300 
shoes, every man with a javelin or slaugh sword in his hands to 
keep the people in array. They had chains about their necks 
and feathers in their caps. The minstrels were in white with the 
armes of the citie and so was every person in this muster without 
any diversity. The Lord Mayor, recorder and aldermen only 
excepted who had crones of velvet or satin pirled with gold.” 
“The standard bearers were the tallest men of every ward, for 
whom were made thirty new standards of the devise of the city, 
besides baners. Every alderman mustered his own ward in the 
fields to see that every man was in furniture provided as was 
requisite.” 
“The eight of May being the day appointed for to shew 
themselves before the king, every alderman in order of battell 
with those of his ward came into the fields at Mile end and there 
all the gunners severed themselved into one place, the pikes into 
another, and the archers into another, and likewise the bill men 
and there cast themselves in rings and other formes of battell 
which was a beautiful sight to behold, for all the fields from 
White Chapel to Mile end, and from Bednall green to Radcliffe 
and Stepnie were all covered with armour men and weapons and 
especially the battle of pikes seemed to be as it had beene a great 
forest. There was every part divided into three battels, a for 
ward, a middleward and a rear ward.” 
“ About seven of the clock marched forward the light pieces of 
ordinance with stone and powder. After them followed the 
drums and fifes and immediately after them a gurdon of the 
armes of the citie. ‘Then followed Master Sadler, captaine of the 
gunners, on horseback armed and in a coat of velvet with a chain 
of gold and four halberders about apparalled as before is recited. 
Then followed the gunners four in a rank every one going five 
foot in sunder which shot altogether in diverce places very lively 
and in specially before the King’s Majesty which at that time sat 
in his new gatehouse at his palace at Westminster where he 
viewed the whole company.” 
