The theatre of Gods judgements wherein is represented the admirable justice of God against all notorious sinners ... / collected out of sacred, ecclesiasticall, and pagan histories by two most reverend doctors in divinity, Thomas Beard ... and Tho. Taylor ...

CHAP. V. Of such as rebelled against their Superiors, because of Sub∣sidies and Taxes imposed upon them.

AS it is not lawfull for children to rebell against their parents, though they be cruell and unnaturall, so also it is as unlawfull for subjects to withstand their Princes and Governors, though they be somewhat grievous and burthensome unto them: which we af∣firme, not to the end that it should be licensed to them to exercise all manner of rigour and unmeasu∣rable oppression upon their subjects (as shall be de∣clared hereafter more at large) but we entreat onely here of their duties which are in subjection to the power of other men, whose authority they ought in no wise to resist, unlesse they oppose themselves against the ordi∣nance of God. Therefore this position is true by the word of God, That no subject ought by force to shake off the yoke of subjection and obedi∣ence due unto his Prince, or exempt himselfe from any taxe or contribu∣tion, which by publicke authority is imposed: Give (saith the Apostle) tribute to whom tribute belongeth, custome to whom custome pertaineth, feare to whom feare is due, and honour to whom honour is owing. And generally in all actions wherein the commodities of this life (though with some oppressi∣on and grievance) and not the Religion and service of God, nor the consci∣ence about the same is called into question, we ought with all patience to endure whatsoever burthen or charge is laid upon us, without moving any troubles, or shewing any discontentments for the same: for they that have otherwise behaved themselves, these examples following will shew how well they have been appaied for their misdemeanors.

In the yeare of our Lord 1304, after that Guy Earle of Flanders having * 1.1 rebelled against Philip the Faire his Soveraigne, was by strength of armes reduced into subjection, and constrained to deliver himselfe and his two sons prisoners into his hands, the Flemings made an insurrection against the Kings part, because of a certain taxe which he had set upon their ships that arrived at certaine havens: and upon this occasion great warre, divers battels, and sundry overthrowes on each side grew, but so, that at last the King remained conqueror, and the Flemings (for a reward of their rebel∣lion)

lost in the battell six and thirty thousand men that were slaine, beside a great number that were taken prisoners.

Two yeares after this Flemmish stirre, there arose a great commotion * 1.2 and hurly burly of the rascall and basest sort of people at Paris, because of the alteration of their coines: who being not satisfied with the pillage and spoilage of their houses, whom they supposed to be either causes of the said alteration, or by counsell or other meanes any furtherers there∣unto, came in great troupes before the Kings Palace, at his lodging in the Temple, with such an hideous noise and outrage, that all the day after, neither the King nor any of his officers durst once stir over the threshold: nay they grew to that overflow of pride and insolency, that the victuals which were provided for the Kings diet, and carried to him, were by them shamefully throwne under feet in the dirt, and trampled upon in despight and disdaine. But three or foure daies after this tumult was appeased, ma∣ny of them for their pains were hanged before their own doores, and in the city gates, to the number of eight and twenty persons.

In the raigne of Charles the sixth, the Parisians (by reason of a certaine taxe which he minded to lay upon them) banded themselves and conspi∣red together against him: they determined once (saith Froissard) to have beaten downe Loure, and S. Vincents castle, and all the houses of defence * 1.3 about Paris, that they might not be offensive to them. But the King (though young in yeares) handled them so ripe and handsomely, that ha∣ving taken away from them their armor, the city gates and chaines of the streets, and locked up their weapons in S. Vincents castle, hee dealt with * 1.4 them as pleased him. And thus their pride being quashed, many of them were executed and put to death: As also for the like rebellion were at * 1.5 Troyes, Orlean, Chalon, Sens, and Rhemes.

About the same time the Flandrians, and especially the inhabitants of Gaunt wrought much trouble against Lewis the Earle of Flanders, for di∣vers * 1.6 taxes and tributes which he had layd upon them, which they in no re∣spect would yeeld unto. The matter came to be decided by blowes, and much bloud was shed, and many losses endured on both sides, as a meanes appointed of God to chastise as well the one as the other. The Gaunts being no more in number than five or six thousand men, overthrew the * 1.7 Earles army consisting of forty thousand, and in pursuit of their victory tooke Bruges, whither the Earle was gone for safety, and lying in a poore womans house, was constrained (in the habit of a beggar) to fly the City. And thus he fared till King Charles the sixth sent an army of men to his succor (for he was his subject) by whose support he overcame those Rebels * 1.8 in a battell fought at Rose Bec, to the number of forty thousand: and the body of their chiefetaine Philip Artevil, slaine in the throng, he caused to be hanged on a tree. And this was the end of that cruell Tragedy, the * 1.9 countrey being brought againe into the obedience of their old Lord.

A while before this, whilest King Iohn was held prisoner in England, there arose a great commotion of the common people in France, against * 1.10 the nobility and gentry of the realme, that oppressed them: this tumult began but with an hundred men that were gathered together in the coun∣trey of Beauvoisin, but that small handfull grew right quickly to an arm∣full, ••••on to nine thousand, that ranged and robbed throughout all Brie, along by the river Marne to Laonoise, and all about Soissons, armed with

great bats shod with yron: an headlesse crue without Governour, fully purposing to bring to ruine the whole nobility. In this disorder they wrought much mischiefe, broke up many houses and castles, murthered many Lords; so that divers Ladies and Knights, as the Duchesses of Nor∣mandy & Orleance, were fain to fly for safegard to Meaux: whither when these Rebels would needs pursue them, they were there overthrown, killed, and hanged by troups.

In the yeare of our Lord 1525, there were certain husbandmen of Sou∣abe * 1.11 that began to stand in resistance against the Earle of Lupsfen, by rea∣son of certaine burthens which they complained themselves to be over∣laid with by him: their neighbors seeing this, enterprised the like against their Lords: And so upon this small beginning (by a certaine contagion) there grew up a most dangerous and fearefull commotion, that spread it selfe almost over all Almaine: the sedition thus increasing in all quarters, and the swaines being now full forty thousand strong, making their owne liberty and the Gospels a cloake to cover their treason and rebellion, and a pretence of their undertaking armes (to the wonderfull griefe of all that feared God) did not onely fight with the Romane Catholickes, but with all other without respect, as well in Souabe as in Franconia: they destroy∣ed the greater part of the Nobility, sacked and burnt many castles and for∣tresses, to the number of two hundred, and put to death the Earle of Hel∣fest, in making him passe through their pikes. But at length their strength was broken, they discomfited and torn in pieces with a most horrible mas∣sacre of more than eighteen thousand of them. During this sedition there were slaine on each side fifty thousand men. The captaine of the Souabian swaines called Geismer, having betaken himselfe to flight, got over the mountaines of Padua, where by treason he was made away.

In the yeare of our Lord 1517, in the Marquesdome of the Vandales, the like insurrection and rebellion was of the commonalty, especially the baser sort, against the Nobility, Spirituall, and Temporall, by whom they were oppressed with intolerable exactions: their army was numbred of ninety thousand men all clowns and husbandmen, that conspired together to redresse and reforme their owne grievances, without any respect of civill Magistrate, or feare of Almighty God. This rascality of swaines raged and tyranized every where, burning and beating down the castles and hou∣ses of Noblemen, and making their ruines even with the ground: Nay, they handled the Noblemen themselves, as many as they could attaine unto, not contumeliously only, but rigorously and cruelly, for they tormented them to death, and carried their heads upon speares, in token of victory. Thus they swayed a while uncontrolled, for the Emperour Maximilian winked at their riots, as being acquainted with what in juries they had been over∣charged: but when he perceived that the rude multitude did not limit their fury within reason, but let it runne too lavish to the damnifying as well the innocent as the guilty, he made out a small troup of mercinary souldiers, together with a band of horsemen, to suppresse them, who com∣ming to a city were presently so environed with such a multitude of these swaines, that like locusts overspread the earth, that they thought it impos∣sible to escape with their lives; wherefore feare and extremity made them to rush out to battell with them. But see how the Lord prospereth a good cause, for all their weak number in comparison of their enemies, yet such a

feare possessed their enemies hearts, that they fled like troups of sheep, and were slaine like dogges before them: insomuch, that they that escaped the sword, were either hanged by flocks on trees, or rosted on spits by fires, or otherwise tormented to death. And this end befell that wicked rebellious rout, which wrought such mischiefe in that country, with their monstrous villanies, that the traces and steppes thereof remaine at this day to bee seene.

In the yeare of our Lord 1381, Richard the second being King, the Commons of England (and especially of Kent and Essex) by meanes of a * 1.12 taxe that was set upon them, suddenly rebelled, and assembled together on Blackheath, to the number of 60000 or more: which rebellious rout had none but base and ignoble fellowes for their captaines; as Wat Tiler, Iacke Straw, Tom Miller, but yet they caused much trouble and disquietnesse in the Realme, and chiefly about the city of London, where they committed much villany, in destroying many goodly places, as the Savoy, and others; and being in Smithfield, used themselves very proudly and unreverently towards the King: but by the manhood and wisedome of William Walworth, Major of London (who arrested their chiefe captain in the midst of them) that rude company was discomfited, and the ringleaders of them worthily punished.

In like manner in the raigne of Henry the seventh, a great commotion was stirred up in England by the Commons of the North, by reason of a * 1.13 certaine taxe which was levied of the tenth peny of all mens lands and goods within the land; in the which the Earle of Northumberland was slain; but their rash attempt was soon broken, and Chamberlain their captain with divers other hanged at Yorke, for the same. Howbeit their example feared not the Cornishmen from rebelling upon the like occasion of a tax, under the conduct of the Lord Audley, untill by woefull experience they felt the same scourge: for the King met them upon Blackheath, and dis∣comfiting their troups, took their captaines and ring leaders, and put them to most worthy and sharp death.

Thus we may see the unhappy issue of all such seditious revoltings, and thereby gather how unpleasant they are in the sight of God. Let all the people therefore learne by these experiences to submit themselves in the feare of God to the higher powers, whether they be Lords, Kings, Princes, or any other that are set over them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Nich. Gil. vol. 1
• * 1.2

  The same au∣thor.
• * 1.3

  Vol 2. cap. 120.
• * 1.4

  Cap. 129.
• * 1.5

  Cap. 130. Nic. Gil. Vol. 2.
• * 1.6

  Froiss. v. 2. c. 97.
• * 1.7

  Cap. 92.
• * 1.8

  Cap. 180.
• * 1.9

  Nic. Gil. vol. 2.
• * 1.10

  Froiss vol. 1. cap. 182.
• * 1.11

  Sleid. lib. 4.
• * 1.12

  Stow Chron.
• * 1.13

  Stow Chron.