THE GROWTH OF FREEDOM 59 



Every township or vill had to provide a definite sum 

 calculated at the rate of is. a head on the taxable 

 population, but between the various inhabitants of the 

 district the tax was graded in amount according to 

 the wealth and position of the taxpayer ; no one, how- 

 ever, paying for himself and wife more than a pound 

 or less than a groat. In a poor township or vill 

 every man or woman over fifteen had therefore to find 

 a shilling, since there would be no rich to bear the 

 brunt of the taxation by larger contributions. This 

 must have struck the people as extremely unfair. The 

 villagers found their way out of the difficulty and 

 seemed, as a rule, to have persuaded the village con- 

 stables the officials who had charge over the collection 

 to send in false returns of the number of inhabitants. 

 This practice was so widespread that the returns for 

 many counties showed a remarkably small number of 

 adults subject to taxation. The government soon 

 realized what had happened, and in the month of March 

 a fresh levy was made. 



This sordid quarrel about the taxation, coming on 

 the top of all the other wrangles, brought matters to 

 a head, and in the late spring of 1381 the 

 7116 men of the villages revolted. Putting aside 



Revolt. their work, they deserted their little farm- 



houses and cottages, and leaving their 

 wives and children to labour, came drifting up 

 the lanes, joining with others until their numbers 

 mounted up to hundreds and to thousands. And as 

 they came they must have talked of the troubles of 

 the past and of the days that were coming, when the 

 old common life would be revived and there would be 

 no lords or bailiffs to make claims on their labour, and 

 all would live happily. 



