should come thether, and that they would not mainteine any quarell cōtrary to þ^e holy mother church: that the Councell would louingly & gentilly heare their reasons: that they should onely endeuour them selues to agree with the Synode as touchyng religion, and reserue and kepe a quiet and peasable kingdom for him, against his returne: Neither should þ^e Bohemians thinke to refuse his regimēt, whose brother, father, and vncle, had reigned ouer them, & that he would reigne ouer thē after no other meane or sorte, then other Christian kings vsed to do.

MarginaliaThe Bohemians sent for, by the councell.The Councell of Basell also wrote their letter to þ^e Bohemians, þ^t they should send their Ambassadours whiche should show a reason of their fayth, MarginaliaSafeconducte geuen to the Bohemians, to come to the councell.promising safeconduict to go & come, and free libertie to speake what they would. MarginaliaA doubt amōg the Bohemiās, whether to go to the councell of Basill, or no.The Bohemians in this point were of two opinions, for þ^e protestants & almost all þ^e cōmon people, sayd, it was not good to go, alledging þ^e examples of I. Hus & Hierome of Prage, which going vnto Constance vnder þ^e safeconduict of the Emperour, were there openly burned. But the Nobilitie folowyng the mynd of Maynardus, MarginaliaThys Maynardus was after a great backe frende to the faythfull Bohemians.prince of the new house, sayd that they ought to goo vnto the Councell, and that they are not to bee suffered whiche had inuented those new and straunge opiniōs of faith, and new kynde of Religion, except they would render accompt of their doynges and sayinges before the vniuersall church, and defend those thinges, which they had openly taught, before learned men. This opinion tooke place, Marginalia300 horsemen of the Bohemians sent ambass to the Councell.and an Ambassade of. 300. horse was sent vnto Basell. The chief whereof were VVilliam Cosca a valiaunt knight & Procopius surnamed Magnus, a man of worthy fame for his manifold victories, Iohn Rochezana preacher of Prage, Nicholas Galecus, Minister of the Thaborites, and one Peter an Englishman,MarginaliaThis English man was Peter Payne. of excellent prompt and pregnant witte. MarginaliaThe receauing of the Bohemians at Basill.The people came in great number out of the towne, and many out of the Synode and Councell, attending before the gates to see the commyng of this valiaunt & famous people: other some gathered together in great number into the streets where as they should passe through. The matrones, maydes & children, filled the wyndowes and houses to behold andsee, and to maruaile at their straunge kynd of apparell, and stoute couragious countenaunces, saying that it was not vntrue which was reported of thē: MarginaliaProcopius famous among the Germains.notwithstādyng all men beheld Procopius, saying, this is he which hath ouerthrowen the Papistes in so many battailes, whiche hath subuerted so many townes, and slayne so many men, whom both his enemyes and also his owne souldiours, doo feare and reuerence: also, that he was a bolde, valiaunt and inuincible Captaine, which could not bee ouercome with no terrour, labour or trauaile. These Bohemian Ambassadours were gently receiued. The next day after, Cardinall Iulianus sendyng for thē vnto the Councell house, made a gētle, long, & eloquent oration vnto them, MarginaliaThe oratiō of cardinall Iulian.exhortyng them to vnitie and peace, saying, that the Churche was the spouse of our sauiour Christ, & the mother of all faithfull, that it hath þ^e keyes of byndyng and losing, and also that it is white & fayre, without spot or wryncle, & can not erre in those pointes which are necessary to saluation, and that he which doth contemne the same church. is to bee counted as a Prophane, Ethnike, and Publicane, neither can this church be represented better by any meanes, then in this Councell. He exhorted them also to receiue the decrees of the Councell, and to geue no lesse credit vnto the Councell then vnto the Gospell, by whose authoritie, the Scriptures them selues are receiued and allowed. Also that þ^e Bohemians whiche call them selues, the children of the church, ought to heare the voyce of their mother, which is neuer vnmindfull of her childrē: how that now of late they haue liued apart frō their mother, albeit (sayd he) þ^t is no new or straūge thyng, for there haue bene many in times past, whiche haue forsaken their mother, & yet seking after saluation haue returned to her againe. That in þ^e tyme of Noes floud, as many as were without the Arke perished. That þ^e Lordes Passeouer was to be eatē in one house. That there is no saluatiō to be sought for out of þ^e church, & that this is þ^e garden & famous Fountaine of water, wherof whosoeuer shall drinke, shall not thirst euerlastyngly. That the Bohemians haue done as they ought, in þ^t they haue sought þ^e fountaines of thys water at the Coūcell, & haue determined now at length to geue eare vnto their mother. Now all hatred ought to cease, all armour and weapon is to be laid apart, and all occasion of warre vtterly to be reiected: For the fathers would louingly and gently here whatsoeuer they would say in their owne cause or quarel, requiring onely that they would wyllingly receaue and embrace the good counsels and determinations of the sacred Synode: whereunto not onely the Bohemians, but also all other faithfull Christians, ought to consent and agree, if they will be partakers of eternall lyfe.

MarginaliaThe Bohemians aunswere to the Cardinals oratiō.This Oration of the Cardinall, was heard and very well allowed of þ^e fathers. Whereunto the Bohemiās aunswered in fewe woordes, that they neither had contemned þ^e church nor the Councells: that the sentēce geuen at Constance agaynst those whiche were vnheard, doth diminishe nothyng of the Christian Religion: that the authoritie of the fathers hath alwayes remained amongest them inuiolate, & whatsoeuer thyng þ^e Bohemians had taught, to be confirmed by the Scriptures and Gospell, and that they are now come to manifest theyr innocencie before the whole churche, and to require opē audience, where as the laitie may also be present. The request was graunted them: and beyng further demaūded in what pointes they did disagree from the churche of Rome, they propounded foure Articles.

MarginaliaThe articles wherin the Bohemians dissented from the church of Rome.First, they affirmed, that al such as would be saued, ought of necessity to receiue the communion of the last supper vnder both kindes of bread and wyne.

The second article, they affirmed all ciuill rule and dominion to be forbidden vnto the Clergye by the lawe of God.