ACT III. 


SCENE?SMITHFIELD. 


PIERS (meeting JOHN BALL.) 

You look disturb'd, my father? 


JOHN BALL. 

Piers, I am so. 
Jack Straw has forced the Tower: seized the Archbishop, 
And beheaded him. 


PIERS. 

The curse of insurrection! 


JOHN BALL. 

Aye, Piers! our nobles level down their vassals? 
Keep them at endless labour like their brutes, 
Degrading every faculty by servitude: 
Repressing all the energy of the mind. 
We must not wonder then, that like wild beasts, 
When they have burst their chains, with brutal rage 
They revenge them on their tyrants. 


PIERS. 

This Archbishop! 
He was oppressive to his humble vassals: 
Proud, haughty, avaricious.? 


JOHN BALL. 

A true high-priest! 
Preaching humility with his mitre on! 
Praising up alms and Christian charity 
Even whilst his unforgiving hand distress'd 
His honest tenants. 


PIERS. 

He deserv'd his fate then. 


JOHN BALL. 

Justice can never link with cruelty. 
Is there among the catalogue of crimes 
A sin so black that only Death can expiate? 
Will Reason never rouse her from her slumbers, 
And darting thro' the veil her eagle eye, 
See in the sable garment of the law 
Revenge conceal'd? ?This high priest has been haughty? 
He has oppress'd his vassals: tell me, Piers, 
Does his Death remedy the ills he caused? 
Were it not better to repress his power 
Of doing wrong?that so his future life 
Might expiate the evils of the past, 
And benefit mankind? 


PIERS. 

But must not vice 
Be punished? 


JOHN BALL. 

Is not punishment revenge? 
The momentary violence of anger 
May be excus'd: the indignant heart will throb 
Against oppression, and the outstretch'd arm 
Resent its injured feelings: the Collector 
Insulted Alice, and roused the keen emotions 
Of a fond father. Tyler murder'd him. 


PIERS. 
Murder'd!?a most harsh word. 


JOHN BALL. 

Yes, murder'd him: 
His mangled feelings prompted the bad act, 
And Nature will almost commend the deed 
That Justice blames: but will the awaken'd feelings 
Plead with their heart-emoving eloquence 
For the cool deliberate murder of Revenge? 
Would you, Piers, in your calmer hour of reason 
Condemn an erring brother to be slain? 
Cut him at once from all the joys of life, 
All hopes of reformation! to revenge 
The deed his punishment cannot recall? 
My blood boil'd in me at the fate of Tyler, 
Yet I revenged not. 


PIERS. 

Oh my Christian father! 
They would not argue thus humanely on us, 
Were we within their power. 


JOHN BALL. 

I know they would not! 
But we must pity them that they are vicious, 
Not imitate their vice. 


PIERS. 

Alas, poor Tyler! 
I do repent me much that I stood back, 
When he advanced fearless in rectitude 
To meet these royal assassins. 


JOHN BALL. 

Not for myself, 
Tho' I have lost an honest virtuous friend, 
Mourn I the death of Tyler: he was one 
Gifted with the strong energy of mind, 
Quick to perceive the right, and prompt to act 
When Justice needed: he would listen to me 
With due attention, yet not yielding lightly 
What had to him seem'd good; severe in virtue 
He awed the ruder people whom he led 
By his stern rectitude. 


PIERS. 

Witness that day 
When they destroy'd the palace of the Gaunt; 
And hurl'd the wealth his avarice had amass'd, 
Amid the fire: the people, fierce in zeal, 
Threw in the flames the wretch whose selfish hand 
Purloin'd amid the tumult. 


JOHN BALL. 

I lament 
The death of Tyler, for my country's sake. 
I shudder lest posterity enslav'd 
Should rue his murder!?who shall now control 
The giddy multitude, blind to their own good, 
And listening with avidity to the tale 
Of courtly falsehood! 


PIERS. 

The King must perform 
His plighted promise. 


(Cry without) ?The Charter!?the Charter! 

(Enter Mob and Herald.) 


TOM MILLER. 

Read it out?read it out. 


HOB. 

Aye, aye, let's hear the Charter. 


HERALD. 

Richard Plantagenet, by the grace of God, 
King of England, Ireland, France, Scotland, 
and the town of Berwick upon Tweed, to all 
whom it may concern, These presents, 
Whereas our loving subjects have complained 
to us of the heavy burdens they endure, 
particularly from our late enacted 
poll-tax; and whereas they have risen in 
arms against our officers, and demanded the 
abolition of personal slavery, vassalage, and 
manorial rights; we, ever ready in our sovereign 
mercy to listen to the petitions of our 
loving subjects