Page:John Wycliff, last of the schoolmen and first of the English reformers.djvu/361

 increased, until they were past counting, and they no longer feared resistance, they began to show what they had in their minds. "Every single man who knew anything about the law of land-holding, whether clerks or venerable justices, and all the jurators of the land whom they had any reason to fear, they slew without compunction, declaring that the land could never enjoy freedom until these had been put to death. That kind of talk pleased the rustics immensely; and, passing from small things to greater, they determined to set fire to all the rolls and ancient records in the court-houses; so that, when they had wiped out the memory of the olden time, their lords would not in future be able to establish a claim over them." They also took special care to burn the tax-rolls, on which their assessment for poll-tax was recorded.

So, for some time, the leaderless mobs hung about in their several counties, whilst the lords and men of substance concealed themselves in their dwellings, or fled to a distance, or paid ransom in one form or another. Meanwhile "the Kentishmen and the Essexmen drew together and formed an army, of about a hundred thousand common people and rustics." That is all that Walsingham can tell us of the creation of the first army which marched on London by way of Blackheath. It is probable, however, that Blackheath was simply the common rendezvous for the south-eastern counties, whilst the men of the eastern counties met at Mile End. The Essex men would naturally make direct for the eastern gate of the city, though some of them may