SIR THOMAS MORE
Page: 4

LINCOLN.
Master Doctor Standish hath answered that it becomes not him to
move any such thing in his sermon, and tells us we must move the
Mayor and aldermen to reform it, and doubts not but happy success
will ensue on statement of our wrongs. You shall perceive there's
no hurt in the bill: here's a couple of it; I pray ye, hear it.

ALL.
With all our hearts; for God's sake, read it.

LINCOLN.
[Reads.] To you all, the worshipful lords and masters of this city,
that will take compassion over the poor people your neighbors, and
also of the great importable hurts, losses, and hinderances, whereof
proceedeth extreme poverty to all the king's subjects that inhabit
within this city and suburbs of the same: for so it is that aliens and
strangers eat the bread from the fatherless children, and take the
living from all the artificers and the intercourse from all the
merchants, whereby poverty is so much increased, that every man
bewaileth the misery of other; for craftsmen be brought to beggary,
and merchants to neediness: wherefore, the premises considered,
the redress must be of the common knit and united to one part: and
as the hurt and damage grieveth all men, so must all men see to
their willing power for remedy, and not suffer the said aliens in
their wealth, and the natural born men of this region to come to
confusion.

DOLL.
Before God, tis excellent; and I'll maintain the suit to be honest.

SHERWIN.
Well, say tis read, what is your further meaning in the matter?

GEORGE.
What! marry, list to me. No doubt but this will store us with
friends enow, whose names we will closely keep in writing; and on
May day next in the morning we'll go forth a Maying, but make it
the worst May day for the strangers that ever they saw. How say
ye? do ye subscribe, or are ye faint-hearted revolters?

DOLL.
Hold thee, George Betts, there's my hand and my heart: by the
Lord, I'll make a captain among ye, and do somewhat to be talk of
for ever after.

WILLIAMSON.
My masters, ere we part, let's friendly go and drink together, and
swear true secrecy upon our lives.

GEORGE.
There spake an angel. Come, let us along, then.