This small inheritance my father left me

Contenteth me, and worth a monarchy.

I seek not to wax great by others’ waning,

Or gather wealth I care not with what envy;

Sufficeth that I have maintains my state,

And sends the poor well pleased from my gate.

⌈Cade rises to his knees⌉

CADE (aside) Zounds, here’s the lord of the soil come to seize me for a stray for entering his fee-simple without leave. (To Iden) A villain, thou wilt betray me and get a thousand crowns of the king by carrying my head to him; but I’ll make thee eat iron like an ostrich and swallow my sword like a great pin, ere thou and I part.

IDEN

Why, rude companion, whatsoe’er thou be,

I know thee not. Why then should I betray thee?

Is’t not enough to break into my garden,

And, like a thief, to come to rob my grounds,

Climbing my walls in spite of me the owner,

But thou wilt brave me with these saucy terms?

CADE Brave thee? Ay, by the best blood that ever was broached—and beard thee too! Look on me well—I have eat no meat these five days, yet come thou and thy five men, an if I do not leave you all as dead as a doornail I pray God I may never eat grass more.

IDEN

Nay, it shall ne’er be said while England stands

That Alexander Iden, an esquire of Kent,

Took odds to combat a poor famished man.

Oppose thy steadfast gazing eyes to mine—

See if thou canst outface me with thy looks.

Set limb to limb, and thou art far the lesser—

Thy hand is but a finger to my fist,

Thy leg a stick compared with this truncheon.

My foot shall fight with all the strength thou hast,

And if mine arm be heaved in the air,

Thy grave is digged already in the earth.

As for words, whose greatness answers words,

Let this my sword report what speech forbears.

(To his men) Stand you all aside.

CADE By my valour, the most complete champion that ever I heard. (To his sword) Steel, if thou turn the edge or cut not out the burly-boned clown in chines of beef ere thou sleep in thy sheath, I beseech God on my knees thou mayst be turned to hobnails.

⌈Cade stands.⌉ Here they fight, and Cade falls down

O, I am slain! Famine and no other hath slain me! Let ten thousand devils come against me, and give me but the ten meals I have lost, and I’d defy them all. Wither, garden, and be henceforth a burying place to all that do dwell in this house, because the unconquered soul of Cade is fled.

IDEN

Is’t Cade that I have slain, that monstrous traitor?

Sword, I will hallow thee for this thy deed

And hang thee o‘er my tomb when I am dead.

Ne’er shall this blood be wiped from thy point

But thou shalt wear it as a herald’s coat

To emblaze the honour that thy master got.

CADE Iden, farewell, and be proud of thy victory. Tell Kent from me she hath lost her best man, and exhort all the world to be cowards. For I, that never feared any, am vanquished by famine, not by valour.

He dies

IDEN

How much thou wrong’st me, heaven be my judge.

Die, damned wretch, the curse of her that bore thee!

And ⌈stabbing him again⌉ as I thrust thy body in with

my sword,

So wish I I might thrust thy soul to hell.

Hence will I drag thee headlong by the heels

Unto a dunghill, which shall be thy grave,

And there cut off thy most ungracious head,

Which I will bear in triumph to the King,

Leaving thy trunk for crows to feed upon.

Exeunt with the body

5.1 Enter the Duke of York and his army of Irish with a drummer and soldiers bearing colours

YORK

From Ireland thus comes York to claim his right,

And pluck the crown from feeble Henry’s head.

Ring, bells, aloud; burn, bonfires, clear and bright,

To entertain great England’s lawful king.

Ah, sancta maiestas! Who would not buy thee dear?

Let them obey that knows not how to rule;

This hand was made to handle naught but gold.

I cannot give due action to my words,

Except a sword or sceptre balance it.

A sceptre shall it have, have I as word,

On which I’ll toss the fleur-de-lis of France.

Enter the Duke of Buckingham

(Aside) Whom have we here? Buckingham to disturb

me?

The King hath sent him sure—I must dissemble.

BUCKINGHAM

York, if thou meanest well, I greet thee well.

YORK

Humphrey of Buckingham, I accept thy greeting.

Art thou a messenger, or come of pleasure?

BUCKINGHAM

A messenger from Henry, our dread liege,

To know the reason of these arms in peace;

Or why thou, being a subject as I am,

Against thy oath and true allegiance sworn,

Should raise so great a power without his leave,

Or dare to bring thy force so near the court?

YORK (aside)

Scarce can I speak, my choler is so great.

O, I could hew up rocks and fight with flint,

I am so angry at these abject terms;

And now, like Ajax Telamonius,

On sheep or oxen could I spend my fury.

I am far better born than is the King,

More like a king, more kingly in my thoughts;

But I must make fair weather yet a while,

Till Henry be more weak and I more strong.

(Aloud) Buckingham, I prithee pardon me,

That I have given no answer all this while;