[1] At the same time, those
that followed Wickliffes opinions,The Wickle|uists wrote
a|gainst the clergie. set vp publikelie on the church doore of
Paules in London, and the church doores of West|minster, certeine writings,
conteining accusations of the clergie, and conclusions, such as had not
com|monlie béene heard, against ecclesiasticall persons, and the vse of the
sacraments, as the church then mainteined. They were incouraged thus to doo,
as it [page 482] was said, by some noble men, and knights of great
worship, as sir Richard Sturrie, sir Lewes Clifford, sir Thomas Latimer, sir
Iohn Montacute, & others, who comforted & pricked forward
those kind of men, then called heretikes & Lollards, to the
confounding of monks, friers, and other religious persons, by all waies they
might. Herevpon, the archbishop of Yorke, the bishop of London, and certeine
other as messengers from the whole state of the clergie,The clergie complaine to the king of the Wickleuists, and their
fa|uorers. passed ouer into Ireland, where, to the king they made
a grieuous complaint, as well against
those that had framed and set foorth such writings, as against them that
mainteined them in their dooings, and therefore besought him with spéed to
returne home into Eng|land, there to take such order, for the restreining of
those misordered persons, as vnto the reliefe of the church might be thought
expedient, being then in great danger of susteining irrecouerable losse and
damage, if good reformation were not the sooner had. King Richard hearing
these things, vpon good deli|beration had in
the matter, determined to returne home, but first on the day of the
Annuntiation of our ladie,
K. Richard knighteth the foure Irish kings, and others.
Froissard.