After this, the king kéeping his Christmasse at his manor of Eltham, was aduertised, that sir Roger Acton knight a man of great wit and possessions, Iohn Browne esquier, Iohn Beuerlie priest, and a great number of other were assembled in armour against the king, his brethren, the clergie and realme. These newes came to the king, on the twelfth dale in Christmasse, wherevpon vnderstanding that they were in a place called Ficket field beside London, on the backe side of saint Giles, he streight got him to his palace at Westminster, in as secret wise as he might, and there calling to him certeine bands of armed men, he repaired into saint Giles fields, néere to the said place (where he vnderstood they should fulle méet about midnight) and so handled the matter, that he tooke some, and slue some, euen as stood with his pleasure. The capteins of them afore mentioned, being apprehended, were brought to the kings presence, and to him declared the causes of their commotion & rising, accusing a great number of their complices. [Sidenote: Thom. Walsin.] [Sidenote: By this excessive number it may appeare, that Walsingham reporteth this matter according to the c[=o]mon fame, and not as that searched out an exquisite truth.] The king vsed one policie, which much serued to the discomfiting of the aduersaries (as Thom. Walsingham saith) which was this: he gaue order, that all the gates of London should be streictlie kept and garded, so as none should come in or out, but such as were knowen to go to the king. Hereby came it to passe, that the chiefest succour appointed to come to the capteins of the rebels, was by that meanes cut off, where otherwise suerlie (had it not béene thus preuented and staied) there had issued foorth of London to haue ioined with them, to the number (as it was thought) of fiftie thousand persons, one and other, seruants, prentises, and citizens, confederate with them that were thus assembled in Ficket field. Diuerse also that came from sundrie parts of the realme, hasting towards the place, to be there at their appointed time, chanced to light among the kings men, who being taken and demanded whither they went with such spéed, answered, they came to méet with their capteine the lord Cobham. [Sidenote: William Murlie.]