Page:A history of Bohemian literature.pdf/123

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

io6

A HISTORY OF BOHEMIAN LITERATURE

against the Flemish

crusade

of Henry Spencer, Bishop

of Norwich. Meanwhile the Theological Faculty of Prague again condemned as heretical the forty -five articles drawn from Wycliffe's works, now adding six more which were attributed to Hus ; it was stated that they had been extracted from his speech against indulgences (on June 7) and from his pamphlet on the same subject. About the same time a considerable portion of the clergy of Prague forwarded to Pope John a written complaint against Hus. The author was a German, one Michael of Deutschbrod, also known as Michael de Causis, one of the most steadfast opponents of Hus and of Church reform. In this document Hus was accused of railing {oblatrare) against the clergy and against the papal indulgences, and also of having "by means of his writings spread his pestilential opinions through various districts of the kingdom of Bohemia, Poland, Hungary, and the marquisate of Moravia." 1 The consequence of these denunciations was a papal decree pronouncing the "aggravation" of the excommunication of Hus which had already been proclaimed by Cardinal Colonna in the previous year. Several of the former adherents of Hus, such as Stanislas of Znaym and Stephen Palec, now abandoned his cause, and the latter afterwards became one of his most dangerous opponents at the Council of Constance. The greatest part of the population of Prague, however, continued to be devoted to Hus, and the continued preaching in favour of indulgences caused disturbances in the city, particularly after three young men who had interrupted these sermons had been decapitated. Further rioting seemed certain, and it was probably the fear that ^

PalackJ', Documenta.