these armed heretics, but even endeavored to influence the citizens of Prague to admit Sigismund as the suc- cessor of Wenceslaus. The people ap])ealed to Zisca for aid against the probable invasion of the city by Sigis- mund. November 4, 1419, Zisca re-entered the city. The emperor, involved in a war with the Turks, neglect- ed at first to attend to Bohemia. Finally, in 1420, he besieged Prague, but was driven from his positions.
Widely differing in their political and religious senti- ments, the Hussites became daily more divided. Some favored the Calixtines, others the Taborites, and between these two parties strong jealousies were constantly spring- ing up. In the old town of Prague the Calixtines pre- vailed, in the new the Taborites held sway, and, finding it thus difficult to satisfy and please all parties, and even fearing a union of the Calixtines with the Royalists, Zis- ca finally withdrew to the country. During the siege the Praguers had presented to the emperor, as conili- tions of submission and adherence to him as subjects, four articles (^Articles of Prague). These were stipula- tions for, 1, tlie free and untrammeled preaching of the Word of God, throughout the kingdom of Bavaria, by evangelical preachers ; 2, the free use of communion in both kinds by all true Christians who had not committed mortal sin ; 3, the keeping of all priests and monks out of any temporal power, and obliging them to live accord- ing to the example of Christ and the apostles ; 4, the punishment of all mortal sins, and of all disorders con- trary to the law of God committed by the priests. The Taborites, however, presented no less than twelve arti- cles, namely, the suppression of all unnecessary church- es, altars, images, etc. ; the application of capital punish- ment for other sins, such as drinking in taverns, luxury in clothes or in the style of living, etc. But the con- tinued persecutions of the Hussites, and the unqualified approval of them by Sigismund, ever united the two par- ties for common defence. March 1, 1420, Martin Y in- vited a regular crusade against them, incited thereto in a great measure, no doubt, by Sigismmid, who felt himself too weak to gain the kingdom with his army. The Huss- ites were now to be dealt with as " rebels against the Ro- man Church, and as heretics;" and the emperor exerted himself for the publication of this buU throughout his dominions. Even more than the previous documents of like character, it shows the blind zeal and persecuting bigotry of Rome. A Christian, not a heathen people, were now, howcA-er, to be the objects of its vergeance — "a people whose great heresy was that they made the Word of God their supreme authority, and con- tended for the institutions of the Gospel in their prim- itive simplicity and integrity." To animate his fol- lowers with greater fervor in the execution of the buU, the pope, "by the mercy of Almighty God, and the authority of the holy apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, as well as by the power of binding and loosing bestowed by God upon himself, granted to those who should enter upon the crusade, or to such even as should die upon the Toad, plenary pardon of their sins, . . . and eternal salvation;" and to such as could not go in person, but contributed to it in any wise, full remission of their sins. Thus " all Christendom, with its generals and armies, was summoned to rriisli out the heresies of men Avhom the council chosr to burn rather than refute." " But the result disappointed all human expectations. The forces of the empire dashed and shattered themselves against the invincible resolution and desperate courage of a band of men sustained by rehgious enthusiasm, and conducted by able generals."
Measiu-es for defence were at once taken by the Huss- ites. The citizens of Prague, who had frequently been divided, now united against the common foe. Calixtine and Taborite were ready to join hands in a league of mu- tual defence. Never was there a more signal defeat than the imperial forces now sustained, although their army was 140,000 to 150,000 strong. Prague was the first city freed from the beleaguering enemy; but the great battle which decided the fate of the Imperialists was
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fought at Galgenberg or Witkow, known thereafter as the Ziscaberg (Hill of Zisca). Yet the opposition of the Taborites to all hierarchical pomp, and the tlireatened ruin of some of the most splendid structures of Prague, inclined the Calixtines, as soon as the danger had pass- ed, to accept the terms of peace which Sigismund seem- ed very anxious to grant, provided, liowever, they could induce the emperor at the same time to remove the stigma of heresy which rested on the four "Articles of Prague." This they failed to accomplish, and peace was further delayed. A second and third attempt of Sigismund at pacitication met with no better success. An effort was now made to compromise the differences between the Calixtines and Taborites. But the great- est obstacle to this was found to be their political rather than religious views. The question who shoidd wear the crown of Bohemia %vas a matter of no little impor- tance, and each party seemed anxious to S3ciu-e it for one of their number. A convention of the states was held at Czaslau, July, 1421, to determine the matter. A regency was appointed of twenty members, taken from the different orders of the nation. Zisca appeared in it in the first rank of the nobles. It was resolved, with remarkable unanimity, that the four Articles of Prague should be universally received. Sigismund was de- clared incapable of reigning over Bohemia, and the crown was offered to the king of Poland. He refused, however, to accept it. Withold, grand duke of Lithua- nia, was next chosen ; he also declined, but recommend- ed Sigismund Corybut, his brother, to the Bohemian barons, and accompanied him to Prague, where they both, by partaking of the communion of the cup, sealed their adherence to the faith of the Calixtines, M'ho held now the supremacy at Prague, and who had revived their old hostility against the Taborites. The nation divided into two "fierce parties, embittered bj' preju- dice and mutual aggressions," so that the opposition to Corybut became irreconcilable, even although Zisca himself espoused liis cause, as the Taborites were un- willing to follow their leader blindly. A diet held at Prague in November, 1421, to determine the question, brought it no nearer to its solution, while it effected the estrangement of Zisca from the Calixtines, who now re- garded him and his followers as their enemies. An army was gathered against them ; but, as often before, the Taborites were victorious, and the Calixtines se- verely beaten. Another attempt proved even less fa- vorable to them, and, thus driven to desperation, Zisca now attempted to crush the Calixtines, who were vir- tually leagued with the Imperialists. After various vic- tories over his enemies, Zisca appeared before Prague September 11, 1423, and invested the city, suffering no one to issue forth from its gates. When everything was ready to storm the city, a deputation of the Calixtines appeared before him and offered terms of submission, which he readily accepted. Zisca entered Prague with great honors, and was intrusted with the exercise of paramount authority. The emperor's hopes of being king of Bohemia had of late been based upon the divis- ions of the nation, and, battled by this new agreement between the Hussites, he now sought to win them over by liberal concessions. Pie offered to Zisca the govern- ment of the kingdom, and asked for himself only the wearing of the crown.