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 hast caused printing to be used'; and, contrary to the king, his crown, and dignity, 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 answer. Moreover, thou hast put them in prison; and because they could not read, thou hast hanged them; when, indeed, only for that cause they have been most worthy to live. Thou dost ride in a foot-cloth, dost thou not? Say. What of that? Cade. Marry, thou oughtest not to let thy horse wear a cloak, when honester men than thou go in their hose and doublets. Dick. And work in their shirt too; as myself, for example, that am a butcher. Say. You men of Kent, Dick. What say you of Kent? Say. Nothing but this: 'tis bona terra, mala gens. Cade. Away with him! away with him! he speaks Latin. Say. Hear me but speak, and bear me where you will. Kent, in the commentaries Cæsar writ, Is term'd the civil'st place of all this isle": 7 thou hast caused PRINTING to be used ;] "Printing" was not "used" in this country until about the year 1470. It was only an anachronism of twenty years. Thou dost ride in a FOOT-CLOTH,] A "foot-cloth" was a kind of housing which covered the body of the horse, and almost reached to the ground. Is term'd the civil'st place of all this isle :] Caesar's Comment. b. v.: "Ex his omnibus sunt humanissimi qui Cantium incolunt." The passage is thus translated by Arthur Golding in 1565 (not 1590, as the date is given by Steevens): "Of all the inhabitants of this isle, the civilest are the Kentishfolke." In Lily's Sweet is the country, because full of riches; Prayers and tears have mov'd me, gifts could never. This tongue hath parley'd unto foreign kings Cade. Tut! when struck'st thou one blow in the field? Say. Great men have reaching hands: oft have I struck Those that I never saw, and struck them dead. Geo. O monstrous coward! what, to come behind folks? Say. These cheeks are pale for watching for your good. "Euphues and his England," 1580, we read "Of all the inhabitants of this isle the Kentish-men are the civilest." 1 When have I aught exacted at your hands, Kent, to maintain the king, the realm, and you ?] We cannot perceive the difficulty in this passage which some of the commentators have found. Lord Say is addressing a multitude from Kent, and he asks them, speaking of them collectively as Kent, when he had exacted aught for the maintenance of the king, &c. Johnson recommended the substitution of But for "Kent ;" but the question is, when Say had exacted anything, even to maintain the king, &c. If he had asked, "When have I aught exacted at your hands, But to maintain the king," &c. it would have been an acknowledgment that he had been guilty of exaction, which would have exposed him to the fury of the rebels. Cade. Give him a box o' the ear, and that will make 'em red again. Say. Long sitting, to determine poor men's causes, Hath made me full of sickness and diseases. Cade. Ye shall have a hempen caudle, then, and the help of hatchet2. Dick. Why dost thou quiver, man? Say. The palsy, and not fear, provoketh me. Cade. 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. Say. Tell me, wherein have I offended most? Have I affected wealth, or honour; speak? Are my chests fill'd up with extorted gold? Is my apparel sumptuous to behold? Whom have I injur'd, that ye seek my death? Cade. I feel remorse in myself with his words; but I'll bridle it he shall die, an it be but for pleading so well for his life. Away with him! he has a familiar under his tongue: he speaks not o' God's name. Go, take him away, I say, and strike off his head presently; and then break into his son-in-law's house, sir James Cromer, and strike off his head, and bring them both upon two poles hither. All. It shall be done. In 2 Ye shall have a hempen CAUDLE, then, and the help of hatchet.] "Love's Labour's Lost," Vol. ii. p. 338, " caudle" is misprinted candle, and the same error occurs here, from the turning of the letter u, in the folio, 1623 : "a hempen candle" can have no meaning. The words "help of hatchet" have been disputed, and Dr. Farmer contended that they ought to be "pap of a hatchet:" Steevens and various modern editors have adopted his opinion, on the ground that "pap with a hatchet" was a phrase of the time, and had been employed by Lily, in the title to a tract he published about 1589. But the phrase was pap with a hatchet," and not " pap of a hatchet." The "help of hatchet" is quite intelligible, and is the reading of all the old copies. We feel therefore bound to retain it in the text. Say. Ah, countrymen! if when you make your prayers, God should be so obdurate as yourselves, How would it fare with your departed souls? Cade. Away with him, and do as I command ye. 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 maidenhead, ere they have it. Men shall hold of me in capite; and we charge and command, that their wives be as free as heart can wish, or tongue can tell. Dick. My lord, when shall we go to Cheapside, and take up commodities upon our bills? Cade. Marry, presently. All. O brave! Re-enter Rebels, with the Heads of Lord SAY and his Son-in-law. Cade. But is not this braver?-Let them kiss one another, for they loved well, 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. SCENE VIII. Southwark. Alarum. Enter CADE, and all his Rabblement. Cade. Up Fish-street! down Saint Magnus' corner! kill and knock down! throw them into Thames !—[A Parley sounded, then a Retreat.] What noise is this I hear? Dare any be so bold to sound retreat or parley, when I command them kill? Enter BUCKINGHAM, and Old CLIFFORD, with Forces. Buck. Ay, here they be that dare, and will disturb thee. Know, Cade, we come ambassadors from the king Who loves the king, and will embrace his pardon, All. God save the king! Cade. What! Buckingham, and Clifford, are ye so brave? And you, base peasants, do ye believe him? will you needs be hanged with your pardons about your necks? Hath my sword therefore broke through London Gates, that you should leave me at the White Hart in Southwark? I thought, ye would never have given out these arms, till you had recovered your ancient freedom; but you are all recreants, and dastards, and delight to live in slavery to the nobility. Let them break your backs with burdens, take your houses over your heads, ravish your wives and daughters before your faces. For me, I will make shift for one; and so-God's curse 'light upon you all! All. We'll follow Cade: we'll follow Cade. |