tain day, prescribed for the same. Wherby may appeare how busy this Byshop was in disquietyng and persecutyng these poore mē, whom rather he should haue nourished and cherished as his brethren. But as his labour is past, so his rewarde will folowe, at what day the great Archbishop of our soules shall iudicially appeare in hys tribunall seate, to iudge both the quicke and the dead.

[Back to Top]

The Archbyshop yet not contented with this, doth moreouer by all meanes possible, sollicite þ^e king to ioine withall, the power of his temporal sword  

, for the correction of these men   . Wherupon, the kyng beyng yet but yong, and vnder yeares of rype iudgement, partly induced or rather seduced by the importune sute of the ArchByshop, partly also either for feare of the Byshops (for kynges alwayes can not do in their realmes what they will) or els perhaps intised by some hope of subsidie to be gathered of the clergy: at the instance of the Archbyshop, directed out these letters, the tenour whereof here vnder foloweth.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe kings letters against the fauorers of Wickliffe.RYchard by the grace of God kyng of England and Lord of Ireland: To all those to whom these present letters shall come, greting  

. By the peticion of the reuerend father in God, William Archb. of Cant. Primate of England exhibited vnto vs, we ryght well vnderstand: That diuers and sondrye conclusions very contrarye to wholesome doctrine and redoūding both to the subuersion of the catholique fayth, the holy church, and his prouince of Cant. in diuers and sondrye places of the same hys prouince haue ben openly and publiquely preached, although damnably preached. Of the which couclusion, some as heresies, other some as errours haue been condemned: but not before good and mature deliberation fyrst therin had and vsed, and by cōmon counsaile of the sayd Archb. hys suffragans and many doctors in diuinitie and other clerkes and learned men in the holy Scriptures, were sentencially & wholesomlye declared. Wherupon, the sayd Archbishop hath made hys supplication vnto vs, that bothe for the cohertion and due castigation of suche as from henceforthe shall of an obstinate minde preach or maintaine the foresaid conclusions, that we would vouchsafe to put to the arme and helping hād of our kingly power. We therfore moued by the zeale of the catholique faith, wherof we be & will be defendours, and vnwilling that any such heresies or errours shoulde spryng vp within the limites of our dominiō: MarginaliaThe 16. day of Iune. an. 1382.Geue and graunt speciall licence & auctoritie by the tenure of these presents, vnto the foresaid Archb. and to his suffragans, to arest and imprison eyther in their owne prisons or any other, all and euery such person and persons as shall either priuely or apertly preach or maintaine the foresaid conclusions so condemned, and the same persons so imprisoned there at their pleasures to detaine, till such time as they shall repent them and amend them of such hereticall prauities, or els shall be of such arestes by vs and our counsail otherwyse determined and prouided. Further charging and commaunding all and singular our liegemen, ministers, and subiectes, of what state and cōdition so euer they be, vpon their fidelitie and allegeance wherin they stand bound to vs: that by no meanes they eyther fauour, counsaile, or helpe, the preachers or els maintayners of the sayd conclusions so condemned or their fauourers, vpon payne and forfaiture of all that euer they haue: But that they obey and humbly attend vppon the sayd Archb. his suffragans, and ministers in the execution of these presentes, so that due and manifest publication agaynst the foresayd conclusions and theyr mainteiners, without any perturbatiō may be done and executed, as for the defence of our realme and catholique fayth shall be thought most meete & requisite. In witnes wherof, we haue caused these our letters patentes to bee made: Wytnes our selfe, At Westminster the xvi. daye of Iune   and sixt yere of our reigne.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaAn other letter of the K. to the Vicechauncelor.THe kyng: To the Chauncelor and procuratours of the Vniuersitie of Oxforde which nowe be, or for the tyme being shall be: Greeting,  

Moued by the zeale of christian fayth, wherof we be and alwayes will be defen-dours, and for ours soules health induced therunto, hauing a great desyre to represse, and by conding purnishment to restraine the impugners of the foresayd fayth, which newlye and wickedly goe aboute and presume to sow their naughtie & peruerse doctrine within our kingdome of England, and to preach & holde damnable conclusions so notoriously repugnant and contrarye to the same fayth, to the peruerting of our subiectes and people as we vnderstād: Before they any farther procede in their malicious errours or els infect others, we haue by these presentes appoynted you to be inquisitour generall (all the chiefe diuines of the sayd Vniuersitie being your assistentes) and the same likewyse to be done of all and singular the Graduats, Diuines, and Lawyers of the same Vniuersitie. And if they shall know any which be of the iurisdiction of the sayd Vniuersitie of Oxforde, which be probablie of them to be suspected, in the fauour, beliefe, or defence of any heresie or errour, and especially of any of the conclusions publiquely condemned by the reuerend father, William Archb. of Cant. by the counsaile of hys cleargie, or els of any other conclusion lyke vnto any of them in meaning or in wordes: And that if henceforth you shal fynd any þ^t shall beleue, fauour, or defende any of the foresayd heresies or errours or any other such lyke, or ells which shall be so bolde to receaue into theyr houses and Innes M. Iohn Wickleffe, M. Nicholas Herford, M. Phillip Reppingdon, or M. Iohn Ashton, or any other noted by probable suspicion of any of the foresayd heresies or errours, or any other lyke vnto thē in meaning or in word: Or that shal presume to communicate with anye of them, or elles to defende or fauoure any of such fauorers, receauers, communicantes, and defendours: within vij. dayes after the same shall appere & be manifest vnto you, to banishe & expel them from the Vniuersitie and towne of Oxford, till suche tyme as they shall declare theyr innocencie before the Archbishop of Canterb. for the tyme being, by manifest purgation. So not wythstāding, that such as be compelled to purge them selues, you certify vs & the sayd Archbishop vnder your seales, from tyme to tyme within one moneth, that they be such maner of men. Commaunding furthermore, that through all the haules of the said vniuersity, ye cause diligently to be searched and inquired out of hand: If any man haue any booke, or tractation of the Edition or cōpiling of the foresayd M. Iohn Wickliff or Nicholas Herford: & that when and whersoeuer ye shal chaunse to fynd any such booke or tractation, ye cause the same to be arested and taken, & vnto the foresaid archbishop within one month (without correctiō, corruption, or mutation, whatsoeuer) word for word, & sentence for sentence, to be brought & presēted. And therfore we straightly enioyn & cōmaund you, vpō your fidelity & allegiance wherein ye stand bound vnto vs, & on payne of forfaiture of all & singular your liberties and priuiledges of your sayde vniuersitie, and of all that euer you haue besydes: MarginaliaThe xiii day of Iuly. an. 1382that you geue your diligent attendance vpon the premisses, and that well and faythfullye you execuce the same in maner and forme aforesayd. And that you obey the foresaid archbishop, and his lawfull & honest mandates, that he shall thynke good to direct vnto you in this behalfe, as it is meete ye should. And we geue in chardge vnto the Vicechauncelour and Maior of Oxford, for the tyme beyng, & to all and syngular our shriues, vndershriues, baylyfes, and subiectes, by these presentes: that they ayde, obey, and be accendaunt vpon you in the execution of the premisses. In wytnes whereof. &c. Wytnes the K. at Westminster, the. xiii. day of Iuly, the syxt yeare.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaAn other sharp letter of K. Richard sent to Oxford agaynst Wickleffe and his felows. The effecte of the kings letter breifly comprehended.Beside these foresayd letters patentes, the sayd yong kyng moued by the vnquiet importunitie of the Archbishop: sendeth moreouer an other special letter to the vice chauncelor and proctours of the vniuersitie of Oxford. Wherin, vnder a pretensed zeale of defence of Christian faith, he straitly and sharpely inioyneth and assigneth them (for the vtter abolishyng of those conclusions and opinions) to make a generall Inquisition through the whole vniuersitie as well for the parties aforesaid, Ihon Wickleffe, Nicholas Herford. Philip Repyngton, Ihon Ashton, and such other: as also for all other whom they knowe or iudge to be suspected of the doctrine, or to be mainteyners, receauers,and defēders of the foresaid parties, or their conclusions any maner of way, to the entēt

[Back to Top]