And when this John Ball was out of prison, he returned again to his
error, as he did before.
Of his words and deeds there were much people in London informed, such
as had great envy at them that were rich and such as were noble; and
then they began to speak among them and said how the realm of England
was right evil governed, and how that gold and silver was taken from
them by them that were named noblemen: so thus these unhappy men of
London began to rebel and assembled them together, and sent word to
the foresaid countries that they should come to London and bring their
people with them, promising them how they should find London open to
receive them and the commons of the city to be of the same accord,
saying how they would do so much to the king that there should not be
one bondman in all England.
This promise moved so them of Kent, of Essex, of Sussex, of Bedford
and of the countries about, that they rose and came towards London to
the number of sixty thousand. And they had a captain called Water
Tyler, and with him in company was Jack Straw and John Ball: these
three were chief sovereign captains, but the head of all was Water
Tyler, and he was indeed a tiler of houses, an ungracious patron.
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