Although the kings authoritie thus began to shew it selfe, to the
terror of rebels; yet the commons of Essex eftsoones assembled
themselues togither, not far from Hatfield Peuerell, and sent to the
king to know of him if his pleasure was, that they should inioy their
promised liberties: and further, that they might be as frée as their
lords, and not to come to any court, except it were to the great léet,
twise in the yeare. When the king heard such presumptuous requests, he
was in a great chafe, & dispatched the messengers awaie, with a sore
threatning answer, saieng that bondmen they were, and bondmen they
should be, and that in more vile manner than before, to the terrible
example of all other that should attempt any the like disorders: and
foorthwith, the earle of Buckingham, and the lord Thomas Percie,
brother to the earle of Northumberland, were sent with an armie to
represse those rebels, whome they found fortified within woods, hedges
and ditches |748| verie stronglie, but with small adoo they were put
to flight, & about fiue hundred of them slaine; the residue saued
themselues as well as they might, by succour of the woods. There were
eight hundred horsses also taken, which those rebels had there with
them, to draw and carrie their baggage.
Those of the rebels that escaped, were not yet so tamed by that
ouerthrow, but that assembling themselues togither in a rowt, they
made towards Colchester: and comming thither, would haue persuaded the
townesmen to haue ioined with them in a new rebellion. But when they
could not bring their purpose to passe they marched towards Sudburie.
The lord Fitz Walter, and sir Iohn Harleston, vnderstanding which waie
they tooke, followed them with a companie of armed men, and suddenlie
setting vpon them as they were making their proclamations, slue of them
so manie as it liked them, and the other they saued, and suffered to
depart, or else committed them to prison. After this, the king came
to Hauering at the bowre, and from thence to Chelmisford, where he
appointed sir Robert Trisilian to sit in iudgement of the offendors and
rebels of that countrie, wherevpon an inquest being chosen, a great
number were indited, arreigned, & found giltie, so that vpon some one
gallowes there were nine or ten hanged togither.
[Sidenote: _Fabian._ The rebels executed in euerie lordship.
The king calleth in his letters of infranchising granted to the
bondmen.]
In euerie countrie were like inquiries made, and the chéefe offendors
apprehended and put to death in euerie lordship through the realme,
where anie of them were detected, by ten, twelue, twentie, thirtie, yea
and in some places by fortie at once; so that the whole number grew
to fifteene hundred and aboue. At the first, when the kings iustices
began to sit in Essex, Kent, and at London, by reason of the multitude
that were to be executed, they onelie chopped off their heads, but
afterwards when that kind of death seemed too close and secret for
so open offenses, they proceeded according to the accustomed law of
the realme, by condemning them to be drawne and hanged, and according
thervnto they were executed. In the meane time, the king by the aduise
of his councell, directed his letters reuocatorie into euerie countie
there, to be proclaimed in euerie citie, borrow, towne, and place, as
well within the liberties as without; by the which letters he reuoked,
made void and frustrate his former letters of infranchising the bondmen
of his realme, and commanded that such as had the same letters, should
without delaie bring them in, and restore them to him and his councell
to be cancelled, as they would answer vpon their faith and allegiance
which they owght to him, and vpon paine of forfeiting all that they
had. The date of which letters reuocatorie was at Chelmesford, the
second daie of Iulie, in the fift yeare of his reigne.
[Sidenote: The king remooueth to S. Albons.]
When the king had quieted the countie of Essex, and punished such as
were the chéefe sturrers of that wicked commotion in those parts, he
went to saint Albons, to sée iustice doone vpon such as had demeaned
themselues most presumptuouslie against the kings peace in that
towne, namelie against the abbat and his house, who sought to defend
themselues vnder a colour of fréendship, that they trusted to find in
some persons about the king. But that trust deceiued them, and procured
the more displeasure against them, for that they would not sue for
fauour at the abbats hands in time, by submitting themselues vnto his
will and pleasure. To be breefe, the king came thither with a great
number of armed men and archers, and caused his iustice sir Robert
Trisilian to sit in iudgement vpon the malefactors, that were brought
thither from Hertford gaile.
[Sidenote: Iohn Ball.