A lewd fellow that tooke vpon him to be skilfull in physicke and astronomie, caused it to be published thorough the citie of London, that vpon the Ascension euen, there would rise such a pestilent planet, that all those which came abroad foorth of their chambers, before they had said fiue times the Lords praier, then commonlie called the Pater noster, and did not eate somewhat that morning, before their going foorth, should be taken with sicknesse, & suddenlie die thereof. Many fooles beléeued him, and obserued his order; but the next day, when his presumptuous lieng could be no longer faced out, he was set on horssebacke, with his face towards the taile, which he was compelled to hold in his hand in stéed of a bridle, and so was led about the citie, with two iorden pots about his necke, and a whetstone, in token that he had well deserued it, for the notable lie which he had made. [Sidenote: Ships of Rie win a good price. Iohn de Northampton maior of London, a streict punisher of adulterie in his time.] About the same time, certeine English ships of Rie, and other places, went to the sea, and meeting pirats, fought with them, and ouercame them, taking seuen ships, with thrée hundred men in them. One of those ships had béene taken from the Englishmen afore time, and was called the falcon, belonging to the lord William Latimer. They were all richlie laden with wine, wax, and other good merchandize. This yeare the maior of London Iohn de Northampton, otherwise called Iohn de Comberton, did punish such as were taken in adulterie, verie extremelie: for first he put them in the prison, called the tunne, that then stood in Cornehill, and after caused the women to haue their haire cut, as théeues in those daies were serued that were appeachers of others, and so were they led about the stréets with trumpets & pipes going before them. Neither were the men spared more than the women, being put to manie open shames and reproches. But bicause the punishment of such offenses was thought rather to apperteine vnto the spirituall iurisdiction, than to the temporall, the bishop of London, and other of the cleargie, tooke it in verie euill part: but the maior being a stout man, would not forbeare, but vsed his authoritie héerein to the vttermost. [Sidenote: The Londoners fauorers of Wicliffes doctrine. The fishmoongers sore troubled by the maior.]