Suf. Ay, but these rags are no part of the duke: Jove sometime went disguis'd, and why not I?

Cap. But Jove was never slain, as thou shalt be. Suf. Obscure and lowly swain, king Henry's blood,

The honourable blood of Lancaster,

Must not be shed by such a jaded groom.

Hast thou not kiss'd thy hand, and held my stirrup?
Bare-headed plodded by my foot-cloth mule,
And thought thee happy when I shook my head?
How often hast thou waited at my cup,

Fed from my trencher, kneel'd down at the board,
When I have feasted with queen Margaret?
Remember it, and let it make thee crest-fall'n;
Ay, and allay this thy abortive pride.
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

Cap.

Poole?

Poole? Sir Poole? lord? 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 affy a mighty lord
Unto the daughter of a worthless king,
Having neither subject, wealth, nor diadem.
By devilish policy art thou grown great,
And, like ambitious Sylla, overgorg'd
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, surpris'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!
Small things make base men proud: this villain,

here,

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. Cap. Walter!

Whit. Come, Suffolk, I must waft thee to thy death.

Suf. Penè gelidus timor occupat artus:-it is thee I fear.

Whit. Thou shalt have cause to fear, before 1 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 :

A Roman sworder and banditto slave
Murder'd sweet Tully; Brutus' bastard hand
Stabb'd Julius Cæsar; savage islanders
Pompey the great, and Suffolk dies by pirates.

[Exit SUFFOLK, with WHITMORE, and others. Cap. And as for these whose ransom we have

Dick. But, methinks, he should stand in fear of fire, being burnt i' the hand for stealing of sheep.

[Aside. Cade. Be brave then; for your captain is brave, and vows reformation. There shall be in England seven half-p -penny loaves sold for a penny: the threehooped pot shall have ten hoops; and I will make it felony to drink small beer. All the realm shall be in common, and in Cheapside shall my palfrey go to grass. And, when I am king, (as king I will be,)

All. God save your majesty!

Cade. I thank you, good people :-there shall be | no money; all shall eat and drink on my score; 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 of the skin of an innocent lamb should be made parchment? that parchment, being scribbled o'er, should undo a man? Some say, the bee stings; but I say, 'tis the bee's wax, for I did but seal once to a thing, and I was never mine own man since. How now! who's there?

Enter some, bringing in the Clerk of Chatham. Smith. The clerk of Chatham: he can write and read, and cast accompt.

Cade. O monstrous !

Smith. We took him setting of boys' copies.
Cade. Here's a villain!

Smith. H'as a book in his pocket, with red letters in't.

Cade. Nay then, he is a conjurer.

Dick. Nay, he can make obligations, and write court-hand.

Cade. I am sorry for't: the man is a proper man, of mine honour; unless I find him guilty, he shall not die. Come hither, sirrah, I must examine thee what is thy name?

Clerk. Emmanuel.

Dick. They use to write it on the top of letters. -Twill go hard with you.

Cade. Let me alone.-Dost thou use to write thy name, or hast thou a mark to thyself, like an honest plain-dealing man?

Clerk. Sir, I thank God, I have been so well brought up, that I can write my name.

All. He hath confess'd: away with him! he's a villain, and a traitor.

Cade. Away with him, I say! hang him with his pen and ink-horn about his neck.

[Exeunt some with the Clerk.

Enter MICHAEL.

Mich. Where's our general?

Cade. Here I am, thou particular fellow. Mich. Fly, fly. fly! sir Humphrey Stafford and his brother are hard by, with the king's forces.

Cade. Stand, villain, stand, or I'll fell thee down. He shall 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 presently.-[Kneels.]-Rise up sir John Mortimer. Now have at him.

Enter Sir HUMPHREY STAFFORD, and WILLIAM his Brother, with drum and Forces.

Staf. Rebellious hinds, the filth and scum of Kent,

It is to you, good people, that I speak,
O'er whom in time to come I hope to reign;
For I am rightful heir unto the crown.

Staf. Villain! thy father was a plasterer;
And thou thyself a shearman, art thou not?
Cade. And Adam was a gardener.
W. Staf. And what of that?

Cade. Marry, this :-Edmund Mortimer, earl of
March,

Married the duke of Clarence' daughter, did he not? Staf. Ay, sir.

Cade. By her he had two children at one birth. W. Staf. That's false.

Cade. Ay, there's the question; but, I say, 'tis

true.

The elder of them, being put to nurse,
Was by a beggar-woman stol'n away;
And, ignorant of his birth and parentage,
Became a bricklayer when he came to age.
His son am I deny it, if you can.

Dick. Nay, 'tis too true; therefore, he shall be king.

Smith. Sir, he made a chimney in my father's house, and the bricks are alive at this day to testify it: therefore, deny it not.

Staf. And will you credit this base drudge's words,

That speaks he knows not what?

All. Ay, marry, will we; therefore, get ye gone. W. Staf. Jack Cade, the duke of York hath taught you this.

Cade. He lies, for I invented it myself.-[Aside.] Go to, sirrah: tell the king from me, that for his father's sake, Henry the fifth, in whose time boys went to span-counter 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 selling the dukedom of Maine.

Cade. And good reason; for thereby is England maimed, and fain to go with a staff, but that my puissance holds it up. Fellow kings, I tell you that that lord Say hath gelded the commonwealth, and made it an eunuch; and more than that, he can speak French, and therefore he is a traitor. Staf. O, gross and miserable ignorance!

Cade. Nay, answer, if you can: the Frenchmen are our enemies: go to then, I ask but this; can he that speaks with the tongue of an enemy be a good counsellor, or no?

All. No, no; and therefore we'll have his head. W. Staf. Well, seeing gentle words will not prevail,

Assail them with the army of the king.

Staf. Herald, away; and, throughout every town. Proclaim them traitors that are up with Cade; That those which fly before the battle ends, May, even in their wives' and children's sight, Be hang'd up for example at their doors.And you, that be the king's friends, follow me.

[Exeunt the two STAFFORDS, and Forces. Cade. And you, that love the commons, follow

me.

SCENE IV.-London. Room in the Palace. Enter King HENRY, reading a supplication; the Duke of BUCKINGHAM, and Lord SAY with him: at a distance, Queen MARGARET, mourning over SUFFOLK's head.

Q. Mar. 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? Buck. What answer makes your grace to the rebels' supplication?

K. Hen. 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 parley with Jack Cade their general.—
But stay, I'll read it over once again.

Q. Mar. Ah, barbarous villains! hath this lovely face

Rul'd like a wandering planet over me,
And could it not enforce them to relent,
That were unworthy to behold the same?

K. Hen. Lord Say, Jack Cade hath sworn to have thy head.

Say. Ay, but I hope, your highness shall have

his.

K. Hen. How, now, madam!

Still lamenting, and mourning for Suffolk's death?
I fear me, love, if that I had been dead,
Thou wouldest not have mourn'd so much for me.
Q. Mar. No, my love; I should not mourn, but
die for thee.

Enter a Messenger.

K. Hen. How now! what news? why com'st thou in such haste?

Mess. The rebels are in Southwark: 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 caterpillars, and intend their death.
K. Hen. O graceless men! they know not what
they do.

Buck. My gracious lord, retire to Killingworth, Until a power be rais'd to put them down.

Q. Mar. Ah! were the duke of Suffolk now
alive,

These Kentish rebels would be soon appeas'd.
K. Hen. Lord Say, the traitors hate thee,
Therefore away with us to Killingworth.

Say. So 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.

2 Mess. Jack Cade hath gotten London-bridge: the citizens

Fly and forsake their houses.

The rascal people, thirsting after prey,

Join with the traitor; and they jointly swear,
To spoil the city, and your royal court.
Buck. Then linger not, my lord: away, take
horse.

K. Hen. Come, Margaret: God, our hope, will

succour us.

Q. Mar. My hope is gone, now Suffolk is deceas'd. K. Hen. Farewell, my lord :—[To Lord SAY.] trust not the Kentish rebels.

Buck. Trust no body, for fear you be betray'd. Say. The trust I have is in mine innocence, And therefore am I bold and resolute. [Exeunt.

SCENE V.-The Same. The Tower. Enter Lord SCALES, and others, walking on the Walls. Then enter certain Citizens, below. Scales. How now! is Jack Cade slain?

1 Cit. No, my lord, nor likely to be slain; for they have won the bridge, killing all those that withstand them. The lord mayor craves 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 assay'd to win the Tower.
But get you to Smithfield, and gather head,
And thither I will send you Matthew Gough.
Fight for your king, your country, and your lives:
And so farewell, for I must hence again. [Exeunt.

SCENE VI.-The Same. Cannon Street.
Enter JACK CADE, and his Followers.

his staff on London-stone.

He strikes

Cade. Now is Mortimer lord of this city. And here, sitting upon London-stone, I charge and command, that, of the city's cost, the pissing-conduit 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.

Sold. Jack Cade! Jack Cade!

Cade. Knock him down there. [They kill him. Smith. If this fellow be wise, he'll never call you Jack Cade more: I think, he hath a very fair warning.

Dick. My lord, there's an army gathered to gether 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.

SCENE VII.-The Same. Smithfield. Alarum. Enter, on one side. CADE and his Company; on the other, the Citizens, and the King's Forces, headed by MATTHEW GOUGH. They fight; the Citizens are routed, and MATTHEW GOUGH is slain.

Cade. So, sirs.-Now go some and pull down the Savoy; others to the inns of court: down with them all.

Dick. I have a suit unto your lordship. Cade. Be it a lordship, thou shalt have it for that word.

Dick. Only, that the laws of England may come out of your mouth.