20 PROBLEMS OF VILLAGE LIFE 



the earlier rebellions as in later periods of 

 agrarian unrest. In the sixteenth century 

 it was exceptional to find Churchmen like 

 Latimer and Bernard Gilpin, who courageously 

 denounced the despoiling of the rural poor, 

 but during the earlier revolts considerable 

 sympathy was extended to the peasants by 

 many of the parochial clergy. It is true that 

 monks like Thomas Walsingham and prelates 

 like the warlike Bishop of Norwich were openly 

 hostile to the rebels and followed the lines of 

 Luther's later advice, that the peasants should 

 be " strangled and stabbed as a man would 

 deal with a mad dog." Wyclif, moreover, 

 stood aloof from the poor villagers in their 

 struggle. But it is clear that many country 

 parsons threw in their lot with their parish- 

 ioners in the days of Tyler and Kett, and no 

 less than three of the principal leaders were 

 priests, John Wrawe, Straw, and John Ball. 

 The extant sermons of Ball are full of touching 

 faith and piety. " I have told you," said he, 

 " of fellowship and ye have hearkened what 

 the Holy Church is, whereby ye know that ye 

 are fellows of the saints in Heaven and the 

 poor men of Essex ; and as one day the saints 

 shall call you to the Heavenly Feast, so now 

 do the poor men call you to the battle." 

 Agrarian wars have occurred in the history 



