Citie of Hereford, to Thomas Oldcastle, Rich. Nash, Roger Wygmore, Thomas Waylwayne, Iohn Skydmore, Iohn VpHarry, Henry Motton, and to the Shiriffe of Hereford, sendeth salutations.

MarginaliaWalter BruteForasmuche as it is aduertised vs, that one Walter Brute, and other such children of iniquitie, haue damnably holden, affirmed, and preached, certaine articles and conclusions being notoriously repugnaunt against the holy Scripture (of the which, some of them as heresies, and the rest as errours, are finally by the Church condemned) and that in diuers places within the dioces of Hereford and partes neare adioyning, both priuely, openly, and obstinately: which thing wee perceiue not onely to redounde to the subuersion (in a maner) of the Catholicke faithe, which as well we, as other catholicke Princes ought of duety to maintaine, but also to forewarne vs of the subuersion of our faithfull Diocesans. And that the sayd Bishop, vpon the good deliberation and aduisement of a great number of Doctours in Diuinitie, and other learned & skilfull men in the Scriptures, of speciall deuotion, according to his bounden duetie, purposed to begin and make diuers and sundry processes by law to be sent vnto the foresayd Walter and hys accomplices, to appere personally before him and other the Doctours aforesaid, in the cathedrall church of Hereford, the morow after the translation of S. Thomas of Hereforde next ensuing, and to procede in the same place against the same Walter, in the foresaide articles and conclusions, for the amendement of his soule. Now a fresh (because that the sayd Walter and others of their retinue, cleauing and confederating with him, might not suffer condigne paines according to their demerites) indeuour themselues to make voide and frustrate the sayde godly purpose of the same Bishop, in such correction & execution as should haue bene done: and with force doe resist and let the same with all the power they may, to the great contempt of vs and of our crowne, and to the breaking and hurting of our peace, and pernicious example of others: MarginaliaWhether the doctrine of Brute was euer against resistance, howe in this lyke to be true.Doe appoynt you and euery of you, immediatly as soone as this our commission shall be deliuered vnto you, in our behalfe and name, to make open proclamation in the diocesse and partes aforesayde, where ye shall thinke it most meete and conuenyent: That no man be so hardy hencefoorth, of what state or condition soeuer he shall be, within theDioces and partes aforesayde, vpon paine of forfaiture of all that euer hee hath, to make or leauie any conuenticles, assemblies, or confederacies, by any colour: or that they presume to attempt or procure any other thing, wherby our peace may be hurt or broken, or that the same Bishops and Doctors aforesaid, may be by any meanes molested or let in the execution of suche correction as is to be done, according to the Canonical sanctions, and to arest all those which ye shal finde or take offending in this behalfe, or that keepe themselues in any suche conuenticles. And that they being committed to prison, be there kept, till you shall haue other commaundement from vs and our counsel for their deliueraunce: And that ye distinctly and plainly certifie vs and our sayd counsell, of all your doing in thys behalfe vnder your seales, or else the seales of some of you. And therefore we straightly charge and commaunde you, and euery of you: that ye diligently attende vpon the premisses, and that in your deedes yee execute the same with all diligence and carefull indeuour, in the forme and maner aforesaid. And further, wee geue straight charge and commaundement to all and singular Shriffes, Maiors, Bailiffes, Constables, and other our faithfull subiectes, by the tenour of these presents: that they be attending vpon you, counselling and aiding you and euery of you, as is meete and conuenient in the doing and execution of the premisses. In witnesse whereof, we haue caused these our letters patents to be made. Witnesse my selfe at Westminster, the 22. day of September, in the 17. yeare of our raigne:  

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¶ By the same King and Counsell.

MarginaliaK. Richard set agaynst the Gospellers by the Archb. and the prelates Ex Regist. W. Courtney Archb. Cant.Thus king Richard by the setting on of W. Courtney Archb. of Canterb. and his fellowes, taking part wyth the Pope, and Romish Prelates: waxed something strait and harde to the poore Christians of the contrary side of Wyckleffe, as by these letters aboue prefixed may appeare. Allbeit, during all the life of the saide king, I finde of none expresly by name that suffered burning. Notwythstanding, some there were which by the foresaide Archbish. William Courtney, and other Bishops, had bene condemned and diuers also abiured, and did penance as well in other places, as chiefly about the towne of Leycester as followeth here to be declared, out of the Archbyshoppes register and recordes-

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MarginaliaRoger Dexter, Nicholas Taylor, Rich. Wagstaffe, Mich. Scriuener, W. Smith, Ioh. Henry, W. Parchmaner, Roger Goldsmith accused.At what time  

the saide Archbishop W. Courtney was in his visitation at the towne of Leycester, certaine there were accused and detected to him, by the monks and other Priestes in the sayd towne. The names of which persons there detected, were one Roger Dexter, Nicholas Taylor Richard Wagstaffe, Michael Scriuener, William Smith, Iohn Henry, Wil. Parchmeanar, and Roger Goldsmith, inhabitantes of the same towne of Leycester: These wyth other moe, were denounced to the Archbyshop for holdingthe opinion of the Sacrament of the aultare, of auriculare confession, and other Sacraments, contrary to that which the Church of Rome doth preach and obserue. All whych parties aboue named, & many other mo whose names are not knowen, did hold these heresies and errors here vnder wrytten, and are of the Romish church condemned.

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1. That in the Sacrament of the aultar, after the words of consecration, there remaineth the body of Christ wyth the materiall bread.  

2. That images ought not to be worshipped in any case, nor that no man ought to set any candles before them.

3. That no crosse ought to be worshipped.

4. That Masses, and Mattens, ought not wyth an high and loud voice to be sayd in the Church.

5. Item, that no Curate or Priest taken in any crime can consecrate, heare confessions, nor minister any of the Sacraments of the church.

6. That the Pope and all prelates of the Churche, can not binde any man w^t the sentence of excommunication, vnles they know him to be first excommunicated of God.

7. That no Prelate of the church, can graūt any pardons.

8. That euery lay man may in euery place, preach & teach the Gospell.

9. That it is sinne to geue any almes or charitie, to the friers preachers, Minorites, Augustines, or Carmelites.

10. That no oblation ought to be vsed at the funeralles of the dead.

11. That it is not necessary to make confessyon of oure sinnes to the Priest.

12. That euery good man although hee be vnlearned, is a Priest.

MarginaliaRoger, Nicholas, Richard, Michell, William, and Roger, accursed with booke, bell, and candle.These Articles they taught, preached, & affirmed manifestly in the towne of Lecester & other places adioyning: wherupon, the said Archb. monished the saide Roger, and Nichcolas w^t the rest, on the next day to make answer vnto him in the sayd monastery  

to the foresayd articles. But the foresaide Roger and Nicholas with the rest, hid thēselues out of the way, and appeared not. Whereupon, the Archb. vpon All hallow day, being the 1. day of Nouember, celebrating the high masse at the high aulter in the sayd monasterie, being attired in hys Pontificalibus: denounced the saide parties with all their adherents, fautors, fauourers, and counsellers, excommunicate and accursed, whych eyther helde, taught, or maintained the foresaide conclusions heretical & erroneous, and that in solemn wise, by ringing the bels, lighting the candels, and putting out the same againe, and throwing them downe to the grounde w^t other circumstances thereunto belonging. Vpon the morow after (being all Soulne day) he sent for al the curates & other lay men of the towne of Leicester, to inquire more diligētly of the verity of such matter as they knewe, & were able to say against any persons whatsoeuer, concerning þ^e foresayd articles, as also against the parties before named and specified vpon their othes: denouncing euery one of them, seuerally by their names to be excōmunicated and accursed, & caused them also in diuers parish churches in Leicester, also to be excommunicate. MarginaliaThe whole towne of Leicester interdicted.And further the said Archb. interdicted the whole Towne of Leycester, & all the churches in the same, so long as any of the foresayde excommunicate persons should remaine or be wythin the same, and till that all the lollardes of the towne, should returne and amend from such heresies & errors, obtaining at the sayde Archb. hys handes the benefite of absolution.

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MarginaliaMatild an Anchores, cited to appeare.At length it was declared & shewed to the sayd Archb. that there was a certain anchoresse whose name was Matilde, inclosed wythin  

the Churchyard of S. Peters church of the sayd towne of Leycester, to be infected (as they sayd) with the pestiferous contagion of the foresaid heretikes & lollardes: wherupon, after that the sayd Archb. had examined the foresayd Matilde, touching the foresayde conclusions, heresies, and errours, and founde her not to answere plainly and directly to the same, but sophistically and subtelly: gaue and assigned vnto her a day peremptorie, personally to appeare before hym in the Monasterie of s. Iames at Northampton, more fully to aunswer to the sayde articles, heresies, and errours, which was the 6. day of the sayd moneth of Nouember: commanding the abbot of the monasterie of Pratis aforesayd, that the doore of the recluse in which the sayd Matild was, should be opened, and that til his returne he shuld cause her to be put in safe custody. That done, he sent forth his mandate, against the lolardes vnder this forme.  

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MarginaliaThe kings proces sent by the B. to arest the 8. aforenamed.¶ William by the permission of God. &c. To his welbeloued sonnes, the Maior & bailiffes, of the towne of Leicester Dioces, greeting. Wee haue lately receiued, the kings letters graciously graūted vs for þ^e defence of the catholike