These Articles, taught, preached, and affirmed they, manifestly in the towne of Leycester & other places adioyning: wherupon, the sayd Archbyshop monished the sayd Roger, and Nicholas with the rest, on the next day to make aunswere vnto him in the sayd Monastery  

to the foresayd articles. But the foresayd Roger and Nicholas with the rest, hid themselues out of the way and appeared not.MarginaliaRoger, Nicholas, Richard, Michell, Williā, and Roger, accursed with booke, bell, and candell. Wherupō, the Archbyshop vpon all hallow day, beyng the first day of Nouember, celebratyng the high Masse at the high aulter in the sayd Monastery, beyng attired in his pontificalibus: denounced the sayd parties, with all their adherentes, fautors, fauourers, and coūsellers, excommunicate and accursed which either held taught or maintained the foresayd conclusions hereticall and erroneous and that in solemne wise, by ringyng the belles, lightyng the candels, and puttyng out the same agayne, and throwyng them downe to the grounde with other circumstaunces thereunto belongyng. Vpon the morow after (being all soulne day) he sent for all the curates and other lay men of the towne of Leycester, to inquire more diligently of the veritie of such matter as they knew, & were able to say agaynst any persons whatsoeuer, concernyng the foresayd articles, as also agaynst the parties before named & specified vpon their othes: denouncyng euery one of them, seuerally by their names to be excommunicated and accursed, & caused them also in diuers Parishe Churches in Leycester, also to be excommunicate.MarginaliaThe whole town of Leicester inetrdicted And further the sayd Archbishop interdicted the whole towne of Lecester, and all the Churches in the same, so long as any of the foresayd excommunicate persōs should remayne or be within the same, and till that all the Lollards of the towne, should returne and amende from such heresies and errours, obtaining at the sayd Archbishop his handes the benefite of absolution.

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MarginaliaMatild an Anchores, cited to appeare. At length it was declared and shewed to the sayd Archbyshop that there was a certaine anchoresse whose name was Matild, inclosed within  

in the Churchyarde of S. Peters Church of the sayd towne of Leycester, to be infected (as they sayd) with the pestiferous cōtagion of the foresayd heretiques & Lolardes: wherupon, after that the sayd Archbyshop had examined the foresayd Matild, touchyng the foresayd conclusions, heresies, and errours, and found her not to aunswere playnly and directly to the same, but sophistically and subtelly: gaue & assigned vnto her a day peremptory, personally to appeare before him in the Monastery of S. Iames at Northampton, more fully to aunswere to the sayd articles, heresies, and errours, which was the 6. day of the sayd moneth of Nouember: commaundyng the Abbat of the Monastery of Pratis aforesayd, that the doore of the recluse in which the said Matild was, should be opened, & þ^t till his retourne he shuld cause her to be put in safe custody. That done, he sent forth his mandate, agaynst the Lolardes vnder this forme.  

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MarginaliaThe kinges proces sent by the B. to arest the 8. aforenamed ¶ William by the permission of God. &c. To his welbeloued sonnes, the Maior & Bayliffes, of the towne of Leycester Dioces, gretyng. We haue lately receiued, the kynges letters graciously graunted vs for the defence of þ^e catholike fayth, in these wordes folowyng. Richard by the grace of God, kyng of England 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 their pernicious doctrine do not infect the people of God. &c. Giuen vnder our seale. &c.

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MarginaliaMargaret Caly a Nunne constrained against her will to take againe her habit By an other instrument also in the same register, is mētion made of one Margaret Caily Nonne, which forsaking her order, was by the sayd Archbishop, constrayned agaynst her will, agayne to enter the same, as by this instrument here vnder insuyng may appeare.  

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¶ Williā 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, we founde, one sheepe out of our fold strayed and amongest the briers tangled, to witte, Margarete Caily, Nunne professed, of the Monastery of S. Radegōde within your Dioces: Who castyng of the habite of her religion, was founde in secular attire, many yeares beyng an Apostata, and leadyng a dissolute lyfe. And least her bloud should be required at our handes, we haue caused her to be taken, and brought vnto you beyng her pastour: and straitly inioynyng you by these presentes do commaunde, that you admit the same Margarete agayne into her foresayd Monastery (although returned agaynst her will) or els into some other place, where for her soules health you shal thincke most conuenient: and that from henceforth shee be safely kept, as in the straight examination of the same you wyll yelde an accompt. Geuen vnder our seale. &c.

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MarginaliaMatild recāteth. By sundry other instrumentes also in the same register recorded I finde, that the foresayd Matilde þ^e Anchoresse, vpon the straighte examination and handelyng of the foresayd Archbyshop, before whom peremptorily she was enioyned to appeare, and till that day of apparance taken out of the recluse and committed to safe custodye as you heard: retracted and recanted her foresayde articles and opinions. For the which shee beyng enioyned 40. dayes penaunce, was againe admitted  

into her foresayd recluse in Leycester. The Byshops letter to the magistrates of the towne thus beginneth. Willielmus permissione diuina. &c. dilectis filiis. &c.

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MarginaliaWilliam Smith Roger Dexter, & Alice his wife abiure. Also, by an other letter of the foresayd Archbyshop to þ^e Deane of the Cathedrall church  

of our Lady of Leycester beyng registred, I finde: that of the nomber of those viij. persons before recited, whom the Archbyshop hymselfe at high Masse, did in his pontificalibus so solemly curse with, booke, bell, and candle: After certaine proces being 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 wyfe of the sayd Roger Dexter, takyng holde of the foresayd articles with her husband also, together wyth the sayd W. Smith, abiured the same. For these be þ^e wordes of the instrumēt   Subsequenter vero, præfati Wilielmus Rogerus, et Alicia reatus suos respicientes, se nostro conspectui præsentarunt. &c. Notwithstanding, whether they presēted themselues willingly, or els were brought against their wils (as most like it was) hard penaunce was inioyned them before they were absolued. These be the wordes of the instrument.

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Sancta mater ecclesia. &c.1. Seyng our holy mother the Church, not denyeth her lap to any penitēt childe returning to the vnitie of her, but rather profereth to them the same: We therfore do receiue agayne the sayd William, Roger, & Alice to grace. And further haue caused them to abiure all and singular the aforesayd articles and opinions before they receiued of vs the benefite of absolution, and were loosed frō the sentence of excommunication wherin they were snarled: inioynyng vnto them penaunce, accordyng to the quantitie of the crime, in forme as foloweth, that is to say. That euery one of them, the sonday next after their returning to their proper goods:MarginaliaThe maner of their penance inioyned. they the sayd William, Roger, and Alice, holding euery one an image of the crucifix in their right hands, and in their left handes euery one of them a taper of waxe, waying halfe a pound waight, in their shierts (hauing none other apparell vpon them) doe go before the Crosse three tymes, during the procession of the Cathedrall Church of our Lady 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, the memoriall of his passion, and to the honour of the virgin hys mother: Who also deuoutly bowing their knees and kneeling, shall kisse the same crucifix so helde in theyr handes. And so with the same procession, they entryng agayne into the Church: shall stand during all the tyme of þ^e holy Masse, before the image of the Crosse wyth their tapers and crosses in their handes. And when the Masse is ended, the sayd William, Roger, and Alice, shall offer to hym that celebrated that day the Masse.MarginaliaAn. 1389. Then vpon the Saterday next insuing: the sayd William, Roger, and Alice, shall in the full and publique market, within the towne of Leicester, stand in lyke maner in their shyrtes, wythout any more clothes vpon their bodyes,Marginalia3. kisses of the crosse. holding the foresayde crosses in their right hands, which crosses, three times they shall (during the market) deuoutly kisse reuerently kneelyng vpon their knees: that is, in the beginning of the market, in the middle of the market, and in the end of the market.MarginaliaThe collect of Katherine. And the sayd William (for that he somwhat vnderstandeth the Latine tounge) shall say this Antheame with the colet Sancta Katherina: MarginaliaThe Pater noster, & Aue Maria. and the foresayd Roger and Alice, being vnlearned, shall say deuoutly a Pater noster, and an Aue Maria. And thyrdly, the Sonday next immediatly after þ^e same, the sayd William, Roger, and Alice, in theyr parishe Church of the sayd towne of Leicester, shall stand and do as vpon the Sonday before, they stoode and did in the cathedrall Church of our Lady aforesayde, in all thinges. Which done, the foresayd William, Roger, and Alice, after Masse, shall offer to the priest or chaplayne that celebrated the same, with all humilitie and reuerence the waxe tapers, which they shall cary in their handes. And because of the

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