Say. What of that?

2

Cade. Marry, thou oughtest not to let thy horse wear a cloak, when honester men than thou go in their hose and doublets.

* Dick. And work in their shirt too; as myself, * for example, that am a butcher.

Say. You men of Kent,

Dick. What say you of Kent?

Say. Nothing but this: 'Tis bona terra, mala gens.

'Cade. Away with him, away with him! he speaks 'Latin.

Say. Hear me but speak, and bear me where you will.

'Kent, in the commentaries Cæsar writ, 'Is term'd the civil'st place of all this isle: 'Sweet is the country, because full of riches; The people liberal, valiant, active, wealthy; 'Which makes me hope you are not void of pity. 'I sold not Maine, I lost not Normandy; * Yet, to recover them, would lose my life. *Justice with favour have I always done;

* Prayers and tears have mov'd me, gifts could never. * When have I aught exacted at your hands, * Kent to maintain, the king, the realm, and you? * Large gifts have I bestow'd on learned clerks, *Because my book preferr'd me to the king: * And-seeing ignorance is the curse of God, * Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven,— * Unless you be possess'd with devilish spirits, * You cannot but forbear to murder me.

housing, which covered the body of the horse, and almost reached the ground. It was sometimes made of velvet, and bordered with gold lace.

2

to let thy horse wear a cloak,] This is a reproach truly characteristical. Nothing gives so much offence to the lower ranks of mankind, as the sight of superfluities merely ostentatious.

This tongue hath parley'd unto foreign kings

* For your behoof,

*Cade. Tut! when struck'st thou one blow in * the field?

* Say. Great men have reaching hands: oft have I struck

* Those that I never saw, and struck them dead. * Geo. O monstrous coward! what, to come be-hind folks?

3

Say. These cheeks are pale for watching for your good.

*Cade. Give him a box o'the ear, and that will make 'em red again.

* Say. Long sitting to determine poor men's

causes

Hath made me full of sickness and diseases.

*Cade. Ye shall have a hempen caudle then, * and the pap of a hatchet.

'Dick. Why dost thou quiver, man?

Say. The palsy, and not fear, provoketh me.

Cade. Nay, he nods at us; as who should say, 'I'll be even with you. I'll see if his head will stand 'steadier on a pole, or no: Take him away, and be' head him.

* Say. Tell me, wherein I have offended most? *Have I affected wealth, or honour; speak? * Are my chests fill'd up with extorted gold? * Is my apparel sumptuous to behold?

*Whom have I injur'd, that ye seek my death? * These hands are free from guiltless blood-shed

ding,1

*This breast from harbouring foul deceitful thoughts. * O, let me live!

3

for watching-] That is, in consequence of watching. 4 These hands are free from guiltless blood-shedding,] Guiltless is not an epithet to blood-shedding, but to blood. These hands are free from shedding guiltless or innocent blood.

* Cade. I feel remorse in myself with his words: * but I'll bridle it; he shall die, an it be but for

pleading so well for his life. Away with him! * he has a familiar under his tongue; he speaks not * o'God's name. Go, take him away, I say, and ' strike off his head presently; and then break into 'his son-in-law's house, sir James Cromer, and ' strike off his head, and bring them both upon two 'poles hither.

All. It shall be done.

* Say. Ah, countrymen! if when you make your prayers,

* God should be so obdurate as yourselves, * How would it fare with your departed souls? * And therefore yet relent, and save my life. *Cade. Away with him, and do as I command [Exeunt some, with Lord SAY. 'The proudest peer in the realm shall not wear a 'head on his shoulders, unless he pay me tribute; 'there shall not a maid be married, but she shall

ye.

pay to me her maidenhead ere they have it: Men shall hold of me in capite; and we charge and 'command, that their wives be as free as heart can wish, or tongue can tell.

Dick. My lord, when shall we go to Cheapside, and take up commodities upon our bills?s

5

he shall die, an it be but for pleading so well for his life.] This sentiment is not merely designed as an expression of ferocious triumph, but to mark the eternal enmity which the vulgar bear to those of more liberal education and superior rank. The vulgar are always ready to depreciate the talents which they behold with envy, and insult the eminence which they despair to reach. STEEVENS. — a familiar under his tongue;] A familiar is a dæmon who was supposed to attend at call.

6

7 sir James Cromer,] It was William Crowmer, sheriff of Kent, whom Cade put to death. Lord Say and he had been previously sent to the Tower, and both, or at least the former, convicted of treason, at Cade's mock commission of oyer and terminer at Guildhall.

• Cade. Marry, presently.

A... O brave!

Re-enter Rebels, with the heads of Lord Sax and his Son-in-law.

Cade. But is not this braver?-Let them kiss ' one another, for they loved well, when they were ave. Now part them again, lest they consult about the giving up of some more towns in France. Sol ́diers, defer the spoil of the city until night: for 'with these borne before us, instead of maces, will we ride through the streets; and, at every corner, have them kiss.-Away! [Exeunt.

SCENE VIII.

Southwark.

Alarum. Enter CADE, and all his Rabblement.

Cade. Up Fish-street! down Saint Magnus' corner! kill and knock down! throw them into * Thames! [A Parley sounded, then a Retreat. * What noise is this I hear? Dare any be so bold to * sound retreat or parley, when I command them * kill?

Enter BUCKINGHAM, and Old CLIFFORD, with Forces.

'Buck. Ay, here they be that dare and will disturb thee:

'Know, Cade, we come ambassadors from the king 'Unto the commons whom thou hast misled;

— take up commodities upon our bills?] Perhaps this is an equivoque alluding to the brown bills, or halberds; with which the commons were anciently armed.

ye relent,

And here pronounce free pardon to them all, That will forsake thee, and go home in peace. Clif. What say ye, countrymen? will 'And yield to mercy, whilst 'tis offer'd you; 'Or let a rabble lead you to your deaths? Who loves the king, and will embrace his pardon, Fling up his cap, and say-God save his majesty! "Who hateth him, and honours not his father, Henry the fifth, that made all France to quake, Shake he his weapon at us, and pass by.

'All. God save the king! God save the king!

Cade. What, Buckingham, and Clifford, are ye 'so brave?-And you, base peasants, do ye believe him? will you needs be hanged with the pardons ' about your necks? Hath my sword therefore broke through London Gates, that you should leave me at the White Hart in Southwark? I thought, ye 'would never have given out these arms, till you 'had recovered your ancient freedom: but you are all recreants, and dastards; and delight to live in sla'very to the nobility. Let them break your backs ' with burdens, take your houses over your heads, ' ravish your wives and daughters before your faces: 'For me, I will make shift for one; and so-God's 'curse light upon you all!

'All. We'll follow Cade, we'll follow Cade. 'Clif. Is Cade the son of Henry the fifth, 'That thus you do exclaim-you'll go with him. 'Will he conduct you through the heart of France, 'And make the meanest of you earls and dukes?

Alas, he hath no home, no place to fly to;

'Nor knows he how to live, but by the spoil, "Unless by robbing of your friends, and us. 'Wer't not a shame, that whilst you live at jar, The fearful French, whom you late vanquished, 'Should make a start o'er seas, and vanquish you? 'Methinks, already, in this civil broil,