154 LAND REFORM 



urged him to leave the city, but he refused to do so. 

 His position was saved by the timely arrival of a large 

 body of trained, well-armed, foreign mercenaries.^ 



A few days later a pitched battle was fought, when, 

 after severe lighting in which the " Almans (foreigners) 

 were prominent " and much slaughter, the insurgents 

 were routed and put to flight, and "their grande 

 Captaine Kett galloped away as fast as his hosse 

 would bear him." A number of the insurgents, how- 

 ever, were hemmed in and could not escape. An offer 

 of pardon was sent to them if they would lay down 

 their arms. They distrusted and refused the offer, 

 declaring that " it meant but a subtle practice to bring 

 them into the hands of their adversaries who had 

 halters prepared for them, . . . they would rather die 

 like men than be strangled at the wils and pleasures 

 of their mortall enemies." Warwick, however, on 

 receipt of this reply, pledged his word of honour for 

 their safety and the men surrendered. 



Next day a number of the "principal abettors and 

 chiefest procurers of all the mischiefe were hanged on 

 the oke of reformation " and " some others of them 

 were drawn, hanged and quartered and their heads and 

 quarters set up in public places for a terror to others." 

 The Earl of Warwick was strongly urged to continue 

 the executions, but he refused to do so, and said, " Shall 

 we not at length show some mercie ? Is there no place 

 for pardon ? What shall we do, shall we hold the 

 plough ourselves, plaie the carters, and labour the 

 ground with oure owne hands? "^ 



^ German lansquenets and Italian fret'-lances— soldiers who hired 

 themselves to the highest bidder for their services. 



■■' In a note to a short interesting poem by an anonymous writer pub- 

 lished in 1869 (Bumpus) it is stated: "So inveterate was the feeling of 



