Emma Leslie

Before the Dawn: a Tale of Wycliffe and Huss Emma Leslie

Eager to bring her crippled grandson, Conrad, news of the wedding celebration of King Richard II of England and Anne of Bohemia, Dame Ursula sets out for the village, but finds herself harassed by the unruly crowd. A kindly blacksmith comes to her aid, and she welcomes his offer to visit Conrad, but soon becomes suspicious that he and his friend, Ned Trueman, are Lollards, followers of John Wycliffe. Unable to refuse anything that might please Conrad, she allows the visits to continue, and even allows their friend to teach Conrad to read, but passionately warns Conrad of the dangers of evil "heresy". Conrad decides to become a famous Doctor of the Church, so that he will be able to combat heresy, but he wonders why all the remedies of the Church fail to cure him. He is also troubled by the fact that he doesn't have a father like other boys. As Conrad pursues his studies as a young man, he has the opportunity to hear Wycliffe preach and is surprised by what he hears. At last, seeking answers to his past, Conrad leaves England and returns to his native Bohemia where John Huss is boldly preaching against the corruption of the Church. What Conrad learns in Bohemia will change his life forever.