The Marrow of Ecclesiastical History, Jerome of Prague
JEROM OF PRAGVE
The Life of Hierom of Prague who dyed, An. Christi 1416.
HIerom of Pague,His birth. a Bohemian born, a man famous for Courage, Comliness, Virtue, Learning, and Eloquence: when he understood that the Publick Faith was violated, his Country slandered, His zeal.and Huss burnt, he travelled to Constance, April the 4. Anno Christi 1415. But no sooner came he thither, but he understood that watch was laid for him to apprehend him, His retreat to Iberling.whereupon the next day he went to Iberling a City of the Empire, and a mile from Constance. From thence he sent to Sigismund King of Hungary, and his Barons, but especially to the Council, most earnestly requesting that they would give him a safe Conduct freely to come and go, and then he would come in open Audience to answer every man, if any would appear to charge him with any crime: A safe Conduct denyed him.but this was denyed him both by the King and Council, whereupon the next day he wrote sundry intimations and sent them to Constance, causing them to be set upon the gates of the Citie, upon the doores of Churches, Monasteries, of the houses of the Cardinals, and other Noble personages, the tenor whereof was this: Unto the Noble Emperour, &c. I Jerom of Prague,His intimations set up at Constance. Master of Arts of the University of Paris, Cullen, Heidleberg and Prague, by these my Letters do notifie to the King and Council, and to all others, that because of many crafty slanderers, back-biters, and accusers, I am ready of mine own free will to come unto Constance, there to declare openly before all the Council the purity and sincerity of my Faith and mine Innocency: but this I will not do in corners, secretly before any private or particular person: wherefore if there be any of my slanderers of what Nation soever, that will charge me with Error or Heresie, let them come forth openly before the Council, and in their own names object against me, and I wil be ready to answer them: and if I shall be found guilty of any Error or Heresie, I will not refuse openly to suffer such punishment as shall be meet for an Heretick: wherefore I humbly desire a safe Conduct as afore: But if (seeing I offer such equal terms) before any fault be proved against me, I shall be arrested, imprisoned, or have any violence done to me, that then it may be manifest unto all the World that this Council doth not proceed according to the rules of equity and justice, the rather seeing that I am come hither freely, and of my own accord, &c.
But notwithstanding all this, no safe Conduct would be granted him: wherefore the Lords of Bohemia gave him their Letters Patents under their Seals to testifie the truth of the premises:His return towards Bohemia. with the which Letters he returned again towards Bohemia: but by the treachery and subtilty of his Enemies he was apprehended by the way in Hirsaw, He is apprehended.and by the Officers was carryed before the Duke: who presently after carryed him bound to Constance; Carryed to Constance.and for a greater disgrace they put a bolt of Iron upon his wrists with a long Iron chain at it, by which they led him through the City to the Cloister of the Fryer Minors, where all the Priests, Scribes and Pharisees were met together, and when he came before them, some of the Bishops said to him: Hierom, why didst thou fly and run away, and not appear when thou wast cited? His answer to the Bishops.To which he answered, Because I could get no safe Conduct neither from you, nor the King; and perceiving that I had many bitter Enemies in the Council, I would not be the Author of mine own peril: But had I known of your Citation, assuredly though I had been in Bohemia, I would have appeared: Then a great rable of Priests cryed out against him, and Gerson the Chancellor of Paris, and the Chancellor of Cullen, He is accused.and the Chancellor of Heidleberg charged him with Errors delivered in those Universities: to which he answered,His answer. that what he had delivered there, he would justifie now; yet if any could convince him of Error therein, he would willingly be informed:He is imprisoned. Hereupon some cryed out, Let him be burned, let him be burned; Then was he delivered bound to the Officers to be put into Prison; Assoon as he came thither, one called to him at his window,He is encouraged. saying, Mr. Hierom, be constant and fear not to suffer death for the Truths sake, of which when you were at liberty you did Preach much good: To whom he answered, Truly brother, I do not fear death, &c. But the Prisonkeeper coming to the man drove him away with strokes from the window: Presently after the Bishop of Rigen sent for Hierom, Popish cruelty.strongly bound with chains, both by the hands and neck, and sent him to a Tower, where they tyed him fast to a great block, and his feet in the stocks, his hands being also made fast upon them, the block being so high that he could by no means sit thereon but his head must hang downwards: where also they allowed him nothing but bread and water: But within eleven days,He fals sick. hanging so by the heels, he fell very sick; yet thus they kept him in Prison a year wanting seven days, and then sent for him, requiring him to recant, and to subscribe that John Huss was justly put to death,His weakness. which he did, partly for fear of death, and hoping thereby to escape their hands: after which they sent him back to Prison, and kept him guarded with Souldiers, yet not so strictly chained as before. Afterwards they sent to examine him again, but he refused to answer in private, except he might be brought before the Council; and they (supposing that he would openly confirm his former recantation) sent for him thither, May the 25. 1416. suborning false witnesses to accuse him; but he so learnedly cleared himself,He is brought before the Council. and refelled his Adversaries, that they were astonished at his Oration, and with shame enough were put to silence: He also concluded his Oration with this,He retracts his recantation. That all such Articles as Wicklief and Huss had written against the enormities, pomp, and disorder of the Prelates, he would firmly hold and defend, even unto the death; and that all the sins that he had committed, did not so much gnaw and trouble his conscience, as did that most pestiferous act of his in recanting what he had justly spoken,Back-sliding repented of. and in consenting to the wicked condemnation of Huss, and that he repented with his whole heart that ever he did it:His condemnation. This so enraged them that they proceeded to condemn him; whereupon he said: I after my death, will leave a remorse in your conscience, His short answer.and a nail in your hearts; Et cito vos omnes at respondeatis mihi coram altissimo, & justissimo judice post centum annos: I here cite you all to answer to me before the most High and just Judge within a hundred years.His ornaments. When he was brought forth to Execution, they prepared a great and long paper painted about with red Divels, which when he beheld throwing away his hood, he took the Miter, and put it on his head, saying, Our Lord Jesus Christ, when he suffered death for me …ost …wretched sinner, did wear a crown of thorns upon his head: His deportment at death.and I, for his sake, will willingly wear this Cap. As he went to the place of Execution, he sung some Hymns; and coming to the place of Execution, where John Huss was burned, he kneeled down, and prayed fervently. He was bound to the Image of John Huss, His martyrdom.and so fire was set to him, which he endured with admirable valor: for standing at the stake bound, and the Executioner kindling the fire behinde him,His courage. he bade him kindle it before his face; For (said he) If I had been afraid of is, I had not come to this place having had so many opportunities offered to me to escape it. The whole City of Constance admired his constancie, and Christian magnanimity in fuffering death.His last words. At the giving up the Ghost he said, Hanc animam in flammis offero Christe tibi:
This soul of mine in slames of fire
O Christ I offer thee.
An aliquid ab Hieronymo Pragensi scriptum sit,His works. posteris que relictum, ignoro: credibile verum est, virum tam doctum, ac eloquentem quaedam scripsisse, Orationes quas in Academiis illu strioribus habuit, tum Themata quae proposuit, forte in lucem edita, suppressa fuare, & extincta ab iis qui, more suo, lucem ferre nequeunt.