Att Saint-James the first day off aprill . . . Th'erle of Surrey being sent for
t'appere before the Cownsell was charged as well off eating off flesshe, as off a
lewde and unsemely manner of walking in the night abowght the stretes and break-
ing with stonebows off certeyne wyndowes. And towching the eating off flesshe,
he alleged a license, albeitt he hadde nott so secretly used the same as apparteyned.
And towching the stonebows, he cowlde nott denye butt he hadde verye evyll
done therein, submitting himselff therefore to such ponissement as sholde to them
be thowght good. Whereapon he was committed to the Fleet.

Clearly we have here a drunken frolic in which the opposition of
the City and the Court comes to the fore. It is the sort of senseless
vandalism common half a century ago in our American colleges
and manifested in the town and gown riots. But however objec-
tionable may have been this lewd and unseemly manner of walking,
it is impossible to regard it seriously. Rightfully he was sent to the
Fleet to realize that the London citizen also had rights. Presum-
ably while there, he composed his absurd explanation of the
affair. ¹

London, hast thow accused me
Of breche of lawes the roote of stryfe,
within whose brest did boyle to see
(so fervent hotte) thy dissolute lief
that even the hate of synnes that groo
within thy wicked walles so rife
ffor to breale forthe did convert soo
that terrour colde it not represse
the which by wordes syns prechers knoo
what hope is le(f)t for to redresse
by vnknowne meanes it liked me
my hydden burden to expresse
wherby yt might appere to the
that secret synn hath secret spight
ffrom Iustice rodd no fault is free
but that all such as wourkes vnright
In most quyet are next ill rest
In secret sylence of the night
this made me with a reckles brest
to wake thy sluggardes with my bowe
A fygure of the lordes behest
whose scourge for synn the sc(r)eptures shew
that as the fearfull thonder clapp

-512-