'I, that never feared any, am vanquished by famine, 'not by valour. [Dies. * Iden. How much thou wrong'st me7, heaven be my judge. * Die, damned wretch, the curse of her that bare thee! * And as I thrust thy body in with my sword, * So wish I, I might thrust thy soul to hell3. 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. 6 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, 7 Johnson erroneously interprets this, 'in supposing that I am proud of my victory.' Iden evidently means that Cade wrongs him by undervaluing his prowess. 8 Not to dwell upon the wickedness of this horrid wish, with which Iden debases his character, the whole of this speech is wild and confused. The quarto is more favourable both to Iden's morality and language. This faulty amplification was owing to the desire of expanding a scanty thought in the old play. It can hardly be treated as an interpolation, however we may desire to think it such. • 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 it1. 'A sceptre shall it have, have I a soul 2; '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. Buck. York, if thou meanest well, I greet thee 6 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, • But I must make fair weather yet a while, 1 i. e. balance my hand. Aside. 2 York means to say If I have a soul, my hand shall not be '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; York. Then, Buckingham, I do dismiss my 'Soldiers, I thank you all: disperse yourselves; 'Meet me to-morrow in Saint George's field, '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. without a sceptre. The following line in King Henry VIII. supports this explanation: Sir, as I have a soul, she is an angel.' Johnson wished to read: A sceptre shall it have, have I a sword.'. *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, into the presence of a king, May pass '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. 6 ‹ 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 bounty3, And never live but true unto his liege! 3 Iden has before said : 'Lord, who would live turmoiled in a court, This is strictly a picture of poor human nature. He rails at enjoyments which he supposes out of his reach; but no sooner are they offered to him, but he embraces them eagerly. Shakspeare has in this instance followed the old play. '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 sceptre 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. 'Som. O monstrous traitor !-I arrest thee, York, 'Of capital treason 'gainst the king and crown: Obey, audacious traitor; kneel for grace. * 4 Mysus et Emonia juvenis qua cuspide vulnus Propert. lib. ii. El. 1. Greene, in his Orlando Furioso, 1599, has the same allusion :— 'Where I took hurt, there have I heal'd myself; As those that with Achilles' launce were wounded, |