'Matthew Gough perceiving the rebels to stand to their tackling more
manfullie than he thought they would have done, advised his companie not
to advance anie further toward Southwarke, till the daie appeared; that
they might see where the place of jeopardie rested, and so to provide
for the same; but this little availed. For the rebels with their
multitude drave back the citizens from the stoops at the bridge foot to
the draw bridge, and began to set fire to diverse houses. Great ruth it
was to behold the miserable state, wherein some desiring to eschew the
fire died upon their enimies weapon; women with children in their armes
lept for feare into the river, other in a deadlie care how to save
themselves, betweene fire, water, and sword, were in their houses choked
and smothered. Yet the capteins not sparing, fought on the bridge all
the night valiantlie, but in conclusion the rebels gat the draw bridge,
and drowned manie, and slue John Sutton, alderman, and Robert Heisand, a
hardie citizen, with manie other, beside Matthew Gough, a man of great
wit and much experience in feats of chivalrie, the which in continuall
warres had spent his time in service of the king and his father.
'This sore conflict indured in doubtfull wise on the bridge, till nine
of the clocke in the morning; for somtime, the Londoners were beaten
backe to saint Magnus corner; and suddenlie againe, the rebels were
repelled to the stoops in Southwarke, so that both parts being faint and
wearie, agreed to leave off from fighting till the next daie; upon
condition that neither Londoners should passe into Southwarke, nor
Kentish men into London. Upon this abstinence, this rake-hell capteine
for making him more friends, brake up the gaites of the kings Bench and
Marshalsie and so were manie mates set at libertie verie meet for his
matters in hand.' (Holinshed, iii. p. 226.)
When the rebellion was over they clapped the unlucky Payn into prison
and tried to get out of him some admission that might enable them to
impeach Sir John of treason. This old soldier was not without some love
of letters. One of his household, William Worcester, wrote for him
Cicero 'De Senectute,' printed by Caxton a few years later. A MS. also
exists in the British Museum called 'The Dictes and Sayings of the
Philosophers,' said to have been translated for him by Stephen Perope
his stepson.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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