174 



Mortemere. He was publicly called for in vain here, and was then ordered tor 

 appear August lUtk in the parish church of Whithorn. He did not appear, 

 and then was read out the process against Swynderby sent from Lincoln, and 

 witnesses were examined as to his proceedings in the diocese of Hereford, and 

 on the 2ad d ly of September he was formally excommunicated and the faiihful 

 forbidden "to believe, receive, defend or favour the said William, under pain 

 of the law." 



Against this sentence Swynderby made a long ajjpeal to the King and his 

 Council: "For the King's court in such matter," he says with some policy, 

 " is aboue the Bishojj's court." He contrasts " Christe's law " with " the Pope's 

 law," and says, " that if the Bishop or any man couthe shewe me by God's 

 lawe, that my conclusions, or myne answeres were error, or heresie I would 

 amendet and openlic reuoke yem before all ye peepple." He also sends a letter 

 to the Nobles and Burgesses, which is copied in the Ecclesiastical Kegister, 

 It is simply a strong sermon on Christian duty, and concludes thus : — 



"Deere worshypfull sires in yis world, I beseche you for cristes loue, 



as ye y* y trowe, louen godes lawe and trouthe yt yes dayes is gretly 



boren-a-bak, yt ye woln vouchsauf yes thinges y* y sende yow written to godes 



worsliyp, to late yam be schewet in ye parlement as youre wittes can bsst cooceyue 



to most worshyp to oure god and to shewing of ye trouthe and amendyng of 



holy churche my conclons and myn appele and oyf trewe matters of godes 



lawe. Yef any man can fynde y ynne eithf falsnesse or defaute p''uet by ye 



lawe of crist clerly to c^'stenmennes knowyng y shal reuok my wrong conceyt 



and by godes lawe be amendet and redy to holde wt godes lawe openly and 



pruelj^ wt godes grace and no thing to holde, teche, or maintene yat is contrarie 



to his lawe, 



" Ye poure lege man of ye kynges and 



"youre poure p^st, Willia of Swynderby." 



(Keg. Trefnant.) 



It was at the beginning of this year, 1391, that the highest tribute was 

 paid to the eloquence and successful preaching of Swyndeiby. It consists in 

 the fact that a special Inhibition was issued against him by Archbishop Courtney. 

 It is called " An Inhibition of the Archldthop of Canterbury lest any one should 

 presume to listen to the preaching of William Skynderbye, &c. ;" and it was 

 "given at our Manor of Maghfeld" May 18th, 1391. (Reg. Courtney, fol. 338a, 

 WilkinsIII.,p. 2150 



It cites his examination at Lincoln and his retractation afterwards, and 

 threatens all that go to hear h'm " after this notice and intimation lawfully 

 made" with the penalty of "the greater excommunication." The different 

 spelling of the name is due here as in other places to clerical error. 



Swynderby did not live as a recluse in the Forest of Deerfold. He brought 

 with him or was quickly joined by several companions — some of them able and 

 learned men — who, since they do not bear Herefordshire n&mes, very possiblj 



