These words appeased well the common people, such as were simple and good plain men, that were come thither and wist not why.  They said, ‘It was well said, we desire 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 in their coming they caused every man to rise with them, so that they left no villains behind them.  The cause why they rested before Norwich I shall shew you.  There was a knight, captain of the town, called sir Robert Sale.  He was no gentleman born, but he had the grace to be reputed sage and valiant in arms, and for his valiantness king Edward made