dementes, of the loue and knowledge of God, of Matrimony, of Penaunce, of the three enemies of mankinde, of the prayer of our Lord, and of the Supper of our Lord.

The same day Pope Iohn the 23, chaūged his apparell & conueyed himselfe secretly out of Constance,MarginaliaPope Iohn fled out of Cōstance fearing the iudgemēt by the which afterward he was depriued of his Papall dignitie, by meanes of most execrable & abhominable forfaites and doynges. This was the cause that Iohn Hus was trāsported and caried vnto an other prison: for the Popes seruauntes which had the charge and keeping of Iohn Hus, vnderstanding that their Maister was fled & gone, deliuered vp the keyes of the prison vnto the Emperour Sigismund, and to the Cardinals, and followed their Maister the Pope. Then by the whole cōsent of the Councell, the sayd Iohn Hus was put into the handes of the Byshop of Constance, who sent him to a Castle on the other side of the Riuer of Rhine, not very farre from Cōstance, whereas he was shut vp in a Tower, with fetters on his legges, that he could scarse walke in the day tyme, and at night hee was fastened vp to a racke agaynst the wall hard by his bed.

In the meane season certaine noble men and Gentlemen of Pole & Boheme, MarginaliaNoble men of Boheme labour for Iohn Hus.did al their indeuour to purchase his deliueraunce, hauing respect to the good renowne of all the Realme, the which was wonderfully defamed and slaundered by certaine naughty persons. The matter was growne vnto this pointe, that all they which were in the towne of Constance, that seemed to beare any fauour vnto I. Hus, were made as mockyng stocks, and derided of all men, yea euen of the slaues and base people. Wherfore they tooke counsell and cōcluded together to present their request in writing vnto the whole Coūcell, or at the least vnto the foure nations of Almaine, Italie, Fraunce, and England: this request was presented the 14. day of May. an. 1415. The tenour here ensueth.

MOst reuerēd Fathers and Lordes. The Nobles and Lordes of Boheme and Pole here present, by this their present writynges doe shew and declare vnto your Fatherly reuerences how that the most noble Kyng and Lord, the Lord Sigismund kyng of Romaines, alwayes Augustus kyng of Hungary, Croatia, Dalmatia, &c. hearyng of the great dissention that was in the kyngdome of Boheme as heyre, Kyng and Lord successour, willyng & mynding to foresee and prouide for his owne honour, he sent these Noble men Maister Wenceslate de Duba and Iohn de Clum here present, that they would bryng and assure Maister Iohn Hus vnder the kyng his name and safe conduct.MarginaliaThe safe cōduct of the Emperor chalenged. So that he would come to the sacred generall Councell of Constance, vnder the safe conduct of the sayd kyng, and the protection of the sacred Empire, openly geuen and graunted vnto the sayd Maister Iohn Hus, that hee might purge himselfe and the kyngdome of Boheme from the slaunder that was raysed vpon them, and there to make an open declaration of his Fayth to euery man that would lay any thyng to his charge. The which the sayd Nobles with the forenamed Maister Iohn Hus haue performed and done, accordyng to the kynges commaundement.

When as the sayd Maister Iohn Hus was freely of his owne accorde come vnto Constance, vnder the sayd safe conduct, & greuously imprisoned before he was heard, and at this present is tormented both with fetters and also with hunger and thirst. Albeit that in tymes past at the Councell holden at Paysan. 1410. yeare of our Lord, the heretickes whiche were condemned, were suffered to remayne there at libertie, and to depart home freely: Notwithstandyng this Maister Iohn Husse, neither beyng conuicted nor condemned, no not so much as once heard, is taken and imprisoned, when as neither any kyng or any Prince Elector, either any Embassadour of any Vniuersitie was yet come or present. And albeit the Lord the Kyng, together with the Nobles and Lordes here present most instantly required and desired, that as touchyng his safe conduct they would foresee and haue respect vnto his honour. And that the sayd Maister Iohn Hus might be openly heard, for so much as he would render and shew a reason of his fayth, and if he were found or conuicted obstinately to affirme or maintayne any thyng agaynst the truth or holy Scripture, that then he ought to correct and amend the same, according to the instruction and determination of the Councell: yet could hee neuer obtayne this.But the sayd Maister Iohn Husse, notwithstandyng all this, MarginaliaThe extremities Iohn Hus suffered in prisonis most greuously oppressed with fetters and yrons, and so weakened with thinne and slender diete, that it is to be feared least that his power and strength beyng hereby consumed and wasted, hee should be put in daunger of his witte or reason.

And although the Lordes of Boheme here present are greatly slaundered, because they seyng the sayd Maister Iohn Hus, so to be tormēted and troubled contrary to the kyngs safe conduct, haue not by their letters put the kyng in mynde of his sayd safe conduct, that the sayd Lord and kyng should not any more suffer any such matters, for so much as they tend to the contempt and disregard of the kingdome of Boheme, which frō the first originall and begynnyng, since it receaued the Catholicke fayth, it neuer departed or went away frō the obedience of þ^e holy Church of Rome: yet notwithstandyng they haue suffered & borne all these thynges patiently hetherto, least by any meanes occasion of trouble or vexation of the sacred Councell might arise or spryng therof.

Wherfore most reuerend fathers & Lordes: The Nobles and Lordes before named do wholy & most earnestly desire & require your reuerences here present, that both for the honour of the safe conduct of our sayd Lord the kyng, & also for the preseruation and encrease of the worthy fame and renowme both of the foresayd kyngdome of Boheme, & your own also, that you will make a short end about the affayres of M. Iohn Hus: for so much as by the meanes of his straite handling he is in great daunger by any lōger delay, euē as they do most specially trust vpō the most vpright consciences & iudgementes of your fatherly reuerēces. But forasmuch as most reuerēd fathers and Lordes, it is now come to the knowledge and vnderstāding of the Nobles & Lordes of Boheme hcre present, how that certaine backbiters and slaūderers of the most famous kingdom of Boheme aforesayd, haue declared & told vnto your reuerences how that the Sacrament of the most precious bloud of our Lord is caried vp & downe through Boheme in vessels not cōsecrated or halowed, and that Coblers do now heare confessions & minister the most blessed body of our Lord vnto others: MarginaliaThe confutation of certain slanders.The Nobles therfore of Boheme here present require and desire you that you will geue no credit vnto false promoters & tale tellers, for that as most wicked and naughty slaunderers & backbiters of þ^e kingdome aforesaid, they do report & tel vntruthes: requiring also your reuerences, that such slanderous persons of the kingdome aforesaid, may be named & knowne. And þ^e lord the king together with your reuerēces, shal well perceiue and see that the Lordes of Boheme will go about iu such maner to refell and put away the false & friuolous slaunders of those naughty persons, that they shall be ashamed to appeare hereafter before the lord the kyng and your reuerences.

As soone as this their supplication was red, þ^e byshop of LuthonisMarginaliaThe Byshop of Luthonis. rising vp said. Most reuerend fathers I well perceiue and vnderstand that the last part of this writing doth touch me, my familiars & frends, as though þ^e kingdom of Boheme were slaundered by vs. wherfore I desire to haue time & space of deliberation that I may purge my selfe from this crime that is laid against me. The principal of the counsel appointed him þ^e 17. day of May, at þ^e which day the lords of Boheme should be present again, to heare both the aunswer of the councell, and also the excuse of the bishop of Luthonis, þ^e which thing in dede was afterward performed: for the 17. day of May, Which was the 4. day before the Whitsontide they met there againe, where first of all a certaine bishop in þ^e name of the whole councel answered by worde to the nobles of Boheme, the contentes of whose aunswer may easely be known by the secōd supplication, which the Bohemiams put vp to þ^e councel. But first I haue here in these few wordes following, shewed how the bishop Luthonis defended himselfe agaynst that which is before written.

MarginaliaThe answer and accusation of the Bish. of Luthonis against Iohn Hus. MOst reuerend fathers and nobles Lordes, as Peter de Mladoneywitz bacheler of Arte: in þ^e name of certain of the nobles of þ^e kingdome of Boheme in his writings, amongest other thyngs did propounde how that certaine slaunderers and backebiters of the sayd kyngdome haue brought to the eares of your reuerēces, that the most precious bloud of Christ is caried vp and downe in Boheme in bottels, & that Coblers do heare confessions, and mini-