TRUE STORY OF JACK CADE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2883, 23 June 1909, Page 12

TRUE STORY OF JACK CADE.

MR BARCLAY'S ADDRESS.

Mr A. R. Barclay on Sunday spoke to the Socialist paj-ty in the Trades Hall on ' The True Story of Jack Cade." Mr J. E. M'Manus was in the chair, and the iial! was pack-ed to overflowing. Mr Barclay said that'in dipping into history and lite7 - aiure now and again nothing filled one -.vith more indignation than the infamous distortions and gross misstatements to' be frequently found in respect to the persons and characters of many who in their time fought so strenuously for high ideals, for magnificent reforms, and for the emancipation of their fellow beings from iniquitous wrongs and glaring injustice. Mostly, when they did not succeed, these men were represented as bad, vulgar, illiterate, feather-brained rascale, only worthy of the contempt of the respectable portion of mankind. Mostly these representations were absolutely untrue. Take, for insta-nce, this passage from on» historian in respect to Wat Tyler and his companions: — "The gentlemen of England neglected them (the peasants) at first, and a parcel of needy, debauched rascals immersed in debts, and criminals of all kinds flocking to them, were made their chieftains, under thenames of Thomas Miller, Hob Carter, Jack Straw, Wat Tyler, and the like, which they assumed to express their base, original, and mean employment*. . . . They (the need}* rascals) delivered to him (the King) a pa.oer of demands, very prejudicial to the Crown, the Church, and the nobility -of England."

" The needy rascals " were, as a matter of fact, the bulk of the mankind of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, Hertfordshire, Sussex, Surrey, and Kent The gates of London were opened to them, and all London and its wealth lay at their mercy. Yet the.se " needy, debauched rascals immersed in debts, and criminals of all kinds," strange to say, declared that they were " seekers of truth and justice, not thieves and robbers," and a plunderer found carrying off a silver vessel was thrown with his spoil into the flames of tlie Savoy Palace. Their demands so prejudicial to "the Crown, the Church, and the nobility of England" were very simple. They wanted — (1) Abolition of the form of serfdom known as villeinage; (2) that rent should not exceed Ad an acre — at that time a good rent ; (3) freedom to buy and sell in all markets ; (4) abolition of the game laws — an important matter to them as they depended much on game for food; (5) a general pardon. Although Tyler was assassinated by Walworth, the Lord Mayor, his followers remained, and tho King promised them all they demanded, including paidons and emancipation from serfdom. In lee^ than a fortnight, after all th-p people had gone home, the King 1 revoked all his piomi*^, and ultimately =ome 8000 were executed. «

Yet Wat Tyler and Ins followers wore live men who. in spite of thair apparent failure and defoat at the moment, as a matter of fact broke the back of the villeinase form of ecrfdom in England. From that day forward it ne\er dared to do the things it did before, and ihousrh it was j?eneration« before it finally disappeared, it was no other than Wat Tyler that gave it its death wound, and as such he was one of the most remarkable figures in English history Somewhat similar was the 6forv of Jack Gado. Shakespeare represented him at declaring that " <Le thro<i- hooped pot shall have 10 hoops " ; that he would " make it felony'to drink small beer'"; and that education 'should "be tatally abolished, and every clerk (i.c , person who could read or write) should be hanged. According to rhe divine William, who dearly loved a lord, he was a vtdgar, illiterate, brutal mountebank. As a matter of fact, he was a singuWly talented man of good education himself, a member of the county equirearelry, not cvin an axtisan or workman, an absolutely firs«t cln.=3 roldier with his'h training and considerable experience, and a diplomatist of extraorJina-v t,l-i'l. Even hia enemies at the time creemod him

with "princely bearine, commanding figuire, and pregnant wit."

As a matter of fact, the rising was of almort the whole of Kent, stirred by unquestionable grievances. Amongst them were the Abbot of Battle, the Prior of Lewes, Sir John Cheyne, Knig-ht-, 18 esquire, 74 and many j'eomen. The towns of Canterbury, Chatiiam, Maidstone, Rochester, and Sandwich, in their corporate official capacity, sided" with the movement; and of all tihis pretty dietdng-uislied company Cade, Shakespeare's vulgar, illiterate, brutal rascal, was chosen as the head and leader. They pres-snted the complaints of <-hi 9 commons of Kent, and Tvere denied xedr^bs. They retired to Sevenoaks, and were attacked by a portion of the royal army, which, owing to Cade's military skill, they utterly defeated. Then the complaints were reconsidered, and the royal promise of redress given Also, aU we-re pardoned, and a stfecial pardon was given to Cade. Nevertheless it was subsequently revoked, apparently on tochnical grounds, and a prioe set upon his head. UHamately he was lulled in an attempt to capture him.