Than Bargulus, the strong Illyrian pirate. By such a lowly vassal as thyself. Thy words move rage, and not remorse, in me: I charge thee, waft me safely cross the channel. Whit. Come, Suffolk, I must waft thee to thy death. What, are ye daunted now? now will ye stoop? 1 Gent. My gracious lord, entreat him, speak him fair, And sooner dance upon a bloody pole, True nobility is exempt from fear:- Cap. Hale him away, and let him talk no more. Pompey the great: and Suffolk dies by pirates. [Exit SUF. with WHIT. and Others. Cap. And as for these whose ransom we have set, It is our pleasure, one of them depart :— Therefore come you with us, and let him go. [Exeunt all but the first Gentleman. Re-enter WHITMORE, with SUFFOLK's Body. Whit. There let his head and lifeless body lie, Until the queen his mistress bury it. 1 Gent. O barbarous and bloody spectacle! His body will I bear unto the king: If he revenge it not, yet will his friends; [Exit. [Exit, with the Body. SCENE II.-Blackheath. Enter GEORGE BEVIS and JOHN HOLLAND. Geo. Come, and get thee a sword, though made of a lath; they have been up these two days. John. They have the more need to sleep now then. Geo. I tell thee, Jack Cade the clothier means to dress the commonwealth, and turn it, and set a new nap upon it. John. So he had need, for 'tis threadbare. Well, I say it was never merry world in England, since gentlemen came up. Geo. O miserable age! Virtue is not regarded in handycrafts-men, John. The nobility think scorn to go in leather aprons. Geo. Nay more, the king's council are no good work men. John. True; And yet it is said,—Labour in thy vocation: which is as much to say, as,-let the magistrates be labouring men; and therefore should we be magistrates. Geo. Thou hast hit it: for there's no better sign of a brave mind, than a hard hand. John. I see them! I see them! There's Best's son, the tanner of Wingham; Geo. He shall have the skins of our enemies, to make dog's leather of. John. And Dick the butcher, Geo. Then is sin struck down like an ox, and iniqui ty's throat cut like a calf. John. And Smith the weaver : Geo. Argo, their thread of life is spun. John. Come, come, let's fall in with them. Drum. Enter. CADE, DICK the Butcher, SMITH the Weaver, and Others in great number. Cade. We John Cade, so termed of our supposed father, Dick. Or rather, of stealing a cade of herrings. [ Aside. Cade. for our enemies shall fall before us, inspired with the spirit of putting down kings and princes,Command silence. Dick. Silence! Cade. My father was a Mortimer,— Dick. He was an honest man, and a good bricklayer. Cade. My mother a Plantagenet,— [Aside. Dick. I knew her well, she was a midwife. [Aside. Cade. My wife descended of the Lacies,— Dick. She was, indeed, a pedlar's daughter, and sold many laces. [Aside. Smith. But, now of late, not able to travel with her furred pack, she washes bucks here at home. [Aside. Cade. Therefore am I of an honourable house. Dick. Ay, by my faith, the field is honourable; and there was he born, under a hedge; for his father had never a house, but the cage. Cade. Valiant I am. [Aside. Smith. 'A must needs; for beggary is valiant. [Aside. Cade. I am able to endure much. Dick. No question of that; for I have seen him whip ped three market days together. Cade. I fear neither sword nor fire. [Aside. Smith. He need not fear the sword, for his coat is of proof. [Aside. Dick. But, methinks, he should stand in fear of fire, being burnt i'the hand for stealing of sheep. [Aside. Cade. Be brave then; for your captain is brave, and vows reformation. There shall be, in England, seven half-penny loaves sold for a penny: the three-hooped pot shall have ten hoops; and I will make it felony, to drink small beer: all the realm shall be in common, and in Cheapside shall my palfry go to grass. And, when I am king, (as king I will be) All. God save your majesty! Cade. I thank you, good people:-there shall be no money; all shall eat and drink on my score; and I will apparel them all in one livery, that they may agree like brothers, and worship me their lord. Dick. The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers. Cade. Nay, that I mean to do. Is not this a lamentable thing, that of the skin of an innocent lamb should be made parchment? that parchment, being scribbled o'er, should undo a man? Some say, the bee stings: but I say, 'tis the bee's wax; for I did but seal once to a thing, and I was never mine own man since. How now? who's there? Enter some, bringing in the Clerk of Chatham. Smith. The clerk of Chatham: he can write and read, and cast accompt. Cade. O monstrous! Smith. We took him setting of boys' copies. Cade. Here's a villain! Smith. H'as a book in his pocket, with red letters in't. Dick, Nay, he can make obligations, and write courthand. Cade. I am sorry for't: the man is a proper man, on mine honour; unless I find him guilty, he shall not die. -Come hither, sirrah, I must examine thee: What is thy name? Clerk. Emmanuel. Dick. They use to write it on the top of letters;— "Twill go hard with you. Cade. Let me alone:-Dost thou use to write thy name? or hast thou a mark to thyself, like an honest plain-dealing man? Clerk. Sir, I thank God, I have been so well brought up, that I can write my name. |