PEASANT REVOLTS 127 



"John the Miller," "John the Carter,'' etc., and are 

 treated by the old chroniclers with great contempt. 

 One writer refers to the message sent to the Com- 

 mons of Essex as a " letter of nonsense sent by this 

 incendiary priest to the rebel-rabble of Essex," and as 

 showing " how fit an orator he was for such an audi- 

 tory, and what strength of persuasion lies in non- 

 sense." 



The letter runs : — " John Sheep St. Mary's 

 Priest of York and now of Colchester greeteth well 

 John Nameless, and John the Miller, and John the 

 Carter and all manner of men and biddeth them be- 

 ware of guile in the Borough and stand manlyke 

 together in God's name ; and biddeth Piers Plowman 

 go to his work and chastise Hob the Robber and take 

 with you John Trewman and all his fellowes and no 

 more ; John the Miller ye ground small, small, small ; 

 the King's son of Heaven shall pay for all. Beware 

 or ye be woe, know your friend from your foe, have 

 enough and say ho ; and do well and better. Flee sin 

 and seek peace and hold ye therein. And so biddeth 

 John Trewman and all his fellows." 



For his sermon to Wat Tyler's great army of rustics 

 on Blackheath, John Ball took his usual text, the demo- 

 cratic and oft-quoted distich : — 



When Adam delved and Eve span 

 Who was then the gentleman ? 



"By what right," the preacher urged, "are they 

 whom we call lords greater folk than we ? On what 

 grounds have they deserved it ? Why do they hold 

 us in serfage ? If we all came of the same father and 

 mother, of Adam and Eve, how can they say or prove 

 that they are better than we, if it be not that they 

 make us gain for them by our toil what they spend in 



