But now that the king was once placed in the roiall seat of the realme, he vertuouslie considering in his mind, that all goodnesse commeth of God, determined to begin with some thing acceptable to his diuine maiestie, and therefore commanded the cleargie sincerelie and trulie to preach the word of God, and to liue accordinglie, that they might be the lanternes of light to the temporaltie, as their profession required. The laie men he willed to serue God, and obeie their prince, prohibiting them aboue all things breach of matrimonie, custome in swearing; and namelie, willfull periurie. Beside this, he elected the best learned men in the lawes of the realme, to the offices of iustice; and men of good liuing, he preferred to high degrées and authoritie. Immediatlie after Easter he called a parlement, in which diuerse good statutes, and wholesome ordinances, for the preseruation and aduancement of the common-wealth were deuised and established. On Trinitie sundaie were the solemne exequies doone at Canturburie for his father, the king himselfe being present thereat.
S. Georges day made a double feast.
Abr. Fl. out of Polychron.
About the same time, at the speciall instance of the king, in a conuocation of the cleargie holden at Paules in London, it was ordeined, that saint George his daie should be celebrate and kept as a double feast. The archbishop of Canturburie meant to haue honored saint Dunstaines daie with like reuerence, but it tooke not effect. When the king had setled things much to his purpose, he caused the bodie of king Richard to be remooued with all funerall dignitie conuenient for his estate, from Langlie to Westminster, where he was honorablie interred with quéene Anne his first wife, in a solemne toome erected and set vp at the charges of this king. ¶ Polychronicon saith, that after the bodie of the dead king was taken vp out of earth, this new king (happilie tendering the magnifience of a prince, and abhorring obscure buriall) caused the same to be conueied to Westminster in a roiall seat (or chaire of estate) couered all ouer with blacke veluet, & adorned with banners of diuers armes round about. All the horsses likewise (said this author) were apparelled with blacke, and bare sundrie sutes of armes. Manie other solemnities were had at his interrement, according to the qualitie of the age wherein he liued and died.
Also in this first yéere of this kings reigne, sir Iohn Oldcastell, which by his wife was called lord Cobham, a valiant capteine and a hardie gentleman, was accused to the archbishop of Canturburie of certeine points of heresie, who knowing him to be highlie in the kings fauour, declared to his highnesse the whole accusation. The king first hauing compassion of the noble man, required the prelats, that if he were a straied shéepe, rather by gentlenes than by rigor to reduce him to the fold. And after this, he himselfe sent for him, and right earnestlie exhorted him, and louinglie admonished him to reconcile himselfe to God and to his lawes. The lord Cobham not onelie thanked him for his most fauorable clemencie, but also declared first to him by mouth, and afterwards by writing, the foundation of his faith, and the ground of his beliefe, affirming his grace to be his supreme head and competent iudge, and none other person, offering an hundred knights and esquiers to come to his purgation, or else to fight in open lists in defence of his iust cause.
Sir Iohn Oldcastell escaped out of the Tower.
Titus Liuius. 1414
The king vnderstanding and persuaded by his councell, that by order of the lawes of his realme, such accusations touching matters of faith ought to be tried by his spirituall prelats, sent him to the Tower of London, there to abide the determination of the clergie, according to the statutes in that case prouided, after which time a solemne session was appointed in the cathedrall church of saint Paule, vpon the thrée and twentith day of September, and an other the fiue and twentith daie of the same moneth, in the hall of the Blacke friers at London, in which places the said lord was examined, apposed, and fullie heard, and in conclusion by the archbishop of Canturburie denounced an heretike, & remitted againe to the Tower of London, from which place, either by helpe of fréends, or fauour of kéepers, he priuilie escaped and came into Wales, where he remained for a season.
Hall.