would reigne ouer them after no other meane or sort, then other Christian kings vsed to doe.

The councel of Basil also wrote their letter to the Bohemians, MarginaliaThe Bohemians sent for by the Councell.that they should send their Ambassadors which should shew a reason of their faith, MarginaliaSafeconduct geuen to the Bohemians to come to the councellpromising safeconducte to go & come, and free liberty to speake what they woulde. MarginaliaA doubt among the Bohemians, whether to goe to the councell of Basill or no.The Bohemians in this point were of 2. opinions, for the Protestants & almost all the common people, sayd, it was not good to go, alledging the examples of Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage, which going vnto Constance vnder the safeconduct of the Emperour, were there openly burned. But the nobility folowing the minde of Maynardus,MarginaliaThis Maynardus was after a great backfriend to the faithful Bohemians. prince of the new house, sayde, that they ought to goe vnto the Councell, and that they are not to be suffred which had inuented those new and strange opinions of faith, & newe kinde of religion, except they would render accōpt of theyr doings and sayings before the vniuersall church, & defend those things, which they had openly taught, before learned men. This opinion tooke place, Marginalia300. horsemen of the Bohemians sent Ambas. to the councell.and an ambassade of 300. horse was sent vnto Basil. The chiefe wherof were William Cosca a valiant knight, & Procopius surnamed Magnus, a mā of worthy fame for his manifold victories. Ioh. Rochezana preacher of Prage. Nicolas Galecus, minister of the Thaborites, and one Peter an Englishman,MarginaliaThis english man was Peter Paine of excellent prōpt and pregnant wit. The people came in great number out of the towne, and many out of the synode and councell, attending before the gates to see the comming of this valiāt and famous people:MarginaliaThe receiuing of the Bohemians at Basill. other some gathered together in great nōber into the streetes where as they should passe through. The matrones, maids and children, filled þ^e windowes and houses to behold and see, and to maruel at their strange kinde of apparel, and stoute couragious coūtenāces, saying that it was not vntrue which was reported of them: notwithstanding all men behelde Procopius,MarginaliaProcopius famous among the Germaynes. saying, this is he which hath ouerthrowne the papistes in so many battels, which hathe subuerted so many townes, and slaine so many men, whom both his enemies and also his owne souldiours, do feare and reuerence: also, that hee was a bold, valiant and inuincible captaine, which coulde not be ouercome with no terrour, labour or trauaile.

These Bohemian Ambassadors were gently receyued. The next day after, Cardinall Iulianus sending for them vnto the councell house, made a gentle, long, and eloquent Oration vnto them,MarginaliaThe oration of Cardinall Iulian. exhorting them to vnitie and peace, saying, that the church was the spouse of our sauior Christ, and the mother of all faithful, that it hath the keyes of binding and losing, and also that it is white and fair, without spot or wrinkle, and cā not erre in those poynts which are necessary to saluation, and that he which doeth contemne the same church, is to be coūted as a prophane, Ethnike, & publicane, neither can this church be represented better by any meanes then in this councel. Hee exhorteth them also to receiue the decrees of the councell, and to geue no lesse credite vnto the councell then vnto the Gospell, by whose authority, the scriptures themselues are receiued & allowed. Also þ^t the Bohemians which call them selues, the children of the church, ought to heare þ^e voice of their mother, which is neuer vnmindful of her children, how that nowe of late they haue liued apart from their mother, albeit (said hee) that is no newe or straunge thing, for there haue bene many in times past, which haue forsakē their mother, and yet seeking after saluation haue returned to her againe: That in the time of Noes floud, as many as were wythout the arke perished: That the Lordes passeouer was to be eaten in one house: there there is no saluation to be sought for out of the church, and that this is the garden & famous fountaine of water, wherof whosoeuer shal drinke, shall not thirst euerlastingly: That the Bohemians haue done as they ought, in that they haue sought the foūtains of this water at the councel, and haue determined nowe at length to geue eare vnto their mother. Nowe all hatred ought to cease, all armor and weapon is to be laid apart, & all occasion of warre vtterly to be reiected: For the fathers would louingly and gently heare whatsoeuer there they would say in their owne cause or quarell, requiring onely that they woulde willingly receiue and embrace the good counsels and determinations of the sacred synode: whereunto not onely the Bohemians, but also all other faithfull Christians, ought to consent and agree, if they wil be partakers of eternall life.

This Oration of the Cardinal, was heard & very welallowed of the fathers. MarginaliaThe Bohemians aunswere to the Cardinals oration.Wherunto the Bohemians answered in fewe woordes, that they neither had contemned the Church nor the councels: that the sentence geuen at Constance against those which were vnheard, doeth diminishe nothing of the Christian religion: that the authoritie of the fathers hath alwaies remained amongst them inuiolate, and whatsoeuer thing the Bohemians had taught, to bee confirmed by the scriptures and Gospell, and that they are nowe come to manifest their innocencie before the whole Church, and to require open audience, where as the laitie may also be present. The request was graunted them: and being further demanded in what poynts they did disagree from the church of Rome, they propounded 4. Articles.

MarginaliaThe articles wherin the Bohemians dissented from the church of RomeFirst, they affirmed, that all suche as woulde be saued, ought of necessitie to receiue the Communion of the laste supper vnder both kindes of bread and wine.

The second Article, they affirmed all ciuil rule and dominion to be forbidden vnto þ^e Clergy by the law of God.

The thirde Article, that the preaching of the worde of God is free for all men, and in all places.

The fourth Article, as touching open crimes and offences which are in no wise to be suffered for the auoiding of greater euill.

These were the onely propositions whyche they propounded before the Councell in the name of the whole realme. Then another ambassador affirmed that he had hard of the Bohemians diuers and sundry thinges offensiue to Christian eares, amongst the which this was one poynte, that they should preach that the inuention of the order of begging Friers was diabolicall.

Then Procopius rising vppe, sayde, neither is it vntrue, for if neyther Moises, neyther before hym the Patriarkes, neither after him the Prophets, neyther in the new lawe Christe and hys Apostles did institute the order of begging friers, who doth dout but that it was an inuention of the deuill, and a worke of darkenesse?

This answere of Procopius was derided of them all: And Cardinall Iulianus went about to prooue that not onely the decrees of the Patriarkes and Prophetes, and those things which Christ and his Apostles had instituted to be onely of God, but also all such decrees as the church shuld ordaine, being guided through the holy ghost, be the workes of God. All be it as he sayde, the order of begging Friers, might seeme to be taken out of some parte of the gospel. MarginaliaCertaine appointed by the Bohemians and the councell to dispute.The Bohemians chose out 4. diuines which shuld declare their Articles to be taken out of the Scriptures. Likewise on the contrary part there was 4. appoynted by the councell. This disputation continued 50. dayes, where many thinges were alledged on either parte, whereof, as place shal serue, more hereafter (by the grace of Christ) shal be sayd, when we come to the time of that Councel.

In the meane season, while þ^e Bohemians were thus in long conflicts wyth Sigismund the Emperour and the Pope, fighting for their religion, vnto whome, notw^tstanding all the fulnesse of the Popes power was bent against them, God of his goodnesse had geuē such noble victories, as is aboue expressed, and euer did prosper them so lōg as they could agree among thēselues: as these things (I say) were doing in Boheme: King Henry the 5. fighting likewise in Fraunce, albeit for no like matters of religion, fell sicke at Boys, and died after he had raigned 9. yeres 5. moneths 3. wekes and odde daies from his coronation. This king in his life and in all hys doings was so deuout & seruiceable to the Pope and his chapleins, that he was called of many the Prince of priests:MarginaliaThe death of K. Henry 5. called prince of priests for fauouring the pope. who left behind him a sonne being yet an infant 9. monthes and 15. dayes of age, whom he had by Quene Katherine daughter to the French king, married to him about 2. or 3. yeares before. The name of which Prince succeeding after his father, was Henry 6. lefte vnder the gouernement and protection of his vncle named Humfrey Duke of Gloucester.