About the same time, the lord Edmund Mortimer earle of March, the
kings lieutenant in Ireland, departed this life, after he had brought
in manner all that land to peace and quiet, by his noble and prudent
gouernement. In this season, Wicliffe set forth diuerse articles and
conclusions of his doctrine, which the new archbishop of Canturburie,
William Courtneie, latelie remooued from the sée of London, vnto the
higher dignitie, did what he could by all shifts to suppresse, and
to force such as were the setters foorth and mainteiners thereof, to
recant, and vtterlie to renounce. What he brought to passe, in the
booke of acts and monuments set foorth by maister I. Fox, ye may find
at large. |754| The tuesday next after the feast of saint Iohn Port
latine, an other parlement began, in which at the earnest sute and
request of the knights of the shires, Iohn Wraie priest that was the
chiefe dooer among the commons in Suffolke, at Burie, and Mildenhall,
was adiudged to be drawen, and hanged, although manie beleeued, that
his life should haue béene redeemed for some great portion of monie.
[Sidenote: A coleprophet serued aright.]
A lewd fellow that tooke vpon him to be skilfull in physicke and
astronomie, caused it to be published thorough the citie of London,
that vpon the Ascension euen, there would rise such a pestilent planet,
that all those which came abroad foorth of their chambers, before they
had said fiue times the Lords praier, then commonlie called the Pater
noster, and did not eate somewhat that morning, before their going
foorth, should be taken with sicknesse, & suddenlie die thereof. Many
fooles beléeued him, and obserued his order; but the next day, when
his presumptuous lieng could be no longer faced out, he was set on
horssebacke, with his face towards the taile, which he was compelled to
hold in his hand in stéed of a bridle, and so was led about the citie,
with two iorden pots about his necke, and a whetstone, in token that he
had well deserued it, for the notable lie which he had made.
[Sidenote: Ships of Rie win a good price.
Iohn de Northampton maior of London, a streict punisher of adulterie in
his time.]
About the same time, certeine English ships of Rie, and other places,
went to the sea, and meeting pirats, fought with them, and ouercame
them, taking seuen ships, with thrée hundred men in them. One of
those ships had béene taken from the Englishmen afore time, and was
called the falcon, belonging to the lord William Latimer. They were
all richlie laden with wine, wax, and other good merchandize. This
yeare the maior of London Iohn de Northampton, otherwise called Iohn
de Comberton, did punish such as were taken in adulterie, verie
extremelie: for first he put them in the prison, called the tunne,
that then stood in Cornehill, and after caused the women to haue their
haire cut, as théeues in those daies were serued that were appeachers
of others, and so were they led about the stréets with trumpets &
pipes going before them. Neither were the men spared more than the
women, being put to manie open shames and reproches. But bicause the
punishment of such offenses was thought rather to apperteine vnto the
spirituall iurisdiction, than to the temporall, the bishop of London,
and other of the cleargie, tooke it in verie euill part: but the maior
being a stout man, would not forbeare, but vsed his authoritie héerein
to the vttermost.
[Sidenote: The Londoners fauorers of Wicliffes doctrine.