There hath bene hetherto many and manyfolde letters ād writinges / of the wonderfull deades / and intencyons of the rebaptisers / of Munster in westuaell haeth bene written of many great assautes ād batailes / the which haeth beene done of boeth partes as well frō without the cite as frō within. So is now the moost shorteste concluded all thinges how it is and haeth bene because not to be greuous vnto the Reader / and in especial how all their deades and intencions after the cite was ta­ken is ended.

HOw be it that it is well knowen vnto all peo­ple and manifeste that the rebaptisers of Mū ster in westuaell haeth chosen amōge them a kinge whose name was Ihon of Ley a teylloure &c. the which they haue crowned with a co­stly crowne of golde / and streight fourth haue taeken him for their rueler and worldly lorde & haue knowledged him for a kinge of the hoole worlde and so haue taken him / and hath also in al thinges bene willinge obediente and obeissante vnto him / for thei haue delyured hī al their mony and goodes / and when they had now a longe season cōtinued a wonderfull Rule of the which ther was neuer none suche sene / nor harde / and haue fortified and maede stronge the cite of Munster in suche maner / that vnto thē nother with gonne shotte nor assaute in no maner of means might no hurte be done vnto them / for many lordes & other men of warre haeth proued it

¶Vvhen now the people the which that laye before the cite did daeyly abyde and suffer greate skaethe and losse / ād the lordes and ruelers considered that no schaethe nor hurte might be done vnto them of Munster sauinge oonly by famyshinge / agreed the bishop of Munster with the lordes kapteins and men of armes and maede before the cite very ney seuen bolwarkes / the which ware well kept twelf monthe and moore with men of warre and soogers and did so greate skathe and horte vnto them of Munster / that thei mighte get no prouision nor vittaels be no means in to the cite / nor noone from without the cite cowde nor might succour nor helpe them the which is now wel manifeste and knowen vnto all people.

¶Vvhen now thei cowde nor myght haue of no body helpe nor comforte of vitayles or norishment for the body / and that dayely a greate substance of vitayles was spent and eaten by the multitude [Page] of people / and the tyme ran fast on from daye to daye / that the common people had eaten and spent their vitayles of meate and drin­ke / In so muche that thear was no moore mānes foode within the cite sauinge oonly in the kinges place or pallaeis.

¶Now had they in the cite in all voyde places open the walles & aboute thē where was any voide roume sowed moost with peasen and Raepes wherby the comen people louede a greate whyle vnto the tyme that they had eaten and spente the strawe of the peason and the greane of the Raepes / and that all was eaten op that was in the cite saeuinge oonly thre horsse / & ther was none other mans foode in the cite / then horsse and oxen heades / the which they toke and cotte them small and did syethe them with water whyls they ware tender / and didde then eate them for to sustayne their lyfe ther with all / For they ware dayly conforted thorowe their heade rueler caled kneppetelling that thear shulde come prouision in the cite / & when that thear was none other comforte amōge the commen people but to dye for hongre / thei desired to departe out of the cite / thē was the tromme stricken about the cite / that whosoeuer desired to departe out of the cite / and that wolde tary no lenger ther in / they shuld come to the kinge and he shulde geue them a token that they shulde be let owte.

¶And streight forth gathered thear togider a greate multitude of wemen yonge maydens and childerne / the which cam before the kinge and desyerd to departe out of the cite / & then caused the kin­ge theȝ to be searched & to taeke awaye from them all that they had and lefte none of them moore than oone raymēt and sayde to them now go your wayes to the heretiques. And when they ware out be­fore the gates without the cite betwene the cast walles and the trē sches opō a large place ther were thei fayne to abyde / for thei that laye vpon the bolwarkes let none passe thorow the trensches / and ther most they eate leaues & grasse vnto the tyme that it was commanded them to departe out of the contre and thear was many of them founde dead the which had dyed for very honger. But all the sougars or mens persons that came out of the cite were al killed & set vpon carte whyles aboute the cite / for the hegges and the trens­ches ware so hey & so stronge that it was not possible to scape.

¶Itē two & fyfty sowgers that lay in the cite of Munster whē they saw that the honger was so greate & was but small prouision they agreed togither & with a commen agreement to departe out of [Page] the cete towarde the winge of sainct Mauricius and desyrede to cō me vnto the bischope him selfe / and when they had showede theyr myndes vnto the sowgars that ley vpon the bolwarckes and tren­sches / and desired to helpe them ouer the hedges and trensches / then haethe the sowgars of the Bischop Reached them their haelbards and haue draewne them so ouer the hedges and trēsches lyke as they had promesed them and that they sholde helpe them to the bischop / and when that they ware now holpen ouer the hedges and trēsches / thē dide the sowgers of the bischope see that thē they that ware com owt of the cete ware all cloothede with dub­belettes of silcke and veluette and some of them had on clothe of golde lyke as they had taeken yt owt of the churches / when they ware now all within the trensches then was thear noone oe­ther counsell but drewe owt theyr swordes and killede thē all / thē was theare oone the whiche came Runnynghe behynde and was no yette ouer / ād whan he came ney vnto the hedge and trensches and harde how they delte with his fellowes / not withstādinghe he Rāne to the hegde ād boore halfe a haggebosche the whiche fyred him selfe / and when he came ney to the hedge / oone offerede him his haelbarde to helpe him ouer as the oether his fellowes had beene holpē ouer butte he proferede him his gonne ād shotte him that he tomblede and ranne backe agaeyne into the cete / ād then was the kinge in his haele with his duekes the whiche he had maede butte a lytell before / with his gaerde and pete captaines ād oether that had daeyle theyr lyuinge owt of his cowrte / and caste amonge them that they hadde no longar vittaelles butt for tow monethes Deuysinghe and cownselinge the oone the oether / how that they might ghitte helpe and vittaelles. Then was theare oone amonge them all the whiche was calede hans of the longe streate a watch maester and oone of the ruelers that the kinge sette muche be and gaue him greate credite / the whiche had beene a longe season befo­re with the bischope oone of the maesters of the trensches / ād was goone from thence in the cete to the rebaptisers / and this hans was very good teller of his taele ād a greate taellaer in commenycatiō and onder toeke ād boostede him selfe in the presense of the kinge and thē that had charge of the ruele of the cete / that as farre for­the as he coude or mighte haue charge of the kinge he knewe the meanes for to ghitte prouysiō of vittaeills within fowretene daeys ād to bringe in by that tyme thre hūderde mē of warre or sowgers in to the cete where with the kinge ād his cownsell ware wel cōtente ād pleasede / ād poynted a daey when this sholde be to onderstande opon midsommer nyghte / ād then was hāskē of the lōge streate as at that tyme a watche maester ī the cete / ād had beene of the oether [Page] syde withowte the cete a maester of the trēsches. In somuche that he knew boothe the mānar withoute the cete & withī the cete & had veuede boothe by daey & by nighte te circuyte ād the bolwarckes ād the diches abowte the towne wheare they ware deapeste or shal loweste wheare they ware broodeste or narroweste / and wheare the cete was strōgeste / ād feebeleste. In somuche that he knew all thinges / and as soene as he was lette owt of the cete knewe he straight the righte waey thorrowe the hedge ād ouer the trēsches of his aduersaris the whiche he muste passe / and so wente foure leegs from Mūster in a lytell towne caled ham / and belōghethe vnto te duke of cleeue And streyght fourthe he sente for oone the whiche was naemede my lorde of the dame and had his dwellinge theare / and had beene oone of the heades of Fryslāde / vnto the whiche he saei­de that he knew well that he was in greate indingnacyō withe the reuerēde bischop of mūster / for beacawse that he had lefste the lātsknechts sowgers vnto the Bischope ād was goone into the cete / ād he onder toeke as farre forthe as the bischop wolde pardon him ād geue him free gooinghe ād cōminge he wolde geue his re­uerence a mattar to knoelege wheare as londe and people laey on and as soene as my lorde of the dame had harde suche nyews he haethe nott taryede longe. Butte haethe geuen the bischope knoelege thear of & then haethe the bischope geuē him free goeynge and cōminghe / and haethe poyntede him a plaece wheare he sholde co­me to him / ād so is the bischope ād his cownsell sowne determinede ād be cō vnto hāskē of the broode streate opō the plaece apoyntede togedder / & haue desyrede to heare the mattar / & thē haethe hāsken saeide vnto the bischop and vnto his cownsell that he wolde showe thē the matter ād as farre fowrthe as the mattar wēte for­warde then dorste he neuer in his lyue daeys come amōge no lantsknechts nor sowgers / and as farre forthe as the Bischope wolde thē keape him all his lyfe daeis or geue him as muche as he might mantene him selfe opon dueringhe his lyfe / that then he wolde deleuer vnto the bischop opō midsōmer night at ten of the clocke the cete of mūster drey foetede / wheare opon the bischope ād his coun­selers haethe taeken and holden a shorte cownsell / and be soune agreede in the mattar / and as farre forthe as the mattar came to affecte then wolde the heades with all oether ruelers by in the forwarde / whear opon the bischope haethe kepte a cōmons opon euery bolwarcke / and geuen also knoelege of the mattar vnto euery man / how they ware myndede for at suche an owre sholde the cete be openede how they ware myndede theare to / and whether that they wolde auonture yt / for all noble men lordes gentell men [Page] and thei that haue charge of oether shall & will be of the furst / and theare with was the commēte very well contente / & cryed all with one voyce Ie / Ie / Ie / we haue layne long ynoughe in the strawe we will also sleape oones vpon beddes / ād so haeth the byshope contē ded accordinge to his promesse vnto hansken of the longe streate after his awne desyre and Requeste as had bene deuysed. And so are concluded in oone and haue apointed togither that thei shulde be opon the sette owre reddy ād come before the crosse gaete / & then wolde he geue them a token ād when thei shuld see the same / that they might then come hardely for all thinges shulde be cleare thē After that went hansken of the longe streate into the cite agayne / and made the kinge beleaue that he had brought all thinges well to passe and that at the owre that he had apoynted shuld come in thre hondred sowgers with prouysion and vitailes. Then was the kin­ge and all that were aboute him very gladde and yoifull ād maede the one the other good chyere / And now when the appointmēt was made fowrtene dayes a fore midsomer nighte / haue the folke of the bishop prepared in the meane season all thinges necessary there to lyke as skaellꝭ and ladders and other hookes / & be come at the ow­re apointed before the gate and then did hansken of the longe stre­ate geue them a token that al thinges were cleare / then haue they set forth / for hansken of the longe streate had bene the eaueninge before with the watche that watched that night vpon the rondel of the towre / & sayd vnto thē for he was a watschemaster / this night shal many folkes and prouision come into the cite sleape hardely / & be of good chiere and be stil and take no hyde vnto the people that come in / and as now the folke of the bishope thronge on soore then came to the ditches of the cite ney vnto a litel gate the which was shutte and locked ād theare thei most neades ouer the diche / for there was no place aboute the cite where the diche was narrower then theare as hāsken hadde tolde them before / and there they cast their ladders ouer the diche ād maede a brigge vnto the wal of the cite and when now many of them were ouer the diche went they forth tyl they came to the towre of the rōdel the which is caled the cros­se gaete / & thear caste thei their ladders the which were a mans lē ghte to shorte so that thei coude do nothinge there / from thence ca­ste thei their Ladders opon the bolwarke of the rowndel and whē some of thē were vpon the bolwarke thei drewe the oother op with their halbardes that thei ware thirte stronge. Then went thei vnto the preuy watsche where as euery night watsched two / & eyght vpon the towre of the rondell vnto the which hansken of the lon­ge streate had bene before / the firste watcher that mette with them [Page] they axed what the watsche worde was / then spake the watsche man & sayde earthe / & streight with all was thear oone with a two handed swerde and hewe him in two peces / for the watsche wor­de of them of Munster within the cite was earth / and of thē that were without the cite their watsche worde was Mary the mother of God / and they had for their feelde token / a strawe wische vpon their armes. And then leaped forth the other watschman and axed them what the watsche worde was and the folke of the bishope answered in lyke wyse earth and theare with was he contēte / and thē went two or thre of them foerth lyke as watschers and when thei were passed killed they the oether lykwyse. After that went they streight foerth to the other watschers of the towre and axed them lykwyse the watsche worde / and they sayde also earth them thei killed lykwyse / and then knewe thei the watsche worde well / and had taeken in the towre of the rowndell with al the gaetes & bolwarckes so that they cowde not wel be letted nor greaued. Then went they backwarde agayne to the bolwarcke / wheare as thei wolde haue fastened their ladders that ware a mans lenghte to shorte / but reached the other their halbardes and so drewe op the oether vpon the wael of the cite tyl they ware two honderd and fyfty stronge / & then preased thei that ware out of the cite so sore that the brigge the which they had maede ouer the diche brake. But when thei see that they ware two honderd and fifte stronge within the cite / then went they in the deade of the nighte and sayde / now on gentil bre­therne folowe vs and mente that thei that ware yet out of the cite / shulde haue folowed them / and wente forth and founde the gates of the cite standinge open / and so went foerth stil whils thei came to the markette place / and then began the daye to apere ād al their trommes did strike and thei cryed all alerm alerm / and spred abroode seuen banners / and then was the kinge and the citesens first a­ware that their ennemis ware afore and in the cite / and by and by had thei also gathered them togither / & bette their ennemis with stronge honde from the market place backe againe vnto the gaete where as thei ware come in at / in the meane season had one of the citesens locked the gaetes that thei coulde not oute againe. Then cried the kinge gentill and deare lantsknechtes laye your weapens from yow and go againe out at the gates / yow shall haue no harme done vnto you / and streight withall Ranne the women vppon the waelles and cryed to the sowgars that they shulde fetche their banners and ther head agayne / for that kared nothinge the folke of the byshope but strooke vpon the gaetes with hamers and with axes / and as sone as they hadde gotten the gaetes open / ranne they [Page] streight to the towre of the Rondell / and putte forthe their bannar owt at the towre towarde the bolwarckes from withoute the cete now ware the oether that might not come ouerthediche because the brigge braeke Ranne backe agayne to theyr bolwarckes / for becau­se of the greate shuetinge and assaulte that they harde / in the cete and also they wente that all theyr fellowes had beene slaeyne / But whan they sae the bannar opon the waell then concyderede they well that theyr compaēgions waere yett alyue. Then Ranne they all to gedder in the cete and bette the kinge with all his rebapti­sers agayne from the markete plaece tyll vnto cathedrall courte / and thear they putte thē selfe agayne in defence / and ware dryuen agayne from thence tyll vnto saeinct Michells chappell opon the whiche they didde greate hortte with shuetinghe / wheare thorrowe the bischopes folke sufferede greate skaethe and gaue backe be­cawse of the greate gonne shotte behynde the cathedrall churche / and so laey they opon saeinct Michells chappell whilles ten of the clocke afore noene / and in the meane season was the kinge taeken the whiche was geuē backe opon saeinct Gilliās gaete the whiche was the mooste strongheste gaete of all the cete. After that they desyrede to keape speache with the oppermoste captayne / the whiche was graented them.

¶And was so moche done a boothe sydes that euery oone shol­de goo hoome vnto the comminge of their mooste redoutede lorde and bischope / then sholde theare moore be spoken of the whiche was graentede and promesede vnto them and opon that wente eue­ry oone in to his house / and when now the lantsknechts that had leyn vnder the bischopes Bannar had sustaynede greate losse and skaethe and the mooste vallianste and extymede gentill men and dubbell sowgers that ware slayne to the nombre of a honderde and fyste / Rāne they withe and angrey mynde in to the howses and whe are they fownde any them drewe they be thy heare vpon the streate / and hewed them to peces and so killed them. Schortely after was the trome stricken about that they sholde kill no moo. Butte wheare any ware founde them sholde they bringe to the oppermo­ste Ruelar / and when they ware brought thedder then was theyr heade stricken from theyr body / foure daeys after causede the cap­tayne to be stricken abowte with the trombe / that all weemen yonge & olde sholde comme to the dōme whiche is the cathedrall cherche and when they ware all thear and gaddered to gedder / was it cō ­manded them that they sholde by and by voyde the cete. And soo they voyded all yonge and olde to a greate nomber / opon the feal­de and that lastede to the thirde daey. Butte whoo that cowde [Page] agre withe the lorde for his wife or doughter or sette seurte for thē they ware sufferede to come in agayne / & when they had bene aboute eyght daeis in the cete agaeyne they saeyde that they wol­de abyde by their oolde secte / & then was the trome strickē aboute agaeyne that all the wemē that ware come in to the cete agayne sholde come in the moerninge At nyne of the clocke to the plaece of the cathedrall churche.

¶Then was geuen vnto them a cōmandmente of a nyew that they sholde by and by voide the contre ionge and oelde ād whoo so euer housede or logede thē sholde be in treatede as tho he ware a Rebaptiser him selfe he or she ād iff theare ware any sowger that had any suche womā in his cōpany / he moste be sonne sette putte her awaey feō him / or he hī selfe sholde suffer suche ponuyshmēte of his bode as she sholde. Shortley after ware letters sette vpō all churche dores all gaetes of litell tounes and villaeges that ley a­boute Mūster that no bode sholde nother house nor loge no suche folkes for they that sholde be fownde so doeynghe they sholde be ponnisshed as a Rebaptiser / so kan noman tell wheare that people is become. Item after that Iohū of ley a taellior and kinge of the Rebaptisers of Mūster / the whiche of al the rebaptisers was choosen a kinge of nyewe Iherusalē and of all the vnyuersall worlde Is firste after that the cete was all goten taekē presonner / & thē ware causede to be maede tow Ieron collours with longe linckes of Ieron opon them / oone for the kinge & oone for his felloue knep pertellinge / the whiche ware striken aboute their neckes / and faste reuetede thre daeys after that they ware taeken presonners / & ware soo hadde betwene tow men of armes lyke beastes / thre leaghes of Munster in a lytel toune caled Rybergh / and after that that the armey braeke op at Munster / they ware brought vnto a castell caled dulem also thre leaghs from thence and thear passede many sow­gars for by when they braeke op at Munster / and than was the kinge and his fellowe kneppertellinge sette a fore the gaete of the castell because that the sowgars sholde yet oons moore se them in the passinge for be the castell.

¶And the Bischope of mūster came vnto the castell firste vnto the kinge and vnto his lyftennante kneppertrllinge / and as soene as the Bischope saewe te kinge / spaeke hy to the kinge and saeide O yow wretsches hoe piteously haue yow distroyede my and my pouer subgests. Thā āwerde the kīge spytfully & skoornfully add saeide thou preeste I haue notte distroyede the. I haue deleuerede the a strōge cete the whiche is agaeinste all assaultes & oprūniges And I haue maede yow poure I will maeke yow riche agayne as [Page] farre fourthe as yow will followe me cownlel. Then axede the Bischope him hoche cede maeke him riche / then saeide he to the bischope / I knowe well that yow will putte me to a shaemefull deathe. That he sholde cause to be maede for him and for his lyfeten nāte kneppertellinge a kaege of Ieron keuerede ouer withe ledder and sette thē boothe thearin / and cause thē be carriede thorrone all contres / and who seuer desyrede to see thē that they sholde geue a stuyuer the whiche is tow pence flemische / they sholde ghite moo­re mōne than the bischope had laeide owte & then the hoole bischope Rick was worthe / and so is the bischope depaerted from them

¶Item whan te bischope had now the cete agayne and all the rebaptisers boothe men and wemen ware goone some slaeyne & some voeydede the contre and dreuen awaey / and the lordes and the sowgars ware agreede for the depaertinghe of the bowte soo that the sowōars sholde haue the oone halfe & the lorde the oether. Thē was theare stricken aboute with the trome that noone of the sow­gars sholde keape as moche as the vallewe of half a golde ghil­dren and who that ware founde the cōtrary sholde be ponnyschede of body and goods / and thear to ware .xxi. partinghe maesters or­denede of euery bannar thre that sholde sell the goode ād maeke yt to monne / then mente the men of armes a horsbacke to haue theyr paerte alsoo / the whiche the sowgars wolde not cōsente in no wyse wheare of they ware longe at stryfe and debaete / & when the paerte maesters sholde now departe the bowte and hadde not so moche monne as the sowgars hadde countede / then toeke they the paerte maesters euery oone and putte thē in the middes of a ringe of thē all as the maunar of them is / and demaended and axede of them wheare the monne and goodes ware become / and when the paerte maestres wolde not showe thē according he vnto their mynde / caused they the hangman to come in the middes of the ringe amonge them / the whiche drewe tow of the parte maesters opō a laddar a fore all the common sowgars and yette wolde not they beknowen and this lastede whills after noene / and then dide the lordes sette owte the maetter tyll the next daey and in the mooringe ware all the parte maesters goone / and then came the hagman in the ringe and saeide that it was forbidden him be the lordes that he sholde axe no moore rigorosly / cōcyderede that he hadde rackede the daey before and that they had not confessede. Then sente they by ād by of euery bannar tow sowgars / and the hangman with them to the king and kausede him also to be axede with tourmentes what he knewe of the bowte and when the hangman had tourmentede him threyse knoelegede he of a barrel of golde and oether yewells and [Page] and golden ringes / te whiche all was not so moche worthe as the sowgars wolde fayne haue hadde.

¶In conclusion then was the bowte depaertede amōge them so that euery sowgar hadde no moore but eghtene eemde ghildeius of foure shillings flemmische the peece. Then faeide the heade mē of the sowgars they knewe a good remedy for as soene as they ca­me owte of the gaetes they knewe wheare to haue mōne and a noe­ther lorde / and so wente the sowgars awaey now ten now twente / and wente so awaey that theare aboode butte fyue honderde sow­gars in the cete / the whiche the bischope helde to keape the cete / & who that oughte oone anoether they gaeue eche oether noothinge

¶Item whoo that hadde letten him to be Rebaptisede in Munster and geuē his goodes to the kinge that was perfection in their lawe / & him dide the kinge hange a tooken abowte his necke maede of copper with thre letters thearin A.d.w.f the whiche betookene the so muche the woorde is become flesche. Itē before the kinge of mūster was borne the mānar of a ronude boule with a goldē crosse theare opon / ād afore that tow swordes ād that betookenede as muche withe thē as a kīge of the hoole vniuersall worlde his cloothinge and lifrey was broune and greane partede in foure quarters / ād vpon the righte arme had he in mannar of an appell with a crosse and tow swordes thutroe yt and theare withe hadde he cloethede all his gaerde and housholde seruants. And when cōmon people in the cete of Munster had not had no breade in thre weckes / is theare neuerthelesse fownde after that the cete was gotten in the kinges courte seuen tōne of wyne and oone tonne of bier ād oone tonne of flesche & a tonne of meele / and they ware wel in the cete of Munster fyftene honderde men stronghe and when the cete was wonne they ware not paste a thousande and are of boothe sydes be the warre that was before the cete and within slaeyne nye opon eght thou­sande I beseche Ihesu heauen kinge to sende vs hence fourthe vnite and peas Amen.