1583 Edition | Book 5 | Page 670 
CloseÚstí nad Labem, Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50° 20' 0" N, 13° 33' 0" E
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Coordinates: 49° 57' 51" N, 14° 4' 26" E
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Coordinates: 50° 27' 46" N, 13° 24' 40" E
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Coordinates: 49° 36' 21" N, 15° 34' 43" E
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Coordinates: 49° 57' 0" N, 15° 16' 0" E
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CloseCzech Republic
Coordinates: 49° 16' 60" N, 13° 37' 0" E
CloseLower Austria
Coordinates: 48° 45' 0" N, 15° 57' 0" E
CloseBohemia, Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49° 23' 0" N, 14° 41' 0" E
CloseBohemia, Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49° 24' 0" N, 14° 39' 0" E
CloseBohemia, Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49° 39' 0" N, 14° 39' 0" E
ClosePrague, Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50° 3' 50" N, 14° 25' 12" E
rough and vnknowne, his enimies were on horsebacke, and all his souldiours on foote, neither could there by any battaile fought, but on foote. Whereupon, when his enemies were alighted from their horses: MarginaliaThe policie of Zisca.Zisca commaunded the women which customably followed the host, the cast their kerchieffes vpon the ground, wherein the horsemen being entangled by their spurres, were slaine before they could vnlose their feete.
[Back to Top]After this, he went vnto Ausca, a towne situate vpon the Riuer Lusinitius, out of which towne Procopius and Vlricius, two brethren Papists, had castout many Protestants. This Towne Zisca tooke by force of armes the first night of Lent, rased it, and set it on fire. He also tooke the Castle of Litius, which was a mile off, whether as Vlricius was fled, and put Vlricius and all his familie to the sword, sauing one only.
[Back to Top]Then, forsomuch as he had no walled or fensed towne to inhabite, he chose out a certaine place vpon the same riuer, which was fensed by nature, about eight miles from the Citie of Ausca. MarginaliaThe citie of Thabor builded.This place he cōpassed in with walles, and commaunded euery man to build them houses, where they had pitched their tents, and named this City Thabor, and the inhabitants his companions Thaborites, bicause their Citie, by all like, was builded vpon the top of some hill or mount. This Citie, albeit that it was fensed with high rockes and cleaues, yet was it compassed with a wall and a vaumure, and the riuer Lusinitius fenseth a great part of the towne, the rest is compassed in wyth a great brooke, the which running straight into the riuer Lusinitius, is stopped by a great rocke, and driuen backe towards the right hand, all the length of the Citie, and at the further end it ioineth with the great riuer. The way vnto it by land is scarse thirtie foote broade, for it is almost an Iland. In this place there was a deepe ditch cast, and a triple wall made, of such thicknes, þt it could not be broken with any engine. The wall was full of towers & forts set in their cōuenient & meete places. Zisca was the firste that builded the Castle, and those that came after him, fortified it, euery man according to his owne deuise. At that time the Thaborites had no horsemen amongst them, vntill such time as Nicholas, maister of þe mint (whom the Emperour had sent into Bohemia with a M. horsemen to set things in order, & to withstand the Thaborites lodging all night in a village named Vogize) was surprised by Zisca comming vpon him sodenly in þe night, taking away all his horse and armour, & setting fire vpon the village. Then Zisca taught his souldiours to mount on horseback, to , to runne, to turne, to cast in a ring, so that after this he neuer led army without his wings of horsemen.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaSigismund getteth the castle of Prage.In this meane time Sigismundus the Emperour gathering together, þe nobles of Slesia, entred into Boheme, and went vnto Grecium, and frō thence with a great army vnto Cuthna, alluring Cencho with many great and large promises, to render vp þe Castle of Prage vnto him, and there placed himselfe to annoy the towne. Thus Cencho infamed with double treason, returned home. The Citizens of Prage sent for Zisca, who speding himselfe thether with the Thaborites, receiued the citie vnder his gouernance.MarginaliaZisca getteth the citie of Prage. In the Bohemiās host there was but only two Barons, Hilco Cruffina of Lituburge, and Hilco of Waldestene, with a few other nobles. All the residue were of þe common people. They went about first to subdue the Castell, which was by nature very strongly fensed, and could not be won by no other meanes then with famine: wherupon all þe passages were stopped, that no vittailes should be carried in. But the Emperour opened the passages by dint of sword, & when he had geuen vnto them which were besieged, all things necessary, hauing sente for ayde out of the Empire, he determined shortly after to besiege the Citie.MarginaliaPrage besieged of Sigismund. There was in the Emperours campe the Dukes of Saxon, the Marqueses of Brandenburge, and hys sonne in law Albert of Austrich. The Citie was assaulted by the space of vj. weekes. The Emperor Sigismūd was crowned in the Metropolitane house in the Castle, Conradus the Archbishop solemnising the ceremonies of the coronation. The city was straightly besieged. In the meane time the Captaines Rosenses & Chragery, which had takē the tentes of the Thaborites, being ouercome in battaile by Nicholas Husse, whome Zisca had sent with parte of hys power for that purpose, were driuen out of their tentes, and Gretium the Queenes Citie was also taken.
[Back to Top]There is also aboue the Towne of Prage a high hill, which is called Videchon. On this hill had Zisca strongly planted a garrison, that his enemies should not possesse it, MarginaliaThe Marques of Misnia ouercome in the skirmish.with whome the Marques of Misnia skirmishing, lost a great part of his souldiours. For when as the Misnians had gotten the top of the hill, being driuen back into a cor-ner, which was broken & steepe, and fiersly set vpon, whē as they could no longer withstād the violent force of their enimies, some of them were slaine, and some falling headlong from the hill, were destroied. MarginaliaSigismund the Emperour rayseth his siege.Whereupon the Emperour Sigismund raising his seege, departed vnto Cuthna and Zisca with his company departed vnto Thabor, and subdued many places: amōgst which he subuerted a town pertaining to the captaine of Visgrade. During this tyme the Castell of Visgrade was strongly besieged, whereas, when other vittailes wāted, they were compelled to eate horse flesh. Last of all, except the Emperour did aide them by a certaine daye, they promised to yeld it vp, but vnder this condition, that if the Emperour did come, they within the Castle should be no more molested.
[Back to Top]The Emperour was present before the day, but beeyng ignorant of the truce taken, entring into a straight vnderneath the Castle, was sodenly set vpon by the souldiours of Prage, where he had a great ouerthrow,MarginaliaThe Emperour fighting against Zisca, had the ouerthrow. and so leauing his purpose vnperformed, returned backe againe. There were slaine in that conflict xiiij. noble men of the Morauians, and of the Hungarians, & other a great number. The Castle was deliuered vp vnto them. Whilest these things were in doing, Zisca toke Boslaus a captaine, which was surnamed Cigneus, by force, in a very strōg towne of his, and brought him vnto his religion. Who a few yeares after, leading the protestants host in Austria, was wounded before Rhetium, and died. Ther were in the territorie of Pelsina many monasteries,MarginaliaThe Abbeis of Pelsina subuerted. of þe which Zisca subuerted and burned fiue. And forsomuch as þe monastery of Saint Clare was the strongest, there he pitched himselfe.
[Back to Top]Thether also came the Emperour with his army: MarginaliaZisca putteth the Emperour to flight.but when Zisca brought forth his power against him, he most cowardly fled, and not lōg after, he departed and left Boheme. Then Zisca went with his army vnto Pelzina: but forsomuch as hee sawe the Citie so fenced, that hee was in doubt of winning the same, he went from thence to Commitauia a famous Citie, the which he tooke by force, burning all the Priests therein.
[Back to Top]Afterward, when as he lay before the towne of Raby, and strongly besieged the same, he was stricken wyth a shaft in the eye, hauing but that one before to see withall.MarginaliaZisca loseth hys other eye in battel From thence, hee was carried to Prage to Phisicians, whereas he being cured of his wound, and his life saued, yet he lost his sight, and for all that, MarginaliaZisca, albeit he lost his eyes, yet would not forsake his army.he woulde not forsake his army, but still tooke the charge of them.
[Back to Top]After this, the garrisons of Prage went vnto Varona, where as there was a great garison of the Emperours, & tooke it by force, many being slaine of eyther parte. MarginaliaZisca taketh diuers townes.They also tooke the towne of Broda in Germany, and slue the garrison, and afterward tooke Cuthna and many other cities by composition. Further, when as they ledde theyr army vnto a town called Pons, which is inhabited by the Misnians, the Saxons meeting thē by the way, because they durst not ioine battaile, MarginaliaThe Saxons retyre.they returned backe. After all this, þe Emperour appointed the Princes electours a day, that at Bartilmewtide, they should with their armie inuade the Weast part of Boheme, and he with an host of Hungarians would enter on the East part.MarginaliaThe Emperour with his power entreth againe into Boheme. There came vnto his ayde the Archbishop of Mentz, the countie Pallatine of Rheine, the Dukes of Saxon, the Marques of Brandenburge, & many other Bishops out of Almaine: all the rest sente their aydes. They encamped before the towne of Sozius, a strong & well fenced place, which they could by no meanes subdue. The countrey was spoiled & wasted round about, and the siege continued vntill þe feast of S. Galle. Then it was broken vp because the Emperour was not come at his day appointed, but he hauyng gathered together a great army of the Hungarians, and West Morauians, about Christmas entred into Boheme, and tooke certaine townes by force, and Cuthna was yelded vnto him. But when Zisca (although he was blinde) came towardes him, and set vpon him, MarginaliaThe Emperour afrayde of Zisca, flyeth.he being afeard, & many of his nobles slaine, fled. But first he burned Cuthna, which the Thaborites, by meanes of the siluer mines, called the powch of Antichrist.MarginaliaThe powch of Antichrist. Zisca pursuing the Emperour a dayes iourney, got great & rich spoyle, and taking the towne of Broda by force,MarginaliaA noble victory of Zisca. set it on fire: the which afterward almost by the space of xiiij. yeares, remained disinhabited. The Emperour passed by a bridge ouer the riuer of Iglaria. And Piso a Florentine, which had brought xv. M. horsemen out of Hungary to these warres, passed ouer the Ise, the which by the multitude & number of his horsemen being broke, deuoured & destroied a great number. Zisca hauing obteined this victory, would not suffer any image or idoll to be in the Churches,MarginaliaZisca destroyeth images and idols in Churches. neither thought it to be borne withall, that Priests shoulde minister wyth copes or vestiments: for the which cause he was much the
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