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.

Staf. Villain, thy father was a plasterer;

' And thou thyself, a shearman, Art thou not? Cade. And Adam was a gardener.

'W. Staf. And what of that?

Cade. Marry, this:-Edmund Mortimer, earl of March,

Married the duke of Clarence' daughter; Did he not?

'Staf. Ay, sir.

Cade. By her he had two children at one birth. W. Staf. That's false.

'Cade. Ay, there's the question; but, I say, 'tis

true:

The elder of them, being put to nurse,

Was by a beggar-woman stol'n away; And, ignorant of his birth and parentage, 'Became a bricklayer, when he came to age: 'His son am I; deny it, if you can.

Dick. Nay, 'tis too true; therefore he shall be

king.

Smith. 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.

#

Staf. And will you credit this base drudge's words,

*That speaks he knows not what?

* All. Ay, marry, will we; therefore get ye gone. W. Staf. Jack Cade, the duke of York hath taught you this.

*Cade. He lies, for I invented it myself. [Aside.] -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.

'Dick. And, furthermore, we'll have the lord Say's head, for selling the dukedom of Maine.

Cade. And good reason; for thereby is Eng'land maim'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.

6

Staf. O

gross and miserable ignorance! 'Cade. 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. *IV. Staf. Well, seeing gentle words will not W. prevail,

* Assail them with the army of the king.

'Staf. Herald, away; and, throughout every

town,

Proclaim them traitors that are up with Cade;

'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 the two Staffords, and forces.

*Cade. And you, that love the commons, follow

me.

* Now show yourselves men, 'tis for liberty. * We will not leave one lord, one gentleman: * Spare none, but such as go in clouted shoon; *For they are thrifty honest men, and such * As would (but that they dare not,) take our parts.

* Dick. They are all in order, and march toward

us.

*Cade. But then are we in order, when we are most out of order. Come, march forward.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

ANOTHER PART OF BLACKHEATH.

Alarums. The two parties enter, and fight, and both the Staffords are slain.

'Cade. Where's Dick, the butcher of Ashford? 'Dick. Here, sir.

'Cade. They fell before thee like sheep and oxen, and thou behav'dst thyself as if thou hadst 'been in thine own slaughter-house: therefore thus ' will I reward thee, -The Lent shall be as long again as it is; and thou shalt have a licence to 'kill for a hundred lacking one.

'Dick. I desire no more.

* Cade. And, to speak truth, thou deserv'st no * less. This monument of the victory will I bear; * and the bodies shall be dragg'd at my horse' heels,

·

* till I do come to London, where we will have the mayor's sword borne before us.

* Dick. If we mean to thrive, and do good, break * open the gaols, and let out the prisoners.

*Cade. Fear not that, I warrant thee. Come, * let's march towards London.

SCENE IV.

[Exeunt.

LONDON. A ROOM IN THE PALACE.

Enter King Henry, reading a supplication; the duke of Buckingham, and lord Say with him: at a distance, Queen Margaret, mourning over Suffolk's head.

* Q. Mar. Oft have I heard that grief softens the mind,

* And makes it fearful and degenerate; *Think therefore on revenge, and cease to weep. * But who can cease to weep, and look on this? * Here may his head lie on my throbbing breast: * But where's the body that I should embrace?

Buck. What answer makes your grace to the ' rebels' supplication?

*K. Hen. I'll send some holy bishop to entreat: For God forbid, so many simple souls Should perish by the sword! And I myself, 'Rather than bloody war shall cut them short, Will parley with Jack Cade their general.— 'But stay, I'll read it over once again.

* Q. Mar. Ah, barbarous villains! hath this lovely face

* Rul'd, like a wandering planet, over me; * And could it not enforce them to relent, * That were unworthy to behold the same?

'K. Hen. Lord Say, Jack Cade hath sworn to have thy head.

6

Say. Ay, but I hope, your highness shall have

his.

K. Hen. How now, madam? Still

Lamenting, and mourning for Suffolk's death?
I fear, my love, if that I had been dead,

Thou wouldest not have mourn'd so much for me. Q. Mar. No, my love, I should not mourn, but die for thee.

Enter a Messenger.

*K. Hen. How now! what news? why com'st thou in such haste?

'Mes. The rebels are in Southwark; Fly, my

lord!

'Jack Cade proclaims himself lord Mortimer,
'Descended from the duke of Clarence' house;
And calls your grace usurper, openly,

'And vows to crown himself in Westminster.

His army is a ragged multitude

'Of hinds and peasants, rude and merciless:

'Sir Humphrey Stafford and his brother's death 'Hath given them heart and courage to proceed: 'All scholars, lawyers, courtiers, gentlemen, 'They call-false caterpillars, and intend their death.

* K. Hen. O graceless men! they know not what they do.

H