In the meane time, the lord maior of London was returned into the
citie, with one man onelie attending vpon him, and cried to the
citizens; “Oh yée good and vertuous citizens, come foorth out of
hand, and helpe your king readie to be slaine, & helpe me your maior
standing in the same perill; or if yée will not helpe me for some
faults committed by me against you, yet forsake not your king, but
helpe and succour him in this present danger.” When the worshipfull
citizens and other, that in their loiall hearts loued the king, had
heard these words, incontinentlie they put themselues in strong and
sure armor, to the number of a thousand men, and gathering themselues
togither into the streets, tarried but for some lord or knight that
might conduct them to the king: and by chance there came vnto them
sir Robert Knolles, whom all of them requested that he would be their
leader, least comming out of arraie and order, they might the sooner be
broken, who willinglie led one part of them, and certeine other knights
led other of them, clad in faire bright armour vnto the kings presence.
The king with the lords, knights and esquires, not a little reioised at
the comming of those armed men, and streightwaies compassed the commons
about, as they had beene a flocke of sheepe that should haue béene
closed within some fold, till it pleased the sheepheard to appoint
foorth, which should be thrust into pasture, and which taken to go to
the shambels.
[Sidenote: The rebels quite discouraged threw downe their weapons at
the comming of the Londoners in aid of the king.]
There was to be seene a maruellous change of the right hand of the
lord, to behold how they throwing downe staues, bils, axes, swords,
bowes and arowes, humblie began to sue for pardon, which a little
before gloried to haue the life of the king and his seruants wholie and
altogither in their hands, power, and disposition. The poore wretches
sought to hide themselues in the corne that grew in the fields, in
ditches, hedges and dennes, and wheresoeuer they might get out of the
way, so to safe gard their liues. The knights that were with the king
would gladlie haue beene dooing with them, and requested licence of
him to strike off the heads of some one or two hundred of them, that
it might be a witnesse in time to come, that the force of the order
of knighthood was able |742| to doo somewhat against the carters and
ploughmen: but the king would not suffer them, alledging that manie of
them were come thither by compulsion, and not of their owne accord, and
therefore it might come to passe that those should die for it, that had
nothing offended: but he commanded that there should be proclamation
made in London, that the citizens should haue no dealings with them,
nor suffer anie of them to come within the citie that night, but to
cause them to lie without doores.
[Sidenote: _Abraham Fleming_ out of _Henrie Knighton_ canon of
Leicester abbeie.]
¶ In the report of this commotion chronographers doo somewhat varie,
as by this present extract out of Henrie Knighton canon of Leceister
abbeie, liuing at the time of this tumult may appeare: which Abraham
Fleming hath faithfullie and trulie translated out of the annales
of the said canon written in parchment in old Latine letters, as
followeth. Vpon a saturdaie, these malcontents [to wit, Thomas Baker
the first moouer but afterwards the principall leaders, Iacke Straw,
Iacke Miler, Iacke Carter, Iacke Trewman, and their trecherous traine]
met togither in Smithfield, whither also the king repaired in the
morning, who although in yeares he was but yoong, yet in wisedome and
discretion he was well growne. The ringleader of this tumultuous rowt,
whose right name was Wat Tiler, which he had now changed into Iacke
Strawe, approched neere the king, in so much that he might in a maner
touch him, being the mouth of all the residue, and hauing in his hand
a drawne dagger, which he tossed from hand to hand, boy-like plaieng
with it, & watching due time therewith, if not to stab, yet suddenlie
to smite the king, if he denied their requests. Wherevpon they that
were next and about the king were greatlie affeard, least his pretended
mischéefe should come to passe.
Now he craued of the king that all warrens, waters, parks and woods
should be common, so that as well poore as rich might fréelie in any
place wheresoeuer practise fishing in ponds, pooles, riuers, or any
waters, and might hunt déere in forrests and parkes, and the hare in
the fields, with diuerse other requests, which he would haue granted
without contradiction or gainesaieng, and exercise without controlment.
Now when the king in the grant hereof by deliberation vsed some delaie,
Iacke Straw drew neerer vnto him, and speaking vnto him certeine
thretening words, tooke hold of the horsses bridle whereon the king
rode, vpon what presumptuous enterprise I wot not. Which Iohn Walworth
a burgesse of London beholding, and fearing present death to hang
ouer the kings head, caught a weapon in his hand, and therwith thrust
Iacke Straw through the throte, which when another that was by being
an esquier, name Rafe Standish did see, with his weapon also ran him
through the sides; in so much that he fell flat on his backe to the
ground, and beating with his hands to and fro a while, at last he gaue
vp his vnhappie ghost.
Then a great clamor and lamentable outcrie was made, and heard a great
while togither, saieng; Our guide is dead, our capteine is dead. And
indéed so he was, being dragged by the hands and féet in a vile and
contemptible sort into saint Bartholomewes church hard by. Then did
manie of the vnrulie multitude withdraw themselues, and vanishing
awaie betooke them to their héeles, being about the number (as it was
thought) of ten thousand. Then the king minding to make amends and to
requite receiued courtesie, knighted the said Iohn Walworth, & Rafe
Standish, with foure burgesses more of the citie, namelie Iohn Philpot,
Nicholas Brembre, Iohn Laund, and Nicholas Twifield, girding them about
the wast with the girdle of knighthood, which was the maner of their
graduating. Then the king hauing ordeined and made the foresaid six
knights, commanded that the residue of the curssed crue should depart
and get them into the field, that méeting togither in a companie, he
might fall vnto a treatie of agreement with them.
The rowt being there assembled, behold a multitude of armed men ran
rusling out of the citie, sir Robert Knols being their capteine,
who with these his soldiers compassed & hedged in the poore catiues
distressed in the field like shéepe that haue lost their shéepheard.
Then the king of his accustomed clemencie, being pricked with pitie,
would not that the wretches should die, but spared them being a rash
and foolish multitude, and commanded them euerie man to get him home
to his owne house; howbeit manie of |743| them, at the kings going
awaie suffered the danger of death. In this miserable taking were
reckoned to the number of twentie thousand. Thus saith Knighton, not as
an eie-witnesse, but as taught by heare-saie, whereby he compiled the
greatest part of his annales, as he himselfe confesseth, seeming sorrie
that he was so constreined, as by part of the octastichon at the foot
of the first page, intituled Lamentum compilatoris, appeareth in maner
and forme following:
Sum cæcus factus subita caligine tactus,
Nec opus inceptum iam corrigo forsan ineptum,
Me metuo dubium pro veris sæpe locutum,
Plus audita loquor quàm mihi visa sequor, &c.
All the foresaid villanies notwithstanding against the king and the
state, tending wholie to the subuersion of law and ciuill gouernement,
albeit the wretches deserued no sparke of fauour, but extreame
seueritie of iudgement to be executed vpon them; yet (as yee haue
heard) besides the great clemencie of the king, exhibited vnto them
in remitting their offense, and acquiting them from the rigor of the
law, he granted and gaue to them the charter, which they had requested,
faire written and sealed, to auoid a greater mischiefe, & commanded
it for a time to be deliuered them, knowing that Essex and Kent were
not so pacified, but that if they were not the sooner contented, and
that partlie after their minds, they would vp againe. The tenor of the
charter which was gotten thus by force of the king was as followeth.
The forme of the kings charter of Manumission.
[Sidenote: The like there was granted to them of other countries as
well as to these of Hertfordshire in y^e same forme, the names of the
counties changed.]
RICHARDUS Dei gratia rex Angliæ & Franciæ, & dominus Hiberniæ: omnibus
balliuis & fidelibus suis, ad quos præsentes litteræ peruenerint,
salutem. Sciatis quòd de gratia nostra speciali manumisimus vniuersos
ligeos & singulos subditos nostros & alios comitatus Hertfordiæ, &
ipsos & eorum quemlibet ab omni bondagio exuimus, & quietos facimus
per præsentes, ac etiam perdonamus eisdem ligeis ac subditis nostris
omnimodas felonias, proditiones, transgressiones, & extortiones,
per ipsos vel aliquem eorum qualitercúnque factas siue perpetratas,
ac etiam vtlagariam & vtlagarias, si qua vel quæ in ipsos, vel
aliquem ipsorum fuerit vel fuerint hijs occasionibus promulgata
vel promulgatæ, & summam pacem nostram eis & eorum cuilibet inde
concedimus. In cuius rei testimonium, has litteras nostras fieri
fecimus patentes. Teste meipso apud London 15 die Iunij. Anno regni
nostri quarto.
[Sidenote: The townesmen of saint Albons not yet quieted.]
The commons hauing obteined this charter departed home, but ceassed
not from their riotous demeanour in sundrie parts of the realme,
and especiallie at saint Albons, where after the townesmen were
returned home, they kept such a coile against the abbat and moonks,
to haue certeine ancient charters deliuered them that concerned their
liberties, and to haue such new made and deliuered to them as might
serue their purpose; that bicause such old charters as they requested
were not to be had, the abbat and moonks looked euerie houre when their
house should be set on fire and burnt ouer their heads. The prior and
certeine other as well moonks as laie men that were seruants to the
abbat, fled for feare of the rage of those misgouerned people, knowing
that they hated them deadlie, and therefore looked for no courtesie
at their hands. They had obteined the kings letters vnto the abbat,
commanding him to deliuer vnto them such charters as they had giuen
information to be remaining in his hands, so that vnder colour therof,
they called for those writings in most importunate wise, threatning
sore, if they were not brought to light, vtterlie to destroie the house
by setting it on fire.
But to speake of all the vnrulie parts of those vnrulie people, it were
too long a processe: yet at length after they vnderstood how their
grand capteine and chéefe ringleader |744| Wat Tiler was slaine, they
began somewhat to asswage their presumptuous attempts, the rather
for that there came a knight with the kings letter of protection in
behalfe of the abbat and his house, and yet they were not so calmed,
but that they continued in requiring to haue charters made to them by
the abbat, of the like forme and effect to that which the king had
made, concerning the infranchising them from bondage, whereby they
that obteined such charters tooke themselues to be discharged of all
seruices and accustomed labors, so that they meant not to doo any
further works, nor yeeld such customes as before time they vsuallie had
béene accustomed to doo and yéeld vnto their landlords.
[Sidenote: The hurling time.
The outragious dealings of the Suffolke rebels.