Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 2.djvu/538

 ^22 THE HUSSITES. In the intellectual and spiritual excitement which stirred Bo^ hernia to the depths, it was impossible that aU earnest souls should thus pause on the threshold. The old Waldensian heretics, who had hailed the progress of Wickliffite and Hussite doctrines, would naturally seek to prevent the arrested development of the Calix- tins from prevailing, and, as we have seen, there were plenty of zealots who were ready to throw aside all the theology of sacer- dotalism. Under the energetic leadership of Ziska, Coranda, Nicholas of Pilgram, and other resolute men, the progressive ele- ments were rapidly moulded into a powerful party, which after sloughing off impracticable enthusiasts presented itself with a definite creed and purpose, and became known as the Taborites. Of late years there has been an active controversy as to whether the Waldenses were the teachers or the disciples of the Taborites. Without denying that the fearless vigor of the latter lent added strength to the development of the former, I cannot but think that the secret Waldensianism of Bohemia had much to do both with the revolt of Huss and with the carrying-out of that revolt to its logical consequences. Certain it is that there were close and friendly relations between Waldensian and Taborite, while the very name of the former was regarded by all other Bohemians as a term of reproach— in fact there was so much in common between Wick- liffite and Waldensian doctrine that this could scarce be otherwise. I have already alluded to the contributions made to the Hussites, in 1432 by the Waldensian churches of Dauphine, and to the vir- tual coalescence of Hussitism and Waldensianism throughout Germany When Procopius the Great, in 1433, was taking leave of the Council of Basle, he had the hardihood to inject into his address a good word for the Waldenses, saying that he had heard them well spoken of for chastity, modesty, and similar virtues. Persecution in 1430 so thinned them out that they had neither bishop nor priests ; Nicholas of Pilgram, the Taborite bishop, had enjoyed consecration in the Eoman Church, and thus had the right to transmit the apostohc succession, and he, m 1433, m Prague ■ consecrated for the Waldenses as bishops two of their number, Frederic the German, and John the ItaUan. When, m 1451, ^neas Sylvius passed a night in Mount Tabor, and wrote a pict- uresque description of what he observed, he states that while all heresies had a refuge there, the Waldenses were held m