without any perturbation may be done and executed, as for the defence of our Realme and catholike fayth shalbe thought most meete and requisite. In witnesse wherof, we haue caused these our letters patentes to be made.

Witnesse our selfe, at Westminster the 16. day of Iune,  

and 6. yeare of our reigne.

MarginaliaAn other letter of the K. to the Vicechancellor. THe king: To the chauncellour and the procuratours of the vniuersitie of Oxford which now be, or for the time being shall be: Greeting.  

Moued by the zeale of christian fayth, whereof we be and alwayes will be defenders, and for our soules health induced thereunto, hauing a great desire to represse, and by condigne punishmēt to restraine the impugners of the foresaid fayth, which newly and wickedly go about and presume to sow their naughty and peruerse doctrine within our kingdome of England, and to preach and hold 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 further proceed in their malicious errours, or els infect others: We haue by these presentes appoynted you to be inquisitour generall (all the chiefe diuines of the sayd vniuersitie being your assistents) and the same likewise to be done of all and singular the Graduates, Diuines, & lawyers of the same vniuersitie. And if they shall know any which be of the iurisdiction of the sayd vniuersitie of Oxforde, whiche be probablie of them to be suspected in the fauour, belyefe, or defence of anye heresie or errour, and especially of any of the conclusions publiquely condemned by the reuerend Father, William Archbishop of Canterbury, by the Counsaile of his Clergye, or els of any other conclusion like vnto anye of them in meaning or in wordes: and that if henceforth you shall finde any that shall beleue: fauoure, or defend anye of the foresayd heresies or errours or anye other suche like, or els which shall be so bolde to receaue into their houses and Innes Maister Iohn Wickliffe, M. Nich. Herforde, M Phillip Repingdon, or M. Iohn Asheton, or anye other noted by probable suspicion of anye the foresayd heresies or erroures, or any other like vnto them in meaning or in worde: Or that shall presume to communicate wirh anye of them, or els to defend or fauour anye of suche fauourers, receauers communicantes and defendours: within 7. dayes after the same shal appeare and be manifest vnto you, to banish and expell 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 being, by manifest purgation. So notwithstanding, that such as be compelled to purge themselues, you certifie vs and the sayd archbishop vnder your seales, frō time to time within one month that they be such maner of men. Commaunding furthermore, that thorough all the halles of the sayd vniuersitie, ye cause dilligently to be searched and inquired out of hād: If any man haue any book or tractation of the Edition or compiling of the foresayd M. Iohn Wickliffe, or Nicholas Herford: and that when and whersoeuer 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) word for word, & sentēce for sentence, to be brought and presented And therefore we straightly enioine and command you, vpon your fidelitie and allegeaunce wherein ye stand bound vnto vs, and vpon payne of forfaiture of all and singuler your liberties and priuilegies of your sayde vniuersitie, and of all that euer you haue besides: that you geue your diligent attendance vpō the premisses, and that well and faythfully you execute the same in maner and forme aforesayd. 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 meete ye should. And we geue in charge vnto the Vicechauncellour and Mayor of Oxford for the time being, and to all and singuler our Sherrifes, vndersheriffes, Bayliffes, and subiects, by these presents: that they ayde, obey, and be attendaunt vpon you in the execution of the premisses. In witnes whereof, &c. Witnesse the King at Westminster, the 13. day. of Iuly, the sixte yeare of hys raigne.MarginaliaThe 13. day of Iuly. an. 1382.

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MarginaliaAn other sharp letter of K. Rich. sent to Oxford agaynst Wickliffe and his fellowes. Besides these letters patentes the said young King moued by the vnquyet importunitie of the Archb. sendeth moreouer an other special letter to the Vicechancellor and proctors of the Vniuersitie of Oxforde. MarginaliaThe effect of the kings letter briefly comprehended.Wherein vnder a pretensed zeale of defence of Christian fayth, he straightlye and sharply enioyneth & assigneth them (for the vtter abolishing of those conclusions & opinions) to make a generall Inquisition through the whole vniuersitie as well for the parties aforesaid, Iohn Wickliffe. Nicholas Herford, Phillip Repington, Iohn Ashton, & such other, as also for al other whō they know or iudge to be suspected of þ^t doctrine, or to be mayntayners, receauers, and defenders of foresayd parties, or their conclusions any maner of way,to the intent that they being so apprehended through their diligent search, may be w^tin 7. dayes of their admonitions expulsed the vniuersitie, and cited vp to the archb. of Cant. before him to appeare, and to stand to their answers. Willing moreouer and commanding the said vicechauncellor & proctors with other regents their assisters, that if any person or persons in any house, hall, or colledge, or in anye other place shalbe found to haue any of theyr books, or treatises compiled by the sayd Iohn Wickliffe. Nicholas Herford &c. they will cause without delay þ^e sayd person or persons, with theyr bookes to be arested and attached, MarginaliaThe persons with their bookes to be arested.& presented within one month, without correction, corruption, or mutation, to the foresayd Archbishop, vpon their fayth and allegeance, as they will auoyd the forfaiture of all and singuler the liberties and priueledges to the vniuersity apertayning. And that they will be obedient to the Archb. aforesayd in the ordering hereof, and all other his iniunctions to be obeyed in all thinges lawfull and honest. Geuing moreouer in these our letters charge and commaundement to the Mayor, Baliffes and other the inhabitants of Oxford, to be assistant and attendant vnto the foresayd vicechancelor and proctors, touching the execution of the premisses, bearing the date of the fourteenth day of Iuly: which was the yeare of our Lord, 1382.MarginaliaThe 14. day of Iuly. an. 1382.

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MarginaliaRob. Rigs Vicechancellour of Oxford. THe vicechauncelor the same time in Oxforde  

was M. Robert Rigges. The 2. proctors were Iohn Huntman, & Walter Dishe, who then as farre as they durst, fauoured the cause of Iohn Wickliffe and þ^t side.   In so much þ^t the same time and yeare, which was an. 1382. when certaine publicke sermons should be appoynted customably at þ^e feast of the Ascention, and of Corpus Christi, to be preached in the cloyster of S. Frideswyde (now called Christs church) before the people, by the vicechanceller aforesayd & the proctoures (the doinges thereof the vicechauncellor aforesaid and proctors had committed to Phillip Repington, and N. Her. so þ^t N. Her. shold preach on þ^e Ascention day, and Repington vpō Corpus Christi day) MarginaliaNi. Herford preaching on the Ascension day, defended Wickliffe.First Herford beginning was noted to defend Iohn Wickliffe, opēly to be a faythful, good, & innocent man: for the which no small adoe with outcries was amongst the Fryers. This Herford, after he had long fauoured & mayntayned Wickliffes part, grew first in suspicion amongst the enemies of the truth. For assoone as he began somewhat liberally and freely to pronounce & vtter any thing which tended to the defence of Wickliffe, by and by the Carmelites, and al the orders of religion were in his top, and laid not a few heresies vnto his charge, the which they had strayned here and there out of his sermons, & had cōpyled together in a certaine forme, by the handes of a certayne notaries, through the industry & diligence of one Peter Stokes a Carmelite a kind of people prone & ready to all kinde of mischiefe, vprores, debate, and discention. After this the feast of Corpus Christi drue neare, vppon which day it was looked for that Repington should preach. MarginaliaRepington first Chanō of Leicester, after B. of Lincolne.This man was a Canon of Leicester, & had before taken his first degree vnto Doctorship: who preaching the same time at Bradgate for the same Sermon he became first suspected, and hated of the Pharisaicall broode of the Fryers. But through the great amd notable dexteritie of his wit, (which all men did behold and see in him) accompanied with like modesty and honesty: he did so ouercome, or at the least asswage thys cruelty and persecution whiche was towardes him, that shortly after, by the consent of the whole fellowship, he was admitted doctour. MarginaliaRepington commensed Doctor.Who as soone as he had taken it vpon him, by and by he stepped forth in the schooles, and began immediately to shewe forth and vtter, that whiche he had long hidden and dissembled. Protesting opēly, that in all morall matters, he would defend Wickliffe. But as touching the sacrament he woulde as yet hold his peace, vntill such time as the Lorde shall otherwise illuminate the hartes and mindes of the clergye.

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Nowe the day of Corpus Christi aforesayd approching neare, when the Fryers vnderstood that this man should preach shortly, fearing least that he would rub the galles of their religion, they conuented with the Archb. of Cant. that the same day a little before that Phillip shold preach: Wickliffes conclusions which were priuately condemned, should be openly diffamed in the presence of the whole vniuersitie. The doing of which matter, was committed to Peter Stokes Fryer, stonderd bearer and chiefe champion of that side against Wickliffe.MarginaliaPeter Stokes standerd bearer to the papists.

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There were also letters sent vnto the commissary, that