tion in the dioces and partes aforesayde, where ye shall thinke it most meete and conuenient: That no man be so hardy henceforth, of what estate or condition so euer he shall be, within the dioces and partes aforesaid, vpon paine of forfaiture of all that euer he hath, to make or leauie any conuenticles, assembles, or confederacies, by any coulour: or that they presume to attempt or procure any other thing, wherby our peace maye be hurt or broken, or that the same bishop and doctours aforesaid, may be by any meanes molested or let in the executiō of such correction as is to be done, according to the canonicall sanctions, and to arest all those which ye shall fynde or take offending in this behalfe, or that keepe them selues in any such conuēticles. And that they being committed to prison, be there kept, till you shall haue other cōmaundement frō vs and our counsell for their deliueraunce: And that ye distinctly and plainly certifye vs & our sayd counsell, of all your doing in this behalfe vnder your seales, or elles the seales of some of you. And therefore we straightly charge and commaund you, and euery of you: that ye diligentlye attende vpon the premisses, and that in your deedes ye execute the same wyth all diligence and carefull indeuour, in the forme and maner aforesaid. And further, we geue straight charge and commaundement to all and singular shirifes, Maiors, Bailiffes, Constables, and other our faythfull subiectes, by the tenour of these presentes: that they be attendant vpon you, counselling and ayding you and euerye of you, as is meete and conuenient in the doing and execution of the premisses. In wytnes whereof, we haue caused these our letters patentes to be made. Witnes my selfe at Westminster, the. xxij. day of September, in the. xvij. yeare of our raygne.
I.e., 1393.
¶ By the same kyng and counsell.
MarginaliaK. Richard set against the Gospel lets by the Archb. and the prelates.Thus kyng Richard by the setting on of W. Courtney Archb. of Cant. and hys fellowes, taking part with the pope, and Romysh prelates: waxed somthing straite and hard to the poore Christians of the contrary side of Wickleffe, as by these letters aboue prefixed maye appeare. Albeit, during all the life of the sayd king, I finde of none expreslye by name that suffered burning. Notwithstāding, some there wer which by þe foresayd archb. W. Courtney, and other bishops, had been condemned, and diuers also abiured, and did pennance as well in other places, as chiefly about the towne of Leycester as followeth here to be declared, out of the archbishops regester and recordes.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaEx Regist. W. Courtney Arch. Cant.At what tyme
Archbishop Courtenay's visitation of Leicester commenced in late October 1389. Foxe based his account of this visitation on documents copied into Courtenay's register. The names of the accused Lollards, the articles with which they were charged and the excommunication of the Lollards are all taken from LPL, Courteney Register, fo. 139r-v.
[Back to Top]Marginalia1That in the Sacrament of the aultar, after the words of consecration, there remaineth the body of Christ with the materiall bread.
Foxe eliminated one of the articles charged against the Lollards: 'Quod decimae non debent solvi rectoribus vel vicariis quamdiu sunt in peccato mortali' [That tithes should not be paid to rectors or vicars while they are in mortal sin] (LPL, Courtenay Register, fo. 139r). Apart from his usual sensitivity to Lollard denunciations of tithes, Foxe was also concerned with the implications of parishioners judging whether or not their priests were in a state of mortal sin.
[Back to Top]Marginalia2That Images ought not to bee worshypped in any case, nor that no mā ought to set any candels before thē.
Marginalia3That no Crosse ought to be worshipped.
Marginalia4That Masses, and Mattens, ought not with an highe and loude voyce to be sayd in the churche.
Marginalia5Item, that no curate or prieste taken in anye crimecan consecrate, here confessions, nor minister any of the Sacramentes of the churche.
Marginalia6That the Pope & all prelates of the Churche, cannot bynde any man with the sentence of excommunication, vnles they know him to be first excōmunicated of God.
Marginalia7That no prelate of þe churche, cā graunt any pardōs.
Marginalia8That euery lay man may in euery place, preache and teache the Gospell.
Marginalia9That it is sinne to giue any almes or charitie, to the friers preachers, Minorites, Augustines, or Carmelites.
Marginalia10That no oblation ought to be vsed at the funerals of the dead.
Marginalia11That it is not necessarie to make confession of our sinnes to the priest.
Marginalia12That euery good man although he bee vnlearned is a priest.
These Articles, taught, preached, and affirmed they, manifestly in the towne of Leycester and other places adioyning: whereupon, the sayde Archbishoppe monished the sayd Roger, and Nicholas with the rest, on the next day to make aunswere vnto him in the sayd monasterie
The convent of St. Mary Prè in Leicester.
MarginaliaMatild, an Anchores, cited to appeare.At length it was declared & shewed to the sayd Archb. that there was a certeyn anchores whose name was Matild, inclosed wtin
Foxe's account of Matilda, the anchoress, is a little unclear; I suspect that Foxe was confused by the Latin of the register, which is less than explicit. Matilda was literally kept in a sealed chamber (voluntarily, as a renunciation of the world). Archbishop Courtenay is ordering that Matilda be taken out of her sealed room and held in custody at the convent of St. Mary Prè until he would summon her.
[Back to Top]This mandate is LPL, Courtenay Register, fo. 142r.
MarginaliaThe kings proces sent by the B. to arest the 8. aforenamed ¶ William by the permission of God. &c. To his welbeloued sonnes, the Maior and Baylifs, of the towne of Leicester dioces, gretyng. We haue lately receiued, the kings