Mich. Where"s our Generall?
Cade. Heere I am thou particular fellow
Mich. Fly, fly, fly, Sir Humfrey Stafford and his brother are hard by, with the Kings Forces
Cade. Stand villaine, stand, or Ile fell thee downe: he shall be encountred with a man as good as himselfe. He is but a Knight, is a?
Mich. No
Cade. To equall him I will make my selfe a knight, presently; Rise vp Sir Iohn Mortimer. Now haue at him.
Enter Sir Humfrey Stafford, and his Brother, with Drum and Soldiers.
Staf. Rebellious Hinds, the filth and sc.u.m of Kent, Mark"d for the Gallowes: Lay your Weapons downe, Home to your Cottages: forsake this Groome.
The King is mercifull, if you reuolt
Bro. But angry, wrathfull, and inclin"d to blood, If you go forward: therefore yeeld, or dye
Cade. As for these silken-coated slaues I pa.s.se not, It is to you good people, that I speake, Ouer whom (in time to come) I hope to raigne: For I am rightfull heyre vnto the Crowne
Staff. Villaine, thy Father was a Playsterer, And thou thy selfe a Sheareman, art thou not?
Cade. And Adam was a Gardiner
Bro. And what of that?
Cade. Marry, this Edmund Mortimer Earle of March, married the Duke of Clarence daughter, did he not?
Staf. I sir
Cade. By her he had two children at one birth
Bro. That"s false
Cade. I, there"s the question; But I say, "tis true: The elder of them being put to nurse, Was by a begger-woman stolne away, And ignorant of his birth and parentage, Became a Bricklayer, when he came to age.
His sonne am I, deny it if you can
But. Nay, "tis too true, therefore he shall be King
Wea. Sir, he made a Chimney in my Fathers house, & the brickes are aliue at this day to testifie it: therefore deny it not
Staf. And will you credit this base Drudges Wordes, that speakes he knowes not what
All. I marry will we: therefore get ye gone
Bro. Iacke Cade, the D[uke]. of York hath taught you this
Cade. He lyes, for I inuented it my selfe. Go too Sirrah, tell the King from me, that for his Fathers sake Henry the fift, (in whose time, boyes went to Span-counter for French Crownes) I am content he shall raigne, but Ile be Protector ouer him
Butcher. And furthermore, wee"l haue the Lord Sayes head, for selling the Dukedome of Maine
Cade And good reason: for thereby is England main"d And faine to go with a staffe, but that my puissance holds it vp. Fellow-Kings, I tell you, that that Lord Say hath gelded the Commonwealth, and made it an Eunuch: & more then that, he can speake French, and therefore hee is a Traitor
Staf. O grosse and miserable ignorance
Cade. Nay answer if you can: The Frenchmen are our enemies: go too then, I ask but this: Can he that speaks with the tongue of an enemy, be a good Councellour, or no?
All. No, no, and therefore wee"l haue his head
Bro. Well, seeing gentle words will not preuayle, a.s.saile them with the Army of the King
Staf. Herald away, and throughout euery Towne, Proclaime them Traitors that are vp with Cade, That those which flye before the battell ends, May euen in their Wiues and Childrens sight, Be hang"d vp for example at their doores: And you that be the Kings Friends follow me.
Enter.
Cade. And you that loue the Commons, follow me: Now shew your selues men, "tis for Liberty.
We will not leaue one Lord, one Gentleman: Spare none, but such as go in clouted shooen, For they are thrifty honest men, and such As would (but that they dare not) take our parts
But. They are all in order, and march toward vs
Cade. But then are we in order, when we are most out of order. Come, march forward.
Alarums to the fight, wherein both the Staffords are slaine. Enter Cade and the rest.
Cade. Where"s d.i.c.ke, the Butcher of Ashford?
But. Heere sir
Cade. They fell before thee like Sheepe and Oxen, & thou behaued"st thy selfe, as if thou hadst beene in thine owne Slaughter-house: Therfore thus will I reward thee, the Lent shall bee as long againe as it is, and thou shalt haue a License to kill for a hundred lacking one
But. I desire no more
Cade. And to speake truth, thou deseru"st no lesse.
This Monument of the victory will I beare, and the bodies shall be dragg"d at my horse heeles, till I do come to London, where we will haue the Maiors sword born before vs
But. If we meane to thriue, and do good, breake open the Gaoles, and let out the Prisoners
Cade. Feare not that I warrant thee. Come, let"s march towards London.
Exeunt.
Enter the King with a Supplication, and the Queene with Suffolkes head, the Duke of Buckingham, and the Lord Say.
Queene. Oft haue I heard that greefe softens the mind, And makes it fearefull and degenerate, Thinke therefore on reuenge, and cease to weepe.
But who can cease to weepe, and looke on this.
Heere may his head lye on my throbbing brest: But where"s the body that I should imbrace?
Buc. What answer makes your Grace to the Rebells Supplication?
King. Ile send some holy Bishop to intreat: For G.o.d forbid, so many simple soules Should perish by the Sword. And I my selfe, Rather then b.l.o.o.d.y Warre shall cut them short, Will parley with Iacke Cade their Generall.
But stay, Ile read it ouer once againe
Qu. Ah barbarous villaines: Hath this louely face, Rul"d like a wandering Plannet ouer me, And could it not inforce them to relent, That were vnworthy to behold the same
King. Lord Say, Iacke Cade hath sworne to haue thy head
Say. I, but I hope your Highnesse shall haue his
King. How now Madam?
Still lamenting and mourning for Suffolkes death?