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Henry VI, Part 2 - Act 4, scene 2
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Henry VI, Part 2 - Act 4, scene 2Act 4, scene 2
⌜Scene 2⌝
Synopsis:
In a plot instigated by York, Jack Cade leads a rebellion against King Henry. The Staffords seek to put it down.
Enter Bevis and John Holland ⌜with staves.⌝BEVIS 2225 Come, and get thee a sword, though made of a
2226 lath. They have been up these two days.
HOLLAND 2227 They have the more need to sleep now, then.
BEVIS 2228 I tell thee, Jack Cade the clothier means to dress
2229 5 the commonwealth, and turn it, and set a new nap
2230 upon it.
HOLLAND 2231 So he had need, for ’tis threadbare. Well, I
2232 say, it was never merry world in England since
2233 gentlemen came up.
BEVIS 2234 10O miserable age! Virtue is not regarded in
2235 handicraftsmen.
HOLLAND 2236 The nobility think scorn to go in leather
2237 aprons.
BEVIS 2238 Nay, more, the King’s Council are no good
2239 15 workmen.
HOLLAND 2240 True, and yet it is said “Labor in thy vocation,”
2241 which is as much to say as “Let the magistrates
2242 be laboring men.” And therefore should we
2243 be magistrates.
BEVIS 2244 20Thou hast hit it, for there’s no better sign of a
2245 brave mind than a hard hand.
HOLLAND 2246 I see them, I see them! There’s Best’s son, the
2247 tanner of Wingham—
BEVIS 2248 He shall have the skins of our enemies to make
2249 25 dog’s leather of.
HOLLAND 2250 And Dick the butcher—
BEVIS 2251 Then is sin struck down like an ox, and iniquity’s
2252 throat cut like a calf.
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177
HOLLAND
2253
And Smith the weaver.BEVIS 2254 30Argo, their thread of life is spun.
HOLLAND 2255 Come, come, let’s fall in with them.
Drum. Enter Cade, Dick ⌜the⌝ butcher, Smith the
weaver, and a Sawyer, with infinite numbers,
⌜all with staves.⌝
CADE 2256 We, John Cade, so termed of our supposed
2257 father—
DICK, ⌜aside⌝ 2258 Or rather of stealing a cade of herrings.
CADE 2259 35For our enemies shall ⌜fall⌝ before us, inspired
2260 with the spirit of putting down kings and princes—
2261 command silence.
DICK 2262 Silence!
CADE 2263 My father was a Mortimer—
DICK, ⌜aside⌝ 2264 40He was an honest man and a good
2265 bricklayer.
CADE 2266 My mother a Plantagenet—
DICK, ⌜aside⌝ 2267 I knew her well; she was a midwife.
CADE 2268 My wife descended of the Lacys.
DICK, ⌜aside⌝ 2269 45She was indeed a peddler’s daughter, and
2270 sold many laces.
SMITH, ⌜aside⌝ 2271 But now of late, not able to travel with
2272 her furred pack, she washes bucks here at home.
CADE 2273 Therefore am I of an honorable house.
DICK, ⌜aside⌝ 2274 50Ay, by my faith, the field is honorable;
2275 and there was he born, under a hedge, for his
2276 father had never a house but the cage.
CADE 2277 Valiant I am—
SMITH, ⌜aside⌝ 2278 He must needs, for beggary is valiant.
CADE 2279 55I am able to endure much—
DICK, ⌜aside⌝ 2280 No question of that; for I have seen him
2281 whipped three market-days together.
CADE 2282 I fear neither sword nor fire.
SMITH, ⌜aside⌝ 2283 He need not fear the sword, for his coat
2284 60 is of proof.
p.
179
DICK, ⌜aside⌝
2285
But methinks he should stand in fear of2286 fire, being burnt i’ th’ hand for stealing of sheep.
CADE 2287 Be brave, then, for your captain is brave and
2288 vows reformation. There shall be in England seven
2289 65 halfpenny loaves sold for a penny. The three-hooped
2290 pot shall have ten hoops, and I will make it
2291 felony to drink small beer. All the realm shall be in
2292 common, and in Cheapside shall my palfrey go to
2293 grass. And when I am king, as king I will be—
ALL 2294 70God save your Majesty!
CADE 2295 I thank you, good people.—There shall be no
2296 money; all shall eat and drink on my score; and I
2297 will apparel them all in one livery, that they may
2298 agree like brothers and worship me their lord.
DICK 2299 75The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.
CADE 2300 Nay, that I mean to do. Is not this a lamentable
2301 thing, that of the skin of an innocent lamb should
2302 be made parchment? That parchment, being scribbled
2303 o’er, should undo a man? Some say the bee
2304 80 stings, but I say, ’tis the beeswax; for I did but seal
2305 once to a thing, and I was never mine own man
2306 since. How now? Who’s there?
Enter a Clerk ⌜of Chartham, under guard.⌝
SMITH 2307 The clerk of Chartham. He can write and read
2308 and cast account.
CADE 2309 85O, monstrous!
SMITH 2310 We took him setting of boys’ copies.
CADE 2311 Here’s a villain!
SMITH 2312 H’as a book in his pocket with red letters in ’t.
CADE 2313 Nay, then, he is a conjurer.
DICK 2314 90Nay, he can make obligations and write court
2315 hand.
CADE 2316 I am sorry for ’t. The man is a proper man, of
2317 mine honor. Unless I find him guilty, he shall not
p.
181
2318
die.—Come hither, sirrah; I must examine thee.2319 95 What is thy name?
CLERK 2320 Emmanuel.
DICK 2321 They use to write it on the top of letters.—’Twill
2322 go hard with you.
CADE 2323 Let me alone.—Dost thou use to write thy
2324 100 name? Or hast thou a mark to thyself, like ⌜an⌝
2325 honest, plain-dealing man?
CLERK 2326 Sir, I thank God, I have been so well brought
2327 up that I can write my name.
ALL 2328 He hath confessed. Away with him! He’s a villain
2329 105 and a traitor.
CADE 2330 Away with him, I say! Hang him with his pen
2331 and inkhorn about his neck.
One exits with the Clerk.
Enter Michael.
MICHAEL 2332 Where’s our general?
CADE 2333 Here I am, thou particular fellow.
MICHAEL 2334 110Fly, fly, fly! Sir Humphrey Stafford and his
2335 brother are hard by, with the King’s forces.
CADE 2336 Stand, villain, stand, or I’ll fell thee down. He
2337 shall be encountered with a man as good as himself.
2338 He is but a knight, is he?
MICHAEL 2339 115No.
CADE 2340 To equal him I will make myself a knight
2341 presently. ⌜He kneels.⌝ Rise up Sir John Mortimer.
2342 ⌜He rises.⌝ Now have at him!
Enter Sir Humphrey Stafford and his Brother, with
⌜a Herald,⌝ Drum, and Soldiers.
STAFFORD
2343 Rebellious hinds, the filth and scum of Kent,
2344 120 Marked for the gallows, lay your weapons down!
2345 Home to your cottages; forsake this groom.
2346 The King is merciful, if you revolt.
p.
183
BROTHER 2347 But angry, wrathful, and inclined to blood,
2348 If you go forward. Therefore yield, or die.
CADE
2349 125 As for these silken-coated slaves, I pass not.
2350 It is to you, good people, that I speak,
2351 Over whom, in time to come, I hope to reign,
2352 For I am rightful heir unto the crown.
STAFFORD
2353 Villain, thy father was a plasterer,
2354 130 And thou thyself a shearman, art thou not?
CADE
2355 And Adam was a gardener.
BROTHER 2356 And what of that?
CADE
2357 Marry, this: Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March,
2358 Married the Duke of Clarence’ daughter, did he not?
STAFFORD 2359 135Ay, sir.
CADE
2360 By her he had two children at one birth.
BROTHER 2361 That’s false.
CADE
2362 Ay, there’s the question. But I say ’tis true.
2363 The elder of them, being put to nurse,
2364 140 Was by a beggar-woman stol’n away,
2365 And, ignorant of his birth and parentage,
2366 Became a bricklayer when he came to age.
2367 His son am I. Deny it if you can.
DICK
2368 Nay, ’tis too true. Therefore he shall be king.
SMITH 2369 145Sir, he made a chimney in my father’s house,
2370 and the bricks are alive at this day to testify it.
2371 Therefore deny it not.
STAFFORD
2372 And will you credit this base drudge’s words,
2373 That speaks he knows not what?
p.
185
ALL 2374 150 Ay, marry, will we. Therefore get you gone.
BROTHER
2375 Jack Cade, the Duke of York hath taught you this.
CADE 2376 He lies, ⌜aside⌝ for I invented it myself.—Go to,
2377 sirrah. Tell the King from me that, for his father’s
2378 sake, Henry the Fifth, in whose time boys went to
2379 155 span-counter for French crowns, I am content he
2380 shall reign, but I’ll be Protector over him.
DICK 2381 And, furthermore, we’ll have the Lord Saye’s
2382 head for selling the dukedom of Maine.
CADE 2383 And good reason: for thereby is England mained
2384 160 and fain to go with a staff, but that my puissance
2385 holds it up. Fellow kings, I tell you that that Lord
2386 Saye hath gelded the commonwealth and made it
2387 an eunuch; and, more than that, he can speak
2388 French, and therefore he is a traitor.
STAFFORD
2389 165 O, gross and miserable ignorance!
CADE 2390 Nay, answer if you can. The Frenchmen are our
2391 enemies. Go to, then, I ask but this: can he that
2392 speaks with the tongue of an enemy be a good
2393 counselor, or no?
ALL 2394 170No, no, and therefore we’ll have his head!
BROTHER, ⌜to Stafford⌝
2395 Well, seeing gentle words will not prevail,
2396 Assail them with the army of the King.
STAFFORD
2397 Herald, away, and throughout every town
2398 Proclaim them traitors that are up with Cade,
2399 175 That those which fly before the battle ends
2400 May, even in their wives’ and children’s sight
2401 Be hanged up for example at their doors.—
2402 And you that be the King’s friends, follow me.
⌜The Staffords, Soldiers, and Herald⌝ exit.
p.
187
CADE 2403 And you that love the Commons, follow me.
2404 180 Now show yourselves men. ’Tis for liberty!
2405 We will not leave one lord, one gentleman;
2406 Spare none but such as go in clouted shoon,
2407 For they are thrifty, honest men and such
2408 As would, but that they dare not, take our parts.
DICK 2409 185They are all in order and march toward us.
CADE 2410 But then are we in order when we are most out
2411 of order. Come, march forward.
⌜They exit.⌝