The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-07-24
CHAPTER XVIII.

English history, but instead of being,
as it purported, the happy consumma-
tion of great social change, it proved
to he only the prologue to perplexed
and bloody tragedy.
Nevertheless the act proceeded at
first with marvellous smoothess.
The hill opposite the Tower was early
astr AS the morning wore on the
crowd became larger and more noisy,
and, knowing nothing of the conclusion
arrived at within, began continuous
roar, demanding that the king should
come forth to speak to them. This was
the burden of their cries in so far as
they were articulate, but voices were
also raised clamOring for the hearts OF
traitors and threatening to break in by
force.
Presently, amid the appalling din,
two heralds in tabards of white and red
appeared on the leads of the western
gate, and, blowing their trumpets,
made proclamation that the king would
go to Mile End soon after prime to
speak with his faithful lieges and hear
what they had to say to him.
with the news, and then the drawbridge
was lowered, and the heralds rode out,
accompanied bya single horseman, in
the garb of Wycliffian priest. The
bridge was quickly raised behind these
messengers of peace, and then they
rode round by Mile End and Smith
field, where the bulk of the insurgents
lay in good order, and back by st.
Paul's. halting now and then to repeat
with blast of trumpet the welcome
proclamation.
Soon after nine the drawbrdge was
lowered-not to he raised this time
and the royal party Issued forth. Be-
sides the members of the council, Rich
ard.had insisted on taking Ralph Har-
delot with him, to ride on his left hand
in his plain russell garb. 1t was dan
gerous honor, not so much from the
violence OF the mob, for with them the
garb was popular, but the naughty
mobiles did not like this irregular pro.
motion. Such danger as there might
be to the king from the disconnected
peasants was shared by his mother, the
princess; Clara Roos accompanied her
in her carriage, and they rode behind
the council, attended by an escort of
nen-at-arms.' (Foissart implies that
the princess remained behind in the
Tower, and was there insulted and
frightened by the mob; but the city
record distinctly states that she accom-.
panied the king in a chariot.--Riley's
Memorials" p. 449.)
Arrived at Mile End where he was
received with loud, hilarious welcome
from the ranks of the assembled peas
ants, the king repeated the formal
words of the previous day; "Sirs, / am
your king. l am come hither to speak
with you at your request; what is your
will with me?"
He listened with grave dignity while
Tyler in the name of his fellows spoke
briefly of the hardships suffered by
serfs and villeins from false and excess
sive claims of base service. He touched
also on the waste of treasure wrung
from poor men on wars from which
the realm derived no profit. "These
Matters he said in conclusion, 1--WE
humbly trust it will please your maies-
ty to take in hand and cause to be in
quired into, for we are persuaded that
your taxes 90 to the enrichment OF
greedy and worthless men; but in the
meantime it is our will that we be no
more called bond nor reputed So"
'Our WILL" muttered Salisbury
aside to De la Pole. "The knave has
no manners"
ellis tongue may learn another lam
guage before many days are over"
whispered the other, with a significant
look.
Richard answered with gracious con-
descension, 'Sirs, your request Is rea-
sonable, and we grant it freely
Tyler turned to his followers and
raising his sonorous voice told them
the kings anwser, whereupon rough
shouts of Joy rent the air.
Then Tyler turned again to the king,
and, in as courteous phrase as his I'M.
trained speech could find, intimated
that they must have letters executed TO
confirm their new privileges, and that
those letters must be delivered to them
to carry home and show to their fell
lows. He contrived to convey that
they did not mistrust the king, but
that his ministers did not possess their
confidence.
For this also the king was prepared,
thanks to the previous communications
through Ralph. He beckoned to
clerk to come forward, and ordered him
TO read a form of patent letters which
had been drafted in anticipation of
this demand. This draft charter