Cade at the Head of them.
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;We John Cade, so term'd of our supposed
father,—&brquo;
&blquo;Dic.
&blquo;Or, rather, of stealing a cade of herrings.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;Command silence.&brquo;
&blquo;Dic.
&blquo;Silence!&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;My father was a Mortimer;&brquo;
&blquo;Dic.
&blquo;He was an honest man, and a good bricklayer.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;My mother a Plantagenet;&brquo;
&blquo;Dic.
&blquo;I knew her well, she was a midwife.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;My wife descended of the Lacies;&brquo;
-- 244 --
&blquo;Dic.
&blquo;She was, indeed, a pedlar's daughter, and
sold many laces.&brquo;
&blquo;Will.
&blquo;But now of late, not able to travel with her
fur'd pack, she washes bucks here at home.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;Therefore am I of an honourable house.&brquo;
&blquo;Dic.
&blquo;Ay, by my faith: the field is honourable;
and there was he born, under a hedge; for his father
had never a house, but the cage.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;Valiant I am:&brquo;
&blquo;Will.
&blquo;'A must needs; for beggary is valiant.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;I am able to endure much:&brquo;
&blquo;Dic.
&blquo;No question of that; for I have seen him
whip'd three market-days together.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;I fear neither sword nor fire.&brquo;
&blquo;Will.
&blquo;He need not fear the sword, for his coat is of
proof.&brquo;
&blquo;Dic.
&blquo;But methinks he should stand in fear of fire,
being burnt i'th' hand for stealing of sheep.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;Be brave then; for your captain is brave, and
vows reformation. There shall be, in England, seven* note
half-penny loaves sold for a penny: the three-hoop'd
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)—&brquo;
&blquo;All.
&blquo;Heav'n save your majesty!&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;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.&brquo;
&blquo;Dic.
&blquo;The first thing we do, let's kill all the
lawyers.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;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
scribbl'd o'er, should undo a man? Some say, the
bee stings: but I say, 'tis the bee's wax; for I did
-- 245 --
but seal once to a thing, and I was never my own man
since. How now? whose there?&brquo;
&blquo;Enter some, bringing forward the Clerk of Chatham.
&blquo;Will.
&blquo;The clerk of Chatham: he can write and
read, and cast account.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;O monstrous!&brquo;
&blquo;Will.
&blquo;We took him setting of boys copies.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;Here's a villain!&brquo;
&blquo;Will.
&blquo;H'as a book in his pocket, with red letters in't.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;Nay, then he is a conjurer.&brquo;
&blquo;Dic.
&blquo;Nay, he can make obligations, and write
court-hand.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;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?&brquo;
&blquo;Cle.
&blquo;Emanuel.&brquo;
&blquo;Dic.
&blquo;They use to write it on the top of letters:—
'twill go hard with you.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;Let me alone:—Dost thou use to write thy
name? or hast thou a mark to thyself, like an honest
plain-dealing man?&brquo;
&blquo;Cle.
&blquo;Sir, I thank Heav'n, I have been so well
brought up, that I can write my name.&brquo;
&blquo;All.
&blquo;He hath confest: away with him; he's a villain,
and a traitor.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;Away with him, I say; hang him with his pen
and inkhorn about his neck† note.&brquo;
&blquo;[Exeunt some with the Clerk.
&blquo;Enter Michael, hastily.
&blquo;Mic.
&blquo;Where's our general?&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;Here I am, thou particular fellow.&brquo;
&blquo;Mic.
&blquo;Fly, fly, fly! Sir Humphrey Stafford, and his
brother, are hard by, with the king's forces.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;Stand, villain, stand, or I'll fell thee down:
-- 246 --
he shall be encounter'd with a man as good as himself;
He is but a knight, is 'a?&brquo;
&blquo;Mic.
&blquo;No.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;To equal him, I will make myself a knight
presently; Rise up Sir John Mortimer. Now have
at him.&brquo;
&blquo;Drum. Enter Sir Humphrey Stafford, and Brother,
with Forces.
&blquo;Sta.
&blquo;Rebellious hinds, the filth and scum of Kent,
&blquo;Mark'd for the gallows,—lay your weapons down,
&blquo;Home to your cottages, forsake this groom;
&blquo;The king is merciful, if you revolt.
&blquo;Bro.
&blquo;But angry, wrathful, and inclin'd to blood,
&blquo;If you go forward; therefore yield, or die.
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;As for these silken-coated slaves,—I pass not;—
&blquo;It is to you, good people, that I speak,
&blquo;O'er whom, in time to come, I hope to reign;
&blquo;For I am rightful heir unto the crown.
&blquo;Sta.
&blquo;Villain, thy father was a plaisterer;
&blquo;And thou thyself, a shearman, Art thou not?
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;And Adam was a gard'ner.
&blquo;Bro.
&blquo;And what of that?
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;Marry, this: Edmund Mortimer, earl of March,
&blquo;Marry'd the duke of Clarence' daughter; Did he not?
&blquo;Sta.
&blquo;Ay, Sir.
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;By her he had two children at one birth.
&blquo;Bro.
&blquo;That's false.
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;Ay, that's the question; but, I say, 'tis true:
&blquo;The elder of them, being put to nurse,
&blquo;Was by a beggar-woman stoln away;
&blquo;And, ignorant of his birth and parentage,
&blquo;Became a bricklayer, when he came to age:
&blquo;His son am I; deny it, if you can.
&blquo;Dic.
&blquo;Nay, 'tis too true; therefore he shall be king.
&blquo;Will.
&blquo;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.&brquo;
&blquo;Sta.
&blquo;And will you credit this base drudge's words,
&blquo;That speaks he knows not what?
&blquo;All.
&blquo;Ay, marry, will we; therefore get you gone.
-- 247 --
&blquo;Bro.
&blquo;Jack Cade, the duke of York hath taught you this.
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;He lies, for I invented it myself.—Go to,
sirrah, tell the king from me, that—* note 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.&brquo;
&blquo;Dic.
&blquo;And, furthermore, we'll have the lord Say's
head, for selling the dukedom of Maine.&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;And good reason; for thereby is England
main'd, 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 common-wealth, and made
it an eunuch: and more than that, he can speak
French, and therefore he is a traitor.&brquo;
&blquo;Sta.
&blquo;O gross and miserable ignorance!&brquo;
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;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?&brquo;
&blquo;All.
&blquo;No, no; and therefore we'll have his head.
&blquo;Bro.
&blquo;Well, seeing gentle words will not prevail,
&blquo;Assail them with the army of the king.
&blquo;Sta.
&blquo;Herald, away: and, throughout every town,
&blquo;Proclaim them traitors that are up with Cade;
&blquo;That those, which fly before the battle ends,
&blquo;May, even in their wives' and children's sight,
&blquo;Be hang'd up for example at their doors:—
&blquo;And you, that be the king's friends, follow me.
&blquo;[Exeunt Stafford, and Forces.
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;And you, that love the commons, follow me.
&blquo;Now shew yourselves men, 'tis for liberty.
&blquo;We will not leave one lord, one gentleman:
&blquo;Spare none, but such as go in clouted shoen;
&blquo;For they are thrifty honest men, and such
&blquo;As would (but that they dare not) take our parts.
&blquo;Dic.
&blquo;They are all in order, and march toward us.
-- 248 --
&blquo;Cad.
&blquo;But then are we in order, when we are most
out of order. Come, march forward.&brquo;
[Exeunt.
John Bell [1774], Bell's Edition of Shakespeare's Plays, As they are now performed at the Theatres Royal in London; Regulated from the Prompt Books of each House By Permission; with Notes Critical and Illustrative; By the Authors of the Dramatic Censor (Printed for John Bell... and C. Etherington [etc.], York) [word count] [S10401].
