the condemnation of Wickliffe and Huss. Dupin also says, that the fathers of the council were fully satisfied of his relapse, and sent for him to the twenty-first session, held the thirtieth of May. The bishop of Londi, who preached the sermon previous to the condemnation of Huss, now preached another to usher in the fate of Jerom. When the sermon was ended, the martyr, unjustly stigmatized a heretic, declared he still persisted in his last retractation, and told them, that they would condemn him wickedly and unjustly. But (says he) after my death, I will leave a sting in your conscience and a nail in your hearts, ET CITO VOS OMNES, UT RESPONDEATIS MIHI CORAM ALTISSIMO ET JUSTISSIMO JUDICE, POST CENTUM ANNOS: That is, "I cite you all to answer to me before the "most High and the most just Judge, within a hundred years." He was then condemned as a heretic relapsed, delivered over to the secular power, and led away to death, which he endured with great constancy.

Such is the account given by the popish writers: But the Florentine secretary, Poggius, who was a spectator of all he relates, and gave a full account of the matter to Aretin the pope's secretary, is more circumstantial and impartial in his relation of this affair. He tells us, (as we shall see below) that as Ferom was returning to Bobemia, he was brought back to Constance by the Duke of Bavaria; and, the next day, carried as a prisoner before the council, where it soon appeared, that his abjuration had slipt from him in an unguarded hour through the weakness of the flesh. Poggins, who was one of the best judges of the age, asserts, that Jerom spoke with such a quickness of sentiment, such a dignity of expression, and such strength of argument, that he seemed to equal the noblest of the ancient compositions. When some members of the council called out to him to put in his answers, he told the assembly, that the objections against him were the effects of prepossession and prejudice: That, therefore, to justice, they should permit him to lay open the whole tenor of his doctrine, life, and conversation, whereby he could indubitably weaken and invalidate all the prepossessions, which ignorant zeal and open malice had rendered too strong against him in his unhappy conlition. He was told, he could not expect such indulgence. This exhausted his patience, and he exclaimed to the whole assembly in these terms. "What barbarity "is this! For three hundred and forty days have I been through all the variety of prisons. There is not a "misery

you

<< misery, there is not a want, that I have not experienced. << To my enemies have allowed the fullest scope of "accusation: To me you deny the least opportunity of "defence. Not an hour will you indulge me in pre"paring my trial. You have swallowed the blackest "calumnies against me. You have represented me as a "heretic, without knowing what is my doctrine; as an "enemy to the faith, before you knew what faith I pro❝fessed; and as a persecutor of priests, before you could ❝ have any opportunity of understanding my sentiments "on that head. You are a general council: In you "center all that this world can communicate of gravity, ❝ wisdom, and sanctity: but still you are men, and men "are seducible by appearances. The higher your cha"racter is for wisdom, the greater ought your care to be "not to deviate into folly. The cause I now plead is "not my own cause: It is the cause of men; it is the "cause of Christians; it is the cause which is to affect "the rights of posterity, however the experiment is to "be made in my person." The bigotted part of the assembly considered this speech as poison to the ears of the auditors: But many of the members were men of taste and learning, who were favourably inclined to the prisoner, and pitied him in their hearts, though a restraint was on their tongues.

Jerom was obliged to give way to their authority, and to hear his charge read, which was reduced under these heads; That he was a derider of the papal dignity, an 'opposer of the pope, an enemy of the cardinals, a persecutor of the prelates, and a hater of the Christian religion.' He answered this charge with an amazing force of elocution, and strength of argument. "Now,

<< says he, wretch that I am! whether shall I turn me? "To my accusers! My accusers are as deaf as adders. "To you my judges! You are prepossessed by the arts "of my accusers.' We are told by Poggius, that Jerom, in all he spoke, said nothing unbecoming a great and wise man: And he candidly asserts, that, if what Jerom said was true, he was not only free from capital guilt, but from the smallest blame.

The trial of Jerom was brought on the third day after his accusation, and witnesses were examined in support of the charge. The prisoner was prepared for his defence; which will appear almost incredible, when it is considered, that he had been three hundred and forty days shut up in a dark offensive dungeon, deprived of day-light, food, and

sleep.

sleep. His spirit soared above these disadvantages, under which a man less enabled, must have sunk; nor was he more at a loss for quotations from fathers and ancient authors, than if he had been furnished with the finest library in Europe.

Many of the zealots and bigots of the assembly were against his being heard, as they knew what effect eloquence is apt to have on the minds even of the most prejudiced. However, it was carried by the majority that he should have liberty to proceed in his defence, which he began in such an exalted strain of moving elocution, that the heart of obdurate zeal was seen to melt, and the mind of superstition seemed to admit a ray of conviction. He made an admirable distinction between evidence as resting on facts, and as supported by malice and calumny. He laid before the assembly the whole tenor of his life and conduct, which he owned had been always open and unreserved. He justly observed, that the greatest and most holy men have been known to differ in points of speculation, with a view to distinguish truth, not to keep it concealed. And he then expressed a noble contempt of all his enemies, who would have induced him to retract the cause of religion and truth. He next entered on a high encomium upon doctor John Huss; and declared he was ready to follow him in the glorious tract of martyrdom. He was (said Ferom) a good, just, and holy man, and very unworthy of the death which he suffered. He knew him, from his youth upward, to be neither fornicator, drunkard, nor addicted to any kind of vice; on the contrary, he was a chaste and sober man, and a faithful and true preacher of the blessed gospel. That, with respect to himself, whatsoever things Wickliffe and Huss had written, and especially against the pomp and pride of the clergy, he would affirm to his latest breath, that they were holy and blessed men, and that nothing so much troubled his conscience as the sin, which he committed by his recantation in speaking against them, which recantation he utterly abjured and abhorred from the bottom of his heart. He added, that he could not help saying, with his dying breath, it was certainly impious that the patrimony of the church, which was originally intended for the purpose of charity and universal benevolence, should be prostituted to the lust of the flesh, and the pride of the eye, in whores, feasts, foppish vestments, and other reproaches to the name and profession of Christianity.

The

The prisoner received many interruptions from the impertinence of some, and the inveteracy of others: But he answered every one with so much readiness, and vivacity of thought, that, at last, they were ashamed, and he was permitted to finish his defence. His voice was sweet, clear, and sonorous; pliable to captivate every passion, and able to conciliate every affection, which he knew how to do with wonderful address. He was admired by his enemies, and compassionated by his friends: But he received the same sentence that had been passed upon his martyred friend; and, Poggius says, the assembly condemned him with great reluctance.

The same author tells us, that Jerom had two days allowed for his recantation; and that the cardinal of Florence used all the arguments he could for that effect, which were ineffectual. The divine was resolved to seal his doctrine with his blood; he could not be seduced to make another retractation; and he suffered death with all the magnanimity of Huss. He embraced the stake to which he was fastened, with the peculiar malice of wet cords. When the executioner went behind him to set fire to the pile, "Come here, said the martyr, and kindle "it before my eyes; for if I dreaded such a sight, I "should never have come to this place, when I had a free "opportunity to escape." The fire was kindled, and he then sung a hymn, which was soon finished by the incircling flames.

He cried out several times, In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum; i. e. "Into thy hands, O Lord, I "commend my spirit." His last words, which could be heard were; O Lord God, the Father Almighty, "have mercy upon me, and forgive all my sins: Thou "knowest, with what sincerity I have loved thy truth." He appeared to endure much by the fire for the space of a quarter of an hour, all the while seeming, by the motion of his lips, to pray within himself. After he was dead, his bed, clothes, and the other things he had with him in prison, were thrown into the fire and consumed with him. Finally, the ashes were gathered together, and cast into the river Rhine, which runs close by the city.

We cannot conclude this account of Jerom, without annexing at large the most honourable testimony given of him by Poggius of Florence, an adversary, and the secretary of two popes, and consequently not a more favourable testimony than truth itself compelled. We copy it from Mr Gilpin's valuable and elegant history of Jerom; whose life

of

of Zisca, the great General of the Bohemians, is an admirable p rformance.

A Letter from Poggius of Florence to Leonard Aretin.

In the midst of a short excursion into the country, I wrote to our common friend; from whom, I doubt not, you have had an account of me.

Since my return to Constance, my attention hath been wholly engaged by Jerom, the Bohemian heretic, as he is called. The eloquence, and learning, which this 6 person hath employed in his own defence are so extraordinary, that I cannot forbear giving you a short account ⚫ of him.

To confess the truth, I never knew the art of speak<ing carried so near the model of ancient eloquence. It ⚫ was indeed amazing to hear with what force of expres

sion, with what fluency of language, and with what <excellent reasoning he answered his adversaries; nor was I less struck with the gracefulness of his manner; the dignity of his action; and the firmness, and constancy of his whole behaviour. It grieved me to think so great a man was labouring under so atrocious an ac'cusation. Whether this accusation be a just one, God knows: For myself, I enquire not into the merits of it; resting satisfied with the decision of my superiors. But I will just give you a summary of his trial.

After many articles had been proved against him, ⚫ leave was at length given him to answer each in its order. But Jerom long refused, strenuously contending, that he had many things to say previously in his defence; and that he ought first to be heard in general, before he descended to particulars. When this was over-ruled, "Here, said he, standing in the midst of the assembly, "here is justice; here is equity. Beset by my enemies, "I am already pronounced a heretic: I am condemned, "before I am examined. Were you gods omniscient, "instead of an assembly of fallible men, you could not "act with more sufficiency.-Error is the lot of mortals; "and you, exalted as you are, are subject to it. But "consider, that the higher you are exalted, of the more "dangerous consequence are your errors.-As for me, "I know I am a wretch below your notice: But at least "consider, that an unjust action, in such an assembly, "will be of dangerous example."

This, and much more, he spoke with great elegance of language, in the midst of a very unruly and indecent • assembly: