Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 2.djvu/575

 ANOMALOUS POSITION OF BOHEMIA. 559 to excite rebellion among turbulent subjects and attacks from am- bitious neighbors. With all his vigor and capacity George found the maintenance of his position by no means easy. When, in 1468, the German princes had agreed upon a ^Ye years' truce in order to concentrate their energies against the Moslem, Paul II. threw the empire into confusion by sending the Bishop of Ferrara to preach a crusade with plenary indulgences against Bohemia, adding the special favor that all who joined in the preaching should have the privilege of choosing a confessor, and receiving from him plenary absolution and indulgence. The kingdom was bestowed upon Matthias Corvinus of Hungary, who took the cross, and with an army of crusaders occupied Moravia. A long war ensued, during which George died, in 1471, released from ex- communication on his death-bed, and Ladislas II., son of Casimir of Poland, was elected as his successor. In 1475 the rivals came to terms ; both were recognized as kings of Bohemia, while Mat- thias was to have for life Moravia, Silesia, and the greater part of Lusatia, and the survivor was to enjoy the whole kingdom. On the death of Matthias, in 1490, Ladislas recovered the three prov- inces, and shortly afterwards added Hungary to his dominions.* Ladislas was a good Catholic, and Sixtus lY., who had aided in his election, hoped that the opportunity had at last arrived to break down the stubbornness of the CaHxtins. The king made the attempt, but bloody tumults in Prague, which nearly cost him his life, showed that, slight as was the difference between Cath- olic and Utraquist, the old fanaticism for the cup survived. At length, in 1485, at the Diet of Kuttenberg, mutual toleration was agreed upon, and Ladislas, who was of easy disposition, ran no further risks. Tlius the anomalous position of Bohemia, as a member of Latin Christendom, became more remarkable than ever. The great majority of the people were CaHxtins and there- fore heretics, but the Church had to abandon the attempt to co- erce them to salvation. Missionary inquisitors were commissioned from time to time, but practicaUy their efforts were limited to persuasion and controversy. Even Pius II., in 1463, felt obHged to caution Zeger, the Observantine Yicar-general, that his breth- Hist. Bohem. Libb. XXX.-XXXI—Cochlcei Hist. Hussit. Lib. xii. ann. 1471.
 * Raynald. ann. 1468, No. 1-14.— Chron. Glassberger ann. 1468 — Bubrav