Shakespeare Portal

Act 4, Scene 10

Kent. Iden's Garden.

  1. [Enter CADE.]
  2. Jack Cade
  3. 2675 Fie on ambitions! fie on myself, that have a sword
  4. 2676 and yet am ready to famish! These five days have I hid me in
  5. 2677 these woods and durst not peep out, for all the country is laid
  6. 2678 for me; but now am I so hungry that if I might have a lease of
  7. 2679 my life for a thousand years I could stay no longer. Wherefore,
  8. 2680 on a brick wall have I climb'd into this garden, to see if I can
  9. 2681 eat grass, or pick a sallet another while, which is not amiss to
  10. 2682 cool
  11. 2683 a man's stomach this hot weather. And I think this word 'sallet'
  12. 2684 was born to do me good; for many a time, but for a sallet, my
  13. 2685 brain-pain had been cleft with a brown bill; and many a time,
  14. 2686 when I have been dry and bravely marching, it hath served me
  15. 2687 instead of a quart pot to drink in; and now the word 'sallet'
  16. 2688 must serve me to feed on.
  17. [Enter IDEN.]
  18. Alexander Iden
  19. 2689 Lord, who would live turmoiled in the court,
  20. 2690 And may enjoy such quiet walks as these?
  21. 2691 This small inheritance my father left me
  22. 2692 Contenteth me, and worth a monarchy.
  23. 2693 I seek not to wax great by others' waning,
  24. 2694 Or gather wealth, I care not with what envy;
  25. 2695 Sufficeth that I have maintains my state
  26. 2696 And sends the poor well pleased from my gate.
  27. Jack Cade
  28. 2697 Here's the lord of the soil come to seize me for a
  29. 2698 stray, for entering his fee-simple without leave.—Ah, villain,
  30. 2699 thou wilt betray me, and get a thousand crowns of the king
  31. 2700 by carrying my head to him; but I'll make thee eat iron like
  32. 2701 an ostrich, and swallow my sword like a great pin, ere thou
  33. 2702 and I part.
  34. Alexander Iden
  35. 2703 Why, rude companion, whatsoe'er thou be, I know
  36. 2704 thee not! why, then, should I betray thee?
  37. 2705 Is 't not enough to break into my garden,
  38. 2706 And, like a thief, to come to rob my grounds,
  39. 2707 Climbing my walls in spite of me the owner,
  40. 2708 But thou wilt brave me with these saucy terms?
  41. Jack Cade
  42. 2709 Brave thee? ay, by the best blood that ever was
  43. 2710 broached, and beard thee too. Look on me well: I have eat
  44. 2711 no meat these five days; yet, come thou and thy five men,
  45. 2712 and if I do not leave you all as dead as a door-nail, I pray
  46. 2713 God I may never eat grass more.
  47. Alexander Iden
  48. 2714 Nay, it shall ne'er be said, while England stands,
  49. 2715 That Alexander Iden, an esquire of Kent,
  50. 2716 Took odds to combat a poor famish'd man.
  51. 2717 Oppose thy steadfast-gazing eyes to mine,
  52. 2718 See if thou canst outface me with thy looks.
  53. 2719 Set limb to limb and thou art far the lesser;
  54. 2720 Thy hand is but a finger to my fist,
  55. 2721 Thy leg a stick compared with this truncheon;
  56. 2722 My foot shall fight with all the strength thou hast;
  57. 2723 And if mine arm be heaved in the air,
  58. 2724 Thy grave is digg'd already in the earth.
  59. 2725 As for words, whose greatness answers words,
  60. 2726 Let this my sword report what speech forbears.
  61. Jack Cade
  62. 2727 By my valour, the most complete champion that
  63. 2728 ever I heard!—Steel, if thou turn the edge, or cut not out
  64. 2729 the burly-boned clown in chines of beef ere thou sleep in
  65. 2730 thy sheath, I beseech God on my knees thou mayst be turn'd
  66. 2731 to hobnails.—
  67. [Here they fight. Cade falls.]
  68. Jack Cade
  69. 2732 O, I am slain!
  70. 2733 famine and no other hath slain me; let ten thousand devils
  71. 2734 come against me, and give me but the ten meals I have lost,
  72. 2735 and I'd defy them all.—Wither, garden; and be henceforth a
  73. 2736 burying place to all that do dwell in this house, because
  74. 2737 the unconquered soul of Cade is fled.
  75. Alexander Iden
  76. 2738 Is't Cade that I have slain, that monstrous traitor?—
  77. 2739 Sword, I will hallow thee for this thy deed,
  78. 2740 And hang thee o'er my tomb when I am dead;
  79. 2741 Ne'er shall this blood be wiped from thy point,
  80. 2742 But thou shalt wear it as a herald's coat,
  81. 2743 To emblaze the honour that thy master got.
  82. Jack Cade
  83. 2744 Iden, farewell; and be proud of thy victory. Tell Kent from
  84. 2745 me, she hath lost her best man, and exhort all the world to be
  85. 2746 cowards; for I, that never feared any, am vanquished by famine,
  86. 2747 not by valour.
  87. [Dies.]
  88. Alexander Iden
  89. 2748 How much thou wrong'st me, heaven be my judge.
  90. 2749 Die, damned wretch, the curse of her that bare thee;
  91. 2750 And as I thrust thy body in with my sword,
  92. 2751 So wish I I might thrust thy soul to hell.
  93. 2752 Hence will I drag thee headlong by the heels
  94. 2753 Unto a dunghill which shall be thy grave,
  95. 2754 And there cut off thy most ungracious head,
  96. 2755 Which I will bear in triumph to the king,
  97. 2756 Leaving thy trunk for crows to feed upon.
  98. [Exit.]