THOMAS WALSINGHAM

The author ofa Historia Anglicana from 1272 to 1422. The part before 1377 is a compilation ; the remainder is contemporary history. Thomas Walsingham (d. c. 1422), an English Benedictine monk and chronicler of the abbey at St. Albans (Hertfordshire), like Roger of Wendover and Matthew Paris, he was the official annalist of St. Albans. Thomas Walsingham continued the work of Matthew Paris (died 1259) in an attempt to provide an unbroken St. Albans narrative from the creation to his own time. The work of Walsingham is an important source for the reigns of Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V. His Historia Anglicana (ed. H.T. Riley, 2 vol., 1862-64) covers the years from 1272 to 1422 and is a continuation of Paris' Chronica majora, which itself continues the Flores historiarum by Roger of Wendover (died 1236). Walsingham also prepared an abridged version, the Chronicon angliae, 1328-88 (ed. E.M. Thompson, 1874), as well as other works in this area. An edition entitled The St. Albans Chronicle, 1406-20 was prepared by V.H. Galbraith (1937).

Richard II, was the boy-king after four years of his accession the peasantry broke out in a great revolt; mainly in Kent and the counties or, the north and east of London. The occasion was the levying of a poll-tax which had to be paid by every adult; the real cause lay in the grievances of the whole peasant class but especially of those who were " villeins," bound to render services to the lords of the soil, and forbidden to leave the particular 'manor' to which they were attached. Henry IV deposed Richard II and made himself king largely by the help which the Percy family gave him The Percies took offence at the treatment they received, and leagued with Owen Glendower, who had already made himself an almost independent prince in Wales, to overthrow Henry. The king intercepted Hotspur's force at Shrewsbury, and broke up the rebellion (1403). The " Henry " or the narrative is always Henry Percy. (Hotspur), eldest son of the earl of Northumberland.

WAT TYLER AND THE POLL TAX

The next day being the sabbath, the day of the saints Vitus and Modestus the Kentishmen relaxed little of the evil work of the previous day but they abstained from killing. from breaking down houses and from burning them. Now the king sent to the Kentishmen to tell them that their comrades had with-drawn, and would live peaceably in the future, and offering to grant them the same terms. Then their principal leader, called Walter Helier or Tyler ( for such were the names which they took for themselves ), a skilled workman, and of considerable abilities if he had chosen to turn his powers to good use, said that he embraced peace, provided conditions were laid down according to his own will. He required that the king and the king's council (since they deemed that of the more weight) should suspend their futile deliberations until the morrow that he might on that night carry out his own perverse designs the more freely. For during that night since all the poor folk of the community, that is of the city of London, were on their side, he thought to have sacked the city, having first slain the king and his principal adherents, and to have set it alight in four places and burnt it down. But God which resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble suffered not those impious imaginations and intents to be fulfilled, but graciously and suddenly brought his evil counsel to naught. For when three successive proposals were drawn up in writing, in a form to be set forth later, and none of them had satisfied him, the king at last sent to him a knight named John Newton to summon rather than invite him, since his arrogance was understood, to meet the king and treat with him concerning the articles which he insisted on embodying in the Charter of which I name but one in this chronicle, that readers may see how manifestly unreasonable the rest would be. For he demanded for himself and his company a commission to execute all judges, escheators, and all persons learned in the law or officially connected with the law. It is credibly asserted that with supreme arrogance, on the day before these things happened, he set his hand to his lips and declared that before four days all the law of England should come from his mouth and his lips.

So when Sir John Newton urged him to haste lie replied indignantly " If thou art in such haste get thee back to thy king. I will come when I will." After the knight had returned, he also followed on horseback, but more leisurely. And when he had come not far from the place where the king had taken his stand, which is called Smithfield, the said knight was despatched to him a second time to hear and report his demand. The knight approached him seated on his charger to hear what he would say. But he, angry that the knight had approached him on horseback and not on foot, said wrathfully that he ought to come into his presence on foot rather than on horseback. But the knight not altogether forgetful of his knightly honour, made answer ; " There is no harm in my coming to you on horseback since you are mounted yourself ." Where-upon the ruffian drew his knife, called a "dagger" in common parlance, and threatened to strike him, at the same time calling the said knight a traitor. Enraged at the epithet, the knight hotly declared that he lied and drew his knife in like manner. The knave who would not bear to be insulted in the midst of his rustic followers was about to fall upon the knight. The king therefore, seeing the danger which threatened the knight, in order to quiet the rogue, bade time knight dismount and the knave return his dagger to its sheath. And since the man's insolent spirit could not thus be checked, but he would have fallen furiously upon the knight howsoever he could, there gathered to the king the mayor of London William Walworth and many of the king's knights and men-at-arms who were standing by, and declared that it would be an unspeakable and ever-lasting reproach if in their presence the king suffered a noble knight to perish shamefully before his eyes. Therefore they said they should make haste to succour him and seize the knave. Whereupon the king, though he was but a boy of tender years, took courage and bade the mayor of London seize him. Then the mayor, a man of incomparable courage and boldness, without hesitation seized and smote him on the head, striking him senseless whereupon his body was thrust through in many places by the swords of the king's servants who surrounded him.

But when the people saw his fall, they cried out in anger at his death ; "Our captain is slain ; our leader has been traitorously murdered let us stand together and die with him, let us shoot and manfully avenge his death." Then they bent their bows and made ready to shoot But the king with a ready wit beyond his years, and with a great courage, set spurs to his horse and rode up to them, and riding among them called out " What is this my men? What are you doing; Will you shoot your king ? Grieve not for the death of a traitorous knave. I am your king your captain and your leader; follow me to the fields, and you shall have all that you demand." This the king did, lest the rustics in their wrath should set fire to the houses in Smithfield where they were when their leader the aforesaid traitor was slain. So they followed the king and the knights that were with him into the open fields, not having yet made up their minds whether they should slay the king or should go home peaceably with the royal charter.