"I think not, father, that Sir Ralph is likely to regard himself as lying
on the shelf for some time to come; he is still a very strong man, and he
would chafe like a caged eagle were there blows to be struck in France,
and he unable to share in them."

Four days later a man who had been down to the town returned with a budget
of news. Edgar happened to be at the door when he rode past.

"What is the news, Master Clement?" he said, for he saw that the man
looked excited and alarmed.

"There be bad news, young master, mighty bad news. Thou knowest how in
Essex men have refused to pay the poll-tax, but there has been naught of
that on this side of the river as yet, though there is sore grumbling,
seeing that the tax-collectors are not content with drawing the tax from
those of proper age, but often demand payments for boys and girls, who, as
they might see, are still under fourteen. It happened so to-day at
Dartford. One of the tax-collectors went to the house of Wat the Tyler.
His wife had the money for his tax and hers, but the man insolently
demanded tax for the daughter, who is but a girl of twelve; and when her
mother protested that the child was two years short of the age, he offered
so gross an insult to the girl that she and her mother screamed out. A
neighbour ran with the news to Wat, who was at his work on the roof of a
house near, and he, being full of wrath thereat, ran hastily home, and
entering smote the man so heavily on the head with a hammer he carried,
that he killed him on the spot.

"The collectors' knaves would have seized Wat, but the neighbours ran in
and drove them from the town with blows. The whole place is in a ferment.
Many have arms in their hands, and are declaring that they will submit no