brated lay reformer was born at Prague, about the year 1370. Very
little is extant relative to the early part of his life; but he was very
eager in the pursuit of knowledge, and spent his youth in the universities
of Prague, Paris, Heidelberg, Cologne, and Oxford. At the latter
university, he became acquainted with the works of Wickliffe, translated
them into his native language, professed himself, on his return to Prague,
to be an open favorer of him, and attached himself to the Reformed in
Bohemia, over whom Huss presided. Before the council of Constance, Jerome
was cited on the 17th of April, 1415, when Huss was confined at that
place. On his arrival, he found that he could not render any assistance to
Huss, and therefore thought it prudent to retire; and, on behalf of Huss,
he wrote to the emperor. At Kirsaw, Jerome was seized by an officer of the
duke of Sulzbach, who immediately wrote to the council concerning him, and
they directed him to send his prisoner to Constance. On his arrival at
that place, he was immediately brought before the council, accused of his
attachment to Protestant principles, and was remanded from the assembly
into a dungeon. As he was there sitting, ruminating on his approaching
fate, he heard a voice calling out in these words:--"Fear not, Jerome, to
die in the cause of that truth which, during thy life, thou hast
defended." It was the voice of Madderwitz, who had contributed to the
comfort of Huss; but, in consequence of it, Jerome was conveyed to a
strong tower, and exposed to torture and want.

This suffering brought on him a dangerous illness, and attempts were then
made to induce him to retract his principles; but he remained immovable.
Unhappily, however, for his subsequent peace of mind, he was at length
induced to retract, and acknowledged the errors of Wickliffe and Huss,
assented to the condemnation of the latter, and declared himself a firm
believer in the church of Rome. But the conscience of Jerome would not
allow him to suffer that retraction to remain; and he accordingly
recanted, and demanded a second trial.

Accordingly, in the month of May, 1416, Jerome was again called before the
council, and charged with his adherence to the errors of Wickliffe, his
having had a picture of him in his chamber, his denial of
transubstantiation, with other matters of a similar description. On these
articles he answered with equal spirit. Through the whole oration he
manifested an amazing st