Cade. [Aside.] He lies, for I invented it myself.-Go to, sirrah: tell the king from me, that, for his father's sake, Henry the fifth, in whose time boys went to span-counter for French crowns, I am content he shall reign; but I'll be protector over him. Dick. And farthermore, we'll have the lord Say's head, for selling the dukedom of Maine. Cade. And good reason; for thereby is England mained, and fain to go with a staff, but that my puissance holds it up. Fellow kings, I tell you that that lord Say hath gelded the commonwealth, and made it a eunuch: and more than that, he can speak French; and therefore he is a traitor. Staf. O, gross and miserable ignorance! Cade. Nay, answer, if you can:-the Frenchmen are our enemies; go to, then, I ask but this,-can he that speaks with the tongue of an enemy be a good counsellor, or no? All. No, no; and therefore we 'll have his head. Staf. Herald, away; and throughout every town, [Exeunt the two STAFFORDS and forces. Cade. And you, that love the commons, follow me. As would (but that they dare not) take our parts. Dick. They are all in order, and march towards us. Cade. But then are we in order, when we are most out of order. Come, march forward! SCENE III.—Another Part of BLACKHEATH. [Exeunt. Alarums. The two Parties enter and fight, and both the STAFFORDS are slain. Cade. Where's Dick, the butcher of Ashford? Dick. Here, Sir. Cade. They fell before thee like sheep and oxen, and thou behavedst thyself as if thou hadst been in thine own slaughter-house: therefore, thus will I reward thee,--The Lent shall be as long again as it is; and thou shalt have a license to kill for a hundred lacking one. Dick. I desire no more. This monu Cade. And, to speak truth, thou deservest no less. ment of the victory will I bear; [Puts on SIR H. STAFFORD's armour.] and the bodies shall be dragged at my horse' heels, till I do come to London, where we will have the mayor's sword borne before us. Dick. If we mean to thrive and do good, break open the jails, and let out the prisoners. Cade. Fear not that, I warrant thee.-Come, let's march towards London. SCENE IV.-LONDON. A Room in the Palace. [Exeunt. Enter KING HENRY, reading a Supplication; the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM, and Q. Mar. Oft have I heard that grief softens the mind, Think therefore on revenge, and cease to weep. Here may his head lie on my throbbing breast: Buck. What answer makes your grace to the rebels' supplication? Q. Mar. Ah, barbarous villains! hath this lovely face And could it not enforce them to relent, That were unworthy to behold the same? K. Hen. Lord Say, Jack Cade hath sworn to have thy head. K. Hen. How now, Madam! Still lamenting and mourning for Suffolk's death? I fear me, love, if that I had been dead, Thou wouldest not have mourn'd so much for me. Q. Mar. No, my love; I should not mourn, but die for thee. Enter a Messenger. K. Hen. How now! what news? why com'st thou in such haste? Mess. The rebels are in Southwark; fly, my lord! Jack Cade proclaims himself lord Mortimer, And vows to crown himself in Westminster. Of hinds and peasants, rude and merciless : They call false caterpillars, and intend their death. Until a power be rais'd to put them down. Therefore away with us to Killingworth. Say. So might your grace's person be in danger; Enter a second Messenger. 2 Mess. Jack Cade hath gotten London-bridge; the citizens Fly and forsake their houses: The rascal people, thirsting after prey, Join with the traitor; and they jointly swear Tc spoil the city, and your royal court. Buck Then linger not, my lord; away, take horse. K. Hen. Come, Margaret; God, our hope, will succour us. Q. Mar. My hope is gone, now Suffolk is deceas'd. K. Hen [To LORD SAY.] Farewell, my lord: trust not the Kentish Buck. Trust nobody, for fear you be betray'd. Say. The trust I have is in mine innocence, And therefore am I bold and resolute. SCENE V.--LONDON. Enter LORD SCALES and others, on the walls. The Tower. [rebels. [Exeunt. Then enter certain Citizens, below. Scales. How now! is Jack Cade slain? 1 Cit. No, my lord, nor likely to be slain; for they have won the bridge, killing all those that withstand them: the lord mayor craves aid of your honour from the Tower, to defend the city from the rebels. Scales. Such aid as I can spare, you shall command; But I am troubled here with them myself: And thither I will send you Matthew Gough: [Exeunt. SCENE VI.— LONDON. Cannon Street. Enter JACK CADE and his followers. He strikes his staff on London-stone. Cade. Now is Mortimer lord of this city. And here, sitting upon London-stone, I charge and command, that, of the city's cost, the pissing-conduit run nothing but claret wine this first year of our reign. And now, henceforward, it shall be treason for any that calls me other than lord Mortimer. Enter a Soldier, running. Sold. Jack Cade! Jack Cade! Cade. Knock him down there. [They kill him. Smith. If this fellow be wise, he 'll never call you Jack Cade more: I think he hath a very fair warning. Dick. My lord, there's an army gathered together in Smithfield. Cade. Come then, let's go fight with them: but first, go and set London-bridge on fire; and, if you can, burn down the Tower too. Come, let's away. [Exeunt. Alarum. Enter, on one side, CADE and his company; on the other, Citizens, and the KING'S forces, headed by MATTHEW GOUGH. They fight; the Citizens are routed, and MATTHEW GOUGH is slain. Cade. So, Sirs :-Now go some and pull down the Savoy; others to the inns of court; down with them all. Dick. I have a suit 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. [Aside.] Mass, 'twill be sore law, then; for he was thrust in the mouth with a spear, and 'tis not whole yet. Smith [Aside.] Nay, John, it will be stinking law; for his breath stinks with eating toasted cheese. Cade. I have thought upon it, it shall be so. Away, burn all the records of the realm: my mouth shall be the parliament of England. John. [Aside.] Then we are like to have biting statutes, unless his teeth be pulled out. Cade. And henceforward all things shall be in common. Enter a Messenger. Mess. My lord, a prize, a prize! here's the lord Say, which sold the towns in France; he that made us pay one-and-twenty fifte ens, and one shilling to the pound, the last subsidy. Enter GEORGE BEVIS, with the LORD SAY. Cade. Well, he shall be beheaded for it ten times.-Ah, thou say, thou serge, nay, thou buckram lord! now art thou within point-blank of our jurisdiction regal. What canst thou answer to my majesty, for giving up of Normandy unto monsieur Basimecu, the dauphin of France? Be it known unto thee by these presence, even the presence of lord Mortimer, that I am the besom that must sweep the court clean of such filth as thou art. Thou hast most traitorously corrupted the youth of the realm in erecting a grammar-school: and whereas, before, our fore-fathers had no other books but the score and the tally, thou hast caused printing to be used; and, contrary to the king, his crown, and dignity, thou hast built a paper-mill. It will be proved to thy face, that thou hast men about thee, that usually talk of a noun, and a verb, and such abominable words, as no Christian ear can endure to hear. Thou hast appointed justices of peace, to call poor men before them about matters they were not able to answer. Moreover, thou hast put them in prison; and because they could not read, thou hast hanged them; when, indeed, only for that cause they have been most worthy to live. Thou dost ride on a footcloth, dost thou not? Say. What of that? Cade. Marry, thou oughtest not to let thy horse wear a cloak, when honester men than thou go in their hose and doublets. Dick. And work in their shirt too; as myself, for example, that am a butcher. Say. You men of Kent,— Dick. What say you of Kent? Say. Nothing but this,-'tis bona terra, mala gens. Cade. Away with him, away with him! he speaks Latin. Is term'd the civil'st place of all this isle: Yet, to recover them, would lose my life. Prayers and tears have mov'd me, gifts could never. |