‘Because,’ said he, ’they be all at my commandment and have sworn to me faith and truth, to do all that I will have them’ ‘In a good time,’ said the king, ’I will well it be so.’  Then Wat Tyler said, as he that nothing demanded but riot:  ’What believest thou, king, that these people and as many more as be in London at my commandment, that they will depart from thee thus without having thy letters?’ ‘No,’ said the king, ’ye shall have them:  they be ordained for you and shall be delivered every one each after other.  Wherefore, good fellows, withdraw fair and easily to your people and cause them to depart out of London; for it is our intent that each of you by villages and townships shall have letters patents, as I have promised you.’

With those words Wat Tyler cast his eyen on a squire that was there with the king bearing the king’s sword, and Wat Tyler hated greatly the same squire, for the same squire had displeased him before for words between them.  ‘What,’ said Tyler, ’art thou there?  Give me thy dagger.’  ‘Nay,’ said the squire, ’that will I not do:  wherefore should I give it thee?’ The king beheld the squire and said:  ’Give it him; let him have it.’  And so the squire took it him sore against his will.  And when this Wat Tyler had it, he began to play therewith and turned it in his hand, and said again to the squire:  ’Give me also that sword.’  ‘Nay,’ said the squire, ’it is the king’s sword:  thou art not worthy to have it, for thou art but a knave; and if there were no more here but thou and I, thou durst not speak those words for as much gold in quantity as all yonder abbey.’[2] ‘By my faith,’ said Wat Tyler, ’I shall never eat meat till I have thy head’:  and with those words the mayor of London came to the king with a twelve horses well armed under their coats, and so he brake the press and saw and heard how Wat Tyler demeaned himself, and said to him:  ’Ha, thou knave, how art thou so hardy in the king’s presence to speak such words?  It is too much for thee so to do.’  Then the king began to chafe and said to the mayor:  ‘Set hands on him.’  And while the king said so, Tyler said to the mayor:  ‘A God’s name what have I said to displease thee?’ ‘Yes truly,’ quoth the mayor, ’thou false stinking knave, shalt thou speak thus in the presence of the king my natural lord?  I commit never to live, without thou shalt dearly abye it.’[3] And with those words the mayor drew out his sword and strake Tyler so great a stroke on the head, that he fell down at the feet of his horse, and as soon as he was fallen, they environed him all about, whereby he was not seen of his company.  Then a squire of the king’s alighted, called John Standish, and he drew out his sword and put it into Wat Tyler’s belly, and so he died.

      [2] The full text has, ’for as much gold as that minster of
      Saint Paul is great.’

      [3] ‘Jamais je veux vivre, si tu ne le compares.’