PAYNE, PETER (c. English Lollard and Taborite, the son of a Frenchman by an English wife, was born at Hough-on-the-Hill near Grantham, about 1380. He was edu cated at Oxford, where he adopted Lollard opinions, and had graduated as a master of arts before Oct. 6, 1406, when he was concerned in the irregular proceedings through which a letter de claring the sympathy of the university was addressed to the Bohemian reformers. From 1410 to 1414 Payne was principal of St. Edmund Hall, and during these years was engaged in contro versy with Thomas Netter of Walden, the Carmelite defender of Catholic doctrine. In 1414 he was compelled to leave Oxford and taught for a time in London.
Ultimately Payne took refuge in Bohemia, where he became a leader of the reformers at Prague. He joined the sect of the "Orphans," and had a prominent part in the discussions and con ferences of the ten years from 1420 to 1430. Payne was one of the Bohemian delegates to the council of Prague. He arrived at Basel on Jan. 4, and his unyielding temper and bitter words probably did much to prevent a settlement. The Bohemians left Basel in April. The party of the nobles, who had been ready to make terms, were attacked in the Diet at Prague, by the Orphans and Taborites. Next year the dispute led to open war. The nobles were victorious at Lipau on May 29, and it was reported in England that Payne was killed. When soon afterwards the
majority of the Orphans joined the moderate party, Payne allied himself with the more extreme Taborites. In Feb. 1437 the pope desired the emperor Sigismund to send Payne to be tried for heresy at Basel. Payne took refuge with Peter Chelcicky, the Bohemian author. Two years later he was captured and imprisoned at Gutenstein, but was ransomed by his Taborite friends. Payne took part in the conferences of the Bohemian parties in '444, and again in 1452. He died at Prague in 1455. Payne was also known as Clerk at Oxford, as Peter English in Bohemia, and as Freyng, after his French father, and Hough from his birth place.