The suspense at this crisis must have been intense. The rebels prepared their bows, but the arrows were not let fly, for the King spurring his horse, rode forward across the square to the host, and cried out, 'Will you shoot your King? I am your captain and leader, follow me.' This brilliant display of courage by the beautiful boy of fourteen, who had the misfortune to be King, had its effect, and the Commons followed him peaceably into the fields of Clerkenwell. Walworth raised a body of loyal citizens, and these marched out under the command of Sir Robert Knolles and surrounded the rebels, who surrendered and asked for pardon. The host was divided into companies and sent to their respective homes under proper escort. Now that the authorities were triumphant, the leaderless rebels fared badly. On July 2nd the charters were revoked. John Ball fled to the Midlands, and, according to Froissart, he was taken prisoner at Coventry in an old ruin. On the 15th of July he was drawn, hanged and quartered, just one month after the death of Wat Tyler. On December 13th the King proclaimed a general pardon. A contemporary account of the insurrection was drawn up and inserted in the City 'Letter Book H' (fol. cxxiii.). A translation of this is printed in Riley's _Memorials_ (pp. 449-451). It is of great interest, but naturally no attempt at a judicial statement is made. The events are described as 'among the most wondrous and hitherto unheard-of prodigies that ever happened in the city of London,' and it is stated that 'hardly was there a street in the city in which there were not bodies lying of those who had been slain.' The traitors who let in the mob are described as 'perfidious Commoners within the city.' The whole account is written with spirit, and the ending of the fearful days is graphically described: 'Therefore our Lord the King returned into the city of London with the greatest glory and honour, and the whole of this profane multitude in confusion fled forthwith for concealment in their affright.' 'Our Lord the King, beneath his standard in the said field, with his own hands decorated with the order of knighthood the said Mayor [William Walworth], and Sir Nicholas Brembre and Sir John Philipot, who had already been Mayors of the said city, as also Sir Robert Lamb.' Thus ended the Peasants' Rising, which, although it ended in total defeat to its promoters, exercised an enormous influence on the course of English history. The insurrection of Jack Cade was not so important an event as that of Wat Tyler, but it must not by any means be considered merely as an outbreak of the lower classes.