Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ Capitulum 30 /

ABoute that tyme were tweyn that foūded as it were to do the kynges prouffyte al by one entente but by dyners cau¦ses of doyng / For the Abbot Cadonencis warned the kynge of the fraude of his offycers / therfore he wolde that theyr outrage shold be chasted that men of the contrayes myght lyue in pees / But william with the long berd warned the kyng of the outra¦ge of ryche men that spared theyr owne Rychesse & pylled pore men / Thenne this abbot had a warraūt and cam to london in the moneth of Februar and made somme to come byfore hym / the of¦fycers of countrayes and of prouynces to yelde ful ac••untes / But deth hym lette soo that he sawe not eesterdaye / ¶Men sayn that this william was borne at london / and had 〈…〉〈…〉 of his longe berde that he vsed / and was cleped william with the long berde / He vsed that longe berde bycause that he wolde seme the more worthy / & semely in speche and gaderyng of many mē He was sharp of wytte and somwhat y lettred and ouer mesu∣re a grete speker and by a maner kyndly Rabbysshnesse of wyt and of thewes. he wolde geete hym a grete name and caste hym to doo newe dedes and byganne to here grete doyng and dedes / Also his wreched and shamely deedes ageynste his owne broder was sygne and token of his wodenesse in his other dedes / For he accused his owne broder of treson to the kyng / for he yaf hym no more large spence of solace & cost than he was wont / His broder was a bourgeys of london / & had founde hym to Scole / He was scorned of the prynce for that deede / & yet by fauoure of somme

men he hadde place among the grete of london / Also amonge the people he blamed venymously the pryue deedes and outrage of ryche men that mysferde with poure men and soo he excited hugely· the mene men to loue and desyre fredome oute of mesure Soo that he socyed many to hym as though they were bywyt∣ched ryght with wytchecraft / For there he hadde tendaunt to his heestes fyue honderd thousand and two thousand men of london / as it were to the comyn puruyour of al / whanne he had so many fautours as he that wolde stonde for the pore people and for the kynges prouffyt he wold in euery gaderyng and counseyll with stonde gentylmen and say that by her fraude the kynge lost many grete enchetes / they grutchyd ageynst hym therfor / and he sayled to the kyng and sayde hym / that Ryche men dyde hym greete wrong by cause he was trewe to hym / Thenne he cam ageyne and byganne to worche with fraude as he was wont more besyly and more trustly / and comforted his fautours as it were by fa∣uour of the kyng. Noyse and tydynges of this conspyracy sprā∣ge oute and hubert Archebisshop of Caunterbury that hadde the rule of the Royamme herde therof / and sente for the peple / and rehersed how it was tolde / and for to put of all euyl suspection / he prayd wel fayre and axed pledges / The peple was plesyd with his fayr speche and yaf and delyuerd hym pledgys / but this wil¦liam helde forth as he hadde bygonne and had moch folke about hym and went with grete boost and aray and made openly Con∣uentycles and counseyls and gadrynge of m••n and cleped hym self the sauyour of poore men / and made grete boost and bragge and sayde that the frowardnesse and outrage of myghty men sholde be alayd / and that in a short tyme / And he toke a teme of hooly wrytte and byganne to preche in this maner / Haurietis a∣quas in gaudio de fontibus saluatoris / that is drawe vp water with ioye of the welles of the sau eour / I am said he the saueour of pore men / ye be pore men and haue essayed the harde handes of Ryche men / now drawe ye and laue vp water of heelefull lore vp of my welles / and that for ioye for the tyme of your vysy¦tacion is come / I shal quoth he departe and dyuyde watres from watres / the people is water / than shal I dyuyde and departe the people that is trewe and meeke from the peple that is fal•• and proude / I shal departe good men from euyl men as lyghte from derknesse / than by counceyll of lordes this hubert sente for williā for he shold stande and answere to that m••n shold putte ageynst

hym / he come at that tyme as he was somned / but he had soo moch peple aboute hym that he that had sent for hym was aferd and the softer in his doyng and putte o•• the dome for that tyme Afterward oportunyte was aspyed by two burgeys of london / whanne he myghte be founde aloone withoute peple aboute hym & men of armes were sente for to take hym / But william with his axe slewe one of the bourgeys that had espyed hym / Anone william with fewe of his men and with his concubyne that wol¦de neuer from hym wente in to a chirche / that was there fast by that is saynt mary chirch at bowe / ther he wold not defende him as it were in a chirche but as it were in a Castel with strengthe and hoped in veyn that his peple wold come and delyuer hym / The people was soory for the peryll that he was Inne / and is no wonder but by cause of the pledgys that they had yeuen hym / & for drede of the knyghtes that they sawe armed they cam not to his delyueraunce / than william was boden come oute but he wol¦de not / than he was compellyd by fyer and smoke to come oute maugre his teeth / whanne he cam oute the bourgeys sonne / that he had slayne forkytte his wombe with a knyf / but by d••me of the court whanne he was taken he was fyrst drawē with horses and than he was hanged with nyne felawes that wolde neuer leue hym / but fautours defamed the Archebisshop as a mansle••r and not only that but alfo for to wype awey the shame of their owne conspyracye and for to preue that they that dampned will¦iam were wycked men and euyl doers / By crafte and by frau¦de and gyle they fonded to make william to haue the name and worship of a martir ¶ Also men seyn that a preest of will∣iams kyn leyde the cheyne that william was with bounden vn∣der a mannes hede that was seke of the feuers and preched open¦ly that the man was hool anone / Ryght this sprang oute amōg the people / and the peple cam pryuely by nyght and toke aweye his gybet and pared awey lytel and lytel the erth that was by bled with his bloode / And made a grete dyche and kepte the erth as it were holy relyques to hele with seke men / Name and tydyn¦ges herof sprang wel̄ wyde and grete company both of slye men and of fooles cam to the place and woke there by nyght / Alwey cam theder greete multitude of lewdmen and of fooles / and as moche worship as they dyde the dede man soo moche vylonye they put vppon hym that hym hadde dampned / This errour had soo his forth whanne it was bygon that it wold haue by witched

wyse mē & redy nad they redyly take h••ede to the doyng that they knew of this williās dedes / for he slewe a mā a lytel byfore his takyng / and that is ynough for a wise man to knowe that he shol¦de not be worshiped as a martir / & yet his last confession that he made whanne he shold dye / shold sham•• al that worshiped hym / for a martir. Many counseylled hym to be shreuen mekely of his sinnes / and to worship god / he shroof hym / though it were laate and knowleched that he had defouled saynt mary chirche and lay there by a woman whyle he was therynne / Also by cause his men come not at his wylle to delyuere hym / he forsoke mary sone and called the deuyl to help and prayd that he wold delyuer him Williams fautours denyed al this and sayde that it was falsly feyned / also the vanyte of this tale fyll doun sone & dured but a whyle and alayde the stryf / For sothnesse is stedfast and is str ē¦ger in long tyme / but falsenesse feyned vanysshed awey in short tyme / ¶ Than hubert the Archebisshop ruler of the Royamme cursed that preest and sette men of Armes to kepe that place / by cause men shold not c••me thyder a pylgremage / And soo the sleyght that was feynyd fyll awey in short tyme / And thoppyny¦on of the peple byganne for to reste