Cade. Marry, this- Edmund Mortimer Earl of March married the Duke of Clarence's daughter, did he not? Staf. Ay, Sir.

Cade. By her he had two children at one birth.
Y. Staf. That's false.

Cade. Ay, there's the question; but I fay, 'tis true: The elder of them being put to nurse,

Was by a beggar-woman ftol'n away;
And, ignorant of his birth and parentage,
Became a bricklayer when he came to age:
His fon am I; deny it, if you can.

Dick. Nay, 'tis too true, therefore he fhall be King. Weav. Sir, he made a chimney in my father's house, and the bricks are alive at this day to testify it; therefore deny it not.

Staf. And will you credit this base drudge's words, That speaks he knows not what?

All. Ay, marry, will we; therefore get you gone. Y. Staf. Jack Cade, the Duke of York hath taught you this.

Cade. He lies, for I invented it myself. Go to, firrah, tell the King from me, that for his father's fake Henry the fifth (in whofe time boys went to fpan-counter for French crowns) I am content he fhall reign; but I'll be protector over him.

Dick. And furthermore we'll have the Lord Say's head, for felling the Dukedom of Maine.

Cade. And good reason; for thereby is England maim'd, and fain to go with a staff, but that my puiffance holds it up. Fellow Kings, I tell you, that that Lord Say hath gelded the common-wealth, and made it an eunuch; and more than that, he can speak French, and therefore he is

a traitor.

Staf. O grofs and miferable ignorance!

Cade. Nay, answer if you can: the Frenchmen are our enemies: go to then; I ask but this; can he, that Ipeaks with the tongue of the enemy, be a good counfellor or no?

All. No, no, and therefore we'll have his head.

VOL. V.

D

Y. Staf.

Y. Staf. Well, feeing gentle words will not prevail, Affail them with the army of the King.

Staf. Herald, away, and throughout every town
Proclaim them traitors that are up with Cade ;
That thofe, which fly before the battle ends,
May (even in their wives' and childrens' fight)
Be hang'd up for example at their doors;
And y
you, that be the King's friends, follow me.

[Exeunt the two Staffords, with their Train.
Cade. And you, that love the Commons, follow me.
Now fhew yourselves men, 'tis for liberty.
We will not leave one lord, one gentleman;
Spare none, but fuch as go in clouted fhoone,
For they are thrifty honeft men, and such
As would (but that they dare not) take our parts.
Dick. They are all in order, and march towards us.
Cade. But then are we in order, when we are most out
of order. Come, march forward.

[Exeunt Cade and his party. [Alarum to fight, wherein both the Staffords are flain. Re-enter Cade and the reft.

Cade. Where's Dick, the butcher of Ashford?

Dick. Here, Sir.

Cade. They fell before thee like sheep and oxen, and thou behaved'ft thyself as if thou hadst been in thine own flaughter-houfe; therefore thus I will reward thee: the lent shall be as long again as it is, and thou shalt have a license to kill for a hundred lacking one.

Dick. I defire no more.

Cade. And to speak truth, thou deferv'ft no lefs. This monument of the victory will I bear, and the bodies shall be dragg'd at my horfe's heels, 'till I do come to London, where we will have the mayor's sword borne before us. Dick. If we mean to thrive and do good, break open the goals, and let out the prifoners.

Cade. Fear not that, I warrant thee. Come, let's march towards London. [Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE changes to Black-Heath.

Enter King Henry with a fupplication, and Queen Margaret with Suffolk's head, the Duke of Buckingham, and the Lord Say.

Q. Mar. OFT have I heard, that grief foftens the

mind,

And makes it fearful and degenerate;

Think therefore on revenge, and ceafe to weep:
But who can ceafe to weep, and look on this?
Here may his head lie on my throbbing breast:
But where's the body, that I fhould embrace?

Buck. What anfwer makes your Grace to the rebels' fupplication?

K. Heary. I'll fend fome holy bishop to intreat;
For God forbid fo many fimple fouls

Should perifh by the fword. And I myself,
Rather than bloody war fhould cut them short,
Will parly with Jack Cade their general.

But ftay, I'll read it over once again.

Q. Mar. Ah, barbarous villains! hath this lovely face Rul'd like a wandring planet over me,

And could it not inforce them to relent,

That were unworthy to behold the fame?

K. Henry. Lord Say, Jack Cade hath fworn to have
thy head.

Say. Ay, but I hope, your highness shall have his.
K. Henry. How now, Madam?

Lamenting ftill, and mourning Suffolk's death?
I fear me, love, if that I had been dead,

Thou wouldeft not have mourn'd so much for me.
Q. Mar. My love, I should not mourn, but die for
thee.

Enter a Messenger.

K. Henry. How now? what news? why com'ft thou
in fuch hafte ?

Mef. The rebels are in Southwark; fly, my Lord:
Jack Cade proclaims himself Lord' Mortimer,

D 2

Refcended

1

Defcended from the Duke of Clarence' house,
And calls your Grace ufurper openly,
And vows to crown himself in Westminster.
His army is a ragged multitude

Of hinds and peasants, rude and merciless:
Sir Humphry Stafford and his brother's death
Hath given them heart and courage to proceed :
All scholars, lawyers, couriers, gentlemen,
They call falfe caterpillars, and intend their death.
K. Henry. O graceless men! they know not what
they do.

Buck. My gracious Lord, retire to Killingworth,
Until a Power be rais'd to put them down.

Q. Mar. Ah! were the Duke of Suffolk now alive, Thele Kentish rebels fhould be foon appeas'd.

K. Henry. Lord Say, the traitors hate thee, Therefore away with us to Killingworth.

Say. So might your Grace's perfon be in danger: The fight of me is odious in their eyes;

And therefore in this city will I ftay,

And live alone as fecret as I may.

Enter another Messenger.

2 Mef. Jack Cade hath gotten London bridge,
The citizens fly him, and forfake their houses:
The rascal people, thirfting after prey,
Join with the traitor; and they jointly fwear
To spoil the city and your royal court.

Buck. Then linger not, my lord; away, take horse.
K. Henry. Come, Margret, God our hope will fuc-

cour us.

Q. Mar. My hope is gone, now Suffolk is deceas'd. K. Henry. Farewel, my Lord; truft not to Kentif rebels.

Buck. Truft no body, for fear you be betray'd. Say. The truft I have is in mine innocence, And therefore am I bold and refolute.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE changes to London.

Enter Lord Scales upon the Tower walking. Then enter two or three citizens below.

Scales. Ho OW now? is Jack Cade flain?

1 Cit. No, my lord, nor like to be flain : for they have won the bridge, killing all thofe that withftand them: the Lord Mayor craves aid of

your honour from the Tower to defend the city from the rebels. Scales. Such aid, as I can fpare, you fhall command; But I am troubled here with them myself. The rebels have affay'd to win the Tower. But get you into Smithfield, gather head, And thither will I fend you Matthew Goff. Fight for your King, your country and your lives, And fo farewel, for I must hence again.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Cannon-Street.

Enter Jack Cade and the reft, and ftrikes his ftaff on

Cade.

No

London Stone.

WOW is Mortimer Lord of this city, and here fitting upon London Stone, I charge and command that of the city's coft the piffing conduit run nothing but claret wine the first year of our reign. now hence forward it fhall be treafon for any that calls me other than Lord Mortimer.

Enter a foldier running.

And

Sol. Jack Cade, Jack Cade! Cade. Knock him down there. [They kill him. Weau. If this fellow be wife, he'll never call you Jack Cade more; I think, he hath a very fair warning. Dick. My Lord, there's an army gathered together in Smithfield.

Cade. Come then, let's go fight with them: but first go and fet London-bridge on fire, and if you can, burn down the Tower too. Come, let's away. [Exeunt om........s.