station; for the king's mother, who had to pass through their camp at Blackheath, on her way to her young son, lying for safety in the Tower of London, had merely to kiss a few dirty-faced, rough-bearded men, who were noisily fond of royalty, and so got away in perfect safety. Next day the whole mass marched on to London Bridge. There was a drawbridge in the middle, which William Walworth, the mayor, caused to be raised to prevent their coming into the city; but they soon terrified the citizens into lowering it again, and spread themselves, with great uproar, over the streets.

5. They broke open the prisons; they burned the papers in Lambeth Palace; they destroyed the Duke of Lancaster's palace, the Savoy," in the Strand,' said to be the most beautiful and splendid in England; they set fire to the books and documents in the Temple; and made a great riot. Many of these outrages were committed in drunkenness; since those citizens who had well-filled cellars were only too glad to throw them open to save the rest of their property; but even the drunken rioters were very careful to steal nothing. They were so angry with one man, who was seen to take a silver cup at the Savoy Palace, and put it in his breast, that they drowned him in the river, cup and all.

6. The young king had been taken out to treat with them before they committed these excesses; but he and the people about him were so frightened by the riotous shouts, that they got back to the Tower in the best way they could. This made the insurgents bolder; so they went on rioting away, striking off the heads of those who did not, at a moment's notice, declare for King Richard and the people; and killing as many of the unpopular persons whom they supposed to be their enemies as they could by any means lay hold of. In this manner they passed one very violent day, and then 'proclamation was (632)

made that the king would meet them at Mile End, and

grant their requests.

7. The rioters went to Mile End, to the number of sixty thousand, and the king met them there; and to the king the rioters peaceably proposed four conditions. First, that neither they nor their children, nor any coming after them, should be made slaves any more. Secondly, that the rent of land should be fixed at a certain price in money, instead of being paid in service. Thirdly, that they should have liberty to buy and sell in all markets and public places, like other free men. Fourthly, that they should be pardoned for past offences. Heaven knows there was nothing very unreasonable in these proposals. The young king deceitfully pretended to think so, and kept thirty clerks up all night writing out a charter accordingly.

8. Now, Wat Tyler himself wanted more than this. He wanted the entire abolition of the forest laws. He was not at Mile End with the rest, but, while that meeting was being held, broke into the Tower of London and slew the archbishop and the treasurer, for whose heads the people had cried out loudly the day before. He and his men even thrust their swords into the bed of the Princess of Wales while the princess was in it, to make certain that none of their enemies were 'concealed there.

9. So Wat and his men still continued armed, and rode about the city. Next morning the king, with a small train of sixty gentlemen-among whom was Walworth, the mayor-rode into Smithfield, 10 and saw Wat and his people at a little distance. Says Wat to his men, "There is the king. I will go speak with him, and tell him what we want." Straightway Wat rode up to him, and began to talk.

10. "King," says Wat, "dost thou see all my men there?"-"Ah," says the king. "Why?"- "Because," says Wat, "they are all at my command, and have sworn

made that the king would meet them at Mile End, and

grant their requests.

7. The rioters went to Mile End, to the number of sixty thousand, and the king met them there; and to the king the rioters peaceably proposed four conditions. First, that neither they nor their children, nor any coming after them, should be made slaves any more. Secondly, that the rent of land should be fixed at a certain price in money, instead of being paid in service. Thirdly, that they should have liberty to buy and sell in all markets and public places, like other free men. Fourthly, that they should be pardoned for past offences. Heaven knows there was nothing very unreasonable in these proposals. The young king 'deceitfully pretended to think so, and kept thirty clerks up all night writing out a charter accordingly.

8. Now, Wat Tyler himself wanted more than this. He wanted the entire abolition of the forest laws. He was not at Mile End with the rest, but, while that meeting was being held, broke into the Tower of London and slew the archbishop and the treasurer, for whose heads the people had cried out loudly the day before. He and his men

even thrust their swords into the bed of the Princess of Wales while the princess was in it, to make certain that none of their enemies were 'concealed there.

9. So Wat and his men still continued armed, and rode about the city. Next morning the king, with a small train of sixty gentlemen-among whom was Walworth, the mayor-rode into Smithfield, 10 and saw Wat and his people at a little distance. Says Wat to his men, "There is the king. I will go speak with him, and tell him what we want." Straightway Wat rode up to him, and began to talk.

10. "King," says Wat, "dost thou see all my men there?"—"Ah," says the king. "Why?"- Because," says Wat, "they are all at my command, and have sworn

Some declared afterward

to do whatever I bid them." that as Wat said this he laid his hand on the king's bridle. Others declared that he was seen to play with his own dagger. I think, myself, that he just spoke to the king like a rough, angry man as he was, and did nothing more. At any rate, he was expecting no attack, and preparing for no 'resistance, when Walworth, the mayor, did the not very 'valiant deed of drawing a short sword and stabbing him in the throat. He dropped from his horse, and one of the king's people speedily finished him.

11. So fell Wat Tyler. Fawners and flatterers made a mighty triumph of it, and set up a cry which will occasionally find an echo to this day. But Wat was a hardworking man, who had suffered much, and had been foully outraged; and it is probable that he was a man of a much higher nature and of a much braver spirit than any of the parasites who 'exulted then, or have exulted since, over his defeat.

12. Seeing Wat down, his men immediately bent their bows to avenge his fall. If the young king had not had presence of mind at that dangerous moment, both he, and the mayor to boot, might have followed Tyler pretty fast. But the king, riding up to the crowd, cried out that Tyler was a traitor, and that he would be their leader. They were so taken by surprise that they set up a great shouting, and followed the boy until he was met at Islington 11 by a large body of soldiers.

As

13. The end of this rising was the then usual end. soon as the king found himself safe, he unsaid all he had said, and undid all he had done. Some fifteen hundred of the rioters were tried (mostly in Essex) with great 'rigour, and executed with great cruelty. Many of them were hanged on gibbets, and left there as a terror to the country people; and because their miserable friends took some of the bodies down to bury, the king ordered the rest to be