How _Wat Tiler_ and _Iacke Straw_, rebelled against king _Richard_ the second.

Cant. X.

_The Argument_.

The rebellion of _Wat Tiler_ and _Iacke Straw_, with others, against King _Richard_ the second.

Or the Miller would a woing ride,

Wat Tilor is from Darford gon,

and with him many a proper man:

And he a Captaine is become,

marching in field with Phife and Drumme,

Iacke Straw an other in like case,

from Essex flockes a mightie pace.

_Hob Carter_ with his stragling traine,

_Iacke Shepperd_ comes with him a maine:

So doth _Tom Miller_ in like sort,

as if he ment to take some Fort:

With bowes and bils, with speare and shield,

on Blacke-heath haue they pitcht their field,

An hundred thousand men in all,

whose force is not accounted small.

And for king _Richard_ did they send,

much euill to him they did intend:

For the taxe the which our king,

vpon his Commons then did bring:

And now because his royall grace,

denied to come within their Chace,

They spoyled _Southwarke_ round about,

and tooke the Marshals prisoners out:

All those that in the Kings bench lay,

at libertie they set that day,

And then they marcht with one consent,

through _London_ with a lewd intent:

And for to fit their lewd desire,

they set the _Sauoy_ all on fire,

For the hate which they did beare,

vnto the Duke of _Lancastere_,

Therefore his house they burned quite,

through enuie, malice, and dispighte.

Then to the Temple did they turne,

the Lawyers bookes there did they burne:

And spoyld their Lodgings one by one,

and all they could lay hand vpon.

Then vnto _Smithfield_ did they hie,

to Saint _Iohns_ place that stands thereby,

And set the same on fire flat,

which burned seuen dayes after that.

Vnto the Tower of _London_ then,

fast troped these rebellious men,

And hauing entered soone the same,

with hidious cries and mickle shame:

The graue Lord Chauncelor thence they tooke,

amas'd with fearefull pittious looke:

The Lord high Treasurer likewise they,

tooke from that place that present day:

And with their hooting lowd and shrill,

strucke off their heads on _Tower hill_:

Into the Cittie came they then,

like rude disordered franticke men:

They robd the Churches euerie where,

and put the Priests in deadly feare.

Into the Counters then they get,

where men imprisoned lay for debt:

They broke the doores and let them out,

and threw the Counter bookes about,

Tearing and spoyling them each one,

and Recordes all they light vpon.

The doores of _Newgate_ broke they downe,

that prisoners ran about the towne

Forcing all the Smithes they meete,

to knocke the yrons from their feete:

And then like villaines voide of awe,

followed _Wat Tylor_ and _Iacke Straw_.

And though this outrage was not small,

the King gaue pardon to them all,

So they would part home quietly,

but they his pardon did defie:

And being all in _Smithfield_ then,

euen threescore thousand fighting men,

Which there _Wat Tylor_ then did bring

of purpose for to meete our king.

And there withall his royall grace,

sent Sir _Iohn Newton_ to that place:

Vnto _Wat Tylor_ willing him,

to come and speake with our young king.

But the proud Rebell in dispight,

did picke a quarrell with the knight.

The Mayor of _London_ being by,

when he beheld this villanie:

Vnto _Wat Tylor_ rode he then,

being in midst of all his men:

Saying Traytor yeelde tis best.

in the Kings name I thee arrest:

And therewith to his Dagger start,

and thrust the Rebbell to the heart.

Who falling dead vnto the ground,

the same did all the hoast confound:

And downe they threwe their weapons all

and humbly they for pardon call.

Thus did that proud Rebellion cease,

and after followed a ioyfull peace.