Sir Anthony Kingston, then Prouost-marshall of the Kings armie, hath left his name more memorable, then commendable amongst the townsemen, for causing their Maior to erect a gallowes before his owne doore, vpon which, (after hauing feasted Sir Anthony) himselfe was hanged.
In like sort (say they) he trussed vp a millers man, thereby, for that he presented himselfe in the others stead, saying he could neuer do his master better seruice.
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But mens tongues, readily inclined to the worst reports, haue left out a part of the truth, in this tale, that the rest might carrie the better grace. For Sir Anthony did nothing herein, as a Iudge by discretion, but as an officer by direction; and besides, hee gaue the Maior sufficient watchwordes of timely warning, & large space of respite (more then which, in regard of his owne perill, he could not afford) to shift for safety, if an vneschewable destiny, had not haltered him to that aduancement. As for the millers man, he equalled his master, in their common offence of rebellion, and therefore it deserued the praise of mercy, to spare one of the two, and not the blame of crueltie, to hang one for another.
I should perhaps haue forgotten the free schoole here, maintayned by her Maiesties liberalitie, were I not put in mind thereof through a fore-halfening of this rebellion, by an action of the schollers, which I will report from some of their owne mouthes. About a yeere before this sturre was raysed, the schollers, who accustomably diuide themselues, for better exploiting their pastimes, grew therethrough into two factions; the one whereof, they called the olde religion; the other, the new. This once begunne, was prosecuted amongst them in all exercises, and, now and then, handled with some egernesse and roughnes, each partie knowing, and still keeping the same companions, and Captaine. At last one of the boyes, conuerted the spill of an old candlesticke to a gunne, charged it with powder and a stone, and (through mischance, or vngraciousnesse) therewith killed a calfe: whereupon, the owner complayned, the master whipped, and the diuision ended.
By such tokens, sometimes wonderfull, sometimes ridiculous, doth God at his pleasure, foreshewe future accidents: as in the Planets, before the battell at Thrasimenus, betweene Hannibal and the Romanes, by the fighting together of the Sunne and Moone. In birds, what time Brute brought forth the remnant of his army at Philippi, against Caesar and Anthony, by the furious bickering betweene two Eagles. In men, against the destruction of Hierusalem, by the encountring of Chariots and armies in the ayre. And before Alexanders battel with Darius; first, by a casual skirmish of the camp-straglers, vnder two Captaines, borrowing the names of those Princes; and then by Alexanders voluntary setting those Captaines to a single combat. Yea (to bring these examples neerer home) the like hath hapned both before and sithence, amongst boyes in other places.
When Caesar was departed from Rome, to try the title of the worlds Empire with Pompey, the towns boyes (without any mans commaund) parted in twayne: the one side calling themselues Pompeyans, the other Caesarians; and then darrayning a kinde of battell (but without Armes) the Caesarians got the ouerhand.
A like prank vnder the like assumed names, and with like successe and boding, they plaied, when Octauius and Anthony were, with like meanes, to decide the like Soueraignty.
And to the same purpose, Procopius affirmeth, that the Samnite boyes, when they draue their cattel to feeding, after their vsual maner of pastime, chose out amongst themselues, two of the best actiuity and seemelinesse; the one, they named Bellisarius, Generall for Iustinian the Emperour in Italy, the other Vitiges king of the Gothes, [126] against whome hee warred. In the buckling of these counterfeite Commaunders, it fell out, that Vitiges had the worst, whome the aduerse party with a iesting and craking maner, hanged vp at the next tree, in earnest, but yet with no intent to kill him.