He retired to Waverley Abbey, of which
some picturesque ruins remain, near Farnham; and although on the King's
jubilee pardon was granted to all offenders, a special exception was
made in the case of "Sire William de Wykeham".
[Illustration: WYKEHAM'S CHANTRY]
This was more than the heads of the Church could stand, especially as
the original charge was an unjust one; so at the ensuing meeting of
Convocation, Courtenay, then Bishop of London, declared boldly that
unless their favourite bishop was reinstated in office, no money would
be forthcoming from the clergy. In less than a month the pressing need
of funds caused the King to send a messenger to Waverley and beg Wykeham
to return to his house at Southwark. This was the first step, which,
however, did not mean an immediate return to the temporalities, as these
had been settled on the youthful heir apparent, Richard; but the people
took up Wykeham's cause, and on June 18, 1377, in the presence of the
little Richard, his uncle, and the King's council, Wykeham promised to
fit out three galleys for sea, in return for the temporalities of
Winchester.
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