And fight against that monstrous rebel Cade,
Who since I heard to be discomfited.

Enter IDEN, with CADE's head.

IDEN. If one so rude and of so mean condition

May pass into the presence of a king,

Lo, I present your grace a traitor's head,

The head of Cade, whom I in combat slew. KING. The head of Cade! Great God, how just art Thou!

O, let me view his visage, being dead,

That living wrought me such exceeding trouble. Tell me, my friend, art thou the man that slew him?

IDEN. I was, an 't like your majesty.

KING. How art thou call'd? and what is thy degree?

IDEN. Alexander Iden, that's my name; A poor esquire of Kent, that loves his king.

BUCK. So please it you, my lord, 'twere not amiss
He were created knight for his good service.
KING. Iden, kneel down. [He kneels.] Rise up
a knight.

We give thee for reward a thousand marks,
And will that thou henceforth attend on us.

IDEN. May Iden live to merit such a bounty,
And never live but true unto his liege!

Enter QUEEN and SOMERSET.

[Rises.

KING. See, Buckingham, Somerset comes with

the queen:

Go, bid her hide him quickly from the duke.

QUEEN. For thousand Yorks he shall not hide

his head,

But boldly stand and front him to his face.

YORK. How now! is Somerset at liberty?
Then, York, unloose thy long-imprison'd thoughts,
And let thy tongue be equal with thy heart.
Shall I endure the sight of Somerset ?

False king! why hast thou broken faith with me,
Knowing how hardly I can brook abuse?
King did I call thee? no, thou art not king,

Not fit to govern and rule multitudes,

Which darest not, no, nor canst not rule a traitor.
That head of thine doth not become a crown;
Thy hand is made to grasp a palmer's staff,
And not to grace an awful princely sceptre.
That gold must round engirt these brows of mine,
Whose smile and frown, like to Achilles' spear,
Is able with the change to kill and cure.
Here is a hand to hold a sceptre up
And with the same to act controlling laws.
Give place by heaven, thou shalt rule no more
O'er him whom heaven created for thy ruler.

SOM. O monstrous traitor! I arrest thee, York,
Of capital treason 'gainst the king and crown:
Obey, audacious traitor; kneel for grace.

[these,

YORK. Wouldst have me kneel? first let me ask of
If they can brook I bow a knee to man.
Sirrah, call in my sons to be my bail:

[Exit Attendant.
I know, ere they will have me go to ward,
They'll pawn their swords for

my enfranchisement.

1

QUEEN. Call hither Clifford; bid him come amain, To say if that the bastard boys of York

Shall be the surety for their traitor father.

[Exit BUCKINGHAM. YORK. O blood-besotted Neapolitan, Outcast of Naples, England's bloody scourge ! The sons of York, thy betters in their birth, Shall be their father's bail; and bane to those That for my surety will refuse the boys!

Enter EDWARD and RICHARD.

See where they come : I'll warrant they'll make it good.

Enter old CLIFFORD and his Son.

QUEEN. And here comes Clifford to deny their bail.

CLIF. Health and all happiness to my lord the

king!

YORK. I thank thee, Clifford: say,

with thee?

[Kneels.

what news

Nay, do not fright us with an angry look:
We are thy sovereign, Clifford, kneel again;
For thy mistaking so, we pardon thee.

CLIF. This is my king, York, I do not mistake; But thou mistakest me much to think I do:

To Bedlam with him! is the man grown mad?

KING. Ay, Clifford; a bedlam and ambitious humour

Makes him oppose himself against his king.
CLIF. He is a traitor; let him to the Tower,
And chop away that factious pate of his.
QUEEN. He is arrested, but will not obey;

His sons, he says, shall give their words for him. YORK. Will you not, sons?

EDW. Ay, noble father, if our words will serve. RICH. And if words will not, then our weapons

shall.

CLIF. Why, what a brood of traitors have we here! YORK. Look in a glass, and call thy image so: I am thy king, and thou a false-heart traitor. Call hither to the stake my two brave bears, That with the very shaking of their chains They may astonish these fell-lurking curs: Bid Salisbury and Warwick come to me.

Enter the EARLS OF WARWICK and SALISBURY. CLIF. Are these thy bears? we'll bait thy bears to death,

And manacle the bear-ward in their chains,
If thou darest bring them to the baiting place.
RICH. Oft have I seen a hot o'erweening cur
Run back and bite, because he was withheld;
Who, being suffer'd with the bear's fell paw,
Hath clapp'd his tail between his legs and cried :
And such a piece of service will you do,
If you oppose yourselves to match Lord Warwick.
CLIF. Hence, heap of wrath, foul indigested lump,
As crooked in thy manners as thy shape!

YORK. Nay, we shall heat you thoroughly anon. CLIF. Take heed, lest by your heat you burn yourselves.

KING. Why, Warwick, hath thy knee forgot to bow?

Old Salisbury, shame to thy silver hair,

Thou mad misleader of thy brain-sick son!

What, wilt thou on thy death-bed play the ruffian,
And seek for sorrow with thy spectacles?
O, where is faith? O, where is loyalty?
If it be banish'd from the frosty head,
Where shall it find a harbour in the earth?
Wilt thou go dig a grave to find out war,
And shame thine honourable age with blood?
Why art thou old, and want'st experience?
Or wherefore dost abuse it, if thou hast it?
For shame! in duty bend thy knee to me
That bows unto the grave with mickle age.
SAL. My lord, I have consider'd with myself
The title of this most renowned duke;

And in my conscience do repute his grace
The rightful heir to England's royal seat.

KING. Hast thou not sworn allegiance unto me?

SAL. I have.

KING. Canst thou dispense with heaven for such

an oath?

SAL. It is great sin to swear unto a sin,

But greater sin to keep a sinful oath.
Who can be bound by any solemn vow
To do a murderous deed, to rob a man,
To force a spotless virgin's chastity,
To reave the orphan of his patrimony,
To wring the widow from her custom'd right,
And have no other reason for this wrong
But that he was bound by a solemn oath?