XIV.

REIGN OF FERDINAND I. 374-405

(1526-1564.)

Questions at issue in Bohemia at the time of Ferdinand’s accession--Ferdinand’s mistakes--The Turkish war--Ferdinand’s reforms in Prague--Soliman’s siege of Vienna and its repulse--Final fall of Pas̆ek and Cahera--Ferdinand’s aims--The Brothers and the Anabaptists--Conrad of Krajek--The Confession of the Brotherhood--John Augusta--Luther’s relations with the Brotherhood--His defence of their Confession--Ferdinand’s attacks on the Brotherhood--Utraquist opposition to the “Compacts”--Augusta with Calvin and Luther--Luther refuses to Germanise Bohemia--Growth of Lutheran principles in Bohemia--The Bohemians and the Schmalkaldic war--The League for Bohemian Liberty--The insurrection of 1547--Consequences of its failure--Renewed persecution of the Brotherhood--The Litomys̆l Brothers--Arrest and torture of Augusta--Ferdinand’s ingenious cruelty--Expulsion of the Brothers from Bohemia--Their settlement in Poland--Removal to Prussia--Their treatment in Prussia--Ferdinand’s difficulties with the “local” claims--The “Estates of the Circles”--The Komora Dvorska and its uses--Catholics and Utraquists--New torture of Augusta--Ferdinand’s appeal to Moravia and its repulse--Augusta’s difficulties with the “Elders”--Protestant hopes from Maximilian--Power of the Jesuits--New persecution of the Brothers--Augusta’s position--The final attempt at his conversion--His verbal concession to Utraquism and its misrepresentation--His last imprisonment and final release--Death of Ferdinand.