a thousand crowns of the king for carrying my head to him; but I'll make thee eat iron like an ' ostrich, and swallow my sword like a great pin, ere thou and I part. '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 and 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 broached, 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 nail3, I pray God, I may never eat grass more. 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. 6 Oppose thy steadfast-gazing eyes to mine, 'See if thou canst outface me with thy looks. 'Set limb to limb, and thou art far the lesser; Thy hand is but a finger to my fist; 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. As for words, whose greatness answers words*, Let this my sword report what speech forbears. 3 See note on the Second Part of King Henry IV. Act v. Sc. 3. 4 Johnson explains this, 'As for words, whose pomp and rumour may answer words, and only words, I shall forbear them, and refer the rest to my sword.' Thus in the Third Part of King Henry VI.: 'I will not bandy with thee word for word, But buckle with thee blows, twice two for one.' * *Cade. By my valour, the most complete champion that ever I heard.—' Steel, if thou turn the edge, or cut not out the burly-boned clown in 'chines of beef ere thou sleep in thy sheath, I be'seech God on my knees, thou mayest be turned ' to hobnails. [They fight; CADE falls.] 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 unconquered 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 deado: *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. 'Cade. Iden, farewell; 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 5 In the folio 'I beseech Jove' was substituted to avoid the penalty of the statute, 3 Jac. I. c. 2, against profane swearing. Cade was very unlikely to swear by Jove. 6 This sentiment is much more correctly expressed in the quarto: 'Oh sword, I'll honour thee for this, and in my chamber Shalt thou hang, as a monument to after age, For this great service thou hast done to me.' Shakspeare, in new moulding this speech, has used the same mode of expression that he has employed in The Winter's Tale :'If thou'lt see a thing to talk on, when thou art dead and rotten, come hither,' i. e. for people to talk of. So again, in a subsequent scene of this play: 'And dead men's cries do fill the empty air.' Which of the plays of Shakspeare do not furnish expressions equally bold with I will hang thee,' to express 'I will have thee hung?' 6 I, that never feared any, am vanquished 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 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. 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. 6 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 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 6 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,' |