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Wear. If this fellow be wife, he'll never call you 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 fet London-Bridge on fire, and if you can, burn down the Tower too. Come, let's away. [Exeunt omnes.

S C ΕΝ E VII.

Changes to Smithfield.

Alarum. Matthew Goff is flain, and all the rest. Then enter Jack Cade with his company.

Cade. Soo

all!

Sirs: Now go fome and pull down the Savoy: others to the Inns of court, down with them

Dick. I have a fuit unto your Lordship..

Cade. Be it a Lordship, thou fhalt have it for that word.

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

John. Mafs, 'twill be fore law then, for he was thrust in the mouth with a fpear, and 'tis not whole yet.

Smith. Nay, John, it will be stinking law, for his breath ftinks with toasted cheese.

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, unless his teeth be pull'd out.

Cade. And henceforward all things fhall be in common.

SCENE

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Mef. My Lord, a prize, a prize! here's the Lord Say which fold the towns 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 shall be beheaded for it ten times. Ah, thou Say, thou ferge, nay, thou buckram Lord, now art thou within point-blank of our jurifdiction regal. What canft thou answer to my Majefty for giving up of Normandy unto Monfieur Bafimecu, the Dauphin of France? be it known unto thee by these prefents, even the presence of Lord Mortimer, that I am the befom that muft fweep the Court clean of fuch filth as thou art: thou haft moft traiterously 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 caused printing to be us'd; and contrary to the King, his crown and dignity, thou haft built a paper-mill. It will be prov'd to thy face that thou haft men about thee, that usually talk of a Noun and a Verb, and fuch abominable words, as no chriftian ear 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. Moreover, thou haft put them in prison, and because they could not read, thou haft hang'd them; when indeed, only for that cause they have been moft worthy to live. Thou doft ride on a foot-cloth, doft thou not?

Say. What of that?

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

(a) He means to fay, Baifez ma queüe.

7 town

Dick.

41

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

Say. You men of Kent

8

Dick. 'Well, what` fay you of Kent?

Say. Nothing but this: 9'Bona terra, mala gens. Cade. Away with him, away with him, he fpeaks latin. 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;

2

Sweet is the country, 'beauteous, full of riches,
The people liberal, valiant, active, 'worthy:
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, do 2
Large gifts have I bestow'd on learned clerks,
Because 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 fpirits,
Ye cannot but forbear to murther me:
This tongue hath parlied unto foreign Kings
For your behoof.

Cade. 'Tut, tut! when' ftruck'st thou one blow in the field?

Say. Great men have reaching hands; oft have I ftruck Those that I never faw, and ftruck, them dead.

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

Say. These cheeks are pale with watching for your good. 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 ficknefs and difeafes.

What 9 'tis Bona 1 because 2 wealthy:

·Cade.

3 Tut, when

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

Dick. Why doft thou quiver, man?

Say. The palfie, and not fear, provoketh me. Cade. Nay, he nods at us, as who fhould fay, I'll be even with you. I'll fee if his head will ftand fteadier 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?
Thefe hands are free from guiltlefs blood-fhedding,
This breast from harb'ring foul deceitful thoughts.
O, let me live!

Cade. I feel remorfe in my self with his words; but I'll bridle it; he shall die, an it be but for pleading fo well for his life. Away with him, he has a familiar under his tongue, he fpeaks not o' God's name. Go, 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 strike 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 prayʼrs, God fhould be fo obdurate as your felves,

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: [Exeunt fome with Lord Say.] the proudeft Peer of the realm fhall not wear a head on his fhoulders, unlefs 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.

4 provokes

.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 ano ther; 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, instead of maces, will we ride through the ftreets, and at every corner have them kifs. Away!

s c E N E IX.
Changes to Southwark.

[Exeunt.

Alarum, and Retreat. Enter again Cade, and all his Rabblement.

Cade. UP Fish-street, down St. Magnes' 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.

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 mis-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

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