Shakespeare Portal

Act 4, Scene 7

London. Smithfield.

  1. [Alarums. MATTHEW GOFFE is slain, and all the rest. Then enter JACK CADE, with his company.]
  2. Jack Cade
  3. 2438 So, sirs.—Now go some and pull down the Savoy; others
  4. 2439 to the inns of court; down with them all.
  5. Dick the Butcher
  6. 2440 I have a suit unto your lordship.
  7. Jack Cade
  8. 2441 Be it a lordship, thou shalt have it for that word.
  9. Dick the Butcher
  10. 2442 Only that the laws of England may come out of
  11. 2443 your mouth.
  12. [Aside.]
  13. John Holland
  14. 2444 Mass, 't will be sore law, then; for he
  15. 2445 was thrust in the mouth with a spear, and 't is not whole yet.
  16. [Aside.]
  17. Smith the Weaver
  18. 2446 Nay, John, it will be stinking law, for his
  19. 2447 breath stinks with eating toasted cheese.
  20. Jack Cade
  21. 2448 I have thought upon it, it shall be so. Away, burn
  22. 2449 all the records of the realm. My mouth shall be the parliament
  23. 2450 of England.
  24. [Aside.]
  25. John Holland
  26. 2451 Then we are like to have biting statutes,
  27. 2452 unless his teeth be pulled out.
  28. Jack Cade
  29. 2453 And henceforward all things shall be in common.
  30. [Enter a Messenger.]
  31. Messenger
  32. 2454 My lord, a prize, a prize! here's the Lord
  33. 2455 Say, which sold the towns in France; he that made us pay
  34. 2456 one and twenty fifteens, and one shilling to the pound, the
  35. 2457 last subsidy.
  36. [Enter GEOGE BEVIS, with the LORD SAY.]
  37. Jack Cade
  38. 2458 Well, he shall be beheaded for it ten times.—Ah, thou say,
  39. 2459 thou serge, nay, thou buckram lord! now art thou within point-
  40. 2460 blank of our jurisdiction regal. What canst thou answer to my
  41. 2461 majesty for giving up of Normandy unto Mounsieur Basimecu, the
  42. 2462 dauphin of France? Be it known unto thee by these presence, even
  43. 2463 the presence of Lord Mortimer, that I am the besom that must
  44. 2464 sweep the court clean of such filth as thou art. Thou hast most
  45. 2465 traitorously corrupted the youth of the realm in erecting a
  46. 2466 grammar school; and whereas, before, our forefathers had no other
  47. 2467 books but the score and the tally, thou hast caused printing to
  48. 2468 be used, and, contrary to the king, his crown, and dignity, thou
  49. 2469 hast built a paper-mill. It will be proved to thy face that thou
  50. 2470 hast men about thee that usually talk of a noun and a verb, and
  51. 2471 such abominable words as no Christian ear can endure to hear.
  52. 2472 Thou hast appointed justices of peace, to call poor men before
  53. 2473 them about matters they were not able to answer. Moreover, thou
  54. 2474 hast put them in prison, and because they could not read, thou
  55. 2475 hast hanged them; when, indeed, only for that cause they have
  56. 2476 been most worthy to live. Thou dost ride in a foot-cloth, dost
  57. 2477 thou not?
  58. Lord Say
  59. 2478 What of that?
  60. Jack Cade
  61. 2479 Marry, thou oughtest not to let thy horse wear a cloak
  62. 2480 when honester men than thou go in their hose and doublets.
  63. Dick the Butcher
  64. 2481 And work in their shirt too; as myself, for example, that
  65. 2482 am a butcher.
  66. Lord Say
  67. 2483 You men of Kent,—
  68. Dick the Butcher
  69. 2484 What say you of Kent?
  70. Lord Say
  71. 2485 Nothing but this; 't is 'bona terra, mala gens.'
  72. Jack Cade
  73. 2486 Away with him, away with him! he speaks Latin.
  74. Lord Say
  75. 2487 Hear me but speak, and bear me where you will.
  76. 2488 Kent, in the Commentaries Caesar writ,
  77. 2489 Is term'd the civil'st place of all this isle.
  78. 2490 Sweet is the country, because full of riches;
  79. 2491 The people liberal, valiant, active, wealthy;
  80. 2492 Which makes me hope you are not void of pity.
  81. 2493 I sold not Maine, I lost not Normandy,
  82. 2494 Yet, to recover them, would lose my life.
  83. 2495 Justice with favour have I always done;
  84. 2496 Prayers and tears have mov'd me, gifts could never.
  85. 2497 When have I aught exacted at your hands
  86. 2498 But to maintain the king, the realm, and you?
  87. 2499 Large gifts have I bestow'd on learned clerks,
  88. 2500 Because my book preferr'd me to the king;
  89. 2501 And seeing ignorance is the curse of God,
  90. 2502 Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven,
  91. 2503 Unless you be possess'd with devilish spirits,
  92. 2504 You cannot but forbear to murther me.
  93. 2505 This tongue hath parley'd unto foreign kings
  94. 2506 For your behoof,—
  95. Jack Cade
  96. 2507 Tut, when struck'st thou one blow in the field?
  97. Lord Say
  98. 2508 Great men have reaching hands; oft have I struck
  99. 2509 Those that I never saw, and struck them dead.
  100. George Bevis
  101. 2510 O monstrous coward! what, to come behind folks?
  102. Lord Say
  103. 2511 These cheeks are pale for watching for your good.
  104. Jack Cade
  105. 2512 Give him a box o' the ear, and that will make 'em red
  106. 2513 again.
  107. Lord Say
  108. 2514 Long sitting to determine poor men's causes
  109. 2515 Hath made me full of sickness and diseases.
  110. Jack Cade
  111. 2516 Ye shall have a hempen caudle then, and the help of
  112. 2517 hatchet.
  113. Dick the Butcher
  114. 2518 Why dost thou quiver, man?
  115. Lord Say
  116. 2519 The palsy, and not fear, provokes me.
  117. Jack Cade
  118. 2520 Nay, he nods at us, as who should say, I'll be even with
  119. 2521 you. I'll see if his head will stand steadier on a pole or
  120. 2522 no. Take him away, and behead him.
  121. Lord Say
  122. 2523 Tell me wherein have I offended most?
  123. 2524 Have I affected wealth or honour? speak.
  124. 2525 Are my chests fill'd up with extorted gold?
  125. 2526 Is my apparel sumptuous to behold?
  126. 2527 Whom have I injur'd, that ye seek my death?
  127. 2528 These hands are free from guiltless bloodshedding,
  128. 2529 This breast from harbouring foul deceitful thoughts.
  129. 2530 O, let me live!
  130. [Aside.]
  131. Jack Cade
  132. 2531 I feel remorse in myself with his words, but I'll bridle
  133. 2532 it; he shall die, an it be but for pleading so well for his
  134. 2533 life.—
  135. 2534 Away with him! he has a familiar under his tongue; he speaks not
  136. 2535 o' God's name. Go, take him away, I say, and strike off his head
  137. 2536 presently; and then break into his son-in-law's house, Sir James
  138. 2537 Cromer, and strike off his head, and bring them both upon two
  139. 2538 poles hither.
  140. All
  141. 2539 It shall be done.
  142. Lord Say
  143. 2540 Ah, countrymen! if when you make your prayers,
  144. 2541 God should be so obdurate as yourselves,
  145. 2542 How would it fare with your departed souls?
  146. 2543 And therefore yet relent, and save my life.
  147. Jack Cade
  148. 2544 Away with him! and do as I command ye.—
  149. [Exeunt some with Lord Say.]
  150. Jack Cade
  151. 2545 The proudest peer in the realm shall not
  152. 2546 wear a head on his shoulders unless he pay me tribute; there
  153. 2547 shall not a maid be married but she shall pay to me her
  154. 2548 maidenhead ere they have it. Men shall hold of me in capite;
  155. 2549 and we charge and command that their wives be as free as
  156. 2550 heart can wish or tongue can tell.
  157. Dick the Butcher
  158. 2551 My lord, when shall we go to Cheapside, and take up
  159. 2552 commodities upon our bills?
  160. Jack Cade
  161. 2553 Marry, presently.
  162. All
  163. 2554 O, brave!
  164. [Re-enter one with the heads.]
  165. Jack Cade
  166. 2555 But is not this braver? Let them kiss one another,
  167. 2556 for they loved well when they were alive. Now part them again,
  168. 2557 lest they consult about the giving up of some more towns in
  169. 2558 France.—Soldiers, defer the spoil of the city until night; for
  170. 2559 with these borne before us, instead of maces will we ride
  171. 2560 through the streets, and at every corner have them kiss.—Away!
  172. [Exeunt.]