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Henry VI, Part 2 (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
138
The second Part of Henry the Sixt.
By such a lowly Vassall as thy selfe.
2280Thy words moue Rage, and not remorse in me:
I go of Message from the Queene to France:
I charge thee waft me safely crosse the Channell.
Lieu. Water: W.Come Suffolke, I must waft thee
to thy death.
2285Suf. Pine gelidus timor occupat artus, it is thee I feare.
Wal. Thou shalt haue cause to feare before I leaue thee.
What, are ye danted now? Now will ye stoope.
1. Gent. My gracious Lord intreat him, speak him fair.
Suf. Suffolkes Imperiall tongue is sterne and rough:
2290Vs'd to command, vntaught to pleade for fauour.
Farre be it, we should honor such as these
With humble suite: no, rather let my head
Stoope to the blocke, then these knees bow to any,
Saue to the God of heauen, and to my King:
2295And sooner dance vpon a bloody pole,
Then stand vncouer'd to the Vulgar Groome.
True Nobility, is exempt from feare:
More can I beare, then you dare execute.
Lieu. Hale him away, and let him talke no more:
2300Come Souldiers, shew what cruelty ye can.
Suf. That this my death may neuer be forgot.
Great men oft dye by vilde Bezonions.
A Romane Sworder, and Bandetto slaue
Murder'd sweet Tully. Brutus Bastard hand
2305Stab'd Iulius Cæsar. Sauage Islanders
Pompey the Great, and Suffolke dyes by Pyrats.
Exit Water with Suffolke.
Lieu. And as for these whose ransome we haue set,
It is our pleasure one of them depart:
2310Therefore come you with vs, and let him go.
Exit Lieutenant, and the rest.
Manet the first Gent. Enter Walter with the body.
Wal. There let his head, and liuelesse bodie lye,
Vntill the Queene his Mistris bury it.
Exit Walter.
23151. Gent. O barbarous and bloudy spectacle,
His body will I beare vnto the King:
If he reuenge it not, yet will his Friends,
So will the Queene, that liuing, held him deere.

Enter Beuis, and Iohn Holland.

2320Beuis. Come and get thee a sword, though made of a
Lath, they haue bene vp these two dayes.
Hol. They haue the more neede to sleepe now then.
Beuis. I tell thee, Iacke Cade the Cloathier, meanes to
dresse the Common-wealth and turne it, and set a new
2325nap vpon it.
Hol. So he had need, for 'tis thred-bare. Well, I say,
it was neuer merrie world in England, since Gentlemen
came vp.
Beuis. O miserable Age: Vertue is not regarded in
2330Handy-crafts men.
Hol. The Nobilitie thinke scorne to goe in Leather
Aprons.
Beuis. Nay more, the Kings Councell are no good
Workemen.
2335Hol. True: and yet it is said, Labour in thy Vocati-
on: which is as much to say, as let the Magistrates be la-
bouring men, and therefore should we be Magistrates.
Beuis. Thou hast hit it: for there's no better signe of a
braue minde, then a hard hand.
2340Hol. I see them, I see them: There's Bests Sonne, the
Tanner of Wingham.
Beuis. Hee shall haue the skinnes of our enemies, to
make Dogges Leather of.
Hol. And Dicke the Butcher.
2345Beuis. Then is sin strucke downe like an Oxe, and ini-
quities throate cut like a Calfe.
Hol. And Smith the Weauer.
Beu. Argo, their thred of life is spun.
Hol. Come, come, let's fall in with them.

2350
Drumme. Enter Cade, Dicke Butcher, Smith the Weauer,
and a Sawyer, with infinite numbers.

Cade. Wee Iohn Cade, so tearm'd of our supposed Fa-
ther.
But. Or rather of stealing a Cade of Herrings.
2355Cade. For our enemies shall faile before vs, inspired
with the spirit of putting down Kings and Princes. Com-
mand silence.
But. Silence.
Cade. My Father was a Mortimer.
2360But. He was an honest man, and a good Bricklayer.
Cade. My mother a Plantagenet.
Butch. I knew her well, she was a Midwife.
Cade. My wife descended of the Lacies.
But. She was indeed a Pedlers daughter, & sold many
2365Laces.
Weauer. But now of late, not able to trauell with her
furr'd Packe, she washes buckes here at home.
Cade. Therefore am I of an honorable house.
But. I by my faith, the field is honourable, and there
2370was he borne, vnder a hedge: for his Father had neuer a
house but the Cage.
Cade. Valiant I am.
Weauer. A must needs, for beggery is valiant.
Cade. I am able to endure much.
2375But. No question of that: for I haue seene him whipt
three Market dayes together.
Cade. I feare neither sword, nor fire.
Wea. He neede not feare the sword, for his Coate is of
proofe.
2380But. But me thinks he should stand in feare of fire, be-
ing burnt i'th hand for stealing of Sheepe.
Cade. Be braue then, for your Captaine is Braue, and
Vowes Reformation. There shall be in England, seuen
halfe peny Loaues sold for a peny: the three hoop'd pot,
2385shall haue ten hoopes, and I wil make it Fellony to drink
small Beere. All the Realme shall be in Common, and in
Cheapside shall my Palfrey go to grasse: and when I am
King, as King I will be.
All. God saue your Maiesty.
2390Cade. I thanke you good people. There shall bee no
mony, all shall eate and drinke on my score, and I will
apparrell them all in one Liuery, that they may agree like
Brothers, and worship me their Lord.
But. The first thing we do, let's kill all the Lawyers.
2395Cade. Nay, that I meane to do. Is not this a lamenta-
ble thing, that of the skin of an innocent Lambe should
be made Parchment; that Parchment being scribeld ore,
should vndoe a man. Some say the Bee stings, but I say,
'tis the Bees waxe: for I did but seale once to a thing, and
2400I was neuer mine owne man since. How now? Who's
there?
Enter a Clearke.
Weauer. The Clearke of Chartam: hee can write and
reade, and cast accompt.
2405Cade. O monstrous.
Wea. We tooke him setting of boyes Copies.
Cade.