" But, at this culminating point of Zisca's fortunes, death overtook him (October 11, 1424). He lived to foil tlie purposes of Sigismund, and died at the moment when his death was, in some respects, another defeat to his hopes." Zisca's death left the Taborites without any real leader. Their success they chiefly owed to him, and some of them, to indicate their deep sense of the loss they had suffered, took the name of Orphanites (q. v.). Others were absorbed by the Horebites (q. v.), Avhile still others retained their old name, and chose St, Procopius " the Great" (q. v.) as their leader. The Or- phanites, however, had relapsed to a belief in transub- stantiation : they observed the fasts, honored the saints,
and their priests performed worship in robes, all which the strict Taborites continued to reject. Among the Orphanite leaders, Procopius " the Lesser" was the most eminent. Vainly did the pope, assisted by the emperor, preach another crusade against the Hussites, who sal- lied out from Bohemia in troops to make invasions into neighboring countries, and, considering always Bohemia as their home, and other places as the land of the Phil- istines, treated the latter accordingly. Bands of robbers of all nations soon joined them. Frederick " the Valiant" made war against them, and entered Bohemia in 1425, and again in 1426, with 20,000 men, but was repulsed, on the second occasion suffering a terrible defeat at the battle of Ausch, June 15. A panic now seized all Ger- many, which was increased by the storming of Miess and Tachow by the Hussites in 1427. Another crusade, instigated against them by the emperor Sigismund in the same year, met with no better success than before.
At the opening of 1428, a Convention was called at Beraun to bring about, if possible, a general pacification of the nation. But so varying were the views of the different sects, especially the doctrines of free-will, justi- fication, and predestination, that the Convention was broken up without accomplishing anything. In 1429, the Orphanites, assisted by a portion of the Taborites, made a great invasion into Saxony and Silesia. They took Dresden, marched along the Elbe to Magdeburg, then turned into the province of Brandenburg, and final- ly returned to Bohemia by way of Silesia, distributing themselves into different bands in various places, and adopting names according to their fancy. Some were known as Collectors, some as " Small Caps" (^Petit Cha- peaus, says L'Enfant), some as Little Cousins, others as Wolf-bands. In the spring of 1430 they were rea*ly to undertake another invasion. With 20,000 cavalrj-, 30,000 infantry, and 3000 chariots, and with Procopius and other able generals at their Jjead, they repeated the invasion of the countries that had been visited the pre- vious year. Dividing into several bands, they desolated or reduced to ashes more than a hundred towns and vil- lages, beat a Saxon army at Grimma, then went to Franconia, and returned home through Lower Bavaria. IVIeanwhile the pope had been busy with his bigots crj'- ing a new crusade against the Hussites. November 1, 1429, a diet had been summoned to meet at Vienna, but the delay of Sigismund in reaching the place had caused its transfer to Presburg. Here the deUberations were protracted for eight months, and at length nearly all the prelates and princes of the empire were brought to- gether, either in person or by ambassadors. " It was finally resolved to make still another invasion of Bohe- mia. The papal legate came provided for the emergen- cy. He had brought Avith him a bull of Jlartin V, or- daining a crusade, v.hich was now opportmiely to be published. Indulgences were profusely promised, to those who should engage in the enterjirise, or contrib- ute to its promotion. Those who should fast and pray for its success should have a remission of penance for sixty days. From other vows interfering with enlist- ments in the holy war, a dispensation should be freely bestowed." Great efforts were made to insure the suc- cessful issue of this, the sixth invasion of Bohemia by the Imperialists (or the third papal crusade urged by Martin V). June 24, 143 1 , was the time appointed for it. But, before it was undertaken, the emperor, to test the spirit of the Bohemians, made again propositions for the crown. The Orphanites were the only Hussites that opposed him. The Calixtines and Taborites returned a deputation of four to confer with Sigismund. But, even before this deputation had returned to Prague, the Hussites became distrustful, and the most cautious and moderate among them felt satisfied that the emperor only intended to mislead them into a state of securitj-, and then surprise and conquer them. " The old leagues and confederations were revived. Old feuds Avere for- gotten. The barons of Bohemia and INIoravia, the Ca- lixtines of Prague, and the indomitable Taborites and
HUSSITES
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