[1] At the day appointed, there was a great assem|blie, and the steward had got togither out of all parts the best wrestlers that might be heard of, so that there was hard hold betwixt them and the Londo|ners. But finallie, the steward vpon desire of re|uenge,A not com|mitted vnder pretense of wrestling. procured them to fall togither by the eares without any iust cause, so that the Londoners were beaten and wounded, and constreined to flée backe to the citie in great disorder. The citizens sore offen|ded to see their people so misused, rose in tumult, and rang the common bell to gather the more companie to them.Robert Serle maior of Lon|don. Robert Serle maior of the citie would haue pacified the matter, persuading them to let the iniu|rie passe, till by orderlie plaint they might get re|dresse, as law and iustice should assigne. But a cer|teine stout man of the citie namedConstantine Fitz Arnulfe,Constant [...]ne, a citizen of London pro|cureth the ci|tizens to re|uenge their cause by waie of rebellion. Matth. Paris. of good authoritie amongst them, aduised the multitude not to harken vnto peace, but to seeke reuenge out of hand (wherein he shewed himselfe so farre from true manhood, that he bewraied himselfe rather to haue had a womans heart,

—quod vindicta

Nemomagis gaudet quàm foemina)

still prosecuting the strife with tooth and naile, and blowing the coles of contention as it were with full bellowes, that the houses belonging to the abbat of Westminster, and namelie the house of his steward might be ouerthrowne and beaten downe flat with the ground.