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III
THE year 1526 is a very important landmark in the history of Bohemia. It was in this year that Ferdinand of Habsburg, brother of Anne, widow of the late King Louis, was elected King of Bohemia. The election was secured with great difficulty, and by means that were far from being scrupulous. Simultaneously with the foundation of a new dynasty the almost extinct Romanist creed again began to gather strength. There is, of course, a close connexion between these two events, for even at that time the unwritten but almost unbroken alliance between the House of Habsburg and the Roman See had already long been in existence.
Though Ferdinand was, particularly at the beginning of his reign, somewhat tolerant and conciliatory toward his Bohemian subjects, it is certain that he always wished to be considered hereditary ruler and not elected King of Bohemia. These endeavours of the king to enlarge his power estranged the Bohemians, who have always valued their ancient constitution, and Ferdinand’s leaning to the Church of Rome caused great discontent.
This feeling of discontent culminated in the outbreak of 1546. Of this struggle we possess a careful and valuable account, written in Bohemian by Sixt of Ottersdorf. Sixt, born in 1500, took no inconsiderable part in the events which he has recorded. As early as in 1537 we find him mentioned as town
