Say.
&mlquo;Cade.
&mlquo;Well, he shall be beheaded for it ten
times.—Ah, thou say, thou serge1 note
, nay, thou
buckram lord! now art thou within point-blank
of our jurisdiction regal. What canst thou answer
to my majesty, for giving up of Normandy unto
monsieur Basimecu2 note, the dauphin of France? Be
it known unto thee by these presence, even the
presence of lord Mortimer, that I am the besom
that must sweep the court clean of such filth as
thou art. Thou hast most traitorously 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
-- 314 --
hast caused printing to be used3 note
; and, contrary
to the king, his crown, and dignity4 note, thou hast
built a paper-mill. It will be proved to thy face,
that thou hast men about thee, that usually talk
of a noun, and a verb; and such abominable
words, as no Christian ear can endure to hear.
Thou hast appointed justices of peace, to call poor
men before them about matters they were not
able to answer5 note. Moreover, thou hast put them
-- 315 --
in prison; and because they could not read, thou
hast hanged them6 note; when, indeed, only for that
cause they have been most worthy to live. Thou
dost ride on a foot-cloth7 note
, dost thou not?&mrquo;
Say.
What of that?
Cade.
Marry, thou oughtest not to let thy horse
wear a cloak8 note, when honester men than thou go in
their hose and doublets.
&mast;Dick.
&mast;And work in their shirt too; as myself,
&mast;for example, that am a butcher.
Say.
You men of Kent,—
Dick.
What say you of Kent?
&mlquo;Say.
&mlquo;Nothing but this: 'Tis bona terra, mala gens9 note
.&mrquo;
-- 316 --
&mlquo;Cade.
&mlquo;Away with him, away with him! he
speaks Latin.&mrquo;
&mast;Say.
&mast;Hear me but speak, and bear me where you will.
&mlquo;Kent, in the commentaries Cæsar writ,
&mlquo;Is term'd the civil'st place of all this isle1 note
:
&mlquo;Sweet is the country, because full of riches;
&mlquo;The people, liberal, valiant, active, wealthy;
&mlquo;Which makes me hope you are not void of pity.
&mlquo;I sold not Maine, I lost not Normandy;
&mast;Yet, to recover them2, would lose my life.
&mast;Justice with favour have I always done;
&mast;Prayers and tears have mov'd me, gifts could never.
&mast;When have I aught exacted at your hands,
&mast;Kent to maintain, the king, the realm, and you?
&mast;Large gifts have I bestow'd on learned clerks,
&mast;Because my book preferr'd me to the king2 note
:
-- 317 --
&mast;And—seeing ignorance is the curse of God,
&mast;Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven,—
&mast;Unless you be possess'd with devilish spirits,
&mast;You cannot but forbear to murder me.
&mast;This tongue hath parley'd unto foreign kings
&mast;For your behoof,—
&mast;Cade.
&mast;Tut! when struck'st thou one blow in
&mast;the field?
&mast;Say.
&mast;Great men have reaching hands: oft have I struck
&mast;Those that I never saw, and struck them dead.
&mast;Geo.
&mast;O monstrous coward! what, to come behind folks?
&mast;Say.
&mast;These cheeks are pale for watching3 note
for your good.
-- 318 --
&mast;Cade.
&mast;Give him a box o' the ear, and that will
&mast;make 'em red again.
&mast;Say.
&mast;Long sitting to determine poor men's causes
Hath made me full of sickness and diseases.
&mast;Cade.
&mast;Ye shall have a hempen caudle then,
&mast;and the help of a hatchet5 note
.
&mlquo;Dick.
&mlquo;Why dost thou quiver, man6 note
?&mrquo;
&mlquo;Say.
&mlquo;The palsy, and not fear, provoketh me.&mrquo;
&mlquo;Cade.
&mlquo;Nay, he nods at us; as who should say,
I'll be even with you. I'll see if his head will stand
steadier on a pole, or no: Take him away, and behead
him.&mrquo;
&mast;Say.
&mast;Tell me, wherein I have offended most?
-- 319 --
&mast;Have I affected wealth, or honour; speak?
&mast;Are my chests fill'd up with extorted gold?
&mast;Is my apparel sumptuous to behold?
&mast;Whom have I injur'd, that ye seek my death?
&mast;These hands are free from guiltless blood-sheddding7 note
,
&mast;This breast from harbouring foul deceitful thoughts.
&mast;O, let me live!
&mast;Cade.
&mast;I feel remorse in myself with his words:
&mast;but I'll bridle it; he shall die, an it be but for
&mast;pleading so well for his life8 note. Away with him!
&mast;he has a familiar under his tongue9 note
; he speaks
&mast;not o' God's name. &mlquo;Go, take him away, I say,
and strike off his head presently; and then break
into his son-in-law's house, sir James Cromer1 note,
-- 320 --
and strike off his head, and bring them both upon
two poles hither.&mrquo;
&mlquo;All.
&mlquo;It shall be done.&mrquo;
&mast;Say.
&mast;Ah, countrymen! if when you make your prayers,
&mast;God should be so obdurate as yourselves,
&mast;How would it fare with your departed souls?
&mast;And therefore yet relent, and save my life.
&mast;Cade.
&mast;Away with him, and do as I command ye.
[Exeunt some, with Lord Say.
&mlquo;The proudest peer in the realm shall not wear a
head on his shoulders, unless he pay me tribute;
there shall not a maid be married, but she shall
pay to me her maidenhead2 note
ere they have it:
Men shall hold of me in capite3 note; and we charge
and command, that their wives be as free as heart
can wish, or tongue can tell4 note
.&mrquo;
-- 321 --
&mlquo;Dick.
&mlquo;My lord, when shall we go to Cheapside,
and take up commodities upon our bills5 note
?&mrquo;
&mlquo;Cade.
&mlquo;Marry, presently.&mrquo;
&mlquo;All.
&mlquo;O brave!&mrquo;
Re-enter Rebels, with the Heads of Lord Say and his Son-in-law.
&mlquo;Cade.
&mlquo;But is not this braver?—Let them kiss
-- 322 --
one another6 note
, for they loved well7 note
, when they were
alive. Now part them again, lest they consult
about the giving up of some more towns in France.
Soldiers, defer the spoil of the city until night:
for with these borne before us, instead of maces,
will we ride through the streets; and at every
corner, have them kiss.—Away!
[Exeunt.
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].
