Page:John Wycliff, last of the schoolmen and first of the English reformers.djvu/231



CHAPTER X.

POPE GREGORY'S BULLS.

N May 22, 1377, as already mentioned, Pope Gregory XI. signed his bulls against Wyclif. They had not been received in England before the death of Edward III. on June 21st. It would be necessary to recall them if they had been despatched, or at any rate to send a covering letter for the personal appeal which was addressed to the King. In view of the consequent changes and pre-occupations of the English Government, Gregory would naturally allow two or three months to pass before he opened the matter. It does not appear that the documents were actually delivered in England until the Gloucester Parliament had been sitting for over a fortnight.

There were in all five bulls, one of which was addressed to the King, one to the University of