15.1. The complaint of the commons of Kent, and causes of their assemblie on the Blackheath.

The complaint of the commons of Kent, and causes of their assemblie on the Blackheath.

_INprimis, it is openlie noised that Kent should be destroied with a roiall power, & made a wild forrest, for the death of the [...]uke of Suffolke, of which the commons of [...]ent thereof were neuer giltie.

2 Item, the king is stirred to liue onelie on his commons, and other men to haue the reuenues of the crowne, the which hath caused pouertie in his ex|cellencie, and great paiments of the people, now late to the king granted in his parlement.

3 Item, that the lords of his roiall bloud beene put from his dailie presence, and other meane per|sons of lower nature exalted and made chéefe of his priuie councell, the which stoppeth matters of wrongs done in the realme from his excellent audience, and maie not be redressed as law will; but if bribes and gifts be messengers to the hands of the said coun|cell.

4 Item, the people of this realme be not paid of debts owing for stuffe and purueiance taken to the vse of the kings houshold, in vndooing of the said peo|ple, and the poore commons of the realme.

5 Item, the kings meniall seruants of houshold, and other persons, asken dailie goods and lands, of impeached or indicted of treason, the which the king granteth anon, yer they so indangered be conuicted. The which causeth the receiuers thereof to inforge la|bours and meanes applied to the death of such people, so appeached or indicted, by subtill meanes, for coue|tise of the said grants: and the people so impeached or indicted, though it be vntrue, maie not be committed to the law for their deliuerance, but held still in pri|son to their vttermost vndooing & destruction, for co|uetise of goods.

6 Item, though diuerse of the poore people and commons of the realme, haue neuer so great right, truth, and perfect title to their land: yet by vntrue claime of infeoffement made vnto diuerse states, gentles, and the kings meniall seruants in mainte|nances against the right, the true owners dare not hold, claime, nor pursue their right.

7 Item, it is noised by common voices, that the kings lands in France béene aliened and put awaie from the crowne, and his lords and people there de|stroied with vntrue meanes of treason; of which it is desired, inquiries thorough all the realme to be made how and by whome; & if such traitors maie be found giltie, them to haue execution of law without anie pardon, in example of others.

8 Item, collectors of the fiftéenth penie in Kent be greatlie vexed and hurt, in paieng great summes of monie in the excheker, to sue out a writ called Quorum nomina, for the alowance of the barons of the ports, which now is desired, that hereafter in the lieu of the collectors, the barons aforesaid maie sue it out for their ease at their owne costs.

9 Item, the shiriffes and vndershiriffes let to farme their offices and bailiwickes, taking great suertie therefore, the which causeth extortions doone by them and by their bailiffes to the people.

10 Item, simple and poore people that vse not hunting, be greatlie oppressed by indictements feined & doone by the said shiriffes, vndershiriffes, bailiffes, and other of their assent, to cause their increase for paieng of their said farme.

11 Item, they returne in names of inquests in writing into diuerse courts of the king not summo|ned nor warned, where through the people dailie léese great summes of monie, well nigh to the vttermost of their vndooing: and make leuie of amercements called the gréene wax, more in summes of monie than can be found due of record in the kings books.

12 Item, the ministers of the court of Douer in Kent vex and arrest diuerse people thorough all the shire out of Castle ward, passing their bounds and li|bertie vsed of old time, by diuerse subtill and vntrue meanes and actions falselie feined, taking great fées at their lust in great hurt of the people on all the shire of Kent.

13 Item, the people of the said shire of Kent, maie not haue their frée election in the choosing of knights of the shire: but letters béene sent from di|uerse estates to the great rulers of all the countrie, the which imbraceth their tenants and other people by force to choose other persons than the cõmons will is.

14 Item, whereas knights of the shire should choose the kings collectors indifferentlie without any bribe taking, they haue sent now late to diuerse per|sons, notifieng them to be collectors: wherevpon gifts and bribes be taken, & so the collectors office is bought and sold extortionouslie at the knights lust.

15 Item, the people be sore vexed in costs and labour, called to the sessions of peace in the said shire, appearing from the furthest and vttermost part of the west vnto the east; the which causeth to some men fiue daies iournie: wherevpon they desire the said appearance to be diuided into two parts; the which one part, to appeare in one place; an other part, in an other place; in reléeuing of the gréeuances and intollerable labours & vexations of the said people.

15.2. The requests by the capteine of the great assemblie in Kent.

The requests by the capteine of the great assemblie in Kent.

_INprimis, desireth the capteine of the [...]ommons, the welfare of our souereigne [...]ord the king, and all his true lords spiri| [...]uall and temporall, desiring of our said souereigne lord, and of all the true lords of his coun|cell, he to take in all his demaines, that he maie reigne like a king roiall, according as he is borne our true and christian king annointed: and who so will saie the contrarie, we all will liue and die in the quarell as his true liege men.

Item, desireth the said capteine, that he will auoid all the false progenie and affinitie of the duke of Suf|folke, the which beene openlie knowne, and they to be punished after the custome and law of this land, and to take about his noble person the true lords of his roiall bloud of this his realme, that is to saie, the high and mightie prince the duke of Yorke, late exiled from our said souereigne lords presence (by the mo|tion and stirring of the traitorous and false disposed the duke of Suffolke and his affinitie) and the migh|tie princes & dukes of Excester, Buckingham, and Norffolke, and all the earles and barons of this land: and then shall he be the richest king christian.

Item, desireth the said capteine and commons punishment vnto the false traitors, the which contri|ued EEBO page image 634 and imagined the death of the high, mightfull and excellent prince the duke of Glocester, the which is too much to rehearse; the which duke was proclamed as traitor. Upon the which quarell, we purpose all to liue and die vpon that that it is false.

Item, the duke of Excester, our holie father the cardinall, the noble prince the duke of Warwike, and also the realme of France, the duchie of Normandie, Gascoigne, and Guion, Aniou, and Maine, were de|liuered and lost by the meanes of the said traitors; and our true lords, knights, and esquiers, and manie a good yeoman lost and sold yer they went, the which is great pitie to heare, of the great and gréeuous losse to our souereigne lord and his realme.

Item, desireth the said capteine and commons, that all extortions vsed dailie among the common people, might be laid downe, that is to saie, the gréene war; the which is falselie vsed, to the perpetuall de|struction of the kings true commons of Kent. Also the kings Bench, the which is too gréefefull to the shire of Kent, without prouision of our souereigne lord and his true councell. And also in taking of wheat and other graines, béefe, mutton, & all other vittels, the which is importable to the said commons, with|out the bréefe prouision of our said souereigne lord and his true councell, they maie no longer beare it. And also vnto the statute of labourers, and the great extortioners, the which is to saie the false traitors, Sleg, Cromer, Isle, and Robert Est.