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imprudent and devoid of worldly wisdom. He said: "Yes, and he who is in the state of mortal sin cannot either rightly be a king before God, as is shown by the Book of Kings, chap. iv. v. 16, where God, through Samuel, said to Saul: 'As thou hast rejected my word, I reject thee from being king.'" This statement did. Von der Hardt and

not remain unnoticed by the enemies of Hus. Mladenovic give almost identical accounts of the discussion that now ensued. Sigismund was looking out of a window of the refectory, having as his companions the Count Palatine and the Burgrave of Nuremberg. They talked much of John Hus, and the king finally said that there never was a more pernicious heretic. But when the prelates heard the words which Hus had spoken they all exclaimed, "Call the king"; but the king, who was talking about Hus near the window, did not hear them. Then those who presided called to the men who were nearer the king saying, "Bring him (the king) here that he may hear what concerns him." Then when the emperor 2 had been called, John was ordered to repeat what he had said about unworthy kings. When he had done so the emperor said, "John Hus, no one lives without sinning.” Then the Cardinal of Cambray, greatly irritated, said: "Is it then not enough that, despising the ecclesiastical state, thou endeavourest to degrade it by thy writings and thy tenets? Now thou attemptest also to eject the kings from their state!" Palec then began to quote some laws by means of which he wished to prove that Saul was a king even after he had heard these words of Samuel, and that David had therefore forbidden that he should be slain, not because of holiness of life, which he possessed not, but because of the sanctity of his anointment. Then when Hus quoted the words of St. Cyprian, who said: "Vainly does he claim to belong to Christianity who nowise imitates Christ in his

1 The passage referred to, though not quoted verbally by Hus, is really in the book of 1 Samuel, chap. xiv. v. 26. Hus was not allowed the use of a Bible in prison, and though he was exceptionally well-read in Scripture, we sometimes meet with little mistakes.

The contemporary writers on the Council of Constance call Sigismund indiscriminately emperor, king, King of the Romans, King of Hungary.

conduct," Palec answered: "See what foolishness! in what way is it to the purpose to allege that because a man is not a true Christian he is therefore not a true pope, or bishop, or king? For the learned know that (the words) pope, bishop, king, signify an office, but Christian a merit. Thus it is clear that a man may be a truc pope, bishop, or king though he is not a true Christian." The seventh article accused Hus of having stated that the condemnation of articles derived from Wycliffe's writings had been irrational and unjust. Cardinal D'Ailly said: "John Hus, you said that you would not defend any error of Wycliffe. Yet it appears from your writings that you have publicly defended his articles." Hus answered:" I say the same thing which I said before; that I do not wish to defend the errors of Wycliffe, or of any one else. But it appeared to me contrary to my conscience simply to approve of the condemnation of the articles while no exposition of the arguments of the other side had taken place. Therefore did I not approve of the condemnation of the articles." It deserves notice that on this important question, which was frequently raised before and during the trial, Hus remained perfectly consistent, and indeed expressed his point of view almost in the same words.

Finally, six articles extracted from Hus's work, Responsio ad Scripta M. Stanislai de Znoymo, were read out. They covered the same ground as the former accusations. It was only at the sitting of the council on the day of the execution of Hus that the accusation of having declared that he was a fourth person of the divinity was formally raised against him. The members of the council, who knew that Hus's condemnation was a foregone conclusion, listened to the lengthy proceedings with increasing impatience. Laughter and derisive remarks on Hus became more and more frequent.1

When all the articles containing the accusations against Hus had been read out, Cardinal D'Ailly said, addressing Hus: "Thou

1 In Von der Hardt's full account of the proceedings we meet constantly -particularly towards the end-with notes such as: "Et cum hoc diceret, deri debatur,' Hic dixerunt "-the members of the council-“ Ecce jam prophetizat," etc.

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hast heard how great is the heinousness of the accusations that have been brought against thee. It is thy duty to reflect now on what thou wilt do." The cardinal then pointed out that two ways were open to him. He must submit himself humbly to the judgment and sentence of the council, which, in consideration of Sigismund and his brother the King of Bohemia, would treat him leniently. This no doubt referred to the plan of confining Hus for life in a distant monastery. Should he, however, not consent to this submission, and still wish to defend some of his tenets, then a hearing would not be refused to him, but he would act thus at his greatest peril. Hus replied: "I do not wish to maintain any errors, but will humbly submit to the decrees of the council; but I cannot, not to offend God and my conscience, say that I held erroneous opinions, which I never held, and which I never had at heart. I beg only that hearing may be granted me that I may express my views regarding the accusations that have been made against me. Hus then enumerated several important points on which he had either not been allowed to speak at all, or had been interrupted when attempting to do so. We here again meet with the same contradictory views concerning the purpose of the council that are evident from the time of Hus's arrival at Constance to the moment of his death. Hus believed that he would be allowed freely to expound and defend his opinions, while the members of the council considered that he had been summoned to Constance to recant whatever heretical views had been rightly or wrongly ascribed to him, and then to submit to whatever punishment should be awarded to him. Hus's reply, which did not express immediate and unconditional surrender, was received with general indignation, and loud cries summoned him to submit. D'Ailly, and afterwards the Cardinal of Florence (Zabarella), continued to reason with Hus, urging him to follow the advice of the council. Sigismund also strongly advised him to recant heretical views, even if he had never held them. This, of course, appeared the greatest of sins to a pious and straightforward priest, such as was Hus. He who firmly believed that nothing he had said or written was

contrary to God's word could never consent to appear as a professed heretic to his countrymen, who had so warmly welcomed his teaching. Hus's answer to Sigismund was almost identical with that which he had given to the Cardinal of Cambray. The indignation of the members of the council became yet greater. "An old bald-headed bishop from Poland "1 declared that canon law precisely indicated the treatment that should be meted out to heretics, and a "fat priest sitting at the window in precious robes, who appeared to be a Prussian," exclaimed with a loud voice: Let him not be allowed to recant, for even if he recants, he will not keep to it."3 Hus, however, did not recant, nor was it in consideration of his reiterated and consistent statements possible for him to do so. Palec, wishing to envenom the already prevalent animosity against Hus, now began to animadvert on his attitude on the occasion of the execution of the three young men who had taken part in the demonstrations against the misuse of indulgences. No promise was made to Hus assuring him that he would be allowed freely to expound his views, and he was reconducted to prison by the Bishop of Riga, in whose custody he had been ever since his return from Gottlieben to Constance. On leaving the hall Hus met John of Chlum, one of the Bohemian noblemen who were then at Constance. Chlum gave him his hand and endeavoured to comfort him. Hus, as Mladenovic tells us, was deeply touched that he did not disdain to salute him who was rejected by almost all and spurned as a heretic, and to give him his hand.

4

At the end of the sitting an incident occurred that deserves to be told in the words of Mladenovic, who was present. He writes: "After his (Hus's) departure, all who were present, prelates and cardinals, wished to leave and had already risen. Then the soldiers who were on guard in the background also retired, and our men

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This refers to the untruthful accusation already mentioned, according to which Hus had written that should he recant at Constance, his recantation was to be considered as obtained by force, and therefore invalid.

4 See P. 147.

(i.e., the friends of Hus) went near the window, and Lord John of Chlum, Lord Venceslas of Lestna and P.1 the bachelor of arts, still remained within. These men the king, it appears, did not notice, but thought that they had retired when the master was conducted back to prison. Then the king said: 'Reverend fathers, you have already heard the many things that are in his (Hus's) books, those which he has confessed, those which have been sufficiently proved against him; each single one of those would be sufficient to condemn him. Therefore, if he will not recant these errors, and abjure them and declare himself opposed to them, let him be burnt, or you will yourselves deal with him according to your (canon) law, as you know. And be it known to you that even if he promises to recant, and even if he does so, you must not believe him, neither will I, for if he returned to the kingdom (of Bohemia) and to his furtherers, he would spread these and other errors, and a new heresy would arise, worse than the former one. You must therefore entirely forbid him to preach, and prevent his returning to his friends, that he may not spread any further heresies. And his articles that have been condemned here, you must send to my brother in the Bohemian land, and-oh, the sorrow!-also to Poland, and other lands where he has secret disciples, and many furtherers; and wheresoever men are found. who hold such views, let the bishops and prelates punish them, that the branches be torn out together with the root; and let the council write to the kings and princes begging them to favour among their prelates most those who have at this holy council worked most strenuously at the destruction of heresy. Know also that it is written that every word (sentence) depends on two or three witnesses, but here the hundredth part would suffice to condemn him. And you must also quickly make an end of his secret friends and furtherers, for I shall be leaving shortly, and specially (must you make an end of) this one, this one,' then resuming his speech, this one who is detained here.' They then

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1 i.e., Peter of Mladenovic, the writer.

2

2 Mladenovic represents Sigismund as hesitating in his speech—perhaps not remembering the name of Jerome.

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