He, too, was an Oxford professor, a schoolman, and a patriot, but he was animated by a deeper religious feeling than was Occam.

In 1361 he was master of Balliol College, where he lectured for many years on divinity.

At the same time he held various benefices in turn, the last, the pastorate of Lutterworth in Leicestershire, from 1374 till his death.

He became a reformer somewhat late in life owing to study of the Bible and of the bad condition of the English church.

[Sidenote: 1374] At the peace congress at Bruges as a commissioner to negotiate with papal ambassadors for the relief of crying abuses, he became disillusioned in his hope for help from that quarter.