* How in our voiding lobby hast thou stood, * And duly waited for my coming forth? 'This hand of mine hath writ in thy behalf, 'And therefore shall it charm thy riotous tongue. *Whit. Speak, captain, shall I stab the forlorn swain ? * Cap. First let my words stab him, as he hath me. * Suf. Base slave! thy words are blunt, and so art thou. < Cap. Convey him hence, and on our long-boat's Ay, kennel, puddle, sink; whose filth and dirt 'Troubles the silver spring where England drinks. 'Now will I dam up this thy yawning mouth, "For swallowing the treasure of the realm: 'Thy lips, that kiss'd the queen, shall sweep the ground; * And thou, that smil'dst at good duke Humphrey's death, Against the senseless winds shalt grin in vain, Who, in contempt, shall hiss at thee again : * And wedded be thou to the hags of hell, * For daring to affy4 a mighty lord * Unto the daughter of a worthless king, 4 To betroth in marriage. * With gobbets of thy mother's bleeding heart. * By thee, Anjou and Maine were sold to France: * The false revolting Normans, thorough thee, * Disdain to call us lord; and Picardy * Hath slain their governors, surpriz'd our forts, * And sent the ragged soldiers wounded home. *The princely Warwick, and the Nevils all,* Whose dreadful swords were never drawn in vain,— * As hating thee, are rising up in arms: * And now the house of York-thrust from the crown, * By shameful murder of a guiltless king, * And lofty proud encroaching tyranny— * Burns with revenging fire; whose hopeful colours * Advance our half-fac'd sun, striving to shine, * Under the which is writ-Invitis nubibus. * The commons here in Kent are up in arms: * And, to conclude, reproach, and beggary, * Is crept into the palace of our king, * * And all by thee:-Away! convey him hence. Suf. O that I were a god, to shoot forth thunder * Upon these paltry, servile, abject drudges! 5 "Being captain of a pinnace, threatens more Than Bargulus the strong Illyrian pirate. 'Drones suck not eagles' blood, but rob bee-hives, "It is impossible, that I should die By such a lowly vassal as thyself. Thy words move rage, and not remorse, in me: 'I go of message from the queen to France; 'I charge thee, waft me safely cross the channel. 5 A pinnace then signified a ship of small burthen. Cap. Walter, 'Whit. Come, Suffolk, I must waft thee to thy death. * Suf. Gelidus timor occupat artus:-'tis thee I fear. 'Whit. Thou shalt have cause to fear, before I leave thee. 'What, are ye daunted now? now will ye stoop? '1 Gent. My gracious lord, entreat him, speak him fair. Suf. Suffolk's imperial tongue is stern and rough, 'Us'd to command, untaught to plead for favour. 'Far be it, we should honour such as these 'With humble suit: no, rather let my head 'Stoop to the block, than these knees bow to any, 'Save to the God of heaven, and to my king; And sooner dance upon a bloody pole, Than stand uncover'd to the vulgar groom. * True nobility is exempt from fear :-- 'More can I bear, than you dare execute. Cap. Hale him away, and let him talk no more. Suf. Come, soldiers, show what cruelty ye can, 'That this my death may never be forgot!— 'Great men oft die by vile bezonians:" [Exit SUF. with WHIT. and Others. Cap. And as for these whose ransome we have set, It is our pleasure, one of them depart : Therefore come you with us, and let him go. VOL. VI. [Exeunt all but the first Gentleman. 6 Low men. P Re-enter WHITMORE, with SUFFOLK's Body. Whit. There let his head and lifeless body lie, 'Until the queen his mistress bury it. 1 Gent. O barbarous and bloody spectacle! 'His body will I bear unto the king: 'If he revenge it not, yet will his friends; 'So will the queen, that living held him dear. SCENE II. Blackheath. [Exit, [Exit, with the Body. Enter GEORGE BEVIS and JOHN HOLLAND. 'Geo. Come, and get thee a sword, though made ' of a lath; they have been up these two days. 'John. They have the more need to sleep now then. "Geo. I tell thee, Jack Cade the clothier means to dress the commonwealth, and turn it, and set a new nap upon it. John. So he had need, for 'tis threadbare. Well, I say, it was never merry world in England, since gentlemen came up. * Geo. O miserable age! Virtue is not regarded * in handycrafts-men. John. The nobility think scorn to go in leather aprons. *Geo. Nay more, the king's council are no good * workmen. *John. True; And yet it is said,-Labour in thy vocation: which is as much to say, as,-let the * magistrates be labouring men; and therefore should * we be magistrates. * Geo. Thou hast hit it: for there's no better sign of a brave mind, than a hard hand. *John. I see them! I see them! There's Best's the tanner of Wingham; son, *Geo. He shall have the skins of our enemies, *to make dog's leather of. John. And Dick the butcher, *Geo. Then is sin struck down like an ox, and * iniquity's throat cut like a calf. John. And Smith the weaver: * Geo. Argo, their thread of life is spun. Drum. Enter CADE, DICK the Butcher, SMITH the Weaver, and Others in great number. Cade. We John Cade, so termed of our supposed father, Dick. Or rather, of stealing a cade of herrings.7 Cade. [Aside. for our enemies shall fall before us, in'spired with the spirit of putting down kings and 'princes,-Command silence. Dick. Silence! Cade. My father was a Mortimer,— Dick. He was an honest man, and a good brick [Aside. 'Dick. I knew her well, she was a midwife. 7 A barrel of herrings. |