But ftay, I'll read it over once again.

[facel 2. Mar. Ah, barbarous villains! hath this lovely Rul'd, like a wandering planet, over me; And could it not enforce them to relent, That were unworthy to behold the fame?

K. Henry. Lord Say, Jack Cade hath fworn to have thy head.

Say. Ay, but I hope, your highnefs fhall have his. K. Henry. How now, madam? Lamenting ftill, and mourning Suffolk's death? I fear, my love, if that I had been dead, Thou wouldest not have mourn'd fo much for me. 2. Mar. No, my love, I should not mourn, but die for thee.

Enter a Messenger.

K. Henry. How now! what news? why com'ft
thou in fuch hafte?

Mef. The rebels are in Southwark: Fly, my lord!
Jack Cade proclaims himself lord Mortimer,
Defcended from the duke of Clarence' house ;
And calls your grace ufurper, openly,
And vows to crown himself in Westminster.
His army is a ragged multitude

Of hinds and peasants, rude and merciless:
Sir Humphrey Stafford and his brother's death
Hath given them heart and courage to proceed:
All scholars, lawyers, courtiers, gentlemen,
They call-falfe caterpillars, and intend their death.
K. Henry. O graceless men! they know not
what they do.

Buck. My gracious lord, retire to Kenelworth,
Until a power be rais'd to put them down.

2. Mar. Ah! were the duke of Suffolk now alive, These Kentish rebels should be foon appeas'd.

K. Henry. Lord Say, the traitor hateth thee,
Therefore away with us to Kenelworth.

Say. So might your grace's perfon be in danger;
The fight of me is odious in their eyes:
And therefore in this city will I stay,
And live alone as fecret as I may.

Enter another Meffenger.

2 Mef. Jack Cade hath gotten London-bridge;
The citizens fly him, and forfake their houses:
The rafcal people, thirsting after prey,
Join with the traitor; and they jointly swear,
To fpoil the city, and your royal court.

Buck. Then linger not, my lord; away, take horse.
K. Henry. Come, Margaret; God, our hope,
will fuccour us.

595

1 Cit. No, my lord, nor likely to be flain; for they have won the bridge, killing all thofe that withstand them: The lord mayor craves aid of your honour from the Tower, to defend the city 5 from the rebels. [mand; Scales. Such aid as I can fpare, you shall com But I am troubled here with them myself, The rebels have affay'd to win the Tower. But get you into Smithfield, gather head, 10 And thither will I send you Matthew Gough': Fight for your king, your country, and your lives; And fo farewel, for I must hence again. [Excunt.

Enter Jack Cade and the reft. He frikes his staff on
London-frone.

Cade. Now is Mortimer lord of this city. And here, fitting upon London-stone, I charge and command, that, of the city's coft, the piffing-conduit run nothing but claret wine the first year of our reign. And now, henceforward, it shall be treafon for any that calls me other than-Lord Mortimer.

Enter a Soldier running.

Sol. Jack Cade! Jack Cade! Cade. Knock him down there. Smith. If this fellow be wife, you Jack Cade more; I think, he 30warning.

35

40

[They kill him. he'll never call hath a very fair

Dick. My lord, there's an army gather'd together in Smithfield.

Cade. Come then, let's go fight with them: But, firft, go and fet London-bridge on fire; and, if you can, burn down the Tower too. Come, let's away. [Exeunt.

Alarum. Enter Jack Cade with his company. They fight with the King's forces, and Matthew Gough is flain.

Cade. So, firs:-Now go fome and pull down 45 the Savoy; others to the inns of court; down with them all.

2. Mar. My hope is gone, now Suffolk is de-50 [rebels.

ceas'd.

K. Henry. Farewel, my lord: truft not to Kentish Buck. Truft no body, for fear you be betray'd. Say. The truft I have is in mine innocence, And therefore am I bold and refolute.

SCENE V.

London.

Dick. I have a fuit unto your lordship.

Cade. Be it a lordship, thou shalt have it for that word.

Dick. Only, that the laws of England may come out of your mouth.

John. Mafs, 'twill be fore law then; for he was thruft in the mouth with à fpear, and 'tis not whole yet. [Excunt. 55 Smith. Nay, John, it will be ftinking law; for [Afide. his breath ftinks with eating toafted cheese. [Afide. Cade. I have thought upon it, it shall be fo. Away, burn all the records of the realm; my mouth fhall be the parliament of England.

1 According to Holinfhed, Matthew Gough was "a man of great wit and much experience in feats of chivalrie, the which in continuall warres had spent his time in fervice of the king and his father."

Kent 5 to maintain, the king, the realm, and you,
Large gifts have I bestow'd on learned clerks,
Because my book preferr'd me to the king:
And-feeing ignorance is the curfe of God,
Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven,--
Unless you be poffefs'd with devilish spirits,
You cannot but forbear to murder me.
This tongue hath parly'd unto foreign kings
For your behoof,-

[field?

Enter George Bevis, with the lord Say.
Cade. Well, he thall be beheaded for it ten times.
-Ah, thou fay1, thou ferge, nay, thou buckram 10
lord! now art thou within point-blank of our ju-
rifdiction regal. What canst thou answer to my
majesty, for giving up of Normandy unto monsieur
Bafimecu, the Dauphin of France? Be it known
unto thee by these presence, even the prefence of 15
lord Mortimer, that I am the befom that muft
fweep the court clean of fuch filth as thou art.
Thou haft most traitorously corrupted the youth of
the realm, in erecting a grammar-school: and
whereas, before, our fore-fathers had no other 20 Hath made me full of fickness and diseases.

Cade. Tut! when struck'st thou one blow in the
Say. Great men have reaching hands: oft have
I ftruck

2.

books but the score and the tally, thou haft caufed
printing to be us'd; and, contrary to the king,
his crown, and dignity, thou haft built a paper-mill.
It will be proved to thy face, that thou haft men
about thee, that ufually talk of a noun, and a verb; 25
and fuch abominable words, as no chriftian ear can
endure to hear. Thou haft appointed justices of
peace, to call poor men before them about matters
they were not able to answer. Moreover, thou
haft put them in prifon; and, because they could 30
not read 3, thou haft hang'd them; when, indeed,
only for that cause they have been most worthy to
live. Thou doft ride on a foot-cloth, doft thou
not?

Say. What of that?

Cade. Marry, thou ought'ft not to let thy horfe wear a cloak, when honester men than thou go in their hofe and doublets.

Dick. And work in their fhirt too; as myself, for example, that am a butcher.

Say. You men of Kent,-
Dick. What fay you of Kent?

Thofe that I never faw, and ftruck them dead.
George. O monstrous coward! what, to come
behind folks!
[your good.
Say. Thefe cheeks are pale with watching for
Cade. Give him a box o' the ear, and that will
make 'em red again.

Say. Long fitting to determine poor men's caufes

Cade. Ye fhall have a hempen caudle then, and the help of a hatchet.

Dick. Why doft thou quiver, man?
Say. The palfy, and not fear, provokes me.

Cade. Nay, he nods at us; as who should say, I'll be even with you. I'll fee if his head will ftand fteadier on a pole, or no: Take him away, and behead him.

Say. Tell me, wherein have I offended moft?
Have I affected wealth, or honour? speak.
Are my chefts fill'd up with extorted gold?
Is my apparel fumptuous to behold?

Whom have I injur'd, that ye feek my death?
Thefe hands are free from guiltlefs blood-fhedding,
35 This breaft from harbouring foul deceitful thoughts.
O, let me live!

Cade. I feel remorfe in myself with his words: but I'll bridle it; he shall die, an it be but for pleading fo well for his life. Away with him! he has 40a familiar under his tongue; he speaks not o' God's name. Go, take him away, I say, and ftrike off his head presently; and then break into his fon in law's house, Sir James Cromer, and ftrike off his head, and bring them both upon two poles hither.

Say. Nothing but this: 'Tis bona terra, mala gens.
Cade. Away with him, away with him! he speaks
Latin.
[will. 45

Say. Hear me but speak, and bear me where you
Kent, in the Commentaries Cæfar writ,
Is term'd the civil'ft place of all this ifle:
Sweet is the country, becaufe full of riches;
The people liberal, valiant, active, wealthy;
Which makes me hope you are not void of pity.
I fold not Maine, I loft not Normandy;
Yet, to recover them, would lofe my life.
Juftice with favour have I always done;
Prayers and tears have mov'd me, gifts could never.
When have I aught exacted at your hands?

2

[prayers,

All. It fhall be done. Say. Ah, countrymen! if when you make your God fhould be fo obdurate as yourselves, How would it fare with your departed fouls? 50 And therefore yet relent, and fave my life. Cade. Away with him, and do as I command ye. [Exeunt fome, with lord Say. The proudest peer of the realm fhall not wear a head on his fhoulders, unless he pay me tribute; 55 there fhall not a maid be married, but the fhall pay to me her maidenhead 7 ere they have it: Men

Say was the old word for filk; on this depends the series of degradation, from fay to ferge, from ferge to buckram. Shakspeare is a little too early with this accufation. 3 That is, they were hanged because they could not claim the benefit of clergy. 4 A footcloth was a horfe with houfings which reached as low as his feet. 5 Dr. Johnfon is inclined to think that Kent flipped into this paffage by chance, and would read: "When have I aught exacted at your hand, But to maintain the king, the realm, and you?" Mr. Steevens proposes to read, "Bent to maintain," &c. i. c. firenuously refolved to the utmßt, to, &c. A familiar is a demon who was fuppofed to attend at call. luding to an ancient ufage during the existence of the feudal tenures.

7 Al

hall

shall hold of me in capite; and we charge and command, that their wives be as free as heart can with, or tongue can tell.

Dick. My lord, when shall we go to Cheapfide,] and take up commodities upon our bills *? Cade. Marry, presently.

All. O brave!

Re-enter one with the beads.

Cade. But is not this braver?-Let them kifs

5

Will he conduct you through the heart of France,
And make the meanest of you earls and dukes?
Alas, he hath no home, no place to fly to;
Nor knows he how to live, but by the spoil,
Unless by robbing of your friends, and us.
Wer't not a fhame, that, whilft you live at jar,
The fearful French, whom you late vanquished,
Should make a start o'er feas, and vanquish you?
Methinks, already, in this civil broil,

one another; for they lov'd well, when they 101 fee them lording it in London streets,

were alive. Now part them again, left they con-
fult about the giving up of fome more towns in
France. Soldiers, defer the spoil of the city until
night for with these borne before us, instead of
maces, we will ride through the streets; and, at 15
every corner, have them kifs 2.-Away. [Exeunt.

SCENE

Southwark.

VIII.

Alarum, and retreat. Enter again Cade, and all bis

rabblement.

20

Cade. Up Fish-treet! down Saint Magnus' corner! kill and knock down! throw them into Thames! [A parley founded. 25 What noife is this I hear? Dare any be fo bold to found retreat and parley, when I command them kill?

Enter Buckingham, and old Clifford, attended.
Buck. Ay, here they be that dare, and will 30
disturb thee:

Know, Cade, we come ambaffadors from the king
Unto the commons, whom thou hast mis-led;
And here pronounce free pardon to them all,
That will forfake thee, and go home in peace.
Clif. What fay ye, countrymen? will ye relent,
And yield to mercy, whilft 'tis offer'd you;
Or let a rabble lead you to your deaths?
Who loves the king, and will embrace his pardon,

Crying-Villageois! unto all they meet.

Better, ten thousand base-born Cades mifcarry,
Than you should stoop unto a Frenchman's mercy.
To France, to France, and get what you have loft;
Spare England, for it is your native coaft :
Henry hath money, you are strong and manly;
God on our fide, doubt not of victory.

All. A Clifford! a Clifford ! we'll follow the king, and Clifford,

Cade. Was ever feather fo lightly blown to
and fro, as this multitude? The name of Henry the
fifth hales them to an hundred mifchiefs, and
makes them leave me defolate. I fee them lay their
heads together, to furprize me: my sword make
way for me, for here is no ftaying.In despight
of the devils and hell, have through the very midft
of you! and heavens and honour be witness, that
no want of refolution in me, but only my fol
lowers' base and ignominious treafons, makes me
betake me to my heels.
[Exit.

Buck. What, is he fled? go fome, and follow him;
And he, that brings his head unto the king,
Shall have a thousand crowns for his reward.
[Exeunt fome of them.

35 Follow me, foldiers; we'll devise a mean
To reconcile you all unto the king. [Exeunt.
SCENE IX.
Kenelaworth Cafile.

Fling up his cap, and say-God fave his majefty! 40 Sound trumpets. Enter King Henry, Queen Margaret,

Who hateth him, and honours not his father,
Henry the fifth, that made all France to quake,
Shake he his weapon at us, and pass by.

All. God fave the king! God fave the king!
Cade. What, Buckingham, and Clifford, are ye 45
fo brave? And you, base peasants, do ye believe
him? will you needs be hang'd with your pardons
about your necks? Hath my fword therefore broke
through London gates, that you should leave me
at the White-hart in Southwark? I thought, ye|50|
would never have given out these arms, 'till you
had recover'd your ancient freedom: but you are
all recreants, and daftards; and delight to live in
flavery to the nobility. Let them break your
backs with burdens, take your houfes over your 55
heads, ravish your wives and daughters before your
faces: For me, I will make thift for one; and
fo-God's curfe light upon you all!

All. We'll follow Cade, we'll follow Cade.
Clif. Is Cade the fon of Henry the fifth,

That thus you do exclaim-you'll go with him?

60

and Somerfet, on the Terras.

K. Henry. Was ever king, that joy'd an earthly

throne,

And could command no more content than I?
No fooner was I crept out of my cradle,
But I was made a king, at nine months old;
Was never fubject long'd to be a king,
As I do long and wish to be a fubject.

Enter Buckingham, and Clifford.
Buck. Health and glad tidings, to your majesty !
K. Henry. Why, Buckingham, is the traitor Cade
furpriz'd?

Or is he but retir'd to make him strong?
Enter below, multitudes, with balters about their necks.
Clif. He's fled, my lord, and all his powers do

1 A pun, perhaps alluding to the brown bills, or halberds, with which the commons were anciently This fact is recorded by Holinfhed, p. 634:" and as it were in a fpite caufed them in

armed.

every street to kisse together.”

Soldiers, this day have you redeem'd your lives,
And thew'd how well you love your prince and
country:

Continue ftill in this fo good a mind,
And Henry, though he be infortunate,
Affure yourselves, will never be unkind:
And fo, with thanks, and pardon to you all,
I do dismiss you to your several countries.

All. God fave the king! God fave the king!
Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. Please it your grace to be advertised,
The duke of York is newly come from Ireland:
And with a puissant and a mighty power,
Of Gallow-glaffes, and ftout Kernes',
Is marching hitherward in proud array;
And still proclaimeth, as he comes along,
His arms are only to remove from thee

The duke of Somerset, whom he terms a traitor.
K. Henry. Thus stands my state, 'twixt Cade and
York diftrefs'd;

Like to a fhip, that, having 'fcap'd a tempeft,
Is ftraightway calm'd, and boarded with a pirate:
But now is Cade driven back, his men difpers'd;
And now is York in arms, to second him.
I pray thee, Buckingham, go and meet him;
And ask him, what's the reason of these arms.
Tell him, I'll fend duke Edmund to the Tower :-
And, Someriet, we will commit thee thither,
Until his army be difmifs'd from him.

Som. My lord,

I'll yield myself to prison willingly,
Or unto death, to do my country good.

K. Hen. In any cafe be not too rough in terms;
For he is fierce, and cannot brook hard language.
Buck. I will, my lord; and doubt not fo to deal,
As all things fhall redound unto your good.

K. Henry. Come, wife, let's in, and learn to govern better;

Iden. Lord, who would live turmoiled in the
5 And may enjoy such quiet walks as these? [court,
This small inheritance, my father left me,
Contenteth me, and 's worth a monarchy.

I feek not to wax great by others' waining;
Or gather wealth, I care not with what envy;
10 Sufficeth, that I have maintains my state,
And fends the poor well pleased from my gate.

Cade. Here's the lord of the foil come to seize me for a ftray, for entering his fee-fimple without leave. Ah, villain, thou wilt betray me, and get a 15 thousand crowns of the king for carrying my head to him; but I'll make thee eat iron like an oftridge, and fwallow my fword like a great pin, ere thou and I part.

20

Iden. Why, rude companion, whatfoe'er thou be, I know thee not; Why then should I betray thee? Is't not enough, to break into my garden, And, like a thief, to come to rob my grounds, Climbing my walls in spight of me the owner, But thou wilt brave me with these faucy terms? Cade. Brave thee? ay, by the best blood that ever was breach'd, and beard thee too. Look on me well: I have eat no meat these five days; yet, come thou and thy five men, and if I do not leave you all as dead as a door nail, I pray God, I may 30 never eat grafs more.

25

Iden. Nay, it fhall ne'er be faid, while England

ftands,

That Alexander Iden, an efquire of Kent,
Took odds to combat a poor famish'd man.
35 Oppofe thy ftedfast-gazing eyes to mine,
See if thou canst out-face me with thy looks.
Set limb to limb, and thou art far the leffer:
Thy hand is but a finger to my fift;
Thy leg a ftick, compared with this truncheon;
[Exeunt. 40 My foot shall fight with all the strength thou hast ;
And if mine arm be heaved in the air,
Thy grave is digg'd already in the earth.
As for more words, whose greatness answers words,
Let this my fword report what speech forbears 3.

For yet may England curfe my wretched reign.

Cade. Fie on ambition! fie on myfelf; that 45 have a fword, and yet am ready to famish! Thefe five days have I hid me in thefe woods; and durft not peep out, for all the country is lay'd for me; but now am I fo hungry, that if I might have a leafe of my life for a thousand years, I could stay 50 no longer. Wherefore, on a brick-wall have I climb'd into this garden; to fee if I can eat grafs, or pick a fallet another while, which is not amifs to cool a man's ftomach this hot weather. And, I think, this word fallet was born to do me good:55 for, many a time, but for a fallet 2, my brain-pan had been cleft with a brown bill; and, many a time, when I have been dry, and bravely march-1 ing, it hath ferv'd me inftead of a quart-pot to

Cade. By my valour, the most complete champion that ever I heard.Steel, if thou turn the edge, or cut not out the burly-bon'd clown in chines of beef ere thou sleep in thy fheath, I beseech Jove on my knees, thou may'st be turn'd to hobnails.

[Here they fight.

O, I am flain! famine, and no other, hath flain me: let ten thousand devils come against me, and give me but the ten meals I have loft, and I'd defy them all. Wither, garden; and be henceforth a burying-place to all that do dwell in this house, becaufe the unconquer'd foul of Cade is fied.

Iden. Is't Cade that I have slain, that monftrous traitor ?

Sword, I will hallow thee for this thy deed,

Gallowglaffes and Kernes were two orders of foot foldiers among the Irish. 1 A failet, by corruption from çaleta, a helmet (fays Skinner), quia galeæ cælatæ fuerunt. 3 That is, As for more

words, whofe pomp may anfwer words, and only words, I fhall forbear them, and refer the reft to my fword.

And

And hang thee o'er my tomb, when I am
dead:

Ne'er fhall this blood be wiped from thy point;
But thou fhalt wear it as a herald's coat,
To emblaze the honour that thy master got.

5

Iden. How much thou wrong'st me, heaven be
my judge.

Die, damned wretch, the curfe of her that bare thee!
And as I thruft thy body in with my sword,
So with I, I might thrust thy foul to hell.
Hence will I drag thee headlong by the heels
Unto a dunghill, which fhall be thy grave,
And there cut off thy moft ungracious head;
Which I will bear in triumph to the king,
[Dies 10 Leaving thy trunk for crows to feed upon. [Exit.

Cade. Iden, farewel; and be proud of thy victory: Tell Kent from me, the hath loft her bett man, and exhort all the world to be cowards; for I, that never fear'd any, am vanquish'd by famine, not by valour.

SCENE I.

Fields near Saint Albans.

A CT V.

Enter York, attended, with drum and colours.

York, at a distance from bis followers. FROM Ireland thus comes York, to claim his right,

FROM

Seditious to his grace, and to the state.

Buck. That is too much prefumption on thy part:
But if thy arms be to no other end,

20 The king hath yielded unto thy demand;
The duke of Somerset is in the Tower.
York. Upon thine honour, is he prisoner?
Buck. Upon mine honour, he is prifoner.
York. Then, Buckingham, I do difmifs my
powers.

And pluck the crown from feeble Henry's head:
Ring, bells, aloud; burn, bonfires, clear and bright, |25|
To entertain great England's lawful king.
Ah, fanta majeftas! who would not buy thee dear?
Let them obey, that know not how to rule;
This hand was made to handle nought but gold:
I cannot give due action to my words,
Except a fword, or fcepter, balance it 2.
A fcepter fhall it have, have I a foul:

On which I'll tofs the flower-de-luce of France.
Enter Buckingbam.

Soldiers, I thank you all; difperfe yourselves;
Meet me to-morrow in Saint George's field,
You fhall have pay, and every thing you wish.→
And let my fovereign, virtuous Henry,

30 Command my eldest fon,-nay, all my fons,-
As pledges of my fealty and love,

Whom have we here? Buckingham, to disturb me? 35
The king hath fent him, fure: I must diffemble.
Buck. York, if thou meanest well, I greet thee
well,

[greeting.

Terk, Humphrey of Buckingham, I accept thy Art thou a meffenger, or come of pleasure?

I'll fend them all as willing as I live;
Lands, goods, horse, armour, any thing I have
Is his to ufe, fo Somerset may die.

Buck. York, I commend this kind fubmiffion:
We twain will go into his highness' tent.

Enter King Henry, and Attendants.

K. Henry. Buckingham, doth York intend no

harm to us,

40 That thus he marcheth with thee arm in arm?
York. In all fubmiffion and humility,
York doth prefent himself unto your highness.
K. Henry. Then what intend thefe forces thou

Buck. A meffenger from Henry, our dread liege,
To know the reason of these arms in peace;
Or why, thou-being a subject as I am,-
Against thy oath and true allegiance (worn,
Should't raise fo great a power without his leave, 45
Or dare to bring thy force fo near the court.

York. Scarce can I speak, my choler is fo great.
Oh, I could hew up rocks, and fight with flint,
I am so angry at these abje&t terms;
And now, like Ajax Telamonius,

On sheep and oxen could I spend my fury!

I am far better born than is the king;

More like a king, more kingly in my thoughts:

But I must make fair weather yet a while,

doft bring?

York. To heave the traitor Somerset from hence; And fight against that monftrous rebel, Cade, Whom fince I hear to be difcomfited.

Enter Iden, with Cade's bead.

Iden. If one fo rude, and of fo mean condition, 50May pafs into the prefence of a king, Lo, I present your grace a traitor's head, The head of Cade, whom I in combat flew. K. Henry. The head of Cade ?-Great God, how just art thou !————

'Till Henry be more weak, and I more ftrong-550, let me view his visage being dead,

O Buckingham, I pr'ythee pardon me,
That I have given no answer all this while ;
My mind was troubled with deep melancholy.

The cause why I have brought this army hither,

Is-to remove proud Somerset from the king,

'I will make a votive offering of thee, and for that purpose hang thee over the tomb in which I purpose to have my body laid, when I am dead.