Rivolta inglese

Materie:	Appunti
Categoria:	Lingue
Download:	82
Data:	22.03.2001
Numero di pagine:	5
Formato di file:	.txt (File di testo)

| Medieval Sourcebook: Anonimalle
Chronicle: English Peasants' Revolt 1381

Here is a description, from a chronicle of the time, of the final meeting of king Richard II
and the leader of the Revolt - Wat Tyler.
Then the King caused a proclamation to be made that all the commons of the country
who were still in London should come to Smithfield, to meet him there; and so they did.
And when the King and his train had arrived there they turned into the Eastern meadow
in front of St. Bartholomew's, which is a house of canons: and the commons arrayed
themselves on the west side in great battles. At this moment the Mayor of London,
William Walworth, came up, and the King bade him go to the commons, and make their
chieftain come to him. And when he was summoned by the Mayor, by the name of Wat
Tighler of Maidstone, he came to the King with great confidence, mounted on a little
horse, that the commons might see him. And he dismounted, holding in his hand a dagger
which he had taken from another man, and when he had dismounted he half bent his
knee, and then took the King by the hand, and shook his arm forcibly and roughly, saying
to him, "Brother, be of good comfort and joyful, for you shall have, in the fortnight that is
to come, praise from the commons even more than you have yet had, and we shall be
good companions." And the King said to Walter, "Why will you not go back to your own
country?" But the other answered, with a great oath, that neither he nor his fellows would
depart until they had got their charter such as they wished to have it, and had certain
points rehearsed and added to their charter which they wished to demand. And he said in
a threatening fashion that the lords of the realm would rue it bitterly if these points were
not settled to their pleasure. Then the King asked him what were the points which he
wished to have revised, and he should have them freely, without contradiction, written
out and sealed. Thereupon the said Walter rehearsed the points which were to be
demanded; and he asked that there should be no law within the realm save the law of
Winchester, and that from henceforth there should be no outlawry in any process of law,
and that no lord should have lordship save civilly, and that there should be equality
among all people save only the King, and that the goods of Holy Church should not
remain in the hands of the religious, nor of parsons and vicars, and other churchmen; but
that clergy already in possession should have a sufficient sustenance from the
endowments, and the rest of the goods should be divided among the people of the parish.
And he demanded that there should be only one bishop in England and only one prelate,
and all the lands and tenements now held by them should be confiscated, and divided
among the commons, only reserving for them a reasonable sustenance. And he demanded
that there should be no more villeins in England, and no serfdom or villeinage, but that
all men should be free and of one condition. To this the King gave an easy answer, and
said that he should have all that he could fairly grant, reserving only for himself the
regality of his crown. And then he bade him go back to his home, without making further
delay.
During all this time that the King was speaking, no lord or counsellor dared or wished to
give answer to the commons in any place save the King himself. Presently Wat Tighler,
in the presence of the King, sent for a flagon of water to rinse his mouth, because of the
great heat that he was in, and when it was brought he rinsed his mouth in a very rude and
disgusting fashion before the King's face. And then he made them bring him a jug of
beer, and drank a great draught, and then, in the presence of the King, climbed on his
horse again. At this time a certain valet from Kent, who was among the King's retinue,
asked that the said Walter, the chief of the commons, might be pointed out to him. And
when he saw him, he said aloud that he knew him for the greatest thief and robber in all
Kent.... And for these words Watt tried to strike him with his dagger, and would have
slain him in the King's presence; but because he strove so to do, the Mayor of London,
William Walworth, reasoned with the said Watt for his violent behaviour and despite,
done in the King's presence, and arrested him. And because he arrested him, he said Watt
stabbed the Mayor with his dagger in the stomach in great wrath. But, as it pleased God,
the Mayor was wearing armour and took no harm, but like a hardy and vigorous man
drew his cutlass, and struck back at the said Watt, and gave him a deep cut on the neck,
and then a great cut on the head. And during this scuffle one of the King's household
drew his sword, and ran Watt two or three times through the body, mortally wounding
him. And he spurred his horse, crying to the commons to avenge him, and the horse
carried him some four score paces, and then he fell to the ground half dead. And when
the commons saw him fall, and knew not how for certain it was, they began to bend their
bows and to shoot, wherefore the King himself spurred his horse, and rode out to them,
commanding them that they should all come to him to Clerkenwell Fields.
Meanwhile the Mayor of London rode as hastily as he could back to the City, and
commanded those who were in charge of the twenty four wards to make proclamation
round their wards, that every man should arm himself as quickly as he could, and come to
the King in St. John's Fields, where were the commons, to aid the King, for he was in
great trouble and necessity.... And presently the aldermen came to him in a body,
bringing with them their wardens, and the wards arrayed in bands, a fine company of
well-armed folks in great strength. And they enveloped the commons like sheep within a
pen, and after that the Mayor had set the wardens of the city on their way to the King, he
returned with a company of lances to Smithfield, to make an end of the captain of the
commons. And when he came to Smithfield he found not there the said captain Watt
Tighler, at which he marvelled much, and asked what was become of the traitor. And it
was told him that he had been carried by some of the commons to the hospital for poor
folks by St. Bartholomew's, and was put to bed in the chamber of the master of the
hospital. And the Mayor went thither and found him, and had him carried out to the
middle of Smithfield, in presence of his fellows, and there beheaded. And thus ended his
wretched life. But the Mayor had his head set on a pole and borne before him to the King,
who still abode in the Fields. And when the King saw the head he had it brought near him
to abash the commons, and thanked the Mayor greatly for what he had done. And when
the commons saw that their chieftain, Watt Tyler, was dead in such a manner, they fell to
the ground there among the wheat, like beaten men, imploring the King for mercy for
their misdeeds. And the King benevolently granted them mercy, and most of them took to
flight. But the King ordained two knights to conduct the rest of them, namely the
Kentishmen, through London, and over London Bridge, without doing them harm, so that
each of them could go to his own home.
***
Afterwards the King sent out his messengers into divers parts, to capture the malefactors
and put them to death. And many were taken and hanged at London, and they set up
many gallows around the City of London, and in other cities and boroughs of the south
country. At last, as it pleased God, the King seeing that too many of his liege subjects
would be undone, and too much blood split, took pity in his heart, and granted them all
pardon, on condition that they should never rise again, under pain of losing life or
members, and that each of them should get his charter of pardon, and pay the King as fee
for his seal twenty shillings, to make him rich. And so finished this wicked war.