"
He grinned as he said this, and there was laughter enough in the
throng to have done honour to a better joke.
Then he sung out, "Hob Wright, Rafe Wood, John Pargetter, and thou
Will Green, bestir ye and marshal the bowshot; and thou Nicholas
Woodyer shall be under me Jack Straw in ordering of the staves.
Gregory Tailor and John Clerk, fair and fine are ye clad in the arms
of the Canterbury bailiffs; ye shall shine from afar; go ye with the
banner into the highway, and the bows on either side shall ward you;
yet jump, lads, and over the hedge with you when the bolts begin to
fly your way! Take heed, good fellows all, that our business is to
bestride the highway, and not let them get in on our flank the while;
so half to the right, half to the left of the highway. Shoot straight
and strong, and waste no breath with noise; let the loose of the
bowstring cry for you! and look you! think it no loss of manhood to
cover your bodies with tree and bush; for one of us who know is worth
a hundred of those proud fools. To it, lads, and let them see what
the grey goose bears between his wings! Abide us here, brother John
Ball, and pray for us if thou wilt; but for me, if God will not do for
Jack Straw what Jack Straw would do for God were he in like case, I
can see no help for it.
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