gan to agitate for a more earnest religious life. They translated
the Bible into English, wrote devotional and polemic tracts, preached
throughout the country, spoke and wrote against the evils in the
church at the time, then against its accepted form of organization,
and finally against its official teachings. They thus became heretics.
Thousands were influenced by their teachings, and a wave of religious
revival and ecclesiastical rebellion spread over the country. The
powers of the church and the civil government were ultimately brought
to bear to crush out the "Lollards," as those who held heretical
beliefs at that time were called. New and stringent laws were passed
in 1401 and 1415, several persons were burned at the stake, and a
large number forced to recant, or frightened into keeping their
opinions secret. This religious movement gradually died out, and by
the middle of the fifteenth century nothing more is heard of
Lollardry.

Wycliffe had been not only a religious innovator, but a writer of much
excellent English. Contemporary with him or slightly later were a
number of writers who used the native language and created permanent
works of literature. _The Vision of Piers Plowman_ is the longest and
best of a number of poems written by otherwise unknown men. Geoffrey
Chaucer, one of England's greatest poets, wrote at first in French,
then in English; his _Canterbury Tales_ showing a perfected English
form, borrowed originally, like so much of what was best in England at
the time, from Italy or France, but assimilated, improved, and
reconstructed until it seemed a purely English production. During the
reign of Edward III English became the official language of the courts
and the usual language of conversation, even among the higher classes.

Edward III lived until 1377. Through his long reign of half a century,
during which he was entirely dependent on the grants of Parliament for
the funds needed to carry on the war against France, this body
obtained the powers, privileges, and organization which made it
thereafter such an influential part of the government. His successor,
Richard II, after a period of moderate government tried to rule with a
high hand, but in 1399 was deposed through the influence of his
cousin, Henry of Lancaster, who was crowned as Henry IV. Henry's title
to the throne, according to hereditary principles, was defective, for
the son of an older brother was living. He was, however, a mere chil