Philologic Results

Welcome to PhiloLogic

| | | | |

James Boswell [1821], The plays and poems of William Shakspeare, with the corrections and illustrations of various commentators: comprehending A Life of the Poet, and an enlarged history of the stage, by the late Edmond Malone. With a new glossarial index (J. Deighton and Sons, Cambridge) [word count] [S10201].

To look up a word in a dictionary, select the word with your mouse and press 'd' on your keyboard.

Previous section

Next section

SCENE II. Blackheath. Enter George Bevis and John Holland.

&mlquo;Geo.

&mlquo;Come, and get thee a sword⁴ ^note

, though made of a lath; they have been up these two days.&mrquo;

&mlquo;John.

&mlquo;They have the more need to sleep now then.&mrquo;

&mlquo;Geo.

&mlquo;I tell thee⁵ ^note, Jack Cade the clothier means

-- 294 --

to dress the commonwealth, and turn it, and set a new nap upon it.&mrquo;

John.

So he had need, for 'tis threadbare. Well, I say, it was never merry world in England⁶ ^note, since gentlemen came up⁷ ^note.

&mast;Geo.

&mast;O miserable age! Virtue is not regarded &mast;in handycrafts-men.

&mlquo;John.

&mlquo;The nobility think scorn to go in leather aprons.&mrquo;

&mast;Geo.

&mast;Nay more, the king's council are no good &mast;workmen.

&mast;John.

&mast;True; And yet it is said,—Labour in &mast;thy vocation: which is as much to say, as,—let &mast;the magistrates be labouring men; and therefore &mast;should we be magistrates.

&mast;Geo.

&mast;Thou hast hit it: for there's no better &mast;sign of a brave mind, than a hard hand.

&mast;John.

&mast;I see them! I see them! There's Best's &mast;son, the tanner of Wingham;—

&mast;Geo.

&mast;He shall have the skins of our enemies, &mast;to make dog's leather of.

John.

And Dick the butcher⁸ ^note

,—

-- 295 --

&mast;Geo.

&mast;Then is sin struck down like an ox, and &mast;iniquity's throat cut like a calf.

&mast;John.

&mast;And Smith the weaver:—

&mast;Geo.

&mast;Argo, their thread of life is spun.

&mast;John.

&mast;Come, come, let's fall in with them.

Drum. Enter Cade, Dick the Butcher, Smith the Weaver, and Others in great number.

&mlquo;Cade.

&mlquo;We John Cade, so termed of our supposed father,—&mrquo;

&mlquo;Dick.

&mlquo;Or rather, of stealing a cade of herrings⁹ ^note

.&mrquo;

[Aside.

&mlquo;Cade.

&mlquo;&lblank; for our enemies shall fall before us¹ ^note

-- 296 --

inspired with the spirit of putting down kings and princes,—Command silence.&mrquo;

Dick.

Silence!

Cade.

My father was a Mortimer,—

Dick.

He was an honest man, and a good bricklayer.

[Aside.

&mlquo;Cade.

&mlquo;My mother a Plantagenet,—&mrquo;

&mlquo;Dick.

&mlquo;I knew her well, she was a midwife.&mrquo;

[Aside.

&mlquo;Cade.

&mlquo;My wife descended of the Lacies,—&mrquo;

Dick.

She was, indeed, a pedlar's daughter, and sold many laces.

[Aside.

&mlquo;Smith.

&mlquo;But, now of late, not able to travel with her furred pack² ^note, she washes bucks here at home.&mrquo;

[Aside.

&mlquo;Cade.

&mlquo;Therefore am I of an honourable house.&mrquo;

Dick.

Ay, by my faith, the field is honourable³ ^note; and there was he born, under a hedge; for his father had never a house, but the cage⁴ ^note

[Aside.

-- 297 --

&mast;Cade.

&mast;Valiant I am.

&mast;Smith.

&mast;'A must needs; for beggary is valiant.

[Aside.

Cade.

I am able to endure much.

Dick.

No question of that; for I have seen him whipped three market days together.

[Aside.

Cade.

I fear neither sword nor fire.

Smith.

He need not fear the sword, for his coat is of proof⁵ ^note.

[Aside.

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-penny loaves sold for a penny: the three-hooped pot shall have ten hoops⁶ ^note

; and I will make it felony, to drink small beer: all the realm shall be in common, and in Cheapside shall my palfry

-- 298 --

go to grass. And, when I am king, (as king I will be)—

All.

God save your majesty!

&mlquo;Cade.

&mlquo;I thank you, good people:—there shall be no money⁷ ^note; all shall eat and drink on my &mlquo;score; and I will apparel them all in one livery, &mlquo;that they may agree like brothers, and worship me &mlquo;their lord.&mrquo;

&mlquo;Dick.

&mlquo;The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.&mrquo;

Cade.

Nay, that I mean to do. Is not this a lamentable thing⁸ ^note, 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 Chatham⁹ ^note

Smith.

The clerk of Chatham: he can write and read, and cast accompt.

Cade.

O monstrous!

-- 299 --

Smith.

We took him setting of boys' copies¹ ^note.

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 obligations² ^note, and write court-hand.

&mlquo;Cade.

&mlquo;I am sorry for't: the man is a proper man, on mine honour; unless I find him guilty, he shall not die,—Come hither, sirrah, I must examine thee: What is thy name?&mrquo;

Clerk.

Emmanuel.

Dick.

They use to write it on the top of letters³ ^note

; —'Twill go hard with you.

&mlquo;Cade.

&mlquo;Let me alone:—Dost thou use to write thy name? or hast thou a mark to thyself, like an honest plain-dealing man?&mrquo;

-- 300 --

Clerk.

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

&mlquo;All.

&mlquo;He hath confessed: away with him, he's a villain, and a traitor.&mrquo;

&mlquo;Cade.

&mlquo;Away with him, I say: hang him with his pen and ink-horn about his neck.&mrquo;

[Exeunt some with the Clerk. Enter Michael.

&mlquo;Mich.

&mlquo;Where's our general?&mrquo;

&mlquo;Cade.

&mlquo;Here I am, thou particular fellow.&mrquo;

&mlquo;Mich.

&mlquo;Fly, fly, fly! sir Humphrey Stafford and his brother are hard by, with the king's forces.&mrquo;

&mlquo;Cade.

&mlquo;Stand, villain, stand, or I'll fell thee down: He shall be encountered with a man as good as himself: He is but a knight, is 'a?&mrquo;

&mlquo;Mich.

&mlquo;No.&mrquo;

&mlquo;Cade.

&mlquo;To equal him, I will make myself a knight presently; Rise up sir John Mortimer. Now have at him⁴ ^note

.&mrquo;

Enter Sir Humphrey Stafford, and William his Brother, with Drum and Forces.

&mast;Staf.
&mast;Rebellious hinds, the filth and scum of Kent,
&mast;Mark'd for the gallows,—lay your weapons down,
&mast;Home to your cottages, forsake this groom;—
&mast;The king is merciful, if you revolt.

&mast;W. Staf.
&mast;But angry, wrathful, and inclin'd to blood,

-- 301 --

&mast;If you go forward: therefore yield, or die.

Cade.
As for these silken-coated slaves, I pass not⁵ ^note

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

&mlquo;Staf.
&mlquo;Villain, thy father was a plasterer;
&mlquo;And thou thyself, a shearman, Art thou not?

Cade.
And Adam was a gardener.

&mlquo;W. Staf.
&mlquo;And what of that?

Cade.
Marry, this:—Edmund Mortimer, earl of March,
Married the duke of Clarence' daughter; Did he not?

&mlquo;Staf.
&mlquo;Ay, sir.

Cade.
By her he had two children at one birth.

W. Staf.
That's false.

&mlquo;Cade.
&mlquo;Ay, there's the question; but, I say, 'tis true:
&mlquo;The elder of them, being put to nurse,
&mlquo;Was by a beggar-woman stol'n away;
&mlquo;And, ignorant of his birth and parentage,
&mlquo;Became a bricklayer, when he came to age:
&mlquo;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.

&mast;Staf.
&mast;And will you credit this base drudge's words,
&mast;That speaks he knows not what?

&mast;All.
&mast;Ay, marry, will we; therefore get ye gone.

-- 302 --

W. Staf.
Jack Cade, the duke of York hath taught you this.

&mast;Cade.

&mast;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.

&mlquo;Dick.
&mlquo;And, furthermore, we'll have the lord
&mlquo;Say's head, for selling the dukedom of Maine.

&mlquo;Cade.

&mlquo;And good reason; for thereby is England maimed⁶ ^note
, 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 commonwealth⁷ ^note

, and made it an eunuch: and more than that, he can speak French, and therefore he is a traitor.&mrquo;

&mlquo;Staf.

&mlquo;O gross and miserable ignorance!&mrquo;

&mlquo;Cade.

&mlquo;Nay, answer, if you can: The Frenchmen are our enemies: go to then, I ask but this;

-- 303 --

Can he, that speaks with the tongue of an enemy, be a good counsellor, or no?&mrquo;

&mast;All.

&mast;No, no; and therefore we'll have his &mast;head.

&mast;W. Staf.
&mast;Well, seeing gentle words will not prevail,
&mast;Assail them with the army of the king.

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

&mast;Cade.
&mast;And you, that love the commons, follow me.—
&mast;Now show yourselves men, 'tis for liberty.
&mast;We will not leave one lord, one gentleman:
&mast;Spare none, but such as go in clouted shoon;
&mast;For they are thrifty honest men, and such
&mast;As would (but that they dare not,) take our parts.

&mast;Dick.
&mast;They are all in order, and march toward us.

&mast;Cade.

&mast;But then are we in order, when we are &mast;most out of order. Come, march forward⁸ ^note.

[Exeunt.

-- 304 --

Previous section

Next section