The
celebrated Poggio Bracciolini, one of the revivers of Italian
literature, happened to be present at the trial and execution of
Jerome; and although not agreeing with him, or rather being
indifferent in point of religion, the eloquence, magnanimity and
amiable deportment of the unfortunate martyr, excited his sympathy and
admiration in an uncommon degree. This is manifested in his letters to
Leonardo Aretius; who in his reply found it advisable to warn his
friend, not to show too much warmth in this matter.[20]
The instigators of these cruel acts, when they kindled the faggots by
which these two martyrs died, did not anticipate that the fire they
had lighted would spread over a whole country, and carry horror and
devastation through the half of Germany. The war by which the
disciples of Huss avenged him, was one of the most bloody and
destructive known in history. The news of his death, when it reached
Bohemia, touched the heart of every individual like an electric spark.
But this is not our province. Keeping only our own object, the fate of
the language and literature in view, we must refer the reader to the
historical accounts of this distressing period, and limit ourselves to
the mention of those events only, which had an immediate influence on
these two topics.
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