many art treasures. Zizka, the great leader of the Taborites--as the
more advanced Hussites were called, from the name of the town that was
their centre--here first showed his great military ability. The citizens
now became desirous for peace, while the Utraquist nobles who had
remained faithful to the Royal cause were yet reluctant to continue
warfare against those whose creed they shared. A truce was concluded on
November 13, according to which the Praguers were to give up the
Vysehrad to the Royal troops, while the Utraquist nobles promised to aid
their countrymen in defending the Hussite creed. Zizka and the more
advanced Church reformers, distrusting the compromise, left Prague for
the time, proceeding to Plzen, and afterwards to Tabor.
Meanwhile King Sigismund arrived in the Bohemian lands, of which he
claimed the succession as heir of his brother. He first proceeded to
Brünn (or Brno), the capital of Moravia. Many Bohemian nobles and
officials appeared at his court, and a deputation of the citizens of
Prague also appeared before him on December 29. The Praguers assured the
King of their loyalty, begging only 'to be allowed to remain faithful to
that which they had learnt from the Holy Writ.' Sigismund received the
envoys most ungraciously, obliged them to continue kneeling longer than
was customary, and overwhelmed them with reproaches and insults. He
finally dismissed them with the solemn command that they should, as a
proof of their obedience, cause the chains that had been placed at the
corners of the Prague streets for purpose of defence to be instantly
removed, and the fortifications which the citizens had constructed
opposite the Hradcany Hill to be destroyed. He also enjoined them to
inflict no further injury on the monks.
The magistrates of Prague did not dare to disobey the Royal commands.
On January 4, 1420, the chains that had been placed in the streets were
deposited in the town hall of the Staré Mesto, and the fortifications
that had been erected on the approaches of the Hradcany were destroyed.
Many monks, priests and Germans who had left Prague during the recent
disturbances returned, believing that the hour of their triumph had
come. A contemporary chronicler[12] tells us that 'the Germans laughed
and joyfully clapped their hands, saying, "now these heretical Hussites
and Wycliffites will perish, and there will be an end of them."' The
Bohemian and Hussite citizens, on the other hand, not unnaturally looked
forward to the future with great apprehension.
Sigismund did not, as was expected, immediately proceed to Prague. He
for a time took up his residence at Breslau, the capital of Silesia,
where he collected a large armed force. Through his influence Pope
Martin V. issued a bull in which he called the whole Christian world to
arms against 'the Wycleffites, Hussites, and other heretics, their
furtherers, harbourers and defenders.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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