They murder

of Canterbury,

and treasurer.

the fpoyle of houses and substance, laying bloudy hands upon the most eminent and worthy men in the kingdome, for that they had diffwaded the king to put himselfe into their hands at Greenwich, where he talked with them out of his barge, and thereby had their maine defigne difappointed. Simon the archbishop Tibald archbishoppe of Canterburie and chancellour of England, a right worthy prelate, and Sir Robert Hales, a knight of high courage lord prior of St. Johns, and treafurer of England with others they without refpect to the majefty of the king, or priuilege of their most honourable dignities, moft barbarously murthered by beheading them upon Tower Hill, among infernall fhoutes, and diuellifh yels. For the Tower itfelfe (from whence they had haled them, the young king being there in perfon) was open to their execrable infolencies. Neither doth the authority of Polydore Virgil affirming, that they were not haled forth, but onely ftayed by the rebels, to whom (hee faith they were fent) induce us rather to credite him, than authours liuing about thofe very times. There was no little store of other innocent bloud fhed by them in these tumults. Nor was the king's owne perfon without manifeft perill, against whose life

they

they, had damnably conspired. It were long
to reckon up the kindes of fuch villainies, as
they wrought, but endleffe to recount the
particulars. The common annals fet forth
this whole tragicall bufineffe very diligently.
"They had many captaines of mischiefe,
but two principall, Wat Tyler of Maidstone
in Kent, (whom Walfingham pretily cals the
Idoll of Clownes,) and Jacke Straw, who to-
gether had followers to the number (as they
were estimated) of about one hundreth thou-
fand; and at one fermon made to them by
John Ball, Walfingham faith, there were about
twife as many. Their petitions were full of
pride and malice, but eafily graunted by the
king, the neceffity of the times extorting
them. They had a chaplaine as graceleffe as
themfelues, one John Ball, an excommunicated
prieft, who with his wicked doctrine nourish-
ed in them their feditious furies, to his
own just destruction in the end; but when a
great multitude accepting the king's mercy
were gone, Wat Tyler and his campe depart-
ed not, but upon pretence of disliking the
articles of peace, fought to winne time, till
he might put into full execution his incredi-
ble treafon, which (as Jacke Straw at the time
of his execution confeffed) were upon that
very night of the day, wherein Wat Tyler

Wat Tyler meets the king in Smithfield.

Killed by the lord mayor.

was flaine, to murder the king, and chiefe men, and to erect pettie tyrannies to themfelues in every fhire; and already one John Littiftar a dyer in Norwich had taken upon him at Northwalfham in Norfolke the name of the king of the commons, and Robert Westbroome, in Suffolke, to whom John Wraw another lew'd prieft had affigned it.

"Neuer was the kingly race, and commonweale fo near to an utter extirpation, as at this present, which was (wee may truely say) miraculously preuented. The yong king in thefe feares and dangers repairing to Weftminster, moft deuoutly commended his crowne, life, and whole eftate to God, nor that in vaine. For Wat Tyler with his campe of rafcals efteemed to be ten or twenty thoufand, (according to the king's proclamation attending in Smithfield, but cauilling of purpose upon the conditions of peace, as hee, that meant a further mifchiefe, though they of Effex were returned) was entreated to ride to the king, who alfo fate on horse-backe before Saint Bartholmewes, in whofe company was that renouned Lord Mayor of London William Walworth with many other men of birth and place."

"Wat Tyler scarfe at the laft coming, behaved himselfe fo infolently, offering to mur

ther

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 arrested with a drawn weapon by the lord maior, a man (say writers) of incomparable courage, which blow was feconded by the faid lord, and others, so 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 moft 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 himfelfe would be their captaine. Hereupon they thronged after him into the field, there to haue whatsoeur they defired. But the most 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

king headed the

rebels who fol

lowed him.

The rebels fubmit and beg their lives.

First levelling

fermons

country by John Straw.

bee chopt off from his dead carkafe) 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 fhould come out 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 themfelues masters of the field, and of the king; and albeit there was a generall defire in the hearts of loyall men to expiate fo many villanies with the bloud of the actors, yet things abroad in the realme being as yet unfettled, they had a generall charter of pardon 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 first 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

* Acta Regia, notes to p. 187.

asperated