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Henry VI, Part 2 (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
The second Part of Henry the Sixt.
139
Cade. Here's a Villaine.
Wea. Ha's a Booke in his pocket with red Letters in't
Cade. Nay then he is a Coniurer.
2410But. Nay, he can make Obligations, and write Court
hand.
Cade. I am sorry for't: The man is a proper man of
mine Honour: vnlesse I finde him guilty, he shall not die.
Come hither sirrah, I must examine thee: What is thy
2415name?
Clearke. Emanuell.
But. They vse to writ it on the top of Letters: 'Twill
go hard with you.
Cade. Let me alone: Dost thou vse to write thy name?
2420Or hast thou a marke to thy selfe, like a honest plain dea-
ling man?
Clearke. Sir I thanke God, I haue bin so well brought
vp, that I can write my name.
All. He hath confest: away with him: he's a Villaine
2425and a Traitor.
Cade. Away with him I say: Hang him with his Pen
and Inke-horne about his necke.
Exit one with the Clearke
Enter Michael.
2430Mich. Where's our Generall?
Cade. Heere I am thou particular fellow.
Mich. Fly, fly, fly, Sir Humfrey Stafford and his brother
are hard by, with the Kings Forces.
Cade. Stand villaine, stand, or Ile fell thee downe: he
2435shall be encountred with a man as good as himselfe. He
is but a Knight, is a?
Mich. No.
Cade. To equall him I will make my selfe a knight pre-
sently; Rise vp Sir Iohn Mortimer. Now haue at him.

2440
Enter Sir Humfrey Stafford, and his Brother,
with Drum and Soldiers.

Staf. Rebellious Hinds, the filth and scum of Kent,
Mark'd for the Gallowes: Lay your Weapons downe,
Home to your Cottages: forsake this Groome.
2445The King is mercifull, if you reuolt.
Bro. But angry, wrathfull, and inclin'd to blood,
If you go forward: therefore yeeld, or dye.
Cade. As for these silken-coated slaues I passe not,
It is to you good people, that I speake,
2450Ouer whom (in time to come) I hope to raigne:
For I am rightfull heyre vnto the Crowne.
Staff. Villaine, thy Father was a Playsterer,
And thou thy selfe a Sheareman, art thou not?
Cade. And Adam was a Gardiner.
2455Bro. And what of that?
Cade. Marry, this Edmund Mortimer Earle of March,
married the Duke of Clarence daughter, did he not?
Staf. I sir.
Cade. By her he had two children at one birth.
2460Bro. That's false.
Cade. I, there's the question; But I say, 'tis true:
The elder of them being put to nurse,
Was by a begger-woman stolne away,
And ignorant of his birth and parentage,
2465Became a Bricklayer, when he came to age.
His sonne am I, deny it if you can.
But. Nay, 'tis too true, therefore he shall be King.
Wea. Sir, he made a Chimney in my Fathers house, &
the brickes are aliue at this day to testifie it: therefore
2470deny it not.
Staf. And will you credit this base Drudges Wordes,
that speakes he knowes not what.
All. I marry will we: therefore get ye gone.
Bro. Iacke Cade, the D. of York hath taught you this
2475Cade. He lyes, for I inuented it my selfe. Go too Sir-
rah, tell the King from me, that for his Fathers sake Hen-
ry the fift, (in whose time, boyes went to Span-counter
for French Crownes) I am content he shall raigne, but Ile
be Protector ouer him.
2480Butcher. And furthermore, wee'l haue the Lord Sayes
head, for selling the Dukedome of Maine.
Cade And good reason: for thereby is England main'd
And faine to go with a staffe, but that my puissance holds
it vp. Fellow-Kings, I tell you, that that Lord Say hath
2485gelded the Commonwealth, and made it an Eunuch: &
more then that, he can speake French, and therefore hee is
a Traitor.
Staf. O grosse and miserable ignorance.
Cade. Nay answer if you can: The Frenchmen are our
2490enemies: go too then, I ask but this: Can he that speaks
with the tongue of an enemy, be a good Councellour, or
no?
All. No, no, and therefore wee'l haue his head.
Bro. Well, seeing gentle words will not preuayle,
2495Assaile them with the Army of the King.
Staf. Herald away, and throughout euery Towne,
Proclaime them Traitors that are vp with Cade,
That those which flye before the battell ends,
May euen in their Wiues and Childrens sight,
2500Be hang'd vp for example at their doores:
And you that be the Kings Friends follow me.
Exit.
Cade. And you that loue the Commons, follow me:
Now shew your selues men, 'tis for Liberty.
We will not leaue one Lord, one Gentleman:
2505Spare none, but such as go in clouted shooen,
For they are thrifty honest men, and such
As would (but that they dare not) take our parts.
But. They are all in order, and march toward vs.
Cade. But then are we in order, when we are most out
2510of order. Come, march forward.

Alarums to the fight, wherein both the Staffords are slaine.
Enter Cade and the rest.

Cade. Where's Dicke, the Butcher of Ashford?
But. Heere sir.
2515Cade. They fell before thee like Sheepe and Oxen, &
thou behaued'st thy selfe, as if thou hadst beene in thine
owne Slaughter-house: Therfore thus will I reward thee,
the Lent shall bee as long againe as it is, and thou shalt
haue a License to kill for a hundred lacking one.
2520But. I desire no more.
Cade. And to speake truth, thou deseru'st no lesse.
This Monument of the victory will I beare, and the bo-
dies shall be dragg'd at my horse heeles, till I do come to
London, where we will haue the Maiors sword born be-
2525fore vs.
But. If we meane to thriue, and do good, breake open
the Gaoles, and let out the Prisoners.
Cade. Feare not that I warrant thee. Come, let's march
towards London.
Exeunt.

2530
Enter the King with a Supplication, and the Queene with Suf-
folkes head, the Duke of Buckingham, and the
Lord Say.
Queene. Oft haue I heard that greefe softens the mind,
And