Looke which part you will decline vnto, Zisca will be your ayde and helper.

MarginaliaThe hartes of the souldiours altered by the oration of Zisca.When he had spokē these wordes, the souldiours mindes were chaunged, and wholly determined to make warres, so that they ran by and by to take vp their armour and weapon, to runne vnto the walles to prouoke theyr enemyes to fight for the gates of the Citie. Zisca in the meane time prepared all thinges ready for the assault. There is a litle from Pelsina a certain village named Rochezana. In this place, there was a child borne of poore and base parentage, whose name was Iohn: he came vnto Prage and got his lyuyng there by beggyng, and learned Grammer and Logicke. When he came to mans state, he became the Scholemaster of a noble mans childe: and for somuch as he was of an excellent wit and ready toug, he was receiued into the Colledge of the poore, & last of all beyng made Priest, he began to preach the word of God to the Citizēs of Prage, and was named Iohannes de Rochezana, by the name of the Towne where he was borne. MarginaliaPeace betwene Zisca & Prage by the meanes of Ioan de Rochezana.This man grew to be of great name and authoritie in the towne of Prage. Wherupon when as Zisca besieged Prage, he by the consent of the Citizens went out into the camp, and reconciled Zisca agayne vnto the Citie.

MarginaliaThe Emperour glad to be reconciled with Zisca.When as the Emperour perceiued that all thynges came to passe accordyng vnto Zisca his will and mynde, and that vpon him alone the whole state of Boheme did depend, he sought priuy meanes to reconcile and get Zisca into his fauour, promising him the gouernaūce of the whole kingdom, the guidyng of all his hostes and armyes, and great yearely reuenues, if he would proclayme him kyng, and cause the Cities to be sworne vnto him. Vpon which conditions, whē as Zisca for the performaunce of the couenauntes went vnto the Emperour being on his iourney at the Castle of Priscouia, he was stricken with sickenesse and dyed.

MarginaliaThe death of Zisca.It is reported, that when he was demaunded beyng sicke, in what place he would be buryed, MarginaliaThe wordes of Zisca at hys death.he commaunded the skinne to be pulled of from his dead carkase, and the fleshe to bee cast vnto the foules and beastes, and that a drumme should be made of his skinne, whiche they should vse in their battailes, affirmyng that assoone as their enemyes should heare the sound of that drumme, they would not abyde, but take their flight. The Thaborites despising all other Images, yet set vp the Picture of Zisca ouer the gates of the Citie.

MarginaliaThe epitaphe of Zisca.I Iohn Zisca not inferiour to any Emperour or Captaine in warlyke policie, a seuere punisher of the pride and auarice of the Clergy, & a defender of my countrey, do lye here. That which Appius Claudius by geuyng good coūcell, and M. Furius Camillus by valiantnes dyd for the Romaines: the same I beyng blind, haue done for my Bohemians. I neuer slacked oportunitie of battaile, neither did fortune at any tyme fayle me. I beyng blynd did foresee all oportunitie of well orderyng or doyng my businesse. MarginaliaZisca eleuen times victour in the fielde.Eleuen tymes in ioyning battaile, I went victour out of the field. I seemed to haue worthely defended the cause of the miserable and hungry agaynst the delicate, fatte, and glotonous Priestes, and for that cause to haue receiued helpe at the hand of God. If their enuy had not let it without doubt I had deserued to be numbred amōgest the most famous mē. Notwithstādyng my bones lye here in this halowed place, euen in despite of the Pope.

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¶ Iohn Zisca a Bohemian, enemy to all wicked and couetout Priestes, but with a godly zeale.

And thus haue you the actes and doynges of this worthy Zisca, and other Bohemians, which for the more credite we haue drawen out of Æneas Syluius, onely his ralyng termes excepted, which we haue here suppressed.

All this whyle the Emperour, with the whole power of þ^e Germines, were not so busie on þ^e one side, but Martin the Pope was as much occupyed on the other side: who about the same tyme directed down a terrible Bull, full of all poyson to all byshops and Archbyshops, agaynst all such as tooke any part or side with Wickleffe, Iohn Hus, Hierom, or with their doctrine & opinions. The copy of which Bull, which I found in an old written monument, I wish the reader throughly to peruse, wherin he shall see the Pope to poure out at once all his poyson.

MarginaliaPope Martins bloudy bull, to all byshops and Archbishops.MArtine Bishop, the seruaunt of Gods seruauntes, to our reuerend brethren the Archbishoppes of Salzeburgen. Guezuen. and Pragē. and to the bishops of Olumcen. Luthomusten. Bambergen. Misnen. Patauien. Vratislauien. Ratisponen. Cratouien. Poznamen, and Nitrien. and also to our beloued children the Inquisitours appoynted of the Prelates aboue recited, or where els so euer, vnto whome these present letters shall come, greetyng and Apostolicall benediction. Amongest all other pastorall cares, wherewith we are oppressed, this chiefly and specially doth inforce vs, that heretikes with theyr false doctrine and errours, beyng vtterly expulsed from amongest the company of Christen mē, and rooted out (so farre forth as God wyll make vs able to do) the right and Catholike fayth may remayne sound and vndefiled: and that all Christian people, immoueable and inuiolate, may stand and abyde in the sinceritie of the same fayth, the whole vayle of obscuritie beyng remoued. But lately, in diuers places of the world, but especially in Bohemia and the Dukedome of Morauia, and in the straightes adioynyng therunto, certayne Archheretickes haue rysen and sprong vp, not agaynst one only but agaynst dyuers and sundry documentes of the Catholike fayth, being landlopers, schismatickes, and sedicious persons, fraught with diuelish pride and Woluish madnes, deceiued by the subtilty of Sathan, and from one euill vanity brought to a worse. MarginaliaAll these errours and heresies be, for that they speake agaynst the pride of prelates and their excessiue dignities.Who although they rose vp and sprang in diuers partes of þ^e world, yet agreed they all in one, hauyng their tayles as it wer knit together: to wit, Iohn Wicklieffe of England, Iohn Hus of Bohemia, and Hierome of Prage of damnable memory, who drew with them no small number to miserable ruine and infidelitie. For when as those and such like pestiferous persons did in the beginnyng of their poysoned doctrine, obstinatly sow and spred abroad peruerse and false opinions, the prelates who had the regimient and execution of the iudiciall power, lyke dumme dogs not able to barke, neither yet reuengyng spedely with the Apostle, all such disobediēce, nor regarding corporally to cast out of the lordes house (as they were enioyned by the Canons) those subtill and pestilent Archheretickes and their woluish fury and cruelty with all expedition, but sufferyng their false and pernicious doctrine negligently, by theyr ouer long delayes, to growe and waxe strong: a great multitude of people in stead of true doctrine receyued those thinges, which they did long falsly, perniciously, and damnably sow among them, and geuing credite vnto them, fell from the right fayth, and are intangled (the more pity) in the foule errors of Paganisme. MarginaliaAll be Pagans with the pope that like not his superstitious and idolatrous traditions.Insomuch, that those Archheretickes and such as spring of them, haue infected the Catholique flocke of Christ in dyuers climates of the world and partes bordering vpon the same, and haue caused them to putrifie in the filthye dunghyll of their lyes. Wherefore the generall Synode of Constaunce, was compelled with Sainct Augustine to exclaime agaynst so great and ruinous a plague of faythfull men, and of the sounde and true fayth it selfe, saying: what shall the soueraigne medicine of the churche doe, wyth motherly loue seekyng the health of her sheepe, chasyng as it were, amongest a companye of men franticke, and hauyng the disease of the Lethargie? MarginaliaA great differēce betwene a louing mother & the frantike whore of Babilō.What? shall she desist and leaue of her good purpose? No not so. But rather let her, if there be no remedye, be sharpe to both these sortes, whiche are the greuous enemies of her wombe. For the Phisition is sharpe vnto the man bestraught and ragyng in hys frensie, and yet is he a father to hys owne rude and vnmanerly sonne, in bynding the one, in beating the other, by shewyng therein hys great loue vnto them both. But if they be negligent, and suffer them to perishe (sayth Augustine:) this mansuetude is rather to be supposed false cruelty.

And therefore the foresayd Synode, to the glory of almighty God, and preseruation of hys cacholike fayth, and augmentyng of Christian religion, and for the saluation of mens soules: hath corporally reiected and cast forth of the housholde of God, the foresayd I. Wicklieffe, I. Hus, and Ierome: who amongest other thynges, did beleue, preach, teach, and mayntaine of the Sacrament of the aultar, and other Sacramentes of the church & articles of the faith, cōtrary to that the holy church of Rome beleueth, holdeth, preacheth, and teacheth, & haue presumed obstinately to preach, teach, hold and beleue many other moe to the damnation of themselues and of others: and the sayde Synode hath