THE LIFE AND Death of Iacke Straw A notable Rebell in England VVho was kild in Smithfield by the Lord Maior of London Printed at London by Iohn Danter and are to be solde by VVilliam Barley at his shop in Gratious-street ouer against Leaden-Hall 1593 THE LIFE AND Death of Iacke Strawe Actus primus Collector NOw such a murmuring to rise vpon so trifling a thing In all my life neuer saw I before And yet I haue beene Officer this seauen yeare and more The Tyler and his wife are in a great rage Affirming their Daughter to be vnder age Iacke Strawe Art thou the Collector of the Kings taske Collector I am Tyler why dost thou aske Iacke Strawe Because thou goest beyond the Commission of the King We graunt to his Highnes pleasure in euery thing Thou hast thy taske money for all that be heere My Daughter is not fourteene yeares olde therefore shee goes cleare Collector And because thou sayest so I should beleeue thee Iacke Strawe Choose whether thou wilt or no thou gettest no more of me For I am sure thy Office doth not arme thee with such authoritie Thus to abuse the poore people of the Countrie But chiefest of all vilde villaine as thou art To play so vnmanly and beastly a part As to search my daughter thus in my presence Collector Why base villaine wilt thou teach me what to do VVilt thou prescribe me mine office and what belonges thereto Iacke Strawe VVhat villaine dost strike me I sweare by the rood As I am Iacke Strawe thou shalt buy it with thy blood There lie and be well paid for thy paine Collector O helpe helpe the kings officer is slaine Enter Parson Ball Wat Tyler Nobs Tom Miller the Clowne Wat Tyler How now Iacke Strawe doth any body abuse thee Iacke Strawe Alas Wat I haue kild the kings officer in striking rashly Tom Miller A small matter to recouer a man that is slaine Blow wind in his tayle and fetch him againe Parson Ball Content thee t is no matter and Iacke Strawe god a mercie Herein thou hast done good seruice to thy country VVere all inhumaine slaues so serued as he England would be ciuill and from all such dealings free Nobs By gogs bloud my maisters we will not put vp this so quietly VVe owe God a death and we can but die And though the fairest end of a Rebell is the gallowes Yet if you will be rulde by mee VVe le so deale of ourselues as we le reuenge this villainy Iacke Strawe The king God wot knowes not what 's done by such poore men as we But we le make him know it if you will be rulde by me Her 's Parson Ball an honest Priest and telles vs that in charitie VVe may sticke together in such quarrels honestly Tom Miller VVhat is he an honest man the deuill he is he is the Parson of the Towne You thinke ther 's no knauerie hid vnder a black gowne Find him in a pulpit but twise in the yeare And I le find him fortie times in the ale-house tasting strong beare Parson Ball Neighbors neighbors the weakest now a dayes goes to the wall But marke my words and follow the counsell of Iohn Ball England is growne to such a passe of late That rich men triumph to see the poore beg at their gate But I am able by good scripture before you to proue That God doth not this dealing allow nor loue But when Adam delued and Eue span VVho was then a Gentleman Brethren brethren it were better to haue this communitie Then to haue this difference in degrees The landlord his rent the lawyer his fees So quickly the poore mans substance is spent But merrily with the world it went VVhen men eat berries of the hauthorne tree And thou helpe me I le helpe thee There was no place for surgerie And old men knew not vsurie Now t is come to a wofull passe The Widdow that hath but a pan of brasse And scarse a house to hide her head Sometimes no penny to buy her bread Must pay her Landlord many a groat Or t wil be puld out of her throat Brethren mine so might I thriue As I wish not to be aliue To see such dealings with extremitie The Rich haue all the poore liue in miserie But follow the counsell of Iohn Ball I promise you I loue yee all And make diuision equally Of each mans goods indifferently And rightly may you follow Armes To rid you from these ciuill harmes Iacke Straw Well said Parson so may it bee As wee purpose to preferre thee Wee will haue all the Rich men displaste And all the brauerie of them defaste And as rightly as I am Iacke Straw In spight of all the men of Law Make thee Archbishop of Caunterberie And Chauncellor of England or I le die How saist thou Wat shall it bee so Wat Tyler I Iacke Straw or else I le bide many a fowle blow It shall bee no other but hee That thus fauours the Communaltie Stay wee no longer prating here But let vs roundly to this geare T is more than time that we were gone VVele be Lords my Maisters euery one Tom Miller And I my Maisters will make one To fight when all our foes be gone VVell shall they see before we le lacke VVele stuffe the Gallowes till it cracke Iacke Straw I hope we shall haue men inow To aide vs herein Wat how thinkest thou Parson Ball Tag and rag thou needst not doubt VVat Tyler But who shall be Captaine of the Rowt Parson Ball That shall you two for all our Kentish men Iacke Straw Fellow Captaine welcome le ts about it VVat Tyler Agreed fellow Captaines to London Exeunt all but Nobs Nobs Here 's euen worke towards for the Hangman did you euer see such a crue After so bad a beginning what 's like to insue Faith euen the common reward for Rebels Swingledome swangledome you know as well as I But what care they yee heare them say they owe God a death and they can but die T is dishonor for such as they to dye in their bed And credit to cape vnder the Gallowes all saue the head And yet by my fay the beginning of this Riot May chaunce cost many a mans life before all be at quiet And I faith I le be amongst them as forward as the best And if ought fall out but wel I shall shift amongst the rest And being but a boy may hide me in the throng Tyborn stand fast I feare you will be loden ere it be long Exeunt Enter Lord Treasorer Lord Archbishop and Secretarie with others Lord Treasorer And yet Lord Archbishop your Grace doth know That since the latest time of Parliament Wherein this taske was graunted to the King By generall consent of either house To helpe his warres which hee intends to Fraunce For wreake and iust recouerie of his right How slow their payment is in euery place That better a King not to commaund at all Than be beholding to
be so I wot It is a dangerous and vnnaturall resolution I pray thee Newton goe and speake with them Aske them what more it is that they require Newton My Masters you that be the chiefest of the rout The King intreats you kindly here by me To come and speake with him a word or two Iacke Straw Sirra if the King would any thinge with vs Tell him the way is indifferent to meete vs Newton You are too many to be talkt with all Besides you owe a dutie to your Prince Iacke Straw Sirra giue me the sword thou wearest there Becomes it thee to be armd in my presence Newton Sir I weare my weapon for mine owne defence And by your leaue will weare it yet a while Iacke Strawe VVhat wilt thou villaine giue me it I say King Newton giue it him if that be all the matter Here take it and much good doe it thee The King giues him the sword Iacke Strawe Villaine I say giue me the sword thou bearest vp For that 's the thing I tell thee I affect Newton This sword belongs vnto my Lord the King T is none of mine nor shalt thou haue the same Proud Rebel wert but thou and I alone Thou durst not aske it thus boldly at my hands For all the wealth this Smithfield doth containe Iacke Strawe By him that dide for me I wil not dine Till I haue seene thee hangd or made away King Alas Lord Maior Newton is in great danger And force cannot preuaile amongst the rowt Maior Old Rome I can remember I haue read VVhen thou didst flourish for vertue and for armes VVhat magnanimitie did abide in thee Then Walworth as it may become thee well Deserue some honour at thy Princes hand And beautifie this dignitie of thine VVith some or other Act of consequence Villaine I say whence comes this rage of thine How darest thou a dungell bastard borne To braue thy Soueraigne and his Nobles thus Villaine I doe arrest thee in my Princes name Proud Rebel as thou art take that withall Here he stabs him Learne thou and all posteritie after thee VVhat t is a seruile slaue to braue a King Pardon my Gratious Lord for this my fact Is seruice done to God and to your selfe King Lord Maior for thy valiant Act in this And Noble courage in the Kings behalfe Thou shalt perceaue vs not to be vngratefull Cry all Our Captaine is slaine our Captaine is slaine King Feare you not people for I am your King And I will be your Captaine and your friend Newton Pleaseth your Grace for to with drawe your selfe These Rebls then will soone be put to foile Exeunt all but the Maior and two Sargants Maior Souldiers take hart to you and follow me It is our God that giues the victorie Drag this accursed villain through the streets To strike a terrour to the Rebels hearts London wil giue you power and armes And God will strengthen you and daunt your foes Fill Smithfield full of noise and ioyfull cries And say alowd God saue our Noble Prince Finis Actus Tertius Actus Quartus Enter King Lord Maior Morton Newton and Noble men King LOrd Maior and well beloued friends VVhose readines in aide of vs and ours Hath giuen iust tryall of your loyaltie And loue you beare to vs and to our land Sith by the helpe and mighty hand of God These fowle vnnaturall broyles are quieted And this vnhappie tumult well appeasd Hauing as law and dutie binds vs too Giuen both dew praise and sacrifice of thankes Vnto our God from whome this goodnes comes Let me now to your counsell recommend And to your sad opinions generally The end of all these great and high affaires This mighty busines that we haue in hand And that I may in briefe vnfold my minde My Lords I would not yet but mercy should Against the law in this hard case preuaile And as I gaue my word vnto you all That if they then had left their mutiny Or rather had let fall their wrongfull Armes Their pardon then should haue bin generall So will I not yet God forbid I should Though law I know exact it at my hands Behold so many of my country men All done to death and strangled in one day The end is this that of that carelesse rout That hath so far vnnaturallie rebeld The chiefe offenders may be punished And thus you know my minde and so my Lords proceed I pray you and no otherwise Newton Sith mercie in a Prince resembleth right The gladsome sunne-shine in a winters day Pleaseth your Grace to pardon me to speake When all the hope of life and breathing heere Be tane from all this rowt in generall If then at instant of the dying howre Your Graces Honorable pardon come To men halfe dead kild wholie in conceit Then thinke I it will be more Gratious Than if it offered were so hastely VVhen thrid of life is almost fret in twaine To giue it strength breeds thankes and wonders too Maior So many as are tane within the Cittie Are fast in hold to know your Graces will King There is but one or two in al the rowt VVhom we would haue to die for this offence Especially that by name are noted men One is a naughtie and seditious Priest They call him Ball as we are let to know A person more notorious than the rest But this I doe referre to your dispose Newton Pleaseth your Grace they haue bin rid apace Such speciall men as we could possibly finde And many of the common rowt among And yet suruiues this Ball that cursed Priest And one Wat Tiler leader of the rest VVhose villanies and outragious cruelties Haue bin so barbourously executed The one with mallice of his traiterous taunts The other with the violence of his hands That gentle ruth nor mercie hath no eares To heare them speake much lesse to pardon them King It is inough I vnderstand your mindes And well I wot in causes such as these Kings may be found too full of clemencie But who are those that enter in this place Newton Pleaseth it your Grace these be the men VVhom Law hath worthily condemnd to die Going to the place of execution The formost is that Ball and next to him VVat Tyler obstinate Rebls both For all the rest are of a better mould VVhose minds are softer than the formost twaine For being common souldiers in the campe VVere rather led with counsell of the rest Deseruing better to be pittied King Morton to those condemned men wee see 〈◊〉 this a Pardon to them all Excepting namelie those two formost men I meane the Priest and him they call VVat Tyler To all the rest free Pardon we doe send And giue the same to vnderstand from vs The Kings Pardon deliuered by Sir Iohn Morton to the Rebels MY friends and vnhappie Countrymen whom the lawes of England haue worthilie condemned vnto death for your open and vnnaturall Rebellion against your lawfull Soueraigne and
Messenger Health and good hap befall your Maiestie Usher My Lord here is a messenger from Kent That craues accesse vnto your Maiestie King Admit him neere for wee will heare him speake T is hard when twixt the people and the King Such termes of threats and parlies must be had VVould any Gentleman or man of worth Be seene in such a cause without offence Both to his God his Countrie and his Prince Except he were inforced thereunto Queene I cannot thinke so good a Gentleman As is that Knight Syr Iohn Morton I meane VVould entertaine so base and vild a thought Nor can it sinke into my womans head That were it not for feare or pollicie So true a bird would file so faire a nest But here hee comes O so my longing minde Desires to know the tidings hee doth bring Morton The Commons of Kent salute your Maiestie And I am made their vnhappie messenger My Lord a crue of Rebels are in field And they haue made commotions late in Kent And drawne your people to a mutinie And if your Grace see not to it in time Your Land will come to ruine by their meanes Yet may your Grace finde remedie in time To quallifie their pride that thus presume Bishop VVho are the Captaines of this Rebel rowt That thus doo rise gainst their annointed King VVhat bee they men of any worth or no If men of worth I cannot choose but pittie them Morton No my good Lord they bee men of no great account For they bee none but Tylers Thatchers Millers and such like That in their liues did neuer come in field Before this mutanie did call them forth And for securitie of my backe returne Vpon this message which I showd the King They keepe my wife and children for a pledge And hald mee out from forth my Castell at Rochester And swore me there to come vnto your Maiestie And hauing told you their mindes I hope your Grace will pardon mee for all In that I am enforced therevnto King How many men haue they assembled in the field Morton I thinke my Lord about twentie thousand men But if your Grace would follow my aduice Thus would I deale with these Rebellious men I would finde time to parly with some of them And know what in their mindes they doo intend For being armed with such treacherous thoughts They may performe more than your Grace expects King VVith speede returne to those vnnaturall men And see Syr Iohn you greete them thus from vs Tell them that wee our selfe will come to them To vnderstand their meaning and their mindes And tell them if they haue any euill sustaind Our selfe will see sufficient recompence Goe good Syr Iohn and tell them vpon the Thames Our selfe will meete with them There to conferre concerning their auaile Doe so Sir Iohn and kindely recommend vs to them all Morton We shall fulfill your graces minde in this And thus I take my Conge of your Maiestie VVishing your Grace thrice Nestors yeares to raigne To keepe your Land and gard your Royall Traine Queene Farewell good Knight and as thou darest remember them though they forget themselues Bishop Exeunt Morton Your grace heerein is very well aduisd VVith resolution fitting your degree Your Grace must shew your selfe to be a King And rule like Gods visgerent here on earth The lookes of Kinges doe lend both life and death And when a King doth set downe his decree His sentence should be irreuocable Your grace herein hath showne your Princely minde In that you hate to pray on carren flesh Such praies befits not Kings to pray vpon That may command and countermand their owne I hope my Lord this message so will proue That publike hate will turne to priuate loue And therefore I say my Lord you haue answered well The taske was giuen your Grace by Act of Parliament And you haue reason to demand your dew King My Lords I hope we shall not neede to feare To meete those men that thus doe threaten vs VVe will my Lords to morrowe meete with them And heare my Lords what t is that they demand Mother your Grace shall need to take no care For you shall in our Towre of London stay Till we returne from Kent to you againe My Lord see euery thing prepard for vs And Mother thus I leaue your Maiestie You to the Towre and I must hence to Kent Treasorer My Lord if so you please take my aduise herein That speakes in loue and duty to your grace I shall in euerie matter priueledge your Maiestie and all your Lordly traine I meane against your Mannor of Greenewich towne And so amidst the streame may houer safe Meane while they send some few and chosen men To giue your Grace to vnderstand their mindes And thus my Lord I haue aduentured To shew your Maiestie my minde herein Finis Actus Primus Actus Secundus Enter Tom Miller with a Goose IT is good to make prouision for peraduenture wee shall lacke victuals and wee lie in campe on Blacke Heath long And in faith as long as this Goose lasts we le not starue And as many good fellowes as will come to the eating of her come and welcome For in faith I came lightly by her And lightly come lightly gone We Captaines are Lords within our selues And if the world hold out we shal be Kings shortly Enter Nobs and cut away the Goose while he talketh and leue the head behinde him with them Morton Tom Miller The rest of my fellowe Captaines are gone before to Grenewich to meete the King That comes to knowe our mindes And while they be about it I le make good cheare with my Goose here What 's the Goose flowne away without her head Exeunt Enter with the crew Tom Miller Iacke Straw Wat Tyler and Hob Carter Iacke Strawe Here 's a sturre more than needs What meanes the King thus to abuse vs And makes vs runne about his pleasure and to no end He promised vs to meete vs on the water And by Ladie as soone as we came at the water side Hee faire and flat turnes his Barge and away hee goes to London I tell thee Wat we will not put vp this abuse VVat Tyler By gogs blood Captaine Strawe wee will remoue our campe and awaie to London roundlie And there we le speake with him or were know whie wee shall not Iacke Straw God amarcie Wat and ere we haue done VVe will be Lords euerie one Hob Carter Gentle Iacke Strawe in one line let vs drawe And we le not leaue a man of lawe Nor a paper worth a hawe And make him worse than a dawe That shall stand against Iacke Strawe Morton Me thinkes you might doe well to answere the King In the name of the whole companie Some dossen or twenty men for the nonce that may deliuer the minds of you all in few words Iacke Straw Sir Iohn Morton you are an Asse to tell vs what wee haue to doe Hold your prating you