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A33434 The idol of the clovvnes, or, Insurrection of Wat the Tyler with his priests Baal and Straw together with his fellow kings of the commons against the English church, the king, the laws, nobility and royal family and gentry, in the fourth year of K. Richard the 2d, an. 1381. Cleveland, John, 1613-1658. 1654 (1654) Wing C4673; ESTC R5215 69,732 166

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killing had not fallen by the sword of Lancaster he had found his grave on Tower-hill or Smithfield where the faithfull lieges of his Crown were torn in pieces by these Canibals The reverence due to the annointed heads of Kings began to fall away and naked Majesty could not guard where Innocency could not But Tyler blinded with his owne fatall pride throws himself foolishly upon the Kings sword and by his over-muoh hast preserves him whom he had vowed to destroy The Heathens make it a mark of the Divinity of of their Gods that they bestowed benefits upon mortal men and took nothing from them The Clownes of the Idoll upon this rule were not very heavenly they were the meeke ones of those times the onely inheritours of right the kingdom was made a prey by them it was cantoned out to erect new Principalities for the Mock-kings of the Commons so their Chiefs or Captains would be called Here though the title of the Rebellion spoke fair was sh●…wn somewhat of ambition and no little of injust private interest no little of self-seeking which the good of the people in pretence onely was to give way to and no wonder for the good of the people properly was meeraly to be intended of themselvs and no where but amongst those was the Commonwealth Had these Thistles these Brambles flourished the whole Wood of noble Trees had perished If the violent casting other men out of their possessions firing their houses cutting off their Heads violating of all Rights be thought Gods blessing any evidence of his owning the Cause these Thieves and Murderers were well blessed and sufficiently owned Such was then tho face of things estates were dangerous every Rich man was an enemy mens lives were taken away without either offence or tryall their reign was but a continuation of horrible injuries the Lawes were not onely silent but dead The Idolls fury was a Law and Faith and Loyaltie and Obedience to lawfull power were damnable Servants had the rule over Princes England was near a slavery the most unworthy of free and ingenious spirits of any What I relate here to speak something of the Story I collect out of Sir John Froissart a French-man living in the times of King EDVVARD the third and his Grandchild King RICHARD who had seen England in both the reigns was known and esteemed in the Court and came last over after these Tumults were appeased and out of Thomas of Walsingham a Monk of St. Albanes in Henry the sixth's dayes who sayes Bale in his centuries of him writes many the most choice passages of affairs and actions such as no other hath met with In the main and to the substance of things I have made no additions no alterations I have faithfully followed my Authors who are not so historically exact as I could wish nor could I much better what did not please me in their order No man saies Walsingham can recite fully the mischiefs murders sacriledge and cruelty of these Actors he excuses his digesting them upon the confusion of the combustions flaming in such varietie of places and in the same time Tyler Litster and those of Hartfordshire take up most part of the discourse Westbrome is brought in by the halves the lesser Snakes are onely named in the Chronicle What had been more had not been to any purpose Those were but types of Tyler the Idoll and acted nothing but according to the Original according to his great example they were Wolves alike and he that reads one knowes all Thomas of Becket Simon of Montfort the English Cataline Thomas of Lancaster Rebels and Traitors of the former years are Canonised by the Monks generally the enemies of their Kings miracles make their Tombes illustrious and their Memories sacred The Idol and his Incendiaries are abho●…ed every where every History detests them while Faith Civility Honesty and Piety shall be left in the world the enemies of all these must neither be beloved nor pitied THE IDOL OF THE CLOWNES THe Reigne of King Richard the second was but a throw of State for so many yeares a Feaver to whose distempers all pieces of the home Dominions contributed by fits * the forrain part onely continuing faithfull in the fourth yeare of his reigne and fifteenth of his Age the dregs and off scum of the Commons unite into bodies in severall parts of the Kingdome and forme a Rebellion called the Rebellion of the Clownes which lead the rest and shewed the way of disobedience first Of which may truly be said Though amongst other causes we may attribute it to the indisposition and unseasonablenesse of the age that the fruits of it did not take it was strongly begun and had not Providence heldback the hand the blow had fallen the Government had broke into shivers then The young King at this time had few besides Thomas of Woodstock his Unkle Earle of Buckingham and after Duke of Glocester but the servants of his house in ordinary about him the Lord Edmund of Langly Earle of Cambridge after Duke of Yorke with the Lords Beauchamp Botereaux Sir Matthew Gourny with others of the Nobility and Gentry had set saile for Portugall the Duke Iohn of Lancaster another of his Unkles was in Scotland treating a peace when this commotion brake out Though no cause can be given for Seditions those who designe publick troubles can never want pretences Polidore as much out in this story as any gives this reason for this The Polle money sayes he imposed by Parliament a groat sterling upon every head was intollerable It was justly imposed and so by some to whom Law and Custome of England were intollerable not to be indured but we shall find in the tyranny breaking in not onely fifth and tentieth parts and loanes forced out of feare of plunder and death but subsidies in Troops and Regiments by fifties more than Sequeltrations and Compositions not under foot low sales for what had these Rascalls to give but downright Robbery and violent usurpation of Estates Thus would Polidore have it in defence of his Priests who blew the fire and thrust the silly rout into the midst of it He takes it ill that Baal valle he calls him should be supposed by I know not what slaterers of the Nobles to have filled these sailes to have let these windes out of their Caverns In the fourth yeare of this King sayes the Monk●… there was a grievous Tax exacted in Parllament after cause of great trouble every Religious paid half a Mark every Secular Priest as much every Lay-man or Woman 12d This might discontent the people but who prepared the Mutineers for such dangerous impressions who fell in with them after and pushed them forward will be soon found Frois●… sart complaines of the servitude of the villanes or Bond-men now Names worne out a miserable sort of drudges frequentth knowne here in the Saxon times excluded from any right of propriety sold and passed away with the Mannour or Lands to