A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



In the following year Sir John Oldcastle (Lord Cobham in right of 

 his wife), as leader of the Lollards, introduced a bill into parliament for 

 the confiscation to the nation of the Church's property, and identified 

 himself with most of their extreme views. So long as Henry IV. lived 

 he was under the king's special protection ; but on the accession of his 

 youthful successor, in 1413, action was taken against him on mingled 

 charges of heresy and treason. Sir John laughed excommunication to 

 scorn, but was at last brought before Archbishop Arundel to answer for 

 his own views, and charged besides with being the chief supporter and 

 instigator of the Lollard preachers in the dioceses of London, Rochester 

 and Hereford. With the archbishops were associated the Bishops of 

 Winchester, London and Bangor. There was no choice for them but to 

 condemn an offender, who during the trial warned the people that his 

 judges were trying to lead them to hell. After sentence was pronounced 

 and Sir John Oldcastle was handed over to the secular power, the arch- 

 bishop pleaded for and obtained a respite of fifty days, during which time 

 the condemned prisoner escaped from the Tower and raised a rebellion. 

 His capture and execution did not occur until 1417. 



It has been more than once surmised or even alleged that Bishop 

 Beaufort was averse to the sentence on Oldcastle, was almost compelled 

 to acquiesce in it, and winked at his escape. But the evidence of his 

 register is in direct contradiction to this idea. Under date of 23 October, 

 1413, a mandate was issued to the diocese citing the judgment as one 

 given by the authority of the archbishop and the Bishop of Winchester, 

 and ordering the process against Sir John Oldcastle to be published in an 

 intelligible voice by all curates in their churches throughout the city and 

 diocese of Winchester when there was the largest congregation. In this 

 mandate the constitutions of the council of Oxford contra detractores 

 evange/icos are quoted. 1 If Cardinal Beaufort's sympathies had been in 

 the other direction, it would have been comparatively simple for so 

 powerful a prelate to have ignored any order for publication of the 

 sentence in the diocese. 



The chief mark that Beaufort afterwards made in his diocese was 

 his refounding of the hospital of St. Cross on a more generous and 

 extended basis. The end of his life was spent chiefly at Wolvesey, and 

 was characterized by some notable acts of charity. Beaufort was doubt- 

 less a somewhat unscrupulous politician. The terrible character given 

 him by Shakespeare is however drawn with far too dark a pencil. The 

 dramatist represents his deathbed as one of black despair : 



Lord Cardinal, if thou think'st on heaven's bliss, 

 Hold up thy hand, make signal of thy hope 

 He dies, and makes no sign ! 



This is contradicted by the thoughtful, considerate and pious tone of his 

 will, to which he added a codicil with his own hand only two days 

 before his death. In addition to bequests to the cathedral churches of 



1 Winton. Epis. Reg., Beaufort, f. 44b : ManJatum contra LollarJos et seminatores zizaniorum in eccle- 

 ila Dei. 



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