Protestantism in Poland and Bohemia - James Aitken Wylie

Physician in Ordinary to two emperors -- Rudolph
and Matthias. He it was, it is said, who introduced
the study of anatomy into Prague. Being a man of
eloquent address, he was employed on an
important embassy to Hungary, and this made him
a marked object of the vengeance of Ferdinand II.
His sentence was a cruel one. He was first to
have his tongue cut out, then he was to be
beheaded, and afterwards quartered. His head was
to be affixed to the Bridge-tower, and his limbs
were to be exposed on stakes in the four quarters of
Plague. On hearing this sentence, he said, "You use
us too cruelly; but know that there will not be
wanting some who will take down the heads you
thus ignominiously expose, and lay them in the
grave."[6]
The Jesuits evinced a most lively desire to
bring this learned man over to their side. Jessenius
listened as they enlarged on the efficacy of good
works. "Alas!" replied he, "my time is so short that
I fear I shall not be able to lay up such a stock of
merits as will suffice for my salvation." The
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