Thy hand is but a finger to my fist;

Thy leg a stick, compared with this truncheon:
My foot shall fight with all the strength thou hast ;
And if mine arm be heaved in the air,

Thy grave is digg'd already in the earth.

As for words, whose greatness answers words,
Let this my sword report what speech forbears.

Cade. By my valour, the most complete champion that ever I heard.—Steel, if thou turn the edge, or cut not out the burly-boned clown in chines of beef ere thou sleep in thy sheath, I beseech Jove on my knees3, thou mayest be turned to hobnails. [They fight. CADE falls.] O! I am slain. Famine, and no other, hath slain me let ten thousand devils come against me, and give me but the ten meals I have lost, and I'd defy them all. Wither, garden; and be henceforth a burying-place to all that do dwell in this house, because the unconquered soul of Cade is fled.

Iden. Is't Cade that I have slain, that monstrous traitor?

Sword, I will hallow thee for this thy deed,

And hang thee o'er my tomb, when I am dead :
Ne'er shall this blood be wiped from thy point,
But thou shalt wear it as a herald's coat,

To emblaze the honour that thy master got.

Cade. Iden, farewell; and be proud of thy victory. Tell Kent from me, she hath lost her best man, and exhort all the world to be cowards; for I, that never feared any, am vanquished by famine, not by valour.

[Dies. Iden. How much thou wrong'st me, heaven be my

judge.

Die, damned wretch, the curse of her that bare thee!

8 I beseech JOVE on my knees,] So the folio, which in this play is of course to be followed, in preference to any of the imperfect quarto copies of the "Contention:" in the editions of 1594 and 1600, it stands, "I beseech God;" and in the later impression, merely, "I would thou might'st," &c.

And as I thrust thy body in with my sword,
So wish I, I might thrust thy soul to hell.
Hence will I drag thee headlong by the heels
Unto a dunghill, which shall be thy grave,
And there cut off thy most ungracious head;
Which I will bear in triumph to the king,
Leaving thy trunk for crows to feed upon.

[Exit, dragging out the Body.

ACT V. SCENE I.

The Same. Fields between Dartford and Blackheath.

The King's Camp on one side: on the other, enter YORK attended, with Drum and Colours; his Forces at some distance'.

York. From Ireland thus comes York, to claim his right,

And pluck the crown from feeble Henry's head:
Ring, bells, aloud; burn, bonfires, clear and bright,
To entertain great England's lawful king.

Ah, sancta majestas! who would not buy thee dear?
Let them obey, that know not how to rule;
This hand was made to handle nought but gold:
I cannot give due action to my words,
Except a sword, or sceptre, balance it.
A sceptre shall it have, have I a soul,

On which I'll toss the flower-de-luce of France.

Enter BUCKINGHAM.

Whom have we here? Buckingham, to disturb me? The king hath sent him, sure: I must dissemble.

9 — his Forces at some distance.] The old stage-direction of the folio is "Enter York and his army of Irish, with drum and colours."

VOL. V.

P

Buck. York, if thou meanest well, I greet thee well. York. Humphrey of Buckingham, I accept thy greeting.

Art thou a messenger, or come of pleasure?

Buck. A messenger from Henry, our dread liege,
To know the reason of these arms in peace;
Or why, thou-being a subject as I am,-
Against thy oath and true allegiance sworn,
Should'st raise so great a power without his leave,
Or dare to bring thy force so near the court.

York. Scarce can I speak, my choler is so great.
O! I could hew up rocks, and fight with flint,
I am so angry at these abject terms;

And now, like Ajax Telamonius,

On sheep or oxen could I spend my fury.

I am far better born than is the king,

More like a king, more kingly in my thoughts;

But I must make fair weather yet a while,

Till Henry be more weak, and I more strong.-[Aside.
O Buckingham', I pr'ythee, pardon me,

That I have given no answer all this while:
My mind was troubled with deep melancholy.
The cause why I have brought this army hither,
Is to remove proud Somerset from the king,
Seditious to his grace, and to the state.

Buck. That is too much presumption on thy part;

But if thy arms be to no other end,

The king hath yielded unto thy demand:

The duke of Somerset is in the Tower.

York. Upon thine honour, is he prisoner?

Buck. Upon mine honour, he is prisoner.

York. Then, Buckingham, I do dismiss my powers.Soldiers, I thank you all; disperse yourselves:

Meet me to-morrow in Saint George's field,

10 Buckingham,] "O," which is not in the folio, 1623, was added by the editor of the folio, 1632. We may presume, perhaps, that it had dropped out in the press at the beginning of the line.

You shall have pay, and every thing you wish.
And let my sovereign, virtuous Henry,
Command my eldest son,-nay, all my sons,
As pledges of my fealty and love,

I'll send them all, as willing as I live:
Lands, goods, horse, armour, any thing I have
Is his to use, so Somerset may die.

Buck. York, I commend this kind submission:
We twain will go into his highness' tent.

Enter King HENRY, attended.

K. Hen. Buckingham, doth York intend no harm to

us,

That thus he marcheth with thee arm in arm?

York. In all submission and humility,

York doth present himself unto your highness.

K. Hen. Then what intend these forces thou dost

bring?

York. To heave the traitor Somerset from hence;

And fight against that monstrous rebel, Cade,

Who since I heard to be discomfited.

Enter IDEN, with CADE'S Head.

Iden. If one so rude, and of so mean condition,

May pass into the presence of a king,

Lo! I present your grace a traitor's head,

The head of Cade, whom I in combat slew.

K. Hen. The head of Cade?-Great God, how just

art thou!

O! let me view his visage being dead,

That living wrought me such exceeding trouble.
Tell me, my friend, art thou the man that slew him?
Iden. I was, an't like your majesty.

K. Hen. How art thou call'd, and what is thy degree?

Iden. Alexander Iden, that's my name;

A poor esquire of Kent, that loves his king.

Buck. So please it you, my lord, 'twere not amiss, He were created knight for his good service.

K. Hen. Iden, kneel down: [He kneels.] rise up a knight.

We give thee for reward a thousand marks;

And will, that thou henceforth attend on us.

Iden. May Iden live to merit such a bounty, And never live but true unto his liege.

K. Hen. See, Buckingham! Somerset comes with the queen:

Go, bid her hide him quickly from the duke.

Enter Queen MARGARET and SOMERSET.

Q. Mar. For thousand Yorks he shall not hide his head,

But boldly stand, and front him to his face.

York. How now! is Somerset at liberty?
Then, York, unloose thy long-imprison'd thoughts,
And let thy tongue be equal with thy heart.
Shall I endure the sight of Somerset ?—

False king, why hast thou broken faith with me,
Knowing how hardly I can brook abuse?
King did I call thee? no, thou art not king;
Not fit to govern and rule multitudes,
Which dar'st not, no, nor canst not rule a traitor.
That head of thine doth not become a crown;
Thy hand is made to grasp a palmer's staff,
And not to grace an awful princely sceptre.
That gold must round engirt these brows of mine;
Whose smile and frown, like to Achilles' spear,
Is able with the change to kill and cure.
Here is a hand to hold a scepter up,
And with the same to act controlling laws.
Give place by heaven, thou shalt rule no more

O'er him whom heaven created for thy ruler.