1409.
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A cōuocation at S. Paules in London.
Ambassaders appointed to go to the councell at Pisa.
The contents of the kings letters to the pope. This yeare after the Epiphanie the archbishop of Canturburie called the cleargie of the prouince of Canturburie to a conuocation in Paules church at London, to choose sufficient persons that might go vnto the generall councell, appointed to be kept at Pisa: herevpon were chosen Robert Halom bishop of Salisburie, Henrie Chichleie bishop of saint Dauid, & Thomas Chillingden prior of Christes church in Canturburie. The king before this had sent ambassadors vnto pope Gregorie, and also to the cardinals; to wit, sir Iohn Coluill knight, and maister Nicholas Rixton clearke, with letters, signifieng the gréefe he had conceiued for the inconuenience that fell in the christian common-wealth thorough the schisme; and withall putting the pope in remembrance what mischéefe and destruction of people had chanced by the same schisme. These and the like matters, to vtter what desire he had to haue a vnitie in the church, he declared frankelie in his letters directed to the pope, so as it might appear to the world, how soberlie and modestlie he sought to induce the pope to procure peace & concord in the church. ¶ Certeine collections of which letters (as I find them in Abr. Fl. out of Thom. Wals. Hypod. pag. 159. Thomas Walsingham) I haue here set downe in commendation of this king so excellentlie minded.
An extract of the kings letter to pope Gregorie.
MOST holie father, if the seat apostolicall would vouchsafe by prouidence to consider, how great dangers haue inuaded the whole world vnder the pretext of schisme, and speciallie the slaughter of christian people, which is of aboue two hundred thousand (as it is auouched) by the outrage of warres and battell sproong vp in sundrie parts of the world; & now latelie to the number of thirtie thousand (by meanes of the dissention about the bishoprike of Leods betweene two, one contending vnder the authoritie of true pope, and the other vnder the title of antipape) slaine in a foughten field, whereof we make report with greefe; trulie the said seat would be pensiue in spirit, and with due sorow troubled in mind; yea at the motion of a good conscience, it would rather giue ouer the honour of that apostolicall seat, than suffer such detestable deeds further to be committed, vnder the cloke of dissimulation, taking example of the true and naturall mother, which pleading before king Salomon, chose rather to part with hir owne child, than to see him cut in sunder. And although by that new creation of nine cardinals, against your oth (that we maie vse the words of others) made by you, wherof a vehement cause of woondering is risen, it maie in some sort be supposed (as it is likelie) that your intent respecteth not anie end of schisme; yet farre be it alwaies from the world, that your circumspect seat should be charged by anie person with so great inconstancie of mind, whereby the last errour might be counted woorsse than the first, &c.
An extract of the said kings letter to the cardinals.
WE being desirous to shew how great zeale we had, & haue, that peace might be granted & given to the church by the consent of the states of our realme, haue sent ouer our letters to our lord the pope, according to the tenure of a copie inclosed within these presents effectuallie to be executed. Wherefore we doo earnestlie beseech the reuerend college of you; that if happilie the said Gregorie be present at the generall councell holden at Pisa, about the yeelding vp of the papasie, according to the promise and oth by him manie a time made, to fulfill your and our desires, as we wish and beare our selues in hand he will doo; that you will so order things concerning his estate, that thereby God maie cheeflie be pleased, and as well Gregorie himselfe, as we, who deseruedlie doo tender his honour and commoditie with all our harts, maie be beholden to giue you and euerie of you manifold thanks.
Wicklifs doctrine mainteined by the learned. This yeare certeine learned men in Oxford and other places, publikelie in their sermons mainteined and set foorth the opinions and conclusions of Wickliffe. This troubled the bishops and other of the clergie sore, insomuch that in their conuocation house, the six and twentith of Iune, by a speciall mandat of the lord chancellor in presence of the procurators, regents, and others, as Richard Courtneie, Richard Sentēce pronounced against Wicklifs books. Talbot, Nicholas Zouch, Walter Midford, & such like in great multitude: sentence was pronounced by Iohn Wels, doctor of the canon law against the books of Iohn Wickliffe doctor of diuinitie, intituled De sermone in monte, Triologorum de simonia, De perfectione statuum, De ordine Christiano, De gradibus cleri ecclesiæ: and to these was added the third treatise, which he compiled of logike or sophistrie. These books and the conclusions in the same conteined, the chancellor of the vniuersitie of Oxford by common consent and assent of the regents and non regents of the same vniuersitie, reproued, disanulled and condemned, inhibiting on paine of the great cursse and depriuation of all degrées scholasticall, that none from thencefoorth should affirme, teach, or preach by anie manner of meanes or waies, the same hereticall books (as they tearmed them) conteining anie the like opinions as he taught and set foorth in the same books.
Fabian. Iusts in Smithfield.
Owen Glendouer endeth his life in great miserie. This yeare about Midsummer, were roiall iusts holden at London in Smithfield betwixt the seneschall of Heinault, and certeine Henewers challengers, and the earle of Summerset, and certeine Englishmen defendants. The Welsh rebell Owen Glendouer made an end of his wretched life in this tenth yeare of king Henrie his reigne, being driuen now in his latter time (as we find recorded) to such miserie, that in manner despairing of all comfort, he fled into desert places and solitarie caves, where being destitute of all releefe and succour, dreading to shew his face to anie creature, and finallie lacking meat to susteine An. Reg. 11. nature, for méere hunger and lacke of food, miserablie pined awaie and died. This yeare Officers made. Thomas Beaufort earle of Surrie was made chancellor, and Henrie Scroope lord treasuror. 1410.
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A parlement. A parlement began this yeare in the quindene of saint Hilarie, in which the commons of the lower house exhibited a bill to the to the king and lords of the vpper house, conteining effect as followeth.
A supplication to the king.
Tho. Walsi.
Fabian. TO the most excellent lord our k. and to all the nobles in this present parlement assembled, your faithfull commons doo humblie signifie, that our souereigne lord the king might haue of the temporall possessions, lands & reuenues which are lewdlie spent, consumed and wasted by the bishops, abbats, and priors, within this realme, so much in value as would suffice to find and susteine one hundred and fiftie earles, one thousand & fiue hundred knights, six thousand and two hundred esquiers, and one hundred hospitals more than now be.
Thom. Wals. The king (as some write) vpon aduised consideration hereof had, misliked of the motion, & therevpon commanded that from thencefoorth they should not presume to studie about anie such matters. An other thing the commons sued to haue granted vnto them, but could not obteine: which was, that clearks conuicted should not from thence foorth be deliuered to the bishops prison. Moreouer they demanded to haue the statute either reuoked or qualified, which had béene established by authoritie of parlement, in the second yeare of this kings reigne, against such as were reputed to be heretiks, or Lollards. By force whereof it was prouided, that wheresoeuer such manner of persons should be found and knowne to preach or teach their erronious doctrine, they should be attached with the kings writ, and brought King Henrie a fauorer of the clergie. to the next goale: but the king séemed so highlie to fauour the cleargie, that the commons were answered plainelie, they should not come by their purpose, but rather that the said statute should be made more rigorous and sharpe for the punishment of such persons.