John Weever of a religious tone, "The Mirror of Martyrs" and "An Agnus Dei". "The Mirror of Martyrs or The Life and Death of ... Sir John Oldcastle" may have been part of a backlash. In his preface Weever calls it the "first trew Oldcastle", perhaps on account of the fact that Shakespeare's character Falstaff first appeared as "Sir John Oldcastle". Weever's work is influenced by John Bale's 1544 biography of Oldcastle, which presents him as a proto-Protestant martyr. In the fourth stanza of this long poem, in which Sir John is his own panegyrist, occurs a reminiscence of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar"
Oldcastle Revolt rise of Lollardy alarmed archbishop Arundel, who unsuccessfully accused Oldcastle of promoting heretical teachings within his estates on several occasions, due to Henry's reluctance to prosecute a close personal friend. By August 1413, Henry grew tired of Oldcastle's insubordination, permitting Arundel to prosecute him. Arundel summoned Oldcastle to appear in the Leeds Castle on 11 September 1413, but Oldcastle ignored the call and retreated to Cooling Castle, his keep. Arundel immediately excommunicated the defendant, ordering him to receive judgement on 23 September. On the same day, Oldcastle was brought to the Tower of London, accusing the Pope of being Antichrist,