These hands are free from guiltless blood-shedding,
This breast from harbouring foul deceitful thoughts.
O, let me live!

Cade. I feel remorse in myself with his words:
but I'll bridle it; he shall die, an it be but for plead-
ing so well for his life. Away with bim! 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.
[prayers,

-Ah, thou say, thou serge, nay, thou buckram lord! now art thou within point-blank of our jurisdiction regal. What canst thou answer to my majesty, for giving up of Normandy unto monsieur Basimecu the dauphin of France? Be it known unto thee by these presence, even the presence of lord Mortimer, that I am the besom that must sweep the court clean of such filth as thou art. Thou hast most traitorously corrupted the youth of the realm, in erecting a grammar-school: and whereas, before, our forefathers had no other books but the score and the tally, thou hast caused printing to be used; and, contrary to the king, his crown, and dignity, Say. Ah, countrymen! if when you make your thou hast built a paper-mill. It will be proved to God should be so obdurate as yourselves, thy face, that thou hast men about thee, that usually How would it fare with your departed souls? talk of a noun, and a verb; and such abominable And therefore yet relent, and save my life. words, as no Christian ear can endure to hear. Cade. Away with him, and do as I command ye. Thou hast appointed justices of peace, to call poor [Exeunt some with Lord Say. men before them about matters they were not able The proudest peer in the realm shall not wear a to answer. Moreover, thou hast put them in prison; head on his shoulders, unless he pay me tribute; and because they could not read, thou hast hanged there shall not a maid be married, but she shall pay them; when, indeed, only for that cause they have to me her maidenhead ere they have it: Men shall been most worthy to live. Thou dost ride on a foot-hold of me in capite; and we charge and command, cloth, dost thou not? that their wives be as free as heart can wish, or tongue can tell.

Say. What of that?

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?

Latin.

Say. Nothing but this: 'Tis bona terra, mala gens.
Cade. Away with him, away with him! he speaks
[will.
Say. Hear me but speak, and bear me where you
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.
This tongue hath parley'd unto foreign kings
For your behoof,-

Cade. Tut! when struck'st thou one blow in the
field?
[struck
Say. Great men have reaching hands: oft have I
Those that I never saw, and struck them dead.
Geo. O monstrous coward! what, to come be-
hind folks?
[good.
Say. These cheeks are pale for watching for your
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 рар 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 behead 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 ve seek my des

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

All. O brave!

Re-enter Rebels, with the heads of LORD SAY, and his Son-in-law.

Cade. But is not this braver?-Let them kiss one Now part them again, lest they consult about the another, for they loved well, when they were alive. defer the spoil of the city until night: for with these giving up of some more towns in France. Soldiers, 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 St. 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 dis-
turb thee:

Know, Cade, we come ambassadors from the king
Unto the commons, whom thou hast misled;
And here pronounce free pardon to them all,
That will forsake thee, and go home in peace.

Clif. What say ye, countrymen? will ye relent,
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 your pardons about your necks? Hath my sword therefore broke through London Gates, that ye 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 slavery 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 soGod's curse 'light upon you all!

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 my arm be heaved in the air,
Thy grave is digg'd already in the earth.
As for more words, whose greatness answers words,
Let this my sword report what speech forbears,

Cade. By my valour, the most complete champion that ever I heard.-Steel, if thou turn the edge, or cut not out the burley-boned clown in chines of beef ere thou sleep in thy sheath, I beseech 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 dead:
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 vic-
tory: Tell Kent from me, she hath lost her best
man, and exhort all the world to be cowards; for 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 hell.
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.

York. Scarce can I speak, my choler is

so great.

[Aint,
O, I could hew up rocks, and fight with
I am so angry at these abject terms;
And now, like Ajax Telamonius,
On sheep or oxen could I spend my fury!
I am far better born than is the king;
More like a king, more kingly in my
thoughts:

But I must make fair weather yet a while,
Till Henry be more weak, and I more
strong.-

Aside.

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;
The duke of Somerset is in the Tower.

York. Upon thine honour, is he prisoner?
Buck. Upon mine honour, he is prisoner.
York. Then, Buckingham, I do dismiss my
powers.-

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? [Exit, dragging out the body. York doth present himself unto your highness. York. In all submission and humility,

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,
To entertain great England's lawful king.

K. Hen. Then what intend these forces thou dost bring?

York. To heave the traitor Somerset from hence; And fight against that monstrous rebel, Cade, Who since I heard to be discomfited.

Enter IDEN, with CADE's head.

Iden. If one so rude, and of so mean condition,
May pass into the presence of a king,
Lo, I present your grace a traitor's head,
The head of Cade, whom I in combat slew.

K. Hen. The head of Cade?-Great God, how
just art thou!-

Ah, sancta majestas! who would not buy thee dear?, let me view his visage being dead,

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 it.
A sceptre shall it have, have I a soul;

On which I'll toss the flower-de-luce of France.

That living wrought me such exceeding trouble.
Tell me, my friend, art thou the man that slew him?
Iden. I was, an't like your majesty. [degree?
K. Hen. How art thou call'd? and what is thy
Iden. Alexander Iden, that's my name;

A poor esquire of Kent, that loves his king.
Buck. So please it you, my lord, 'twere not amiss
He were created knight for his good service.
K. Hen. Iden, kneel down; (he kneels.) Rise

up a knight.

And will, that thou henceforth attend on us.
We give thee for reward a thousand marks;

And never live but true unto his liege!
Iden. May Iden live to merit such a bounty,

K. Hen. See, Buckingham! Somerset comes
Go bid her hide him quickly from the duke.
with the queen;

Enter Queen MARGARET and SOMERSET. Q. Mar. For thousand Yorks he shall not hide his head,

But boldly stand, and front him to his face.

And if thou dost not hide thee from the bear,
Now, when the angry trumpet sounds alarm,
And dead men's cries do fill the empty air,-
Clifford, I say, come forth and fight with me!
Proud northern lord, Clifford of Cumberland,
Warwick is hoarse with calling thee to arms.
Enter YORK.

How now, my noble lord? what, all a-foot?
York. The deadly-handed Clifford slew my steed;
But match to match I have encounter'd him,
And made a prey for carrion kites and crows
Even of the bonny beast he lov'd so well.

Enter CLIFFORD.

War. Of one or both of us the time is come. York. Hold, Warwick, seek thee out some other chase,

For I myself must hunt this deer to death.

Enter RICHARD PLANTAGENET and SOMERSET
fighting, and SOMERSET is killed.
Rich. So, lie thou there ;-
For, underneath an alehouse' paltry sign,
The Castle in St. Albans, Somerset

Hath made the wizard famous in his death.-
Sword, hold thy temper; heart, be wrathful still:
Priests pray for enemies, but princes kill. [Exit.
Alarums: Excursions. Enter KING HENRY, QUEEN
MARGARET, and others, retreating.

Q. Mar. Away, my lord! you are slow; for
shame, away!

garet, stay.

K.Hen. Can we outrun the heavens? good Mar-
[nor fly:
Q. Mar. What are yon made of? you'll not fight,
Now is it manhood, wisdom, and defence,
To give the enemy way; and to secure us

War. Then, nobly, York; 'tis for a crown thou By what we can, which can no more but fly.

fight'st.

As I intend, Clifford, to thrive to-day,
It grieves my soul to leave thee unassail'd.

[Exit Warwick. Clif. What seest thou in me, York? why dost thon pause?

York. With thy brave bearing should I be in love, But that thou art so fast mine enemy.

Clif. Nor should thy prowess want praise and

esteem,

But that 'tis shewn ignobly, and in treason.

York. So let it help me now against thy sword,
As I in justice and true right express it!

Clif. My soul and body on the action both!-
York. A dreadful lay!-address thee instantly.
(They fight, and Clifford falls.)
Clif. La fin couronne les œuvres. (Dies.)
York. Thus war hath given thee peace, for thou
art still.-

Peace with his soul, heaven, if it be thy will! [Exit.

Enter Young Clifford.

Y. Clif. Shame and confusion! all is on the rout;
Fear frames disorder, and disorder wounds
Where it should guard. O war, thou son of hell,
Whom angry heavens do make their minister,
Throw in the frozen bosoms of our part
Hot coals of vengeance!-Let no soldier fly:
He, that is truly dedicate to war,
Hath no self-love; nor he, that loves himself,
Hath not essentially, but by circumstance,
The name of valour.-O, let the vile world end,
(Seeing his dead father.)
And the premised fames of the last day
Knit earth and heaven together!
Now let the general trumpet blow his blast,
Particularities and petty sounds

To cease!-Wast thou ordain'd, dear father,
To lose thy youth in peace, and to achieve
The silver livery of advised age;

And, in thy reverence, and thy chair-days, thus
To die in ruffian battle?-Even at this sight,
My heart is turn'd to stone: and, while 'tis mine,
It shall be stony. York not our old men spares;
No more will I their babes: tears virginal
Shall be to me even as the dew to fire;
And beauty, that the tyrant oft reclaims,
Shall to my flaming wrath be oil and flax.
Henceforth, I will not have to do with pity:
Meet I an infant of the house of York,
Into as many gobbets will I cut it,
As wild Medea young Absyrtus did:
In cruelty will I seek out my fame.
Come, thou new ruin of old Clifford's house;
(Taking up the body.)
As did Æneas old Anchises bear,
So bear I thee upon my manly shoulders;
But then Æneas bare a living load,
Nothing so heavy as these woes of mine.

(Alarum, afar off.) If you be ta'en, we then should see the bottom Of all our fortunes: but, if we haply scape, (As well we may, if not through your neglect,) We shall to London get; where you are lov'd; And where this breach, now in our fortunes made, May readily be stopp'd.

Enter Young CLIFFORD.

Y. Clif. But that my heart's on future mischief set,
I would speak blasphemy, ere bid you fly;
But fly you must; uncurable discomfit
Reigns in the hearts of all our present parts.
Away, for your relief! and we will live
To see their day, and them our fortune give:
Away, my lord, away!

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.-Fields near Saint Albans.
Alarum: Retreat. Flourish; then enter YORK,
RICHARD PLANTAGENET, WARWICK, and Sol-
diers, with drum and colours.

York. Of Salisbury, who can report of him;
That winter lion, who, in rage, forgets
Aged contusions, and all brush of time;
And, like a gallant in the brow of youth,
Repairs him with occasion? this happy day
Is not itself, nor have we won one foot,
If Salisbury be lost.

Rich.
My noble father,
Three times to-day I holp him to his horse,
Three times bestrid him, thrice I led him off,
Persuaded him from any further act:
But still, where danger was, still there I met him;
And like rich hangings in a homely house,

So was his will in his old feeble body.
But, noble as he is, look where he comes.

Enter SALISBURY.

Sal. Now, by my sword, well hast thou fought

to-day;

By the mass, so did we all.-I thank
you, Richard:
God knows, how long it is I have to live;
And it hath pleas'd him, that three times to-day
You have defended me from imminent death.-
Well, lords, we have not got that which we have:
"Tis not enough our foes are this time fled,
Being opposites of such repairing nature.

York. I know, our safety is to follow them;
For, as I hear, the king is fled to London,
To call a present court of parliament.
Let us pursue him, ere the writs go forth:-
What says lord Warwick? shall we after them?—
War. After them! nay, before them, if we can.
Now by my faith, lords, 'twas a glorious day:
Saint Alban's battle, won by famous York,
Shall be eterniz'd in all age to come.
Sound, drums and trumpets ;-and to London all:
[Exit. And more such days as these to us befall! [Exeunt.