Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 All the foresaid villanies notwithstanding against the king and the state, tending wholie to the subuer|sion of law and ciuill gouernement, albeit the wre [...]| [...]hes deserued no sparke of fauour, but ex [...]eame so|ueritie of iudgement to be executed vpon them; yet (as yee haue heard) besides the great clemencie of the king, exhibited vnto them in remitting their EEBO page image 434 offense, and acquiting them from the rigor of the law, he granted and gaue to them the charter, which they had requested, faire written and sealed, to auoid a greater mischiefe, & commanded it for a time to be deliuered them, knowing that Essex and Kent were not so pacified, but that if they were not the sooner contented, and that partlie after their minds, they would vp againe. The tenor of the charter which was gotten thus by force of the king was as followeth:

12.1. The forme of the kings charter of Manumission.

The forme of the kings charter of Manumission.

The like there was granted to them of other countries as well as to these of Hert|foreshire in y^e same forme, the names of the coun [...]es changed. _RIchardus Dei gratia rex Angliae & Franciae, & dominus Hiberniae: om|nibus balliuis & fidelibus suis, ad quos praesentes litterae peruenerint, salu|tem. Sciatis quòd de gratia nostra speciali manumi|simus vniuersos ligeos & singulos subditos nostros & alios comitatus Hertfordiae, & ipsos & eorum quemlibet ab omni bondagio exuimus, & quietos facimus per praesentes, ac etiam perdonamus eisdem ligeis ac subditis nostris omnimodas felonias, pro|ditiones, transgressiones, & extortiones, per ipsos vel aliquem eorum qualitercúnque factas siue perpetratas, ac etiam vtlagariam & vtlagarias, si qua vel quae in ipsos, vel aliquem ipsorum fuerit vel fuerint hijs occasionibus promulgata vel pro|mulgatae, & summam pacem nostram eis & eorum cuilibet inde concedimus. In cuius rei testimo|nium, has litteras nostras fieri fecimus patentes. Teste meipso apud London 15 die Iunij. Anno regni nostri quarto.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 The commons hauing obteined this charter de|parted home, but ceassed not from their riotous de|meanour in sundrie parts of the realme, and especi|allie at saint Albons,The townes|men of saint Albons not yet quieted. where after the townesmen were returned home, they kept such a coile against the abbat and moonks, to haue certeine ancient char|ters deliuered them that concerned their liberties, and to haue such new made and deliuered to them as might serue their purpose; that bicause such old char|ters as they requested were not to be had, the abbat and moonks looked euerie houre when their house should be set on fire and burnt ouer their heads. The prior and certeine other as well moonks as laie men that were seruants to the abbat, fled for feare of the rage of those misgouerned people, knowing that they hated them deadlie, and therefore looked for no cour|tesie at their hands. They had obteined the kings let|ters vnto the abbat, commanding him to deliuer vn|to them such charters as they had giuen information to be remaining in his hands, so that vnder colour thereof, they called for those writings in most impor|tunate wise, threatning sore, if they were not brought to light, vtterlie to destroie the house by setting it on fire.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But to speake of all the vnrulie parts of those vn|rulie people, it were too long a processe: yet at length after they vnderstood how their grand capteine and chéefe ringleader Wat Tiler was slaine, they be|gan somewhat to asswage their presumptuous at|tempts, the rather for that there came a knight with the kings letter of protection in behalfe of the abbat and his house, and yet they were not so calmed, but that they continued in requiring to haue chapters made to them by the abbat, of the like forme and ef|fect [...]o that which the king had made, concerning the infranchising them from bondage, whereby they that obteined such charters tooke themselues to be dis|charged of all seruices and accustomed labors, so that they meant not to doo any further works, nor yeeld such customes as before time they vs [...]allie had béene accustomed to doo and yéeld vnto their landlords.