no better.' Thus these people began to be
appeased and began to withdraw them into the city of London. And the
king also said a word, the which greatly contented them. He said:
'Sirs, among you good men of Kent ye shall have one of my banners with
you, and ye of Essex another, and ye of Sussex, of Bedford, of
Cambridge, of Yarmouth, of Stafford and of Lynn, each of you one; and
also I pardon everything that ye have done hitherto, so that ye follow
my banners and return home to your houses.' They all answered how they
would so do: thus these people departed and went into London. Then the
king ordained more than thirty clerks the same Friday, to write with
all diligence letter patents and sealed with the king's seal, and
delivered them to these people; and when they had received the
writing, they departed and returned into their own countries: but the
great venom remained still behind, for Wat Tyler, Jack Straw and John
Ball said, for all that these people were thus appeased, yet they
would not depart so, and they had of their accord more than thirty
thousand. So they abode still and made no press to have the king's
writing nor seal, for all their intents was to put the city to trouble
in such wise as to slay all the rich and honest persons and to rob and
pill their houses. They of London were in great fear of this,
wherefore they kept their houses privily with their friends and such
servants as they had, every man according to his puissance. And when
these said people were this Friday thus somewhat appeased, and that
they should depart as soon as they had their writings, every man home
into his own country, then king Richard came into the Royal, where the
queen his mother was, right sore affrayed: so he comforted her as well
as he could and tarried there with her all that night.

Yet I shall shew you of an adventure that fell by these ungracious
people before the city of Norwich, by a captain among them called
Guilliam Lister of Stafford. The same day of Corpus Christi that these
people entered into London and brent the duke of Lancaster's house,
called the Savoy; and the hospital of Saint John's and brake up the
king's prisons and did all this hurt, as ye have heard before, the
same time there assembled together they of Stafford, of Lynn, of
Cambridge, of Bedford and of Yarmouth; and as they were coming towards
London, they had a captain among them called Lister. And as they came,
they rested them before Norwich, and i