ZISCA (John), a famous general of the forces of the Hussites, in the 15th century, was a gentleman educated at the court of Bohemia, in the reign of Wenceslaus. He entered very young into the army, and after distinguishing himself on several occasions, lost an eye in a battle, whence he was called Zisca or One-eyed. At length the Reformation, begun by John Hus, spreading through almost all Bohemia, Zisca placed himself at the head of the Hussites, and had soon under his command a body of 40,000 men. With this army he gained several victories over those of the Romish religion, who carried on a kind of crusade against them, and built a town in an advantageous situation, to which he gave the name of Tabor; whence the Hussites were
Zirchnitz were afterwards called Taborites. Zisca lost his other eye by an arrow at the siege of the city of Rubi; but this did not prevent his continuing the war, his fighting battles, and gaining several great victories, among which was that of Auzig on the Elbe, in which 9000 of the enemy were left dead on the field. The emperor Sigismund, alarmed at his progress, caused very advantageous proposals to be offered to him; which he readily accepted, and set out to meet Sigismund, but died on the road. He ordered that his body should be left a prey to the birds and wild beasts; and that a drum should be made of his skin, being persuaded that the enemy would fly as soon as they heard the sound. It is added, that the Hussites executed his will; and that the news of this order made such an impression on the disturbed imaginations of the German Papists, that in many battles they actually fled at the beat of the drum with the utmost precipitation, leaving their baggage and artillery behind them.