The History of the Bohemian Persecution/Chapter 95
Chap. XCV.
The Reformation of Litomeric.
IN the yeare 1517. the 21. of August the Town of Litomeric did ordaine by the comand, and unanimous consent of all the Citizens, which order they had regestred in their publique bookes and kept in their severall Companies; which order runne that none should be inrouled into their catalogue of Citizensno; though he were borne in the City: and this Edict they made for their better agreement, and if at any time any man should move that this order should be nulled he should be disfranchised and depart the City within a moneth. This law was ratified and observed inviolable for a hundred yeares, untill the time of Ferdinand, for in the yeare 1617. two Iesuiticall brats were suborned (to wit) Nicolas Marazek, and Bartholomew Collius, who threatening their houses, demanded to be made free-men of the City, which being denyed, they entered their complaint in the Chancery of the Kingdome, whither were warned three of the principall Senators, with the Town-clarke, who were entertained with rough words by the Chancelor and Paul Micna the Secretary, and were kept in the town of Prague for nine daies, till they should agree; so what was the effect of this? After five moneths space the forenamed Marazek is chosen the Senator, that so by this meanes they might have their Spyes in all places. But he whilest the States were in armes to oppose the enemy of the Protestant Religion, namely the Kings Vice-roy, was forced whether he would or no to be quiet; till at length by the Emperours victory he incouraged himself and was made Judge for the Emperour at Litomeric, who proceeded to trouble and disturb the town as much as he could but they indured all things patiently in respect of other Cities; for they never went to the popish Church although they were deprived of their own Ministers, neither did any of them suffer himself to be inticed into apostacy, although two subtil deceivers Valerius Magnus and Franciscus Rozdazovius, did strongly indeavour it, often times discoursing with certaine of the chief Citizens.
2. When they see they could profit nothing this way they used force in the yeare 1625. upon Easter Eve, they wrote downe the names of all the Citizens in certaine papers, and by their officers they delivered every one his paper with a command that they should come to Church upon the morrow, and henceforward upon all holy days in the yeare to hear there, Sermon and Masse; and for a mark of their comming, as they went out of the church, they should shew unto the Sexton every one his paper; otherwise they should forfeit five pounds, every time, but the businesse did not proceed according to their desire neither.
3. At last therefore they bring in more souldiers, and begin to act more furiously upon Corpus Christi day, (as they call it) they command all the people to be present at their Idolatrous processions, and because Paul Stranski, Recorder of the Town would not be at this foppery, nor appear, they send a whole band of souldiers (hee hiding himselfe in his house) they plunder him, and abuse, and threaren his wife Katherin, whom they found sitting by the fire. Mr. George Colssin, son in law to a principle man in the City, is carried before the Councell of War, and is accused of Treason against the Catholicks, that hee did indeavour to shut up the Querister in the Church, for which thing Hiparchus Loreulius Medicius, an Italian, threatned he should die, but in the interim hee commands him to bee kept in the court, but because this was a scandalous fiction, with which Colsinus was abused, as also their other plots intended against the rest, no way restraining the fury of the enemy, til these threatnings vanished into smoak, the souldiery being presently commanded away into Germany against the Dane.
4. In the beginning of the year 1626 they againe oppresse them with souldiers, and quarter in the principle mens houses ten, in some twenty, in others thirty, abusing them fearfully, either as they were richer or more resolved, but they efther escape, or else by God assisted manfully to suffer all things, brought their enemies to such a passe, that they were even weary with plaguing of them, and so began to be more moderate; whereupon they published an order, that if there were any who would not change their Religion, they should depart with their wife and children with in a certaine time from the city and Kingdome, therefore the greater part of the religious, conceiving they might lawfully obey their command in this respect, they take themselves into Misnia, (hard by) the rest yielded.