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Cade. I have thought upon it, it fhall be fo. Away, burn all the records of the realm; my mouth shall be the parliament of England.

John. Then we are like to have biting ftatutes, unlefs his teeth be pull'd out.

Cade. And henceforward all things fhall be in common. Enter a Messenger.

Mef. My Lord, a prize, a prize! here's the Lord Say which fold the town in France; he that made us pay one and twenty fifteens and one fhilling to the pound, the laft fubfidy.

Enter George with the Lord Say.

Cade. Well, he fhall be beheaded for it ten times.Ah, (18) thou Say, thou ferge, nay, thou buckram Lord, now art thou within point blank of our jurifdiction regal. What canft thou answer to my Majesty for giving up of Normandy unto Monfieur Bafimecu, the Dauphin of France? be it known unto thee by thefe prefents, even the prefence of Lord Mortimer, that I am the befom that muft fweep the court clean of fuch filth as thou art; thou haft moft traiteroufly corrupted the youth of the realm in erecting a grammar-school and whereas before, our fore-fathers had no other books but the score and the tally, thou haft caufed printing to be us'd; and contrary to the King, his crown and dignity, thou haft built a paper-mill. I will be prov'd to thy face that thou haft men about thee, that ufually talk of a Noun and a Verb, and such abominable words, as no chriftian car can endure to hear. Thou haft appointed juftices of the peace to call poor men before them, about matters they were not able to answer. Morcover, thou haft put them in prifon; and because they could not read, thou haft hang'd them; when, indeed, only for that cause they

(18) Ab thou Say, thou Serge, nay thou buckram Lord.] The poet makes Cade here pun upon my Lord Say's name, comparing him that coarfe ftuff which we call a fay; and which the French likewife term une faie, faiette.

have been moft worthy to live. foot-cloth, dost thou not?

Say. What of that?

Thou doft ride on a

Cade. Marry, thou ought'ft not to let thy horfe wear a cloak, when honester men than thou go in their hote and doublets.

Dick. And work in their fhirt too; as myfelf, for example, that am a butcher.

Say. You men of Kent,

Dick. What fay you of Kent?

Say. Nothing but this: 'Tis bona terra, mala gens. Cade. Away with him, away with him, he fpeal:s latine.

Say. Hear me but fpeak, and bear me where you will. Kent, in the commentaries Cæfar writ,

Is term'd the civil'ft place of all this ifle;
Sweet is the country, becaufe full of riches,
The people liberal, valiant, active, wealthy,
Which makes me hope thou art not void of pity.
I fold not Maine; I loft not Normandy;
Yet, to recover them would lofe my life:
Juftice with favour have I always done,
Prayers and tears have mov'd me, gifts could never ;
When have I ought exacted at your hands,
Kent to maintain, the King, the realm and you?
Large gifts have I beftow'd on learned clerks,
Becaufe my book preferr'd me to the King:
And feeing, ignorance is the curfe of God,
Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heav'n,
Unless you be poffeft with dev'lish spirits,
Ye cannot but forbear to murder me:

This tongue hath parlied unto foreign Kings

For your behoof.

Cade. Tut, when struck'st thou one blow in the field? Say. Great men have reaching hands; oft have I ftruck Thofe that I never faw, and firuck them dead.

George. O monftrous coward! what to come behind folks?

Say. Thefe cheeks are pale with watching for your good

D 4

Cade.

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 fickness and diseases.

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

Dick. Why doft thou quiver, man?

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

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

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

Go

Cade. I feel remorfe in myself with his words; but I'll bridle it; he fhall 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. take him away, I fay, and ftrike off his head prefently; and then break into his fon-in-law's houfe, Sir James Cromer, and ftrike 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 so 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 shall 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.

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

Cade. Marry, presently.

All. O brave!

Enter one with the heads.

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 these borne before us, inftead of maces, will we ride through the streets, and at every corner have them kiss. Away. [Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Southwark.

Alarum, and retreat. Enter again Cade, and all his

Cade.

U

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?

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 relent,
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!
Who hateth him, and honours not his father,
Henry the fifth, that made all France to quake,
Shake he his weapon at us, and pass 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 pealants, 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 South-wark? 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 fon 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 fpoil;
Unless by robbing of your friends and us.
Weie't not a fhame, that, whilft you live at jar,
The fearful French, whom you late vanquished,
Should make a start o'er feas, and vanquish you?
Methinks, already in this civil broil

I fee them lording it in London ftreets,
Crying, Villageois! unto all they meet.
Better, ten thousand bafe-born Cades miscarry,
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 Cliford! 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

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