order. Come, march forward.
[Exeunt]
[Act 4 Scene 3]
running scene 13 continues
Alarums to the fight, wherein both the Staffords [Stafford and Stafford's brother] are slain. Enter Cade and the rest
CADE Where's Dick, the butcher of Ashford?
DICK Here, sir.
CADE They fell before thee like sheep and oxen, and thou
behaved'st 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 licence to
kill for a hundred lacking one7.
DICK I desire no more.
CADE And, to speak truth, thou deserv'st no less. This
Putting on Stafford's brigandine
monument10 of the victory will I bear, 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 warrant16 thee. Come, let's march
towards London.
Exeunt
[Act 4 Scene 4]
running scene 14
Enter the King [Henry VI] with a supplication, and the Queen [Margaret] with Suffolk's head, the Duke of Buckingham and the Lord Saye
Aside
QUEEN MARGARET Oft have I heard that grief softens the mind,
And makes it fearful and degenerate:
Think therefore on revenge and cease to weep.
But who can cease to weep and look on this?
Here may his head lie on my throbbing breast:
But where's the body that I should embrace?
To the King
BUCKINGHAM What answer makes your grace to the rebels' supplication?
KING HENRY VI I'll send some holy bishop to entreat:
For God forbid so many simple souls
Should perish by the sword. And I myself,
Rather than bloody war shall cut them short,
Will parley12 with Jack Cade their general.
But stay, I'll read it over once again.
Aside to Suffolk's head
QUEEN MARGARET Ah, barbarous villains! Hath this lovely face.
Ruled like a wandering15 planet over me,
And could it not enforce them to relent,
That17 were unworthy to behold the same?
KING HENRY VI Lord Saye, Jack Cade hath sworn to have thy head.
SAYE Ay, but I hope your highness shall have his.
KING HENRY VI How now, madam?
Still lamenting and mourning for Suffolk's death?
I fear me, love, if that I had been dead,
Thou wouldst not have mourned so much for me.
QUEEN MARGARET No, my love, I should not mourn, but die for thee.
Enter a Messenger
KING HENRY VI How now? What news? Why com'st thou in such haste?
MESSENGER The rebels are in Southwark26: fly, my lord!
Jack Cade proclaims himself Lord Mortimer,
Descended from the Duke of Clarence' house,
And calls your grace usurper, 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 false caterpillars36, and intend their death.
KING HENRY VI O, graceless men: they know not what they do37.
BUCKINGHAM My gracious lord, retire to Killingworth38,
Until a power39 be raised to put them down.
QUEEN MARGARET Ah, were the Duke of Suffolk now alive,
These Kentish rebels would be soon appeased41.
KING HENRY VI Lord Saye, the traitors hateth thee,
Therefore away with us to Killingworth.
SAYE So44 might your grace's person be in danger.
The sight of me is odious in their eyes:
And therefore in this city will I stay
And live alone as secret as I may.
Enter another Messenger
SECOND MESSENGER Jack Cade hath gotten London Bridge.
The citizens fly and forsake their houses:
The rascal people50, thirsting after prey,
Join with the traitor, and they jointly swear
To spoil52 the city and your royal court.
BUCKINGHAM Then linger not, my lord, away, take horse.
KING HENRY VI Come, Margaret: God, our hope, will succour us.
Aside
QUEEN MARGARET My hope is gone now Suffolk is deceased.
To Saye
KING HENRY VI Farewell, my lord: trust not the Kentish rebels.
BUCKINGHAM Trust nobody, for fear you be betrayed.
SAYE The trust I have is in mine innocence,
And therefore am I bold and resolute.
Exeunt
[Act 4 Scene 5]
running scene 15
Enter Lord Scales upon the Tower walking. Then enters two or three Citizens below
SCALES How now? Is Jack Cade slain?
FIRST CITIZEN No, my lord, nor likely to be slain: for they have
won the bridge3, killing all those that withstand them: the
Lord Mayor craves4 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:
The rebels have assayed to win the Tower.
But get you to Smithfield, and gather head9,
And thither I will send you Matthew Gough10.
Fight for your king, your country, and your lives:
And so, farewell, for I must hence again.
Exeunt
[Act 4 Scene 6]
running scene 16
Enter Jack Cade and the rest, and 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, of2 the
city's cost, the Pissing Conduit3 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
SOLDIER Jack Cade! Jack Cade!
CADE Knock him down there.
They kill him
SMITH If this fellow be wise, he'll never call ye 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 all
[Act 4 Scene 7]
running scene 17
Alarums. Matthew Gough is slain, and all the rest [of his followers with him]. Then enter Jack Cade, with his company [including Dick, Smith and Holland]
CADE So, sirs: now go some and pull down the Savoy1:
others to the Inns of Court2: down with them all.
DICK I have a suit unto your lordship.
CADE Be it a lordship4, thou shalt have it for that word.
DICK Only that the laws of England may come out of
your mouth.
Aside
HOLLAND Mass, 'twill be sore law, then; for he was.
thrust in the mouth with a spear, and 'tis not whole8 yet.
Aside
SMITH 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.
Aside
HOLLAND Then we are like to have biting14 statutes,
unless his teeth be pulled out.
CADE And henceforward all things shall be in common.
Enter a Messenger
MESSENGER My lord, a prize, a prize! Here's the Lord Saye which
sold the towns18 in France. He that made us pay one and twenty
fifteens, and one shilling to the pound, the last subsidy19.
Enter George [Bevis], with the Lord Saye
To saye
CADE Well, he shall be beheaded for it ten times.--
Ah, thou say, thou serge, nay, thou buckram21 lord! Now art
thou within point-blank22 of our jurisdiction regal. What canst
thou answer to my majesty for giving up of Normandy unto
Mounsieur Basimecu24, the Dauphin of France? Be it known
unto thee by these presence25, even the presence of Lord
Mortimer, that I am the besom26 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 forefathers had no other
books but the score and the tally, thou hast caused printing30
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 usually33 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 to39
live. Thou dost ride on a foot-cloth40, dost thou not?
SAYE What of that?
CADE Marry42, thou ought'st not to let thy horse wear a
cloak, when honester men than thou go in their hose and43
doublets.
DICK And work in their shirt too, as myself, for example,
that am a butcher.
SAYE You men of Kent--
DICK What say you of Kent?
SAYE Nothing but this: 'tis 'bona terra, mala gens'49.
CADE Away with him, away with him! He speaks Latin.
SAYE Hear me but speak, and bear51 me where you will:
Kent, in the commentaries Caesar writ52,
Is termed the civil'st place of this isle:
Sweet is the country, because full of riches:
The people liberal55, valiant, active, wealthy:
Which makes me hope you are not void of pity.
I sold not Maine, I lost not Normandy,
Yet to recover them would lose my life.
Justice with favour59 have I always done:
Prayers and tears have moved me, gifts could never.
When have I aught exacted61 at your hands,
Kent to maintain, the king, the realm and you?
Large gifts have I bestowed on learned clerks63,
Because my book preferred me64 to the king.
And seeing ignorance is the curse of God,
Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.
Unless you be possessed with devilish spirits,
You cannot but forbear68 to murder me:
This tongue hath parleyed unto69 foreign kings
For your behoof70--
CADE Tut, when struck'st thou one blow in the field71?
SAYE Great men have reaching72 hands: oft have I struck
Those that I never saw and struck them dead.
BEVIS O monstrous coward! What, to come behind74 folks?
SAYE These cheeks are pale for watching75 for your good.
CADE Give him a box o'th'ear and that will make 'em red
again.
SAYE Long sitting to determine poor men's causes78
Hath made me full of sickness and diseases.
CADE Ye shall have a hempen caudle80, then, and the help
of hatchet81.
DICK Why dost thou quiver, man?
SAYE The palsy83, and not fear, provokes me.
CADE Nay, he nods at us, as who should say, 'I'll be even84
with you.' I'll see if his head will stand steadier on a pole, or
no: take him away, and behead him.
SAYE Tell me: wherein have I offended most?
Have I affected88 wealth or honour? Speak.
Are my chests filled up with extorted gold?
Is my apparel sumptuous to behold?
Whom have I injured, that ye seek my death?
These hands are free from guiltless bloodshedding92,
This breast from harbouring foul deceitful thoughts.
O, let me live!
Aside
CADE I feel remorse95 in myself with his words: but.
I'll bridle it: he shall die, an it be but96 for pleading so well for
Aloud
his life.-- Away with him: he has a familiar97 under.
his tongue: he speaks not a98 God's name. Go, take him away, I
say, and strike off his head presently, and then break into his
son-in-law's house, Sir James Cromer, and strike off his head,
and bring them both upon two poles hither.
ALL It shall be done.
SAYE Ah, countrymen, if when you make your prayers,
God should be so obdurate104 as yourselves,
How would it fare with your departed souls?
And therefore yet relent, and save my life.
CADE Away with him, and do as I command ye.
Exeunt one or two with the Lord Saye
The proudest peer in the realm shall not wear a head on his
shoulders, unless he pay me tribute109: there shall not a maid
be married, but she shall pay to me her maidenhead110 ere they
have it: men shall hold of me in capite111. And we charge and
command that their wives be as free112 as heart can wish or
tongue can tell.
DICK My lord, when shall we go to Cheapside and take up
commodities upon our bills115?
CADE Marry, presently.
ALL O, brave117!
Enter one with the heads [of Saye and Cromer on poles]
CADE But is not this braver? Let them kiss one another, for
The heads are made to kiss
they loved well when they were alive. Now.
part them again, lest they consult about the.
giving up of some more towns in France. Soldiers, defer the
spoil122 of the city until night: for with these borne before us,
instead of maces123, will we ride through the streets, and at
every corner have them kiss. Away!
Exeunt
[Act 4 Scene 8]
running scene 17 continues
Alarum and retreat. Enter again Cade and all his rabblement
CADE Up Fish Street, down St Magnus' Corner1, kill and
knock down: throw them into Thames!
Sound a parley
What noise is this I hear? Dare any be so bold to sound
retreat or parley, when I command them kill?
Enter Buckingham and old Clifford
BUCKINGHAM Ay, here they be that dare and will disturb thee:
Know, Cade, we come ambassadors from the king
Unto the commons whom thou hast misled,
And here pronounce8 free pardon to them all
That will forsake thee and go home in peace.
CLIFFORD What say ye, countrymen? Will ye relent
And yield to mercy whilst 't
is offered you,
Or let a rabble lead you to your deaths?
Who13 loves the king and will embrace his pardon,
Fling up his cap, and say 'God save his majesty!'
Who hateth him, and honours not his father,
Henry the Fifth, that made all France to quake,
Shake he17 his weapon at us and pass by.
ALL God save the king! God save the king!
CADE What, Buckingham and Clifford, are ye so brave19?--
To the rabble
And you, base peasants, do ye believe him? Will.
you needs be hanged with your pardons about your necks?
Hath my sword therefore broke through London gates, that
you should leave me at the White Hart23 in Southwark? I
thought ye would never have given out24 these arms till you
had recovered your ancient freedom. But you are all recreants25
and dastards26, and delight to live in slavery to the nobility. Let
them break your backs with burdens, take your houses over
your heads, ravish28 your wives and daughters before your
faces. For me, I will make shift for one29, and so God's curse
light upon you all.
They run to Cade again
ALL We'll follow Cade, We'll follow Cade!
CLIFFORD 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 meanest35 of you earls and dukes?
Alas, he hath no home, no place to fly to:
Nor knows he how to live but by the spoil37,
Unless by robbing of your friends and us.
Were't not a shame, that whilst you live at jar39,
The fearful40 French, whom you late vanquished,
Should make a start41 o'er seas and vanquish you?
Methinks already in this civil broil42
I see them lording it in London streets,