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with which he set upon the rebels, and routed them, taking John Litester and other principal ringleaders, whom he caused all to be executed, and by this means the country was quieted.

After this the Lord Mayor of London sat in judgement upon offenders, where many were found guilty and lost their heads, among others, Jack Straw, John Kirby, Alen Tredder, and John Stirling, who gloried that he was the man who had slain the Archbishop. Sir Robert Tresilian Chief Justice was likewise appointed to sit in judgement against the offenders, before whom fifteen hundred were found guilty, and in divers places put to death; among them John Ball their priest and incendiary, of whom it is not impertinent to relate a letter he wrote to his fellow rebels in Essex, by which we may see how fit an orator he was for such an auditory, and what strength of persuasion there was in nonsense.

"John Sheep, St. Mary, priest of York, and now of Colchester, greeteth well John Nameless and John the Miller and John Carter, and biddeth them that they beware of guile in burrough, and stand together in God's name, and biddeth Pierce Plowman go to his work, and chastise well Hob the Robber, and take with you John Trueman, and all his fellows and no more, John the Miller ye ground small, small, small; the king's son heaven shall pay for all, beware, or ye be woe; know of your friend from your foe; have enough and say hoe, and do well and better; flee sin and seek peace and hold you therein, and so biddeth John Trueman, and all his fellows."

Neither may it be amiss to declare the confession of Jack Straw at his execution; the Lord Mayor being present, spake thus to him, "John, behold thy death is at hand without remedy, and there is no way left for thy escape, therefore for thy soul's health, without making any lie, tell us what your intentions were, and to what end you assembled the commons After some pause, John seeming doubtful what to say, the Lord Mayor added, "surely John thou knowest that if thou perform what I require of thee it will redound to thy soul's health." Being hereupon encouraged he made his confession to this purpose:

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"It is now to no purpose to lie, neither is it lawful to utter any untruth, especially knowing that my soul must suffer more bitter torments if I do so; and because I hope for two advantages by speaking truth, first that what I shall say may profit the commonwealth, secondly that after my death I trust by your suffrages to

be helped and succoured according to your promises, by your prayers, I will therefore speak faithfully and without deceit.

At the same time when we were assembled upon Black-Heath, and had sent to the King to come to us, our purpose was to have slain all such knights, esquires, and gentlemen as attended him; and for the King we would have kept him among us, that the people might have more boldly repaired to us, since they would have thought that whatever we did, was by his authority. Finally when we had got strength enough, so as not to fear any attempt made against us, we would have slain all such noblemen, as should either have given council, or made resistance against us, but especially we would have slain all the knights of the Rhodes, or St. John of Jerusalem; and lastly we would have killed the King himself, and all men of estates, with bishops, monks, canons, and parsons of churches, only we would have saved Friars Mendicants for ministering the sacrament to us.

When we had been rid of all these, we would have devised laws, according to which the subjects of this realm should have lived; for we would have created Kings, as Wat Tyler, in Kent, and others in other counties. But because this our purpose was disappointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who would not permit the King to come to us; we sought by all means to dispatch him out of the way, as at length we did. And further, the same evening that Wat Tyler was killed, we were resolved (having the greatest part of the commons of the city inclined to join with us) to have set fire in four corners of the city, and so to have divided among ourselves the spoil of the chiefest riches that could have been found; and this (said he) was our purpose, as God may help me now at my last end."

After this confession he was beheaded, and his head was set upon London Bridge by Wat Tylers'; and thus by the happy and prosperous success at London, this dangerous rebellion was fully quieted.

In 1392, and the fifteenth of Richard II. there happened some difference between that King and the Londoners; one occasion was, that the King would have borrowed of them a thousand pound, but they feeling much and fearing more the King's daily exactions, not only refused it, but abused a certain Italian merchant, who would have laid down the money. Another occasion was, that one of the Bishop of Salisbury's servants, named Walter Roman, taking an house-loaf out of a baker's basket in the street, ran with it into the bishop's house; the citizens demanded the delivery of the offender, but the bishop's men shut the gates, and would not suffer the constable to enter, upon

which many people got together, threatning to break open the gates, and fire the house, unless Roman was brought forth. What, said they, are the bishop's men privileged ? or is his house a sanctuary? or will he protect those whom he ought to punish? if we may be abused in this manner, not only our streets, but our shops and houses shall never be free from violence and wrong, this we neither will, nor can endure, for it doth not become us.

And hereupon they approached the gates with great fury, but the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs having notice Irereof, came to them and told them, that this was not courage but outrage which they shewed, whereby they would procure both danger to themselves, and displeasure against the whole city, and that though wrong had been done, yet they were not the persons, neither was this the way to redress. the same.

Thus partly by persuasion, and partly by their presence and authority, they suppressed the riot and sent every man home, with strict charge to keep the peace. Hitherto there was no great mischief done, and the quarrel might have ended without any further trouble, had not the bishop stirred in it, and kindled the coals of contention afresh. For the Londoners were at that time not only secretly suspected, but openly noted to be favourers and followers of Wickliff's opinions, (which were contrary to the Pope and church of Rome) and upon that account the bishops were malicious against them, and most of their actions were interpreted to proceed from other causes, and to tend to worse purposes than they outwardly seemed to bear, yea many accidental matters were charged upon them to be done out of design and on purpose.

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Whereupon John Waltham Bishop of Salisbury, and Lord Treasurer of England, made a grievous complaint against them for this last attempt, to Thomas Arundel Archbishop of York, and Lord Chancellor; alledging, that if upon every slight pretence, the citizens should be suffered in this manner, to affront the bishops without reproof or punishment, they would endanger not only the dignity and state, but the liberty of the whole church also; for (said he) did they not lately take upon them the punishment of adulterers, and other crimes appertaining to Ecclesiastical jurisdiction, maliciously alledging, that either the bishops, or their officers, were infamous for those vices themselves, and did therefore connive at the same in others; or else by covetous commutation and taking of money, did rather set those sins to sale, than endeavour carefully to suppress them. Did they not (said he) rudely and irreverently break open the doors upon the Archbishop of Canterbury, and interrupt his proceedings against John

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Aston, an open disciple of Wickliff, and do we imagine that this is the last indignity they will offer? no certainly, nor yet the least, for if "this boldness and insolence be not suppressed, our authority will soon fall into contempt and scorn, and will be made a common foot-ball for every base and unworthy citizen to kick at.

Armed with these furious arguments, they went together to King Richard, and so incensed him against the Londoners (his mind being before prepared by former provocations) that he was once resolved to have utterly ruined, and destroyed the whole city; but being persuaded to use more moderation, he in revenge first caused the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, and many of the principal citizens to be committed to several prisons, the Lord Mayor to Windsor Castle, and others to other places; and then seized the liberties of the city into his hands, declaring, that no Lord Mayor should for the future be elected any more, but that the King should, at his pleasure, appoint a Warden, or Governor over the city. And this office was first committed to Sir Edward Darlington, who for his kindness toward the city was soon removed, and Sir Baldwin Radington put in his place.

The King was likewise persuaded by Arundel, Archbishop of York, to remove the terms and courts, that is, the Chancery, Exchequer, King's Bench, the Hamper Office, and the Common-pleas from London to York, where they continued from Midsummer 1393, till Christmas next following, to the great damage and loss of the City of London; but at last upon the earnest intreaty of the Dukes of Lancaster and Gloucester, his uncles, the King sent for the Londoners before him to Windsor, where having first terrified them with the sight of a great number of soldiers, he caused all the privileges and charters of the city, both old and new, to be produced, some of which he restored to them, and detained others. Yet were not the citizens received fully into favour, neither did they recover the person or dignity of their Lord Mayor, at that time.

Shortly after the King went to London, at whose coming the citizens turned all their grief into joy (the vulgar being without measure in both) entertaining him with such joyful triumphs, and rich presents, as if it had been the day of his coronation, thinking by all these costly preparatious, to have pacified all former anger, and displeasure against them, but they found themselves much deceived, there being no reconciliation to be made without money; for they were not absolutely -restored to their liberties till they had paid ten thousand pound to the king as a fine.. Thus did the Londoners shew a strange diversity of disposition, in rashly committing an offence, and patiently induring

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punishment, yet upon this account, as soon as the first occasion was offered against King Richard, they shewed themselves either his earnest enemies, or faint friends, as by the sequel appears.

In 1387, King Richard II. held his feast of Christmas in the Tower of London; and in the year 1399, the same King was sent prisoner to the Tower, which being a very remarkable transaction, it may be necessary to give a brief account thereof..

Richard the IId was the only son of a renowned father, Edward, sirnamed the Black Prince, who died before his father Edward III. and thereupon Richard, who by his grandfather in his life time, declared to be his heir and lawful successor, and, accordingly after his death was crowned King of England, at Westminster, July 16, 1377. But being of tender age, only eleven years old, several persons were commissioned to be his protectors, or guardians; and soon after a parliament was called at Westminster, wherein Alice Peirce, the late King's concubine, was banished, and all her goods confiscated; and two tenths of the clergy, and two fifteenths of the temporality were granted, but so as that two citizens of London, William Walworth, and John Philpot should receive, and keep it, to see it bestowed for defence of the realm. At which time Sir Hugh Calverly, Deputy of Calais, burnt twenty-six French ships in the Haven of Bologne ; but one Mercer, a Scottish Pirate, came to Scarborough, and took divers ships, committing likewise many outrages, and no order being taken to repel them, John Philpot set out a fleet at his own charge, and encountering him in his own person, took Mercer and all his ships, and returning home, instead of being rewarded for his service, he was questioned for presuming to fit out a navy without the advice of the King's council.

While the King was in his minority, matters were carried indifferent well, but in the year 1387, King Richard begins to enter, as we may say, upon the confines of his destiny; his gracing of undeserving men, and disgracing of men deserving, if they were not the causes, were at least the occasions of his own disgracing; he was now come to be of full age to do all himself, which was indeed to be of full age to undo himself; for the errors of his younger years might be excused by inexperience, but the faults of the age he was now of, admit of no apology nor defence; and to hasten his destiny the sooner, the evil council which was formerly but whispered in his ear, they now had the confidence to give him aloud; for it was told him, that he was under tuition no longer, and therefore not to be controled as formerly he had

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