"Moreover," he said, with his eye on the King, "I came here freely
to this Council, with a safe-conduct from my Lord the King here
present, with the desire to prove my innocence and to explain my
beliefs."

At those words, said the story in later years, King Sigismund
blushed. If he did, the blush is the most famous in the annals of
history; if he did not, some think he ought to have done. For Hus
the last ordeal had now arrived; and the Bishop of Concordia, in
solemn tones, read out the dreadful articles of condemnation. For
heretics the Church had then but little mercy. His books were all
to be burned; his priestly office must be taken from him; and he
himself, expelled from the Church, must be handed over to the civil
power. In vain, with a last appeal for justice, he protested that
he had never been obstinate in error. In vain he contended that his
proud accusers had not even taken the trouble to read some of his
books. As the sentence against himself was read, and the vision of
death rose up before him, he fell once more on his knees and prayed,
not for himself, but for his enemies.

"Lord Jesus Christ," he said, "pardon all my enemies, I pray thee,
for the sake of Thy great mercy! Thou knowest that they have
falsely accused me, brought forward false witnesses and false
articles against me. O! pardon them for Thine infinite mercies'
sake."

At this beautiful prayer the priests and bishops jeered. He was
ordered now to mount the scaffold, to put on the priestly garments,
and to recant his heretical opinions. The first two commands he
obeyed; the third he treated with scorn. As he drew the alb over