his mother's side. But their
judgments of events were formed on the same lines. Neither of them was a
mere ordinary bigot, keeping no faith with heretics. But they were both
likely to be guided in their interpretation of the law by that which
they conceived to be profitable to their church. Ferdinand was
personally brave; but except when his course was very clear before him,
he was apt to let difficulties settle themselves rather than come to a
decision.

He had at once to consider whether he would swear to the Royal Charter.
He consulted the Jesuits, and was told that, though it had been a sin to
grant it, it was no sin to accept it now that it was the law of the
land. As he walked in state to his coronation he turned to a nobleman
who was by his side. "I am glad," he said, "that I have attained the
Bohemian crown without any pangs of conscience." He took the oath
without further difficulty.

The Bohemians were not long in feeling the effects of the change.
Hitherto the hold of the house of Austria upon the country had been
limited to the life of one old man. It had now, by the admission of the
Diet itself, fixed itself forever upon Bohemia. The proceedings against
the Protestants on the royal domains assumed a sharper character. The
Braunau worshippers were rigorously excluded from their church. The
walls of the new church at Klostergrab were actually levelled with the
ground.

The Bohemians had thus to resist in 1618, under every disadvantage, the
attack which they had done nothing to meet in 1617. Certain persons
named "defensors" had, by law, the right of summoning an assembly of
representatives of the Protestant Estates. Such an assembly met on March
5th, and, having prepared a petition to Matthias, who was absent from
the kingdom, adjourned to May 21st.

Long before the time of meeting came, an answer was sent from Matthias
justifying all that had been done, and declaring the assembly illegal.
It was believed at the time, though incorrectly, that the answer was
prepared by Slavata and Martinitz, two members of the regency who had
been notorious for the vigor of their opposition to Protestantism.

In the Protestant assembly there was a knot of men, headed by Count
Henry of Thurn, which was bent on the dethronement of Ferdinand. They
resolved to take advantage of the popular feeling to effect the murder
of the two Regents, and so to place an impassable gulf between the
nation and the King.

Accordingly, on