Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Great noise rose about this matter in the stréets, and the poore folks being glad, euerie man arraied himselfe to support Iohn Tiler, & thus the commons drew togither, and went to Maidestone, and from thence to Blackheath, where their number so increa|sed, that they were reckoned to be thirtie thousand. And the said Iohn Tiler tooke vpon him to be their cheefe capteine, naming himselfe Iacke Straw. ¶Others write, that one Thomas Baker of Fob|hings was the first that procured the people thus to assemble togither: and that one of the kings ser|uants named Iohn Leg, with three of his fellowes, practised to féele yoong maids whether they were vn|dergrowne (as yée haue hard the officer did at Dert|ford) which dishonest and vnséemelie kind of dealing did set the people streight in such a rage and vprore, that they cared not what they did to be reuenged of such iniuries.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 But Thomas Walsingham affirmeth, that the first sparkes of this rebellion kindled in Essex,The commõs of Essex begin the commotiõ as Wal. saith. where the inhabitants of two townes onelie at the first, that were the authors and first stirrers of all this mis|chéefe, did send vnto euerie little towne about, that all manner of men, as well those that were aged, as others that were in their lustiest time and youthfull EEBO page image 430 yeares, should come to them with speed, setting all ex|cuses apart, in their best arraie and furniture for warre, threatening to such as came not, that their goods should be spoiled, their houses burnt or cast downe, and they to lose their heads when th [...]y were taken. The terror of this threatning caused the igno|rant people to flo [...]ke to them by heaps, leauing all their businesse, letting plough and cart stand, forsak|ing wife, children, and houses, so that in a short time there were fiue thousand gotten togither of those commons and husbandmen, of which number manie were weaponed onelie with staues, some with rustie swords and billes,The armor of ye Essex rebels and other with smokie bowes, more ruddie than old yuorie, not hauing past two or thrée arrowes, and the same happilie with one feather a peece.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 Among a thousand of those kind of persons, yée should not haue séene one well armed: and yet by reason of their multitude, when they were once got togither, they thought the whole relme had not beene able to resist them; and supposed that they could with facilitie (in respect of the aduerse part) make the states of the land stoope to them, and by their permission to reteine or compulsion to resigne their roomes of dignitie. But the sond conceited rowt considered not the euent of this insurrection, that the woorst would be their owne; for the old saieng is true, namelie
Laeditur a stimulo quicun fricatur ab illo.Moreouer, to make their part the stronger, these Essexmen sent ouer into Kent, aduertising the peo|ple there of their enterprise, and therefore willed them to make them readie to ioine with them for their obteining of libertie, and reforming of the euill customs of the realme. Whether the Kentishmen through persuasions of their neighbors of Essex, by occasion of that which had chanced at Dertford (as before yée haue heard) or (as it may be) the same chan|cing at that selfe time, they being mooued as well by the one as the other, vp they got (as yée haue heard) and gathering their power out of the next quarters adioining, by the like policie which had béene practised by the Essexmen, they stirred vp the most part of the countrie to ioine with them, and foorthwith stopping the waie that led to Canturburie, and arresting all such as passed by the same, they caused them to swere that they should be true to king Richard,The oth mi|nistred by the rebels to all passengers. and to the commons, & neuer to receiue anie king that should be called Iohn. And this was for the enuie which they bare to Iohn of Gant the duke of Lancaster, who in right of his wife Constance, that was daughter to king Peter of Castile, did name himselfe king of Castile.