Classic Poem

How Wat Tiler and Iacke Straw , rebelled against king Richard the second.

Cant. X.

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.