so long as they are profitable and necessary for theyr commodities. &c.

THe Lord God be with you. Many causes there were, welbeloued in God, my deare frendes, which mooued me to thinke that those letters were the last, which before I sent vnto you, loking that same tyme for instant death. But now vnderstanding the same to be differred, I take it for great cōfort vnto me, that I haue some leasure more to talke wyth you by letters: and therfore I write againe to you, to declare and testifie at least, my gratitude and myndfull duety toward you. And, as touching death, God doth know why he doth differ it both to me and to my welbeloued brother maister Hierome, who, I trust, will die holily and without blame: and do know also that he doth, and suffereth nowe more valiantly, then I my self a wretched sinner. God hath geuen vs a long tyme, that we might cal to memory our sinnes the better, and repent for the same more feruently. He hath graūted vs tyme, that our long and great temptation should put away our greuous sinnes, and bring the more consolation. He hath geuen vs time, wherein we shoulde remember the horrible rebukes of our mercyfull kynge and Lorde Iesus, and shoulde ponder his cruell death, and so more patyently might learne to beare our afflictions. And moreouer that we might kepe in remembraunce, how that the ioyes of the lyfe to come, are not geuen after the ioyes of this world immediatly, but through many tribulations the saintes haue entred into the kyngdome of heauen. MarginaliaThe tormentes of the martirs vnder the old & new Testament.For some of them haue bene cut and chopt all to peeces, some theyr eyes bored through, some sod: some rosted, some flayn aliue, some buried quicke, stoned, crucified, grynded betwixt myll stones, drawn and hayled hither and thither vnto execution, drowned in waters, strangled and hanged, torne in pieces, vexed with rebukes before their death, pined in prisons and afflicted in bandes. And who is able to recite all the tormentes and sufferings of the holy Saintes, which they suffered vnder the old and new Testament for the verity of GOD: namely those which haue at any tyme rebuked the malice of the priests, or haue preached against their wickednes? And it will be a maruaile if any man now also shall escape vnpunished, who so euer dare boldly resist the wickednes and peruersitie, especially of those priestes, whiche can abyde no correction. And I am glad that they are compelled now to read my bookes, in the which, their malice is somewhat described: and I know they haue read the same more exactly and diligently, then the holy Gospell, seking therin to find out errours. Geuen at Constance vpon Thursday the 28. day of Iune. an 1415.

IF my Letter be not sent yet to Boheme, kepe it, and send it not, for hurt may come therof. &c. MarginaliaHe meaneth, belike, that he should moue the king in these matters contayned in thys epistle.

Itē, if the kyng do aske who ought to be my iudge, since that the Councell neither did call me, nor did cite me, neyther was I euer accused before the Councell, and yet the Councell hath imprisoned me, and hath appoynted theyr proctor against me.

Item I desire you right noble and gracious Lord Iohn, if audience shalbe geuen me, that the kyng wyll be there present hymselfe, and that I may haue a place appointed neare vnto hym that he may heare me well and vnderstand what I say: and that you also with the Lord Henry, and with Lord Wenselaus and other mo, if you may, wil be present, & heare what the Lord Iesus Christ my procurator and aduocate & most gracious Iudge, wil put in my mouth to speake, that whether I liue or die, you may be true and vpright witnesses with me, least lying lips shall say hereafter, that I swarued away from the truth which I haue preached.

Item, knowe you that before witnesses and notaries in the prison, I desired the commissioners that they would depute vnto me a proctor and an aduocate, who promised so to do, and afterward would not performe it. Wherfore I haue cōmitted my self to the Lord Iesus Christ, that he will be my procuratour and aduocate and iudge of my cause.

Item, knowe you, that they haue as I suppose, no other quarell agaynst me, but onely this, that I stoode against the Popes Bull, which Pope Iohn sent downe to Boheme to sanctifie warre with the signe of the crosse and full remission of sinnes, to all them which would take the holy crosse to fight for the patrimony of the Romishe Church agaynst Ladislaus king of Naples, MarginaliaVide supra pag. 599.and they haue mine owne writing which was read against me, and I do acknowledge it to be mine. Secondly, they haue also against me, that I haue continued so long in excommunication and yet did take vpon me to minister in the church and say masse. Thirdly they haue against me, because I did appeale from the Pope, to Christ. For they read my appeale before me, in the which with a willing mynde, smiling I confessed before them all to be myne. Fourthly, because I left a certaine letter behind me which was read in the Church of Bethlehem, the which letter my aduersaries haue very euill fauoredly translated & sinisterly expounded, in the which I did write that I went out without a safeconduct. Whereunto you your selues can say & beare me record, that I in my going out, had no safeconducte of the Pope, neither yet did know whether you should goe out with me when I wrote that letter.

Item, if audience may be geuen to me, and that after the same audience the kyng would suffer me not be returned againe into prison, but that I may haue your counsels & others my frendes: and if it may please God that I may say some thing to my soueraigne Lord the kyng, for the behalfe of Christianitie and for hys owne profite. &c.

MarginaliaAn other letter of Iohn Hus.IHon Hus in hope the seruaunt of God, to all the faithfull in Boheme, which loue the Lord, greeting through the grace of God. It cōmeth in my minde, wherein I must needes admonish you, that be the faithfull and beloued of the Lord, how that the coūcell of Cōstance being full of pride, auarice, and all abhomination, hath condemned my bookes written in the Boheme toūgue, for hereticall, MarginaliaThe Councell condemne bookes which they vnderstand not.which bookes they neuer sawe, nor neuer heard them read: And if they had heard them, yet they could not vnderstand the same, being some Italians, some Frenchemen, some Britains, some Spanyardes, Germains, with other people of other nations moe: vnlesse peraduenture Iohn Bishop of Litomishe vnderstode them, which was present in that councell, and certayne other Bohemians, and priestes which are against me and labour all they may how to depraue both the veritie of God, and the honesty of our countrey of Boheme: MarginaliaPrayse of Bohemia.Which I iudge in the hope of God, to be a godly land, right well geuen to the true knowledge of the faith, for that it doth so greatly desire the word of God, & honest maners. MarginaliaThe abhomination of the Councell of Constance described.And if you were here at Constance, ye should see the greuous abhominatiō of this Councell, which they call so holy, and such as can not erre. Of the which Councell I haue heard it by the Swechers reported, that the Citie of Constance is not able in 30. yeares to be purged of those wicked abhominations in that Councell committed. And all be offended almost with that Councell, being sore greaued to behold such execrable thynges perpetrate in the same.

When I stoode first to aunswere before mine aduersaries, seeing all thinges there done with no order, and hearing them also so outragiously crying out, I said plainly vnto them, that I looked for more honest behauiour, and better order and discipline, in that Councel. Then the chiefe Cardinall aunswered, sayst thou so? but in the tower thou spakest more modestly. To whom, sayd I: in the Tower, no mā cryed out against me, where as now all do rage against me. MarginaliaI. Hus seemeth here to prophesie of the Councell as it came to passe.My faithfull & beloued in Christ, be not afrayd with their sentence in condemning my bookes. They shall be scattered hether and thether abroad, like light Butterfleis, & their statutes, shall endure as Spiderwebs. They went about to shake my constancie frō the veritie of Christe: but they could not ouercome the vertue of God in me. MarginaliaThe Councell afrayde to be tryed by the Scriptures.They woulde not reason with the Scriptures against me, as diuers honorable Lordes can witnes with me, which being ready to suffer contumely for the truth of God, tooke my part stoutly: namely Lord Wenceslaus de Duba, & Lord Iohn de Clum: for they were let in by king Sigismund into the Councell. And when I sayd, that I was desirous to be instructed, if I did in any thing erre, then they heard the chief Cardinall MarginaliaThis Cardinall was Cardinall Cambiensis.aunswere againe: because thou wouldest be informed, there is no remedy, but thou must first reuoke thy doctrine, according to the determination of 50. Bacchelers of Diuinitie appointed. O high instruction.

After like maner S. Catherine also should haue denyed and reuoked the veritie of God and fayth in Christ, because the. 50. maisters likewyse did withstande her: which not-