consequence of a dispute
in which he became engaged with some bigoted priests, he was arrested
by the duke of Salzbach and sent to Constance, where the same scenes
were repeated before the Council, as in the case of Huss. At his first
appearance, a thousand voices exclaimed: Away with him! burn him, burn
him! It is most melancholy to read in the reports of the time, that
even this strong and pious man could have been terrified into
temporary submission; not by the prospect of death, which he met
gladly, but by the horrors of a lonely and protracted imprisonment in
a noxious dungeon. But his fortitude did not long abandon him;
tortured by his own conscience, he solemnly announced at the next
audience his recantation; and declared, that of all the sins he had
committed, he repented of none more than his apostasy from the
doctrines he had maintained. In consequence of this he was subjected
to the same condemnation as his illustrious friend; and met his
painful death with the same magnanimity and resignation. He was burnt
the 30th of May, 1416.

The behaviour of both these eminent men; the Christian mildness with
which they bore the infamous treatment of their enemies; the
generosity with which they forgave their persecutors; the patience,
nay cheerfulness of Huss, when during his imprisonment severe bodily
sufferings united with the persecutions of his adversaries to make his
life a heavy burden; the magnanimity and fortitude with which both of
them submitted to their final fate, and maintained the truth of their
religious opinions until the very moment of an excruciating death,
praising the Lord with soul and voice; all this presents one of the
most affecting and at the same time elevating pictures which the
history of martyrs has to exhibit. The eloquence of Jerome made a
powerful impression on his enemies; and there were some moments during
his trial, when even his judges wished to save his life. 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]

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