Weav. But, now of late, not able to travel with her furr'd pack, fhe washes bucks here at home. Cade. Therefore am I of an honourable house. Dick. Ay, by my faith, the field is honourable; and there was he born, under a hedge; for his father had never a house but the cage. Cade. Valiant I am. Weav. A' muft needs, for beggary is valiant. Cade. I am able to endure much. Dick. No question of that; for I have feen him whipt three market days together. Cade. I fear neither fword nor fire. Weav. He need not fear the fword, for his coat is of proof. Dick. But, methinks, he should stand in fear of fire, being burnt i' th' hand for ftealing of theep. Cade. Be brave then, for your captain is brave, and vows reformation. There fhall be in England seven half-penny loaves fold for a penny; the three-hoop'd pot fhall have ten hoops, and I will make it felony to drink fmall beer. All the realm fhall be in common, and in Cheapfide fhall my palfry go to grafs; and when I am King, as King I will be All. God fave your Majesty! Cade. I thank you, good people. There fhall be no money; all fhall eat and drink upon my fcore; and I will apparel them all in one livery, that they may agree like brothers, and worship me their Lord. Dick. The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers. Cade. Nay, that I mean to do. Is not this a lamentable thing, that the fkin of an innocent lamb fhould be made parchment; that parchment being fcribbled o'er, fhould undo a man? Some fay, the bee ftings; but I fay, 'tis bee's wax; for I did but feal once to a thing, and I was never my own man fince. How now? who is there? Enter a Clerk. Weav. The clerk of Chatham; he can write and read, and caft accompt. Gade. Cade. O monstrous! Wear. We took him fetting boys copies. Cade. Here's a villain! Wear. He'as a book in his pocket with red letters in't. Cade. Nay, then he's a conjurer. Dick. Nay, he can make obligations, and write court-hand. Cade. I am forry for't: the man is a proper man, of mine honour; unlefs I find him guilty, he shall not die. Come hither, firrah, I muft examine thee; what is thy name? Clerk. Emanuel. Dick. They ufe to write it on the top of letters: (16) 'twill go hard with you. Cade. Let me alone. Doft thou ufe to write thy name? or haft thou a mark to thyself like an honest plain dealing man? Clerk. Sir, I thank God, I have been fo well brought up, that I can write my name. All. He hath confeft; away with him; he's a villain and a traitor. Cade. Away with him, I fay: hang him with his pen and inkhorn about his neck. [Exit one with the Clerk. Enter Michael. Mich. Where is our General ? Cade. Here I am, thou particular fellow. Mich Fly, fly, fly; Sir Humphry Stafford and his brother are hard by with the King's forces. Cade. Stand, villain, ftand, or I'll fell thee down; he fhall be encounter'd with a man as good as himself. He is but a Knight, is a'? Mich. No. Cade. To equal him, I will make myself a Knight (16) They ufe to write it on the top of letters,] Emanuel, which, 'tis well known, fignifies, God with us; was in ufe on the top of letters miffive, (not of common letters;) as now in publick acts, In the name of God. Several inftances of this fuperftition may be found in Mabillon's Diplomata. prefently; prefently; rife up, Sir John Mortimer. Now have at him. Is there any more of them that be Knights? (17) Mich. Ay, his brother. Cade. Then kneel down, Dick butcher. Rise up, Sir Dick butcher. Now found up the drum. Enter Sir Humphry Stafford, and young Stafford, with drum and Soldiers. Staf Rebellious hinds, the filth and skum of Kent, Mark'd for the gallows, lay your weapons down, Home to your cottages, forfake this groom; The King is merciful, if you revolt. Y. Staf. But angry, wrathful, and inclin'd to blood, If you go forward; therefore yield, or die. Cade. As for thefe filken-coated flaves, I pafs not; It is to you, good people, that I fpeak, O'er whom (in time to come) I hope to reign; Staf. Villain, thy father was a plaiflerer, And thou thyself a fhearman, art thou not? Y. Staf. And what of that? Cade. Marry, this.-Edmund Mortimer Earl of March married the Duke of Clarence's daughter, did he not? Staf. Ay, Sir. Cade. By her he had two children at one birth. Cade. Ay, there's the queftion; but I fay, 'tis true: The elder of them being put to nurse, Was by a beggar-woman ftol'n away; And ignorant of his birth and parentage, Became a bricklayer when he came to age: (17) Is there any more of them that be Knights? } Cade. Then kneel down, Dick butcher. Rife up Sir Dick butcher. Now found up the drum ] This paffage I have inferted from the old 4to, becaufe, I think, it greatly encreases the pleafantry and extravagance of Cade's humour; not only to knight himself, but, because Stafford's brother was also a Knight, to dub one of his own fcoundrel followers, by way of equality. Dick. Nay, 'tis too true, therefore he shall be King. Weav. Sir, he made a chimney in my father's house, and the bricks are alive at this day to teftify it; therefore deny it not. Staf. And will you credit this bafe drudge's words, That fpeaks he knows not what? All. Ay, marry, will we; therefore get you gone. Y. Staf. Jack Cade, the Duke of York hath taught you this. Cade. He lies, for I invented it myself. Go to, firrah, tell the King from me, that for his father's fake Henry the fifth (in whofe time boys went to fpancounter for French crowns) I am content he shall reign; but I'll be Protector over him. Dick. And furthermore we'll have the Lord Say's head, for felling the dukedom of Maine. Cade. And good reafon; for thereby is England maim'd, and fain to go with a ftaff, but that my puiffance holds it up. Fellow-Kings, I tell you, that that Lord Say hath gelded the common-wealth, and made it an eunuch; and more than that, he can speak French, and therefore he is a traitor. Staf. O grofs and miferable ignorance! Cade. Nay, anfwer if you can: the Frenchmen are our enemies: go to then; I afk but this; can he, that fpeaks with the tongue of the enemy, be a good counfellor or no? All. No, no, and therefore we'll have his head. Staf. Herald, away, and throughout every town [Exeunt the two Staffords with their Train. Cade. And you, that love the Commons, follow me. Now fhew yourselves men, 'tis for liberty. We will not leave one Lord, one gentleman; VOL. V. D Spare Spare none, but fuch as go in clouted shoone, As would (but that they dare not) take our parts. Dick. They are all in order, and march toward us. Cade. But then are we in order, when we are most out of order. Come, march forward. [Exeunt Cade and his party. [Alarum to fight, wherein both the Staffords are flain. Re-enter Cade and the reft. Cade. Where's Dick, the butcher of Afford? Cade. They fell before thee like fheep and oxen, and thou behaved'ft thyself as if thou hadst been in thine own flaughter-houfe; therefore thus I will 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 defire no more. Cade. And to speak truth, thou deserv'ft no lefs. This monument of the victory will I bear, and the bodies fhall be dragg'd at my horse's 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 goals, and let out the prisoners. Cade. Fear not that, I warrant thee. Come, let's march towards London. [Exeunt. SCENE changes to Black-Heath. Enter King Henry with a fupplication, and Queen Margaret with Suffolk's bead, the Duke of Buckingham, and the Lord Say. Q Mar. Ο FT have I heard, that grief foftens the mind, And makes it fearful and degenerate; Think therefore on revenge, and ceafe to weep. But who can ceafe to weep, and look on this? Here may his head lie on my throbbing breast: But where's the body, that I fhould embrace? Buck |