17a 



Swynderby had evidently very powerful friends and supporters in Here- 

 fordshire. Under their protection, he seems to have met the Bishop at Kington 

 without any formal citation, and he there agreed to attend again before him — to 

 nsethe Bishop's words, translated from the Eegister — "at a day and place for 

 him meet and convenient, of his own choice and free will ; that is to say on 

 Friday, being tlie last of the same month of June next following, assigned to 

 him, at the church of Bodenham, of the same our diocese," to answer certain 

 " cases and articles exhibited to us by many of Christ's faithful peoi)le, zealous 

 followers of the Catholic faith. " 



These articles were 17 in number, and besides the general charges of 

 heresy and schism against him ; his attacks on the sins and wicked practices of tha 

 priests ; auricular confession ; limiting the usurped power of the Pope ; and preach- 

 ing without license ; they included also his disbelief in the doctrine of transub- 

 Btantiation ( which it is remarkable had not been alluded to in the articles drawn 

 up against him at Lincoln) ; and then come the two last charges, which refer to 

 Deerfold Forest and the neighbourhood, and which therefore chiefly concern us 

 at this time. 



"XVI. Item. — That the same William, unmindful of his own salvation, 

 had many and often times come into a certain desert wood, called Dervoldswood, 

 of your diocese, and there in a certain chapel not hallowed, or rather in a profane 

 cottage, hath in contempt of the keys presumed of his owq rashness to celebrate, 

 nay rather to profanate. 



" XVII. Item, — The same William hath .also presumed to do such things 

 in a certain i^rofane chapel, being situate in the Park of Newton, nigh to the 

 town of Leintwarden, of the same your diocese." (Translated from Bishop 

 Trefnant's Register.) 



A copy of these articles was sent to Swynderby, who drew up "A 

 Protestation with his answers to the Articles," at considerable length. The 

 statement is very characteristic of himself. It is written simply, but with 

 considerable ability, and with a constant reference to Scripture throughout. He 

 maintains his opinions with great boldness, and yet with much greater tact 

 and caution then appears on the surface, nor does he hesitate to meet his accusers 

 on their own ground by the introduction of a little evasion and special pleading, 

 when it suits his purpose to make use of either. He exposes the false charges 

 and misrepresentations brought against him at Lincoln ; as a priest he claims the 

 right to preach without the license of the Bishop ; he points out the practices of 

 wicked priests and friars ; justifies non-payment of tithes to such as are so ; 

 declares the inefficiency of their services ; and finally he maintains that the Pope 

 is antichi-ist. His caution is very clearly shown by his passing over without 

 notice the articles vi. and vii., which chargi) him distinctly with holding the 

 heretical opinions on the doctrine of transubstantiation, and thus he avoids the 

 point which afterwards brought so many of the Lollards to the stake. 



His answers to the charge of preaching in the forest of Deerfold and 



