171 



ordeyned be prcesse, yei seyde, of here law by ye byshoppe a hysse comyssaryes, 

 BO as I deneyd hem to brynge my purgacion of XIII pfstes of gode fame, a so I 

 dyde, wt a letter a twelfe seles y^by, frome ye meyre of leycestr a from trewo 

 burgeyses, a thrytty men to wyttenes wt me, as ye Duke of lancastr knywe a 

 herde, ye erle of Derby a oyer mony grete yt wereu yt tyme (in) ye tone . . . 

 80 as I fully forsoke he a neur graunted yt I seyde heme, ouer yis yti maden me 

 to swere iieure to holde heme, teche he ne preche hem prueyly ne aptly a yt I 

 Bchuld go to certej-n churches to reuoke ye conclusions yt I neur seyde in 

 Bclander of me selfe, by gret instaunce of ye freres. And so for dryde of dey 

 (death) a for fleyshly consail jt i hadde I assented and so I dyd, a alsso yei madm 

 my to swere yt I schuld not prche, by instaunce of ye freres, wtin (the) diocese, 

 wtouten licence axed a gi-auntyd in, neur setlun I dyd." (Reg. Trefnant.) 



Knighton gives the result of Swynderby's examination before the Bishop 

 of Lincoln, as follows :— "At length he was publicly convicted of divers heresies 

 and errors, and deserved to have been made fuel for the fire. Then did hia 

 followers lament, and strike their hands and heads against the wall, making a 

 mournful noise. For a great many of the town of Leicester accomp.mied him 

 every time, to give him their assistance ; but all was to no purpose. But by 

 chance the pious Duke of L:incaster was at Lincoln the same day, who was always 

 ready to assist all the Lollards, for he believed them to be holy men of God, on 

 account of their fair speeches and assurauce, although he was deceived as well 

 as many others. He interposed with the Bishop in behalf of Swynderby, and 

 the Bishop yielded to the Duke's request, and let him off on the condition of hia 

 making a retractation " in several churches nameiL (Knighton fol. 2G71. ) 



■\Viilsingham says :— " When the Bishop of Lincoln had made preparations 

 to correct this man, the mad multitude raged in such a manner as frightt-ned the 

 Bishop and deterred him from proceeding against him." (Hist. Ang. p. 284.) 



Swynderby left Leicestershire, and next appears at Monmouth; then in the 

 diocese of Hereford. John of Gaunt held the castle at Monmouth, and Swyn- 

 derby had very probably visited the town before, and made friends there. The 

 friars, however, foUoweil him up. Cpies of the proceedings at Lincoln were sent 

 down to the Bishop of Hereford, who forthwith issued a monitory let'er, 

 inhibiting any one to preach in the diocese without his license. The terms of the 

 inhibition are general, but it was without doubt specially directed against the 

 Lollard preachers, and Swynderby in particular. It was served upon him person- 

 ally at Monmouth early in the year 1390. He is next mentioned as preaching at 

 WTiitney on Jlonrlay, August Ist, 1390, and at that time had doubtless taken 

 up his residence in Deerfold Forest. The following year he appeared before the 

 Bishop himself, on Wednesday, June 14th, 1391, "in the parish church of 

 Kingeton." 



These facts all appear in the records of the Process issued by John 

 Trefnant, Bishop of Hereford, against William Swynderby in the cause of 

 heretical pravity in the year 1391, given in the Episcopal Register. 



