Essex and Sir John Harlestone rush suddenly upon them kill and take them The King meaning to visite Essex in his own person comes to Havering at the bouâ—e a Mannour of his own domain of the sacred Patrimony and from thence to Chelmsford where he appoints Sir Robert Tresilian chief Justice of his Bench of Pleas of the Crown to sit and inquire of the Malefactours and Troublers of the Country and to punish the offendours according to the customs of the Realm known and visible Five hundred of these wretched peasants who had no mercy for others heretofore cast themselves down before the King bare footed and with heads uncovered implore his pardon which he grants them on condition They discover the great Conspiratours the Captain Rogues The Jurors are charged by the chief Justices to carry themselves indifferently and justly in their Verdicts neither swayed by love or hatred to favour or prosecute any man Many upon the Evidence given in and the finding of the Jury were condemned to be drawn and hanged nineteen of them were trussed upon one Gallowes Heading had formerly been the execution of others in Essex Kent and London because of the numbers of the guilty which was now thought a death short of the demerits of the most foul and heynous offenders Wherefore according to the custom of the Realm It was decreed sayes the Monk that the Captains should be hanged The like was done in other Countries by the Justices in Commission where the King was in person Here the King with the advice of his Counsell revokes his Letters Patents the Charters granted to the Clowns Although so he speaks we have have in the late detestable troubles c. manumised all the Commons our Liege Subjects of our Shires and them c. have freed from all bondage and service c. And also have pardoned the same our Liege men and Subjects all Insurrections by Riding Going c. And also all manner of Treasons Felonies Trespasses and Extortions c. Notwithstanding for that the said Charters were without mature deliberation and unduly procured c. To the prejudice of us and our Crown of the Prelates and great men of our Realm as also to the disherison of holy English Church and to the hurt and damage of the Common wealth the said Letters we revoke make void and annull c. Yet our intention is such Grace upon every of our said Subjects to confer though enormiously their Allegeance they have forfeited c. As shall be usefull to us and our Realm The close commands to bring in to the King and his Councell all Charters of manumission and pardon to be cancelled upon their faith and allegeance and under forfeiture of all things forfeitable c. Witnesse our selfe at Chelmsford the 2. of July and 5. year of our reign False for the 4. In the case of a Subject and no reason Kings shall be more bound every Act extorted by violence and awe upon the Agent is voyd In the time of Edward the third two Thieves which was the case here force a Traveller to swear that hee will at a day appointed bring them a thousand pound and threaten to kill him if he refuse their oath He swears and performs what he had sworn by advice of all the Justices these two were Indicted of Robbery and the Court maintaines that the party was not bound by this Oath Yet if this be denyed as unsafe Violence or Force which strikes a just fear into any man makes any Contract voyd say the Casuists Bishop Andrewes that most learned Prelate answers to the pretended resignation of King John urged by Bellarmine that what this King did if any such act was done was done by force and out of feare Widdrington the most loyall of all Roman-Catholick Priests who writ much against the Gun-powder Jesuits in defence of the right of Kings against those Jesuits who would have cut off the King the Royall Family the Bishops of the English Catholick Church the Nobility and Gentry as their Letter speaks with one blow sayes of this Resignation or Donation if we may so he call it so That it was not freely given The Jesuites challenge the perpetuall dictature or regency of the University of Pontamousson by Bull of Sixtus the fift contrary to the Statutes of the foundation by Gregory the thirteenth Were the Bull true sayes Barclaiâ— yet it ougt not to be of force because it was obtain'd presently after his Creation when things are presumed to be rather extorted than obtained Bodin denyes that a King deceived or forced can be bound by his grants The justice of Contracts is that alone which binds The distinction of Royall and Private acts is of more sound then strength and answers not the injustice of the impulsive violence which must be naturally vicious every where and corrupt and weaken the effects and cannot be good and bad by changes or as to this or that Grotius who loves this distinction in another place is positive There must be Equality in all Contracts He condemne all fear or awe upon the person purposely moved for the contracts sake and tels us out of Xenophon of those of Lacaedemon who annulled a sale of lands which the Elians had forced the owners to passe out of fear A Charter of King Henry the third imprisoned and forced is said by Aldenham to be voyd upon thâ—â— reason and I judge the justice of this revocation by the Law of England by which as our old Parliaments such force is Treason The fruits of wch were here more justly plucked up than they were planted He who gives up hiâ— money to Thieves according to his oath may lawfully take it away from them however they are bound to make restitution Nor can any prescription of time establish a right of possession in him who makes his seizure upon no other title but Plunder and Robbery The 5th of this King the Parliament declares these Grants to be forced and voyd Enough to clear the honour of King Richard as to this part At Chelmsford the King is informed of the whole History of mischiefs done at St. Albanes and resolved in person with all his Guards and Cavalry to ride thither and sentence the Malefactors with his own mouth but Sir Walter Leye of Hartfordshire fearing the much impoverishing theÌ„ Country if the King should make any long stay there with such numbers as then attended him beseeches him to make a tryal wehther things might not be composed without him and offers to reconcile the Abbot and Townsmen if the King would which was cnnsented to The King grants him a Commission and joyns with him Edward Benstude Geofrey Stukelyâ— and others of the Gently of that County The coming of these Commissioners was noysed at St. Albanes The fiâ—rcest of the Clowns knowing what they had done was condemned by the Law and not to be defended but by force which now they had not began to shake and
take fright are plotting to get out of the way Grindecob Lieutenant of the late Idol comforts them he perswades to goe to Horse Let us meet the Knight sayes he and see whether his looks promise Peace or not if not the Towns about us have engaged they have associated and are of our League we are rich and cannot want good fellows who will assist us while our monies last On St. Peters day this ill advised crue meets the Knight upon the Rode who was ignorant of their resolutions and conduct him honourably according to their fashion to the Town Sir Walter had with him fiftie Lances and some Companies of Archers listed at random many of them being of the Churles and confederates with them The Knight cites the Towns-men and their Neighbours to appear before him in Derfold to hear the pleasure and commands of the King They fail not There he tells them what Forces the King had assembled how rigorously those of Essex were sentenced That the King was highly incensed at the troubles and seditions of this place of which â— was the Patron and Defender That with great difficulty he had procured of the King a Commission by which himself and others not Strangers or Enemies but their Friends and Neighbours were authorised to do Justice in the Kings stead he concludes if they will appease the King they must find out and deliver up the beginners of these broyls and make satisfaction to the Lord Abbot an holy and a just man for the wrong they had done him This many of the hearers approve and promise to obey The Knight charges a Jury to be made ready the next morning and make what discovery they can and gives the people leave to depart Towards night he sends for the Jury to his Chamber intending to have apprehended the Lieutenants by the assistance of the Jury without any noyse These good men and true know nothing it was the case of their fellows in mischiefe and might be their own They answer in a plain Ignoramus they can indict no man accuse no man Amongst all the sounder of these swine there was not one who had been faithless and disloyal to his natural Liege Lord not one breaker of his peace not one who could appear so to them The Knight seems not to understand the falsnesse and cunning of these Hob-nailâ— perjured Juglers He takes another way and next requires them within a peremptory time to bring him the Charters which they had forced from the Monastery they return after a short consultation and in the Abbots chambâ—â— where the Knight then was tell him They dare not obey out of fear of the Commons what was more they knew not in whose custody the Charters were The Knight grows angry and swears they shall not goe out of the Chamber till he have them which they call imprisoning their persons Here the Abbot intercedes and though he knew them as very knaves and lyars as any Tyler had set on work yet he will not he sayes distrust their honesty he will leave things to their consciences upon which they are freed Another Assembly is appointed at Barnet Wood whither the Villagers about throng in multitudes Three hundred Bow-men of Barnet and Berkhamsted make here so terrible a show nothing is done The Commissioners privately charge the Gentry Constables and Baylifs to seize in the night Greyncob Cadindon John the Barber with some others and to bring them to Hartford whither themselves went in all haste which was performed The Esquires and servants of the Abby were sent with them to strengthen the company This inrages the Townsmen afresh they gather into Conventicles in the Woods and Fields so much frightful to the Monastery that the Abbot recalls his Esquires le ts the prosecution fall and fearfully summons in his friends to guard him Greyndcobs friends take advantage of this change and bayl him for three dayes within which time they were either tyed to agree with the Abby or render up Greyndcob to the Justices again The Townsmen fierce enough still yet earnest to preserve their Worthy are content to part with the Charters But this Greyndcob more fool-hardy than wise would not consent to Nor does he as knowing the stifnesse of his Clowns whine in a Religious tone never used by him He prayes them to consider how beautifull Liberty is how sweet how honourable Dangerous Liberty sayes he is more valuable than safe and quiet slavery let us live or die with Liberty in so generous so honest a contention it will be glorious to be overcome whatsoever our feares are worse we cannot be than now we are about to make our selves Successe too does not so often faile men as their owne industry and boldnesse Feare not for me nor trouble your selves at my dangers I shall thinke my selfe more happy than our Lords if they prosper or their King to die a Martyr of the Cause with the reputation of such a gallantry Let such courage as would have hurryed you forward to all brave and signall mischiefs had I lost my head at Hartford inflame your heavy sprights Methinks I see the Heroe Tylers Ghost chiding our sluggish cowardice and by the blazes of his fire-brands kindled in Hel and waved by Fiends about his head leade on to noble villanies Let dreaming Monks and Priests tremble at the aery sounds of God and Saints he who feares Thunder-bolts is a religious heartlesse Coxcombe and shall never climb a Molehill Thus our buskin'd Martyr swaggers after the raptures put upon him by Walsingham Greyndcobs stubbornnesse hardens on the Clownes they now accuse themselves of basenesse that they did not cut off the Knights Head and naile it on the Pillory to the terrour say they of all Judges and false Justices Greyndcob had raised spirits which he could not lay when he would Three dayes being expired he is againe sent to Hartford Gaol where hee heares news from his Brother who mediated for him in the Court not very pleasing which he communicaces to his Townsmen His intelligâ—â—ce was to this effect That Rich oâ—Beauchamp Earl of Warwick and Sir Thomas Peâ—cie with a thousand armed men were appointed to visit S. Albanes At this report the Rebels startle they fall to new Treaties offer the Charters and Boâ—k in which the old Pleas betwixt the Abby and the Town were recorded with â—00 l. for amends The Booke is received the rest put off till the next day The Earl of Warwick sends onely excuses he heard his own house was on fire that the Clowns of his own Lordships were up and hee leaves all things else to quel them This raises the fallen courages of those of St. Albanes they now laugh at their late fears If the Commons say they must quit their right of Conquest and surrender their Charters yet will not we the renowned Mechanicks of St. Albanes be their president And as in all tumults which can never be observed too often lying is necessary and must not
bee uselesse whatsoever else is They lay the blame of their obstinacy upon the Inhabitants of Barnet and Watford who threaten so they would have it believed to burn their Town if they deliver up their Liberties Which Inhabitants of Barnet and Watford had humbly surrendred theirs before and submitted to the Kings mercy Thus we find these Rebels of St. Albanes again swaggering in their old Rhodomontadoes An Esquire of the Abbots acquaints the King with these turnings who vows to sit personally in judgement upon these everlasting male-contents The Abbot full of pitty and charity who had saved some of these enemies of his House from the Axe by intercession at London continues his goodness still he sollicites Sir Hugh Segrave Steward of the Houshold and others of his friends to mitigate the Kings displeasure and hinder his journey thither which was not in their power Now again are the Townsmen dejected and seek by all means to keep off the tempest which threatned them They fee Sir William Croyser a Lawyer to make their defence and mediate with the Abbot where there was no danger an agreement is concluded the day of the King's entry by which they would bind the Abbot not to disclose them or inform against them He promises if they fail not in performance on their part not to make any complaints to the King of them that he would be a suiter for their peace if his prayers may be heard but that here he cannot assure them Pardons were Acts flowing meerly from the Kings Grace No man had any power or authoritie to pardon or remit treasons c. but the King and whether he could prevail for them he knew not This doubtfulness troubles them it seems to call their innocency too much into question They tell him his good will waâ— sufficient and that as to what belonged to the Royal Dignity they should satisfie the King After Vespers the King made his entry into the Town being met by the Abbot and Covent the Bels rang aloud and the Monks sang merrily his welcome He was followed by some thousands of Bowmen and Cavaliers In this train was Sir Robert Tresilian Chief Justice of the Kings Bench who the next day being Saturday the 13. of July and first of the Dog-dayes sate in judgement at the Moot-hall saies Walsingham at the Town-house Greyndcob Cadindon and John the Barber are fetched from Hartford and laid fast till Munday against which time new Jury-men are chosen and charged to be ready with their Verdicts Prophet Baal the Sergius of the new Alcaran the Priest of the Idol and his Calves the Martin of the yoak of pure discipline of the Eldership was taken by the Townsmen of Coventry brought to St. Albanes the day before and this Saturday condemned by the Chief Justice to be Drawn Hanged Beheaded Imbowelled and Quartered which was done on the Munday following He confessed to the Bishop of London to whose Christian Piety he ought the two last dayes of his life which were begged for his repentance that certaine hot and powerfull Pastours of the Separation Brethren of simple hearts called by the Spirit he named six or seven had covenanted and engaged to compass England and Wales round as Itinerant Apostles to propagate the Gospel beat down all abomination of the outward Man Antichristian Hierarehy and Tyranny of the Nimrods of the Earth to cry up the great and holy Cause and to spread the Law Principles and Heresies of Baal which Disciples saies this Rabbi unlesse they be prevented and taken off wil destroy the Realm in two years Hee might have said two moneths and been believed as to the Civility Humanity Order and Honour never intermitted but in the confusion of a barbarous impious age which made England glorious they had been destroyed and torn up in a less time A few licentious ill Acts easily beget a custom and an hundred ill customes quicklier grow and prevaile than one single good one there is a proneness in unruly man to run into deboshments and no wonder that the arrogant missed silly multitude capable of any ill impressions should deprave and disorder things where all ties of restraint are loosened nay where disorders are not onely defended by the corrupt wits of hirelings but bidden strengthened by a Law and Villainies made legal Acts Had the Idol King Tyler with his Council not gone on too far in the way of extermination but endeavoured to repair the breaches of his entrance it would have been no small labour to have restored things to any mean and tolerable condition If Presbyter VVicklief and his Classes by their pernitious Doctrines as they are charged to this day did first pervert and corrupt the people and broach that vessell with which Father Baal and Straw poysoned them they must have ruined themselves by the change sure enough they had been no more comprehended in any of Tylers Toleration than the Prelatical or Papistical party In the turmoiles and outrages of this Tyrannie had it taken Innocence Virtue Ingenuity Honesty Faith Learning and Goodnesse had been odious and dangerous The profit and advantage of the new Usurpers had been the measure of Justice and right The noble and ignoble had dyed Streets and Scaffolds with their blood not by Laws and Judgement but out of malice to their height and worth out of fury and covetousness to inrich publicke Theeves and Murtherers The jealousies too and feares of Tyler had made all men unsafe Yet the repute the renowne of the Founders could not have been much The glory of successe cannot be greater then the honesty of the enterprise there must be Justice in the quarrell else there can be no true honour in the prosperity Cato will love the conquered Common-wealth Jugurtha's fame who is sayd to bee Illustrious for his Parricides and Rapines will not make all men fall down and worship On Munday the fifteenth of July not of October as VValsingham is mis-printed The Chiefe Justice Tresilian calls before him the Jury for Inquiry who faulter and shamelesly protest they cannot make any such discovery as is desired The Chiefe Justice puts them in minde of the Kings Words to them upon the way promising pardon if they will finde out the offendors else threatning them with the punishment they should have suffered who through such silence cannot be apprehended Out they goe againe and the Chiefe Justice follows them He shewes them a Roll of the principall Offendors names tells them they must not thinke to delude and blinde the Court with this impudence and advises them out of a care to preserve wicked mens lives not to hazard their own Hereupon they Indict many of the Towne and Country which Indictments are allowed by a second Inquest appointed to bring in the Verdict and againe affirmed by a third Jury of twelve charged onely for the fairenesse of the Tryall So no man was pronounced guilty but upon the finding of thirty sixe Jurors Then were the Lieutenants Greyndcob Cadingdon and