237 T9L5 Jot &o' LIFE OF WAT TYLER. LIFE AND ADYENTUKES OF WAT TYLER, THE GOOD AXD THE BKAVE. r< Farewell, ye gilded follies, pleasing troubles ! Farewell, ye honoured rags, ye glorious bubbles I Fame's but a hollow echo — gold, pure clay — Honour, the darling but of one short day — Beauty, the eye's idol, but a damask'd skin- State, but a golden prison, to live in, And torture free-born minds— embroider'd trains, Merely but pageants for proud swelling veins— And blood allied to greatness is alone Inherited, not purchased, not our own. Fame, honour, beauty, state, train, blood, and birth, Are but the fading blossoms of the earth." LONDON: H. G. COLLINS, PATERNOSTER ROW. MDCCCU. >;& PREFACE The following pages contain the Life and Adventures of one of the most surprising men " the world e'er saw '* — one of "Nature's noblemen" — who, though of lowly birth, raised himself solely by his own merits, to rank among the noblest of the land, and become the confidant and adviser of his prince in times of danger, when those " noblemen of royal manufacture" shrunk from their post. The honours poured upon him, however, did not cause our hero to for* get hi3 former companions; on the contrary, having experienced that to be rich was to be " — hated,— wise, suspected— scorn' d if poor- Great, fear'd— fair, tempted — high, still envied more : I have wished all; but now I wish for neither, Great, high, rich, wise, nor fair — poor I'll he rather;" and he voluntarily relinquished all those vhose % account he had undertaken the expedition, very honourable terms. This truce, however, was of no long continuance. The English troops had scarcely arrived at home, ere Edward received intelligence, that the French king was openly making preparations for attacking Guienne, and the Earl of Derby and Sir Walter Manny, with a considerable arjiiy, were sent into France for the protection of the province; but they had orders to extend their inroads into the territories of their enemies. The Count de l'lsle, an experienced general, commanded the French army. The count with twelve thousand men, had laid siege to Auberoche, and battered it with engines so furi- ously, that in six days, the fortifications were almost demolished. Derby and Manny having received notice of the distress of the garrison, set out from Bourdeaux by night, with a party of three hundred lancers, and nearly six hundred archers, having previously sent orders to the Earl of Pembroke, who lay at Bergerac, with three hundred men-at-arms and four thousand archers, to join them with these forces at Libourne. They reached that place themselves before morning, and waited all day for Pembroke's arrival, keeping F $2 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. their small army concealed from the enemy ; but finding that nobleman did not overtake them, they marched on in the night, and by daybreak arrived ■within two leagues of Auberoche. Here, they also remained till the evening waiting for Pem- broke; when, despairing of any assistance, Sir Walter Manny, who could curb his impatience no longer, proposed to the Earl of Derby, that they should beat up the French quarters and surprise them whilst at supper. "With this view they proceeded under covert of a wood, till they were close to one division of the enemy's camp; they then rushed in upon them with so much impetuosity, that the Count de Tlsle, the general, with the Count Perigort, were taken prisoners in their tents, before they had time to recover from their surprise. Great num- bers of the French, unable to make any resistance, were cut to pieces, and the rest betook themselves to flight. But whilst havoc and confusion pre- vailed in this quarter, the other part of the French army, commanded by the Count de Cominges flew to arms ; and being drawn up in order of battle, advanced against the English with great intre- pidity. Wat Tyler, with a chosen band, was ordered to arrest their progress, as the Earl of Derby and Sir Walter Manny, though they had not one-fourth of the number, determined to make & vigorous effort to complete the work they had LIFE OP WAT TYLER. 83 so happily begun, collected their forces into a compact battalion, and coming to the assistance of Wat, charged the enemy with incredible fury. The French, desirous of revenging the death of their countrymen, gave them a warm reception; and a desperate conflict ensuing, the victory long remained doubtful, till the garrison of Auberoche, descrying some English barons, and hearing the trumpet sound a charge, sallied forth, and falling on the rear of the French, decided the fortune of the day. Wat Tyler seized the Count- de Cominges, as he was attemping to make his escape, and made him prisoner. The enemy, unable to make further resistance, were instantly routed with great slaughter. Pembroke arrived next morning with the troops under his command, but, he was too late. Improving the advantage already obtained, the English reduced, in rapid succession, the principal fortresses of the adjacent Provinces. But Philip, at length, having raised a powerful army, the command of which, he con- ferred on the Duke of Normandy, the English were compelled to act only on the defensive, and by defending the towns they had taken, retard the progress of the French towards Guienne. Edward was no sooner informed how matters stood than he hastened to the relief of his troops ; but, being detained by contrary winds, and despair- ing of arriving in time to save Guienne, he was 84 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. persuaded by a Norman nobleman, to change the place of his destination, who pointed out to him, that an invasion by way of Normandy, promised more certain success, than the intended expedition to Guienne; the northern provinces of the king- dom being left almost defenceless by the departure of those troops, which had been drawn towards the south : that this part of the country, being exceedingly plentiful, would supply his army with necessaries; whilst the many rich cities, with which it also abounded, would afford booty more than sufficient to repay the expenses of the war. The king accordingly ordered his fleet, which con- sisted of near a thousand sail, to steer for La Hogue, in Normandy; previously despatching a messenger to Sir Walter Manny, intimating the alteration of his plan, and his wish that Sir "Walter would repair to join him. The king, after a short passage, safely disembarked at La Hogue. In this expe- dition, the Prince of Wales, commonly called the " Black Prince," then only sixteen years old, first entered on that stage which he ever after trod with so much reputation to himself. Every prudent disposition "having been made, the English army immediately marched towards Caen, a populous and commercial city. Here Wat Tyler met the king, having been sent by Sir Walter Manny, who was himself prevented from attending on account of a wound he had received at LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 85 Auberoche. Edward welcomed the brave esquire, and introduced him to the Prince of Wales, who he advised to attach Wat to his suite, as he well knew he was not only valiant, but prudent. We need not inform our readers who was along with Wat. Meanwhile, the King of France was thrown into the greatest perplexity at the unexpected invasion ; he, however, immediately issued orders for raising troops from all quarters, and despatched the Constable of France and the Count de Tan- kerville to stop the progress of the enemy. The inhabitants of Caen receiving this reinforcement, confident in their numbers, ventured, against the advice of the constable, to meet the English in the field, but, their courage failing them on the first shock, they fled, leaving the two counts, who had come to their assistance, to the mercy of the enemy. The conquerors entered the city with the flying citi- zens, and a dreadful massacre ensued; Edward, however, put a stop to it as soon as possible, but permitted his soldiers to plunder, which continued for three days. The plunder collected was put on board the ships and sent over to England, with three hundred of the richest citizens, from whose ransoms a future profit was expected. Edward next proceeded to Rouen, in hopes of treating that city in the same manner; but he found that Philip had already arrived there with a 86 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. considerable force, and that he had ordered the bridge to be destroyed. Disappointed in this design, he continued his march along the banks of the Seine in his route to Paris, wishing to get possession of his adversary's capital. In this scheme he was also frustrated, by the forethought of Philip; who had ordered all the bridges over the Seine, as well as the Somme, to be demolished. The situation of the English army now became extremely hazardous ; as on the opposite banks of the river an army, commanded by Lord Gondemar de Fay, watched their motions, whilst Philip pur- sued them at the head of a thousand men. In this dilemma Edward offered a large reward to any person that would show him a safe passage over the Somme. Tempted by the sum promised, a peasant, regardless of the interests of his coun- try, informed him of a ford below Abbeville, which might be passed at low water. The king hastened thither, but found Gondemar posted on the oppo- site shore. There was not a moment to lose, and Edward, along with his son and Wat Tyler, threw himself into the stream, and being bravely sup- ported, they drove their opposers from their sta- tion. His rear- guard had scarcely gained the shore, when King Philip's army arrived ; they were, however, prevented from following them by the rise of the tide. As Philip was obliged to take a considerable circuit, it afforded Edward LIFE OP WAT TYLER. 87 time to encamp on the field of Cressey, and to make the best disposition of his army for the re- ception of so formidable an enemy. When Edward had given the necessary orders, he invited his principal officers to an entertain- ment in his tent. His son, the Black Prince, not yet arrived at manhood, sat amidst the surround- ing nobles with the composure of a veteran. His maiden sword had been stained with blood, for the first time, in the passage over the Somme, but, as the contest was of short duration, he had little opportunity of showing that strength and valour which next day enabled him to perform incredible acts of heroism. As soon as the morning dawned the king and his son arose, and proceeded to the performance of their religious duties, accompanied by Wat Tyler and many of the principal officers. The king, not doubting but that a battle would soon ensue, sur- veyed the ground, and derived every possible ad- vantage from it. He drew up his forces upon a gentle ascent near the village of Cressey, and divided them into three bodies. The first he gave the command of to the Black Prince, but lest his son's youth and inexperience might render him un- equal to so important a station, he appointed the Earl of Warwick and Wat Tyler to assist and direct him, should their advice be necessary ; the second division was led by the Earls of Arundel 88 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. and jST orthampton ; while the king himself took the command of the third, which he drew up at some distance from the main body, intending it as a reserve to succour the other battalions when ne- cessary, or to secure a retreat if he should see needful. He likewise threw up intrenchments on the flanks of his little army, to defend it from the superior numbers of the enemy; and placed all his carriages and baggage in the rear. Having made this admirable disposition, and the troops having taken their proper stations, the king rode through their ranks, pointing out to them the inevitable destruction that awaited them, if they did not exert their utmost courage. He reminded them of the success which had hitherto attended their arms, notwithstanding they had always been greatly outnumbered by their enemies, and assured them that regularity and order would more than compensate them for the present disad- vantage in that respect, and concluded by saying, that all he required from them was, that they would imitate his own example and that of his son, who would partake with them of every dan- ger. The composure with which the king ad- dressed them, and the benignity of his counte- nance, warmed every heart, and made the troops think the hours tedious till the approach of the enemy gave them an opportunity of proving, by their actions, what impression his address had LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 89 made on their minds. After a slight repast, they laid themselves on the grass with their arms by their sides, and in this posture waited the approach of their foes. The Prince of Wales, accompanied by Wat, continued pacing up and down to prevent the possibility of surprise ; and while thus engaged, our hero discovered that he should not want for opportunities of distinguishing himself while under the command of the Black Prince. Meanwhile the French army, which had passed the night about four leagues distant from the English camp, began their march at sunrise, m great haste and consequent confusion. Confident of success, and presuming on their superior num- bers, they apprehended they were marching to certain victory; they would submit to no dis- cipline, but rushed on in the greatest disorder. Philip had sent otft four scouts to discover the situation of the English ; and on their return they informed him of their excellent disposition, and advised him to defer giving battle till the follow- ing day. The French king at once saw the pro- priety of this advice, being sensible that the fatigued and disorderly condition of his troops, tired with a long and hurried march, rendered them an unfit match for their cool and intrepid foes; he therefore commanded a general halt, but the impetuosity of the French officers rendered these orders impracticable. One division pressing upon 90 LIFE OP WAT TYLER. another, this immense body became ungovernable, and was hurried on without order till they came within sight of the English. Philip became deadly pale when he first discovered the regularity and composure of the enemy, and he gave the orders to prepare for battle with great trepidation. He divided his army into three divisions. The charge of the van he committed to his brother the Count d'Alen^on, John King of Bohemia, and Charles Marquis of Moravia, accompanied by many nobles of distinguished rank. The first line of this divi- sion consisted of fifteen thousand Genoese, armed with cross-bows. The centre the king commanded in person, the King of Majorca, the Elector Palatine, and the Duke of Austria serving under him. The rear was led on by the Earl of Savoy. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon be- fore this unwieldy body, amounting to upwards of one hundred and twenty thousand men, more than four times the number of the English, could be arranged in order of battle. The Genoese were the first to begin the attack ; but whilst they were preparing for the charge, a smart shower of rain, with several loud peals of thunder, for a while withheld the contention : the air, however, soon cleared, and the sun shone brilliantly on the faces of the French. The Genoese had neglected to cover the strings of their bows during the rain, so that they were in a great measure useless. The LIFE OP WAT TYLER. 91 English archers, who had not neglected this pre- caution, advanced each one step in silence, and by one deadly volley slaughtered a great number, and completely discomfited the Genoese bowmen. The Count d'Alencon, finding himself thus incommoded^ and cursing their cowardice, ordered his men to cut their way through them with their swords* and at the same time spurred his horse into the midst of them. From this imprudent conduct the Genoese were not only miserably trodden under foot and put to the sword, but great numbers of his own troops being entangled with them, were exposed to the arrows of the English archers, who took their aim at the spot where they perceived the confusion was the greatest. At length, how- ever, D' Alen^on, with the bravest of his men, having made their way through the unfortunate Genoese, attacked with great fury the division commanded by the Black Prince. It was now that this gallant prince had an opportunity of proving that his valour was genuine, and that his nerves were well strung. The French were received with so much steadiness and resolution, that the greatest part of the forces under the command of the count, were cut to pieces. This body was no sooner repulsed, than three fresh squadrons, composed of the most resolute of the French and Genoese troops, forced their way through the archers, and came pouring in upon the Black Prince, who rendered himself 92 LIFE OP WAT TYLER. peculiarly conspicuous. These also he bravely withstood ; but the Earl of Warwick, apprehensive for a life which promised to be so great an orna- ment to the British nation, despatched, (much against the will of Wat Tyler, who was busily employed in snatching laurels from the hand of death,) a messenger to the king, to inform him of the prince's danger, and to beg he would move to their assistance with the reserve. Edward had taken his station so as to have a view of the battle, and had observed the French standards drop apace, and he therefore hastily inquired whether his son was dead, wounded, or felled to the ground : on his receiving an answer in the negative, the king replied, cc Go back, and tell Lord Warwick, that whilst my son is alive, he will require my aid in vain ; for I am resolved that the renown of this glorious day shall belong to him, and those brave gentlemen who share the danger with him. Let him, therefore, take pains to win his spurs I" Be- fore the return of the messenger, the prince had behaved so gallantly, and was so well supported by the troops, that Warwick was ashamed of hav- ing betrayed any apprehensions ; but no sooner was the king's answer reported, than they one and all determined to support his expectations or perish in the attempt. Wat Tyler, who was of opinion that cc the fewer men the greater share of honour/ LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 93 was well pleased with the king's refusing "War- wick's request. Having defeated the forces which had attacked them with so much impetuosity, the young prince, who had hitherto acted on the defensive, was en- couraged to advance ; and being joined by the division under the Earls of Arundel and Northamp- ton, the archers were ordered to fall into wings on each side. In this manner they marched towards the French, who met them with a gallant resolu- tion. The Marquis of Moravia was the first who renewed the battle ; but being wounded in three different places, his standard trampled under foot, and his men slain in heaps around him, he with difficulty turned his horse and rode off, having cast away his armour that he might escape unknown. The French king in person, with some select troops, now made the last essay to turn the fortune of the day, but with such ill success, that he was obliged to quit the field, with only sixty persons in his company ; he was wounded both in the neck and thigh, had one horse killed under him ; he was dismounted from a second, and had un- doubtedly been slain or taken prisoner, if he had not been a third time remounted, and almost com- pelled to leave the field. The royal standard of France was beaten to the ground, the standard bearer being killed in the king's sight ; and whilst both nations warmly contended for it, a 94 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. French knight dismounted from his horse, ripped it from its shaft with his sword, and, wrapping it in folds about his body, rode out of the field. From this time the French made little or no oppo- sition ; and night coming on, it gave an opportunity to more than half their number to escape, which they did in such small parties, as plainly showed that their defeat was complete. The loss on the part of the French was great ; not so much from the number of troops slain — (though at least thirty thousand lay dead on the field of battle), as from the slaughter of their prime nobility and knights. There fell that day fire sovereign princes, who were accompanied in their deaths by twenty-four bannerets, twelve hundred knights, fifteen hundred men-at-arms, and four thousand esquires on horseback. It is almost incredible with how little loss this memorable victory was obtained : neither the French or English historians take notice of more than three knights and one squire killed in the battle on the side of the English ; while not one of the nobility fell that day, though most of them accompanied the king in his expedition. The King of Bohemia, who fell in this engage- ment, was a soldier of great reputation and ex- perience, but almost blind through age, and the loss of one of his eyes in the Italian wars. Before the action commenced, being told the position of LIFE OP WAT TYLER. 95 the English army, he said, " Then I see they will either conquer or die/' And when he learned that they were likely to conquer, he called to him the chief commanders of his forces, and said, "You have been my companions in many a bloody field, and have ever obeyed my commands with readi- ness ; receive, therefore, with the same respect my last injunction ; bring me forward that I may deal among these Englishmen one good stroke of my sword, and I shall die with satisfaction." With- out hesitation they agreed to obey him, though death should be the result ; and that they might not be separated from each other, they fastened the bridles of their horses together ; then putting themselves in the first rank of their own troops, they courageously charged the Black Prince ; but they were all slain, and the next day found dead about the body of their king, with their horses' bridles tied together. Thus fell the warlike King of Bohemia — leaving the honour of his death to adorn the blooming laurels of the young Prince of Wales. His arms were three ostrich feathers, with the motto, " Ich Dien" signifying I serve ; and his standard being taken by the Black Prince, he afterwards used the same device, which has ever since been borne by the Princes of Wales, his successors. Such was the Battle of Cressy, remarkable for the irreparable loss sustained by the French, and 9£ LIFE OF WAT TYLER. for the brief space in which it was decided. When night put an end to the labours of that memorable day, the Prince of "Wales hastened to the royal tent, and presented himself before his father. Edward, whose heart was susceptible of every delicate passion, at the sight of the victorious prince sprung forward, and clasped him in his arms ; a flood of tumultuous joy deprived him of the power of utterance, but he stood enrapt, with his eyes turned towards heaven, in gratitude for the preservation of so valuable ^a life. The prince understood his fathers feelings without the use of words ; and after a short time given to allow their emotion to subside, when the prince commenced a conversation concerning the events of the day ; among other things he did not neglect to mention the obligations he was under to Wat Tyler, for the valuable assistance he had given him several times, as well as for his advice, to which he was much indebted for his victory ; and recommended him earnestly to the king's notice. Thus did the heroic youth disclaim the praise to which he was entitled, and though elated with success, with unaffected modesty ascribe the tribute of his admiration where he considered it was so justly due — to our hero. The morning after the battle, the king sent out parties in pursuit of the scattered enemy. A body of these, under the command of the Earl of Arundel LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 97 and "Wat Tyler, fell in with a considerable force commanded by the Archbishop of Rouen and the Grand Prior of France, who not having heard of the defeat of their countrymen, were making to join the grand army ; but they soon shared the same fate, both the leaders, with most of their men being killed on the spot ; the few who escaped with their lives were made prisoners. King Edward now marched with his victorious army towards Calais, which he intended to be- siege : he knew that this important fortress was impregnable, but being freed by the late decisive engagement from any interruption, he determined to reduce it by famine ; to this purpose he selected a secure station for his camp, and drew intrench- ments round the whole town. Whilst patiently waiting the surrender of the garrison, he sent the Prince of Wales into Eng- land to raise supplies ; his uncommon valour and amiable accomplishments rendered him so beloved by the English, that they immediately granted him with cheerfulness the supplies he required ; much to the regret of Wat Tyler and W T ilfred who accompanied him ; in the hopes of being allowed to run down to Broxley, from which place they had heard no word for some years; but as the prince had got his business transacted and was about to return immediately, they were forced to a 98 LIFE OP WAT TYLER. put up with their disappointment, and return with him. Queen Philippa, during the king's absence, had personally opposed and overcome the Scots at Neville's Cross, and made the King of Scotland prisoner, with many of his nobility. The vic- torious queen, having secured her royal prisoner in the Tower, determined upon crossing the sea with her son, who having executed his commission, the whole party set off for Dover, and after a favourable passage landed at Calais, where she was received with all the triumph due to her rank, her merit, and her success. Wat, on his return to the camp, was happily surprised by meeting his old friend Sir Walter Manny, who had only joined the king on the previous day. Sir Walter had been in England, and Wat anxiously questioned him if he had been at Broxley; but learned with great mortification that he had been twice, but could gain no tidings of Rose; he had seen Wat's father and mother, who were well, but they had heard nothing what- ever of Alfred, Mark, Rose, or Judith, although nearly six years had elapsed since they had left the village ; he had also seen Wilfred's mother, who was overjoyed on hearing of her son's brav« conduct. Wat's disappointment was great; but Wilfred's, on hearing the news, was inexpressible, and he cursed the day he left the village ; and as LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 99 Judith was now lost to him, he did not care though he never returned. The garrison and inhabitants still continued to defend the town of Calais with remarkable con- stancy; and although the siege had been carried on for an unusual length of time, there appeared no probability of the English monarch with- drawing his troops. The French king therefore determined to attempt their relief, and for that purpose drew together an immense army, but finding the English so surrounded by morasses and intrenchments, that he concluded it impossible to force their camp; he was therefore compelled to withdraw, and to disperse his troops in their Several provinces, without completing his purpose. John de Vienne, governor of Calais, at length perceived the necessity of surrendering the fortress, the inhabitants of which were reduced to the last extremity by famine and fatigue. He appeared upon the walls, for this purpose, and made a Signal to the English sentinels that he desired a conference. Edward immediately sent Sir Walter Manny, who was thus addresed by the governor, ic Brave knight, the defence of this town has been entrusted to me by my sovereign, and you are witnesses with what fidelity I have discharged the trust reposed in me. It is almost a year since you besieged me, during which time I have en- deavoured to do my duty. As we are now 100 LIFE OP WAT TYLER. perishing with hunger, I am willing to surrender, on condition that the lives and liberties of those who bravely assisted me are preserved/' Sir Walter replied, a That as he was well acquainted with the King of England's intentions, he could not give him any hopes that his request would be granted : he assured him that his master was greatly exasperated against the townsmen of Calais for their obstinate resistance, through which he had lost a great number of valuable subjects, and therefore he was determined to take exemplary vengeance on them ; nor would he receive the town under any restrictions to his anger." " Con- sider," returned Yienne, " that brave men are entitled to better treatment. Can your king condemn in us that fidelity and courage which he would expect from his own subjects in the same situation ? Can so gallant a prince as Edward wish to treat with severity the inhabitants of Calais, for a conduct which, in the eyes of the unprejudiced, merits immortal honour? far be it from him ; but, if his determination is unalterable, let him know that we will not perish unrevenged : that fortitude, which has hitherto supported us through so many difficulties, will enable us to despise death, or any punishment he is able to inflict : we wish not, however, for these extremities, and recommend ourselves, courteous knight, whfr LIFE OP WAT TYLER. 101 art well known to us as the soul of honour, to your intercession in our behalf." Sir Walter, who could not deny the justice of these sentiments, and was surprised at the noble and magnanimous manner in which they were de- livered, returned to the king, and represented the serious loss that must unavoidably arise from driving such determined persons to desperation. His arguments prevailed, and Edward was witli much difficulty persuaded to mitigate the rigour of his demands : he insisted, however, that six of the most considerable citizens of Calais should be sent to him, to be disposed of as he thought proper ; that they should come to the camp bare-footed, and with uncovered heads, having ropes about their necks, and carrying the keys of the city in their hands. On these conditions he promised to spare the lives of all the rest. This determination of the English monarch afforded an opportunity for an exertion of the truest heroism that ever graced any age or nation. When the inhabitants of Calais were informed of this rigorous sentence, their consternation was in- expressible. Though each had bravely ventured his life, and had borne all the miseries of famine and fatigue, without repining, when it was the common lot, supported by example, and urged by emulation, yet, where could be found a few so truly patriotic as to soar above their fellow 102 LIFE OP WAT TYLER. citizens, and to sacrifice their lives for the public benefit? A solemn silence betrayed for a few minutes the weakness of human nature, and the force of that innate principle, the love of life. At length one of the chief burghers, Eustace de St, Pierre, whose name has been honourably recorded, and whose public spirit, fame will perpetuate to the latest ages, nobly stepped forth, and declared himself ready to encounter death for the preserva- tion of his companions. The sacred flame in aa instant spread from breast to breast, and the number required voluntarily came forward. No sooner were the victims selected and prepared for the sacrifice, than they were led to the tent of the English monarch in the manner he had prescribed. Recollection of the many brave subjects he had lost from the dangers of the sea, and the change of seasons to which they had been exposed during so long a siege, rendered Edward's heart, not gene- rally cruel, insensible to the voice of humanity, and he ordered them to be led away to immediate execution. This sentence struck dismay into the hearts of his attendants, who could not fail to respect these brave men, and Sir Walter Manny endeavoured to prevail upon Edward to alter his determination, while Wat Tyler went in search of the Prince of Wales who was absent at the time* He found him along with his mother, and informed them of what was about to take place, and they LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 103 immediately hurried to the king's presence. But it was in vain that the prince, in whose bosom mercy sat enthroned with valour, entreated his father to spare his emaciated prisoners, whose prowess was no longer to he dreaded, and whose virtues deserved a more honourable fate. Edward remained inexorable, and put a stop to his son s solicitations by reminding him that, in the deter- mination of a monarch, when a public example is required, mercy must sometimes give place to justice. The prince reluctantly yielded to his father's decision, and drew back in silence, whilst the tear of sensibility trickled down his cheek. The king again repeated his nod of condemna- tion, and the officers were on the point of leading the patriotic martyrs to a conclusion of their woes, when the queen, who sat in breathless expectation, threw herself on her knees before the king : with a mother's fondness she wished to yield the merit of their preservation to her beloved son, and had only aided his petition by diffusing a supplicating tenderness over her lovely countenance ; but no sooner did she perceive that his entreaties were unavailing, than in an instant she was prostrate before her husband, beseeching him in the most pathetic terms to mitigate his rigorous sentence. u It is the first request I have made to my lord," she said, " since I braved the dangers of war for his glory, and the perils of the sea to show him 104 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. my duty and love : let me not therefore be denied." Edward, unable to withstand the fair petitioner, raised her instantly from her kneeling posture, and, after tenderly embracing her, consigned his prisoners to her disposal, A loud shout of ap- plause, which even the presence of royalty could not restrain, broke from the surrounding warriors, and proclaimed the triumph of humanity. The British nation has ever been famed for exercising a generous pity towards their vanquished enemies, whenever self-preservation did not forbid. Happy, therefore, was it for Edward, that he suffered his natural tenderness to be aroused by the entreaties of the queen on this occasion, or this act of severity would have blasted his fame for ever, and would have weighed down in the scale of justice every honourable or heroic deed he could have placed against it. The queens humane interference in behalf of those worthy citizens, did not end here ; she com- manded Wat Tyler to conduct them to her tent, to which she in a short time retired, attended by the Prince of Wales ; there she caused a repast to be set before her famished guests, ordered them to be supplied with clothes, presented them with money, and praising their noble conduct, dismissed them in safety. In return for this generosity she received the grateful offerings of their hearts, which were too full to allow them to speak, and the applause LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 105 of admiring nations, the most pleasing tribute to a truly noble mind. With the consent of Sir "Walter Manny, Wat Tyler was inaugurated as prieux- esquire to the Prince of Wales. The 'squire's duty was, to wait upon the prince closely, clean and keep in repair his arms, help to equip him for the field, and re- main by his side when there ; carve before him at table, attend to his guests, bring water to them to wash, and attend them to their chamber ; in short, everything, save matters of a dishonourable cha- racter, that might be required of him. When this arrangement was made, and a few preliminaries gone through, they adjourned to a chapel near, which was filled with soldiers, to whom Wat's gallant conduct was generally known, and conse- quently he was an especial favourite. The inau- guration of an esquire in those days was a ceremony of no little consequence. Prayers adapted to the occasion were said, and Wat Tyler, divested of all his weapons, approached the altar, upon which was placed a sword and girdle: he was accompanied by the Prince of Wales and Sir Walter Manny, who were his sponsors in the ab- sence of his own relatives, and pledged themselves for his eligibility; mass was performed; after which the officiating priest delivered a discourse pointing out the duties of a squire, in which he was called upon most solemnly, at all times, strictly 106 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. and undeviatingly, to cherish in his heart the love of God and the ladies ; it was impressed upon him that before undertaking any adventure, he must prepare himself by prayer and devotional exercises, after which he was to prefer death rather than turn back, or sully his name or the noble profession he followed, by any act of cowardice or dishonour ; and to bear in mind, that as he valued his honour, he was never to think or speak lightly of his Maker, or of the fair sex ; or failing in these respects, he was to be considered a recreant to his order. He was to esteem it his greatest honour to be enabled to assist and release females from danger, or to avenge their wrongs, by whomsoever inflicted. "Wat was then asked several customary questions by the priest, which were modestly but satisfac- torily answered ; the priest then took up the sword and girdle, blessed them, girt them about Wat's waist, when he became to all intents and purposes a squire, (and what an addition to the honour,) a squire of the most chivalric prince that ever existed. The ceremony was no sooner concluded, than knights and squires pressed forward to congratulate him ; and there was not one more anxious to do so than his friend Wilfred. The Black Prince and his squire, accompanied as usual by Wilfred, with a strong detachment of the British army, penetrated upwards of thirty leagues into the kingdom of France ; and having LIFE OP WAT TYLER. 107 ravaged the country round about without meeting the slightest opposition, they returned to Calais laden with booty. The king now returned to England with his family, after he had concluded a league with France, through the intercession of the pope's legate. The English people received their monarch and his valiant son with the loudest accla- mations, and they entered the city of London in triumph. The good Queen Philippa also shared in the honour of the day ; nor was her humane inter- position in favour of the patriotic citizens of Calais forgotten. Wat Tyler would now have flown upon the wings of love to Broxley, but his duty confined him in close attendance upon the prince, for whom he entertained the strongest affection. During their short stay, the English nobles, who could not remain inactive, took great delight in jousts and tournaments, the pastimes of the age, in which the Black Prince, who was held in high respect for his worth and valour, greatly distinguished himself. Nor did he neglect his favourite squire in these knightly sports, but challenged any two knights, or any knight and his squire, to have a joust ; the challenge was accepted, and the two youths (the prince and Wat being about the same age) obtained the victory. These sports were, however, put an end to by the treacherous conduct of the French, 108 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. who were on the point of gaining possession of Calais. On the surrender of that town, Edward gave the government of it to Sir Emerie de Pavia, an Italian, who had exhibited great bravery in the wars, but who was devoid of every principle of honour. Lord Geoffrey Charni, who commanded the French forces on the frontiers, found means to corrupt the gover- nor, and agreed with him to deliver up the town for twenty thousand crowns. One of the secre- taries of Sir Emerie, who despised him for his treachery, found means to inform Edward, who immediately summoned the Italian to London on other pretences. De Pavia, judging it impossible that a treason so privately concocted could be dis- covered, obeyed the summons with great alacrity ; but wh?t was his surprise when he found the king was acquainted with all the particulars of his guilt. Edward, however, seeing the use which might be made of this discovery, as the terms of agreement were not yet executed, assured the governor of his forgiveness, on condition that he would turn the base contract to the destruction of the contrivers of the plot. Sir Emerie, glad upon any conditions to escape the punishment due to his treachery, pro- mised the king that he would readily enter into any scheme, and punctually pursue any directions he should give him. The king only insisted that he should inform him as soon as the day was fixed, LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 109 and then dismissed him, with threats of the severest punishment should he deceive him. The last night in December being agreed on between Lord Geoffrey and De Pavia for the delivery of the town, the governor punctually sent notice to Edward, who was then keeping his Christmas at Havering, in Essex. Without inter- rupting the festivity of his court the- king de- parted, along with his son and a select body of men whom he had kept near him for that purpose, and arrived on the appointed evening at Calais. This was done with so much dispatch and secrecy, that only a few of his principal officers knew that he had himself arrived. Having disposed of his men in different parts of the town, he appointed Sir Walter Manny and Wat Tyler to the command of the enterprise, telling them that he would grace them with the honour of it, as both the prince and himself intended to fight incognito under their banner. The trust could not have been placed in worthier hands. Lord Geoffrey Charni, having furnished himself with a chosen body of troops for the occasion, approached Calais about midnight. He imme- diately drew up his men near the walls of the town ; and sent two messengers to the gate ap- pointed, to know if Sir Emeric was ready : finding that he was there, expecting the completion of the agreement, Lord Charni despatched twelve * 110 LIFE OP WAT TYLER. knights with two hundred men to take possession of the castle, and at the same time to deliver the gold to the governor; but they had scarcely entered the gates, when they were surrounded and made prisoners. Sir "Walter and their forces, among whom were the king and the Prince of Wales, in plain armour, now rushed out with shouts of victory. The French, finding themselves betrayed, were at first in some confusion ; but they soon recovered from their astonishment, and a fierce engagement ensued, in which the Black Prince and his squire Wat Tyler did great execution. As daylight broke, the king remarked a French knight, named Sir Eustace De Ribeaumont, who exerted himself with singular vigour and bravery. As no man more admired valour, or possessed a greater share of it than himself, he was inflamed with a desire of trying a single combat with him ; he therefore stepped forth from the battalion in which he fought, and, challenging him, began a sharp encounter : the contest was long and ob- stinate, and the English monarch found, in the French knight, a combatant worthy of him. Twice was he beaten to the ground, and each time instantly recovering himself, he pressed on his foe with redoubled vigour, till Sir Eustace, finding himself almost left alone, cried out, " Brave knight, I yield to your superior prowess; nor LIFE OP WAT TYLER. Ill blush to be overcome by strength like yours." He then gave up his sword to his unknown an- tagonist, and became his prisoner. By this time the defeat was general, and of the whole French troops few escaped either death or captivity. The Prince of Wales fell not short of his royal father; but Wat Tyler had the good fortune to encounter Lord Geoffrey Charni, and, after a severe struggle, wounded and made him his prisoner. This victory was happily completed by ten in the morning, when the king returned with his prisoners to Calais, where he treated them with great courtesy, and invited them to a magnificent entertainment. It was not till Edward resumed his state that the French learned he had been personally engaged in the exploit ; and Sir Eustace De Ribeaumont discovered, with pleasure, the royal antagonist to whom he had resigned his sword. When the banquet was prepared the king sat at a table by himself, his son with the lords and knights of England, attending at the first course, at the second course they all sat down at tables placed on each side of the hall. The French knights were seated at a table in the middle of it ; and the dishes being removed, the king arose, and graciously entered into conversation with them. As he approached Lord Geoffrey Charni, he looked at him for a moment with some displeasure, but 112 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. that magnanimity for which he was famed soon returned, and he addressed him with complacence and familiarity; but a consciousness of his in- tended treachery, and the pain arising from his wounds, rendered him unable to make any answer. The king next moved towards Sir Eustace de Ribeaumont, and, with a friendly countenance thus addressed him. " Of all men living, Sir Eustace, you are the knight in whom I have found most valour, as well in offending your enemies, as in defending yourself; and I never in my life met with that man who gave me so much ado, body to body, as you have done this day; wherefore I adjudge the prize of knighthood unto you, by right sentence, above ail the knights of my court/' He then took off a chaplet of pearls from his head, and pre- senting it to his prisoner, thus continued. c * I give you, Sir Eustace, this chaplet, for the best doer in arms at this last battle of either party, whether French or English, and I desire you to wear it this year at festivals for my sake. You are a personable gentleman, young and amorous, and well accepted among the ladies ; wherefore if you will wear it in all public balls, and declare unto them that the King of England gave this as a testimony of your valour, I will now release you, quitting you now of your ransom." Sir Eustace expresssd his gratitude for this honourable acknow- ledgment, and not only wore the chaplet whilst LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 118 he lived, but his family have ever since bore for their arms three chaplets garnished with pearls. Edward could no longer place confidence in Sir Emeric de Pavia, and consequently gave the com- mand of Calais to Lord John Beauchamp, and returned to England. ' Shortly after the return of the king, some va- riance happening between the fleets of England and Spain, the Spaniards, secretly encouraged by the Kino: of France, infested the British seas with fifty large ships of war, taking and destroying a great number of vessels. King Edward, enraged at these proceedings, fitted out a considerable fleet to oppose them, and taking with him his son the Prince of Wales, with many noblemen of dis- tinction, he came up with them off Rye in Sussex, when a bloody engagement immediately com- menced. The Spaniards, in their huge ships overlooking the English vessels, poured down upon them a storm of cross-bow shot, but the archers of England soon clearing the decks of the largest of the Spanish fleet, the Black Prince and Wat Tyler simultaneously sprang on board, and being promptly followed they committed dreadful havoc. Sir Walter Manny and his followers boarded another vessel almost at the same time, and the example being pretty generally followed, a short time put an end to the fight for that night, when the English found themselves masters of seventeen H 114 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. of the enemy's ships. Early next morning they wished to renew the engagement, but they found that the greatest part of the Spanish ships had escaped, leaving those that were disabled to their mercy. Having thus cleared the seas of such troublesome neighbours, the king returned in triumph with a great booty and many prisoners. No sooner was the truce between England and France expired, than Edward prepared to renew his claims on the French crown. To effect his purpose he proposed to attack his enemy both on the side of Guienne with an army commanded by the Black Prince, and on the northern parts in his own person. But as this is not a history of Eng- land but of an individual, we will follow the Prince of Wales, who was accompanied by Wat Tyler. The Black Prince sailed for Bourdeaux, at- tended by the Earls of Warwick, Salisbury, Oxford, Suffolk, and other English nobles, and a body of choice troops, on board a fleet of three hundred sail. Immediately after his arrival, being joined by the vassals of Gascoigne, he took the field ; re- duced without interruption many towns in the neighbouring provinces, and ravaged the whole country ; and after an incursion of six weeks, he returned with a vast booty and many prisoners to Guienne, where he fixed his quarters for the winter. In the ensuing spring, encouraged by the success 9i the preceding campaign, the Black Prince took LIFE OP WAT TYLER. 115 the field with an army of twelve thousand men, of which not more than one-third were English, With this small body of troops the prince ventured again to penetrate into the heart of France ; his design being to join his brother John of Gaunt, to whom the king had given the command of an army in Normandy ; but finding all the bridges over the Loire broken down, and the French king advancing towards him with a most formidable force, he thought it prudent to retire again into his father's dominions without persisting in his attempt. The prince, losing some days before the castle of Remorentin, it gave the French army an oppor- tunity of overtaking him. The following incident occasioned this hindrance, and was the means of bringing on the celebrated battle of Poictiers i part of his vanguard falling in with a detachment of the garrison of Remorentin, as they inarched near it, they soon defeated them, and, in the pur- suit, entering the town with the flying enemy, took possession of it. The prince, tempted from this accident to make himself master of the castle also, ordered it to be assaulted ; the attack con- tinued all that day without success, and the next morning it was briskly renewed, the prince himself being personally present and encouraging his men ; but an English knight, for whom he had a great regard, being slain at his side, he swore by his 116 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. father's soul (his favourite oath) not to leave the siege till he was in possession of the castle, and had the defenders of it at his mercy. On this the assault was renewed with redoubled vigour, but there appearing no probability of reducing it by the ordinary methods, the prince ordered engines to be raised, with which he threw combustibles into it and set it on fire. The garrison, finding the castle no longer tenable, yielded themselves to him, and were carried off among the other prisoners. After the taking of Remorentin, the prince con- tinued his march ; but this delay gave the French king time to overtake him near Poictiers. King John (Philip had died the previous year) was ac- companied by his four sons, Charles the Dauphin Duke of Normandy, Louis Duke of Anjou, John Duke of Berri, and Philip, afterwards Duke of Burgundy, who, for bravely endeavouring to save his father in the ensuing battle, was surnamed " The Hardy ;" besides whom he was attended by twenty-six dukes and counts, three thousand knights, and an army of sixty thousand men. With this host, as it might justly be termed when compared with the handful of English forces, the French king doubted not of being able to extirpate his enemies ; he, therefore, marched after him with the utmost expedition. The first intelligence the Black Prince received of his near approach was from some of the pri- LIFE OP WAT TYLER. 117 soners taken by one of his detached parties; by these he understood the force of his enemy, and that it was hardly possible for him to escape ; on which he called in all his detachments, and en- camped on the fields of Maupertius, near Poictiers. He then sent out two hundred men-at- arms, well mounted, under the command of his squire, to re- connoitre the French, who found King John, with his army, entering into Poictiers. This undaunted party, who had every confidence in their leader, rode so near that they had a full view of the main body of the French ; but, not content with seeing them, they attacked their rear with such fury that the king caused a considerable part of his army to face about, and march again into the field ; by which means it was very late before they re-entered the city. Wat and his party returning unbroken to the prince, informed him of their adventure, and at the same time described their enemies as very numerous. " Well then," said the prince, with great composure, " let us consider how we may fight them to the best advantage, for against numbers policy is requisite ;" and agreeable to this maxim, he took every precaution during the night to fortify his camp. The King of France drew out his army in battle array, the next morning ; the van he entrusted to his brother the Duke of Orleans, the centre to his son, the dauphin, who had his two younger bro- 118 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. thers under him, and he commanded the rear him- self, attended by his youngest son. When his troops were formed, he came to the front of the line mounted on a beautiful white charger, and addressing them, said, that whilst they were at a distance from the English, and in a place of safety, they were continually boasting of their prowess, and wished to meet them in the field ; he had now brought them to the station they had so much de- sired, and expected they would show him that their eagerness for the battle was not mere bravado. He then ordered them to march; but at that in- stant, the Cardinal de Talarande, who had been sent by the pope to be a mediator between the contending princes, interposed his good offices, and entreated the king that he would stop whilst he hastened to the Prince of Wales and endeavour to prevent the spilling of blood. The French monarch consented, on condition that he would quickly return, which the cardinal promised to do, and then hastened to the English prince, whom he found armed at the head of his soldiers. The cardinal represented to him the danger of his situ- ation from the vast superiority of his enemy, and urged him to listen to proposals rather than await inevitable destruction. It may be necessary here to state ; that in those early ages the principal European nations, although distinguished by national peculiarities, LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 119 diversity of language, and difficulty of intercourse, were yet closely united by the bond of Catholic unity, as members of one vast Christian community, over which, the Sovereign Pontiff exercised a pacific influence as the common Father of all. Deeds of individual violence and oppression were indeed of frequent occurrence, for then, as in other ages, the ungoverned passions of men pro- duced disastrous effects ; but the wars of that period, compared with those of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were on a smaller scale ; the struggle, in most instances, of rival claimants for a crown, which a single important battle seldom failed to decide. On many occasions, however, in lieu of an appeal to the sword, it was not unusual to refer the cause to the arbitration of the pope, whom distance from the parties, and zeal for the welfare of Christendom, rendered an impartial, and, consequently a satisfactory judge. Hence might possibly be derived the power, occasionally exer- cised by the pontiff, who governed the church, during ages, whose faith was that of the whole of civilized Europe, of determining by his authority, affairs which seemed beyond the cognizance of ordinary tribunals; and of combating, with the weapons of their spiritual jurisdiction, tyrants, €n whose minds neither justice, nor reason, nor the cry of an oppressed people, could make an impres- sion. Wherever there were wrongs to be re- 120 LIFE OP WAT TYLER. dressed, rightful claims to be supported, or dis- puted points to be adjusted, the pope was expected to define the law and enforce its execution. All this was in harmony with the spirit of those times, when learning and the arts of civiliza- tion were almost exclusively confined to the clergy, and when the successor of St. Peter was regarded with a degree of reverence which no other mediator could have claimed. Persons of a different per- suasion are little aware how deeply their fore- fathers were indebted to the See of Rome. Dr. Lingard, the distinguished historian, observes, a Europe would have been plunged in perpetual wars, had not pope after pope laboured incessantly for the preservation or restoration of peace ; their legates spared neither journey nor fatigue to reconcile the jarring interests of courts, and to interpose the olive branch between the swords of contending armies." It was upon such an errand that the pope's messenger now made his appearance at Poictiers. The Prince of Wales, though young, was as consummate a politician as he was a brave general, in a moment saw the advantage he might derive from delay, replied, that he was ready to accept of any conditions that were not inconsistent with his own honour and that of his country. The messenger returned with the compliant answer, and with many arguments prevailed on the French LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 121 monarch to defer the attack till the next day. The cardinal, as well as all the prelates of the court of Rome, was extremely attached to the French interest ; yet the most determined enemy could not have contrived a greater prejudice to their cause than by this delay, which the English prince was so anxious for, and which he took ad- vantage of during the night to strengthen the post he had so judiciously chosen. This delay caused the French to lose the battle of Poictiers. The negociation, however, proved fruitless ; for though the Black Prince offered to relinquish all the conquests he had made, to release without ransom all the prisoners he had taken, and also to swear that he would not bear arms in person against the French for seven years, yet the king insisted that he should surrender himself a pri- soner, with a hundred of his principal knights ; on these conditions only would he suspend his ven- geance, and allow the rest of the English forces to retire unmolested. To this dishonourable proposal the Prince of W r ales indignantly replied, < c That, whatever was his fate ; he could not so far forget the respect that was due to his father's dignity and his own honour, as to save his life on such in- glorious terms ; nor could he ever consent that England should be put to the expense of paying a ransom for him." The prince delivered this an- swer to the cardinals with all the fire of a heroic * 122 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. mind; whilst his troops by their cheerful looks expressed their approbation, and promised him support. Soon after the prelate's departure, when the prince saw a battle was unavoidable, surrounded by his general officers he thus addressed his sol- diers. * I have too often, my friends and fellow soldiers, had experience of your courage to doubt at this time ; frequently have I beheld you, in- spired by the spirit of your great ancestors, per- form such deeds as prove you are not in the least degenerated from them; no labour has ever yet appeared to be painful to you; no fortress im- pregnable, no army invincible, no human power formidable. I now see on your faces a generous indignation at the contempt with which your enemies treat the descendants of those heroes who have often beaten these haughty Frenchmen. Repay the insult with your swords, and let them feel how dangerous it is to provoke the truly brave. Let not numbers terrify you ; valour and steadiness will compensate for the thinness of your ranks, and a few undaunted hearts may be able to withstand the attacks of a tumultuous host. Those brave knights who surround me will fully share with us in every danger ; therefore follow your leaders with resolution ; remember the Battle of Cressy, where the odds were greater against ua than now, and doubt not of placing Poictiers this LIFE OP WAT TYLER. 123 day on the list of our victories. If we be true to ourselves the whole French army will not be able to overcome us ; but if we fail in our resolution we will fall an easy prey, which God forbid !" This speech might appear like a bravado from almost any other mouth ; but the modesty and courage of the Black Prince were too well known to permit such an interpretation. On this occa- sion where his small army was in danger of being swallowed by a multitude of foes, every method of arousing their courage to the top of its bent, and by that means endeavouring to supply the de- ficiency of their numbers was certainly to be pur- sued. It had the desired effect ; every appre- hension was in a moment dispelled by this animated address, and his men waited with impatience the approach of the enemy. The situation which the Prince of "Wales had chosen for the preservation of his little army, showed his expertness in every military manoeuvre. He had drawn up his men on a small plain sur- rounded by vineyards and inclosures, so that the French could only attack him in front, and that through a narrow lane which would admit of no more than four horsemen abreast. This natural fortification, which surrounded his camp, he had strengthened by art during the negociation carried on through the cardinal, and had lined the hedges of the lane with archers, who, being themselyes f i 124 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. free from molestation, could take their aim with composure ; he had also in the night ordered Lord Greilly to march under covert of a hill which lay to the right, with three hundred men-at-arms, and as many archers, that he might be ready to fall on the enemy's flank during the engagement. He had given the command of the van to the Earl of Warwick, the rear to the Earls of Salisbury and Suffolk, taking his own place at the head of the main body, along with Wat Tyler. Lord Audley, Sir John Chandos, and many other brave and ex- perienced commanders were at the head of different battalions. In this position the prince awaited the attack. The French king, who was well acquainted with the situation of the English, ordered the Marshals d'Endregcon and Clermont to advance with a strong detachment, and endeavour to force their way through the lane ; but no sooner were they entered, than the English archers made such havoc amongst them, that being thrown into confusion, very few penetrated to the plain, and these met with so warm a reception from the men-at-arms, that a small number only escaped ; one of the marshals was killed and the other taken prisoner ; the remainder of this advanced party who were still in the lane, harrassed by the English archers without being able to oppose them, recoiled upon LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 125 their own army, and put every thing into con- fusion. Lord Grielly now attacked in flank the battalion led by the Duke of Normandy, which greatly added to the disorder. The generals, to whose care the heir of the French monarch and his brothers were committed, too anxious for their charge, or intimidated at the resolution of the English, carried them off the field, and set an example of flight to the whole division. The Duke of Orleans, seized with a similar panic, imagining, from the flight of the dauphin's division, that every thing was lost, thought it prudent to sound a retreat ; but, as he could not long preserve any order in retiring, his intended retreat was likewise soon changed into a flight. Wat Tyler, seeing the van of the French wholly defeated, and their main body disordered, called out to the Prince of Wales that the day was won, and advised him to move forward and attack the division under the king. The Black Prince, needing no solicitations, mounted his horse, and boldly advancing, fell with great impetuosity on some German brigades posted in front of the king's battalion. A dreadful encounter now ensued, in which the prince even exceeded the gallantry he had shown at Cressy, and was nobly supported by his esquire ; at length, three German generals with the Constable of France being slain, 126 LIFE OP WAT TYLER. the cavalry gave way, and left the king's division exposed to all the fury of a victorious army. The French monarch having been informed that his son and his brother had withdrawn from the field, declared aloud, that for his part, he would not quit the battle, though his whole army should forsake him ; and, indeed, there cannot be a doubt, but that he performed that day, the duty of a brave knight ; and, had his ardour been seconded by only a fourth part of his troops, success must have crowned his efforts to retrieve the honour of the day : he fought on foot with a weighty axe of steel, which he managed with great dexterity: his youngest son Philip, at that time barely four- teen years of age, fought courageously by his side : he was also surrounded by many valiant knights, who endeavoured to defend their sovereign ; amongst others, the Duke of Bourbon, the Lord of Pons, the Lord John of Artois, and Sir Eustace de Eibeaumont, who had been vanquished by King Edward at Calais, and released by him without ransom, as a reward for his courage. On the part of the English, the Prince of Wales was no less conspicuous for his valour than for his station and quality; performing not only the duties of an experienced and careful com- mander, but also those of an approved and valiant knight. His followers, likewise, behaved with uncommon bravery and resolution, particularly LIFE OP WAT TYLER. 12T Wat Tyler and his friend Wilfred, who for their courage and conduct merited the greatest enco- miums. But it is impossible to recount the many noble exploits of the English army. The Earls of Oxford, Salisbury, and Suffolk, rendered them- selves famous by their great achievements; and the Earl of Warwick fought so long, and with such fury, that his battle axe adhered to his hand ; Lord Audley fought all day among the thickest of his enemies, performing many gallant deeds, and receiving many severe wounds ; notwithstand- ing which, he could not be prevailed on to leave the field, till towards the conclusion of the battle, his squires carried him by force to an adjacent meadow, where they carefully disarmed him, and, binding up his wounds, assisted him as well as they could. These gallant knights were well sup- ported by those of inferior rank, more especially by the archers, who behaved themselves with wonderful alacrity; from them, all the French divisions received their first foil, for, being galled and dismayed by their arrows, they were easily broken by the men-at-arms. The battalion of French under the command of the king, which still kept its station, was superior in number to the whole English army, and com- posed of the flower of that nation ; but, the Black Prince and his troops, though greatly fatigued with the toils of the day, boldly attacked this 328 LIFE OP WAT TYLER. fresh and numerous division. The success which had hitherto attended their arms, supported them under this apparent disadvantage, and kept their hopes alive. The fight now became desperate, and for awhile, was maintained on both sides ; for the French king's presence and example animated his men with uncommon resolution; only troops accustomed to conquest, and led on by their beloved prince, could have withstood such intre- pidity ; however, after a stout resistance, this last division of the French was also broken, and great slaughter ensued. The Duke of Bourbon, the Viscount Chalons, the Lord of Argentum, and fifty other noblemen of the highest quality, breathed their last on this well contested field; even Sir Eustace de Ribeaumont, who had so bravely encountered King Edward, could not withstand the more potent arms of his son. We cannot here refrain from inserting the trans- lation of a French poem, which is but little, if at all known, in this country. It is entitled " Eustace de Ribeaumont," which the poet introduces in the following manner : — " The incident on which the following poem is founded I met with in Froissart. The words spoken by Edward the Third, on giving the chaplet of pearls off his own head, to Eustace de Ribeaumont, after supper, on the day when the French knight was made prisoner, are almost a translation of those with which the historian records LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 129 him to have accompanied the present. I have departed from history, however, in making King Edward present at the battle of Poictiers, in which Eustace was slain by the valiant Prince of "Wales." On Poictiers field the hosts are met, Sharp were the spears that day ; And every one his sword has whet, As for a bloody fray. Brightly each targe and burgonet Was glancing in the sun ; And every knight thereto has set His lady's favour on. But who is he that foremost hurls His javelin 'mid the foe? Upon whose head that cap of pearls Doth make a gallant show 1 Yet fitter for the dance, I ween, Or lover's serenade, Than in the ranks of battle seen, A cap with pearly braid. That meed at English Edward's hand The youthful warrior won, The bravest he of Gallia's band, Eustace de Ribeaumont. 'Twas at a banquet, after fight, Where he was England's thrall, That Eustace won those pearls so bright In good King Edward's hall. I i ISO LIFE OF WAT TYLER. " Twice," said the monarch, " on my knee, Thou hadst me down to-day ; So good a knight I did not see Amid your fair array. " Then, Eustace, take my cap of pearls, Wear it for love of me ; Thou'rt gay, and toy'st with dames and girls; Tell them I gave it thee. "1 quit thee of thy prison straight, So henceforth thou art free." Sir Eustace ro3e ; and at the gate Bight willing forth went he. And now on Poictiers field again He meets the English line, And foremost on the battle plain His ashen spear did shine. When out there rushed a sturdy knight, And run a-tilt at him ; In sable armour he was dight, That clothed every limb. Long time they strove with lance in hand, And many a thrust did try ; The lances split ; and then his brand Each loosened from his thigh. So close they join ; those pearls so bright, That gleam'd on Eustace' brow, In the black mail their balls of white As in a mirror show. LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 181 But soon was changed that white to red; Tor with a furious blow The sable warrior smote his head, That fast the blood did flow. King Edward, from a neighbouring height, "Was looking on the fray : And, "Save," he cried, "0 save the knight, And bring him here straightway." They brought him, where King Edward stood Upon the hillock nigh; They staunch awhile the streaming blood ; And scant he op'd his eye. " Edward," said he, " behold the braid Thou gavest ere while to me : For me it won the loveliest maid That lived in Burgundy. "That maid for many a year I wooed, And she my love returned; But still her sire my suit withstood Till praise in war was earned. f That praise, king, thy hand bestowed, To her thy gift I bore; And when our wedding torches glowed, This wreath I proudly wore. u That thou another boon would'st give, I came to ask this day — That thou who gavest me then to live, Would'st take that life away. 132 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. "Amid the fight I saw thee not, But saw thy princely son : I knew him by his sable coat ; From him I had the boon. " The words thou bad'st me say, I said, Of all to her alone; She heard ; and how she smiled, sweet maid, And kissed the pearls each one. "I've worn them since, for love of thee, Now love I nought beside : For she is in her grave," quoth he ; Then grasped his hand, and died 8" But even after the slaughter of so many of the French nobility, the forces which fought immedi- ately under the royal banner of France, were still so numerous, and disputed the point so well, that for a time they remained impenetrable, and atoned by their valour for the cowardice of their country- men ; but the English and Gascons at length broke through this compact phalanx, aad reached the king. The royal standard was beaten down, and its bearer, Lord Geoffrey Charni, slain. This circumstance seemed to be a signal for a general flight, and those who could escape, fled with pre- cipitation into Poictiers. In the first breaking of the corps that encircled the French king, several of the nobility were made prisoners, and many knights surrendered them- LIFE OP WAT TYLER. 138 selves to the most advanced of the English nobles. Impelled both by the love of glory and of gain, the attention of every person now appeared to be only engaged on taking the king; those who knew him called out to him to surrender ; but Sir Dennis De Morbeque, a knight of Artois, who had left France to escape punishment for a murder he had committed, and had served the King of England for about five years, by his superior strength making way to the French monarch, desired him to yield. " To whom shall I sur- render myself?" said the king. "Where is my cousin, the Prince of Wales ? to him alone I wish to submit." " The prince is at a distance," replied Sir Dennis; " I am myself a knight, and will conduct you to him." On which the king gave him his right hand gauntlet, saying, at the same time, " Unto you I yield myself." This not appearing satisfactory to several who had made up to the king before Sir Dennis, there was still a great tumult and crowding about him and his youngest son, who had shared his father's fortune, and the king was taken by force from De Morbeque by several English knights. It appears that John de Pelham was the first that came up to the king, and seized him by the belt ; but Sir Roger de la Warre got possession of his sword. The Black Prince who had been carried away in 184 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. pursuit of the flying enemy, to a considerable distance from the scene, finding the greatest parfc of the field clear, had ordered a tent to be pitched where he reposed himself after the fatigue of the battle. His first inquiries were relative to the King of France ; but not being able to hear any tidings of him, he dispatched Wat Tyler and Wilfred to learn his fate. They had not gone far before they discovered a body of troops hurrying along in seeming disorder ; in the midst of these was the French king, in the greatest hazard of his life ; for those who had taken him by force from Sir Dennis de Morbeque, were quarrelling among each other about their title to the royal prisoner ; and some even threatened to put him to death rather than give up their pretensions. To avoid the danger which threatened him, this unfortunate monarch was obliged even to use entreaties* " Contend not thus warmly about me," he said, " but conduct me and my son to the prince my cousin, and concern not yourselves who it was tl*t captured me, for I am a king, and able to enrich you all/' These words somewhat pacified them ; and Wat Tyler and his friend arriving at the same time, preserved him from any further indignities. Wat immediately commanded in the prince's name that no one should approach the king's person; Wat was too well known for even the bravest of the knights to dare to dispute his LIFE OP WAT TYLER. 135 commands ; and paying the French monarch the respect due to a sovereign, he conducted him and his son to the prince's tent. It is now that the brightest part of the Black Prince's character opens to us. His martial achievements have probably been equalled; but that humanity, moderation, and courtesy which discovered itself in him at so early an age, renders his character unrivalled, and his name immortal. The first impulse of his heart led him to inquire after the vanquished king; the next after his own friends and companions. Whilst Wat Tyler and Wilfred were executing his commands, he asked those about him if they could give him any intelligence relative to those knights who were absent, and had distinguished themselves in the battle, particularly after the Lord Audley ; being told that he was severely wounded and in a litter hard by, the prince expressed great concern for him, and sent two knights to see if he was able to be brought to his tent, declaring, at the same time, that if his wounds did not permit this, he would readily wave all ceremony, and wait on him. Lord Audley, sensibly affected by the prince's care and condescension, ordered his servants to bear him in the litter to the place where his highness was. When he was brought into his presence, the prince tenderly embraced him, and endea- voured to cheer him by the kindest expressions. tes 136 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. "I greatly honour you, my lord," he said "for the valour you have shown this day ; you have achieved the grace and renown from us all; I therefore retain you as my knight ; and to enable you to pursue the track in which you so much excel, I assign you a yearly revenue of five hun- dred marks out of my heritage in England/ Lord Audley thanked the prince, as well as his feeble condition would allow, for this mark of his favour, and retired ; but, to show that no motives but those of honour and love for his prince and his country had influenced him, he transferred the donation to his four squires. The prince, hearing of this generous proceeding, and pleased with the spirit of his lordship, as it corresponded with his own elevated sentiments, thanked him for so proper an application of his gift, and settled six hundred marks a year upon himself. Lord Audley had scarcely departed from the prince's tent, when Wat Tyler and Wilfred re- turned, and presented the French king to him. The Black Prince received the captured monarch with the same reverence and respect as if he had approached him in his greatest splendour, and conquered him again with arms more penetrating than the sword or spear, by his moderation and princely courtesy. He immediately ordered some refreshment to be set before his majesty, and, in- stead of assumiug the superiority which he had LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 137 acquired by conquest, waited upon him himself, administering at the same time every consolation that his situation would admit of. At night he caused a magnificent supper to be provided in his pavilion for the French king, and those of his prisoners whose qualities entitled them to this precedence. He obliged the king to sit in his own chair of state, with his son Philip by his side ; and those prisoners of the blood-royal had seats at the same table ; many lords and knights of inferior degree sat at other tables ; and, during supper, the Prince of Wales would suffer no person, to serve the royal prisoner but himself notwith- standing the king's entreaties to the contrary. He endeavoured to raise the spirits of his noble guest, by treating him in the most humble and respectful manner ; and, when he still perceived by the king's countenance that he continued de- jected, with a benevolence and generosity not to be paralleled, he thus addressed him : — u There is no cause, sir, that so brave and valiant a monarch should be thus troubled and pensive, although at this time your arms have not been favoured by the great Disposer of events. Success does not always attend desert ; but your valour is acknowledged, your dignity still preserved, and your person held sacred. Your great progenitors have achieved many glorious enterprises both by sea and land ; the trophies of every part of Europe have pro- 138 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. claimed the victories of France ; and in the East, the faith and grandeur of the Christian religion have been propagated and defended by your pre- decessors against the most puissant captains of the Infidels. Perhaps among so many triumphs a few battles have proved unsuccessful ; the well- known instability of Fortune, which sometimes baffles the force of multitudes, has so ordered it ; but it lies in your power to support yourself under your present adverse fate, and to keep your mind still unconquered. Nor shall this day detract anything from your glory ; as the realm of France has produced and nourished many of my progeni- tors, it shall ever find me grateful, and mindful of my origin, and your majesty shall always meet in me, if you will permit me to glory in the title, a humble and respectful kinsman. There are many reasons which render a friendly union between your highness and the king my father desirable. I trust they will prove efficacious ; for, as I well know the most secret thoughts and affec- tions of his mind, I am satisfied you will easily come to an accommodation with him ; for my own part may he refuse to acknowledge me as his son, when I cease to hold you in the same degree of honour and respect I owe to his sacred person." Thus did the Black Prince endeavour to dispel the melancholy which clouded the brow of his illustrious prisoner ; and by calling to his remem- LIFE OP WAT TYLER. 139 brance the warlike deeds of his ancestors, strive to withdraw his attention from his present adverse state. He forbore to make any mention of his own glorious achievements, though it was natural to suppose he was not at that time cooled from the fury of the battle, and must be elated with the ' greatest success that ever crowned the arms of any general. The ambitious views of his father on the crown of France were lost in the present wish to give comfort to the dejected possessor of it ; the partial distinctions of friend and foe were extir- pated, both from his discourse and behaviour, by that benevolence which no prince ever possessed in a greater degree, and without which his character might have been indiscriminately mingled with the herd of conquerors born only for the destruction of mankind, without a single redeeming quality. The courteous demeanour of the Black Prince had a visible effect on the grateful mind of the French monarch, who has been no less celebrated for his many virtues than for his misfortunes?. Though vanquished and a prisoner, he did not, for a moment, forget that he was a king ; he thanked the prince for the attention paid to his distresses, and assured him, that he thought it no diminution of his honour to be conquered by so brave and noble an enemy. The French king spoke but little during the repast ; and then only short sentences to the prince, who continued to wait on him till 140 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. it was finished. But the French nobles could not contain their admiration at such uncommon humi- lity in so young a conqueror: overcome by this elevation of mind more than by their late defeat, they burst into tears of joy, and dwelt untired on his praises. Wat Tyler, imitating the generous example set by his prince, dismissed two prisoners he had made on nominal ransoms; the English knights were not to be outdone by the generosity of the squire, and also released their prisoners. There were slain in this memorable victory, according to both the French and English accounts, the chief of the nobility of France, among whom were two dukes, nineteen counts, and six thousand men-at-arms, exclusive of the lower orders who were reckoned at eight thousand more. The slaughter was much less here than at Cressy, the English forces being not a third so numerous ; and the Black Prince was unwilling to continue the pursuit too long, for fear of hazarding the victory, the number of his foes being so great. When the prisoners were collected together, they amounted to almost double the number of the English army; they, therefore, released many of them immediately, after fixing a small ransom upon them, and receiving no other security than their promise to remit it to their captors at Bourdeaux ; but, remaining masters of the field of battle, they were all enriched by the spoil they found upon it d LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 141 for the French, confident of success, had decorated their horses and themselves with their best furni- ture and apparel, that they might celebrate their victory, with the greater pomp. The prisoners, also, though their ransoms were fixed at a low rate, brought in considerable sums. Every one was allowed to apply to his own use the money he received for the captives he had taken; the French monarch, his son, and those whose redemp- tion exceeded ten thousand crowns, only excepted, as such belonged by the law of arms to the King of England. Early the next morning after the battle, the prince ordered his army to be drawn up, and on the field where its protection had been so conspicuous, caused thanks to be publicly rendered to Heaven for their signal deliverance. Among his many virtues an unaffected piety held not a secondary place. Instead of vaunting himself on his great prowess, and priding himself in his victories, he was not ashamed to offer up his grateful acknow- ledgments; this humility diffused itself through every action, and gained him the love and esteem of those who were witness to it, with the enco- miums of succeeding ages. Having allowed his army a sufficient time for their refreshment, he prepared to continue his march, intent on the seourity of his royal prize, and the spoils his troops had acquired. Thus did 142 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. Edward the Black Prince, (now doubly dyed black by the terrors of his arms, as Froissart expresses it) after another successful expedition, inarch leisurely back, and arrive crowned with honour, at the city of Bourdeaux. The extrava- gant joy and triumph, the sumptuous feasts, and Splendid pageants, with which this victorious prince and his gallant troops were received into that city, are scarcely to be imagined or described. From hence the prince wrote letters to his father, giving him a full but modest account of his suc- cess, and promising the next spring to accompany his royal prisoner to England. It has been esteemed bad policy in the Prince of Wales to keep the French king and the other prisoners so long at Bourdeaux; but a rumour having been spread, that the French people in- tended to rescue their king on his passage to England, it was necessary he should raise a suffi- cient fleet to convey him with safety. This, and the dangers of a winters voyage, retarded the prince till nearly seven months after the Battle of Poictiers, when he set sail for England. After a short voyage he landed at Sandwich, from whence, after a short stay to refresh himself and his com- panions, he proceeded to London, where every thing was prepared for their reception in the most honourable manner. The King of France, clothed in royal apparel, was mounted on a large white LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 143 charger, in token of sovereignty, whilst his gene- rous conqueror, with his usual modesty, rode by his side on a little black horse, industriously avoid- ing every appearance of triumph. They took their way over London bridge, and rode directly to "Westminster, and in the streets through which they ' passed, the citizens displayed their plate, tapestry, and valuable ornaments; but they more parti- cularly exposed their warlike furniture, as suitable to the occasion, and expressive of their triumphant joy. The concourse of people to behold this un- common sight was so great, that the procession continued from five o'clock in the morning till noon, when the prince got to Westminster Hall, where he presented to the king his father, then sitting in state, the person of King John his pri- soner. The English monarch arose, and, ad- vancing to meet him, received him with the same courtesy as if he had voluntarily come to pay him a friendly visit. He then embraced his son, and publicly thanked him for the services he had done the kingdom. The king concluded the day with a magnificent entertainment, and ordered apart- ments for the principal of his captives in his own palace, till the Savoy could be prepared for their reception. The Black Prince showed such a generous con- cern for the French monarch, that he promised he would endeavour to prevail on his father to lay 144 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. aside his enmity ; and as a preparatory step, pro- cured a truce to be made, in expectation that a peace would be concluded in the interim. The pope also again tried to mediate between these monarchs by his legates, but they were so partial to the French, that Edward would by no means comply with the terms offered. To enforce their proposals, and to make a peace the more necessary to the English king, they demanded in the name of his holiness the annuity of one thousand marks, granted by his predecessor King John to the court of Home, and that sum having been withheld for some years, they insisted likewise on payment of the arrears ; but Edward told them without hesi- tation, "That as he acknowledged no sovereignty but that of Heaven, he would never pay tribute, or live in subjection, to any mortal whatever/' This resolute reply put an end to the negociation, and the truce as before agreed upon was all that could be accomplished. Wat Tyler, whose services were required in at- tending upon the Black Prince, could not obtain leave of absence for a few days, in order that he might visit Broxley, and make inquiries respecting his betrothed, of whom he had heard nothing for so many years ; but, as it was not in his power at that time to visit his native village in person, he determined upon sending his friend Wilfred, whose anxiety was at bast equal to his own. If Rose had not returned, LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 145 he would continue in the service of the Prince of Wales; but if she had, he would immediately apply for his discharge, and settle down for the remainder of his life in peace and quietness in the midst of his friends, content with the share of fame and fortune he had already acquired. With- out explaining his full intentions to Wilfred, he therefore despatched him upon his errand of love, with injunctions to return as speedily as possible. The Black Prince, after the bustle consequent upon his late arrival had somewhat subsided, found more time to consider what was due from him to his more immediate followers, amongst whom his bold esquire was not the least conspicuous, and who was well deserving of some signal mark of his favour. Having called Wat to him while sur- rounded by several of the nobles, he complimented him upon his great gallantry on several occasions, and his devoted friendship for himself, and gave him permission to ask of him a boon which, if in his power, he would grant whatever it might be. Wat acknowledged the kindness of the prince in suitable terms ; but he was now at a loss what boon to solicit ; if Wilfred brought him intelligence of Rose's return to Broxley, he could not find a more fitting opportunity of requesting his dis- charge ; a request, however, he would not make if he was disappointed in his expectations. He, therefore, thanked the prince for his condescension, X 146 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. and solicited a few days for consideration, which was kindly granted on condition that the boon should be asked in as public a manner as it had been offered. The prince did not for a moment doubt that Wat would solicit the honour of knight- hood — an honour which his highness knew he was worthy of, and one which he would willingly confer. Wilfred meanwhile proceeded towards Broxley with as much speed as his horse could make, and had reached within a short distance of the village when he met with one of the villagers of whom he asked many questions. The great alter I ation effected in Wilfred's appearance since he had left home, prevented him from being recognized by the individual he was now interrogating, and from whom he learned all the information he required. Alfred Ethelbert, with Rose and Judith, had re- turned to the village, accompanied by the wife of Mark, in search of whom their journey had been undertaken ; but Mark himself had died a short time after discovering his wife. Wilfred could not get better news ; bnt as he was aware that Wat was as desirous as himself to see his beloved, he curbed his own impatience, and denied himself the pleasure of beholding his beloved Judith till such time as Wat accompanied him, when he trusted they would never again part. Instead therefore of proceeding to Broxley, he immediately LIFE OP WAT TYLER. 147 returned to London, and surprised Wat by his sudden appearance. On receiving his friend's in- formation, Wat made up his mind at once to crave as the boon, so kindly offered, the discharge of himself and his friend from the army ; and informed the Prince of Wales that he was now prepared to solicit a favour. The prince appointed the next morning, for the purpose, and in the meantime, invited several nobles and knights to be present. At the time appointed, Wat, accompanied by Wilfred, repaired to the prince's apartment, where there were several of the nobility already assem- bled. The prince informed them of the cause of his calling them together ; and after recapitulating the many gallant services of Wat, he again desired him to crave a boon, which, if in his power, what- ever it might be, he would freely grant. Wat modestly replied, u It is now several years since I entered the army, during which time I have only once visited the place of my nativity, where there are parents and friends whom I am ex- tremely desirous to see, and my boon is, your highness, that you grant me, and a friend who is along with me, — one who has followed me through all the dangers of the late wars, and is dearer to me than a brother, — leave to return ; and if we each desire to remain at home for the remainder of our lives, you will grant us our free discharge." The prince and the nobles who were with him, 148 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. were equally surprised at this request ; they knew Wat to possess a heart destitute of fear, or they might have considered it dictated by a dread to en- counter the hazards of warfare ; but as they had seen him perform acts of the most noble daring, they were at a loss to surmise what could have raised such a desire in him. Wat explained the cause of his anxiety, as well as that of his friend, to return to his native village. The Prince of Wales, who entertained a cordial affection for Wat, with great reluctance consented to grant his discharge, as well as that of Wilfred, re- marking, that he felt great pleasure in being able to return some slight token of his estimation of those who had so frequently risked their lives in order to preserve his ; but as he did not know two more noble hearts in the army, he hoped they would not be long in returning to a situation which they were so well calculated to honour. He then extended his hand to Wat, who, bending on one knee, saluted it, and highly gratified with the result of the interview, quitted the royal presence, followed by Wilfred, whose joy was unbounded ; and they had no sooner reached the apartment of Wat, then he actually hugged him, then wrung his hand ; and laughed and talked so fast that it was impossible for Wat to distinguish a single sentence. Their preparations were speedily made, and LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 149 early next morning, mounted on their good war- korses, they started off, and sparing not the spur, nor the steed, galloped all the way to the little village which contained what they valued more than aught in the world beside. They reached Broxley in an incredibly short space of time, their horses covered with foam, and stopped at the door of Alfred Ethelbert's dwelling. Rose and Judith had heard the sound of approaching horses — they heard them stop suddenly at the door — and, quick as thought, the suspicion darted into both their minds. Wat approached Rose, who was evidently suffering from great excitement at the suddenness of the return of her long-lost lover, whom she never more expected to see. She was now su- premely blest, and while Wilfred carried the fairt- ing Judith to the garden, Wat and Rose enjoyed a sweet interchange of sentiments : and an explana- tion of the various occurrences which had happened during their long separation. Rose informed Wat of her journey along with her father and uncle in search of the latters wife, Mark having received information of her existence from Grim, the chief of the robbers, in the hopes of saving his life. Their journey had been long and fatiguing, and Mark was more than once upon the point of giving up the search, till one night, a storm compelled them to seek refuge in a monastry. Here it was, as if guided by the hand of Providence, they dis- 150 LIFE OF WAT TYLER, covered the person so anxiously looked for, -who acted as a nurse, waiting upon the sick, and per- forming such other offices as are now performed by the Sisters of Mercy of our own times. Her history was long and affecting : she had escaped uninjured from her persecutor, but as she could gain no information regarding her husband, she had taken up her residence, and devoted herself to works of charity and usefulness in the same place, to which they had been so providentially led. Mark was overjoyed in recovering her. "Such as he saw her in his dream, adorned With all that heaven or earth could bestow To make her amiable — " and clasped her to his bosom. It was soon deter- mined upon by the whole party to return to Brox- ley, and the inmates of the monastery, though sorry for losing the services of one whose aid they had found so valuable, could not refrain from con- gratulating her upon the recovery of her long lost husband, for whose absence she had so long inwardly pined. The beginning of the ensuing week was appointed for tkeir setting out for the home which Rose and Judith were so desirous to return to, in the fond expectation of meeting with those whose absence had caused so much grief. They accordingly de- LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 152 parted from the monastery, after receiving the blessings of its inmates, and prayers for their wel- fare ; but they had not proceeded a great distance before they were attacked by a band of robbers, whom Mark, with that courage which had been for so many years so prominent a feature in his character, opposed, and refused to yield his sub- stance to them, the consequence of which was that he was seriously wounded ; when Alfred, being of a more placable disposition, readily delivered to them all they possessed, in order to save their lives. Mark's wounds were serious, and his brother was at a loss whether to proceed on their journey or return, and again claim the hospitality of the in- habitants of the monastery from whom they had SO lately parted. The latter plan was proposed by Kebecca, as none of the party knew when they might meet with a place of rest if they proceeded, and Mark himself was becoming so weak from the loss of blood, that he could deliver no opinion on the subject, Alfred consented to return where they were certain of being hospitably received ; and Mark's wounds being dressed as circumstances would permit, the heads of the horses were turned towards the place where they expected to be wel- comed. They were not long in reaching the de- sired haven, and on being informed of the cause of their return, the holy brotherhood afforded every assistance in their power, and Mark was conveyed 152 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. to a chamber and placed on a couch, when his wounds were examined by the leech, who declared one of them to be extremely dangerous, and would for some time prevent him from prosecuting his journey, at the same time recommending quiet. This was disagreeable information for all the party, but more especially for the two maidens, whose particular anxiety for returning home was only known to themselves. For several months Mark was confined to his couch, where he was carefully attended by his wife and friends, and his recovery was fully expected; but their hopes were disap- pointed ; and though the wounds of his body were healed, there had been a wound for too many years rankling at his heart to be so easily closed, the consequence of which was that Mark died, leaving his wife in despair, for ever to deplore his loss. She, indeed, was entreated to remain where her services had been so long acknowledged, but this she declined, preferring to return with Alfred to his quiet home. The funeral rites were there- fore no sooner performed than they prepared to return to Broxley, where, after a tedious journey, they had only arrived a few days previous to the* return of Wat ; and Rose confessed her grief upon being informed of his long absence, and doubted not that he had lost his life on one of the fields of battle in which he had been engaged; assuring LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 153 him at the same time if such had been the case she would never have given her hand to another. Wat and his betrothed were thus engaged when they were interrupted by the arrival of Wat's parents, who had heard of the return of their favourite and only son whom they had given up all hopes of ever again seeing. Wilfred's mother also hurried to the spot ; and many of the villagers, who still remembered Wat as the preserver of the village and themselves came to congratulate him upon his safe return, and the remainder of the day was devoted to rustic but enthusiastic festivity* Nor did Alfred Ethelbert, though much emaciated from the effects of his late adventures, refrain from welcoming the lover of his daughter, for whom he had so long prayed for his prosperity. Every in- dividual in the village appeared to be happy, and the return of the conqueror of the robbers was made a holiday. After so long an absence, and the affections of the parties rather increased than diminished, little preparation was necessary in those days of primi- tive simplicity for uniting parties whose hearts were indissolubly linked together — no useless cere- monies, no exorbitant fees for the support of state clergy and their hangers-on — we need not therefore be surprised that an early day was appointed for the nuptials of Wat Tyler and Rose Ethelbert ; neither need we wonder, when we learn, that, as 154: LIFE OP WAT TYLER. Wilfred had followed the example of "Wat in every thing with the consent of his beloved Judith, was determined not to desert him in this. The simple ceremony which united these two found couples was performed by the idolized priest of the village, who by his diligence had gained the affections of his flock, and did not even attempt to gain popu- larity by departing from his duty (how unlike the conduct of many of our modern reverend mounts hanks, who, instead of attending to the necessities of the sick and the dying, for which they are so exorbitantly paid at the expense of the poor, so readily desert the sacred charge so unworthily entrusted to them, and instead of protecting, endea- vour to harass and render the poor still poorer. Well might our Saviour exclaim u O generation of vipers f') Wat Tyler triumphantly led his beau- tiful bride to the altar, who had no appearance of being " uninformed Of nuptial sanctity, and marriage rites : Grace was in all her steps, heaven in her eye, In every gesture dignity and love !" Wilfred likewise led forward the blushing Judith, and after the simple ceremony was performed, the aged priest, in a homely exhortation, dismissed the happy pairs to their simple home. Wat's ideas of military glory were now entirely dissipated, and LIFE OF WAT TYLER. IB 5 if he had been acquainted with Milton's beautiful poem, he might have exclaimed, — " Thou hast fulfilled Thy words, Creator bounteous and benign ! Giver of all things fair ! but fairest this Of all thy gifts ! nor enviest. I now see Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, myself Before me ; woman is her name ; of man Extracted : for this cause he shall forego Father and mother, and to his wife adhere ; And they shall be one flesh, one heart, one soul." After the marriage ceremony was completed, the happy party returned to the house of Rose's father, whose infirmities prevented him from ac- companying them to church, and the same reason rendering it imperative upon Rose not to leave him, it was therefore settled that Wat, instead of taking up his abode in the cottage of his parents, as was his intention, should remain with his wife and take charge of her father, whose latter end was apparently fast approaching. This was a disappointment to the affectionate Wilfred, whose mothers cottage adjoined that of Wat's father's, and he therefore did not consider himself to be separated from the friend he adored ; but upon this arrangement being come to, the simple hearted Wilfred expressed his determination to reside there also, as he declared nothing but death should 158 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. separate him from his friend. As Judith was equally respected by Rose, as her husband was by Wat, and Alfred's house being sufficiently com- modious, every thing was speedily settled, and the mutual friends took up their abode under one roof. Wat in his younger years having amused him- self, and become expert in the manufacture of articles of war, in the smithy of his friend, and as the smith preferred to follow the wars rather than return to his more peaceful occupation in the village of Broxley, and having no relations, he gave his stock in trade to our hero. Wat there- fore became the blacksmith of the village, and found a willing assistant in his friend Wilfred. Many years passed over this happy family, who had all the enjoyments of connubial bliss. They were respected by their neighbours, and Wat was looked up to with reverence, and considered by them as their lawgiver, whose decision no one offered to dispute. Wat and Rose were blessed with one daughter, who, as she grew up became, as her mother had formerly been, the pride of th e village, she seemed to inherit the virtues of her mother; and as Wilfred and Judith had no chil- dren of their own, they were as much attached to the young and blooming Rose, as her own parents could possibly be. Nearly twenty years had thus passed over their heads without^any occurrence to LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 157 mar their felicity, if we except the deaths of their respective parents, who had each lived to a good old age, and had departed for a better world., bearing with them the prayers and blessings of their unsophisticated neighbours. But alas ! this happiness was destined not to continue, not through any fault of their own, but through the avarice of the government of that day, which like that of our own times, showed little feeling for the comfort of the working classes ; the main stay of every country, despite what our aristocractic nobility and landowners may say to the contrary, The fact we assert, and at the same time defy contradiction, that, since the creation of the world to the present time, there never has existed a country whose useful subjects have been so bur- dened for the support of a useless, idle, and pro- fligate oligarchy : and in proof of this assertion we have only to point to our enormous expenditure — our army and navy, which are officered for the most part by the unprovided sons of our extrava- gant nobility : our church, in many instances filled in the same manner, whose services in our opinion would be better for the country if they were dispensed with — but above all look to our pension list, of itself a disgrace to any civilised country — the resort of all classes of our aristocracy, who have been beggared by the profligacy of themselves or their parents ; — all these, the army, navy, church, 158 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. pension list, &c., are supported by the overburdened working classes of Great Britain. In the four- teenth century, it would appear the avarice of the nobility compelled similar exactions for equally iniquitous and unjust purposes. After Wat and his family had enjoyed many years of happiness ; a striking change appeared to come over the whole country. The indolence naturally attendant on old age and infirmities had made the king, in a great measure, resign the administration into the hands of the Duke of Lancaster, who was far from being popu- lar, and thereby greatly weakened the affection which the people had hitherto borne to the person and government of Edward. The Black Prince saw with regret those disorders, but was incapable of finding a remedy for them. The aspiring dis- position of his brother, now augmented by the king's inattention to the affairs of government, made him apprehensive for his son's succession : he, however, founded his hopes on the love of the nation for himself, and trusted that it would ex- tend to his offspring. The Prince of Wales, after languishing for several years, died on the 8th of June, 1376. The valour and military talents of this prince, great as they were, formed the smallest part of his merit; his generosity, humanity, affa- bility, and moderation, gained him the approbation of the whole world ; and the most shining heroes LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 159 of ancient and modern history never produced a character in which so many virtues centred un- tinged by any vices. Walsingham, an old historian, thus emphatically writes of him : — a The good fortune of England, as if it had been inherent in his person, flourished in his health, languished in his sickness, and expired at his death ; with whom died all the hopes of Englishmen. During his life they feared no invasion of the enemy, nor encounter in battle ; for he assailed no nation but he over- came, and besieged no city that he did not take." Never was the death of any prince so much re- gretted. King Edward survived the Black Prince about ten months, expiring in the sixty-fifth year of his age, and the fifty-first of his reign. England was thus deprived of two princes, its chief ornaments and support ; and the people were soon made aware of the irreparable loss they had sustained, in the misgovernment of his successor. Richard II., the son of the Black Prince, suc- ceeded his grandfather, Edward III. ; but being only eleven years of age, the management of public affairs was entrusted by the parliament to the king's three uncles, during his minority.— These were John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and the Dukes of York and Gloucester. The different dispositions of these princes, it was thought, would cause them to check the designs of 160 XIFE OP WAT TYLER. each other. Lancaster was a tyrant, consequently anything but popular; York was indolent and weak; and Gloucester turbulent, popular, and ambitious. The new reign was ushered in with a spirited attack made by the French on the southern coast of England, with fifty sail of ships, which reduced the town of Rye, in Sussex, to ashes; and proceeding westward, landed on the Isle of Wight, which they plundered with great fury ; Portsmouth, Dartmouth, and Plymouth, all felt the rage of the invaders ; while the regency took no measures to recover the national repose and honour. The people in those parts, however, got together what force they could muster, and, unsupported by government, made head against the French, whom they compelled to retreat to their ships, and return home. This laxity on the part of the regents created many enemies to their administration ; and the spirit of the nation, although damped by the inactivity of the execu- tive power, was not to be suppressed. The Duke of Lancaster, in 1378, with a large army and fleet, sailed for the purpose of defending the British dominions in France; but he shortly returned home, without adding to his military reputation. Sir John Arundel was despatched in the following year, with a considerable reinforce- ment, for the same destination ; but his squadron was dispersed by a storm, and the greatest part LIFE OP "WAT TYLER. 161 shipwrecked on the coasts of Ireland, Wales, or Cornwall; Sir John, and upwards of a thousand men-at-arms, perishing. The next year, other supplies were sent from England ; not willing to risk again the dangers of the sea, they were trans- ported to Calais, and marched from thence to Bretagne; but these brave troops were cruelly neglected by the government at home, insomuch, . that a want of the necessaries of life compelled them to evacuate the country, and seek their native home in small parties, as fugitives and vagabonds ; at the same time, the French gallies burnt Graves- end, and plundered the Kentish coast. Like all other imbecile and tyrannical governments, the present regency, in order to support their dis- graceful extravagance, burdened the people with the most odious taxes. The consequence of this conduct on the part of the government, was, that discontents arose among the common people who were reduced to extreme distress. They had acquired a share of liberty sufficient to inspire them with a desire for more, and this desire was greatly increased by the discourses of one John Ball, a priest, who had received gross injustice from the hands of some of the retainers of government. He perambulated the country, and inculcated on the minds of the people, that mankind were derived from one common stock, and explained to them, that it was to support a L 162 LIFE OP WAT TYLER. few in riotous luxury, in extravagance and de- bauchery, that the many were reduced to starvation. He had tried in vain to discover the right a few had to bend the mass of their fellow-beings to their absolute will, because one happened to be born in a palace and others in huts. He also in- formed them that all of them had equal right to liberty, and the goods of nature, of which they had been deprived by the ambition of a few insolent rulers. These doctrines were greedily swallowed by the oppressed populace, who were further inflamed, by another infamous imposition, called the poll-tax, of three groats a head upon every person in the kingdom above fifteen years of age. This had been granted as a supply by parliament, under the pretence of the expensive wars in which the kingdom was engaged ; but its gross injustice, in laying no more burden upon the rich than the poor, excited the resentment of the people. The manner, too, of collecting this tax, soon furnished them with an occasion of revolt, as a report was industriously spread that the peasants were to be destroyed, their houses burned, and their goods plundered. Wat Tyler was the first that excited them to arms. Wat, as we have already mentioned, was living peaceably with his family in the village of Broxley. In his youth he had been a favourite with the villagers, and now in his more advanced LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 163 years he was looked up to by them, with a reverence which made his word a law. Shortly after his marriage with Rose, he took possession of the forge, which formerly belonged to Werner, who preferred remaining in the army ; since which time, Wat had pursued the business of a black- smith and armourer. The tax-gatherers, coming to Wat's house, demanded payment of the pole -tax for his daughter. This he refused, alleging, as was the truth, that she was under the age mentioned in the act. One of these fellows denied this, and offered to produce a very indecent proof to the contrary, and for this purpose roughly laid hold of the maid. Wat resented this brutal behaviour, and immediately knocked out the ruffian's brains with a hammer, which he had in his hand. The byestanders applauded the action; and declared it was high time for the people to take vengeance ©n their tyrants, and to vindicate their rights.. The villagers of Broxley rose to a man, and ap- pointed Wat Tyler their leader ; and hurried to the neighbouring villages, in order to rouse the inhabitants, to unite for the purpose of demanding from the king and his counsellors an ameliora- tion of their condition, and an emancipation of slavery. As the obnoxious tax was imposed throughout the country, intelligence of the murder of the tax-gatherer in Broxley, quickly spread through the adjoining counties, when the whole 164 LIFE OP WAT TYLER. population immediately flew to arms, and the insurgents soon amounted to upwards of one hun- dred thousand men. Wat Tyler, the bold smith of Broxley, was unanimously appointed leader of this immense assemblage. He accepted the office upon the express condition that obedience would be paid to his orders, as by that alone, could they hope for success; and explained to them the nature of the demands which, if granted, would greatly better their condition : — 1. — An entire freedom from the condition of serfs for themselves and their children for ever. 2. — The reduction of good land to a moderate price. 3. — The right to buy and sell in all markets and fairs throughout the kingdom. 4.- — That they be charged with no more taxes than what their forefathers paid. 5. — A field rent instead of those services required by the tenure of villenage ; and 6. — As God gave all men alike the fish of the waters, the fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field for their support, it is but proper to demand a common right to hunt and fish, to prevent thou- sands from dying of starvation, while surrounded by plenty, which they dare not touch, being pre- served for the amusement of the rich, by the law framed by the wealthy at the expense of the poor, LIFE OF WAT TYLER, 165 and in direct contradiction to the law of God;* and lastly, a general pardon for all past offences ; and Wat concluded by assuring them, if they * This proves without the shadow of a doubt that the aristocracy of England had, even in the fourteenth century, their infamous game laws, which in our modern days have been the cause of so much bloodshed — so much ruin to poor but honest working men— so much destitution to respectable families. The law is of itself blasphemous ; it defies the command of the Creator of the universe, who in his holy word expressly says unto man generally, not to noblemen or landowners particularly,— 1 ' Be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it ; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." This law of God, however, has been reversed by an insignificant number of men, whose acts show to the world that they consider themselves wiser than their great Maker, and they have said—" If you touch the fish, or the fowl, or the beasts of the field, except such as we consider too coarse for our refined stomachs, you shall be punished as felons, as God has created these for our peculiar use, and we would rather that twenty hard-working slaves should perish, than that one pheasant, hare or any other animal, created expressly for our enjoyment should be harmed. It is enough for the tillers of the soil that they get what we can spare from their earnings, and the coarsest food is sufficient for those who were brought into the world to support us. We must be clothed, we must be fed, and we must enjoy our ease and our pleasures : we are perfectly aware that all these are furnished at the expense of working men, but their forefathers have submitted for centuries, and they must continue to submit ; as it was never intended by abeneficient Creator that a nobleman should earn his bread by the sweat of his brow." Such is the conduct, if not the language of those who are condemned in the book of holy writ ; and it is surprising that the immense mass of working men in England should submit to the detestable laws of such a miserable few. How long will this state of things continue ? 166 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. were true to themselves they could not fail of success ; but in their efforts to obtain a redress of their wrongs, they were to be careful in not inflicting wrong upon others, especially such as had been common sufferers with themselves ; and commanded on pain of death that, on their way to London, whither they were bound to obtain a redress of grievances, every man should pay for whatever provisions he had. The insurgents accordingly proceeded towards London; and the king being at Windsor Castle when he received intelligence of these proceedings, he instantly quitted it and threw himself into the Tower of London. The insurgents advanced to Blackheath, where they sent a message to the king, desiring a conference with him. The king was willing to comply with their demands ; but on his approaching them, they uttered a tremendous shout, which so far from assuring the king, as it was in- tended, had the effect of intimidating him ; and he required little counselling from his false advisers to return to the Tower. The Earl of Salisbury, if we are to credit Frossart, said to the insurgents — " Gentlemen, you are not properly dressed, nor in a fit condition for the king to talk with you." The people were indignant at this wanton insult, the more wanton as this poverty had been caused by the herd of ignoble noblemen who surrounded the king, and gave a roar of contempt which might LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 167 have frightened braver men than were with his majesty, and they immediately hurried back to the Tower. Wat Tylers order for an instant march to London was obeyed as soon as heard ; and they entered the city, burning and plundering the houses of such as were obnoxious to the people. Such conduct was against the strict orders of their ac- knowledged leader, but with an irregular assem- blage of upwards of one hundred thousand men, it was impossible for Wat to prevent many acts which he had forbidden. Their animosity was par- ticularly levelled against the lawyers, and no sooner was one of that class espied, than he was seized, and to all such they showed no mercy. The king at last knowing the Tower was not able to resist their assailants, ventured out among them, and de- sired to know their demands. To this they made a very humble remonstrance ; requiring a general pardon, the abolition of slavery, freedom of com- merce in the market towns, and a stipulated rent instead of those services required by the tenure of villenage. The king granted all these requests with great readiness, by the advice of his courtiers ; who proposed that he should grant, though he should not ratify them ; and charters were made out by which the grants were ratified. In the meantime, however, another body of these insurgents, prin- cipally composed of the citizens of London broke into the town, and murdered the chancellor, the 168 LIFE OP WAT TYLER. primate, and the treasurer, with some other officers of distinction. "The whole number of the common people" says Stow, " were at that time divided into three parts ; of the which one part was attending to destroy the manor of Highbery, and other places belonging to the Prior of St. John. Another,com- pany lay at the Milesend, east of the citie. The third kept at Tower Hill, there to spoyle the king of such victuals as were brought towards him." At the head of one of these divisions was Wat Tyler, who led his men into Srnithfield, where he was met by the king, who invited him" to a con- ference under pretence of hearing and redressing his grievances. Wat requested his companions to retire till he should give them a signal, as he was determined to go unattended. His friend Wilfred, as well as John Ball, solicited to be allowed to ac- company him as they were afraid of the treachery of the nobility who attended the king if he went by himself; in order to obtain his permission, Wil- fred reminded Wat of their mutual friendship when boys, of their having so often supported each other in the battle field, of their having lived in happi- ness and adversity together, of having shared each others fate till now ; and all that he asked was still to be at his side, to die as he had lived in com- panionship with his early friend. Wat Tyler knew the danger that would result if LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 169 any insult was offered him in the presence of Wil- fred, and was, therefore, resolute in refusing per- mission either to him or John Ball to accompany him, and boldly ventured, with a conscience void of guilt, to wait upon the king, surrounded as he was by the cruel oppressors of the people, and on that account mortal enemies to him as the supporter of the people's rights. Conscious honesty of purpose . made him calm and collected, and to the great dismay of the sycophants surrounding the king, he unfolded to him a plain unvarnished tale, the facts of which he was aware the youthful monarch was kept ignorant of; and explained to him the wretch- ed state of the country oppressed by the exorbitant amount of taxation whieh the people were com- pelled to pay, while their hardest labour was insuf- ficient for that purpose, and they at the same time were reduced to the greatest misery, on account of their being prevented from applying to the support of themselves and their families such food as was granted to mankind by the beneficence of their Creator, through the cruelty and avarice of those who considered themselves the superiors of the la- bouring classes ; that he himself from the love he bore his (the King's) father was inclined to pity the condition to which the monarch was reduced through the influence of evil councillors, and which was likely to withdraw from him the affection and fealty of his subjects, who were ground to the dust 170 LIFE OF WAT TYLER. by the merciless conduct of his government, which was supported in affluence at the expense of the poor mans labour, which left him nothing for the support of himself and family; and that the im- mense multitude he now saw collected came there for the purpose of demanding a reparation of the grievous wrongs to which they had been subjected ; and if these demands were refused, they were de- termined to right themselves by force, even if it should be at the expense of the lives of all those who had so cruelly oppressed them ; and concluded his address by requesting his majesty to look at the miserable few who surrounded him, and by whose advice his subjects were reduced to such a state of misery, who could not even assist themselves, far less assist him or his country ; and on the other hand to look at the immense multitude now gathered together, who were the sinews of the country, and were well disposed towards the king, if their rights were allowed them. While the courtiers were astonished at the boldness of this plain address, the king asked Wat Tyler what the people's demands really were, and if in his power they should be granted ; but some of the nobles, who were becoming timorous lest his majesty should place too much confidence in the representations made by Wat, recommended the king to dismiss him without further parley; one of whom more con- spicuous than his companions, Wat at once silenced LIFE OF WAT TYLER. 171 by a look of such majesty as only an honest man could assume ; and then proceeded to lay before the king the demands of the people — these were that serfdom should be abolished throughout England now and for ever, God having made all men equal, therefore it was unjust that one class, and that by far the fewest in number, should make slaves of their fellow men. That the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, and the fish of the rivers and sea, should be free, as God had provided them, for the poor as well as for the rich ; as it was cruel to in- sist that men and their families should die of star- vation in the midst of plenty provided by a boun- tiful Providence for the support of all, not for the amusement of a few ; and that a general pardon should be granted for their present rising and all past offences of a similar kind ; and he assured his majesty that the people now collected together, ou receiving a favourable answer to these just demands, would retire peacefully to their homes, and remain devoted subjects. Whilst Wat Tyler, was stating these demands, the king's retinue gradually sur- rounded him so that he could no longer be seen by his followers ; but earnest in the cause he was advo- cating he did not perceive this movement till it was too late to remedy it ; and while he was speaking, he once or twice thoughtlessly put his hand to the hilt of his sword, which so much irritated William Walworth, lord mayor of London, that without 172 LIFE OP WAT TYLER. considering the danger to which he exposed the king's person, cried out " Peasant, churl ! dare you threaten the king V and with a blow of his mace struck Wat to the ground ; while the gallant noble whom Wat had silenced with his majestic look, sprung forward and dispatched him with his dag- ger. The mutineers, seeing their leader fall, pre- pared themselves to take ample revenge. Their bows were already bent to send a shower of death amongst the followers of the king, when Richard, though only sixteen years of age, rode up to the rebels, and with great presence of mind cried out, " What, my brave people, will you kill your king ? Be not concerned for the loss of your leader, I my- self will be your general. Follow me into the fields, and all reasonable demands shall be imme- diately granted !" The leader, whom a few minutes previously they could have worshipped as a superior being, was now forgotten by the fickle crowd, who followed the king into the fields, where he granted them the same charters that he had before granted to their companions. These charters, however, were, as might have been expected, soon after revoked, and the common people reduced to the state of misery in which they had formerly been, and which was the cause of Richard justly losing the popular fa- vour. There was still one friend of Wat Tyler who LIFE OP WAT TYLER. 1?3 remained behind the multitude, whose affection had never wavered ; he had been the companion of Wat in his hours of sorrow, as well as in his hours of sunshine; and now when the treachery he suspected had been performed, he was deter- mined, at least, to attempt the recovery of the remains of his more than brother. It was with difficulty that Wilfred at length obtained the man- gled corpse of Wat, which he found means to convey to Broxley, where it was interred in the spot pointed out by himself for that purpose many years before. It is needless for us to observe, that Rose, the beloved partner, was inconsolable for the loss of him, who had so long been to her a guiding star, and in a short time was laid by his side. "They were lovely in their lives, and in their deaths they were not divided/' The young and lovely daughter of Wat felt severely the loss of her natural parents, but through the kind solicitude of the affectionate Wilfred and his wife, who was equally dear to her, she was prevented^ from feeling that loss so acutely as she would otherwise have done. In the course of a few months, she became the wife of one of the village youths, who had gained her affections, as well as the consent of her father to their union, which would have taken place before, had it not been for the ill-fated insurrection. They lived happily together for many years, 174 LIFE OP WAT TYLER. " and reared A numerous offspring like themselves, And good, the grace of all the country round." After the death of Wat, Wilfred never regained his elasticity of spirit, but wandered listless about the village for about two years, when he died of a broken heart. At his own request, he was buried by the side of his old and trusty friend, whose life he would, at any time, have saved at the expense of his own. The courage, address, and presence of mind, which King Richard had discovered in quelling such a dangerous tumult, gave great hopes to the nation ; but in proportion as he advanced in years, these hopes were blasted, and his want of capa- city appeared in every enterprise he attempted. He had lost the confidence of the common people after Wat Tylers insurrection, having caused some the ringleaders to be put to death, without even the appearance or form of trial ; nor did he long retain the affection of his nobility, and was shortly after deposed ; and his cruel death in the Castle of Pomfret is too well known for us to relate. H. G. Collins, Paternoster Row, London. POPULAR STANDARD WORKS HANDSOMELY BOUND IN CLOTH, SOLD BY H. G. COLLINS, LONDON, J. MENZIES, EDINBUKGH, And all Booksellers. 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