the least) for such a Fact, all England be not put under Interdiction.

Unneath could he pronounce these Words, before they cried out with an horrible Noise; That they neither feared the Interdiction, nor allowed the Pope to be above them. The Archbishop seeing Death at hand, with comfortable Words (as he was an eloquent Man, and wise beyond all the wise Men of the Realm) spake fairly to them. Lastly, After Forgiveness granted to the Executioner that should behead him, kneeling down, he offered his Neck to him that should smite off his Head. Being stricken in the Neck, but not deadly, he putting his Hand to his Neck, said, Aha, It is the Hand of God. He had not removed his Hand from the Place where the Pain was, but that being suddenly stricken again, his Fingers Ends being cut off, and Part of the Arteries, he fell down; but yet he died not, till being mangled with Eight several Strokes in the Neck and Head, he fulfilled most worthy Martyrdom. There lay his Body unburied all that Friday, and the Morrow till Afternoon; none daring to deliver his Body to Sepulture. His Head those wicked Villains took, and nailing thereon his Hood, they fixed it on a Pole, and set it on London Bridge, in the Place where before stood the Head of Sir John Minstarworth.

This Archbishop, Simon Tibald, alias Sudbury, Son to Nicolas Tibald, Gentleman, born in the Town of Sudbury in Suffolk, Doctor of both Laws, was Eighteen Years Bishop of London; in the which Time, he builded a goodly College, in place where his Father's House stood, and endowed it with great Possessions; furnishing the same with Secular Clarks, and other Ministers; being valued at the Suppression, at 122l. 16s. in Lands by the Year. He builded the upper End of St. Gregory's Church at Sudbury. Afterward, being translated to the Archbishoprick of Canterbury, Anno 1375, he re- edified the Walls of that City, from the West Gate (which he builded) to the North Gate; which had been destroyed by the Danes, before the Conquest of K. William the Bastard.

He was slain, as you have heard, and afterward buried in the Cathedral Church of Canterbury. There died with him Sir Robert Hales, a most valiant Knight, Lord of St. John's, and Treasurer of England; and John Legg, one of the King's Serjeants at Arms; and a Franciscan Fryar, named W. Appledore, [Appleton] the King's Confessor: All whom they drew out of the Tower, and beheaded them on Tower-Hill. Richard Lyons also, a famous Lapidary and Goldsmith, late one of the Sheriffs of London, was drawn out of his House, and beheaded in Cheap. Many that Day were beheaded, as well Flemings as Englishmen, for no Cause; but only to fulfil the Cruelty of the rude Commons. For it was a solemn Pastime to them, if they could take any that was not sworn to them, to take from such a one his Hood, with their accustomed Clamours, and forthwith to behead him. Neither did they shew any Reverence to Sacred Places; for in the very Churches they did kill any whom they had in Hatred. They fetched Thirteen Flemings out of the Augustin Fryars Church in London, and Seventeen out of another Church, and Thirty two in the Vintry, and so in other Places of the City, as also in Southwark; all which they beheaded; except they could plainly pronounce Bread and Cheese. For if their Speech sounded any thing on Brot or Cawse, off went their Heads, as a sure Mark that they were Flemings.

The King coming to the Mile's-End, the Place before recited, was greatly afraid, beholding the mad-headed Commons; who (with forward Countenances) required many Things, which they had put in Writing, and to be confirmed by the King's Letters Patents.

1. That all Men should be Free from Servitude and Bondage; so as (from thenceforth) there should be no Bondmen.

2. That he should pardon all Men, of what Estate soever, all manner of Actions and Insurrections committed, and all manner of Treasons, Felonies, Transgressions and Extortions, by any of them done, and to grant them Peace.

3. That all Men (from thenceforth) might be enfrancished to buy and sell in every County, City, Borough, Town, Fair, Market, and other Place within the Realm of England.

4. That no Acre of Land, holden in Bondage or Service, should be holden but for Four Pence: And if it had been holden for less in former Time, it should not hereafter be inhansed.

These, and many other Things they required: And told him moreover, That he had been evilly governed till that Day; but from that Time forward, he must be governed otherwise.

The King perceiving that he could not escape, except he granted to their Request, yielded to the same; and so craving Truce, departed from them; and the Essex Men returned homeward. On the Morrow, being Saturday, and the 15th of June, the King (after Dinner) went from the Wardrobe in the Royal in London, to Westminster, to visit the Shrine of St. Edward the King, and to see if they had done any Mischief there. Then went he to the Chapel, called our Lady in the Piew, where he made his Prayers; and returning by the Suburbs of West Smithfield, he found all that Place full of People, to wit, the Kentish Men. Wherefore he sent to shew them, That their Fellows, the Essex Men, were gone home; and that he would grant to them the like Form of Peace, if it liked them to accept thereof.

Their Chief Captain, named John, or, as other affirm, Walter Hilliard, alias Tylar, being a crafty Fellow, and of an excellent Wit, but wanting Grace, answered; That he desired Peace, but with Conditions to his Liking: Meaning to feed the King with fair Words until next Day, that he might in the Night Time have compassed his Purpose. For they thought (the same Night) to have spoiled the City; the King being first slain, and the Great Lords that were about him; then to have burnt the City, by setting Fire in Four Parts thereof. But God that resisteth the Proud, did suddenly disappoint him. For whereas the Form of Peace was written in three several Charters, and thrice sent to him; none of them could please him. Wherefore at length, the King sent to him one of his Knights, named Sir John Newton, not so much to command as to intreat him (for his Pride was well enough known) to come and talk with him about his own Demands, to have them put into his Charter: Of which Demands I will set down One, that it may plainly appear, how contrary to Reason all the rest were.

First, He would have a Commission to behead all Lawyers, Escheators, and others whatsoever, that were Learned in the Law, or communicated with the Law, by reason of their Office. For he had conceived in his Mind, that this being brought