Vindication of Ecclesiastical Volume 3, Volume 2 · Book 3 · Chapter 1 · Document 60
SUB hiis quoque diebus, erat in provincia Eboracenſi, Heremita quidam Petrus Hiſt. Angl. p. 22…. 223. Mat. Weſtm. p. 92.nomine, qui eo quod multis futura multa praedixerat, ſapiens dicebatur. Hic inter alia quae ſpiritu cunctis aſtantibus, & audire volentibus, illud praedicando publice aſſerebat, quod non foret Rex in die Dominicae Aſcenſionis proximo ſequentis nec deinceps, ſed die illa coronam Angliae, ad altum tranſferri praedixit. Cujus aſſertio cum ad Regis notitiam deveniſſit, & ipſo jubente, ad ejus praeſentiam adductus fuiſſet: Quaeſivit ab eo Rex, ſi die illo eſſet moriturus, vel quo ordine a regni ſolio privaretur? Qui reſpondit: Noveritis certiſſime, quod die predicta Rex non eris. Et ſi de mendacio convictus fuero, de me quod placuerit faciatis. Cui Rex, fiat, inquit, ſecundum verbum tuum. Tunc Rex tradidit illum Willielmo de Harecurt cuſtodiendum, quem idem Willielmus, Cuſtodibus & Arctioribus vinculis conſtrictum, apud Corruum incarcaverit, donec probaret quem exitum res haberet. Quod verbum in brevi per remotas provincia; ita diſſeminatum eſt, quod fere omnes, qui hoc audi…runt, dictis ejus adeo fidemadhibuerunt, ac ſi aſſertio illius de Coelo ſonuiſſet.
*Acts and Monuments, vol. I. p. 328.Mr. Fox, and ſome other Hiſtorians obſerve, that this falſe counterfeit Prophet, ſet up by the Prelates and Prieſts, called Peter Wakefield of Poiz, was an idle gadder about, and a pratling Merchant: This Peter they made to Prophecy lyes, rumouring his Prophecyes abroad, to bring the King out of all credit with his people. They noiſed it daily amongſt the Commons of the Realm, that Chriſt had twice appeared to this Prophet of theirs in ſhape of a Child between the Prieſts hands, once at York, another time at Pomfret, and that he had breathed on him thrice, ſaying, Peace, Peace, Peace, and teaching many things which hee anon after declared to the Biſhops, and bid the people amend their naughty living. Being rapt alſo in ſpirit, they ſaid, hee beheld the Joyes of Heaven, and ſorrowes of Hell. *Note the fruits of this Popes Interdict.For ſcant were there three (ſaith the Chronicle) among a thouſand that lived Chriſtianly. This counterfeit ſoothſayer prophecyed of King John, that he ſhould raigne no longer then the Aſcention day, within the yeare of our Lord 1213. which was the 14th. from his Coronation, and this (hee ſaid) hee had by Revelation. Then was it of him demanded, whether hee ſhould, be ſlaine or expelled, or ſhould of himſelf give over the Crown? He anſwered, hee could not tell, but of this he was ſure (he ſaid) that neither hee, nor any of his Stock or Linage ſhould raigne, that day once finiſhed. The King hearing of this laughed much at it, and made but a ſcoffe thereof: Tuſh (ſaith hee) it it is but an Ideot Knave, and ſuch a one as lacketh his right wits; But when this fooliſh Prophet had ſo eſcaped the danger of the Kings diſpleaſure, and that he made no more of it, he got him abroad and prated thereof at large (as hee was a very idle vagabond) and uſed to tatle, and talk more then enough: ſo that they which loved the King cauſed him a non after to bee apprehended as a Malefactor, and to bee thrown into priſon, the King not knowing thereof. Anon after, the fame of this phantaſticall Prophet went all the Realme over, and his name was known every where (as fooliſhneſſe is much regarded of people where Wiſdome is not in place) specially becauſe hee was then impriſoned for the matter, the rumor was the larger; their wonderings were the wantoner, their practicing the fooliſher, their buſie talks and other idle occupyings the greater, continually from thence (as the rude manner of people is) old Goſſips tales went abroad, new tales were invented, Fables were added to Fables, and lies grew upon lies: ſo that every day new ſlanders were raeiſed on the King, and not one of them true; Rumors aroſe, blaſphemyes were ſpread, the enemyes rejoyced, And treaſons by the Preiſts were maintained, and what likewiſe was ſurmiſed, or other ſubtilty practiſed, all then was Fathered upon this fooliſh Prophet: As, Thus ſaith Peter Wakefeild, thus hath he Prophecyed, and this ſhall come to paſſe, yea many times when hee thought nothing leſſe. When the Aſcenſion day was come which was Prophecyed of before, King John Commanded his Regall Tent to be ſpread abroad in the open field, paſſing that day with his Noble Councel, and men of Honour, in the greateſt ſolemnity that ever hee did afore, ſolacing himſelf with Muſicall instruments and ſongs, moſt in ſight amongſt his truſty friends. When that day was paſt in all proſperity and mirth, his enemies being confounded, turned all to an Allegorical underſtanding, to make the Prophecy good, and ſaid He is no longer King, for the Pope raigneth, and not hee, yet hee raigned ſtill and his ſon after him to proove that Prophet a lyer. Then was the King by his Councel perſwaded that this falſe Prophet had troubled all the Realm, perverted the hearts of the people, and raiſed the Commons againſt him. For his words went over the Sea by the help of his Prelates, and came to the French Kings ear, and gave unto him a great encouragement to invade the Land, he had not elſe done it ſo ſuddenly. But hee was moſt fouly deceived▪ as all they are and ſhall bee, that put their truſt in ſuch Dark drowſie dreams of Hypocrites. The King therefore commanded that he ſhould be drawn, and hanged like a Traitor.
When theſe falſe Prophecies would not work the King to comply with their ends, the Pope, at the Biſhops petition, having proceeded to the utmoſt extremity, judically to depoſe him, and to give his Crown to his enemie the King of France, commanded him with force of armes to ſeiſe upon his Kingdom, exciting all Souldiers and Warriers in divers Nations to take up armes againſt him, under the ſelf ſame Indulgences as thoſe that viſited the Holy land, and fought againſt the Saracens in which Treaſonable proceedings his Engliſh Biſhops were imployed as principal actors, thus related by Matthew Paris.