tences of holie doctors. And if I haue here before, through mine vncunning, been vnordered, or, by euill counsaile, bene deceiued, or anie thing saide, preached, holden, maintainetl, or taught, contrarie to the lawe of God, whollie and fullie for that time for now and euer with full will I reuoke it and withdraw it, as euerich christen man should: praying and beseeching eche christen man, to whom this writing shall come, that gif I ought erre (as God forbid that I doe), or euer erred in anie point, contrarie to holie writ, that it be had and holden of them, as for thing nought said. And all the trothes that I haue said according with ye law of God, that they maintaine them and stand by them, for life or death, to Gods worship, as a true christen man should, submitting me meeklie to the correction of our bishop that here is, or of any other christen man, after Christes lawes and holie writ; in will euer readie to be amended, and, with this protestation, I say and answere to these conclusions and articles that here followen after, the which bene put to me to aunswere to.
The first is this: That I William of Swinderby, pretending (he saith) my selfe a priest, was iudiciallie conuented of certaine articles, and conclusions of error, false, schimaticke, and heresie, by me, in diuers places and times, preached (hee saith) before multitudes of true christen men: and the same articles and conclusions, by need of law reuoked and forsworn, some as heresies, and some as errours and false: and such I affirmed and beleeued them to be. And that none of them from that time forth I should preach, teach, or affirme, openly or priuilie, ne that I should make no sermon to the people, ne preach but by lawfull leaue asked and gotten. And if I would presume in doing or affirming the contrary, then to the seueritie of the lawe I should be buxom,[1] as by nede of the lawe I swore.
To this I say, witnessing God that is in heauen to my wit and vnderstanding, that I neuer preached, held, ne taught, these conclusions and articles, the which falsly of friers were put vpon me, and of lecherous priestes to the bishop of Lincolne. For I was ordained by processe yersaid,[2] of their law, by the bishop and his commissaries, so as I graunted them to bring my purgation of thirteen priestes of good fame.Witnesses to William Swinderby. And so I did, with a letter, and twelve scales thereby, from the mayor of Leycester, and from true burgesses, and thirty men to witnesse with me, as the duke of Lancaster knew and heard, the earle of Darby, and other many great men that were that time in the towne, that I neuer said them, taught them, ne preached them. But when I should haue made my purgation, there stooden forth fiue friers or moe, that some of them neuer saw me before, ne heard me,The chastity of votaries to be noted. and three lecherous priestes openlie knowen, some lieuing in their lecherie twenty yeare (men sayden) or more, as, by their childer, was openly knowen. Some of these they clepinden denounciations, and some weren cleped comprobations, that weren there falslie forsworne, they suing busilie and crying, with manie an other frier, with great instance to giue the dome vppon me, to burne me, and boughten drie wood before, as men tolden in that towne: and these sleights, and swearing, and money giuing, as men saiden, with fauor of the bishop (by what lawe I wot not, but sothly not by Gods law), they saiden, they held me as conuicted, and might not haue forth my purgation. So as I fullie forsooke them, and neuer granted that I said them. Ouer this they made me sweare neuer to hold them, teach them, ne preach them, priuilie ne apertlie: and that I would go to certaine churches to reuoke the conclusions which I neuer said, in sclaunder of my selfe, by great instance of the friers. And so for dred of death and for fleshlie counsell that I had, I assented, and so I did. And also they maden me to sweare, that I should not preach (by instance of the friers) within that diocesse, withouten licence asked and granted, and neuer sithen I did. And now the same conclusions bene rehearsed to me againe: vhether by friers counsell I will not deme, God wot, but in slaunder of me it is: and therefore I will answere now (with God's helpe) to the conclusions, of the which the first is this: That men mowen asken thir debts by charitie, but in no maner1. Conclusion.
Answer. How debt is to be pursued. for debt to imprison any man: and that hee so emprisoning, is accursed."
So I said not; but thus I haue said, and yet say with protestation put before: That whoso pursues his brother with malice, prisoning him cruellie for debt without mercie that faine would pay it if he might: he sinneth against Christe's teaching, 'Estote misericordes, sicut pater vester misericors est.'
