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Šternberk (Sternberg)

Olomouc, Czech Republic

Seat of the historic county of Sternberg

Coordinates: 49° 43' 38" N, 17° 17' 43" E

hart and mouth, that he the sayd Mayster Iohn Hus, was a iust, good and Catholicke man, and a long season worthely commended and allowed in our kingdome, for his life and conuersation. He also preached and taught vs and our subiectes the law of the Gospell, and of the holy Prophets, and the bookes of the olde and new Testament, according to the exposition of the holy Doctors approued by the church, & left many Monumēts in writing, most constantly detesting and abhorring all errors and heresy, continually admonishing both vs and all faithfull christians to do the like, diligently exhorting all men as muche as in him lay by hys words, writings and trauel, vnto quietnesse and concord: so that vsing all the diligence that we might, we neuer heard or coulde vnderstand, that Mayster Iohn Hus had preached, taught or by any meanes affirmed any error or heresy in his Sermons, or that by any maner of meanes he had offended vs or our subiectes, either by word or deede, MarginaliaAll that will liue godly in Christ. 2. Tim. 3.but that he alwayes led a quiet and a godly life in Christ, exhorting all men diligently, both by his word and workes, as much as he might, to obserue and keepe the law of the Gospel, and the institutiōs of the holy fathers, after the preaching of our holy mother the church, & to the edifying of mens soules. Neither did these premisses, which you had so perpetrated to the reproch both of vs and our kingdom and Marquesdom, suffice & content you, but that also without all mercy and piety, you haue apprehended, imprisoned, and condemned, and euen now peraduenture, like as you did Mayster Iohn Hus, you haue most cruelly murdered the worshipfull man, Mayster Ierome of Prage, a man abounding in eloquence, Mayster of the seuen liberall artes, and a famous Philosopher, not being seene, heard, examined, neither conuict:MarginaliaDefence of M. Hierome of Prage. but onely as the sinister and false accusation of hys and our accusers and betrayers.

Furthermore, it is come to our knowledge and vnderstanding (which we do not without great griefe rehearse) as we may also euidently gather by your writings, how that certayne detractours, odible both to God and men, priuy enuyers and betrayers, haue wickedly and greuously, albeit falsly and trayterously, accused vs, our kingdome, and Marquesdome aforsayde, before you in your councell, that in the sayde kingdome of Boheme and Marquescome of Morauia, diuers errors are sprong vp, which haue greuously and manifoldely infected both our hartes, and also the hartes of many faythfull men: in so much, that without a speedy stop or stay of correction, the sayd kingdome and Marquesdome together with the faythfull Christians therein, should incurre an irrecuperable losse and ruine of theyr soules.

These cruell and pernitious iniuries which are layd vnto vs, and to our sayd kingdome and Marquesdome, albeit most falsly & slaunderously, howe may we suffer? for so muche as through the grace of God (when in a maner all other kingdomes of the world haue oftentimes wauered, making SchismesMarginaliaHe meaneth the longe schisme spoken of before where three popes were striuing one against an other. and Antipapes) our most Christian kingdome of Boheme, and most noble Marquesdome of Morauia, since the time they did receiue the Catholicke fayth of our Lord Iesus Christ, as a most perfecte * Marginalia* A quadrant being foure square prouerbially signifieth a man that is constant and immutable.quadrant haue alwayes without reproofe stucke vnto the Church of Rome, and haue sincerely done theyr true obedience. Also with how greate costes and charges and great trauell, with what worship and due reuerence they haue reuerenced the holy mother the church and her pastors, by theyr princes and faythfull subiects, it is more manifest then the day light vnto the whole world: and your selues, if you will confesse the truth, can witnes the same also.

Wherfore that we, according to the mind of the Apostle,MarginaliaRom. 12. may procure honest and good thinges, not onely before God but before men also, and least by neglecting the famous renowne of the kingdom and Marquesdom, we be foūd cruel towards our neighbours: hauing a stedfast hope, a pure and sincere conscience and intent, and a certayne true fayth in Christ Iesu our Lord, by the tenour of these we signify and declare vnto your fatherhoods, & to all faythfull Christians, openly professing both with hart and mouth, that whatsoeuer man, of what estate, preheminence, dignity, condition, degree, or religion so euer he be, which hath sayd or affirmed, eyther doth say or affirme, that in the sayd kingdome of Boheme and Marquesdome of Morauia, heresyes haue sprong vp which haue infected vs and other faythfull Christians, as is aforesayd (the onely person of our most noble prince and Lord, Sigismund king of Romaynes and of Hungary. &c. our Lord and heire successor, being set apart, whom we trust and beleue, not to be guilty in the premisses) all and euery such man (as is aforesaid) doth lye fasly vpon his head, as a wicked and naughty traytour & betrayer of the sayd kingdome and Marquesdome, and most traiterous vnto vs, & most pernitious hereticke, the sonne of all malice and wickednesse, yea and of the deuill himselfe, who is a lyar and the father of all lyes.MarginaliaIohn 8. Deut. 38. Psal. 30.

Notwithstanding, we for this present committing the foresayd iniuryes vnto God, vnto whom vengeance perteyneth, who will also aboundantly reward workers of iniquity, will prosecute them more amply before him whom God shall appoynt in the Apostolicke sea, to gouerne his holy Churche as the onely and vndoubted Pastour. Vnto whom God willing, we exhibiting our due reuerence & obedience as faythfull children, in those thingswhich are lawfull, honest, and agreeable to reason and the law of God,MarginaliaThese noble men offered their obedience to the Pope, no further then was lawful, honest and agreeable to the reason and the lawe of God. wil make our request and petition, that speedy remedy may be prouided for vs, our sayde kingdome and Marquesdome, vpon the premises, according to the law of our Lord Iesus Christ, and the institutions of the holy fathers. MarginaliaMarke this and learne you noble men.The premisses notwithstanding we setting apart all feare and mens ordinances prouided to the contrary, will maynetayne and defend the law of our Lord Iesus Christ, and the deuout, humble and constant preachers thereof, euen to the shedding of our bloud.

Dated at Sternberg, in the yeare
of our Lord. 1415. vpon S. Wē-
ceslaus day, Martyr of our
Lord Iesu Christ.

Round about the sayd letters there were 54. Seales, hanging and their names subscribed, whose Seales they were. The names of which noble men, I thought it good here to annext with all, partly for the more credite of that hath bene sayd, partly also for examples sake, to the intent that our noble men and gentlemen in this our Realme of England, now liuing in this cleare light of the Gospell, may by their example vnderstand, that if they ioyne themselues with the Gospell of Iesus, zealouslye and as they should do, yet are they neither the first, nor the most that so haue done before them: if not, yet the trueth may here remayne in the story to theyr shame, or els to theyr instruction, seing so many noble and worthy gentlemen, within the small kingdome of Bohemia, to be so forward in those so darcke dayes and among so many enemyes 200. yeares agoe, to take part with Christ: And yet our Gentlemē here in such long cōtinuance of time, being so diligētly taught, are neyther in number nor in zeale to thē to be compared, but will still take part, contrary both to Christ, and to the example of these nobles whose names they may see & read here folowing.

After these things thus declared and discoursed cōcerning the history of Iohn Hus, and Hierome of Prage, the order of place and countrey next woulde require, consequently to infer and comprehend the great troubles & perturbations, which happened after & vpō the death of these men in the coūtry of Boheme: but the order of time calleth me backe, first to othermatters here of our owne country, which passed in þ^e meane time with vs in England. Which things being taken by the way and finished, we wil (christ