The Life and Death of Iacke Straw A notable Rebell in England : Who was kild in Smithfield by the Lord Maior of London |
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Actus Secundus.
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 | The Life and Death of Iacke Straw |  |
Actus Secundus.
Enter Tom Miller with a Goose.
It
is good to make prouision, for peraduenture wee shall lacke victuals and wee lie in campe on Blacke Heath long.
And in faith as long as this Goose lasts wele not starue:
And as many good fellowes as will come to the eating of her, come and welcome.
For in faith I came lightly by her,
And lightly come lightly gone,
We Captaines are Lords within our selues,
And if the world hold out we shalbe Kings shortly.
Enter Nobs and cut away the Goose while he talketh, and leue the head behinde him with them & Morton.
And in faith as long as this Goose lasts wele not starue:
And as many good fellowes as will come to the eating of her, come and welcome.
For in faith I came lightly by her,
And lightly come lightly gone,
We Captaines are Lords within our selues,
And if the world hold out we shalbe Kings shortly.
Tom Miller.
The rest of my fellowe Captaines are gone before to Grenewich to meete the King:
That comes to knowe our mindes,
And while they be about it:
Ile make good cheare, with my Goose here,
Whats the Goose flowne away without her head.
Exeunt.
Enter with the crew Tom Miller, Iacke Straw, Wat Tyler, and Hob Carter.
Heres a sturre more than needs,
What meanes the King thus to abuse vs?
And makes vs runne about his pleasure, and to no end.
He promised vs to meete vs on the water,
And by Ladie as soone as we came at the water side,
Hee faire and flat turnes his Barge and away hee goes to London.
I tell thee Wat we will not put vp this abuse.
VVat Tyler.
By gogs blood Captaine Strawe, wee will remoue our campe, and awaie to London roundlie,
And there wele speake with him, or wele know whie wee shall not.
Iacke Straw.
God amarcie Wat and ere we haue done,
VVe will be Lords euerie one.
Hob Carter.
Gentle Iacke Strawe, in one line let vs drawe,
And wele not leaue a man of lawe.
Nor a paper worth a hawe,
And make him worse than a dawe,
That shall stand against Iacke Strawe.
Morton.
Me thinkes you might doe well to answere the King,
In the name of the whole companie:
Some dossen or twenty men for the nonce, that may deliuer the minds of you all in few words.
Iacke Straw.
Sir Iohn Morton you are an Asse, to tell vs what wee haue to doe,
Hold your prating you were best.
VVat Tyler.
I tell thee Sir Iohn thou abusest vs.
Enter King, ArchBishop, Treasorer, Secretarie, Sir Iohn Newton, and Spencer.
My Lords if all our men are come vnto the shore,
Let us returne againe into the Towne
These people are not to be talkt withall,
Much lesse with reason to be ordered.
That so vnorderly with shrikes and cries,
Make shew as though they would invade vs all.
I haue not heard nor read of any King,
So urgently of his people entertaind.
Exeunt King and his traine saue Newton & Spencer.
Spencer.
Sir Iohn what was the cause the King returnd so soone,
And with such hart so quickly tooke the shore.
Sir Newton.
Bargeman the King had reason for the same, warrant thee he was not ill aduisde.
Spencer.
I thinke he meant to haue commenst some talke with that vnrulie crew.
Newton.
He ment so indeede Spencer but you heard how it fel out.
Spencer.
Not well I held my stearne so hard.
Newton.
Twas thus, the King and all his companie,
Being rowd with Ores so far as Greenewich Towne,
It was a world to see what Troupes of men,
Like Bees that swarme about the hony hiue.
That fild the Aire with cries and fearefull noise,
And from the water did an eccho rise:
That pearst the yeares of our renowmed King,
Affrighting so his heart with strong conceit,
Of some vnhappy grieuous stratigene,
That trust me with my eares I heard him say,
He thought they would haue all like Spaniels,
Tane water despretly and borded him.
So did they all yfare like franticke men,
That time he thought to speed away apace,
And take the best aduantage of the place.
Spencer.
Indeed I could not greatly blame his Maiestie,
My selfe was not so scarde this seaven yeare:
My thought there was sufficient mouthes inough,
At highest tide to haue drawen the Thames drie.
Newton.
Spencer ere it flow thrice at London bridge,
London I feare wil heape of worser newes.
Exeunt Ambo.
Enter Iacke Straw, Wat Tyler, Hob Carter, Tom Miller, Nobs, Morton and Southwarkemen.
Southwarkemen.
Neighbours you that keepe the gates, let the Kings liege
people in, or we must bed faine to aide them with bals of
wild fire or some other deuise, for they haue spoilde all
Southwarke let out all the prisoners, broke vp the Marshalsea
and the Kings bench, and made great hauocke in
the Burrowe here,
Porter open the gate, if thou louest thy selfe, or thine own life, open the gate.
Tom Miller.
You haue a certaine spare Goose came in to bee rosted,
Shee is inough by this.
Exeunt all but Morton.
Morton.
VVhat meanes these wretched miscreants,
To make a spoile of their owne country men:
Vnnaturall Rebels what so ere,
By forraine foes may seeme no whit so strange.
As Englishmen to trouble England thus
VVell may I tearme it infest to the Land.
Like that fowle lawles force and violence,
VVhich Cyneris did offer to his child.
O happie time from all such troubles free,
VVhat now alas is like to be the end of this attempt,
But that so long as they are glutted all with blood, they bath therein.
Exeunt Morton, Enter Nobs with a Flemming.
Sirra here it is set downe by our Captaines that as many
of you as cannot say bread and cheese, in good and perfect
English, ye die for it, & that was the cause so many strangers
did die in Smithfield.
Brocke and Keyse.
Exeunt both
Finis Actus Secundus.
| The Life and Death of Iacke Straw | |