unjust taxation of the poor
was intolerable to FitzOsbert.

Fifteen thousand men banded themselves together in London under an oath
that they would stand by each other and by their leader; and FitzOsbert,
after a vain journey to Normandy to arouse Richard's attention to the
wrongs of his subjects, bade open defiance to the justiciar and his
tax-gatherers.

For a time the Archbishop's men were powerless, but weakness crept in
amongst the citizens, and the aldermen were naturally on the side of
constituted authority. FitzOsbert's success meant a readjustment of
taxation quite unpalatable to the City Fathers.

In the end FitzOsbert was deserted by all but a handful of his followers
and fled with them for sanctuary to the church of St. Mary-le-Bow in
Cheapside. Pursued by the officers of the law, FitzOsbert climbed up into
the tower of the church, and to fetch him down orders were given to set the
church on fire. This was done, and the only chance of life that now
remained for the rebels was to get out of the church and cut their way
through the ranks of their enemies.

At the church door FitzOsbert was struck down, and his little company
quickly overpowered.

Heavily chained, and badly wounded, FitzOsbert was carried off to the
Tower, to be tried and sentenced to a traitor's death without delay.

A few days later--it was just before Easter--FitzOsbert was stripped naked,
and dragged at the tail of a horse over the rough streets of London to
Tyburn. He was dead before the place of execution was reached, but the
body, broken and mangled, was hung up in chains under the gallows elm all
the same; and nine of his companions were hanged with him.

The very people who had fallen away from their leader in the day of his
need now counted FitzOsbert for a saint, and pieces of his gibbet and of
the bloodstained earth underneath the tree were carried away and treasured
as sacred relics. It was alleged that miracles were performed when these
relics were touched--so wide was now the popular reverence for the dead
champion of the poor.

Archbishop Hubert put a stop to this devotion by ordering sermons to be
preached on FitzOsbert's iniquities; and an alleged death-bed confession,
containing an account of many evil deeds, was published. It is likely
enough that an old crusader had plenty of sins to answer for, but
FitzOsbert's one crime before the law was that he had taught the people of
London to stand up and resist by force of