Compare 1577 edition: 1 In the meane time, the lord maior of London was returned into the citie, with one man onelie attend|ing vpon him, and cried to the citizens;Uehement words of the maior of Lo [...]don to the [...] crieng for aid against the rebels. Oh yée good and vertuous citizens, come foorth out of hand, and helpe your king readie to be slaine, & helpe me your EEBO page image 433 maior standing in the same perill; or if yée will not helpe me for some faults committed by me against you, yet forsake not your king, but helpe and succour him in this present danger. When the worshipfull ci|tizens and other, that in their loiall hearts loued the king, had heard these words, incontinentlie they put themselues in strong and sure armor,An armie without a capteine. to the number of a thousand men, and gathering themselues togi|ther into the stréets, tarried but for some lord or knight that might conduct them to the king: and by chance there came vnto them sir Robert Knolles, whome all of them requested that he would be their leader, least comming out of arraie and order, they might the sooner be broken, who willinglie led one part of them, and certeine other knights led other of them, clad in faire bright armour vnto the kings pre|sence. The king with the lords, knights and esquires, not a little reioised at the comming of those armed men, and streightwaies compassed the commons a|bout, as they had béene a flocke of sheepe that should haue béene closed within some fold, till it pleased the sheepheard to appoint foorth, which should be thrust into pasture, and which taken to go to the shambels.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The rebels quite discou|raged threw downe their weapons at the comming of the Lon|doners in aid [...]f the king.There was to be seene a maruellous change of the right hand of the lord, to behold how they throwing downe stanes, bils, axes, swords, bowes and arowes, humblie began to sue for pardon, which a little before gloried to haue the life of the king and his seruants wholie and altogither in their hands, power, and dis|position. The poore wretches sought to hide them|selues in the corne that grew in the fields, in ditches, hedges, and dennes, and wheresoeuer they might get out of the way, so to safe gard their liues. The knights that were with the king would gladlie haue beene dooing with them, and requested licence of him to strike off the heads of some one or two hundred of them, that it might be a witnesse in time to come, that the force of the order of knighthood was able to doo somewhat against the carters and ploughmen: but the king would not suffer them, alledging that manie of them were come thither by compulsion, and not of their owne accord, and therfore it might come to passe that those should die for it, that had nothing offended: but he commanded that there should be proclamation made in London, that the citizens should haue no dealings with them, nor suffer anie of them to come within the citie that night, but to cause them to lie without doores.

Abraham Fle|ming out of Henrie Knigh|ton canon of Leicester abbeie.¶In the report of this commotion chronographers doo somewhat varie, as by this present extract out of Henrie Knighton canon of Leicester abbeie, liuing at the time of this tumult may appeare: which Abra|ham Fleming hath faithfullie and trulie translated out of the annales of the said canon written in parch|ment in old Latine letters, as followeth. Upon a sa|turdaie, these malcontents [to wit, Thomas Baker the first moouer but afterwards the principall lea|ders, Iacke Straw, Iacke Miler, Iacke Carter, Iacke Trewman, and their trecherous traine] met togither in Smithfield, whither also the king repaired in the morning, who although in yeares he was but yoong, yet in wisedome and discretion he was well growne. The ringleader of this tumultuous rowt, whose right name was Wat Tiler, which he had now changed into Iacke Straw, approched neere the king, in so much that he might in a maner touch him, be|ing the mouth of all the residue, and hauing in his hand a drawne dagger, which he tossed from hand to hand, boy-like plaieng with it, & watching due time therewith, if not to [...]ab, yet suddenlie to smite the king, if he denied their requests. Wherevpon they that were next and about the king were greatlie af|feard, least his pretended mischeefe should come to passe.