religion he would be bound to do that which the Councell of Basill should determine.

MarginaliaThe Councell of Basill.Then was there an Ambassade sent out of Boheme vnto Basell, where as Sigismund held the coūcell, who duryng the tyme of warres, had kept himself 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 contained howe that he was a Bohemian borne, & how he was not more affectioned to any natiō, then to his owne, & that he went to Rome for none other cause, but to be crowned: the which his honour should also be a renowne to the Bohemians, whom to aduannce it hath bene alwayes hys speciall care.

Also how that through his endeuour the Councell was begō at Basell, exhorting all such as were desirous to be heard as touchyng religiō, that they should come thether, & that they would not mainteine any quarell contrary to the holy mother church: that the Councell would louingly and gentilly heare their reasons: that they should onely endeuour themselues to agree with the Synode as touchyng Religion, and reserue & keepe a quiet and peasable kyngdome for him, agaynst his returne: Neither should the Bohemians thinke to refuse his regiment, whose brother, father, and vncle, had reigned ouer them, and that hee would reigne ouer them after no other meane or sorte, then other Christian kynges vsed to do.

MarginaliaThe Bohemians sent for, by the councell.The Coūcell of Basell also wrote their letter to the Bohemians, that they should send their Ambassadours which 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 among the Bohemians, whether to go to the councell of Basill, or no.The Bohemians in this point were of ij. opinions, for the Protestants & almost all the cōmon people, sayd, it was not good to go, alledgyng the exāples of Iohn Hus & Hierome of Prage, which goyng vnto Constance vnder the safeconduict of the Emperour, were there openly burned. But the Nobilitie folowyng the mynde of Maynardus,MarginaliaThis Maynardus was after a great backe frende to the faythfull Bohemians.prince of the new house, sayd that they ought to go vnto the Councell, & that they are not to be suffered which had inuented those new & strāge opiniōs of faith, & new kind of religion, except they would render accompt of their doynges & sayinges before the vniuersall Church, & defend those thynges, which they had openly taught, before learned men. This opiniō tooke place, Marginalia300 horsemen of the Bohemians sent ambass to the Councell.and an Ambassade of. 300. horse was sent vnto Basill. The chief wherof were Williā Cosca a valiaunt knight & Procopius surnamed Magnus, a man of worthy fame for his manifold victories, Ioh. Rochezana preacher of Prage, Nicholas Galecus, Minister of the Thaborites, & one Peter an Englishman,MarginaliaThis English man was Peter Paine.of excellent prōpt and pregnant wit. MarginaliaThe receauing of the Bohemians at Basill.The people came in great nūber out of the town, & many out of the Synode & Councell, attendyng before the gates to see þ^e comming of this valiaunt & famous people: other some gathered together in great nūber into the streetes where as they shoulde passe through. The matrones, maydes & children, filled the windowes & houses to behold & see, and to maruaile at their straunge kynde of apparell, and stoute couragious countenaunces, saying that it was not vntrue which was reported of them: MarginaliaProcopius famous among the Germaynes.notwithstandyng all men beheld Procopius, saying, this is he which hath ouerthrowen the Papistes in so many battailes, which hath subuerted so many townes, & slayne so many men, whom both his enemyes and also hys owne souldiours, do feare and reuerence: also, that he was a bold, valiaunt and inuincible Captaine, which could not be ouercome with no terrour, labour or trauaile.

These Bohemian Ambassadours were gently receiued. The next day after, Cardinall Iulianus sendyng for thē vnto the Coūcell house, made a gentle, long, & eloquent Oratiō vnto them, MarginaliaThe oration of cardinall Iuliā.exhortyng them to vnitie and peace, saying, that the Church was the spouse of our Sauiour Christ, & the mother of all faythfull, that it hath the keyes of byndyng and losing, and also that it is white and fayre, without spot or wrincle, & can not erre in those pointes which are necessary to saluation, & that he which doth contēne the same Church. is to be coūted as a Prophane, Ethnike, & Publicane, neither can this Church be represented better by any meanes, then in this Coūcell. He exhorted them also to receiue the decrees of the Councell, & to geue no lesse credit vnto the Coūcell then vnto the Gospell, by whose authority, the Scriptures themselues are receiued & allowed. Also that the Bohemiās which call themselues, the children of the Church, ought to heare the voyce of their mother, whiche is neuer vnmyndfull of her children: how that now of late they haue lyued apart frō their mother, albeit (sayd he) that is no new or straūge thyng, for there haue bene many in tymes past, which haue forsaken their mother, & yet seeking after saluation haue returned to her agayne. That in the tyme of Noes floud, as many as were without the Arke perished. That the Lordes Passeouer was to be eaten in one house. That there is no saluation to be sought for out of the Church, & that this is the garden and famous Fountaine of water, wherof whosoeuer shall drinke, shall not thirst euerlastyngly. That the Bohemians haue done as they ought, in that they haue sought the fountaines of this water at the Coūcell, & haue determined now at lēgth to geue eare vnto their mother. Now all hatred ought to cease, all armour & weapon is to be layd apart, and all occasion of warre vtterly to be reiected: For the fathers would louingly and gētly heare whatsoeuer they would say in their owne cause or quarel, requiryng onely that they would willyngly receaue and embrace the good counsels and determinations of the sacred Synode: whereunto not onely the Bohemians, but also all other faythfull Christians, ought to consent and agree, if they will be partakers of eternall lyfe.

MarginaliaThe Bohemians aunswere to the Cardinals oration.This Oration of the Cardinall, was heard and very well allowed of the fathers. Wherunto the Bohemiās aunswered in few wordes, that they neither had contemned the Church nor the Councels: that the sentence geuen at Constance agaynst those which were vnheard, doth diminish nothyng of the Christian Religion: that the authoritie of the fathers hath alwayes remained amōgest them inuiolate, & whatsoeuer thyng the Bohemians had taught, to be confirmed by the Scriptures and Gospell, and that they are now come to manifest their innocencie before the whole Church, and to require open audience, where as the layty may also be present. The request was graunted thē: & beyng further demaunded in what pointes they did disagree from the Church of Rome, they propounded foure Articles.

MarginaliaThe articles wherein the Bohemians dissented from the church of Rome.First, they affirmed, that all such as would be saued, ought of necessity to receiue the Cōmunion of the last Supper vnder both kyndes of bread and wyne.

The second Article, they affirmed all ciuill rule and dominion to be forbidden vnto the Clergy by the law of God.

The third Article, that the preachyng of the word of God is free for all men, and in all places.

The fourth Article, as touchyng open crimes and offences which are in no wise to be suffered for the auoydyng of greater euill.

These wer the onely propositions which they propounded before the Councell in the name of the whole Realme. Then an other Ambassadour affirmed that he had heard of the Bohemians diuers & sundry thynges offensiue to Christian eares, amongest the which this was one poynt, that they should preach that the inuentiō of the order of beggyng friers was diabolicall.

Then Procopius rising vp, sayd, neither is it vntrue: for if neither Moyses, neither before him the Patriarkes, neither after him the Prophetes, neither in the new law Christ and hys Apostles dyd institute the order of beggyng friers, who doth doubt but that it was an inuentiō of the deuill, and a worke of darkenes?

This aunswere of Procopius was derided of them all: And Cardinall Iulianus went about to proue that not onely the decrees of the Patriarkes and Prophetes, and those thynges which Christ and his Apostles had instituted to be onely of God, but also all such decrees as the Churche should ordaine, beyng guided through the holy ghost, be the workes of God. Albeit as he sayde, the order of beggyng friers, might seme to be taken out of some part of the Gospell. MarginaliaCertaine appointed by the Bohemians & the councell to dispute.The Bohemians chose out iiij. Diuines which should declare their Articles to be taken out of the Scriptures. Likewise on the contrary part there was foure appointed by the councell. This disputation continued fifty dayes, where many thynges were alledged on either part, wherof, as place shall serue, more hereafter (by the grace of Christ) shall be sayd, when we come to the tyme of that Councell.

In the meane season while the Bohemians were thus in long conflictes with Sigismund the Emperour and the pope, fighting for their religion, vnto whō notwithstandyng all the fulnes of the popes power was bent agaynst thē, god of his goodnes had geuen such noble victories, as is aboue expressed, and euer dyd prosper them so long as they coulde agree among themselues: as these thynges (I say) were doyng in Boheme: MarginaliaThe death of K. Henry .5. called prince of priestes for fauouring the pope.Kyng Henry the v. fightyng likewise in Fraunce, albeit for no like matters of Religion, fell sicke at Bois, and dyed after he had raigned ix. yeares v. monethes, iij. weekes & odde dayes from his coronation. This kyng in his lyfe & in all his doynges was so deuout & seruiceable to the Pope & his chapleins, that he was called of many, the Prince of Priestes: who left behynd him a sonne beyng yet an infant, ix. monthes and xv. dayes of age, whom he had by Queene Katherine daughter to the French kyng, maryed to him about two or thre yeares before. The name of which Prince succeedyng after his father, was Henry vi. left vnder the gouernment and protection of his vncle named Humfrey Duke of Gloucester.