LETTER OF QUEEN SOPHIA

103

condemned more severely than was afterwards done by the Council of Constance — it is not surprising that the declared enemy of simony and of the corruption of the clergy found little sympathy with him. Cardinal Colonna, whom Pope John had authorised to give judgment on the Bohemian affairs, rejected the appeal of Hus and his followers to the papal court. That court at the same time expressed its entire approval of the conduct of the Archbishop, and enjoined on him to take immediate proceedings against Hus with the aid of the " secular arm." At the same time sentence of excommunication was passed on Hus, and the city of Prague was declared to be under interdict. Though such attempts were obviously hopeless, endeavours were still made to mitigate the irritation of King Wenceslas and his the papal court against Hus. consort, as well as several of the most prominent Bohemian nobles, addressed strong remonstrances to Pope John and the Roman court, complaining of what they considered his exaggerated severity against Hus. Queen Sophia's letters were couched in very She wrote : " An order contrary energetic language. to Scripture, agitating the people and disturbing the order of our kingdom, has been published on the suggestion of those who are opposed to the preaching In consequence of this the preaching of the gospel. of the gospel has, except in monasteries and parish churches, been prohibited by the Archbishop of Prague, even in chapels that have been sanctioned by the apostolic see, under penalty of excommunication. Your Holiness well knows that the preaching of the Word of God should not be confined to certain places, but that, on the contrary, it should be allowed in hamlets,