And shew'd how well you love your prince and

country:

Continue still in this so good a mind,

And Henry, though he be infortunate,
Assure yourselves, will never be unkind :
And so, with thanks, and pardon to you all,
I do dismiss you to your several countries.
All. God save the king! God save the king!

Enter a Messenger.

670

Mes. Please it your grace to be advertised, The duke of York is newly come from Ireland: And with a puissant and a mighty power, Of Gallow-glasses, and stout Kernes, Is marching hitherward in proud array; And still proclaimeth, as he comes along, His arms are only to remove from thee The duke of Somerset, whom he terms a traitor. K. Henry. Thus stands my state, 'twixt Cade and York distress'd;

679

Like to a ship, that, having 'scap'd a tempest,
Is straitway calm'd, and boarded with a pirate :
But now is Cade driven back, his men dispers'd;
And now is York in arms, to second him.-
I pray thee, Buckingham, go and meet him;
And ask him, what's the reason of these arms.
Tell him, I'll send duke Edmund to the Tower ;-
And, Somerset, we will commit thee thither,
Until his army be dismiss'd from him.

690.

I'll

I'll yield myself to prison willingly,

Or unto death, to do my country good.

K. Henry. In any case be not too rough in terms; For he is fierce, and cannot brook hard language. Buck. I will, my lord; and doubt not so to deal, As all things shall redound unto your good.

K. Henry. Come, wife, let's in, and learn to govern better;

For yet may England curse my wretched reign. 699

[Exeunt.

SCENE X.

A Garden in Kent. Enter JACK CADE.

Cade. Fie on ambition! fie on myself; that have a sword, and yet am ready to famish! These five days have I hid me in these woods; and durst not peep out, for all the country is lay'd for me; but now am I so hungry, that if I might have a lease of my life for a thousand years, I could stay no longer. Wherefore, on a brick wall have I climb'd into this garden; to see if I can eat grass, or pick a sallet another while, which is not amiss to cool a man's stomach this hot weather. And, I think, this word sallet was born to do me good: for, many a time, but for a sallet, my brain-pan had been cleft with a brown bill; and, many a time, when I have been dry, and bravely marching, it hath serv'd me instead of a quart-pot to drink

3

i

drink in; and now the word sallet must serve me to

feed on.

Enter IDEN, with Servants.

715

Iden. Lord, who would live turmoiled in the court,
And may enjoy such quiet walks as these?
This small inheritance, my father left me,
Contenteth me, and's worth a monarchy.
I seek not to wax great by others' waining;
Or gather wealth, I care not with what envy;
Sufficeth, that I have maintains my state,
And sends the poor well pleased from my gate.

Cade. Here's the lord of the soil come to sieze me
for a stray, for entering his fee-simple without leave.
Ah, villain, thou wilt betray me, and get a thousand
crowns of the king for carrying my head to him; but
I'll make thee eat iron like an ostridge, and swallow
my sword like a great pin, ere thou and I part. 729
Iden. Why, rude companion, whatsoe'er thou be,
I know thee not; Why then should I betray thee?
Is't not enough, to break into my garden,
And, like a thief, to come to rob my grounds,
Climbing my walls in spite of me the owner,
But thou wilt brave me with these saucy terms?

Cade. Brave thee? ay, by the best blood that ever was broach'd, and beard thee too. Look on me well: I have eat no meat these five days; yet, come thou and thy five men, and if I do not leave you all as dead as a door-nail, I pray God I may never eat grass more.

Iden

Iden. Nay, it shall ne'er be said, while England

stands,

That Alexander Iden, an esquire of Kent,
Took odds to combat a poor famish`d man.
Oppose thy stedfast-gazing eyes to mine,
See if thou canst out-face me with thy looks.
Set limb to limb, and thou art far the lesser :
Thy hand is but a finger to my fist;

741

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.

759

As for more 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-bon'd clown in chines of beef ere thou sleep in thy sheath, I beseech Jove on my knees, thou may'st be turn'd to hobnails.

758 [Here they fight.

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 unconquer'd 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

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.

770

Cade. Iden, farewel; 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 fear'd any, am vanquish'd 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!
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.

780

[Exit.

ACT V. SCENE I.

Fields near St. Alban's. Enter YORK, attended, with Drum and Colours.

YORK, at a Distance from his Followers.

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,

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