¶ About this time, or (as Henrie Knighton saith) in the yeare 1392,
maister William Courtenie archbishop of Canturburie, brother to the
earle of Denshire visited the diocesse of Lincolne, and on the feast
of saint Faith the virgine he visited maister Iohn Bokingham bishop of
Lincolne in the cathedrall church of Lincolne, with the chapter, and an
hundred of the canons, and he came to Leicester abbeie in visitation,
the sundaie before the feast of All saints, where he abode all the
tuesdaie, and on the eeue also, of All saints being mondaie, calling
togither all the canons of the said monasterie, with the chaplines
of his owne chappell, euerie of them hauing in their hands burning
candels. The same archbishop confirmed sentence of excommunication
against the Lollards or Wickleuists, with their fauourers, which either
now mainteined or caused to be mainteined, or hereafter did mainteine
or should mainteine the errours and opinions of master Iohn Wickliffe,
in the diocesse of Lincolne. On the morrow next after All saints, the
same bishop flashed out his sentence of excommunication like lightning
in open sight, with a crosse set vpright, with candels burning bright,
and with bels roong alowd, and namelie against those of Leicester towne
that had too too much defiled and infected the said towne and countrie.
The archbishop departing from thence, went to saint Peters church, to
a certeine anchoresse named Matildis there kept as in a closet, whom
he reprouing about the foresaid errors and opinions of the Lollards,
and finding hir answers scarse aduisedlie made, cited hir that she
should appeare before him, on the sundaie next insuing, in saint Iames
his abbeie at Northampton, to answer vnto the foresaid erronious and
prophane points. Now she appeared at the day appointed, and renouncing
hir errours, and hauing penance inioined hir, she went awaie reformed.
But till the second day before the feast of saint Lucie, she kept
hir selfe out of hir closet, and then entred into the same againe.
Other Lollards also were cited, and appeared at Oxford, and in other
places, as the archbishop had commanded them: who renouncing their
superstitious errours, and forswearing their prophane opinions, did
open penance. Also one William Smith was made to go about the market
place at Leicester, clothed in linnen [or in a white sheet] holding in
his right arme the image of the Crucifix, and in his left the image of
saint Katharine, bicause the said Smith had sometimes cut in peeces and
burned an image of saint Katharine, whereof he made a fire to boile him
hearbes in his hunger.
[Sidenote A: † For the papists saie that the sacrificing préest is the
maker of his maker, namelie God.