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Heide [Heida; Heyda]

Dithmarschen, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Coordinates: 54° 11' 46" N, 9° 5' 36" E

the quiete appeasing of all such tumultes and rumours, rising and springing in the sayde kingdome of Boheme, or else where: the auoiding of which most perillous vprours, the saide king of Romaines doth greatly desire and wish, as the right heire and successour of the sayd kingdome.

Whereuppon the Barons and Nobles aforesayde, most humbly desire and require, the premisses being considered, and respect had vnto the great infamie and slaunder which may happen by the premisses vnto the sayde kingdome and inhabitants thereof, that you will put to your handes, and take some order & meane, that maister Iohn Hus may be distinctly hearde by some famous men, deuines already deputed, to otherwise to be appoynted vpon all and singulare such articles as shall be laide vnto him to declare his owne minde and intent, and also the minde of the doctours alleadged for his purpose, with the manifolde distinctions and equiuocations: in the which the drawers out of the most part of his articles haue also made equiuocations, that so according vnto the disposition of witnesses, of the which a great number of them are and haue a long time bene his mortall ennemies, that at the friuolous instigation of his enemies, when hee was miserably deteined prisoner, that he should not be condemned vnheard. For so muche as by the sayde declarations your fatherly reuerences might be the more better informed of the trueth, hee hymselfe is ready alwaies to submit himselfe vnder the determination of thys most sacred councell. MarginaliaThe councell euil informed against Iohn Hus.For your reuerences, by the craftie and fained perswasions of his ennemies, are thus informed, that M Iohn Hus hath bene vncurably obstinate by a long time in most perillous articles, the which your reuerences may nowe plainely perceiue to be vntrue, and for the more euidence heerein to be shewed, there is presented vnto your reuerences an instrumente of publike recognition of the moste reuerend father in Christe, the Lorde Nicholas Bishop of Nazareth and Inquisitour of heresies, specially appoynted by the Apostolike sea in the dioces of Prage, the which by your reuerences is more diligently to be hearkened vnto.

Wherefore it may please your fatherly reuerences to commaund the sayd M Iohn Hus MarginaliaThe nobles required that Iohn Hus not beng conuicte nor cōdemned, shoulde be deliuered out of prison.neither conuicted nor condemned, to be taken and brought out of his bondes and chaines,MarginaliaA petition for M. Iohn Husses deliuerance out of prison. in the which he is nowe most greeuously deteined and kept, and to put him into the hands of some reuerend Lordes, Byshops, or commissioners appoynted or to be appoynted by this present councell. That the sayd M. Iohn Husse may somewhat be releued and recouer againe his health, and be the more diligently and commodiouslye examined by the Commissioners: and for the more assurance, the Barons and Nobles aforesayd of the kingdome of Boheme, will prouide most sure and good sureties, the which wil not breake their fidelity and faith for any thing in the worlde. Which also shall promise in his behalfe, that hee shall not flee or departe out of their handes, vntill suche time as the matter be fully determined by the sayd Commissioners. In the execution of the which promises wee haue determined to prouide and foresee vnto the fame and honour of the said kingdome of Boheme, and also to the safeconducte of the moste worthy Prince, the king of Romaines, least that the enemies and detractours of the honoure and fame of the kingdome aforesayd, might not a little slander and reproue the said Lordes, pretending and shewing forth hereafter, that they had made vnreasonable or vnlawfull requests: for the withstāding of which mischiefe, we require your fatherly reuerences, that you will decree, & most graciously consent that this our petition and supplication may be drawen out againe by your Notarie, and reduced into a publicke forme and order.

After this supplication was read before the deputies of the 4. nations, the Patriarche of Antioch answered in the name of them all vnto euery article of the sayd supplication, but it was done in few wordes.

MarginaliaThe answer of the councell to the supplication.First, as touching the protestation of Iohn Hus, whether it be true or false, it shalbe made euident in the processe of his cause. Moreouer, wheras they say that the aduersaries of Iohn Hus hath peruersly drawen certaine thinges out of his bookes, that also the matter it selfe shall declare in the end. Where as if it shalbe found & decreed that Iohn Hus is vniustly & vntruly accused, that thē it shal come to passe, þ^t his aduersaries shall incurre perpetuall ignominy and slaunder. MarginaliaI. Hus in no case must be baled.But as touching sureties, albeit there might be a thousand put in or boūd, yet can it not by any meanes be, that the deputies of the Councell with a safe conscience may receiue or take them in this mans cause, vnto whome there is no faith or credite to be geuē.MarginaliaNo credite to be kept with an heretique. Howbeit thus much they wil do, vpon the 5. day of Iune next, Iohn Hus shall be brought againe vnto Constance, and there haue free libertie to speake his minde before the Councell, & that they wold louingly and gently heare him: but the matter in the ende fell out farre contrary to thys promise.

The same day the saide Barons and Lordes presented a supplication of thys tenour vnto the Emperor: MarginaliaSupplication to the Emperour Sigismund.Vnto the most highe and mighty Prince, the Lorde Sigismund king of theRomaines, alwaies Augustus king of Hungarie, Croatia, and Dalmatia, our most gracious Lord faithful & true seruice in al things, and at all times. Most noble Prince and gracious Lord, we signifie vnto your worthinesse, that we all together with one minde, consent and accord haue deliuered vp vnto the reuerend fathers and Lordes, the deputes of the 4. nations, and to the whole sacred Councel of Constance, this our supplication here vnder wrytten. as reasonable, iust, and worthy of consideration, the tenour wherof here followeth word by word, and is this.

¶ The copie of the supplication, which was presented vnto the deputies of the councel, is before written, whereunto this which followeth was annexed.

MarginaliaThe Barons supplication to the king for I. Hus.WHerefore we most humbly require and desire your princely maiestie, that both for the loue of iustice, and also of the fame and renowme of that moste famous kingdome of Boheme, whereof wee acknowledge you vndoubtedly the true Lorde and heire successour, and also foreseeing vnto the liberty of your safeconduct, that you wil with your fauourable countenance, beholding these most reasonable and iust supplications, which we haue put vp to the Lordes aforesayd, put to your helping hand toward the sayd most reuerend fathers and Lordes, that they will effectually heare vs, in this our most iust petition, which we haue offered vp to them, as is aforesaide: least that the enemie of the renowme and honour of the famous kingdome of Boheme, and such as oure slaunderers also hereafter may detracte and sclaunder vs, that wee should make vnreasonable and vnlawfull requests vnto the sayde reuerend fathers and Lordes, and therefore we required and desired of them that it would please them to decre by setting to their publicke hand & seale to authorise our said supplication. Likewise we do most hartily require your highnes, that you would vouchsafe in like maner to geue vs your testimonie of the premises.

But what answere the Emperor made heereunto, we could neuer vnderstand or know, but by the processe of the matter a man may easily iudge, that thys good Emperour was brought and lead euen vnto thys poynt, through the obstinate mischiefe of the cardinals and bishops, MarginaliaThe king forced by the importunity of the Cardinals to breake promise.to breake and falsify his promise and faith, whych hee had made and promised, and this was their reason, whereby he was driuen thereunto: that no defence coulde or might be geuen either by safe conducte, or by any other meane vnto hym, whych was suspected or iudged to be an hereticke. But by the Epistles and letters of Iohn Hus, a man may easily iudge: what the kings minde was. Now we will procede in the historie.

MarginaliaThe mischieuous counsell of the popish band.The 5. day of Iune, the Cardinals, Byshops, and the rest of the priests, al that were almost in Constance, assembled to a great number, at the Conuent of the Franciscanes in Constance, and there it was commaunded, that before Iohn Hus shoulde be brought footh, in hys absence they should rehearse the witnesses and articles, which they had slaunderously gathered out of his bookes: the whych articles with Iohn Husses answer we will hereafter repeate. By chance there was then present a certaine Notary, named Peter Mladoniewitz, the whych bare great loue and amity vnto the said Hus, who assoone as he perceiued that the Bishops and cardinals were already determined and appoynted to condemne the sayde articles in the absence of Iohn Hus, hee went withall speede vnto maister Wencelate de Duba, and Iohn of Clum, & tolde them al the matter: who incontinent made report therof to the Emperour. Who vnderstanding their intent, sent Lewes the Countie Palantine of Heydelberge, and the Lord Frederick, Burgraue of Nuremberge, to signify vnto them, whych ruled the councel, that nothing should be resolued or done in the case of Iohn Hus, before that it wer first heard with equity: and that they should send him all such articles as were laid against the sayd Hus, which were either false or hereticall, & he would do so much, that the said articles shoulde be examined by good and learned men. MarginaliaThe craftie coūsaile of the papistes stopped by the Emperour.Then according to the Emperors will, the iudgement of the principals of the Councell was suspended, vntill suche time as Iohn Hus were present.

In the meane season these gentlemen, master of Dube and of Clum, did geue vnto the two Princes whych the Emperor had sent, certaine smal treatises which the sayde Hus had made, out of þ^e which they had drawn certain articles to present vnto them which ruled the councel, vnder this condition, that they would render them againe, when they should demand them. The intent & meaning of these Barons was, þ^t by thys meanes the aduersaries of Iohn Hus might þ^e more easily be reproued, þ^e which of a naughty and corrupt conscience, had picked out corrupt sentēces out of the said bookes of Iohn Hus. The bookes were deliuered vnto the Cardinals and Byshops, and that done,