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.

FT have I heard, that grief softens the

mind,

And makes it fearful and degenerate;

Think therefore on revenge, and cease 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 answer makes your Grace to the rebels' fupplication ?

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

Should perish 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. H. Lord Say, Jack Cade hath fworn to have thy head.
Say. Ay, but I hope, your highnefs fhall 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 Meffenger.

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

Defcended

Defcended from the Duke of Clarence' houfe,
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, courtiers, gentlemen,
They call falfe caterpillars, and intend their death.
K. Hen. 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,
Thefe 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 stay,
And live alone as fecret as I may.

Enter another Mefenger.

2 Mef. Jack Cade hath gotten London-bridge,
The citizens fly him, and forfake their houfes :
The rafcal people, thirsting after prey,
Join with the traitor; and they jointly fwear -
To fpoil 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 Kentish 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 Torver, walking. Then enter two or three citizens below.

Scales. H

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 spare, you shall 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 muft hence again.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Cannon-Street.

Enter Jack Cade and the reft, and strikes his staff on London-ftone.

Cade. NOW is Mortimer Lord of this city, and here

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

Enter a foldier running.

Sol. Jack Cade, Jack Cade!
Cade. Knock him down there.

[They kill him.
Wear. 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. Čome, let's away. [Exeunt omnes. SCENE

D 3

SCENE changes to Smithfield.

Alarm. Matthew Goff is flain, and all the reft. Then enter Jack Cade with his company.

Cade.

O, Sirs: Now go fome and pull down the
Savoy others to the inns of courts, down

with them all.

Dick. I have a fuit unto your Lordship.

Cade. Be it a Lordship, thou shalt have it for that word. Dick. Only that the laws of England may come out of your mouth.

John. Mafs, 'twill be fore law then, for he was thrust in the mouth with a spear, and 'tis not whole yet. Smith. Nay, John, it will be ftinking law, for his breath ftinks with eating toafted cheese.

Cade. I have thought upon it, it fhall be fo. Away, burn all the records of the realm; my mouth shall be the parliament of England.

John.Then we are like to have biting ftatutes, unless his teeth be pull'd out.

Gade. And henceforward all things shall be in common.

Enter a Meffenger.

Me My Lord, a prize, a prize! here's the Lord Say which fold the town in France; he that made us pay one and twenty fifteens and one fhilling to the pound, the laft fubfidy.

Enter George with the Lord Say.

Cade. Well, he fhall be beheaded for it ten times.Ah, thou Say, theu ferge, nay, thou buckram Lord, now art thou within point-blank of our jurifdiction regal. What canft thou answer to my Majefty for giving up of Normandy unto Monfieur Bafimecu, the Dauphin of France? be it known unto thee by these presents, even the prefence of Lord Mortimer, that I am the befom that muft fweep the court clean of fuch filth as thou art: thou haft moft traiterously corrupted the youth of the Realm

in

in erecting a grammar-fchool; and whereas before, our fore-fathers had no other books but the score and the tally, thou haft caufed printing to be us'd; and contrary to the King, his crown and dignity, thou haft built a paper-mill. It will be prov'd to thy face that thou haft men about thee, that usually talk of a Noun and a Verb, and fuch abominable words, as no christian ear can endure to hear. Thou haft appointed juftices of the peace to call poor men before them, about matters they were not able to anfwer. Moreover, thou haft » put them in prifon; and because they could not read, thou haft hang'd them; when, indeed, only for that cause they have been moft worthy to live. Thou doft ride on a foot-cloth, doft thou not?

Say. What of that ?

Cade. Marry, thou ought'ft not to let thy horse wear a cloak, when honester men than thou go in their hofe and doublets.

Dick. And work in their fhirt too; as myfelf, for example, that am a butcher.

Say. You men of Kent,

Dick. What fay 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 Cefar writ,

Is term'd the civil'ft place of all this ifle;
Sweet is the country, becaufe full of riches,
The people liberal, valiant, active, wealthy,
Which makes me hope thou art not void of pity.
I fold not Maine; I loft not Normandy;
Yet, to recover them, would lofe my life:
Juftice 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 feeing, ignorance is the curse of God,
Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heav'n,
D 4

Unlefs