A.D. 1410. By this misunderstanding and disagreement BOOK VIII. among the electoral princes, Germany may be said to have had three heads at the same time, as Wencelaus still claimed the government of the empire; but, fortunately, the death of Josse left Sigismund without a rival; and at a third Sigismund confirmmeeting his election was unanimous. Sigismund was the second son of Charles IV., and in his fortieth year, when called to the throne of Germany. His character is variously represented by historians; the Germans report him to have been as much distinguished for his talents, and correct conduct, as his elder brother was notorious for his ignorance and immorality; but the Italians represent him as habitually cruel, and faithless in his public capacity, and in his private life debauched and voluptuous to the last degree. He had no sooner, however, assumed the reins of government, than he took measures for securing tranquillity in the empire. At a diet, which he held at Nuremberg immediately after his election, he renewed the laws for the protection of commerce, and directed all the lately imposed duties to be suppressed. He was greatly shocked at the irregularities of his ed: His character: BOOK VIII. A.D. 1410. His war with Venice: elder brother, and had an intention of marching an army into Bohemia, for the purpose of regulating the affairs of that kingdom, but was prevented from doing so, by being obliged to take the field in person against the republic of Venice. That republic, from a very early period, had possessed the province of Dalmatia; but in the fourteenth century, it had been wrested from them by Louis, King of Hungary, and annexed to his crown. It had, however, been restored, as a mortgage, by the son of Charles of Durazzo; but when Sigismund became the peaceable possessor of the crown of Hungary, his first care was to recover the province, or to make the Venetians pay for it. The King of Poland, and the Pope, John XXIII., had tried to arrange the matter amicably, but the pride of the Venetians would not admit of any compromise, beyond acknowledging the supremacy of the emperor. Sigismund was therefore obliged to order his generals to retake it by force, and war was declared against the republic. In the first action, the Hungarians were successful, and Dalmatia was taken possession of, and as their general considered that he had fulfilled his orders, he proceeded no further. The city therefore, had time to recover her spirits and to recruit her army; and the emperor now found that the preparations which she had made to regain the disputed province were only to be frustrated by the united energies of the empire. This war with Venice endured for three years; but as soon as it was brought to a conclusion Sigismund turned his attention to the affairs of BOOK VIII. A.D. 1412. Council of Con stance: Council of Constance met in 1412, for the He assembles the avowed purpose of settling, not only the schism which existed among the members of the Catholic church, but equally to put an end to that heresy which agitated Bohemia, and was fast spreading into the other countries 'of Europe. . John Huss was summoned to meet the Fathers of the Church assembled at Constance, and having obtained a safe conduct from the emperor, appeared before them, ready to defend the doctrines he had promulgated. Instead, however, of proceeding to examine, or to refute his errors, the venerable members of this sacred council commenced their labours by de BOOK VIII. nying the power of the emperor to afford him protection. They first mooted, and afterwards A.D. 1413. The decision of this decided the question in the affirmative, that council respecting Huss: no faith was to be kept with heretics, or those accused of heresy. The emperor pleaded his promise to the accused, but they assured him that he could never be considered guilty of having broken that promise: that the general council of the church was paramount to all other authority, and as it had not granted to Huss any protection, the emperor could have no right to do so, without its sanction, and particularly in a case which concerned a matter of faith. It was by such arguments, and such reasoning, that they overcame the scruples of the emperor; and John Huss, delivered over to his enemies, was immediately sent to prison, His condemnation. to await their leisure for his condemnation— And death. it cannot be said for his trial. While the affair of the Popes occupied the attention of the council, the Professor of Prague seemed to be forgotten, but as soon as they were settled, he was dragged from his dungeon, his sentence pronounced, and his execution completed. By this council, John XXIII. was deposed A.D. 1414. vours to heal the from the papacy, and as it was found that his BOOK VIII. competitors had been improperly and illegally chosen, it was declared also that they were not entitled to the obedience of the faithful. Gregory, trusting to the advice of his pretended friends, sent in his resignation, and it was accepted, and as there was now only Benedict to contend with, Sigismund took upon himself to arrange matters with that prelate. For this pur- The emperor endeapose he left Constance, and proceeded to Nar- schism in the church: bonne, where he was met by the King of Arragon, and it was settled, that if Benedict would not consent to give in his resignation, he should be shut up in prison, or delivered over to the emperor's keeping. From Narbonne, the emperor then proceeded to Perpignan, where, after some delay, Benedict arrived. He was earnestly entreated by Sigismund, to resign his assumed title, but this he refused to do. "God," he Benedict refuses to comply with his said, " had placed him at the helm of the church, and he would not abandon that goodly ship in her present distressed and helpless condition. Though old, he was the more called upon to resist the tempest with all his remaining strength, and he would maintain his rights with his last breath." wishes. |
