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Přibyslav [Priscouia]

Czech Republic

Coordinates: 49° 34' 0" N, 15° 44' 0" E

name was Iohn: he came vnto Prage, and got his liuing there by begging, and learned Grammer & Logick. When he came to mās state, he became þ^e Scholemaster of a noble mans child, and for so much as he was of an excellent wit and ready toung, he was receiued into the College of the poore, and last of all being made Priest, he began to preach the word of God to the Citizēs of Prage, and was named Iohannes de Rochezana, by the name of the Towne where he was borne. This mā grew to be of great name and authoritie in the towne of Prage. MarginaliaPeace betweene Zisca and Prage by the meanes of Iohn de Rochezana.Wherupon when as Zisca besieged Prage, he by the consent of the Citizēs went out into the camp, and reconciled Zisca againe vnto the Citie.

When as the Emperour perceiued that all things came to passe according vnto Zisca his will and minde, and that vpon him alone the whole state of Boheme did depend, MarginaliaThe Emperour glad to be recōciled with Zisca.he sought priuie meanes to recōcile and get Zisca into his fauour, promising him þ^e gouernance of the whole kingdom, the guiding of all his hostes & armies, and great yearely reuenues, if he would proclaime him King, and cause the Cities to be sworne vnto him. Vpō which cōditions, whē as Zisca for the performance of the couenants went vnto the Emperour being on his iourney at the Castle of Priscouia, MarginaliaThe death of Zisca.he was stricken with sicknesse and died.

It is reported, that when he was demaunded beyng sicke, in what place he would be buried, he commaunded the skinne to be pulled off from his dead carkase, and the flesh to bee cast vnto the foules and beastes, and that a drumme should be made of his skinne, which they should vse in their battailes, affirming, that as soon as their enimies should heare the sound of that drumme, they would not abide, but take their flight.MarginaliaThe wordes of Zisca at his death. The Thaborites despising all other Images, yet set vp the Picture of Zisca ouer the gates of the Citie.

MarginaliaThe Epitaphe of Zisca.I Iohn Zisca, not inferiour to any Emperour or Captain in warlike policie, a seueare punisher of the pride and auarice of the Clergy, and a defender of my countrey, do lie heere. That which Appius Claudius by geuing good counsell, and M. Furius Camillus by valiantnesse did for the Romaines: the same I being blinde, haue done for my Bohemians. I neuer slacked oportunitie of battaile, neither did fortune at any time faile me. I being blinde, died foresee all oportunitie of well ordering or doing my businesse. MarginaliaZisca eleuen times, victor in the fielde.Eleuen times in ioining battaile, I went victour out of the field. I seemed to haue worthely defended the cause of the miserable and hungry, against the delicate, fatte, and glotonous Priests, and for that cause to haue receiued help at the hande of God. If their enuy had not let it, without doubt I had deserued to be numbred amongst the most famous men. Notwithstanding my bones hye heere in this halowed place, euen in despite of the Pope.

ΙΩΑΝΝΕΣ ΣΙΣΚΑΣ ο βωιημος των αισχρο κερδων ιερεων αιχθρος αλλα αϑειω ξηλω

¶ Iohn Zisca a Bohemian, enemy to all wicked and couetous Priestes, but with a godly zeale.

And thus haue you the actes and doings of this worthy Zisca, and other Bohemians, which for the more credite we haue drawne out of Æneas Syluius, onely his rayling tearmes excepted, which we haue heere suppressed.

All this while the Emperour with the whole power of the Germaines, were not so busie on þ^e one side, but Martin the Pope was as much occupied on the other side: who about the same time directed downe a terrible Bull, full of all poison to all Byshops and Archbyshops, agaynst all such as tooke any part or side with Wickleffe, Iohn Hus, Hierome, or with their doctrine and opinions. The copie of which Bull, which I found in an olde written monument, I wish the reader throughly to peruse, wherein he shall see the Pope to poure out at once all his poison.

MarginaliaPope Martins bloudy bull, to all Byshops and Archbishops.MArtine Bishop, the seruant of Gods seruants, to our reuerend brethren the Archbishops of Salzeburgen, Gueznen, and Prage, & to the Bishops of Olumcen, Luthomuslen, Bambergen, Misnen, Patauiē, Vratislauie Ratisponen, Cra.ouien, Poznamen, and Nitrien, & also to our beloued children the Inquisitours appointed of thePrelates aboue recited, or where else soeuer, vnto whome these present letters shall come, greeting, and Apostolicall benediction. Amongst all other pastorall cares wherewith we are oppressed, this chefly and specially doth inforce vs, that heretikes with their false doctrine and errours, being vtterly expulsed from amōgst the cōpany of Christen mē, and rooted out (so farre forth as God will make vs able to do) the right and Catholike faith may remaine sound and vndefiled: and that all Christian people, immoueable and iuiolate, may stande and abide in the sinceritie of the same fayth, the whole vayle of obscuritie being remoued. But lately in diuers places of þ^e world, but especially in Bohemia, and the Dukedome of Morauia, and in the straights adioining thereunto, certaine Archheretickes haue risen and sprong vp, not against one only, but against diuers & sundry documēts of the Catholike faith, being landlopers schismatikes, and seditious persons, fraught with diuelish pride & Woluish madnes, deceiued by the subtlety of Sathan, and frō one euill vanity brought to a worse. Who although they rose vp & sprang in diuers parts of þ^e world, yet agreed they all in one, hauing their tailes as it were knit together: to wit, Iohn Wickliffe of England, I. Hus of Bohemia, & Hierome of Prage of damnable memorie, who drew with thē no small nūber to miserable ruine and infidelitie. MarginaliaAll these errours and heresies be, for that they speke against the pride of prelates and their excessiue dignities.For when as those & such like pestiferous persons did in þ^e beginning of their poisoned doctrine, obstinately sow and spread abroad peruerse & false opinions, þ^e prelates who had the regiment & execution of the iudiciall power, like dumme dogs, not able to barke, neither yet reuenging speedely with the Apostle, all such disobediēce, nor regarding corporally to cast out of the lords house (as they were enioined by þ^e canons) those subtill and pestilēt Archheretickes, and their Woluish fury and cruelty, with all expedition, but suffering their false and pernicious doctrine negligētly, by their ouerlong delaies, to growe and waxe strōg: a great multitude of people in stead of true doctrine receiued those things, which they did lōg falsly, pernitiously and damnably sow among them, and geuing credite vnto them, fell from the right faith, and are intangled (the more pitie) in the foule errors of MarginaliaAll be Pagans with the Pope, that like not his superstitious and idolatrous traditions.Paganisme.

In so much, that those Archheretickes, and suche as spring of them, haue infected the Catholicke flock of Christ in diuers climates of the world and parts bordering vpon the same, and haue caused them to putrifie in the filthie dunghill of their lies. Wherefore the generall Synode of Constance, was compelled with Sainct Augustine to exclaime against so great and ruinous a plague of faythfull men, and of the sound and true faith it selfe, saieng: what shall the Soueraigne medicine of the Church do, wyth motherly loue seeking the health of hir sheepe, chafing as it were, amongst a companie of men franticke, and hauing the disease of the Lethargie? What? shall she desist and leaue off hir good purpose? No not so. But rather let hir, if there be no remedie, be sharpe to both these sorts, which are the greenous enemies of her wombe.MarginaliaA great difference between a rouing mother and the frātike whore of Babilon. For the Phisition is sharpe vnto the man bestraught and raging in his frensie, and yet is he a father to his owne rude and vnmanerly sonne, in binding the one, in beating the other, by shewing therein his great loue vnto them both. But if they be negligent, and suffer them to perish (sayth Augustine) this mansuetude is rather to be supposed false crueltie.

And therefore the foresaide Synode, to the glory of almighty God, and preseruation of his catholicke faith, and augmenting of Christian religion, and for the saluation of mens soules: hath corporally reiected and cast forth of the houshold of God, the foresaid I. Wicklieffe, I. Hus, and Ierome: who amongst other things, did beleeu, preach, teach, and mainraine of the Sacrament of the aultar, and other sacramēts of the church & articles of the faith, cōtrary to that þ^e holy Church of Rome beleueth, holdeth, preacheth and teacheth, & haue presumed obstinately to preach, teach, hold, and beleue many other moe, to the damnation of themselues and of others: and the sayde Synode hath separated the same, as obstinate and malipert heretickes from the Communion of the faithfull people, and haue declared them to be spiritually throwne forth: and many other things both wholesome & profitable hath the same Councell as touching the premisses, stablished and decreed, whereby they, which by the meanes of those Archheretikes, and by their false doctrine, haue spiritually departed from the Lords house, may by the canonicall rules be reduced to the straight path of truth and veritie.

And moreouer (as we to our great griefe do heare) not only in þ^e kingdome of Bohemia, and Dukedome of Morauia and other places aboue recited, but also in certaine parts and prouinces neere adioining and bordering vpon