thus done, Zisca hauyng geuen ouer Pelzina by cōposition, was twise assaulted by his enemyes, but through policy he was alwayes victor. The places where they fought were rough and vnknowen, his enemyes were on horsbacke, and all his soldiours on foote, neither could there be any battaile fought but on foote. MarginaliaThe policie of Zisca.Whereupon, when his enemyes were alighted from their horses, Zisca cōmaunded the women which customably followed the host, to cast their kerchieffes vpon the ground, where in the horsemen beyng entangled by their spurres, were slayne before they could vnlose their feete.

After this he went vnto Ausca a towne situate vpon the Riuer Lusnitius, out of whiche town Procopius and Vlricius, two brethren Papistes, had cast out many Protestantes. This Towne Zisca tooke by force of armes the first night of Lent, rased it, and set it on fire. He also tooke the Castle of Lytius, which was a mile of, whether as Vlricus was fled, and put Vlricius and all his familie to the sword, sauyng one onely.

MarginaliaThe citie of Thabor builded.Then, for somuch as he had no walled or fensed towne to inhabite, he chose out a certaine place vpon the same riuer which was fensed by nature, about. viij. myles from the citie of Ausca. This place he compassed in with walles, and commaunded euery man to build them houses, where they had pitched their tentes, and named this City Thabor, and the inhabitauntes his cōpanions Thaborites, because their Citie, by all lyke, was builded vpon the toppe of some hill or mount. This Citie albeit that it was fensed with hygh rockes and cleaues, yet was it compased with a wall and vaumure, and the riuer Lusinitius fenseth a great part of the towne, the rest is compassed in with a great broke, the whiche runnyng straight into the riuer Lusinitius, is stopped by a great rocke and driuen backe towardes the right hand, all the lēgth of the Citie, and at the further end it ioyneth with the great riuer. The way vnto it by land is scarse xxx. foote brode, for it is almost an Ilād. In this place there was a deepe ditch cast, and a triple wall made, of such thicknes that it could not be broken with any engine. The wall was full of towers and fortes set in their conuenient and mete places. Zisca was the first that builded the Castle, and those that came after him, fortefied it, euery man accordyng to his owne deuise. At that tyme the Thaborites had no horsemen amongest them vntill such tyme as Nicolas, maister of the mynt (whom the Emperour had sent into Bohemia with a M. horsemen to set thynges in order, and to withstād the Thaborites lodgyng all night in a village named Vogize) was surprised by Zisca commyng vpon him sodenly in the night, takyng away all his horse and armour, & settyng fire vpon the village. Then Zisca taught his souldiours to mount on horseback, to leape, to runne, to turne, to cast in a ryng, so that after this he neuer led army without his wynges of horsemen.

MarginaliaSigismund getteth the castle of Prage.In this meane tyme Sigismundus the Emperour gatheryng together þ^e nobles of Slesia, entred into Boheme, and went vnto Grecium, and from thence with a great army vnto Cuthna, alluryng Cencho with many great and large promises to render vp the Castle of Prage vnto him, and there placed himselfe to annoy the towne. Thus Cencho infamed with double treason, returned home. MarginaliaZisca getteth the citie of Prage.The Citezens of Prage sent for Zisca, who spedyng himselfe thether with theThaborites, receiued the Citie vnder his gouernaunce. In the Bohemians host there was but onely ij. Barons, Hilco Cruffina of Lituburge, and Hilco of Waldestene, with a few other nobles. All the residue were of the common people. They went about first to subdue the Castell, which was by nature very strongly fensed, and could not be wonne by no other meanes then with famine: whervpon all the passages were stopped, that no vittailes should be caryed in. But the Emperour opened the passages by dint of sword, & when he had geuen vnto them which were besieged, all thinges necessary, hauyng sent for ayde out of the Empire, he determined shortly after to besiege the Citie. MarginaliaPrage besieged of Sigismund.There was in the Emperours campe the Dukes of Saxon, the Marqueses of Brandenburge, and his sonne in law Albert of Austrich. The Citie was assaulted by the space of. vi. weekes. The Emperour Sigismund was crowned in the Metropolitane house in the castle, Conradus the Archbyshop solemnising the ceremonies of the coronation. The City was straightly besieged. In the meane time the Captaines Rosēses and Chragery, which had takē the tentes of the Thaborites, beyng ouercome in battaile by Nicolas Hus, whom Zisca had sent with part of his power for that purpose, were driuen out of their tentes, & Gretium the Queenes Citie was also taken.

There is also aboue the Towne of Prage a high hill, which is called Videchon. On this hill had Zisca strong-ly planted a garryson, that his enemyes should not possesse it, MarginaliaThe Marques of Misnia ouercome in the skirmishe.with whom the Marques of Mysnia skirmishyng, lost a great part of his soldiours. For when as the Misnians had gotten the top of the hill, beyng driuen backe into a corner, which was broken and stepe, and fiersly set vpō, when as they could no longer withstand the violent force of their enemyes, some of them were slayne, and some fallyng headlong from the hill were destroyed. MarginaliaSigismund the Emperour raiseth hys siege.Whereupon the Emperour Sigismund raysing his siege, departed vnto Cuthna, and Zisca with his company departed vnto Thabor, and subdued many places: amongst which he subuerted a towne pertayning to the captaine of Visgrade. Duryng this tyme the Castell of Visgrade was strongly besieged, whereas, when other vittailes wanted, they were compelled to eate horse flesh. Last of all, except the Emperour did ayde them by a certaine day, they promised to yeld it vp, but vnder this condition, that if the Emperour did come, they within the castle should be no more molested.

MarginaliaThe Emperour fighting against Zisca had the ouerthrow.The Emperour was present before the day, but beyng ignoraunt of the truce taken, entryng into a straight vnderneath the Castle, was sodenly set vpon by the souldiours of Prage, where he had a great ouerthrow, and so leauyng hys purpose vnperformed, returned backe agayne. There were slayne in that conflict xiiij. noble men of the Morauians, and of the Hungarians, & other a great number. The Castle was deliuered vp vnto them. Whilest these thinges were in doyng, Zisca toke Boslaus a captaine which was surnamed Cygneus, by force in a very strong towne of his, and brought hym vnto hys religion. Who a fewe yeares after, leadyng the protestantes host in Austria, was wounded before Rhetium and dyed.

MarginaliaThe Abbeys of Pelsina subuerted.There were in the territory of Pelsina many monasteries, of the which Zisca subuerted and burned fiue. And for somuch as þ^e monastery of Saint Clare was the strongest, there he pitched hymselfe.

MarginaliaZisca putteth the Emperour to flight.Thether also came the Emperour with hys army: but when Zisca brought forth hys power against hym, he most cowardly fled, and not long after, he departed and left Boheme. Then Zisca wēt with hys army vnto Pelsina: but for somuch as he saw the Citie so fensed, that he was in doubt of winnyng the same, he went from thence to Commitauia a famous Citie, the which he tooke by force, burnyng all the priestes therein.

MarginaliaZisca loseth his other eye in battell.Afterward, when as he lay before the towne of Raby, and strongly besieged the same, he was stricken wyth a shaft in the eye, hauyng but that one before to see wyth all. MarginaliaZisca, albeit he lost his eyes, yet would not forsake his army.From thence he was caryed vnto Prage to Phisicians, whereas he beyng cured of his wound, and his lyfe saued, yet he lost hys sight, and for all that, he would not forsake hys army, but still tooke the charge of them.

MarginaliaZisca taketh diuers townes.After thys the garisons of Prage went vnto Varona, where as there was a great garison of the Emperours, & tooke it by force, many beyng slayne of eyther part. They also tooke the towne of Broda in Germany, and slue the garrison, and afterward tooke Cuthna and many other Cities by composition. MarginaliaThe Saxons retyre.Further, when as they ledde their army vnto a towne called Pons, which is inhabited by the Misnians, the Saxons meeting them by the way, because they durst not ioyne battayle, they returned backe. After all thys the Emperour appointed the Princes electours a day, that at Bartilmewtide, they should with their army inuade the Weast part of Boheme,MarginaliaThe Emperour with his power entreth agayne into Boheme.and he wyth an host of Hungarians would enter on the East part. There came vnto hys ayde the Archbyshop of Mentz, the county Pallatine of Rheine, the Dukes of Saxon, the Marques of Brandenburge, and many other byshops out of Almayne: all the rest sent their aydes. They encamped before the towne of Sozius, a strong & well fensed place, which they coulde by no meanes subdue. The country was spoyled & wasted round about, and the siege continued vntill þ^e feast of S. Galle. Then it was broken vp because the Emperour was not come at hys day appoynted, but he hauyng gathered together a great army of the Hungarians, and west Marauians, about Christmas entred into Boheme, and tooke certayne townes by force, and Cuthna was yelded vnto hym. MarginaliaThe Emperour afrayde of Zisca, flyeth.But when Zisca (although he was blind) came towardes hiym, and set vpon hym, he beyng afearde, & many of his nobles slayne, fled. But first he burned Cuthna, which the Thaborites, by meanes of the siluer mines, MarginaliaThe powch of Antichrist.called the powch of Antichrist. MarginaliaA noble victory of Zisca.Zisca pursuing the Emperour a dayes iourney, gotte great & rich spoyle, and taking the towne of Broda by force, set it on fire: the which afterward almost by the space of. xiiij. yeares remayned disinhabited. The Emperour passed by a bridge ouer the riuer of Iglaria. And Piso a Florentine, which had brought. xv. thousand horsemen out of Hungary to these warres, passed ouer the Ise, the which by þ^e multitude and the number of his