* Was never subject longed to be a king, * As I do long and wish to be a subject. Enter BUCKINGHAM and CLIFFORD. *Buck. Health, and glad tidings, to your majesty! * K. Hen. Why, Buckingham, is the traitor, Cade, surprised? *Or is he but retired to make him strong? Enter, below, a great number of CADE's Followers, with halters about their necks. 6 Clif. He's fled, my lord, and all his powers do yield; And humbly thus, with halters on their necks, Expect your highness' doom, of life, or death. · K. Hen. Then, Heaven, set ope thy everlasting gates, To entertain my vows of thanks and praise!— Soldiers, this day have you redeemed your lives, And showed how well you love your prince and country. • Continue still in this so good a mind, Enter a Messenger. * Mess. Please it your grace to be advértised, *The duke of York is newly come from Ireland; * And with a puissant and a mighty power, * Of Gallowglasses,1 and stout Kernes, * Is marching hitherward in proud array ; 1 "The Galloglasse useth a kind of pole-axe for his weapon. These men are grim of countenance, tall of stature, big of limme, lusty of body, well and strongly timbered.”—Stanihurst's Descript. of Ireland, c. viii. f. 21. *And still proclaimeth, as he comes along, * His arms are only to remove from thee The duke of Somerset, whom he terms a traitor. *K. Hen. Thus stands my state 'twixt Cade and York distressed ; * Like to a ship, that, having scaped a tempest, * Is straightway calmed1 and boarded with a pirate ; * But now 2 is Cade driven back, his men dispersed; *And now is York in arms to second him. *I pray thee, Buckingham, go forth and meet him; * And ask him, what's the reason of these arms. *Tell him, I'll send duke Edmund to the Tower ; And, Somerset, we will commit thee thither, * Until his army be dismissed from him. * Som. My lord, * I'll yield myself to prison willingly, * Or unto death, to do my country good. *K. Hen. In any case, be not too rough in terms ; * For he is fierce, and cannot brook hard language. * Buck. I will, my lord; and doubt not so to deal, *As all things shall redound unto your good. *K. Hen. Come, wife, let's in, and learn to govern better; *For yet may England curse my wretched reign. [Exeunt. SCENE X. Kent. Iden's Garden.3 Enter CADE. * Cade. Fie on ambition! fie on myself; that *have a sword, and yet am ready to famish! These 1 The first folio reads calme; which may be right. The second folio printed by mistake claimed; and the third folio calmed. This reading has been adopted as most perspicuous, and because in Othello we have:must be be-lee'd and calmed." 2 But is here not adversative. "It was only just now (says Henry), that Cade and his followers were routed.” 3 "A gentleman of Kent, named Alexander Eden, awaited so his time, that he tooke the said Cade in a garden in Sussex, so that there he was slaine at Hothfield," &c.—Holinshed, p. 635. "This Iden was, in fact, the new sheriff of Kent, who had followed Cade from Rochester."-William of Wyrcester, p. 472. * five days have I hid me in these woods; and durst not peep out, for all the country is layed for me; but *now am I so hungry, that if I might have a lease of * my life for a thousand years, I could stay no longer. * Wherefore, on a brick-wall have I climbed into this * garden; to see if I can eat grass, or pick a sallet * another while, which is not amiss to cool a man's * stomach this hot weather. And, I think, this word *sallet was born to do me good; for, many a time, but *for a sallet,1 my brain-pan had been cleft with a * brown bill; and, many a time, when I have been dry, * and bravely marching, it hath served me instead of a * quart-pot to drink in; and now the word sallet must * serve me to feed on. Enter IDEN, with Servants. Iden. Lord, who would live turmoiled in the court, And may enjoy such quiet walks as these? This small inheritance, my father left me, <Contenteth me, and is worth a monarchy. And sends the poor well pleased from my gate. • Cade. Here's the lord of the soil come to seize me for a stray, for entering his fee-simple without leave. Ah, villain, thou wilt betray me, and get 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. 6 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 to 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 nail, 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, Thy hand is but a finger to my fist; 6 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 digged already in the earth. As for words, whose greatness answers words,1 'Let this my sword report what speech forbears. 6 2 *Cade. By my valor, 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 beseech God on my knees, thou mayst 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 6 6 traitor ? Sword, I will hallow thee for this thy deed, 'And hang thee o'er my tomb when I am dead. 1 Johnson explains this, " As for words, whose pomp and rumor may answer words, and only words, I shall forbear them, and refer the rest to my sword.” 2 In the folio "I beseech Jove" was substituted to avoid the penalty of the statute, 3 Jac. I. c. 2, against profane swearing. '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 I, that never 'feared any, am vanquished by famine, not by valor. [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. 6 [Exit, dragging out the body. ACT V. SCENE I. The same. The King's Camp on one side. On the other, enter YORK, attended, with drum and colors: 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. 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, |