Now he craued of the king that all warrens, wa|ters, parks and woods should be common, so that as well poore as rich might fréelie in any place where|soeuer practise fishing in ponds, pooles, riuers, or any waters, and might hunt déere in forrests and parkes, and the hare in the fields, with diuerse other requests, which he would haue granted without contradiction or gainesaieng, and exercise without controlment. Now when the king in the grant hereof by delibera|tion vsed some delaie, Iacke Straw drew neerer vn|to him, and speaking vnto him certeine thretening words, tooke hold of the horsses bridle whereon the king rode, vpon what presumptuous enterprise I wot not. Which Iohn Walworth a burgesse of Lon|don beholding, and fearing present death to hang o|uer the kings head, caught a weapon in his hand, and therwith thrust Iacke Straw through the throte, which when another that was by being an esquier, named Rafe Standish did see, with his weapon also ran him through the sides; in so much that he fell flat on his backe to the ground, and beating with his hands to and fro a while, at last he gaue vp his vnhap|pie ghost.

Then a great clamor and lamentable outcrie was made, and heard a great while togither, saieng; Our guide is dead, our capteine is dead. And indéed so he was, being dragged by the hands and féet in a vile and contemptible sort into saint Bartholomewes church hard by. Then did manie of the vnrulie multi|tude withdraw themselues, and vanishing awaie betooke them to their héeles, being about the number (as it was thought) of ten thousand. Then the king minding to make amends and to requite receiued courtesie, knighted the said Iohn Walworth, & Rafe Standish, with foure burgesses more of the citie, namelie Iohn Philpot, Nicholas Brembre, Iohn Laund, and Nicholas Twifeld, girding them about the wast with the girdle of knighthood, which was the maner of their graduating. Then the king hauing ordeined and made the foresaid six knights, com|manded that the residue of the curssed crue should de|part and get them into the field, that méeting togi|ther in a companie, he might fall vnto a treatie of a|greement with them.

The rowt being there assembled, behold a multi|tude of armed men ran rusting out of the citie, sir Robert Knols being their capteine, who with these his soldiers compassed & hedged in the poore cattiues distressed in the field like shéepe that haue lost their shéepheard. Then the king of his accustomed cle|mencie, being pricked with pitie, would not that the wretches should die, but spared them being a rash and foolish multitude, and commanded them euerie man to get him home to his owne house; howbeit manie of them, at the kings going awaie suffered the danger of death. In this miserable taking were reckoned to the number of twentie thousand. Thus saith Knighton, not as an eie-witnesse, but as taught by heare-saie, whereby he compiled the greatest part of his annales, as he himselfe confesseth, seeming sor|rie that he was so constreined, as by part of the octa|s [...]ichon at the foot of the first page, intituled Lamentum compilatoris, appeareth in maner and forme following:

Sum caecus factus subita caligine tactus,

Nec opus inceptum iam corrigo forsan ineptum,

Me metuo dubium pro veris saepe locutum,

Plus audita loquor quàm mihi visa sequor, &c.