1654, July. Leszna, Poland. Peter Figulus (Komenský’s son-in-law), to Samuel Hartlib in London. I cannot but bless the name of the Lord our God, whenever I get something from you; for I see evidently, that God hath chosen you long since to be an instrument in his hand, as for many other his good works, so likewise to work a Godly comfort and edification in our souls, whereof all your letters are full. The public letters which were sent to you, are subscribed by baron Sadowsky, brother to him that is in England. They are written in the name of all our exiled nation, and directed to the lord protector, his highnes’s council, and the parliament. The baron is a very good soldier, hath served long in the Swedish wars, longs mightily for some help to the church of God grievously distressed and afflicted in these quarters by the Papal and Austrian adherents, being willing and resolved to spend himself, and do all what he can to that end.... But he and we all leave the whole management of this affair to the wisdom of the lord protector and his council. Perhaps they will thereby be moved, or occasioned to take into a more serious deliberation the case of our nation, and of us miserable exiles.... The emperor seeks nothing but the suppression of the Gospel, and a dilatation of the Austrian power. There is a monk lately converted to our religion, who tells, that the emperor with the pope are resolved infallibly to make a war against the protestants. All the cloisters have promised to such a war to contribute each of them two soldiers and he tells, that they reckon under the emperors dominions 96,000 cloisters or monasteries. But now the exacerbation of minds increaseth by the most grievous persecution in Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia and Austria. There are thousands of those, that wait and pray to God for some Zyska, that would begin a religious war for the protestant cause: yet none of the princes in Germany have the courage to oppose themselves against the house of Austria. B. Sadowsky is fully persuaded, that God would bless this enterprise thus seconded, and purely directed to the glory of God and the relief of the oppressed; especially if in the meantime the triumphant arms of the Commonwealth of England permit not the Spaniards to assist the emperor.... My good Father Mons. Comenius is once come again out of Hungary to us at Lesna; the Lord’s name be praised for it. (Appended: Greeting in Latin by Comenius.) Collection of the State Papers of John Thurloe. 1657, Nov. 4. In Council. The Petition of the pastors of several churches of the Reformed religion in Higher Poland and Bohemia, now scattered abroad by persecution, asking relief. V. 1657-58, p. 149. 1658, Mar. 25. Mr. Secretary reports his Highness’s approval of the declaration for a collection for distressed Protestant churches in Poland, with some additional clauses concerning 20 Protestant families hitherto seated in Bohemia. V. 1657-58, p. 343.