yet to the entent that all men may see the spitefull malice of these spider Friers, in suckyng all things to poyson,  

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Foxe is alluding to to the early modern belief that spiders ingested ordinary liquids and turned them into venom.

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Swinderby was charged with sixteen articles (reproduced in Registrum Johannis Trefnant, Episcopi Herefordensis, ed. W. W. Capes, Canterbury and York Society 20 {London, 1916], pp. 365-6). What Foxe is listing are the six errors and five heresies Swinderby abjured. Foxe presents them accurately - at least as they were presented in the Fasciculi Zizanniorum - but he re-arranges the order in which they are given.

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That men may aske their debtes by charitie, but in no maner for debt to emprison any man: and that he so imprisonyng is accursed.

That if parishioners do know their Curate to be a lechour incontinent, and an euill man:they ought to withdraw from hym their tithes, or els they be fautours of hys sinnes.

That tythes purely be almose, and in case that Curates be euill men, the same may lawfully be conferred to other men.

That for an euill Curate to curse hys suget for withholding of tithes: is nothing els, but to take with extortion wickedly and vnduely from them their money.

That no Prelate may curse a man, except he know before that he is cursed of God.

That euery priest may absolue any sinner beyng cōtrite and is bound (notwithstanding the inhibitiō of the bishop) to preach the Gospell vnto the people.

That a priest takyng any annuall pension vpon couenaunt, is in so doyng a simoniacke and accursed.

That any priest beyng in deadly sinne, if he geue hymselfe to consecrate the body of the Lord, he committeth idolatry, rather then doth consecrate.

That no priest entreth into any house, but to euill entreat the wife, the daughter, or mayde. And therefore he admonyshed the goodmā of the house, to take heed what priest he let into his house.

An other conclusion falsly  

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Foxe claims that this accusation was made falsely because it is the only one that Foxe disagrees with. Like almost all magisterial Protestants, Foxe held that a sacrament was binding even if the priest conducting it was in mortal sin. This was one area where many Lollards, including Swinderby, held views which Foxe felt were erroneous.

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Item, that no man liuing agaynst the law of God is a priest, how euer he were ordeined priest of any bishop.

These Articles or conclusions vntruely collected, were as cruelly exhibited against him by the Friers in the bishop of Lincolnes court. The which Articles although he neuer preached, taught or at any tyme defended, as appeareth more in the processe following: yet the Friers with their witnesses standyng forth agaynst hym, declared him to be conuict: bringing also dry woode with them to the towne to burne hym,MarginaliaW. Swinderby cōpelled by the Friers to abiure articles, which he neuer taught. and would not leaue him, before he made them promise and sware for feare of death neuer to hold them, teach them, nor preach them priuely, nor apertly vnder payne of relapse: and that he should go to certaine churches to reuoke þ^e foresayd conclusions, which he neuer affirmed. As first in the Church of Lincolne, then in Saint Margaretes Church at Leycester. Also in Saint Martines Churche in Leycester, and in our Ladies churches at Newarke: and in other parish Churches also, of Melton Moubray, of Halughton, Hareburgh, and Lenthburgh. Which penance beyng to him enioyned, he did obediently accomplish: with this forme of reuocation, which they bounde hym vnto, vnder these wordes.

MarginaliaThe forced abiuration of W. Swinderby. I William Swinderby priest, although vnworthy, of the dioces of Lincolne, acknowledging one true catholique, and Apostolique fayth of the holy church of Rome, do abiure all heresie and errour repugning to the determination of the holy mother church, wherof I haue ben hitherto infamed, namely the conclusions and articles aboue prefixed, and euery one of thē to me iudicially obiected, by the Cōmissary of the reuerend father in Christ and Lord, L. Iohn by the grace of God Bishop of Lincolne: and do reuoke the same, and euery one of them, some as hereticall, some as erroneous, and false, and do affirme and beleue them to be so, and hereafter will neuer teach, preach, or affirme publikely or priuely the same. Neither will make any sermon within the diocesse of Lincolne, but asking first and obteynyng the licence, of the foresayd reuerend father and lord the byshop of Lincolne. Contrary to the which if I shall presume hereafter, to say or do, to hold or preach: I shall be content to abide the seueritie of the Canon, as I haue iudicially by the necessitie of the law, sworne, and do sweare, &c.

Thus haue you the conclusiōs and articles of this good man, falsely obiected to him by the malitious and lying Friers: and also the retractation, wherunto they by force compelled hym: wherby it may likewise be coniectured, what credite is to be geuen to the articles and conclusions, which these cauelyng Ffiers wrasting all things to the worst, haue obiected & imputed both to Wickliffe and all other of þ^e sort. whom they so falsly do infame, so slaūderously do bely, and so maliciously do persecute. After these thinges thus done and wrought in the dioces of Lincolne: it so befell, the sayd W. Swinderby to remoue to the diocesse and countrey of Herford. Where, he was as much or more molested by the friers againe, and by Iohn Tresnant bishop of Herford, as by the processe and story here ensuing, set out at large out of their owne registers  

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Specifically out of the register of Bishop John Trefnant of Hereford. On 30 June 1391, Swinderby, who must have emigrated from Leicester to Herefordshire, appeared before Trefnant to answer charges of heresy. He was allowed to leave because he had been granted a safe conduct. In the following months Swinderby was summoned to appear again before Trefnant and refused, although he sent another document defending his position. In October, Swinderby finally appeared and submitted another, longer, defence of his position. He was then condemned for heresy.

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¶ Here followeth the processe of Iohn Tresnant bishop of Hereforde had against the aforesayde William Swinderby in the cause of heretical prauitie as the popish heretikes call it.  

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The process against Swinderby in June 1391 is taken from Trefnant's register; see Registrum Johannis Trefnant Episcopi Herefordensis, ed. W. W. Capes, Canterbury and York Society 20 (London, 1916), pp. 231-2.

MarginaliaThe proces of the B. of Hereford agaynst W. Swinderby. THe glorious name of the prince of peace, and his counsail (whose counsailour no man is, and whose prouidence in his disposition is neuer deceyued) beyng inuocated: To all and singuler beleuers of Christ, which shal see or heare this our processe vnderwritten, Iohn by the sufferaunce of God bishop of Hereford: greeting, and peaceable charitie in the Lord.MarginaliaThe florishing inuocation of Gods name. For as much as god the creator of all things, the keper of Iustice, the louer of right, and the hater of malice, beholdyng from the highe throne of his prouidence the sonnes of men, now through the fall of their first father, prone and declinyng to dishonest and filthy and detestable mischiefes, and to kepe vnder their malice (which wicked transgression did first gender) hath appoynted diuers presidentes of the world stablished in sundry degrees, by whom and their circumspect prouidence, mans audacitie should be restrayned, innocency should be nourished amongst the good, and terror should be striken into the wicked not to deceiue: also that their power to hurt, and their insolencie should be bridled in all places. And wheras amōgst many kinds of cares whieh come to our thoughtes, by the duety of the office committed vnto vs, we are specially bound to extend our strēgth, chiefly that the Catholike fayth may prosper in our tymes, and hereticall prauity may be rooted from out of the borders of the faithfull: We therefore beyng excited through the information of many credible and faithfull Christians of our dioces, to roote out pestiferous plantes, as shepe diseased with an incurable sicknesse, goyng about to infect the whole and sound flocke, are by the care of the shepeheard to be remoued from the flocke, that is to say, Preachers, or more truely execrable offenders of the newe sect, vulgarely called lollardes,MarginaliaLollardes by the popes interpretation is a worde deriued of Lollium. which vnder a certaine cloked shew of holynes, running abroad through diuers places of our diocesse, and endeuouring to cut a sunder the Lordes vnsowed coate, that is to say, to rent the vnitie of the holy church, and of the Catholike faith, and also to teare in peeces with their tempestious blasts þ^e power of S. Peter, that is to say, to weaken the strength of the ecclesiastical states and degrees and the determination of the same holy Church, haue wickedly presumed & doe presume from day to day to speake, to teach, to maintaine (and that which is more horrible to be vttered) to preach openly many things hereticall, blasphemies, schismes, and sclaunderous disfaminges, euen quite contrary to the sacred Canons and decrees of the holy fathers: so that they know not to direct their pathes in the wayes of righteousnes and truth, in that,MarginaliaThey counterfait in the prophets wordes as Apes do in princes apparell. that they expounde to the people the holy scripture, as the letter soundeth, after a Iudaicall sort, otherwise then the holy Ghost will needes haue it: where as the wordes wander from their proper significations. and appeare to bring in by gessing new meanings:MarginaliaWho expoūdeth the scripture more after the letter let the reader iudge by Hoc est corpus meum. whereas the wordes must not be iudged by the sense that they make, but by the sense whereby they be made, where as the construction is not bound to Donates rules: where as faith is farre placed from the capacitie of reason: But they labour by their pernicious doctrines & teachings publike and priuie, to boyle out the poyson of schismes betwene the Clergie and the people. We to encounter agaynst such kynde of preachers, nay rather deceiuers, and horrible seducers amongst the people, aduauncing and rowzing vp our selues in Gods behalfe, and holy mother Churche, wyth the spirituall sword, which may strike them wisely, and wounde them medicinably, for their health and welfare:MarginaliaIf such medicines should be ministred to you, ye would can your Phisition litle thanke. and namely William Swynderby Priest (so pretendyng himselfe to be) as a teacher of such kynde of pernicious doctrine, and an horrible seducer amōgest the people:MarginaliaAn. 1391 to whom personally appearing before vs on the Wedensday, to wit, the xiiij of the moneth of Iune, in the parishe Church of Kington of our diocesse, in the yeare of our Lord. 1391.