ther one of the king's knights, Sir John Newton, for omiffion of fome punto of respect, which he arrogated to himselfe, in more than a kingly manner, was (upon leaue given by the king) boldly arrefted with a drawn weapon by the lord maior, a man (fay writers) of incomparable courage, which blow was feconded by the faid lord, and others, fo speedily, that there this prodigie of a traitour was feld and flaine. A death too worthy, for that he dyed by the fwords of honourable perfons, for whom the axe of an hangman had beene far too good.

"The commons perceiving the fall of their captaine prepared to use extreme revenge, when the most hopefull yong king, with a present wit and courage (it being for his life and kingdome) fpurred foorth his horse, and bad them follow him, without being grieued for the loffe of a ribauld and traitour, for now hee himselfe would be their captaine. Hereupon they thronged after him into the field, there to haue whatsoeur they defired. But the moft worthy of all Londoners Walworth, speedes with one man onely into the citty, raiseth a thousand citizens in armour, brings them (being led in good array by Sir Robert Knolles, and others) with Wat Tyler's head (which the lord maior had commanded to

The young rebels who fol

king headed the

lowed him.

The rebels fubmit and beg

their lives.

First levelling

fermons

country by John Straw.

bee chopt off from his dead carkase) borne
before him upon a speare to the king: that
very head, the curfed tongue whereof had
dared to fay, That all the laws of England
fbcuid come cut of his mouth.

"This act reftored the crowne, (as it
were) and realme to king Richard, for the
rebels feeing themfelues girt in with armed
men, partly fled, partly fell upon their knees,
and (throwing away all hope in weapon) they
anfwerably to their bafeneffe, begged their
liues, who but euen now reputed them-
felues mafters of the field, and of the king;
and albeit there was a generall defire in the
hearts of loyall men to expiate fo many
vil-
lanies with the bloud of the actors, yet
things abroad in the realme being as yet un-
fettled, they had a generall charter of par-
don fealed, and were fo fent home into their
countries."

It is to be further obferved, by way of preached in this drawing clofer the comparison of fome latter performances and attempts, with this firft exhibition upon our stage, that,* "as the rebels marched to London, they set all the prifoners at liberty, of which number was John Straw, a priest of Maidstone, who ex

afperated the people against their fuperiors by his levelling fermons wherever he came, that as all were the fons of Adam, there ought to be no diftinction or fuperiority; and that all things ought to be equally shared in common*. He (Wat Tyler) was so infolent, that he told the knight, whom the king fent to defire a conference with him, that he would come when he thought fit; and when he fet out, he marched with fuch lingering state, that the king fending the fame knight a fecond time to haften him, the commiffion had like to have coft him his life; and when he arrived in Smithfield, the fame knight was like to be facrificed, because he delivered him his meffage from the king without alighting from his horfe; which fo provoked the imperious Tyler, that he was going to run him through, if the king had not stepped forwards, and called out to his knight to dif

mount.

"He demanded in fubftance, that all the

old laws should be abolished, and the form of

government altered according to his own fantastical schemes; and that all warrens,

John Ball encouraged the levellers by the follow

ing lines:

"When Adam delve and Eve span,

"Who was then the gentleman ?"

The demands of these ancient levellers.

John Wickliffe gave rife in part

to this rebellion.

parks, and chaces should be made common, and free for the poor, as well as the rich, to fish, fowl, hunt, and the like.”

The next public exhibition of confequence, which I find to have been attempted by the levellers, or malcontents of the day originated from John Wickliffe, the parfon of Lutterworth, in Leicestershire. This like most other fubfequent effays of the fame nature, was attempted to be veiled or cloaked under the fpecious and impofing form or cry of religion. I fhall confider thefe doctrines merely in a civil light, leaving the polemical folution of their theological differences from the established religion to the conscience and judgment of every individual, or of fuch divines, as they may chufe for their own directors. I speak of Wickliffe and his levelling and anarchical doctrine, after the rebellion of Tyler and Straw, because the government had not then experienced any public attempts or mifchiefs from his followers, though I think it highly probable, that the propagation of his principles did produce the most confiderable fhare of this very rebellion; for John Wickliffe began to preach his doctrines about the year of our Lord 1371, about ten years before that rebellion broke out. And it appears clear, that he was fufpected

pected to have been concerned with thefe
rebels, from his being fummoned and exa-
mined in the bishop's court upon his doc-
trines, in the very year, in which the rebellion
happened. Of which examination Mr. Fox
fpeaks thus: "Wickliffe being befet with
troubles was forced once again to make
confeffion of his doctrine, in which confeffion,
as occafion ferved, for to avoid the rigor of
things, he answered with intricate words, &c.
A. D. 1381." And (p. 91.) he intimates,
that Wickliffe often recanted, &c.
" And

now again I do revoke and make recantation,
&c." By means whereof Mr. Fox expressly
fays, "Wickliffe wooned himself out of the
bishops fnares." And in order to keep him-
felf out of them in future, he went into Bo-
hemia, where he signalized himself not a little
in fomenting disturbances against that state;
but it appears unquestionable, that he made
either a fincere or a mock recantation, which
was accepted; for after five years abfence
he returned to England, and died peaceably
at his parfonage houfe at Lutterworth, on the
laft day of December 1387.

Wickliffe fuf

pected of being concerned in

the rebellion.

ditious doc

John Wickliffe befides many fingular Wickliffe's fedoctrines of a mere fpiritual nature, which trines.