Henry VI, Part II, William Shakespeare [readict txt] 📗

plasterer;
And thou thyself a shearman, art thou not? Cade And Adam was a gardener. Brother And what of that? Cade

Marry, this: Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March,
Married the Duke of Clarence’ daughter, did he not?

Stafford Ay, sir. Cade By her he had two children at one birth. Brother 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 stolen 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. Stafford

And will you credit this base drudge’s words,
That speaks he knows not what?

All Ay, marry, will we; therefore get ye gone. Brother Jack Cade, the Duke of York hath taught you this. Cade Aside. He lies, for I invented it myself. 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, well have the Lord Say’s head for selling the dukedom of Maine. Cade And good reason; for thereby is England mained, 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 commonwealth, and made it an eunuch: and more than that, he can speak French; and therefore he is a traitor. Stafford 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. Brother

Well, seeing gentle words will not prevail,
Assail them with the army of the king.

Stafford

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 soldiers.

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 to the fight, wherein both the Staffords are slain. Enter Cade and the rest. Cade Where’s Dick, the butcher of Ashford? Dick Here, sir. Cade They fell before thee like sheep and oxen, and thou behavedst 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 deservest no less. This monument of the victory will I bear Putting on Sir Humphrey’s brigandine; and the bodies shall be dragged 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. Exeunt. Scene IV

London. The palace.

Enter the King with a supplication, and the Queen with Suffolk’s head, Duke of Buckingham and the Lord Say. Queen

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?

Buckingham What answer makes your grace to the rebels’ supplication? King

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.

Queen

Ah, barbarous villains! hath this lovely face
Ruled, like a wandering planet, over me,
And could it not enforce them to relent,
That were unworthy to behold the same?

King Lord Say, Jack Cade hath sworn to have thy head. Say Ay, but I hope your highness shall have his. King

How now, madam!
Still lamenting and mourning for Suffolk’s death?
I fear me, love, if that I had been dead,
Thou wouldst not have mourn’d so much for me.

Queen No, my love, I should not mourn, but die for thee. Enter a Messenger. King How now! what news? why comest thou in such haste? Messenger

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 h is brother’s death
Hath given them heart and courage to proceed:
All scholars, lawyers, courtiers, gentlemen,
They call false caterpillars and intend their death.

King O graceless men! they know not what they do. Buckingham

My gracious lord, return to Killingworth,
Until a power be raised to put them down.

Queen

Ah, were the Duke of Suffolk now alive,
These Kentish rebels would be soon appeased!

King

Lord Say, the traitors hate thee;
Therefore away with us to Killingworth.

Say

So might your grace’s person be in danger.
The sight of me is odious in their eyes;
And therefore in this city will I stay
And live alone as secret as I may.

Enter another Messenger. Messenger

Jack