A History of Bohemian LiteratureLützow, Francis, hrabe
History
A History of Bohemian Literature
Lützow, Francis, hrabe
Czech literature -- History and criticism
To the moderate faction of the Calixtine party belonged also Peter of
Mladenovič, who has already been mentioned as one of the companions of
Hus on his fatal journey to Constance. He wrote a Latin work entitled
_Relatio de Magistri Joannis Hus causa_, which has been edited by
Palacký, and contains a full account of Hus's journey to Constance, his
imprisonment, and his death. This work--from which I have quoted in
the last chapter--was very precious to the Hussites. Up to the time of
the suppression of the National Church of Bohemia in the seventeenth
century, it was customary in the Utraquist Church services to read a
portion of the narrative of Mladenovič instead of the evangel on July
6, the anniversary of the "martyrdom" of Hus. Mladenovič also wrote a
shorter Bohemian account of the sufferings of Hus. He died in 1451 as
administrator of the consistory of the Utraquist Church.
Of the more advanced writers of the Calixtine or Utraquist Church,
Magister Jacobellus of Mies (or Střibro) is the most prominent. He
became, immediately after the death of Hus, the leader of that party
which adhered most closely to his teaching. He had already, during
the captivity of his master, maintained the necessity of communion
in two kinds, a doctrine which Hus had sanctioned in one of his
letters.[54] Like most Bohemian divines of his time, Jacobellus wrote
a Latin _Postilla_, as well as numerous other polemical treatises,
both Latin and Bohemian. Some Bohemian hymns written by him have also
been preserved, Jacobellus is, however, most worthy of notice as
being the principal author of the celebrated _Articles of Prague_,
that played so important a part in Bohemian history. After this event
we find little mention of Jacobellus, and he died in retirement in
1429. Closely connected with Jacobellus is his friend the Englishman,
Peter Payne,[55] whose name has already been mentioned. I have here
no space to sketch out his adventurous career. He was obliged to fly
from England, no doubt as being an adherent of Wycliffe, and settled
in Bohemia, obtaining, in 1417, the degree of Master of Arts at the
University of Prague. He belonged, like Jacobellus, to the more
advanced Utraquists; and when the ideas of Přibram gained ground in
that Church, even joined the Taborites. Peter Payne was also one of
the Bohemian envoys at the Council of Basel, where he was occasionally
in violent conflict with his countrymen, the English bishops. Though
living so long in Bohemia, Magister Engliš appears never to have
thoroughly mastered the language of the country. It is at least certain
that when challenged by Magister Přibram to a public theological
disputation in that language, Peter was obliged to decline. Some
religious treatises, written in Latin, in which Payne defends the
teaching of Wycliffe, have been preserved. He appears toward the end of
his life to have cast his lot entirely with the men of Tabor, and was
still living in that town in 1452.
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