Cade at the Head of them.
Cad.
We John Cade, so term'd of our supposed father,—
&clquo;Dic.
&clquo;Or, rather, of stealing a cade of herrings. note&crquo;
Cad.
Command silence.
Dic.
Silence!
Cad.
My father was a Mortimer;
&clquo;Dic.
&clquo;He was an honest man, and a good brick-layer.&crquo;
Cad.
My mother a Plantagenet;
&clquo;Dic.
&clquo;I knew her well, she was a midwife.&crquo;
Cad.
My wife descended of the Lacies;
&clquo;Dic.
&clquo;She was, indeed, a pedlar's daughter, and
sold many laces.&crquo;
-- 77 --
&clquo;Wil.
&clquo;But now of late, not able to travel with her
fur'd pack, she washes bucks here at home.&crquo;
Cad.
Therefore am I of an honourable house.
&clquo;Dic.
&clquo;Ay, by my faith: note the field is honourable;
and there was he born, under a hedge; for his father
had never a house, but the cage.&crquo;
Cad.
Valiant I am:
&clquo;Wil.
&clquo;'A must needs; for beggary is valiant.&crquo;
Cad.
I am able to endure much:
&clquo;Dic.
&clquo;No question of that; for I have seen him
whip'd three market-days together.&crquo;
Cad.
I fear neither sword nor fire.
&clquo;Wil.
&clquo;He need not fear the sword, for his coat is of proof.&crquo;
&clquo;Dic.
&clquo;But, methinks, he should stand in fear of fire,
being burnt i'th' hand note for stealing of sheep.&crquo;
Cad.
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-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)—
all.
God save your majesty!
Cad.
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.
Dic.
The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.
Cad.
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,
-- 78 --
'tis the bee's wax; for I did but seal once to a thing, and
I was never my own note man since. How now? who's there?
Enter Some, bringing forward the Clerk of Chatham.
Wil.
The clerk of Chatham note: he can write and read,
and cast accompt.
Cad.
O monstrous!
Wil.
We took him setting of note boys copies.
Cad.
Here's a villain!
Wil.
H'as a book in his pocket, with red letters in't.
Cad.
Nay, then he is a conjurer.
Dic.
Nay, he can make obligations, and write court-hand.
Cad.
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?
Cle.
Emanuel.
Dic.
They use to write it on the top of letters;—
'twill go hard with you.
Cad.
Let me alone:—Dost thou use to write thy
name? or hast thou a mark to thyself, like an honest
plain-dealing man?
Cle.
Sir, I thank God, I have been so well brought
up, that I can write my name.
all.
He hath confest: away with him; he's note a villain,
and a traitor.
Cad.
Away with him, I say: hang him with his pen
and inkhorn about his neck.
[Exeunt Some with the Clerk.
Enter Michael, hastily.
Mic.
Where's our general?
Cad.
Here I am, thou particular fellow.
Mic.
Fly, fly, fly! sir Humphrey Stafford, and his
brother, are hard by, with the king's forces.
-- 79 --
Cad.
Stand, villain, stand, or I'll fell thee down:
he shall be encounter'd with a man as good as himself;
He is but a knight, is 'a?
Mic.
No.
Cad.
To equal him, I will make myself a knight presently;
Rise up sir John Mortimer. Now have at him.14Q0822
Drum. Enter Sir Humphrey Stafford, and Brother, with Forces.
Sta.
Rebellious hinds, the filth and scum of Kent,
Mark'd for the gallows,—lay your weapons down,
Home to your cottages, forsake this † groom;
The king is merciful, if you revolt.
Bro.
But angry, wrathful, and inclin'd to blood,
If you go forward: therefore yield, or die.
Cad.
As for these silken-coated slaves,—I pass not;—
It is to you, good people, that I speak,
O'er whom, in time to come, I hope to reign;
For I am rightful heir unto the crown.
Sta.
Villain, thy father was a plaisterer;
And thou thyself, a shearman, Art thou not?
Cad.
And Adam was a gard'ner.
Bro.
And what of that?
Cad.
Marry, this: Edmund Mortimer, earl of March,
Marry'd the duke of Clarence' daughter; Did he not?
Sta.
Ay, sir.
Cad.
By her he had two children at one birth.
Bro.
That's false.
Cad.
Ay, that's the question; but, I say, 'tis true:
The elder of them, being put to nurse,
Was by a beggar-woman stoln away;
And, ignorant of his birth and parentage,
Became a bricklayer, when he came to age:
-- 80 --
His son am I; deny it, if you can.
Dic.
Nay, 'tis too true; therefore he shall be king.
Wil.
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.
Sta.
And will you credit this base drudge's words,
That speaks he knows not what?
all.
Ay, marry, will we; therefore get you gone.
Bro.
Jack Cade, the duke of York hath taught you this.
&clquo;Cad.
&clquo;He lies, for I invented it myself.&crquo;—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.
Dic.
And, furthermore, we'll have the lord Say's
head, for selling the dukedom of Maine.
Cad.
And good reason; for thereby is England main'd 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 common-wealth, and made it an eunuch:
and more than that, he can speak French, and therefore
he is a traitor.
Sta.
O gross and miserable ignorance!
Cad.
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?
all.
No, no; and therefore we'll have his head.
Bro.
Well, seeing gentle words will not prevail,
Assail them with the army of the king.
Sta.
Herald, away: and, throughout every town,
Proclaim them traitors that are up with Cade;
-- 81 --
That those, which fly before the battle ends,
May, even in their wives' and children's sight,
Be hang'd up for example at their doors:—
And you, that be the king's friends, follow me.
[Exeunt Stafford, and Forces.
Cad.
And you, that love the commons, follow me.—
Now shew yourselves men, 'tis for liberty.
We will not leave one lord, one gentleman:
Spare none, but such as go in clouted shoen;
For they are thrifty honest men, and such
As would (but that they dare not) take our parts.
Dic.
They are all note in order, and march toward us.
Cad.
But then are we in order, when we are most
out of order. Come, march forward.
[Exeunt.
Edward Capell [1767], Mr William Shakespeare his comedies, histories, and tragedies, set out by himself in quarto, or by the Players his Fellows in folio, and now faithfully republish'd from those Editions in ten Volumes octavo; with an introduction: Whereunto will be added, in some other Volumes, notes, critical and explanatory, and a Body of Various Readings entire (Printed by Dryden Leach, for J. and R. Tonson [etc.], London) [word count] [S10601].
