Page:The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe Volume 3.djvu/581

 upwards, was brought up in the king's court, and had lost one of his eyes in a battle, where he had valiantly borne himself. This man, being sore grieved for the death of John Huss, and Jerome of Prague, minding to revenge the injuries which the council had done, greatly to the dishonour of the kingdom of Bohemia, upon their accomplices and adherents, gathered together a number of men of war, and subverted the monasteries and idolatrous temples, pulling down and breaking in pieces the images and idols, driving away the priests and monks, who, he said, were kept in their cloisters, like swine in their sties, to be fatted. After this his army being increased, having gathered together about forty thousand men, he attempted to take the castle of Vissegrade, which was but slenderly warded. From thence the said Zisca, under the conduct of Coranda, went speedily unto Pilsen, where he knew he had many friends of his faction, and took the town into his power, fortifying the same very strongly, and those who tarried behind, took the castle of Vissegrade.

Then the queen Sophia, being very careful, sent letters and messengers unto the emperor Sigismund, and other nobles adjoined unto her, requiring aid and help; but the emperor made preparation against the Turk, who had then lately won certain castles of him. Whereupon the queen, seeing all aid so far off, together with Zenko Warterberge, gathered a host with the king's treasure, and fortified the castle of Prague, and the lesser city which joineth unto the castle, making gates and towers of wood upon the bridge, over the river Multain, to stop that the protestants should have no passage that way. Then it happened that at the isle of St. Benedict, one Peter Steremberg fought an equal or indifferent battle with them.

In the mean time, the number of the protestants being increased in Prague, they fought for the bridge. In which battle many were slain on both parts, but at length the Hussites won the bridge and the nether part of lesser Prague; the queen's part flying into the upper part thereof: where they, turning again fiercely, renewed the battle, and fought continually day and night by the space of five days. Many were slain on both parts, and goodly buildings were rased, and the council-house, which was in a low place, was utterly defliced and burned.

During the time of this troublous estate, the ambassadors of the emperor Sigismund were come; who, taking upon them the rule and governance of the realm, made a truce or league with the city of Prague under this condition, that the castle of Vissegrade being surrendered, it should be lawful for them to send ambassadors to the emperor Sigismund to treat as touching their estate, and that Zisca should surrender Pilsen and Piesta with the other forts which he had taken. These conditions thus agreed upon and received, all the foreign protestants departed out of the city, and the senate of the city began to govern again according to their accustomed manner, and all things were quieted. Howbeit, the papists, who were gone out of the town, durst not return again, but still looked for the emperor, by whose presence they thought they should have been safe. But this their hope was frustrated by means of certain letters which were sent from the emperor, wherein it was written. That he would shortly come and