An Island Story by H. E. Marshall (lightweight ebook reader TXT) 📕

a piece of silver was thrown into the flames, and burned alive as a punishment by his companions. “We are not thieves and robbers,” they said. “We are fighting only for truth and justice.”

As the day went on, the noise grew greater and greater, and when night came the rioters collected in the square in front of the Tower. There they made a terrible noise, swearing that, if the King did not come out to them, they would burn the Tower.

The King and his friends held a council together, and Richard decided that next day he would again try to speak with the people. He sent a message to them telling them to go to an open space called Mile End, and that there he would come to speak with them in the morning.

A great many of the people, when they heard this, marched to Mile End, but others refused to go away from the Tower. Next morning, as soon as the gates were opened for the King to pass out, these rioters rushed in. They killed many of the people in the Tower, and nearly frightened the King’s mother, the Princess of Wales, to death.

Meanwhile, Richard rode to Mile End, and found a great company of people awaiting him there. As soon as he was near enough he spoke to them kindly.

“My good people,” he said, “I am your King. What is it you want? And what do you wish to say to me?”

“We want you to make us free for ever, both ourselves and our children. We will not be slaves any longer,” they replied.

“You have your wish,” answered Richard. “Now go home quietly. Leave behind you one or two men from each village. To them I will give letters signed and sealed with my seal, promising what you ask.”

Then the people, who really did not know quite what they wanted, set up a great shout for the King, and went back to their homes.

Richard gave orders to about thirty secretaries, who wrote the letters as fast as they could. They sat up all night to write. These letters promised freedom to all the slaves and, as soon as they were written, they were signed and sealed with the King’s seal, and given to the men who waited for them.

But Wat Tyler had not been with the rioters at Mile End, and he would not agree to go home. He wanted the King to promise much more than that there should no longer be slaves in England. Next day, while he and his followers were gathered at a place called Smithfield, the King came riding by, attended only by a few friends and soldiers.

“Here is the King,” said Wat, “I will go to speak to him. You must not move until I give you a signal.” He waved his hand and added, “When you see me make this sign, run forward and kill every man of them, except the King. Do not kill him, for he is young, and we can make him do what we like.”

Then he set spurs to his horse, and galloped towards Richard, who was waiting to see what the rebels meant to do.

“King,” said Wat, “do you see all those men there?”

“Yes,” replied the King, “I do. Why do you ask?”

“Because they are all under my orders,” said Wat, “and have sworn to do whatever I command them.”

“I have no objection to that,” replied the King, and he went on to speak quietly and peaceably to Wat Tyler, but Wat was too angry to listen. Finding that he could not quarrel with the King, he began to do so with one of the gentlemen beside him.

Hot words passed between them, till Richard growing angry turned to the Mayor of London, who was also there, and told him to seize Wat Tyler.

“Truly,” said the Mayor, “it ill becomes such a rascal to use such words in the presence of the King. I will pay him for it,” and raising his sword he struck Wat Tyler a blow on the head. Wat fell to the ground, the King’s friends closed round him, and a minute later he was dead.

When Wat Tyler’s men saw him fall, they called out, “They have killed our captain. Let us slay them all,” and they ran towards the King with their bows bent ready to shoot.

Then Richard did a brave thing. Forbidding any of his men to follow him, he rode alone toward the rioters, “Friends,” he said, “what are you doing? I am your King. Follow me. I myself shall be your leader.”

At these words many of the rioters were ashamed. Some of them at once slipped quietly away, and Richard, putting himself at the head of the others, led them out into the country.

Meanwhile some of Richard’s company had fled back into London, crying, “They are killing the King, they are killing the King.”

When the people heard that, many of the King’s soldiers came running together, and an army marched out to the fields to meet Richard and the rebels.

As soon as he saw them, the king left the rebels and put himself at the head of his own soldiers. Several of the nobles then wished to attack the rebels, but Richard forbade them to do so. But he ordered all the letters promising freedom, which the rioters had among them, to be given up at once on pain of instant death.

As soon as the King received the letters, he tore them up in sight of the rebels. These poor people now saw all their hopes of freedom gone. Their leader, too, was dead, so not waiting for more they broke and fled they hardly knew where. Many of them returned to their homes, but John Ball and Jack Straw were cruelly betrayed by the very men they had tried to help and free. They were beheaded by Richard’s orders, along with many of their followers.

The King did not keep any of his promises to the people. “Slaves you are, and slaves you shall remain,” he said savagely, when the danger to himself was over. It seemed as if the rising had been in vain. But that was not so. Many masters freed their slaves, and although years passed before all were free, Wat Tyler’s rebellion was the beginning of freedom for the lower classes in England. Up to this time many of the laborers and workers who were free men had been treated almost as badly as slaves, but now their condition became better.