6o HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE 



counsellors and abettors, who made it appear by ' colour of 

 certain exemplifications made out of the Book of Domesday ' 

 that they were discharged from their services, and moreover 

 gathered themselves in great routs and agreed to aid each 

 other in resisting their lords, so that justices were appointed 

 to check this evil. But there were other ' counsellors and 

 abettors' of the Peasants' Reyolt than the new landlords. 

 One of its most interesting features to modern readers is its 

 thorough organization. Travelling agents and agitators like 

 John Ball were all over the country, money was subscribed and 

 collected, and everything was ripe for the great rising of 1381, 

 which was brought to a head by the bad grading of the poll 

 tax of King Richard. It has been said that the chief grievance 

 of the villeins was that the lords of manors were attempting 

 to reimpose commuted services, but judging by the petition to 

 the King when he met them at Mile-end there can be no doubt 

 that the chief grievance was the continuance of existing 

 services. ' We will ', said they, ' that ye make us free for ever, 

 and that we be called no more bond, or so reputed.' Also, 

 as Walsingham says, 1 they were careful to destroy the rolls 

 and ancient records whereby their services were fixed, and to 

 put to death persons learned in the law. 



As every one knows, the revolt was a failure ; and whether 

 it ultimately helped much to extinguish serfdom is doubtful. 

 It probably, like the pestilence, accelerated a movement which 

 had been for some time in progress and was inevitable. There 

 is ample evidence to prove that there was a very general 

 continuance of predial services after the revolt, though they 

 went on rapidly decreasing. One of the chief methods 

 adopted by the villeins to gain their freedom was desertion, 

 and so common did this become that apparently the mere 

 threat of desertion enabled the villein to obtain almost any 



1 Hist. Angl., Rolls Series, i. 455. The other political and social 

 causes of the revolt do not concern us here. The attempt to minimize its 

 agrarian importance is strange in the light of the words and acts above 

 mentioned. 



