p. 570 | The Third Invasion of Bohemia

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 16, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 36.

The Third Invasion of Bohemia.

By Stephen Nelson Haskell

AFTER the battle of Aussig, Sigismund wished to desist from any further efforts to bring the Bohemians into subjection by force of arms; but the Roman Pontiff did not feel like giving up the struggle, and this last tempest had scarcely subsided when a more terrible one was seen rolling up against the Hussites. The Pope laid another plan which he thought would be successful, and soliciting Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester, the son of the celebrated John of Gaunt, and brother of Henry IV., as a suitable person on whom to bestow a mark of special confidence, he first created him cardinal, and next made him his legate a latere, and placed him at the head of the new Bohemian crusade, which he had called into existence by a bull given at Rome, February 16, 1427.

After making a general proclamation in England, and throughout Europe, the bishop expected to see thousands of warriors pressing forward to fight under his banner. But he was mortified to find that only a few Englishmen were anxious to take part in an enterprise which, beyond all doubt was very holy; but which, with as little doubt, would be very bloody. In Belgium he met with better success. The whole of this vast region from the Rhine to the Elbe, and from the shores of the Baltic to the summits of the Alps seemed to rise up at the voice of this new Peter. His army was composed of shepherds of the mountains, and artisans and traders of the towns, of the peasants who tilled the fields, and the lords and princes who owned the land. It is estimated that the army consisted of at least one hundred and eighty thousand men, ninety thousand infantry, and an equal number of cavalry. It was certainly much the largest army that had ever gone forth against the heretics of Bohemia. It was supposed that this movement would awe the small Bohemian nation, and rouse the Bohemian Catholics to oppose their Protestant countrymen, so that a victory over the latter would be easily achieved. But in this they were sadly mistaken. Instead of arousing the Catholic party, it stirred the patriotism of all ranks in that country from the magnates to the peasants, and many Roman Catholics, who until now had opposed the reform party, joined the standard of the great Procopius.

At this time Procopius took an entirely new tack. He feared doubtless that the large numbers of his enemies might intimidate at least some who had recently joined the army and had not had an experience in their former victories. He formed his men in nearly a semi-circle, placing in front of them, as before, thousands of wagons chained together. As the enemy approached the army in the center of the semi-circle began to retreat, and Procopius caused a report to be circulated that they had trouble among themselves, and were retreating before the enemy. This continued until vast numbers of the German army were nearly surrounded by the Bohemians. They then saw that this was a stratagem, and beginning with the officers, the entire army fled panic stricken from the field of battle. God put within them a spirit of fear, and they left their wagons, their ammunition, and all they had taken with them, and fled the country. The booty taken by the Bohemians was so immense that there was scarcely a person in all the country that did not receive something of what was left by their enemies. The legate found that if the doctrines of the Hussites were false, their swords were sharp, and he had no desire to meddle farther in their affairs. But the emperor, although he did not wish to cope with them on the battle field, was still anxious to gain the Bohemian crown, and he resolved to see what diplomacy could effect. S. N. H.