At length the occasion came. Edward the Third died, but he left an ugly
heritage of debt behind him. His useless wars in France had beggared
the crown. New money must be raised. Parliament laid a poll-tax on every
person in the realm, the poorest to pay as much as the wealthiest.
Here was an application of the doctrine of equality of which the people
did not approve. The land was quickly on fire from sea to sea. Crowds of
peasants gathered and drove the tax-gatherers with clubs from their
homes. Rude rhymes passed from lip to lip, full of the spirit of revolt.
All over southern England spread the sentiment of rebellion.
The incident which set flame to the fuel was this. At Dartford, in Kent,
lived one Wat Tyler, a hardy soldier who had served in the French wars.
To his house, in his absence, came a tax-collector, and demanded the tax
on his daughter. The mother declared that she was not taxable, being
under fourteen years of age. The collector thereupon seized the child in
an insulting manner, so frightening her that her screams reached the
ears of her father, who was at work not far off. Wat flew to the spot,
struck one blow, and the villanous collector lay dead at his feet.
Within an hour the people of the town were in arms.
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