Page:John Huss by Hastings Rashdall (1879).pdf/22

 where he died before he could obtain an opportunity of laying his grievances before the Emperor.

The Pope had referred Huss’ appeal to the Cardinal Oddo of Colonna; and with it a further complaint which had been received from Bohemia, alleging that Huss had continued preaching in spite of the prohibition and had used language disrespectful to the Holy See. The Cardinal dismissed the appeal, and enjoined the Archbishop to “proceed to further measures according to the bull of Alexander V.,” and to excommunicate Huss and his adherents. This, as we have seen, he had already done, the appeal being treated as ab initio null and void in accordance with the terms of the bull. Moreover, Huss was cited to appear personally before the Cardinal.

Alexander V. had now been succeeded by a Pope who was generally believed to have procured by bribery his election to the throne which he had rendered vacant by poison. The official letter of John XXIII., notifying his election, must have been received in Prague at about the time of the Archbishop’s sentence upon Wyclif’s books. Against that sentence Huss, together with one Master and five Bachelors of Arts, had, a month before the excommunication, made his appeal from the Pope “male informato” to the Pope “melius informato,” from the delegate of Alexander V. to John XXIII. in person.

Meanwhile, the Preacher of Bethlehem Chapel remained excommunicated; but the services and sermons were continued as before. In the life of every reformer there comes a time when some of his disciples are offended at him, and walk no more with him. Hitherto, the quarrel of Huss had been the quarrel of the University. His old tutor Stanislaus of Znaim, and his intimate friend Palecz had been on his side throughout: Palecz had been one of the representatives of the University in the late arbitration. An occasional dispute with a ecclesiastical superior was no more incompatible with a mediæval ecclesiastic’s notions of canonical obedience, than a “defiance” of his feudal suzerain with a mediæval layman’s notions of feudal subordination. But now the affair was gradually drifting from the position of a dispute within the Church into that of a hostile movement from without. It was high time for those who did not intend to be heretics to beat a retreat.

Huss’ next step separated him for ever from the leading Theologians of Prague. Zbynek was succeeded by the King’s physician, Albic of Uniczow. The Legate entrusted with the