Capitulum xxxiijm.
A long tyme aftir þe deþe of þes .iij. worschipful kyngis, whan þe cristen feiþ stood & was in prosperite in þe worschippeful Citee of Sewyƚƚ and in aƚƚ þe partyes & kyngdoms of þe eest: þan þe Deuyl, þat of aƚƚ goodnes is enmye and of aƚƚ vertues destroyer, þorow hys wickyd aungels excited & brouȝt vp among þe pepil diuers erroures and opinyouns of heresye. And þis persecucioun of eresye fro day to day so encresyd in diuers londys and plaas aboute, In so moche þat þe kyngdoms and þe londys þere þes .iij. kyngis were lordys & kyngis of, and aƚƚ þe pepil of þe Citee of Sewiƚƚ where þes .iij. kyngys restyde Inne, for þe most partye were dyuyded among hem-self̘ and heelden diuers opiniouns of eresye aȝens þe feiþe of holy chirche. So þat Prester Iohn̄ and þe Patriark Thomas myȝt not reuoke þe pepil from her eresyes by no spirituel correccioun ne temporel correccioun. And in þis persecucioun of þis eresye þe peple lefte her riȝt bileue and worschipped fals goddys and fals Mawmettis and forsoke þe lawe of god & þe worschipe of his seyntys, in so moche þat þes .iij. worþi kyngis & Erchebisschopes were almost forȝete among þe pepil--ffor þe pepil had hem at no reuerence neþer at no reputacioun. And as þes .iij. worþi kyngis and Erchebisschopes lay in her toumbe incorrupt in to þe tyme of þis eresye: Riȝtso, whan þis eresye and diuisioun was so gretlich encresed in her kyngdoms þer as þei were kyngis, þan, as nature of man askeþ, þe bodyes of þes .iij. kyngis wexed corupt and were dissolued & turned in to powdreand in to erþe. And so in þis tyme þe pepil þat were dwellyng in þe Citee of Sewyƚƚ, þe which were come oute of þes londys & kyngdoms of þes .iij. kyngis,