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Protestantism in Poland and Bohemia - James Aitken Wylie

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venerable scholar <strong>and</strong> aged matron at Prague, on<br />

the 19th December, 1526. [10]<br />

In the follow<strong>in</strong>g year Martha von Porzicz was<br />

burned. She was a woman heroic beyond even the<br />

heroism of her sex. Interrogated by the doctors of<br />

the university as well as by the councillors, she<br />

answered <strong>in</strong>trepidly, giv<strong>in</strong>g a reason of the faith<br />

she had embraced, <strong>and</strong> upbraid<strong>in</strong>g the Hussites<br />

themselves for their stupid adulation of the Pope.<br />

The presid<strong>in</strong>g judge h<strong>in</strong>ted that it was time she was<br />

gett<strong>in</strong>g ready her garment for the fire. "My<br />

petticoat <strong>and</strong> cloak are both ready," she replied;<br />

"you may order me to be led away when you<br />

please."[11] She was straightway sentenced to the<br />

fire.<br />

The town-crier walked before her, proclaim<strong>in</strong>g<br />

that she was to die for blasphem<strong>in</strong>g the holy<br />

Sacrament. Rais<strong>in</strong>g her voice to be heard by the<br />

crowd she said, "It is not so; I am condemned<br />

because I will not confess to please the priests that<br />

Christ, with his bones, hairs, s<strong>in</strong>ews, <strong>and</strong> ve<strong>in</strong>s, is<br />

conta<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> the Sacrament."[12] And rais<strong>in</strong>g her<br />

145

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