Page 24 - 05 John Wycliffe

church, and they hurried to his chamber to

listen to his confession. Representatives from

the four religious orders, with four civil

officers, gathered about the supposed dying

man. “You have death on your lips,” they said;

“be touched by your faults, and retract in our

presence all that you have said to our injury.”

The Reformer listened in silence; then he

bade his attendant raise him in his bed, and,

gazing steadily upon them as they stood

waiting for his recantation, he said, in the

firm, strong voice which had so often caused

them to tremble: “I shall not die, but live; and

again declare the evil deeds of the friars.”—

D'Aubigne, b. 17, ch. 7. Astonished and

abashed, the monks hurried from the room.

Wycliffe's words were fulfilled. He lived to

place in the hands of his countrymen the

most powerful of all weapons against