Shakespeare Portal

Act 4, Scene 8

Southwark.

  1. [Alarum and retreat. Enter CADE and all his rabblement.]
  2. Jack Cade
  3. 2561 Up Fish Street! down Saint Magnus' Corner! kill
  4. 2562 and knock down! Throw them into Thames!
  5. [Sound a parley.]
  6. Jack Cade
  7. 2563 What noise is this I hear? Dare any be so bold to sound retreat
  8. 2564 or parley when I command them kill?
  9. [Enter BUCKINGHAM and old CLIFFORD, attended.]
  10. Duke of Buckingham
  11. 2565 Ay, here they be that dare and will disturb thee.
  12. 2566 Know, Cade, we come ambassadors from the king
  13. 2567 Unto the commons whom thou hast misled,
  14. 2568 And here pronounce free pardon to them all
  15. 2569 That will forsake thee and go home in peace.
  16. Lord Clifford
  17. 2570 What say ye, countrymen? will ye relent
  18. 2571 And yield to mercy whilst 't is offer'd you,
  19. 2572 Or let a rebel lead you to your deaths?
  20. 2573 Who loves the king and will embrace his pardon,
  21. 2574 Fling up his cap, and say 'God save his Majesty!'
  22. 2575 Who hateth him and honours not his father,
  23. 2576 Henry the Fifth, that made all France to quake,
  24. 2577 Shake he his weapon at us and pass by.
  25. All
  26. 2578 God save the king! God save the king!
  27. Jack Cade
  28. 2579 What, Buckingham and Clifford, are ye so brave?—
  29. 2580 And you, base peasants, do ye believe him? will you needs be
  30. 2581 hang'd with your about your necks? Hath my sword therefore
  31. 2582 broke through London gates, that you should leave me at the
  32. 2583 White Hart in Southwark? I thought ye would never have given
  33. 2584 out these arms till you had recovered your ancient freedom;
  34. 2585 but you are all recreants and dastards, and delight to live in
  35. 2586 slavery to the nobility. Let them break your backs with burthens,
  36. 2587 take your houses over your heads, ravish your wives and daughters
  37. 2588 before your faces. For me, I will make shift for one; and so,
  38. 2589 God's curse light upon you all!
  39. All
  40. 2590 We'll follow Cade, we'll follow Cade!
  41. Lord Clifford
  42. 2591 Is Cade the son of Henry the Fifth,
  43. 2592 That thus you do exclaim you'll go with him?
  44. 2593 Will he conduct you through the heart of France,
  45. 2594 And make the meanest of you earls and dukes?
  46. 2595 Alas, he hath no home, no place to fly to;
  47. 2596 Nor knows he how to live but by the spoil,
  48. 2597 Unless by robbing of your friends and us.
  49. 2598 Were 't not a shame that whilst you live at jar
  50. 2599 The fearful French, whom you late vanquished,
  51. 2600 Should make a start o'er seas and vanquish you?
  52. 2601 Methinks already in this civil broil
  53. 2602 I see them lording it in London streets,
  54. 2603 Crying 'Villiaco!' unto all they meet.
  55. 2604 Better ten thousand base-born Cades miscarry
  56. 2605 Than you should stoop unto a Frenchman's mercy.
  57. 2606 To France, to France, and get what you have lost;
  58. 2607 Spare England, for it is your native coast.
  59. 2608 Henry hath money, you are strong and manly;
  60. 2609 God on our side, doubt not of victory.
  61. All
  62. 2610 A Clifford! a Clifford! we'll follow the king and
  63. 2611 Clifford.
  64. Jack Cade
  65. 2612 Was ever feather so lightly blown to and fro as this
  66. 2613 multitude? The name of Henry the Fifth hales them to an hundred
  67. 2614 mischiefs and makes them leave me desolate. I see them lay their
  68. 2615 heads together to surprise me. My sword make way for me, for
  69. 2616 here is no staying.—In despite of the devils and hell, have
  70. 2617 through the very middest of you! and heavens and honour be
  71. 2618 witness
  72. 2619 that no want of resolution in me, but only my followers' base and
  73. 2620 ignominious treasons, makes me betake me to my heels.
  74. [Exit.]
  75. Duke of Buckingham
  76. 2621 What, is he fled?—Go some, and follow him;
  77. 2622 And he that brings his head unto the king
  78. 2623 Shall have a thousand crowns for his reward.—
  79. [Exeunt some of them.]
  80. Duke of Buckingham
  81. 2624 Follow me, soldiers; we'll devise a mean
  82. 2625 To reconcile you all unto the king.
  83. [Exeunt.]