not enough to determine me to fet about it; and there was an abfolute Neceffity of Help from more plentiful Fountains. This I found in that ample and magnificent Collection of the Acts of the Council of Confiance, for which the Publick is oblig'd to the Generofity and Munificence of the late moft ferene Duke RODOLPH AUGUSTUS OF BRUNSWICK, of glorious Memory, as well as to the Care, Industry and indefatigable Labour of M. Herman Von der Hardt, Profeffor of the Oriental Languages at Helmftadt, and Provost of Marienbourg. This Collection is known to the Learned, and is the Ornament of Libraries: Eut we must give an Account of it to the Publick, in order to do Justice at the fame time to the Prince who has made them fo fine a Present.

XIX. 'Tis an Example worthy to be propos'd to all Princes. As they ought to be the Protectors of the Sciences, they can't make a better Ufe of their Wealth and Credit, than by fheltering the Hiftory of memorable Events from the Injuries of Time, by taking out of the Dust of Libraries, and the Darkness of a Clofet, fo many rare Manufcripts, whofe Publication might be of fuch great Ufe to the whole World. Tis a perfect Piece of Vanity to have a Parcel of Manufcripts myfteriously conceal'd in the Bottom of a Library, where they are only feen by fome curious Perfons, who can only talk about the Binding, the Parchment, the Character, Age and Quality of the Manufcripts; because for the Generality they know not what is in them. But there's a real Grandeur in making thofe Treasures publick, and I look upon it to be altogether as unjuft, and as great a Piece of Imprudence in those who have them, to keep them conceal'd, as for a covetous Man to hide his Money instead of improving it. They wou'd find a certain Intereft for their Generofity in the Acknowledgments of the Publick, whereas from fuch a dark Booty, while 'tis clofeted, nothing cou'd arife but Smoke and Vapour. It of ten happens also, that thofe Treasures, of which they are fo fond, are taken from them by Wars, Fires, Inundations, a Lofs which they might avoid by difperfing them abroad by the means of Printing. This has been experienc'd in many Parts of Germany, where abundance of curious Manuscripts have unhappily perish'd by fuch Accidents.

M. Von der Hardt gives feveral Inftances of it, which fhou'd engage those who have the Direction of Libraries to prevent thofe Misfortunes by the Publication of what is a Rarity, and moft worthy to be transmitted to Posterity. A Fire happen'd in 1623. at Konigsberg in Pruffia, where among many other Manufcripts there was confum'd a Hiftory of the Council of Conftance, compos'd by John de Wallenrod, Knight of the Teutonic Order, who was at this Council, as well as another John de Wallenrod, Archbishop of Riga, his near Kinfman. Thofe Writers who have made mention of this Hiftory, give us very great reason to regret the Lofs of it. The fame thing happen'd at Conftance in the Cathedral, at Spire, at Brunswick, and in 1697. in the Convent of Salmanfweiler in Swabia, where

D

where the Fire confum'd feveral Manufcripts, among which were fome relating to the Council of Conftance. 'Tis known alfo by what means the Manufcripts of Sweden and the Palatinate came to the Vatican, where 'tis the fame thing almoft as if they were loft to the Publick, especially thofe of a Council which was not favourable to the Court of Rome. Mean time, this famous Difpute, which arofe in the last Century touching the Authority of Councils between fome Doctors of the Gallican Church and the late M. de Schelftrate, has given the Publick the Advantage of feeing fome Acts of this Council taken from the Manufcripts in the Vatican; by the Help of which that Librarian has made great Efforts for fetting the Popes above Councils, and for turning the Council of Confance, as was faid before, out of the Rank of General Councils.

XX. THOSE were the Reasons which engag'd Duke Rodolph Auguftus of Brunswick, to publifh all the Manufcripts of the Hiftory of the Council of Conftance which were in the Libraries of Brunswick, Wolfembuttle, Helmftadt and Zell. There were more Pieces concerning that Period preferv'd in all thofe Libraries, than in any other of Europe; and tho' there were no other Helps to be had, thofe would be fufficient for writing a very good History of the Council of Conftance. These are the principal Pieces which were brought to light out of thofe Libraries by M. Von der Hardt, to whom the Duke committed that Truft, and who acquitted himfelf of it with a Diligence, Fidelity, and if I may fo call it, a Sagacity that can never be enough admir'd. He found in the Library of Brunfwick, 1. The entire Acts of the Council of Conftance, which is no small Discovery. 2. A History of the Council of Conftance finifh'd in 1417. by an Auguftin Monk of Ofnabrug, nam'd Theodoric Vrie, who was prefent at the Council. 'Tis a Dialogue betwixt the Church and Jefus Chrift, dedicated to the Emperor, and written both in Profe and Verfe with the Title of the Church's Confolation, after the manner of the Philofophical Confolation of Boetius, and the Theological Confolation of Gerfon. This Piece had been printed in 1484. and together with fome Pieces of Henry of Hefle, and John Hufs, made the fourth Tome of Gerfon's Works. But they did not appear in the other Editions, which were afterwards printed, of the Works of this Chancellor of the Univerfity of Paris; fo that the Work of Vrie the Monk had like to have been loft for ever, had it not been for the Care of M. Von der Hardt. 3. There was alfo found at Brunswick the Bishop of Lodi's Difcourfe upon the Punishment of John Hufs and Jerom of Prague, and the Character which that Prelate gave of a Pope to the Council. 4. The Emperor's Negotiation in Arragon for the Union of the Church, and the Concordat of Martin V. in Germany. The Privileges which the Pope and the Emperor granted to the City of Brunswick. A greater number of Manufcripts of that Time might have been found in the fame City if they had not been loft, I

Von der

Hard T. 1.

know not by what Accident, nor at what Time. Flaccius Illyricus affirms in his Catalogue of the Witnefes of the Truth, that in St. Andrew's Library at Brunswick, there was a Letter written in the Name of 7. C. to the Council of Proleg. 17. Conftance, which imported, among other Things, that the Council of Conftance, which promis'd to reform the Church, but reform'd neither the Pope nor his Court, was like the Mountain in Labour, which brought forth a ridiculous Mouse (1).

& Præf. P.

3.

XXI. THE famous Library of Wolfembuttle furnifh'd many confiderable Pieces; viz. 1. A MSS. Hiftory of the Council of Conftance, by Ebbard or Eberhard Dacher, who was prefent at this Council, and who was charg'd by the Elector of Saxony to make a Search and prepare an exact Lift of all the Foreigners who then came to Conftance. Dr. Von der Hardt promises to publish it with other German Hiftories which belong to that Time. Mean Time the Doctor has inferted in his Collection fome Extracts of it, whereof I have made a good Ufe, and which fhew that Dacher is an Hiftorian of a good Character, more judicious and more methodical than Reichenthal who wrote in concert with him.

ce

Von der

Hardt T. V.
Proleg. 20.

21.

I will here give the Preface of Dacher's German Hiftory, according to Von der Hart's Latin Tranflation of it. "The Chriftian World was at " that Time diftracted by the Machinations of three Popes, who dif "puted for the Pontificate. Each of thofe Competitors having his O"bedience in feveral Kingdoms, every Thing was thrown into Confufion by the most cruel of all Schifms, and to the great Prejudice of the "Faith. As this Fire cou'd not be extinguish'd but by a General Council, the Emperor Sigifmond, by his skilful Management, affem"bled one of feveral Nations of Christendom, as Italians, Germans, "French, English, Spaniards, and the neighbouring People. This Prince "therein vigorously prefs'd the Reformation, but all that he cou'd ob"tain, was to draw from the Clergy a Confeffion of their Crimes, cfpe"cially Simony, and of their Divifions and Difagreements in Faith, to "depofe the three rival Popes, and to get Cardinal Otto Colonna c"lected unanimoufly, by the Name of Martin V. This was what hap"pen'd at Conftance in this Council, which continu'd three Years, nine "Months, and ended in 1418. Pope John XXIII. came to it, but he "retir'd from it clandeftinely, foon after he came. Hufs and Jerome were "fummon'd to it. The former was brought thither by the Bohemians, "with a Safe-Conduct from the Emperor, and was accus'd of Herely by the Court of Rome. The Emperor being made to believe, that

(1) Concilium promittens Reformationem Ecclefiæ, nec tamen reformans Papam & Curiam, fimile eft Fabule fopicæ, cum par

turiunt Montes, & nafcitur ridiculus Mus. Catalog. Teft. Ver. Lib. 19. p. m. 1878.

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"accord

"according to the Decretals he was not oblig'd to keep his Word with "John Hufs, violated the Safe Conduct, which he had granted to him,

(a) Von der Hardt T. 1. Part 2. Pref.

as well as the Bohemians. Confequently, Hufs and Jerome were burnt "for having preach'd in Bohemia, that according to the Inftitution of Je"fus Chrift, and the Example of the Antients, the Sacrament of the "Eucharift ought to be adminifter'd under both Species, and for ha"ving actually adminifter'd it in that Manner. The Council feparated "without giving any Opportunity for the Reformation fo much defir'd by the Emperor, and hitherto fo much dreaded by the Clergy and "Laity. Nevertheless, they refolv'd to affemble another Council in five "Years, and after that, to call one every ten Years. Except what is LL just now mention'd, the whole Bufinefs of the Council might be re"duc'd under thefe Heads. Maffes, Papal Benedictions, Indulgences, Pro"ceffions, Ceremonies, Solemn Pageantry, Confecrations of Loaves, Fire, "Water, and Tapers, Unctions, Lustrations, Agnus Dei's, Rofes, Hymns, "ringing of Bells and the like. Bridget was alfo canoniz'd in this Coun"cil. After the Council was over, the Emperor befieg'd Prague, but to no Purpose; and Pope Eugene did every Thing in his "Power to hinder the Council (a) of Bafil from Affembling". 2. A MSS. of the Letters of the famous Nicholas de Clamangis, (b) one of the most diftinguish'd Authors of that Time, who was a Canon of Langres, and Chanter of the Church of Bayeux. He had been Secretary to Pope Benedict XIII. and his great Favourite; but being difgufted at a Court fo corrupt as the Pope's was at that Time, he retir'd from thence to lead a private, tho' not an idle Life, becaufe in his Retirement, he compos'd feveral excellent Pieces concerning the Reformation of the Church, and did as much Service to the Council of Conftance, as if he had been prefent in it, which may be feen in this Hiftory. A great Part of thofe Letters was indeed publish'd in 1613. (1) But in that Edition, there are fo many wanting, and thofe which are inferted, are fo defective, that the MSS. of Wolfembuttle may be confider'd as a Piece perfectly new. 3 The MSS. of the Abstract of the Acts of the Council of Conftance, as it was drawn up in 1542 by Order of the Council of Bafil. This Abftract had lain dormant a long Time in the Clofet of a Profeffor of Law at Ingoldftat, who, at the Sollicitation of the learned Men of that Age caus'd it to be printed at Haguenau in the Year 1500. It was afterwards printed at feveral Places; as at Paris in 1506, at Haguenau in 1510, at Milan in 1511; at laft it was inferted in the Collection of the Councils, and particularly in the Appendix of Father Labbe, but fo disfigur'd, that it was not eafily diftinguifh

(b) See bis Life in the fame Tom.

(1) By the Care of Jobs Martin Lyde the Paftor, who has added very curious. Notes to this Edition.

able.

able. We fhall treat of the Importance of this Picce elsewhere. 4. The fourth Piece which was found at Wolfembuttle, are the A&ts of the Council of Pifa, which was the Foundation of the Council of Conftance. These MS. Acts compar'd with thofe which were alfo found in Manufcript at Vienna, and with the printed Acts, are capable of giving great_Light into the Council of Pifa. 5. The fifth is a Defcription of the Investiture of the Electorat of Brandenbourg, granted to Frederic, Burgrave of Nuremberg, during the Council. Some Letters are alfo taken from the Library of Zell, which may be of fervice to the History of this Council. XXII. Of all the Libraries of that Country, none has furnish'd more. Materials than that of Helmftadt, which fince the Death of Rodolphus Auguftus has been enrich'd with the beft part of that Duke's printed Books and MSS. 1. There is a MS. of Clemangis's Treatife, touching the Ruin or Corruption of the Church, much more correct than that which had appear'd. 2. Two Treatifes, one of Peter d'Ailli, Cardinak of Cambray, and the other of Gerfon, touching the Reformation of the Church, and the Speeches of feveral Doctors upon this Subject. All thofe Pieces will have a Place in our Hiftory. 3. A MS. of the Council of Peace and Union, given towards the Clofe of the fourteenth Century, by Henry de Heffe de Langenftein, of the Order of the Carthufians, a Canon of Worms, who was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Paris, from whence he was call'd to Vienna, by Albert, Duke of Auftria, to be Profeffor of Divinity. This Piece had been printed with Gerfon's Name, but Dr. Von der Hardt has reftor'd it to Henry de Heffe by fuch Tokens as are indifputable, and indeed M. Dupin has afcrib'd it to him in the fecond Tom. of his beautiful Edition of Gerfon's Works. We fhall have Occafion to fpeak of the Importance of this Piece, with regard to the Council, in the laft Book of this Hiftory. 4. An Invective of Theodoric de Niem, Secretary of John XXIII. against that Pope's Elcape. 'Tis a material Piece never before printed, and contains an exact Narrative of all that pafs'd in the Council, from the Arrival of John XXIII. to his Efcape. The fame Author, who was in the Council, wrote a larger Hiftory of it afterwards, which was printed a long Time. ago, in the Collection of Meibomius. M. Von der Hardt has thought fit to infert it in his, for the Conveniency of the Publick, who had rather fee all the Documents together, relating to one and the fame Affair. 5. A Difcourfe of Gerfon upon the Emperor's Voyage to Arragon, and a Relation of this Prince's Negotiations in that Country. 6. An Anonymous Treatife against Jacobel the Reftorer of the Communion in both Kinds in Bohemia; and the Conclufions of the Divines of Conftance against that Practice. 7. Laftly, two Treatifes concerning the Power of the Church, one by Peter d'Ailli, and the other by Gerfon.

2

XXIII So