JACK STRAW

Art thou the Collector of the Kings task? Because thou goest beyond the Commission of the King, We grant to his Highness pleasure in every thing: Thou hast thy task money for all that be here, My Daughter is not fourteen years old, therefore she goes clear. Choose whither thou wilt or no, thou gettest no more of me. For I am sure thy Office does not arm thee with such au thoritie. Thus to abuse the poor people of the Country. But chiefest of all vild villain as thou art, To play so unmanly and beastly a partly, As to search my daughter thus in my presence. What villain, dost strike me? I swear by the rood, As I am Jack Straw, thou shalt buy it with thy blood. There lie and be well paid for thy pain. Alas What, I have killed the kings officer in striking rashly. The king God wot knows not whats done by such poor men as we, But wele make him know it, if you will be ruled by me: Hers Parson Ball and honest Priest, and tells us that in charity, We may stick together in such quarrels honestly. Heres a stir more than needs, What means the King thus to abuse us? And makes us run about his pleasure, and to no end. He promised us to meet us on the water, And by Lady as soon as we came at the water side, He fair and flat turns his Barge and away he goes to London. I tell thee What we will not put up this abuse. I tell thee What, this is not that that I would have, I come for more than to be answered thus, And if the Essex men will needs be gone, Content, let them go suck their Mams at home, I came for spoil and spoil I'll have. What wilt thou villain, give me it I say. Villain I say, give me the sword thou bearest up, For thats the thing I tell thee I assect. By him that died for me, I will not dine, Till I have seen thee hanged or made away. Well said Parson so may it be, As we purpose to prefer thee: We will have all the Rich men displaste And all the bravery of them defaced, And as rightly as I am Jack Straw, In spite of all the men of Law, Make thee Archbishop of Caunterberie, And Chancellor of England or I'll die. How sayest thou What, shall it be so? I hope we shall have men enough, To aid us herein What, how thinkest thou? Fellow Captain welcome lets about it. I marry What this is another matter, me thinks the world is changed of late, Who would live Like a beggar, and may be in this estate. So he did till I fetched him out by force, and I have his wife and children pledges, for his speedy return from the King, to whom he is gone with our message. Marry Captain Carter, about fifty thousand men. Marry Hob upon Black-heath beside Greenwich, there wele lie, And if the King will come thither to know our pleasures so it is: if not, I know what wele do. God amarcie What and ere we have done, We will be Lords every one. Sir John Morton you are and Ass, to tell us what we have to do, Hold your prating you were best. My Master's this is the King, come away, 'Tis he that we would speak with all. We come to revenge your Officers ill demeanour, And though we have killed him for his knavery, Now we be got together, we will have wealth and liberty Content boy we will be ruled by thee. The King & his Nobles think they may sleep in quiet, Now they have given us a little holy water at the Court, But the no such matter, we be no such fools To be bobd out with words and after come to hanging: What do the thing thou comest for, If thou wilt be ruled by me, wele not leave it so. Peace here comes the King I trow. Sirrah, if the King would any thing with us, Tell him the way is indifferent to meet us. Sirrah, give me the sword thou wearest there, Becomes it thee to be armed in my presence.