NEW. Sith mercy in a prince resembleth right The gladsome sunshine in a winter's day, Pleaseth your grace to pardon me to speak: When all the hope of life and breathing here Be ta'en from all this rout in general, If then at instant of the dying hour, Your grace's honourable pardon come, To men half-dead, who lie killed in conceit:[453] Then, think I, it will be more gracious, Than if it offered were so hastily: When thread of life is almost fret in twain, To give it strength breeds thanks and wonder too. MAYOR. So many as are ta'en within the city Are fast in hold, to know your grace's will. KING. There is but one or two in all the rout, Whom we would have to die for this offence, Especially that by name are noted men. One is a naughty and seditious priest; They call him Ball, as we are let to know, A person more notorious than the rest. But this I do refer to your dispose. N. Pleaseth your grace, they have been rid[454] apace, Such special men as we could possibly find, And many of the common rout among; And yet survives this Ball, that cursed priest, And one Wat Tyler, leader of the rest; Whose villanies and outrageous cruelties Have been so barbarously executed: The one with malice of his traitorous taunts, The other with the violence of his hands, That gentle ruth nor mercy hath no ears To hear them speak, much less to pardon them. KING. It is enough; I understand your minds; And well I wot, in causes such as these, Kings may be found too full of clemency. But who are those that enter in this place? _Enter some of the Rebels, led to execution._ NEW. Pleaseth it your grace, these be the men Whom law hath worthily condemn'd to die, Going to the place of execution. The foremost is that Ball, and next to him Wat Tyler, obstinate rebels both; For all the rest are of a better mould, Whose minds are softer than the foremost twain: For, being common soldiers in the camp, Were rather led with counsel of the rest, Descrying better to be pitied. KING. Morton, to those condemned men we see Deliver this, a pardon to them all, Excepting namely those two foremost men, I mean the priest and him they call Wat Tyler. To all the rest free pardon we do send, And give the same to understand from us. _The King's Pardon delivered by_ SIR JOHN MORTON _to the Rebels_.