ters;
some will be the employers and some the employed; but, so long as all
are equal _in respect to their rights_, none will complain--or, at
least, no _classes_ will complain. There will, of course, be here and
there disappointed and discontented individuals, but their discontent
will not spread. It is only by the long-continued and oppressive
infringement of the natural rights of large masses of men that the way
is prepared for revolts and insurrections.

It was by this process that the way was prepared for the insurrection
which I am now to describe. The whole country for fifty miles about
London was in a very sullen and angry mood, ready for an outbreak the
moment that any incident should occur to put the excitement in
motion. This incident was furnished by an occurrence which took place
in the family of Walter the Tiler.

It seems that a personal tax had been levied by the government, the
amount of which varied with the age of the individual assessed.
Children paid so much. Young men and young women paid more. The line
between these classes was not clearly defined, or, rather, the
tax-gatherers had no means of determining the ages of the young people
in a family, if they suspected the parents reported them wrong. In
such cases they were often very insolent and rude, and a great many
quarrels took place, by which the people were often very much
incensed. The tax-gatherer came one day into Walter's house to collect
the tax. Walter himself was away, engaged at work tiling a house
nearby. The only persons that were at home were his wife and a young
daughter just growing to womanhood. The tax-gatherer said that the
girl was full-grown, and that they must pay the higher tax for her.
Her mother said, "No, she is not full-grown yet; she is only a child."
The tax-gatherer then said he would soon find out whether she was a
woman or not, and went to her to take hold of her, offering her
rudeness and violence of the worst possible character. The poor girl
screamed and struggled to get away from him. Her mother ran to the
door, and made a great outcry, calling for help. Walter, hearing the
cries, seized for a club a heavy implement which he used in tiling,
and ran home. As soon as he entered the house, he demanded of the
officer, who had now left his daughter and came forward to meet him,
what he meant by conducting in so outrageous a manner in his house.
The officer replied defiantly, and advanced toward Walter to strike
h