FAVORABLE PERIOD SPREAD OF PROTESTANTISM THE JESUITS - · CATHOLIC LEAGUE - PERSECUTING MEASURES OF 1605 RUDOLPH FORCED TO REPEAL THE EDICT - MATTHIAS OF AUSTRIA HIS DESIGNS THE DEMANDS OF THE STATES PRESENTED THE EMPEROR AND THE STATES - THE LATTER DISSATISFIED DIET OF 1609. THE EMPEROR GRANTS THE DEMAND OF THE PROTESTANTS GENERAL SATISFACTION PROTESTANT PROGRESS - JESUIT ENCROACHMENT · INVASION OF THE ARCHDUKE LEOPOLD ·DEATH OF RUDOLPH · ACCESSION OF MATTHIAS CHANGE OF POLICY REJECTION OF THE COMPLAINTS OF THE PROTESTANTS — FERDINAND II. — MATTHIAS PROPOSES HIMAS HIS SUCCESSOR RELUCTANCE OF THE STATES POLICY OF FERDINAND HIS PERSECUTION OF PROTESTANTS IN HIS STATES HIS BIG- OTRY- · PROVOCATION OF THE PROTESTANTS EXULTATION OF THE JESUITS THE TRI- UMPHAL ARCH AT OLMUTZ- A MEETING OF THE PROTESTANT STATES SUMMONED IMPERIAL COMMAND THE STATES MEET TO REPLY · COUNT THURN - MARTINITZ, SLAWATA, AND FABRICIUS THROWN FROM THE WINDOWS-VIOLENCE IN THE CITY LETTERS OF THE STATES TO THE EMPEROR THE JESUITS EXPELLED · FERDI- NAND DEPOSED THE ELECTOR PALATINE CHOSEN KING FERDINAND CHOSEN EM- PEROR HE IS SUPPORTED BY THE LEAGUE · COMMENCEMENT OF THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR-SCENES IN ALLIES FATE OF PROTESTANTISM THE JESUIT CAMPIAN ACTS OF VIOLENCE THE MARTYRS OUTRAGES COMMITTED - PARDONS FORCED CONVERSIONS FUGI- TIVES AND EXILES-THE RESULTS OF PERSECUTION - - CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHN HUSS. CHAPTER I. HUSS IN PRISON. HIS REFUSAL TO RECANT. FAREWELL LETTERS. DEPRESSING CIRCUMSTANCES OF HUSS. - DENIED AN ADVOCATE. HIS LETTERS AND CONVERSATION IN PAST YEARS BROUGHT FORWARD. WANT OF BOOKS.— HOPELESSNESS OF HIS CASE. PRISON REFLECTIONS. -ZABARELLA'S FORM OF RECANTATION PRESENTED TO HIM.-REPLY OF HUSS. GRATITUDE FOR KINDNESS. PERSUASIONS OF HIS FRIENDS. — ARGUMENT OF A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL TO OVERCOME HIS SCRUPLES. THE CRIME OF HUSS IN REFUSING SUBMISSION TO THE COUNCIL. HIS UNSHAKEN PURPOSE. VISIT OF PALETZ.- ARGUMENT OF ONE OF THE DOCTORS. EXPLANATORY LETTER OF HUSS. HIS ESTIMATE OF THE COUNCIL. THE TREATMENT OF HIS BOOKS.THE COUNCIL CONDEMNS ITSELF. — LETTER TO HIS COUNTRYMEN AT PRAGUE. -TIME OF HUSS' EXECUTION DEFERRED. GENERAL EXPECTATION THAT HE WOULD RECANT. - PROPOSED DECREE IN SUCH A CASE. - REASONS OF THE EXPECTATION. HOPES EXCITED IN HUSS BY THE DELAY.-LETTER ON THE PROLONGED SPACE GIVEN TO PREPARE FOR DEATH. —NO SURPRISE TO BE FELT AT TRIBULATION. REJOICING THAT HIS BOOKS HAD BEEN READ BY HIS ENEMIES. THE EMPEROR ANXIOUS TO HAVE HIM RECANT. HIS FIRMNESS. HIS OPINION OF THE EMPEROR. - FAREWELL LETTERS. ASKS AN AUDIENCE. ASKS A CONFESSOR. PALETZ DENIED HIM. VISIT OF PALETZ. — DREAMS OF HUSS. SCRIPTURAL CONSOLATION. CHLUM.DUBA. CHRISTIANN. SECOND FAREWELL TO FRIENDS AT PRAGUE. — GREETINGS. POSTSCRIPT. DEBTS. ASKS CHLUM TO STAY TO THE LAST. - LETTER TO MARTIN. ADDRESSES ALL CLASSES. MALICE OF CAUSIS. HUSS IN PRISON. JUNE 8, 1415-JULY 1, 1415. WHAT must have been the feelings of Huss as the guard escorted him back to his cell! For six months he had been kept a close prisoner. His health had given way under the hardships to which he had been subjected. Once his life had been in such danger that the council were like to lose their victim, and from policy rather than compassion he was removed to a more airy and comfortable cell, and the pope's physician had been sent to attend him. With the interval of a slight recovery, he was again attacked with a new access of his severe distemper. "I have been," so he writes, "a second time dreadfully tormented with an affection of my bladder, which I never had before, and with severe vomiting and fever; my keepers feared I should die, and they have led me out of my prison."1 This was probably for a few moments to enjoy the fresh air. His keepers seem to have been moved to compassion by his suf ferings, and some of them appear to have shown him no little kindness. After four months' imprisonment at Constance, Huss was removed to Gottlieben. Here his situation was changed much for the worse. His prison was the tower. In the day-time he was chained, yet so as to be able to move about. At night, on his bed, he was chained by his hand to a post. His subsequent treatment was still more harsh. His keepers were changed after the flight of 1 Epis. xxxviii. 2 Huss' jailers were kind and noblehearted men. They became very strongly attached to their prisoner, and at their request Huss wrote several brief treatises on prominent duties and doctrines of Christianity. The repeated conversations between them satisfied the jailers that the doctrines of Huss were those of scripture, and it was the sympathy and affection which they were led to feel for him, that drew them to the scene of his execution. 4 Epis. lii. * At Gottlieben, the narrow cell is still pointed out in the castle-at present the property of the Count of Beroldingen, of Stuttgard-in which Huss was confined. A late visitor at the Castle writes," High up under the roof, at the top of a long stair-case, and shaded by thick pines, is a garret in which one cannot stand upright. This is the prison of the martyrs John Huss and Jerome of Prague." Becker, 84, 85. CH. I.] HUSS DENIED AN ADVOCATE. 1 3 the pope-and not for the better. His friends were not allowed to see him. New attacks of his disease, violent head-aches, hemorrhage, colic,-followed in consequence of this close and cruel confinement. For more than two months his sufferings were extreme. It was not till the beginning of the month of June that he was removed from his prison at Gottlieben, and conveyed to Constance. Without the uninterrupted quiet of even a single day, his trial proceeded. He found himself compelled to meet it in infirm health, and in a most weak and exhausted condition. He had demanded of the judicial committee an advocate to manage his cause for him, but this, which he was at first encouraged to expect, was finally refused him, on the ground that no such privilege could be granted to a heretic. He was thus presumed guilty even before he was tried. Gerson did not hesitate afterwards to ascribe the condemnation of Huss to the injustice of this proceeding. "Had he been allowed an advocate, the council would never have been able to convict him of heresy." Huss was undoubtedly disappointed at the refusal of a request so just and reasonable. Yet he calmly submitted to the wrong. "Well, then," said he, "let the Lord Jesus be my advocate, who also will soon be my judge." He was thus forced of necessity to depend upon himself alone for his defence. In chains, and in the endurance of the most severe sufferings, he was obliged to draw up his answers to the charges presented. And here he found, to his grief and indignation, that the most unfair advantages had been |