Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 On saint Margarets daie, the king being readie to take his iournie to Berkhamstéed, in the great court of the abbeie of S. Albons had all the com|mons of the countie of Hertford before him,The commõs of Hertford|shire sworne to the king. that had summons there to appeare, all that were betwixt fifteene and thréescore yéeres of age, where they tooke an oth togither from thenc [...]foorth, to be faithfull sub|iects vnto him, and neuer to rise or make anie com|motion, to the disturbance of his peace; and rather to die, than to consent vnto anie rebellious persons, whome they should to the vttermost of their powers doo their best, to apprehend and deliuer them to the kings prison, that they might be foorth comming. Af|ter they had receiued this oth, they were licenced to depart, and the king rode to Berkhamsteed, where he remained for a time, and went to Esthamstéed to re|create himselfe with hunting, where he was infor|med, that those which were hanged at S. Albons, were taken from the gallowes, and remooued a good waie from the same: with which presumption he was so stirred, that he sent foorthwith his letters to the bai|liffes of the towne of S. Albons, commanding them vpon the sight of the same, to cause cheines to be made, and to bring the said bodies backe vnto the gallowes, and to hang them in those chaines vpon the same gallowes, there to remaine, so long as one peece might sticke to another, according to the forme of the iudgement giuen. The test of this writ thus di|rected to the bailiffes of saint Albons, was at Est|hamstéed the third of August, in the fift yeare of this kings reigne, and in the yeare of our lord a thousand three hundred foure score and one.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 The townesmen of S. Albons durst not disobeie the kings commandement, and so hanged vp againe in chaines the dead bodies of their neighbors, great|lie to their shame and reproch, when they could get none other for anie wages to come néere the stink|ing carcasses, but that they were constreined them|selues to take in hand so vile an office. And such was the end of the tumults at S. Albons, where as well as in other places, the vnrulie commons had plaied their parts. To conclude and make an end of these diuelish troubles, to the end it may appeare, in what danger as well the K. as the whole state of the realme stood, by the mischéefous attempts of the vnrulie peo|ple, I haue thought good to declare the confession of Iacke Straw one of their chéefe capteins (and next in reputation amongst them vnto Wat Tiler) when he came to be executed in London, according to iudi|ciall sentence passed against him.
¶ At the same time (said he) that we were assembled vpon Blackeheath,The con [...]es [...]|on of Iacke Straw at the time of his death. and had sent to the king to come vnto vs, our purpose was to haue slaine all such knights, esquiers, and gentlemen, as should haue gi|uen their attendance thither vpon him: and as for the king, we would haue kept him amongst vs, to the end that the people might more boldlie haue repaired to vs, sith they should haue thought, that whatsoeuer we did, the same had béene doone by his authoritie. Finally, when we had gotten power inough, that we needed not to feare anie force that might be made against vs, we would haue slaine all such noble men, as might either haue giuen counsell, or made anie resistance against vs, speciallie the knights of the Rhodes; and lastlie we would haue killed the king and all men of possessions, with bishops, moonks, cha|nons and parsons of churches, onelie friers Mendi|cants we would haue spared, that might haue suffi|ced for ministration of the sacraments. And when we had made a riddance of all those, we would haue deuised lawes, according to the which the subiects of this realme should haue liued, for we would haue created kings, as Wat Tiler in Kent, and other in other countries. But bicause this our purpose was disappointed by the archbishop of Canturburie, that would not permit the king to come to vs, we sought by all meanes to dispatch him out of the waie, as at length we did. Morouer, the same euening that Wat Tiler was killed, we were determined, hauing the greatest part of the commons of the citie bent to ioine with vs, to haue set fire in foure corners of the citie, and so to haue diuided amongst vs the spoile of the cheefest riches that might haue beene found at our pleasure. And this (said he) was our purpose, as God may helpe me now at my last end.