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625 [625]

K. Richard. 2. Abiurations of good men of Leycester. Actes and Mon. of the church.

letters graciously graunted vs for the defence of the Catholique fayth, in these woordes folowyng. Richard by the grace of God, kyng of Englande and of Fraunce &c. We on the behalfe of our holy mother the church, by the kynges authoritie aforesayd, do require you: that you cause the sayd Richard, William, Roger, and the rest, to be arested, and sent vnto vs, that they with theyr pernicious doctrine do not infecte the people of God. &c. Giuen vnder our seal. &c.

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MarginaliaMargaret Caly a Nunne constrained against her wil, to take again her habitBy an other instrument also in the same register, is mention made of one Margaret Caily Nonne, whiche forsakyng her order, was by the sayd Archbyshop, constrayned agaynst her will, agayne to enter the same, as by this instrument here vnder insuing may appeare.  

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The letter is LPL, Courtenay Register, fo. 141v.

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¶ William by the grace of God. &c. To our reuerend brother in God, Iohn by the grace of God, Byshop of Ely gretyng. &c. In the visitation of our dioces of Lincolne accordyng to our office, amongest other enormities worthy reformation, wee founde, one sheepe out of our fold strayed & amongest the briers tangled, to wit, Margarete Cayly, Noonne professed, of the monastery of S. Radegunde within your dioces: Who castyng of the habite of her religion, was founde in secular attire, manye yeares beyng an Apostata, and leadyng a dissolute lyfe. And least her bloud should be required at our handes, wee haue caused her to bee taken, and brought vnto you beyng her pastour: and straictly inioynyng you by these presents do commaunde, that you admit the same Margarete agayn into her foresayd monastery (although returned agaynst her will) or elles into some other place, where for her soules health you shall thinke most conuenient: and that from henceforth she bee safely kept, as in the straict examination of the same you will yelde an accompt. Geuen vnder our seale. &c.

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MarginaliaMatild recanteth.By sondry other instruments also in þe same register recorded I find, that þe fore sayd Matild the anchores, vppon the straicte examination and handelyng of the foresayd Archbishop, before whom peremptorily she was enioyned to appeare, and till that day of apparance taken out of the recluse and committed to safe custody as you hard: retracted and recanted her foresayd articles and opinions. For the whiche she beyng enioyned. 40. dayes penaunce, was agayn admitted  

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Matilda was ordered to do penance and then sealed back in her chamber.

into her foresayd recluse in Leycester. The Byshops letter to the Magistrates of the towne thus begynneth. VVillielmus permissione diuina. &c. dilectis filijs. &c.

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MarginaliaWilliam Smith, Roger Dexter, and Alice hys wyfe, abiure.Also, by an other letter of the foresayd Archbishop to þe Deane of the Cathedrall churche  

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St. Mary Newarks, Leicester, was not a cathedral church; it was a collegiate foundation.

of our Lady of Leycester beyng registred, I finde: that of the nomber of those viij. persons before recited, whom the Archbyshop hym selfe at highe Masse, did in his pontificalibus so solemly curse with, booke, bell, and candell: After certeine proces beyng sent out agaynst them, or els in the meane tyme beyng apprehended and taken: two of them recanted their opinions, to wit, William Smith, and Roger Dexter. But in the meane time Alyce the wife of the sayd Roger Dexter, takyng hold of the foresaid articles with her husband also, together wt the sayd W. Smith, abiured þe same. For these be the woordes of the instrument  
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This letter is LPL, Courtenay Register, fos. 144r-145r.

Subsequenter vero, præfati VVilielmus Rogerus, et Alicia reatus suos respicientes, se nostro conspectui præsentarunt. &c. Notwithstandyng, whether they presented them selues willingly or els wer brought agaynst their wils (as most like it was) hard penaunce was inioyned thē before they were absolued. These be the woordes of the instrument Sancta mater ecclesia. &c.1. Seyng our holye mother the church, not denieng her lap to any penitent childe returning to þe vnitie of her, but rather profering to thē þe same: We therfore do receiue again the sayd Williā, Roger, & Alice to grace. And further haue caused thē to abiure all & singular the aforesayd articles & opinions before they receiued of vs þe benefite of absolution & were loosed frō þe sentēce of excōmunication wherin they were snarled: inioynyng vnto thē penaunce, accordyng to the quantitie of the crime in forme as foloweth, that is to saye. That euery one of them, the sonday next after their re-turning to their proper goods: MarginaliaThe maner of their prnance inioyned.they the sayde William, Roger, and Alice, holding euery one an image of the crucifix in their right handes, and in their left handes euery one of them a taper of waxe waying halfe a pounde waight, in their shiertes (hauing none other apparel vpon them) do go before the Crosse three times, during the procession of the cathedrall church of our ladye of Lecester: that is to say, in the beginning of the precession, in the middle of the procession, and in the latter ende of the procession: to the honour of hym that was crucified, in the memoriall of hys passion, and to the honour of the virgin hys mother: Who also deuoutlye bowyng their knees and kneeling, shall kisse the same crucifix so helde in their handes. And so with the same procession, they entring againe into the church: shall stande during all the time of the holye Masse, before the image of the Crosse with their tapers and crosses in their handes. And when the Masse is ended, the said Wylliam, Roger and Alice, shall offer to hym that celebrated that daye the Masse. Marginalia1389.Then vpon the Saterday next insuing: the said Williā, Roger, & Alice, shal in the full and publique market, wtin þe town of Leycester, stand in lyke maner in their shurts, without any more clothes vpon their bodies, Marginalia3. kisses of the crosse.holding the foresaid crosses in their right hands, which crosses, three times thei shal (during þe market) deuoutly kisse reuerētly knelyng vpon their knees: that is, in þe begynnyng of þe market, in the midle of the market, and in the end of the market. MarginaliaThe collect of KaterinaAnd the sayd William (for that he somwhat vnderstandeth the Latine tounge) shall say this Antheame with the colet Sancta Katherina: MarginaliaThe Paternoster and Aue Maria.and the foresayd Roger and Alice, being vnlearned shall say deuoutly A Pater noster, and an Aue Maria. And thurdly, the Sōday next immediatly after the same, the sayd William, Roger, and Alice in their parish churche of the sayd towne of Leycester, shall stand and do as vpon the Sonday before, they stoode and did in the cathedrall churche of our Lady aforesayd, in all thynges. Which done, the foresayd William Roger and Alice after Masse, shall offer to þe priest or chaplayne that celebrated the same, withall humilitie and reuerence the waxe tapers, whiche they shall cary in their handes. MarginaliaCold weather gratiously considered.And because of the cold wether þt nowe is, least þe foresayd penitents might peraduēture take some bodely hurt stāding so long naked (beyng mindful to moderat partly the said our rigour) we giue leaue: That after their entrance into the churches aboue sayd, whilest they shalbe in hearyng þe foresayd Masses: that they may put on necessary garmentes to kepe them from cold, so that their heads and feete notwithstanding, be bare and vncouered. We therfore will and commaund you together and a part, that you denounce the sayd Williā, Roger, and Alice, to be absolued and restored agayne to the vnitie of our holy mother the churche, and that you call them foorth to do their penaunce in maner and forme aforesayd. Giuen at Dorchester, the xvij. day of Nouember in the yeare of our Lord God. 1389. and the ix. yere of our translation.

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MarginaliaPeter Pateshul against the Friers.Vnto the narration of these aboue sayd, we will adioyne the story of one Peter Pateshul an Austen Frier  

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Foxe's account of Peter Pateshull's attack on the friars is taken from College of Arms MS Arundel 7; see Historia Anglicana, ed. H. T. Riley, Rolls Series 28 (London, 1863-4), II, pp. 157-9.

, who obtaynyng by the Popes priuilege (throughe the meanes of Walter Dis, confessour to the duke of Lancaster) libertie to chaunge his coate and religion  
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Pateshull had been an Augustinian friar; he purchased an appointment as papal chaplain from Disse; this post released Pateshull from his order.

, and hearing the doctrine of Iohn Wickleffe and other of þe same sorte: began at length to preach openlye and to detect the vices of hys order, in such sorte as all men woundred to heare the horrible recityng thereof. This beyng brought to the eares of his order, they to the number of xij (commyng out of their house to the place where he was preachyng) thought to haue withstoode hym perforce. Amōg whom one especially for the zeale of his religion, stoode vp openly in his preachyng, and contraried þt whiche he sayd, who then was preachyng in the church of S. Chri-

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stopher