, called the good lord Cobham, the first author, as well as the first
, called the good lord Cobham, the first author, as well as the first martyr, among
our nobility, was born in the fourteenth century, in the
reign of Edward III. He obtained his peerage by marrying the heiress of that lord Cobham, who, with so much
virtue and patriotism opposed the tyranny of Richard IL
and, with the estate and title of his father-in-law, seems
also to have taken possession of his virtue and independent
spirit. The famous statute against provisors was by his
means revived, and guarded by severer penalties. He was
one of the leaders in the reforming party, who drew up a
number of articles against the corruptions which then prevailed among churchmen, and presented them, in the form
of a remonstrance, to the Commons. He was at great expence in collecting and transcribing the works of Wickliff,
which he dispersed among the people; and he maintained
a great number of his disciples as itinerant preachers in
many parts of the country. These things naturally awakened the resentment of the clergy against him. In the
reign of Henry IV. he had the command of an English
army in France, which was at that time a scene of great
confusion, through the competition of the Orleanand Burgundian factions; and obliged the duke of Orleans to raise
the siege of Paris. In the reign of Henry V. he was accused of heresy, and the growth of it was particularly
attributed to his influence. The king, with whom lord
Cobham was a domestic in his court, delayed the prosecution against him; and undertook to reason with him himself, and to reduce him from his errors. Lord Cobham’s
answer is upon record. “I ever was,
” said he, “a dutiful
subject to your majesty, and ever will be. Next to God,
I profess obedience to my king; but as to the spiritual
dominion of the pope, I never could see on what foundation it is claimed, nor can I pay him any obedience. It is
sure as God’s word is true, he is the great antichrist foretold in holy writ.
” This answer so exceedingly shocked
the king, that, turning away in visible displeasure, he withdrew his favour from him, and left him to the censures of
the church. He was summoned to appear before the archbishop; and, not appearing, was pronounced contumacious, and excommunicated. In hopes to avoid the impending storm, he waited upon the king with a confession
of nis faith in writing, in his hand; and, while he was in
his presence, a person entered the chamber, cited him to
appear before the archbishop, and he was immediately
hurried to the Tower. He was soon after brought before
the archbishop, and read his opinion of these articles, on
which he supposed he was called in question, viz. the Lord’s
supper, penance, images, and pilgrimages. Hewas told,
that in some parts he had not been sufficiently explicit
that on all these points holy church had determined by
which determinations all Christians ought to abide and that
these determinations should be given him as a direction of
his faith; and in a few days he must appear again and give
his opinion. At the time, he said among other things,
“that he knew none holier than Christ and the apostles
and that these determinations were surely none of theirs,
as they were against scripture.
” In conclusion, he was
condemned as an heretic, and remanded to the Tower,
from which place he escaped, and lay concealed in Wales.
The clergy, with great zeal for the royal person, informed
the king, then at Eltham, that 20,000 Lollards were assembled at St. Giles’s for his destruction, with lord Cobham at their head. This pretended conspiracy, though
there were not above 100 persons found, and those poor
Lollards assembled for devotion, was entirely credited by
the king, and fully answered the designs of the clergy; but
there is not the smallest authority for it, in any author of
reputation. A bill of attainder passed against lord Cobham; a price of a thousand marks was set upon his head;
and a perpetual exemption from taxes promised to any
town that should secure him. After he had been four years
in Wales, he was taken at last by the vigilance of his enemies, brought to London in triumph, and dragged to execution in St. Giles’s-fields. As a traitor, and a heretic, he
was hung up in chains alive upon a gallows; and, fire
being put under him, was burnt to death, in December,
1417.