the house of William Norton, a barber given to
Lollardry, where he and his fellow conspirator were lodged. Cobold tried
to hide himself, but was discovered cunningly concealed in the house, and
taken before the mayor and aldermen. Being questioned as to the identity
of Trumpington and the late king, he gave an evasive reply, adding, that
the question of identity had become immaterial since Trumpington had been
dead some time. Cobold was thought to be too dangerous a man to be allowed
at large, so he was committed to prison.(733)

(M391)

In the meantime Wycliffe had died (1384), and Lollardry had become only
another name for general discontentment. The clergy made strenuous efforts
to suppress the Lollards. Pope Boniface had invoked the assistance of the
late king (1395) to destroy these "tares" (_lolium aridum_) that had
sprung up amidst the wheat which remained constant to church and king, and
called upon the mayor and commonalty of the city to use their interest
with Richard to the same end.(734) Besides seeking the support of the
commonalty against the powerful nobles, the new king sought the support of
the church, and he had not been long on the throne before he issued
commissions for search to be made in the city for Lollards, and for the
arrest of all preachers found sowing the pestilential seed of Lollardry
(_semen pestiferum lollardrie_).(735) Early in 1401 a price was put upon
the head of the captain and leader of the sect, Sir John Oldcastle,
otherwise known as Lord Cobham. Public proclamation was made in the city,
that any one giving information which should lead to his arrest should be
rewarded with 500 marks; any one actually arresting or causing him to be
arrested should receive double that amount, whilst the citizens and
burgesses of any city or borough who should take and produce him before
the king, should be for ever quit of all taxes, talliages, tenths,
fifteenths and other assessments.(736) Not only were conventicles
forbidden, but no one was allowed to visit the ordinary churches after
nine o'clock at night or before five o'clock in the morning.(737)

(M392)

Still the clergy were not satisfied. The ecclesiastical courts could
condemn men as heretics, but they had no power to burn them. Accordingly,
a statute was passed this year (1401), known as the statute of heresy (_de
haeretico comburendo_), authorising the ecclesiastical courts to hand over
to the civil powers any heretic refusing to reca