In every county, from Somerset to York, the peasants flocked together, "some armed with clubs, rusty swords, axes, with old bows reddened by the smoke of the chimney corner, and odd arrows with only one feather." At Whitsuntide, early in June, 1381, the great uprising began--the Hurling time of the peasants--long to be remembered with horror by the governing classes.

A badly ordered poll-tax was the match that kindled the fire.
The poll-tax was first levied, in 1377, on all over fourteen years of age.
Two years later it was graduated, every man and woman of the working class being rated at 4d., and dukes and archbishops at L6 13s.4d.More money was still wanted by the Government, and early in 1381, John of Gaunt, the chief man in the realm, called Parliament together at Northampton, and demanded L160,000.

Parliament agreed that L100,000 should be raised, and the clergy--owning a third of the land--promised L60,000.

But the only way of raising the L100,000 that the Government could think of was by another poll-tax, and this time everybody over fifteen was required to pay 1s.

Of course, the thing was impossible.