Cade. Give him a box o' th' ear, and that will make

'em red again.

Say. Long fitting to determine poor mens caufes Hath made me full of fick nefs and difeafes.c

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

3 Dick. Why doft thou quiver, man?

Say. The palfy, and not fear, provokes me.

L

Cade. Nay, he nods at us, as who fhould fay, PH be even with you. I'll fee, if his head will fand 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? fpeak." Are my chefts fill'd up with extorted gold? Is my apparel fumptuous to Iehold ?

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

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

All. It fhall be done.

Say. Ah, country-men, if when you make your pray❜rs, God fhould be fo obdurate as yourselves,

How would it fare with your departed fouls ?
And therefore yet relent, and fave my life.

Cade. Away with him, and do as I command ye: the proudest Peer of the realm fhall not wear a head on his fhoulders, unless he pay me tribute; there fhall not a maid be married, but the fhall pay me her maidenhead ere they have it; men fhall hold of me in Capite. And we charge and command, that their wives be as free as heart can wish, or tongue can tell.

Dick. My Lord, when thall we go to Cheapfide, and take up commodities upon our bills ?

Cade, Marry, presently.

All. O brave!

Enter one with the beads.

Cade. But is not this braver? Let them kifs one another; for they lov'd well when they were alive: Now part them again, left they confult about the giving up of fome more towns in France. Soldiers, defer the fpoil of the city until, night; for with thefe borne before us, inftead of maces, will we ride through the streets, and at every corner have them kifs. Away. [Exeunt

SCENE changes to Southwark.

Alarum, and retreat.

Gade.

Enter again Cade, and all his
Rabblement.

P. Fifb-ftreet, down St. Magnus corner, kill
and knock down; throw them into Thames.
A Parley founded.

What noife is this I hear ?.
Dare any be fo bold to found retreat or parley,
When I command them kill?

relent,

Enter Buckingham and old Clifford, attended. Buck. Ay, here they be that dare and will disturb thee: Know, Cade, we come Ambaffadors from the King Unto the commons, whom thou haft mif-led; And here pronounce free pardon to them all, That will forfake thee, and go home in peace. Clif. What fay ye, country-men, will ye 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, Fling up his cap, and fay, God fave his Majefty ↳ beat Who hateth him, and honours not his father, gw ba Henry the fifth, that made all France to quake,on en 9974 Shake he his weapon at us, and pafs by.

D 5

All.

All. God fave the King! God fave the King!

Cade. What, Buckingham and Clifford, are ye fo brave? and you, bafe peafants, do ye believe 'em? 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, you would never have given out these arms, till you had recovered 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 heads, ravifh your wives and daughters before your faces. For me, I will make shift for one, and fo God's curfe light upon you all!

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

That thus you do exclaim, you'll go with him?
Will he conduct you through the heart of France,
And make the meaneft 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.
Were't not a fhame, that, whilft you live at jar,
The fearful French, whom you late vanquished,
Should make a ftart o'er feas, and vanquish you?
Methinks, already in this civil broil

I fee them lording it in London streets,
Crying, Villageois! unto all they meet.

Better, ten thousand bafe-born Cades mifcarry;
Than you fhould ftoop 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 ftrong 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

furprize me. My fword make way for me, for here is no ftaying; in defpight of the devils and hell, have through the very midft of you; and heavens and honour be witnefs, that no want of refolution in me, but only my followers bafe and ignominio.s treasons make 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 Follow me, foldiers; we'll devife a mean

To reconcile you all unto the King. [Exeunt omnesɑ

SCENE, the Palace at Killingworth.

Sound trumpets. Enter King Henry, Queen Margaret, and' Somerset on the Terras,

K. Henry. And could command no more content W

ASever King that joy'd an earthly throne,

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..

[than I

Buck. Health, and glad tidings to your Majefty! K.Henry. Why, Buckingham, is the traitor Cade furpriz❜d?'' Or is he but retir'd to make him strong?

Enter multitudes with halters about their necks..

Clif. He's fled, my Lord, and all his pow'rs do yield; And humbly thus with halters on their necks Expect your Highnefs' doom of life or death..

K. Henry. Then, heav'n, fet ope thy everlasting gates, To entertain my vows of thanks and praife.

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 unfortunate,
Affure yourselves, will never be unkind ::

And

And so with thanks, and pardon to you all,
I do difmifs you to your several countries.
All. God fave the King! God fave the King!
Enter Meffenger.

Mef. Pleafe it your Grace to be advertised,
The Duke of York is newly come from Ireland;
And with a puiffant and mighty pow'r
Of Gallow-glaffes and ftout Kernes,
Is marching hitherward in proud array:
And ftill proclaimeth as he comes along,
His arms are only to remove from thee
The Duke of Somerfet, whom he terms a traitor.

K. Henry. Thus ftands my ftate 'twixt Cade and York
diftreft,

Like to a fhip, that, having 'fcap'd a tempeft,
Is ftraitway calm'd and boarded with a pirate. (19)
But now is Cade driv'n back, his men difpers'd;
And now is York in arms to fecond him.

"

I pray thee, Buckingham, go, and meet with him,
And ask him what's the reafon of these arms: -
Tell him, I'll fend Duke Edmund to the Tower;
And, Somerfet, we will commit thee thither,

Until his army be difmift from him.

Som. My Lord,

I'll yield myfelf to prifon willingly,

Or unto death, to do my country good.

K. Henry. In any cafe be not too rough in terms, For he is fierce and cannot brook hard language.

(19) Is ftraightway claim'd, and boarded with a pirate.] I doubt not but my readers will agree, that I have reftor'd to the text its true reading, After the violent working of a tempeft, the fea is, for the most part, totally becalm'd. Befides, with allufion to the King's affairs, the tempeft of Cade's rebellion was juft blown over; the ftate was in a calm, by that infurrection being quieted: and immediately York, like an ufurping pirate, comes to feize the veffel of government. And again, which heightens the juftnefs of the metaphor, a calm is the moft ufual occafion of that misfortune of being taken by pirates; which, by the use of the fails, they might otherwife efcape. The oldeft filio edition led me to this emendation, where we find it----Is firait way calme :---and the 3d Fol. impreffion, as I have observ'd fince, anticipates my correction.

Buck.