62
A HISTORY OF BOHEMIAN
LITERATURE
announce from the pulpit, " Beloved brethren, very soon Milic will be burnt ! " After his return to his native land, Milic, who in 1369 succeeded Waldhauser as rector of the Teyn Church at Prague, continued to devote his life to preaching and to good works. He devoted much energy to rescue work, and reclaimed a very great number of fallen women, for whom, aided by gifts from pious citizens of Prague, he founded a refuge, to which The ascetic and the name of Jerusalem was given. saintly life of Milic did not, however, disarm his conIn 1374 a new stant enemies, the mendicant friars. accusation against him, consisting of twelve " articles," was brought forward, and Milic travelled to Avignon Evidence to defend himself before the Papal See. as to the result of the trial is very uncertain, but on the whole it appears that the views of Milic were favourably received at Avignon ; but the time was now near when he would be beyond the reach of all earthly jurisdiction. Milic died at Avignon, probably in
June 1374. Of the literary works of Milic we unfortunately possess very scanty remains. It is certain that copies of his Bohemian sermons were circulated for a considerable time after his death, but all trace of them has disapIf we consider the great eloquence peared long since. which all contemporary writers attribute to Milic, this cannot be sufficiently regretted. The Bohemian book entitled Of the Great Torments of the Holy Church, which has often been attributed to Milic, is really a work of Magister John of Pribram. Of the numerous Latin writings of Milic, only a few, of which the Libellus de Antichristo and the Postilla are the most important, have been preserved. The biographer of Milic has stated
