as insufficient, or rather to him vnpleasaunt, the said Archbishop vtterly reiected (as might many tymes ouercōmeth right) procedyng in his preconceaued excommunication agaynst them, and writyng moreouer hys letters to him that should preach next at Paules crosse, as is aforesayd, to denounce and to publish openly the sayd Nicholas Herford, & Phillip Repington to be excommunicate, for their not appearing and their terme assigned.MarginaliaXiij. day of Iuly. an. 1382. Which was in the 13. day of the month of Iuly.

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MarginaliaOther letters of the Archb. sent to the Chauncelor of Oxford. Which Archbishop moreouer the sayd yeare, month and day aforesayd, sent also another letter to M. Rigge Commissary of Oxford, straitly enioyning and chargyng hym, not onely to denounce the sayd sentence of excommunicatiō, and to geue out publique citation agaynst them, but also to make diligent search and inquisition through all Oxford for them, to haue them apprehended and sent vp to hym, personally before him to appeare, at a certaine day prescribed for the same. Wherby may appeare how busie this bishop was in disquieting and persecutyng these poore men, whom rather he should haue nourished and cherished as hys brethrē. But as his labour is past, so hys rewarde will follow, at what day the great Archbishop of our soules, shall iudicially appeare in his tribunall seate, to iudge both the quick and the dead.

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The Archb. yet not contented with this, doth moreouer by all meanes possible, sollicite the king to ioyne withall, the power of hys temporal sword, for the correction of these mē  

. Wherupon, the king beyng yet but yong, and vnder yeres of rype iudgement, partly induced or rather seduced by the importune sute of the Archbishop, partly also either for feare of the bishops (for kinges alwais cannot do in their realmes what they will) or els perhaps intised by some hope of subsidie to be gathered of the Cleargy: at the instaunce of the Archb. directed out these letters, the tenour wherof, here vnder followeth.

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MarginaliaThe kinges letter agaynst the fauourers of Wickliffe. RIchard by the grace of God king of England and Lord of Ireland: To all those to whom these present letters shall come, greeting.,  

By the petition of the reuerend father in God, William Archb. of Canterbury, Primate of England exhibited vnto vs, we right well vnderstand: That diuers & sondry conclusions very contrary to holesome doctrine & redoundyng both to the subuersiō of the catholique fayth, the holy church, and his prouince of Cant. in diuers and sūdry places of the same his prouince haue beene openly and publiquely preached, although damnably preached. Of the which couclusions, some as heresies, other some as erroures haue bene condemned: but not before good and mature deliberation first therein had and vsed, and by common counsayle of the sayd Archb. his suffraganes and many doctors in diuinity and other clarkes & learned men in the holy scriptures, were sententially and holesomly declared. Wherupon the sayd Archb. hath made his supplycation vnto vs: that both for the coertion and due castigation of such as shall from henceforth of an obstinate minde preach or maintayne the foresayd cōclusions, that we would vouchsafe to put to the arme & helping hād of our kingly power. We therfore moued by the zeale of the catholick faith, wherof we be and wil be defendours, and vnwilling that any such heresies or errors should spring vp within the limits of our dominion:MarginaliaThe 16. day of Iune. an. 1382. Geue and graunt speciall licence and authority by the tenour of these presentes, vnto the foresayd Archbishop, and to his Suffraganes, to arest and imprison either in their own prisons or any other, all and euery such person and persons as shall either priuely or apertly preach or maintayne the foresayd conclusions so condemned, and the same persones so imprisoned there at their pleasures to detayne, till such time as they shall repent them and amende them of such hereticall prauities, or els shall be of such arestes by vs and our counsayle otherwise determined and prouided. Further chargyng and commaundyng all and singular our liegemen ministers, and subiectes, of what state and condition so euer they be, vpon their fidelitie and allegeaunce wherein they stand bound to vs: that by no meanes they either fauour, counsayle, or helpe the preachers or els maintayners of the sayd conclusions so condēned or their fauourers, vpon paine and forfaiture of all that euer they haue: But that they obey and humbly attend vpon the sayd Archbishop, hys suffragans, and ministers in the execution of these presentes, so that due and manifest publication agaynst the foresayd conclusions and their mainteyners, without any perturbation may be done & executed, as for the defence of our realm and catholike fayth shal be thought most meete and requisite. In witnesse wherof, we haue caused these our letters patentes to be made.

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Witnes our self, at Westminster the 16.
day of Iune,,  

& vj. yere of our reigne.

MarginaliaAn other letter of the K. to the Vicechauncelor. THe kyng: To the Chauncellor and procuratours of the vniuersitie of Oxford which now be, or for the tyme beyng shalbe: Gretyng..  

Moued by the zeale of christiā faith, wherof we be and alwayes will be defendours, and for ours soules health induced therunto, hauing a great desire to represse, and by condigne purnishment to restrayne the impugners of the foresayd faith, which newly and wickedly goe about and presume to sow their naughty and peruerse doctrine within our kyngdome of Englād, and to preache and holde damnable conclusions so notoriously repugnant and contrary to the same faith, to the peruerting of our subiects and people as we vnderstand: Before they any farther proceede in their malicyous erroures, or els infect others: Wee haue by these presentes appoynted you to bee inquisitour generall (all the chyefe diuynes of the sayd vniuersitie beyng your assistentes) and the same likewyse to be done of all and singular the Graduates, Dyuines, and Lawyers of the same vnyuersitie. And if they shall know any which bee of the iurisdiction of the sayd Vnyuersitie of Oxforde, which be probablie of them to be suspected in the fauour, belyefe, or defence of any heresie or errour, and especyally of any of the conclusions publiquely condemned by the reuerend father, Wyllyam Archbyshop of Canterbury, by the counsaile of his Cleargie, or els of any other conclusion like vnto any of them in meaning or in wordes: & that if henceforth you shall finde any that shall beleeue, fauoure, or defend any of the foresayd heresies or erroures or any other such lyke, or els which shall be so bold to receaue into their houses and Innes M. Iohn Wickliffe, M. Nich. Herford, M. Philip Repingdon, or M. Iohn Ashton, or any other noted by probable suspiciō of any of the foresaid heresies or errours, or any other like vnto thē in meaning or in worde: Or that shall presume to communicate with any of them, or els to defend or fauour any of such fauourers, receiuers, communicantes and defendours: within 7. dayes after the same shal appere and be manifest vnto you, to banish and expel them from the vniuersitie and towne of Oxford, till such time as they shall declare their innocency before the Archbishop of Caunterbury for the time beyng, by manifest purgation. So not withstandyng, that such as be compelled to purge themselues, you certifie vs and the sayd Archbishop vnder your seales, from tyme to tyme within one month, that they be such maner of men. Cōmaunding furthermore, that thorough all the halles of the sayd vniuersitie, ye cause diligently to be searched and inquired out of hand: If any man haue any booke or tractation of the Edition or compilyng of the foresayd M. Iohn Wickliffe, or Nicholas Herford: & that when and wheresoeuer ye shall chaunce to finde any such booke or tractation, ye cause the same to be arested and taken, and vnto the foresayd Archbishop within one month (without correction, corruption, or mutation, whatsoeuer) worde for worde, and sentence for sentence, to be brought and presented. And therfore we straightly enioyne & commaund you, vpon your fidelitie and allegeaunce wherein ye stand bound vnto vs, and on payne of forfaiture of all & singuler your liberties and priuileges of your sayd vniuersitie, and of all that euer you haue besides:MarginaliaThe 13. day of Iuly. an. 1382 that you geue your diligent attendance vpon the premisses, and that well and faithfully you execuce the same in maner & forme aforesaid. And that you obey the foresayde Archbishop, and his lawfull and honest mandates, that he shall thinke good to direct vnto you in this behalfe, as it is mete ye should. And we geue in charge vnto the Vicechauncellor and Mayor of Oxforde for the tyme beyng, and to all and singular our Shriues, vndershirifes, bayliffes, and subiectes, by these presents: that they ayde, obey, and be accendaunt vpon you in the execution of the premisses. In witnes whereof. &c. Witnes the Kyng at Westminster, the xiij. day of Iuly, the sixte yeare of his raigne.

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MarginaliaAn other sharpe letter of K. Rich. sent to Oxford agaynst Wickliffe & his felowes. The effect of the kinges letter briefly comprehended. Beside these letters patents the sayd young king moued by the vnquiet importunity of the Archbyshop: sendeth moreouer an other specyall letter to the Vicechauncelour and proctors of the Vniuersitie of Oxforde. Wherein vnder a pretensed zeale of defence of christyan faythe, he straightlye and sharpely inioineth & assigneth them (for the vtter aboli-

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