The Youth of Hus.
In a humble hamlet in the southern section of beautiful Bohemia near
the Bavarian border of poor peasant parents was born a boy and called
Jan--Hus was added from Husinec, his birthplace; some say he saw the
light of day on July 6, 1373, but that is not certain.
When about sixteen Hus went to the University of Prag, the first one
founded in the German empire by Charles IV in 1348. Here he sang for
bread in the streets, like Luther after him, and often had to go to
sleep hungry on the bare ground.
[Illustration: WHERE HUS WAS BORN]
Though many of the thousands of students from all parts of Europe
were rowdies and immoral, the behavior of Hus was excellent and his
diligence great. He took part in the rough sports; sometimes he played
chess and even won money prizes. To the day of his death none of his
many bitter enemies even so much as breathed a suspicion on his pure
life. When pardons for sins were publicly sold during a jubilee in
1393, the devout young student gave up his last four pennies to secure
this heavenly favor from the Pope.
Jerome of Prag was a fellow student.
In 1393, at a very early age, Hus was made a Bachelor of Arts; in 1394,
a Bachelor of Theology; in 1396, a Master of Arts; like Melanchthon, he
never took his degree as Doctor of Theology. In 1400, Hus was ordained a
priest; in 1401, appointed Dean of the Philosophical Faculty; in 1402,
chosen Rector of the University--at an unusually early age. In the same
year he became preacher at the important Bethlehem chapel, seating about
1,000 worshipers, founded by John of Milheim in 1391, that the people
might hear the Word of God in their own language.
From the very first the powerful preacher made his pulpit potent and
popular, even among the nobility; Queen Sophia was a frequent worshiper,
made him her confessor, and had him appointed court chaplain.
[Illustration: BETHLEHEM CHAPEL]