124 LAND REFORM 



and the conditions of the people, and then to weigh 

 the whole in the scales of justice and humanity. 

 Judged in this way, how different will the actions of 

 these peasant leaders appear ! Wat Tyler will stand 

 out as a great historical figure. He was a patriot and 

 a born leader of men. He was a strong character, 

 and inspired confidence in his followers and fear in his 

 opponents. When appealed to for help by the op- 

 pressed townsmen of St. Albans, he replied that "he 

 would come, if necessary, with twenty thousand men 

 at his back, provided always that the men of St. 

 Albans would obey his orders to the letter," and fur- 

 ther, that he would then "shave the beards of the 

 abbot and prior and of the other monks " — in other 

 words, that he would cut off their heads. (Walsing- 

 ham.) 



Another remarkable man in the revolt was William 

 Grindcobbe, leader of the St. Albans contingent of 

 Wat Tyler's army, a man of calm courage and absolute 

 devotion to the cause of the oppressed peasantry. He 

 got from the king a promise that a letter should be 

 sent to the abbot of St. Albans ordering him to 

 restore to the people those ancient rights and privileges 

 of which they had been deprived. This letter was 

 delivered to the abbot, who, under pressure, sur- 

 rendered certain deeds in his keeping which conferred 

 these rights and privileges. He also granted to the 

 people a charter of freedom. After the defeat of the 

 insurgents a demand was made, in the name of the 

 king, that these deeds and this charter should be 

 given back to the abbot. Grindcobbe encouraged 

 the people to resist this demand, and for so doing he 

 was imprisoned in Hertford jail. The authorities, 

 however, through fear, released him on bail, and he 



