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Brno (Brünn) [Brunna]

Moravia, Czech Republic

Coordinates: 49° 12' 0" N, 16° 37' 0" E

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Piešt'any (Piestany) [Piesta]

Slovakia

Coordinates: 48° 35' 3" N, 17° 50' 1" E

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Plzeň (Pilsen) [Pelzina; Pilsana]

Bohemia, Czech Republic

Coordinates: 49° 44' 51" N, 13° 22' 39" E

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Trocnov [Trosnouia]

Bohemia, Czech Republic

Coordinates: 48° 54' 0" N, 14° 36' 0" E

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Vyšehrad (Vysehrad) [Vissegrad]

Prague, Czech Republic

Coordinates: 50° 3' 50" N, 14° 25' 12" E

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Wroclaw (Breslau: Ger; Vratislav: Czech) [Vratislauia]

lower Silesia, Poland

Coordinates: 51° 7' 0" N, 17° 2' 0" E

MarginaliaThe pope on horsebacke, the Emperour on foote.As this Pageant thus with the great gyant proceeded, and came to the market place, there the Iewes (according to the maner) offered to him their lawe and ceremonies. Which the Pope receiuing, cast behind him saieng: Recedant vetera, noua sunt omnia. i. Let olde thinges passe, all things be made new, &c.MarginaliaWhy then doth the pope keepe still the olde Iewes ceremonies, if all thinges be made new. Ex hist. S. Alb. ex paralip. Vrsperg. This was an. 1417.MarginaliaAnno. 1417.

Thus the Pope being now cōfirmed in his kingdome, first beginneth to write his letters to the Bohemians, wherin partly he moueth them to Catholicke obedience, partly he dissembleth with them, faining, that if it were not for the Emperours request, he woulde enter processe against them. Thirdly and finally he threatneth to attempt the vttermost against them, and with all force to inuade them, as well with the Apostolicall, as also with the secular arme, if they did still persist, as they begon.

Albeit these new threates of the new Bishop, did nothing moue the constant harts of the Bohemians, whome the inward zeale of Christes word had before inflamed.

Although it had bene to be wished, such bloudshead and warres not to haue followed: yet to say the truth, how could these Rabines greatly blame them heerein, whome their bloudy tirannie had before prouoked so iniustly, if nowe with their glosing letters they could not so easely appease them againe.

Wherfore these foresaid Bohemians, partly for the loue of Iohn Hus and Hierome their countreymen, partly for the hatred of their malignant Papistry, assembling together, MarginaliaA yearely memoriall of Iohn Hus & Hierome kept among the Bohemians.first agreed to celebrate a solemne memoriall of the death of Iohn Husse and Hierome, decreeing the same to be holden & celebrate yearely. And afterward, by meanes of their frends, they obteined certaine Churches of the King, wherin they might freely preach and minister the Sacraments vnto the congregation. This done, they suppressed diuers monasteries, pharisaicall temples, and idolatrous phanes, beginning first with the great monasterie of the blacke Friers, eight miles from Prage, and driuing away the wicked and vicious Priests & Monkes out of them, or compelling them vnto a better order. And thus their number more and more encreasing vnder the conduict of a certaine noble man named Nicholas, they went againe vnto the King, requiring to haue more and ampler Churches graunted vnto them. The King seemed at the first willingly and gently to giue eare vnto the said Nicholas intreating for the people, and commaunded them to come againe the next day.

When the people were departed, the kyng turning himselfe to þ^e noble man Nicholas, which taried still behynde, said: MarginaliaK. Wenceslaus. threatneth Nicholas.Thou hast begun a webbe to put me out of my kingdome, but I will make a rope of it, wherewithall I will hang thee. Whereupon he immediatly departed out of the Kings presence, and the King himselfe went into the Castle of Vissegrad: within a while after, into a new Castle, which he himselfe had builded fiue stones cast frō thence, sending Ambassadours to his brother to require aide.

These Protestants beeing assembled in the Towne of Prage, holding their conuentions: the king sent forth his Chamberlaine with CCC. horsemē, to runne vpō them: but he hauing respect vnto his life, fled. Whē newes thereof was brought vnto þ^e king, all that were about him being amased, vtterly detested the fact: but the Kings cupbearer stāding by, said: I knew before that these thynges would thus come to passe. Whom þ^e king in a rage taking hold of, threw him downe before his feete, and with hys dagger would haue slaine him: but being letted by such as were about him, with much ado, he pardoned him his life. Immediatly the king being taken with a palsey, fell sicke, and within 18. daies after, whē he had marked the names of such, whom he had appointed to put to death, incessantly calling for aide of his brother, and other his frends, MarginaliaThe death of King Wencessaus.he departed this life before the Princes which he had sente vnto, were come with aide,MarginaliaThe maruelous worke of Gods iudgemēt to be noted, in defending his people. whē he had raigned 55. yeares, and was about the age of 57. yeares.

MarginaliaOut of Eneas Siluius.IMmediatly after the death of Wenceslaus, there was a certaine noble man named Zisca, borne at Trosnouia, which from his youth vpwarde, was brought vp in the kyngs court, and had lost one of eies in a battel, where as he had valiantly borne himselfe. This man beeing sore greeued for the death of I. Hus, and Hierome of Prage, minding to reuenge the iniuries which the Councell had done, greatly to the dishonour of þ^e kingdom of Boheme, vpon their complices and adherēts: he gathered together a number of mē of warre, and subuerted the Monasteries and idolatrous temples, pulling downe, and breaking inpeeces the images and idols, driuing away the Priestes and Monkes, which he saide were kept vp in their Cloysters, like swine in their styes to be fatted. After this, hys army beeing increased, hauing gathered together aboute fortie thousand men, hee attempted to take the Castle of Vissegrade, which was but slenderly warded. Frō thence the said Zisca vnder the conduict of Coranda, wente speedely vnto Pelzina, whereas he knew he had many frends of his faction, MarginaliaZischa getteth Pelzina.and tooke the towne into his power, fortifieng the same very strongly, and those which tarried behinde, tooke the Castle of Vissegrade.

MarginaliaThe queene sendeth for Sigismund the Empeerour.Then the Queene Sophia beeing very carefull, sente letters and messengers vnto the Emperour Sigismund, and other nobles adioining vnto her, requiring aide and helpe: but the Emperour made preparation against the Turke, which had then lately wonne certaine Castels of him. Whereupon the Queene seeing all ayde so farre off, together with Zenko Wartenberge, gathered an host with the kings treasure, and fortified the Castle of Prage, and the lesser Citie which ioineth vnto the Castle, making gates and Towers of wood vpon the bridge, ouer the Riuer Multane, to stoppe that the Protestants shoulde haue no passage that way. Then it hapned that at the Ile of S. Benedict, one Peter Steremberge fought an equall or indifferent battaile with them.

In the meane time the number of the Protestantes beeing increased in Prage, they fought for þ^e bridge. In which battaile many were slaine on both parts, but at the length the Hussites wanne the bridge, and the nearther part of lesser Prage, the Queenes part fleeing into the vpper parte thereof: whereas they turning againe fiersly, renued the battaile, and fought continually day and night by þ^e space of fiue daies. Many were slaine on both parts, goodly buildings were rased, and the councell house, which was in a low place, was vtterly defaced and burned.

During the time of this troublous estate, the Ambassadours of the Emperour Sigismund were come: whyche taking vpon them the rule and gouernāce of the Realme, MarginaliaThe Emperours Ambassadours agree with the citizēs of Prage.made a truce or league with the Citie of Prage vnder this condition, that the Castle of Vissegrad beeing rendred, it should be lawful for thē to send Ambassadours to þ^e Emperour Sigismund to intreat as touching their estate, and that Zisca should render Pelzina & Piesta, with the other forts which he had taken. These conditions thus agreed vpon and receiued, all the forreine Protestants departed out of the Citie, and the Senate of the Citie began to gouerne againe according to their accustomed manner, and all things were quieted. Howbeit, þ^e Papists which were gone out of þ^e Towne, durst not returne againe: but still looked for the Emperour, by whose presence they thought they should haue bene safe. But this their hope was frustrate by meanes of certaine letters which were sent from the Emperour, wherein it was written that he woulde shortly come and rule þ^e kingdome, euen after the same order and maner as his father Charles had done before him. Whereby the Protestants vnderstoode that their sect and Religion should be vtterly banished, which was not begon during the raigne of the sayd Charles.

About Christmasse, the Emperour Sigismund came to Brunna a Citie of Morauia, and there he pardoned the Citizens of Prage, vnder condition that they woulde let downe the chaines and barres of the City, and receiue his rulers and magistrates. Wherunto the whole city obeied, and the Magistrates thereof lifting vp their handes vnto heauen, reioiced at the comming of the new king. But the Emperour turned another way, and wēt vnto Vratislauia, the head city of Slesia, where as a little before, the cōmunalty of the City had slaine in an insurrection, the magistrates, which his brother Wēceslaus had set in authority: the principals wherof he beheaded. The newes wherof when they were reported at Prage, the Citizēs being feared by the example of the Vratislauians, distrusting their pardō, rebelled out of hand,MarginaliaThe citie of Prage fell from the Emperour. and hauing obteined Cencho on their part, which had the gouernaunce of the Castle of Prage, they sent letters into all the Realme, that no man should suffer þ^e Emperour to enter,MarginaliaThe complainte of the citie of Prage against Sigismund. which was an enemie vnto Boheme, and sought nothing else, but to destroy the kingdome: which also bound the aunciēt citie of the Prutenitants, vnto order by pledges, and put the Marques of Brandenburge from the Bohemian crowne: and had not onely suffered Iohn Hus & Hierome of Prage to be burned at þ^e Councel of Constance, but also procured the same, & with all his endeuour did impugne the doctrine & faith which they taught and folowed. Whilest these things wer thus done, Zisca hauing giuen ouer Pelzina by cōpositiō, was twise assaulted by his enemies, but through policy he was alwaies victor. The places where they fought, were