"Heard ye ever losell speak thus!"
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said to his Clerks, "Heard ye ever losell speak thus! Certain, this is the learning of them all, that wheresoever they come, and they may be suffered, they enforce them to expugn the freedom of Holy Church!"
William.And I said, "Sir, why call you the taking of tithes and of such other duties that priests challenge now wrongfully 'the freedom of Holy Church'; since neitherChristnor his Apostles challenged nor took such duties? Herefore these takings of priests now, are not called justly 'the freedom of Holy Church': but all such giving and taking ought to be called and holden 'the slanderous covetousness of men of the Holy Church.'"
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said to me, "Why, losell! wilt not thou and others that are confedered [confederated] with thee, seek out of Holy Scripture and of the sentence of Doctors, all sharp authorities against Lords and Knights and Squires, and against other secular men, as thou dost against priests?"
Priests are the stomach of the people!
William.And I said, "Sir, whatsoever men or women, Lords or Ladies, or any others that are present in our preaching specially, or in our communing, after our cunning, we to tell to them their office and their charges: but, Sir, sinceChrysostomsaiththe priests are the stomach of the people, it is needful in preaching and also in communing, to be most busy about this priesthood, since by the viciousness of priests, both Lords and Commons are most sinfully infected and led into the worst. And because that the covetousness of priests, and pride and the boast that they have and make, of their dignity and power, destroyeth not only the virtues of priesthood in priests themselves: but also, over this, it stirreth GOD to take great vengeance both upon Lords and Commons, which suffer these priests charitably."
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said to me, "Thou judgest every priest proud that will not go arrayed as thou dost! By God! I deem him to be more meek that goeth every day in a scarlet gown, than thou, in that threadbare blue gown! Whereby knowest thou a proud man?"
William.And I said, "Sir, a proud priest may be known when he denieth to followChristand his Apostles in wilful poverty and other virtues; and coveteth worldly worship, and taketh it gladly, and gathereth together with pleting [?pleading] menacing or with flattering, or with simony, any worldly goods: and most if a priest busy him not chiefly in himself, and after in all other men and women, after his cunning and power, to withstand sin."
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said to me, "Though thou knewest a priest to have all these vices, and though thou sawest a priest, lovely, lie now by a woman, knowingher fleshly; wouldest thou herefore deem this priest damnable? I say to thee, that in the turning about of thy hand, such a sinner may be verily repented!"
William.And I said, "Sir, I will not damn any man for any sin that I know done or may be done; so that the sinner leaveth his sin! But, by authority of Holy Scripture, he that sinneth thus openly, as ye shew here, is damnable for doing of such a sin; and most specially a priest that should be [an] example to all others for to hate and fly sin: and in how short time that ever ye say, that such a sinner may be repented, he oweth [ought] not, of him that knoweth his sinning, to be judged verily repentant, without open evidence of great shame and hearty sorrow for his sin. For whosoever, and specially a priest, that useth pride, envy, covetousness, lechery, simony, or any other vices; and sheweth not, as open evidence of repentance, as he hath given evil example and occasion of sinning: if he continue in any such sin as long as he may, it is likely that sin leaveth him and he not sin; and, as I understand, such a one sinneth unto death, for whom nobody oweth [ought] to pay, as SaintJohnsaith."
A Clerk.And a Clerk said to the Archbishop, "Sir, the longer that ye appose him, the worse he is! and the more that ye busy you to amend him, the waywarder he is! for he is of so shrewd a kind, that he shameth not only to be himself a foul nest; but, without shame, he busieth him to make his nest fouler!"
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said to his Clerk, "Suffer a while, for I am at an end with him! for there is one other point certified against him; and I will hear what he saith thereto."
The 5th charge of the Shrewsbury men.
And so then, he said to me, "Lo, it is here certified against thee, that thou preachedst openly at Shrewsburythat it is not lawful to swear in any case."
William.And I said, "Sir, I preached never so openly, nor I have not taught in this wise, in any place. But, Sir, as I preached in Shrewsbury, with my Protestation I say to you now here, That by the authority of the Gospel and of SaintJames, and by witness of divers Saints and Doctors, I have preached openly, in one place or other, that it is not lawful in any case to swear by any creature. And, over this, Sir,have also preached and taught, by the foresaid authorities, that nobody should swear in any case, if that without oath, in any wise, he that is charged to swear, might excuse him to them that have power to compel him to swear in leful things and lawful: but if a man may not excuse him without oath to them that have power to compel him to swear, then he ought to swear only by GOD, taking Him only, that is Soothfastness, for to witness the soothfastness."
A Clerk.And then a Clerk asked me, "If it were not leful [lawful] to a subject, at the bidding of his Prelate, for to kneel down and touch the Holy Gospel book, and kiss it saying,So help me, GOD! and this holy doom!for he should, after his cunning and power, do all things, that his Prelate commandeth him?"
William.And I said to them, "Sirs, ye speak here full generally and largely! What, if a Prelate commanded his subject to do an unlawful thing, should he obey thereto?"
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said to me, "A subject ought not to suppose that his Prelate will bid him do an unlawful thing. For a subject ought to think that his Prelate will bid him do nothing but that he will answer for before GOD, that it is lefull [lawful]: and then, though the bidding of the Prelate be unlawful, the subject hath no peril to fulfil it; since that he thinketh and judgeth that whatsoever thing his Prelate biddeth him do, that is leful to him for to do it."
A Man of Law and a Master of Divinity.
William.And I said, "Sir, I trust not hereto! But to our first purpose! Sir, I tell you that I was once in a gentleman's house, and there were then two Clerks there, a Master of Divinity and a Man of Law; which Man of Law was also communing in divinity. And among other things, these men spake of oaths. And the Man of Law said, 'At the bidding of his Sovereign which had power to charge him to swear, he would lay his hand upon a book, and hear his charge; and if his charge, to his understanding were unlawful, he would hastily withdraw his hand from the book; and if he perceived his charge to be leful he would hold still his hand upon the book, taking there only GOD to witness that he would fulfil that leful charge after his power.' And the Master of Divinity said then to him thus, 'Certain, he that layeth his hand upon a book in this wise,and maketh there a promise to do that thing that he is commanded, is obliged there, by book oath, then, to fulfil his charge. For, no doubt, he that chargeth him to lay his hand thus upon a book, touching the book and swearing by it, and kissing it, promising in this form, to do this thing or that, will say and witness, that he that toucheth thus a book and kisseth it, hath sworn upon that book; and all other men that see that men thus do, and also all those that hear thereof in the same wise, will say and witness thatthis man hath sworn upon a book!Wherefore,' the Master of Divinity said, 'it was not leful, neither to give nor to take any such charge upon a book! for every book is nothing else but divers creatures [created things], of which it is made of: therefore to swear upon a book, is to swear by creatures! and this swearing is ever unleful.'
"This sentence witnessethChrysostom, plainly blaming them greatly, that bring forth a book for to swear upon, charging Clerks that in nowise they constrain anybody to swear, whether they think a man to swear true or false."
And the Archbishop and his Clerks scorned me, and blamed me greatly for this saying. And the Archbishop menaced me with great punishment and sharp, except I left this opinion of swearing.
William.And I said, "Sir, this is not mine opinion; but it is the opinion ofChristour Saviour! and of SaintJames! and ofChrysostom! and of other divers Saints and Doctors!"
Then the Archbishop bad a Clerk read thisHomilyofChrysostom, whichHomilythis Clerk held in his hand written in a roll; which roll the Archbishop caused to be taken from my fellow at Canterbury: and so then this Clerk read this roll, till he came to a clause whereChrysostomsaith thatit is sin, to swear well.
A Clerk (? Malveren).And then a Clerk,Malverenas I guess, said to the Archbishop, "Sir, I pray you wit of him, how that he understandethChrysostomhere, saying it to besin, to swear well."
Archbishop.And so the Archbishop asked me, "How I understood hereChrysostom?
William to explain Chrysostom'sHomily.
William.And, certain, I was somewhat afraid to answer hereto; for I had not busied me to study about the sense hereof: but lifting up my mind to GOD, I prayed Him, ofgrace. And, as fast, as I thought howChristsaid to his apostles,When, for my name, ye shall be brought before judges, I will give into your mouth, wisdom, that your adversaries shall not against say[gainsay]; and trusting faithfully in the Word of GOD, I said, "Sir, I know well, that many men and women have now swearing so in custom, that they know not, nor will not know that they do evil for to swear as they do: but they think and say, that they do well for to swear as they do; though they know well that they swear untruly. For they say, 'They may by their swearing, though it be false, [a]void blame or temporal harm; which they should have, if they swore not thus.'
"And, Sir, many men and women maintain strongly that they swear well, when that thing is sooth that they swear for.
"Also full many men and women say now that 'It is well done to swear by creatures, when they may not (as they say) otherwise be believed.'
"And also full many men and women now say that 'It is well done to swear by GOD and by our Lady, and by other Saints; for to have them in mind!'
"But since all these sayings are but excusations [excuses] and sin, methinketh, Sir, that this sentence ofChrysostommay be alleged well against all such swearers: witnessing that these sin grievously; though they think themselves for to swear in this foresaid wise, well. For it is evil done and great sin for to swear truth, when, in any manner, a man may excuse him without oath."
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said that "Chrysostommight be thus understood."
A Clerk.And then a Clerk said to me, "Wilt thou tarry my Lord no longer! but submit thee here meekly to the ordinance of Holy Church; and lay thine hand upon a book, touching the Holy Gospel of GOD, promising, not only with thy mouth but also with thine heart, to stand to my Lord's ordinance?"
William.And I said, "Sir, have I not told you here, how that I heard a Master of Divinity say that, in such a case, it is all one to touch a book, and to swear by a book?"
Archbp.'s views enforced by force.
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said, "There is no Master of Divinity in England so great, that if he hold this opinion before me, but I shall punish him as I shall do thee, except thou swear as I shall charge thee!"
Specimen of the arguments of Schoolmen.
William.And I said, "Sir, is notChrysostoman ententif Doctor?"
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said, "Yea!"
William.And I said, "IfChrysostomproveth him worthy great blame that bringeth forth a book to swear upon, it must needs follow that he is more to blame that sweareth on that book!"
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said, "IfChrysostommeant according to the ordinance of Holy Church, we will accept him!"
A Clerk.And then said a Clerk to me, "Is not the Word of GOD, and GOD Himselfequipollent, that is, of one authority?"
William.And I said, "Yea!"
A Clerk.Then he said to me, "Why wilt thou not swear, then, by the Gospel of GOD, that is, GOD's Word; since it is all one to swear by the Word of GOD and by GOD Himself?"
William.And I said, "Sir, since I may not, now, otherwise be believed but by swearing, I perceive, asAugustinesaith, that it is not speedful that ye, that should be my brethren, should not believe me: therefore I am ready, by the Word of GOD (as the LORD commanded me by His Word), to swear."
A Clerk.Then the Clerk said to me, "Lay, then, thine hand upon the book, touching the Holy Gospel of GOD; and take thy charge!"
William.And I said, "Sir, I understand that the Holy Gospel of GOD may not be touched with man's hands!"
A Clerk.And the Clerk said I fonded [fooled], and that I said not truth.
William.And I asked this Clerk, "Whether it were more to read the Gospel, or to touch the Gospel?"
A Clerk.And he said, "It was more to read the Gospel!"
Gospel hid in the Letter of Scripture.
William.Then I said, "Sir, by authority of SaintJerome, the Gospel is not the Gospel for [through] reading of the letter, but for the belief that men have in the Word of GOD; that it is the Gospel that we believe, and not the letter we read: for because the letter that is touched with man's hand is not the Gospel, but the sentence that is verily believed in man's heart is the Gospel. For so SaintJeromesaith,The Gospel, that is the virtue of GOD's Word is not in theleaves of the book, but it is in the root of reason. Neither the Gospel, he saith,is in the writing above of the letters; but the Gospel is in the marking of the sentence of Scriptures.
"This sentence approveth SaintPaul, saying thus,The Kingdom of GOD is not in word, but in virtue.AndDavidsaith,The voice of the LORD, that is, His Word, is in virtue.And, after, David saith,Through the Word of GOD, the heavens were formed; and in the Spirit of His mouth is all the virtue of them.And I pray you, Sir, understand ye well howDavidsaith that,in the Spirit of the mouth of the LORD is all the virtue of angels and of men"?
A Clerk.And the Clerk said to me, "Thou wouldst make us to fond with thee! Say we not that the Gospels are written in theMassbook?"
William.And I said, "Sir, though men use [are accustomed] to say thus, yet it is unperfect speech. For the principal part of a thing is properly the whole thing: for, lo, man's soul that may not now be seen here, nor touched with any sensible thing, is properly Man! And all the virtue of a tree is in the root thereof, that may not be seen; for do away with the root, and the tree is destroyed! And, Sir, as ye said to me, right now, GOD and His Word are of one authority; and, Sir, SaintJeromewitnesseth thatChrist, Very GOD and Very Man, is hid in the letter of his Law; thus also, Sir, the Gospel is hid in the letter!
"For, Sir, as it is full likely many divers men and women here in the earth touchedChrist, and saw him, and knew his bodily person; which neither touched, nor saw, nor knew ghostly his Godhead: right thus, Sir, many men now touch, and see, and write, and read the Scriptures of GOD's Law, which neither touch, see, nor read effectually the Gospel. For as the Godhead ofChrist, that is, the virtue of GOD, is known by the virtue through belief; so is the Gospel, that isChrist's Word!"
A Clerk.And a Clerk said to me, "These be full misty matters and unsavoury, that thou showest here to us!"
William.And I said, "Sir, if ye, that are Masters, know not plainly this sentence, ye may sore dread that the Kingdom of Heaven be taken from you! as it was from the Princes of Priests and from the Elders of the Jews."
A Clerk (? Malveren).And then a Clerk, as I guessMalveren, said to me, "Thou knowest not thine equivocations! for the 'Kingdom of Heaven' hath diverse understandings. What callest thou the 'Kingdom of Heaven' in this sentence, that thou shewest here?"
William.And I said, "Sir, by good reason, and sentence of Doctors, the Realm of Heaven is called here, the understanding of GOD's Word."
A Clerk.And a Clerk said to me, "From whom, thinkest thou, that this understanding is taken away?"
William.And I said, "Sir, by authority ofChristhimself, the effectual understanding ofChrist's word is taken away from all them chiefly which are great-lettered [learned] men, and presume to understand high things, and will be holden wise men, and desire mastership and high state and dignity: but they will not conform them to the living and teaching ofChristand of His Apostles."
Archbishop.Then the Archbishop said, "Well, well, thou wilt judge thy sovereigns! By God! the King [Henry IV.] doeth not his duty, but he suffer thee to be condemned!"
They layed wait to entrap William.
A Clerk.And then another Clerk said to me, "Why, on Friday last, that was [August 5, 1407], counselledst thou a man of my Lord's, that he should not shrive him to Man, but only to GOD?"
And with this asking, I was abashed; and then, by and by, I knew that I was surely betrayed of a man that came to me in prison [?at Saltwood Castle] on the Friday before, communing with me in this matter of confession: and, certain, by his words, I thought that this man came then to me of full fervent and charitable will. But now I know, he came to tempt me and to accuse me. GOD forgive him, if it be His holy will!
And with all mine heart, when I had thought thus, I said to this Clerk, "Sir, I pray you that ye would fetch this man hither! and all the words, as near as I can repeat them, which that I spake to him on Friday in the prison, I will rehearse now here, before you all, and before him."
Archbishop.And, as I guess, the Archbishop then said to me, "They that are now here, suffice to repeat them. How saidest thou to him?"
Talk on Confession, in Saltwood Castle.
William.And I said, "Sir, that man came and asked me of divers things; and after his asking, I answered him, as I understood that good was. And, as he shewed to me by his words, he was sorry for his living in Court, and right heavy for his own vicious living, and also for the viciousness of other men, and specially of priests' evil living; and herefore, he said to me with a sorrowful heart, as I guessed, that he purposed fully, within short time, for to leave the Court, and busy him to know GOD's Law, and to conform all his life hereafter.
"And when he had said to me these words, and others more, which I would rehearse and [if] he were present, he prayed me to hear his confession.
"And I said to him, 'Sir, wherefore come ye to me, to be confessed of me? Ye wot well that the Archbishop putteth and holdeth me here, as one unworthy either to give or to take any Sacrament of Holy Church!'
"And he said to me, 'Brother, I wot well, and so wot many others more, that you and such others are wrongfully vexed; and herefore I will common [commune] with you the more gladly.'
"And I said to him, 'Certain, I wot well that many men of this Court [i.e.,the Archbishop's], and specially Priests of this household [Chaplains], would be full evil a paid, both with you and me, if they wist that ye were confessed of me!'
"And he said that he cared not therefore, for he had full little affection in them! and, as methought, he spake these words and many others of so good will and of so high desire for to have known and done the pleasant Will of GOD.
"And I said then to him, as with my foresaid Protestation, I say to you now here, 'Sir, I counsel you for to absent you from all evil company, and to draw you to them that love and busy them to know and to keep the precepts of GOD; and then the good Spirit of GOD will move you for to occupy busily all your wits in gathering together of all your sins, as far as ye can bethink you; shaming greatly of them, and sorrowing heartily for them. Yea, Sir, the HOLY GHOST will then put in your heart a good will and a fervent desire for to take and to hold a good purpose, to hate ever and to fly, after your cunning and power, all occasion of sin: and so then wisdom shall come to you from above, lightening with divers beams of grace and of heavenly desire all yourwits, informing you how ye shall trust stedfastly in the mercy of the LORD, [ac]knowledging to Him only all your vicious living, praying to Him ever devoutly of charitable counsel and continuance, hoping without doubt that if ye continue thus busying you faithfully to know and keep his biddings, that He will, for He only may, forgive you all your sins!'
"And this man said then to me, 'Though GOD forgive men their sins, yet it behoveth men to be assoiled [absolved] of priests, and to do the penance that they enjoin them!'
GODalone can forgive sins!
"And I said to him, 'Sir, it is all one to assoil men of their sins, and to forgive men their sins: wherefore since it pertaineth only to GOD to forgive sin, it sufficeth in this case, to counsel men and women for to leave their sin, and to comfort them that busy them thus to do, for to hope stedfastly in the mercy of GOD. And againward, priests ought to tell sharply to customable sinners, that if they will not make an end of their sin, but continue in divers sins while that they may sin, all such deserve pain without end. And herefore priests should ever busy them to live well and holily, and to teach the people busily and truly the Word of GOD; shewing to all folk, in open preaching and in privy counselling, that the LORD GOD only forgiveth sin. And therefore those priests that take upon them to assoil men of their sins, blaspheme GOD; since that it pertaineth only to the LORD to assoil men of all their sins. For, no doubt, a thousand years after thatChristwas man, no priest ofChristdurst take upon him to teach the people, neither privily nor apertly, that they behoved needs to come to be assoiled of them; as priests do now. But by authority ofChrist's word, priests bound indured [hardened] customable sinners to everlasting pains, [those] which, in no time of their living, would busy them faithfully to know the biddings of GOD, nor to keep them. And, again, all they that would occupy all their wits to hate and to flee all occasion of sin, dreading over all things to offend GOD, and loving for to please Him continually; to these men and women, priests shewed how the LORD assoileth them of their sins. And thusChristpromised to confirm in heaven, all the binding and loosing that priests, by authority of his Word, bind men in sin that are indured therein; or loose them out of sin here upon earth that are verily repentant.'
"And this man hearing these words, said that he 'might well in conscience consent to this sentence. But,' he said, 'is it not needful to the lay people that cannot thus do, to go shrive them to priests?'
The Monk of Faversham's sermon.
"And I said, 'If a man feel himself so distroubled with any sin, that he cannot by his own wit, avoid this sin without counsel of them that are herein wiser than he; in such a case, the counsel of a good priest is full necessary. And if a good priest fail, as they do now commonly, in such a case; SaintAugustinesaith that a man may lefully comon [lawfully commune] and take counsel of a virtuous secular man. But, certain, that man or woman is overladen and too beastly, which cannot bring their own sins into their mind, busying them night and day for to hate and for to forsake all their sins, doing a sigh for them, after their cunning and power. And, Sir, full accordingly to this sentence, upon mid-Lenton Sunday, two years [March 29, 1405], as I guess, now agone, I heard a Monk of Feversham, that men calledMoredom, preach at Canterbury, at the Cross within Christchurch Abbey, saying thus of Confession:As through the suggestion of the Fiend, without counsel of any other body than of themselves, many men and women can imagine and find means and ways enough to come to pride, to theft, to lechery, and to other divers vices: in contrary wise, this Monk said,since the LORD GOD is more ready to forgive sin than the Fiend is or may be of power to move anybody to sin, then whoever will shame and sorrow heartily for their sins, [ac]knowledging them faithfully to GOD, amending them after their power and cunning, without counsel of any other body than of GOD and himself, through the grace of GOD, all such men and women may find sufficient means to come to GOD's mercy, and so to be clean assoiled of all their sins.' This sentence I said, Sir, to this man of yours, and the self words, as near as I can guess."
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said, "Holy Church approveth not this learning."
William.And I said, "Sir, Holy Church, of whichChristis head in heaven and in earth, must needs approve this sentence. For, lo, hereby all men and women may, if they will, be sufficiently taught to know and to keep the commandments of GOD, and to hate and to fly continually all occasion of sin, and to love and to seek virtues busily,and to believe in GOD stably, and to trust in His mercy stedfastly, and so to come to perfect charity and continue therein perseverantly: and more, the LORD asketh not of any man here now in this life. And, certain, sinceJesus Christdied upon the cross wilfully to make men free; Men of the Church are too bold and too busy to make men thrall! binding them 'under the pains of endless curse,' as they say, to do many observances and ordinances, which neither the living nor the teaching ofChrist, nor of his Apostles approveth."
A Clerk.And a Clerk said then to me, "Thou shewest plainly here thy deceit, which thou hast learned of them that travail to sow popil [tares] among wheat! But I counsel thee to go away clean from this learning, and submit thee lowly to my Lord, and thou shalt find him yet to be gracious to thee!"
Another Clerk.And as fast, another Clerk said to me, "How wast thou so bold at Paul's Cross in London, to stand there hard, with thy tippet [cape] bounden about thine head, and to reprove in his sermon, the worthy ClerkAlkerton, drawing away all, that thou mightest! Yea, and the same day at afternoon, thou meeting that worthy Doctor in Watling street, calledst him, 'False flatterer, and hypocrite!'"
William calls Alkerton,Flatterer!
William.And I said, "Sir, I think certainly, that there was no man nor woman that hated verily sin and loved virtues, hearing the sermon of the Clerk of Oxford, and alsoAlkerton's sermon, but they said, and might justly say, thatAlkertonreproved the Clerk untruly, and slandered him wrongfully and uncharitably. For, no doubt, if the living and teaching ofChristchiefly and his Apostles be true, nobody that loveth GOD and His Law will blame any sentence that the Clerk then preached there; since, by authority of GOD's Word, and by approved Saints and Doctors, and by open reason, this Clerk approved all things clearly that he preached there."
A Clerk.And a Clerk of the Archbishop said to me, "His sermon was false, and that he sheweth openly, since he dare not stand forth and defend his preaching, that he then preached there."
The Clerk at Oxford, a Lollard.
William.And I said, "Sir, I think that he purposeth to stand stedfastly thereby, or else he slandereth foully himself and many others that have great trust that he will stand by the truth of the Gospel. For I wot well his sermon is written both in Latin and in English; and many men have it, and they set great price thereby. And, Sir, if ye were present with the Archbishop [i.e.,ofCanterbury, in whose presence he was then standing] at Lambeth, when this Clerk appeared; and were at his Answer before the Archbishop: ye wot well that this Clerk denied not there his sermon; but, two days, he maintained it before the Archbishop and his Clerks."
Archbishop or a Clerk.And then the Archbishop, or one of his Clerks said (I wot not which of them!), "That harlot [at this time applied to men also] shall be met with, for that sermon. For no man but he, and thou, and such other false harlots, praiseth any such preaching."
Archbishop.And then the Archbishop said, "Your cursed sect is busy, and it joyeth right greatly to contrary and to destroy the privilege and freedom of Holy Church."
William.And I said, "Sir, I know no men travail so busily as this sect doth, which you reprove, to make rest and peace in Holy Church. For pride, covetousness, and simony which distrouble most Holy Church, this sect hateth and flyeth, and travaileth busily to move all other men in like manner unto meekness and wilful poverty and charity, and free ministring of the sacraments: this sect loveth, and useth, and is full busy to move all other folks, thus to do. For these virtues owe all members of Holy Church to their head,Christ."
A Clerk.Then a Clerk said to the Archbishop, "Sir, it is far day, and ye have far to ride to-night; therefore make an end with him, for he will none make! But the more, Sir, that ye busy you for to draw him towards you, the more contumax [contumacious] he is made, and the further from you."
Malveren.And thenMalverensaid to me, "William! kneel down, and pray my Lord, of grace! and leave all thy fantasies, and become a child of Holy Church!"
William.And I said, "Sir, I have prayed the Archbishop oft, and yet I pray him, for the love ofChrist! that he will leave his indignation that he hath against me; and that he will suffer me, after my cunning and power, for to do mine office of priesthood, as I am charged of GOD to do it. For I covet nought else, but to serve my GOD to His pleasing, in the state that I stand in, and have taken me to."
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said to me, "If, of good heart, thou wilt submit thee now, here, meekly to beruled, from this time forth by my counsel, obeying meekly and wilfully to mine ordinance, thou shalt find it most profitable and best to thee for to do thus. Therefore, tarry thou me no longer! Grant to do this, that I have said to thee now, here, shortly; or deny it utterly!"
William questions the Archbishop.
William.And I said to the Archbishop, "Sir, owe [ought] we to believe thatJesus Christwas and is Very GOD and Very Man?"
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said, "Yea!"
William.And I said, "Sir, owe we to believe that allChrist's living and his teaching is true in every point?"
Archbishop.And he said, "Yea!"
William.And I said, "Sir, owe we to believe that the living of the Apostles and the teaching ofChristand of all Prophets are true, which are written in theBiblefor the health and salvation of GOD's people?"
Archbishop.And he said, "Yea!"
William.And I said, "Sir, owe all Christian men and women, after their cunning and power, for to conform their living to the teaching specially ofChrist; and also to the teaching and living of his Apostles and of Prophets, in all things that are pleasant to GOD, and edification to His Church?"
Archbishop.And he said, "Yea!"
William.And I said, "Sir, ought the doctrine, the bidding, or the counsel of anybody to be accepted or obeyed unto, except this counsel, these biddings, or this counsel may be granted and affirmed byChrist's living and his teaching, or by the living and teaching of his Apostles and Prophets?"
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said to me, "Other doctrine ought not to be accepted, nor we owe not to obey to any man's bidding or counsel; except we can perceive that this bidding or counsel accordeth with the bidding and teaching ofChristand of his Apostles and Prophets?"
William very firm; Abp. in a passion.
William.And I said, "Sir, are not all the learning and biddings and counsels of Holy Church means and healthful remedies to know, and to withstand the privy suggestions and the apert temptations of the Fiend; and also ways and healthful remedies to slay pride and all other deadly sins and the branches of them; and sovereign means to purchasegrace, for to withstand and overcome all fleshly lusts and movings?"
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said, "Yea!"
William.And I said, "Sir, whatsoever thing ye or any other body bid or counsel me to do; according to this foresaid learning, after my cunning and power, through the help of GOD, I will meekly, with all mine heart, obey thereto!"
Archbishop.And the Archbishop said to me, "Submit thee then, now, here, meekly and wilfully to the ordinance of Holy Church, which I shall shew to thee!"
William.And I said, "Sir, according as I have here, now before you, rehearsed, I will now be ready to obey full gladly toChrist, the Head of all Holy Church, and to the learning and biddings and counsels of every pleasing member of Him."
Archbishop.Then the Archbishop striking with his hand fiercely upon a cupboard, spake to me, with a great spirit, saying, "By Jesu! but if thou leave such additions, obliging thee now here without any exception to mine ordinance, ere that I go out of this place, I shall make thee as sure as any thief that is in the prison of Lantern. Advise thee now, what thou wilt do!" And then, as if he had been angered, he went from the cupboard where he stood, to a window.
And thenMalverenand another Clerk came nearer me, and they spake to me many words full pleasantly, and another while they menaced me and counselled full busily to submit me, or else they said I should not escape punishing over measure; for they said I should be degraded, cursed, and burned, and so then damned!
Malveren and a Clerk."But now," they said, "thou mayest eschew all these mischiefs, if thou will submit thee wilfully and meekly to this worthy Prelate, that hath cure of thy soul! And for the pity ofChrist!" said they, "bethink thee, how great clerks [Philip de Repington] the Bishop ofLincoln,Hereford, andPurveywere, and yet are; and alsoB[owton]that is a well understanding man: which also have forsaken and revoked all the learning and opinions that thou and such others hold! Wherefore, since each of them is mickle wiser than thou art; we counsel thee for the best, that, by the example of these four Clerks, thou follow them, submitting thee as they did!"
The Chaplains try their hands on him.
A Clerk.And one of the [Arch]bishop's Clerks said, then,there, that "he heardNicholas Herefordsay, that 'since he forsook and revoked all the learning and opinions of the Lollards, he hath had mickle greater favour and more delight to hold against them; than ever he had to hold with them, while he held with them.'"
Malveren.And thereforeMalverensaid to me, "I understand and [if] thou wilt take thee to a priest, and shrive thee clean, forsake all such opinions, and take thy penance of my Lord here, for the holding and teaching of them, within short time thou shalt be greatly comforted in this doing!"
William.And I said to the Clerks, that thus busily counselled me to follow these foresaid men, "Sirs, if these men, of whom ye counsel me to take example, had forsaken benefices of temporal profit and of worldly worship, so that they had absented them and eschewed from all occasions of covetousness and of fleshly lusts; and had taken them to simple living and wilful poverty: they had herein given good example to me and many others to have followed them. But now, since all these four men have slanderously and shamefully done the contrary, consenting to receive and to have and to hold temporal benefices, living now more worldly and more fleshly than they did before, conforming them to the manners of this world; I forsake them herein, and in all their foresaid slanderous doing!
William rejects the Lollard turncoats.
"For I purpose, with the help of GOD into remission of all my sins and of my foul cursed living, to hate and to fly privily and apertly, to follow these men! teaching and counselling whomsoever that I may, for to fly and eschew the way that they have chosen to go in, which will lead them to the worst end, if, in convenient time, they repent them not, verily forsaking and revoking openly the slander that they have put, and every day yet put toChrist's Church. For, certain, so open blasphemy and slander, as they have spoken and done in their revoking and forsaking of the Truth, ought not, nor may not, privily be amended duly. Wherefore, Sirs, I pray you that ye busy you not for to move me to follow these men in revoking and forsaking of the Truth and Soothfastness! as they have done, and yet do; wherein by open evidence, they stir GOD to great wroth, and not only against themselves, but also against all them that favour them or consent to them herein, or that comoneth [communeth] with them, except it befor their amendment. For whereas these men first were pursued of enemies, now they have obliged them by oath for to slander and pursueChristin his members! Wherefore, as I trust stedfastly in the goodness of GOD, the worldly covetousness, and the lusty living, and the sliding from the truth of these runagates [renegades] shall be to me, and to many other men and women, an example and an evidence to stand the more stiffly by the Truth ofChrist.
"For, certain, right many men and women do mark and abhor the foulness and cowardice of these aforesaid untrue men, how that they are overcome, and stopped with benefices, and withdrawn from the truth of GOD's Word, forsaking utterly to suffer therefore bodily persecution. For by this unfaithful doing and apostasy, of them specially that are great lettered men, and have [ac]knowledged openly the truth; and now either for pleasure or displeasure of tyrants have taken hire and temporal wages, to forsake the Truth and to hold against it, slandering and pursuing them that covet to followChristin the way of righteousness: many men and women therefore are now moved. But many more, through the grace of GOD, shall be moved hereby, for to learn the Truth of GOD, and to do thereafter, and to stand boldly thereby."
Abp. says, "he shall conform in 8 days!"
Archbishop.Then the Archbishop said to his Clerks, "Busy you no longer about him! for he, and others such as he is, are confeder[at]ed so together, that they will not swear to be obedient, and to submit them to Prelates of Holy Church. For now, since I stood here, his fellow sent me word thathe will not swear, and that he[Williamof Thorpe]counselled him that he should not swear to meBut, losell! in that thing that in thee is, thou hast busied thee to lose this young man; but, blessed be GOD! thou shalt not have thy purpose of him! For he hath forsaken all thy learning, submitting him to be buxom [submissive] and obedient to the ordinance of Holy Church; and weepeth full bitterly, and curseth thee full heartily for the venomous teaching which thou hast shewed to him, counselling him to do thereafter. And for thy false counselling of many others and him, thou hast great cause to be right sorry! For, long time, thou hast busied thee to pervert whomsoever thou mightest! Therefore as many deaths thou art worthy of, as thou hast given evilcounsels. And therefore, by Jesu! thou shalt go thither whereNicholas HerefordandJohn Purveywere harboured! and I undertake, ere this day eight days, thou shalt be right glad for to do what thing that ever I bid thee do!
"And, losell! I shall assay if can make thee there, as sorrowful as, it was told me, thou wast glad of my last going out of England [in1397]. By St. Thomas! I shall turn thy joy into sorrow!"
William.And I said, "Sir, there can nobody prove lawfully that I joyed ever of the manner of your going out of this land [the Archbishop had been banished]. But, Sir, to say the sooth, I was joyful when ye were gone! for [Robert de Braybrooke] the Bishop ofLondon(in whose prison ye left me!) found in me no cause for to hold me longer in his prison; but, at the request of my friends, he delivered me to them, asking of me no manner of submitting."
Archbishop.Then the Archbishop said to me, "Wherefore that I yede [went] out of England is unknown to thee! But be this thing well known to thee! that GOD, as I wot well, hath called me again and brought me into this land, for to destroy thee and the false sect that thou art of! as, by God! I shall pursue you so narrowly that I shall not leave a step of you in this land!"
William.And I said to the Archbishop, "Sir, the holy prophetJeremysaid to the false prophetHananiah,When the word, that is, the prophecy,of a prophet is known or fulfilled; then it shall be known that the LORD sent the prophet in truth!"
Archbishop.And the Archbishop, as if he had not been pleased with my saying, turned him away-ward, hither and thither, and said, "By God! I shall set on thy shins a pair of perlis [?pearls], that thou shalt be glad to change thy voice!"
These and many more wondrous and convicious [railing] words were spoken to me; menacing me and all others of the same sect, for to be punished and destroyed to the uttermost.
And the Archbishop called then to him, a Clerk; and rounded with him [whispered in his ear], and that Clerk went forth: and soon he brought in the Constable of Saltwood Castle, and the Archbishop rounded a good while with him.