Tombland

‘First, though, I must tell you that yesterday evening a messenger from the Herald brought a letter from the Protector.’ Kett held up a paper. ‘Several East Anglian camps have also received letters. They all start as this one does, berating us for setting ourselves up in rebellion, but they have concluded with concessions – the one to Thetford seems to promise future commissioners will be appointed by local men.’ There was a murmur of approval, but Kett raised a hand. ‘The letter to us contains the usual strictures; the King takes it for a great indignity that we offer to deal with him as enemies holding the field – as though I had not done enough to show our loyalty to his Majesty and the Protestant cause.’ For a moment his voice almost broke. ‘But the concessions are vague, saying the commissioners will deal with enclosures, but we will have to wait until a new Parliament in October before landlords who refuse to cooperate will be forced to do so. Yet those of you with knowledge of politics’– he looked at me – ‘know that Parliament consists of lords and gentlemen, who would never approve such measures. Meanwhile, he tells us to return home, and not drive him’ – he looked at the letter and quoted – ‘ “to sharper means”.’

Toby Lockswood stroked his black beard. ‘I’ve been helping coordinate information from the countryside, and there’s no sign of any commissioners beyond Kent and Essex. Promises are being made there, but only on condition the camp-men disperse. And in Canterbury there are rumours that a leader called Latimer is in government pay, handing out money to make the camp disperse.’ Then, with fire in those blue eyes, he added, ‘And we know a thousand soldiers were sent to put down the men of Oxfordshire. There are reports of a great battle, with many killed, at a place called Chipping Norton. There are to be trials, and executions.’

Miles nodded. ‘The Oxfordshire rebels seem to have run amok amongst the villages. We have not; we have proclaimed our loyalty, kept the peace, and killed nobody.’

‘But we have put down the landlords,’ Hector Johnson interjected, ‘taken their sheep and other property. How will the Protector look on that?’

‘We needed to feed ourselves. And we are doing the commissioners’ work for them in removing the enclosures.’

‘Will the twenty-nine articles have reached London yet?’ I asked. ‘They were only sent on Wednesday.’

William Kett scratched his grey, leonine head. ‘Yes, the letter refers to them. We have also sent emissaries, though have had no word from them.’

Vowell said, ‘Maybe the harsh tone of the letter is meant to scare us, and the Herald will offer more.’

I took a deep breath. ‘Captain Kett, as I have said before, my fear all along has been that demands for any sort of representation in organs of central government by people not of the gentleman class will be unacceptable to the Protector, and certainly the Council.’

Toby Lockswood snorted. ‘There speaks a gentleman lawyer.’

Robert Kett banged a fist on the desk. ‘Let Serjeant Shardlake speak his mind, without insults.’

‘Thank you, Captain. That was all I had to say, save that this is the largest camp in England, and will be seen as a threat.’

Kett replied, ‘Whatever the Herald says we must maintain the camp. We, too, can make a show of power.’ I looked at him. Like all good leaders, he had an alternative strategy in reserve.

William Kett added, ‘And if no serious concessions are made, what have people to look forward to? We’ve known for months it would be a poor harvest, the storm will have blown down what growing crops there are. And of one thing I am certain, the great majority of people in the camp will not disperse.’

There were murmurs of agreement. Hector Johnson asked, ‘If we stay, how much money have we in our treasury to buy goods in Norwich market?’

Kett smiled. ‘Enough to keep us going for a good time.’

Johnson added, ‘What if the Herald orders Codd and Aldrich to close Norwich against us? They would doubtless be happy to obey him. And we cannot rely on the countryside to feed – what is it now? – nine thousand of us for ever.’

Captain Miles sat up straight in his chair. ‘The answer to that is clear, and I speak as a soldier. The Norwich walls are but parchment defences, with sections falling down. And we can easily get across the river to Bishopsgate. We could take the city in a day.’

Edward Brown added, ‘Many of the watch and constables are coming over to us. As for cannon, they have only a few old pieces at the castle. And the poor of the city are with us.’

Robert Kett said, ‘Nonetheless, if the city fathers are ordered to resist us, there will be bloodshed.’ He hesitated. ‘It may not be needed, the Herald may grant our demands – but otherwise, I agree, we must be ready to take the city. I think it is what our men will want.’

‘Our bowmen will be our principal weapon,’ Miles declared.

‘We have some good ones already,’ Johnson added.