20.1. The tenor of the bill of complaint which doctor Bele read in open audi|ence at the Spitle.
The tenor of the bill of complaint which doctor Bele read in open audi|ence at the Spitle.
_TO all you the worshipfull lords & maisters of this citie, [...] Hall in Hen. 8. fol. 60. that will take compassion ouer the poore people your neighbours, and also of the great importable hurts, losses, and hinderances, whereof proceedeth the ex|treame pouertie to all the kings subiects, that inhabit within this citie and suburbs of the same. For so it is, that the aliens & strangers eat the bread from the father|lesse children, and take the liuing from all the artificers, and the intercourse from all merchants, whereby pouertie is so much increased, that euerie man bewaileth the miserie of other; for craftsmen be brought to beggerie, and merchants to needinesse. Wherfore the premisses considered, the re|dresse must be of the commons, knit and v|nited to one part. And as the hurt and da|mage greeueth all men, so must all men set to their willing power for remedie, & not to suffer the said aliens so highlie in their wealth; & the naturall borne men of this region to come to confusion. ¶ Of this letter was more, but the doctor read no further.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 When he had read this letter, or the chiefest part thereof, comprehending (as ye haue heard) much sedi|tious matter,In vndiscret preacher. he began with this sentence, Coelum coeli Domino, terram autem dedit filijs hominum, and vpon this text he intreated, how this land was giuen to Eng|lishmen. And as birds defend their nests, so ought Englishmen to cherish and mainteine themselues, and to hurt and grieue aliens for respect of their com|mon-wealth. And vpon this text Pugna pro patria, he brought in, how by Gods law it was lawfull to fight for their countrie. And thus he subtilie mooued or ra|ther vndiscréetlie prouoked the people to rebell a|gainst strangers. By this foolish sermon, manie a light person tooke courage, and openlie spake against strangers. And as vnhap would, there had béene di|uerse euill parts plaied of late by strangers, in and about the citie of London, which kindled the peoples rancour the more furiouslie against them.
Now as the diuell would, the sundaie after at Gréenwich in the kings gallerie was Francis de Bard, who (as yee haue heard) kept an Englishmans wife and his goods, and yet he could haue no remedie; and with him were Domingo, Anthonie Caueler, and manie more strangers, and there they talking with sir Thomas Palmer knight, iested and laughed how that Francis kept the Englishmans wife,Note the sa [...]|cie, brode, shamelesse, and dishonest boa|sting of the strangers in their lewdnes sai|eng that if they had the maiors wife of London they would kéepe hir. Sir Thomas said; Sirs you haue too much fauour in England. There were diuerse Eng|lish merchants by, who heard them laugh, and were not content, in so much as one William Bolt a mer|cer said; Well you whoreson Lombards, you reiois [...] and laugh, by the masse we will one daie haue a fling at you, come when it will. And that saieng the other merchants affirmed. This tale was reported about London, and the yoong and euill disposed people said they would be reuenged on the merchants strangers as well as on the artificers strangers. ¶On monday the morow after, the king remooued to his manor of Richmond.]