and to cary the same before him. Which being done, and perceiued of the commons:MarginaliaThe towne of Lennam ryseth agaynst the Byshop. the Bishop after that maner went not farre, but the rude people runnyng to shutte the gates, came out with their bowes, some with clobbes and staues, some with other instruments, some with stones, & let driue at the Bishop and his men, as fast as they might: in such sort, that both þ^e bishop and his horse vnder him with most part of his mē were hurt and wounded. And thus the glorious pride of this ioly prelate, ruffling in hys new scepter, was receiued and welcomed there. That is, was so pelted with battes and stones, so wounded with arrowes and other instruments fit for such a skirmish, that the most part of his men, with his mace bearer, and all running away frō him, the poore wounded bishop was there left alone, not able to kepe his olde power, which went about to vsurpe a new power more then to him belonged.MarginaliaPride wyll haue a fall. Power vsurped will neuer stand. Thus as it is commonly true in all, so is it well exemplified here, which is cōmonly sayd, and as it is commonly sene, that pride will haue a fall, and power vsurped will neuer stand.MarginaliaThe vsurped power of the pope would haue a bridle. In like maner if the citizens of Rome, followyng the example of these Lēnam men, as they haue the lyke cause, and greater to do, by the vsurped power of their Bishop, would after the same sauce handle the Pope, and vnscepter him of his mace and regalitie which nothing perteyneth to him: They in so doyng both should recouer their owne liberties, with more honour at home, and also win much more cōmendation abroad Ex Chron. mon. D. Albani.

[Back to Top]

Marginalia1377.
The death of K. Edward. This tragedy with all the partes therof,  

beyng thus ended at Lennam,   which was little after Easter (as is said) about the moneth of Aprill. an. 1377. the same yere, vpon the 21. day of the month of Iune next after, dyed the worthy and victorious prince king Edward the 3. after he had raigned yeres 51. a Prince no more aged in yeres then renoumed, for many singuler and heroicall vertues, but principally noted and lauded for his singular mekenes and clemency toward hys subiects and inferiours, ruling them by gentlenes and mercy, without all rigour or austere seueritie. Among other noble and royall ornaments of his nature, worthely and copiously set forth of many, thus he is described of some, which may briefly suffice for the comprehension of all the rest.   MarginaliaThe commēdation of K. Edward. Orphanis erat quasi pater, afflictis compatiens, miseris condolens, oppressos releuans, & cunctis indigētibus impēdens auxllia oportuna. That is. To the orphans he was as a father, compacient to the afflicted, mournyng with the miserable, releuyng the oppressed, and to all them that wanted an helper in tyme of nede. &c. But chiefly aboue all other thinges, in this prince to be commemorate, in my mind is this:   that he aboue all other kinges of this realme vnto þ^e tyme of K. Henry 8. was the greatest bridler of the Popes vsurped power and outragious oppressiōs during all the time of which king, neither the Pope coulde greatly preuaile in this realme, ~& also Ihon Wickleffe was mainteined with fauour and aide sufficient

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaK. Richard 2. AFter  

K Edward 3. succeded his sonnes sonne Richard the 2. being yet but yong, of the age of eleuen yeares: who in the same yeare of his fathers   decease, with great pompe and solemnitie was crowned at Westminster, an. 1377. Who following his fathers steps, was no great disfauorer of the doctrine and way of Wickliffe: albeit at the first beginnyng, partly through the iniquitie of time, partly through the Popes letters, he could not doe that he would. Notwithstanding some thing he did in that behalfe, more perhaps then in the end hee had thanke for of the Papistes, as more (by the grace of Christ) shall appeare. But as times doe chaunge, so chaungeth commonly the cause and state of men. The byshops seeing now the aged king to bee taken away, during þ^e time of whose olde age all the gouernment of the Realm depended vpon the Duke of Lancaster.MarginaliaThe byshops take vantage of tyme. And now the sayd byshops agayne seeing the sayde Duke, with the Lord Percy, the Lorde marshal to geue ouer their offices, and to remaine in their priuate houses without intermedlinge, thought now the time to serue them, to haue some vauntage agaynst Ihon Wickliffe, who hetherto vnder the protection of the foresayd Duke, and Lord Marshall had some rest and quiet. Cōcernyng the story of which Wickliffe, I trust (gentle reader) it is not out of thy memory what wēt before. pag. 423. col. 2. how he beyng broght before the bishops, by the meanes of the duke and lord Henry Percy, the councell was interrupted, and brake vp before ix. of the clocke. By reason wherof, Wickliffe at that tyme escaped without any further trouble. Who notwith standyng being by the Byshops forbyd to deale in that doctrine any more, continued yet with his felowes goyng barefoote, and in long frise gownes preaching diligentlye vnto the people. Out of whose sermons these articles most chiefly at that time were collected.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe first article collected out of Wickliffes sermons.  

That the holy Eucharist after the consecration, is not the very body of Christ, but figurally.

That the church of Rome, is not the head of all Churches more then any other Churche is: nor that Peter hath any more power geuen of Christ, then any other Apostle hath.

Item, that the Pope of Rome hath no more in the keyes of the Church, then hath any other within the order of Priesthode.

Item, if God be: the Lordes temporall may lawfullye and meretoriously take away their temporalities from the churchemen offending, habitualiter.

Item, if any temporall Lord do know the Churcheso offending, he is bound vnder payne of damnation, to take the temporalities from the same.

Item, that the Gospell is a rule sufficient of it selfe to rule the life of euery Christyan man here, without any other rule.

Item, that all other rules vnder whose obseruancies, diuers religious persons be gouerned, do adde no more perfection to the gospell, then doth the white colour to the wall.

Item, that neither the Pope nor any other Prelate of the church ought to haue prisons wherein to punish transgressours.

MarginaliaThe articles of Iohn Wickliffe sent to the pope. Pope Gregory the xi. Beside these articles, diuers other conclusions afterward were gathered out of his writinges and preachinges by the bishops of England, which they sent diligently to Pope Gregory at Rome: Where the sayd articles being red and perused, were condemned for hereticall and erroneous by 23. Cardinals.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaWickliffe called before the Archbishop of Cant. In the meane tyme the Archbishop of Canterbury, sēding forth his citacions, as is aforesayd: called before him þ^e sayd Iohn Wickliffe in the presence of the Duke of Lancaster and lord Percy, who vpon the declaration of þ^e Popes letters made, bound hym to silence, forbiddyng hym not to entreat any more of those matters. But then through the disturbance of the Bishop of London and the Duke, and lord Percy that matter was soone dispatched, as hath bene aboue recorded, pag. 423. And all this was done in þ^e dayes & last yeare of kyng Edward the third, and Pope Gregory the eleuenth.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaAn. 1378.  

The next yeare followyng, which was the yeare of our Lord. 1378. being the first yeare of king Richard the secōd.MarginaliaEdmund Stafford bringer of the popes bull. The sayd Pope Gregory taking his tyme, after the death of king Edward, sendeth his Bul by the handes & meanes (peraduenture) of one maister Edmund Stafford, directed vnto the vniuersity of Oxford, rebuking them sharply imperiously and like a Pope, for suffring so long the doctrine of Iohn Wickliffe to take roote, and not pluckyng it vp with the crooked cicle of their Catholicke doctrine.MarginaliaThe masters of Oxford doubt whether to receiue or reiecte the Popes bull. Which Bull when it came to be exhibited vnto their handes, by the Popes messenger aforesayd: the Proctors and maisters of the Vniuersitie ioyning together in consultation stood long in doubt deliberatyng with themselues whether to receyue the Popes Bull with honour, or to refuse and reiecte it with shame.

[Back to Top]

I cannot here but laugh in my minde to behold the authors of this story whom I folow: what exclamations, what wonderinges and maruels, they make at these Oxford men, for so doubting at a matter so playne, so manifest of it selfe (as they say) whether the popes bul sent to them frō Rome was to be receaued or contrary. Which thing to our monkish wryters seemed then such a prodigious woonder, that they with blushing cheekes are fayne to cut of the matter in the middest with silence.

[Back to Top]

The copye of this wilde Bull, sent to them from the Pope, was this.  

MarginaliaThe popes mad Bull sent to Oxford. WE are compelled not onely to maruel, but also to lamēt that you (considering the Apostolicall seate hath geuen vnto your vniuersitie of Oxford so great fauour and priuiledge, & also for that you flowe as in a large sea in the knowledge of the holye Scriptures, and ought to be champions and defenders of the auncient and catholicke faythe,

[Back to Top]