Page:History of the Thirty Years' War - Gindely - Volume 1.djvu/83

 the Bohemian Confession. A few days later a press-law was issued forbidding the publication of polemic articles and severe attacks on the government, according to which every article designed for the press must be handed in to the Chancellor beforehand and printed only with his permission.

Having given orders in these two important matters, and invested ten of his highest officials with the Regency, the Emperor departed for Vienna. At the same time that he in this journey arrived in the city of Pardubic, arrived also in the same a deputation of the Protestants of Braunau, whom the Chancellor, in his name, commanded to surrender their church to the abbot, which, after a contest of several years’ duration, they had not as yet done. They were to receive from the abbot a written acknowledgment of their punctual compliance with this order, and send the same to the Regents by a deputation. In spite, however, of this decision, these Protestants did not yet give up the key, but set themselves in the attitude of defence against the royal deputies, who, upon the intelligence of their disobedience, had been sent to Braunau, and most probably the matter would have terminated in violence had not the insurrection in the meantime broken out in Prague.

The Archbishop brought the business with the people of Klostergrab to a more speedy end. When, as related above, he had shut up the church and menaced them with punishment in case they should attend Protestant preaching in the vicinity, and finally had demanded of them that they for all future time adhere to the Catholic Church, he laid hands upon the church. At his command it was to be torn down; which command was immediately obeyed, and the work was finished in three