church, we cannot forbear giving a slight sketch of the account of William Thorpe, written by himself, in many respects curious and interesting; a specimen of the mode of writing at that time, now four centuries gone, and containing many curious allusions to the manners and habits of the period, as well as to the progress of truth, transmitted through the followers of Wickliffe, till the completion of the reformation.

It was about twenty years after the peaceful death of that first English reformer, that one William Thorpe, of whom we know no more than he records of himself, except the testimony of some persons who had seen the original manuscript, thus begins his narrative-" Known be it to all men, that read or hear this writing, that on the Sunday next after the feast of St. Peter, that we call Lammasse, in the year of our Lord 1407, I, William Thorpe, being in the castle of Saltwood, was brought before Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Chancellor then of England. And when I came to him he stood in a great chamber and much people about him: and when that he saw me, he went fast into a closet, bidding all secular men that followed him to go forth from him soon, so that no man was left then in that closet but the Archbishop himself, and a physician, that was called Malveren, parson of St. Dunstan's in London, and other two persons unknown to me, which were ministers of the law. And I, standing before them, by and by, the Archbishop said to me —‘William, I know well that thou hast this twenty winters and more, travelled about busily in the north country, and in other divers counties of England, sowing about false doctrine, having great business, if thou might, with thine untrue teaching and shrewd will, for to infect and poison all the land. But through the grace of God thou art now withstanded and brought into my ward, so that I shall now sequester thee from thy evil purpose, and let (hinder) thee to envenom the sheep of my province. Nevertheless, St. Paul saith,

If it may be, as much as in us is, we ought to have peace with all men.' Therefore, William, if thou wilt, now meekly and of good heart, without any feigning, kneel down and lay thy hand upon a book and kiss it, promising faithfully as I shall charge thee, that thou wilt submit to my correction, and stand to my ordinance, and fulfil it duly by all thy cunning and power, thou shalt yet find me gracious unto thee.' Then said I to the Archbishop; Sir, since ye deem me a heretick, and out of belief, will ye give me here audience to tell my belief?' And he said, Yea, tell on.""

The Archbishop's charge proves that Thorpe had been preaching condemned doctrines ever since the days of Wickliffe, as many others had continued to do. William here made a declaration at some length of his belief; but no farther than might consist with the tenets and requisitions of the Romish church, and no fault was found with his confession. When, however, he came to the point of swearing to it, he says-" But, Sir, I pray you tell me, if after your bidding, I shall lay my hand upon the book, to what intent? To swear thereby?" "And the Archbishop said to me, Yea, wherefore else?' And I said to him- Sir, a book is nothing else but a thing coupled together of divers creatures; and to swear by any creature both God's law and man's law is against it." It appears by this protest of Thorpe's, as elsewhere, that the early reformers objected to take an oath. The Archbishop, not satisfied with Thorpe's confession, which indeed was evasive enough, required him to swear that he would neither secretly or openly hold any of the opinions the Lollards were charged with and that he would impeach before the bishops all whom he should know to hold them. This William refuses, saying "I find in no place of Scripture, that this office that ye would now infief me with, accordeth to any priest of Christ's sect, nor to any other Christian man: and therefore to do this, were to me a full noyous bond to be bounden with, and over grievous charge.

For I suppose that if I thus did, many men and women would, yea, Sir, might justly to my confusion say to me, that I were a traitor to God and to them: since, (as I think in mine heart,) many men and women trust so in this case, that I would not, for saving of my life, do this to them. For if I thus do, full many men and women would, as they might full truly, say I had falsely and cowardly forsaken the truth, and slandered shamefully the word of God. For if I consented to you to do hereafter your will, for bonchief or mischief that may befall unto me in this life, I deem in my conscience that I were worthy here for to be cursed of God and also of all his Saints: from which inconvenience keep me and all Christian people, Almighty God, now and ever, for his holy name!"

On this the Archbishop threatened William that he should "follow his fellow to Smithfield"-by which it appears that one of his party had already suffered death, whom he mentions to have been William Sautry. He remarks" At this saying, I stood still and spake not, but I thought in my heart that God did me great grace, if he would of his great mercy bring me to this end." We see how deeply the desire of martrydom was already engendered in the bosoms of these confessors. After some further disputing, the Archbishop becoming impatient for a final answer, Thorpe gives this very interesting and simple sketch of his previous life—" Sir, my father and mother, on whose souls God have mercy if it be his will, spent miekle money in divers places about my learning, for the intent to have made me a priest to God. But when I came to years of discretion, I had no mind to be priest; and therefore my friends were right heavy to me; and then methought their grudging against me was so painful to me, that I purposed therefore to have left their company. And when they perceived this in me, they spake sometimes full fair and pleasant words to me. But for that they might not make me to consent of good heart to be a priest, they spake to me full often

times very grievous words, and menaced me in divers manners, showing to me full heavy cheer. And thus, one while in fair manner, another while in grievous, they were long time, as methought, full busy about me, ere I consented to them to be a priest. But at the last, when in this matter they would no longer suffer mine excusations, but either I should consent to them, or I should ever bear their indignation, yea, their curse as they said; then I seeing this, prayed them that they would give me licence for to go to them that were named wise priests, and of virtuous conversation, to have their counsel, and to know of them the office and charge of priesthood. And hereto my father and mother consented full gladly, and gave me their blessing and full leave to go, and also money to spend in this journey. And so I went to those priests that I heard to be of best name, and of most holy living, and best learned, and most wise of heavenly wisdom and so I communed with them, unto the time that I perceived by their virtuous and continual occupations, that their honest and charitable works passed their fame that I before had heard of them. Wherefore, Sir, by the example of the doctrine of them, and especially for the godly and innocent works which I perceived then of them and in them, after my cunning and power, I have exercised me then and at this time, to know perfectly God's law, having a will and desire to live thereafter, which willeth that all men and women should exercise themselves faithfully thereabout. If then, Sir, either for the pleasure of them that are neither so wise, nor of so virtuous conversation to my knowledge, nor by common fame to any other man's knowledge of this land, as these men were of whom I took my counsel and information, I should now forsake thus suddenly and shortly, and unwarned, all the learning that I have exercised myself in these thirty winters or more, my conscience should ever be herewith out of measure unquieted, and as, Sir, I know well, many men and women should be therewith troubled and slandered." There is something very strik

ing and beautiful in this appeal of William Thorpe to the lives and characters of the persons from whom he had received his opinions. Who these men were he tells us afterwards, where he says to the Archbishop, "Also Phillip of Rampington, while he was canon of Leicester, Nicolas Herford, Davie Gotraie of Pakring, monk of Byland, and a master of divinity, and John Purvay, and many other which were holden right wise men, and prudent, taught and writ busily this foresaid learning, and conformed thereto. And with all these men I was right homely and communed with them long time and oft: and so before all other men I chose willingly to be informed of them and by them, and specially of Wickliffe himself, as of the most virtuous and godly wise man that I heard of or knew. And therefore of him specially, and of these men I took the learning that I have taught; and purpose to live thereafter, if God will, to my life's end."

The Archbishop, finding William resolute not to swear, produced the charges that were against him, which were these; that, "The third Sunday after Easter, 1407, William Thorpe came unto the town of Shrewsbury, and through leave granted to him to preach, he said openly in St. Chad's Church in his sermon, That the sacrament of the altar, after the consecration, was material bread. And that images should in no wise be worshipped-And that men should not go on pilgrimages-And that priests had no title to tithes-And that it is not lawful to swear in any wise." He adds, "And when the Archbishop had read this roll, he rolled it up again, and said to me, 'Is this wholesome learning to be among the people?' And I said to him, 'Sir, I am both ashamed on their behalf, and right sorrowful for them that have certified you these things thus untruly; for I preached never, nor taught thus, privily or apertly.""

(To be continued.)