Since justice keeps not them in greater awe,

We’ll be ourselves rough ministers at law.

CLOWN BETTS

Use no more swords,

Nor no more words,

But fire the houses,

Brave Captain Courageous,

Fire me their houses.

DOLL Ay, for we may as well make bonfires on May Day as at Midsummer. We’ll alter the day in the calendar, and set it down in flaming letters.

SHERWIN

Stay, no, that would much endanger the whole city,

Whereto I would not the least prejudice.

DOLL No, nor I neither: so may mine own house be burned for company. I’ll tell ye what: we’ll drag the strangers into Moorfields, and there bumbaste them till they stink again.

CLOWN BETTS And that’s soon done, for they smell for fear already.

GEORGE BETTS

Let some of us enter the strangers’ houses,

And, if we find them there, then bring them forth.

DOLL But if ye bring them forth ere ye find them, I’ll ne’er allow of that. so

CLOWN BETTS

Now Mars for thy honour,

Dutch or French,

So it be a wench,

I’ll upon her.

[Exeunt Sherwin, Clown Betts, and others]

LINCOLN WILLIAMSON

Now, lads, how shall we labour in our safety?

I hear the Mayor hath gathered men in arms,

And that Sheriff More an hour ago received

Some of the Privy Council in at Ludgate.

Force now must make our peace, or else we fall.

’Twill soon be known we are the principal.

DOLL And what of that? If thou beest afraid, husband, go home again and hide thy head, for, by the Lord, I’ll have a little sport now we are at it.

GEORGE BETTS

Let’s stand upon our swords, and if they come

Receive them as they were our enemies.

Enter Sherwin, [Clown Betts,] and the rest

CLOWN BETTS A purchase, a purchase! We have found, we ha’ found—

DOLL What?

CLOWN BETTS Nothing. Not a French Fleming nor a Fleming French to be found, but all fled, in plain English.

LINCOLN ⌈to Sherwin⌉

How now, have you found any?

SHERWIN No, not one, they’re all fled.

LINCOLN

Then fire the houses, that, the Mayor being busy

About the quenching of them, we may scape.

Burn down their kennels! Let us straight away,

Lest this day prove to us an ill May Day.

Exeunt all but Clown

CLOWN BETTS

Fire, fire! I’ll be the first.

If hanging come, ’tis welcome; that’s the worst.

Exit

[Addition II (Heywood)]

[Addition II (playhouse scribe)]

Sc. 5 Enter at one door Sir Thomas More and Lord Mayor; at another door Sir John Munday, hurt

LORD MAYOR What, Sir John Munday, are you hurt?

SIR JOHN

A little knock, my lord. There was even now

A sort of prentices playing at cudgels.

I did command them to their masters’ houses,

But one of them, backed by the other crew,

Wounded me in the forehead with his cudgel;

And now, I fear me, they are gone to join

With Lincoln, Sherwin, and their dangerous train.

MORE

The captains of this insurrection

Have ta‘en themselves to arms, and came but now

To both the Counters, where they have released

Sundry indebted prisoners, and from thence

I hear that they are gone into St Martin’s,

Where they intend to offer violence

To the amazed Lombards. Therefore, my lord,

If we expect the safety of the city,

’Tis time that force or parley do encounter

With these displeased men.

Enter a Messenger

LORD MAYOR

How now, what news?

MESSENGER

My lord, the rebels have broke open Newgate,

From whence they have delivered many prisoners, zo

Both felons and notorious murderers

That desperately cleave to their lawless train.

LORD MAYOR

Up with the drawbridge! Gather some forces

To Cornhill and Cheapside. And, gentlemen,

If diligence be used on every side,

A quiet ebb will follow this rough tide.

Enter Shrewsbury, Surrey, Palmer; Cholmley

SHREWSBURY

Lord Mayor, his majesty, receiving notice

Of this most dangerous insurrection,

Hath sent my lord of Surrey and myself,

Sir Thomas Palmer, and our followers

To add unto your forces our best means

For pacifying of this mutiny.

In God’s name, then, set on with happy speed.

The King laments if one true subject bleed.

SURREY

I hear they mean to fire the Lombards’ houses.

O power, what art thou in a madman’s eyes!

Thou mak’st the plodding idiot bloody-wise.

MORE

My lords, I doubt not but we shall appease

With a calm breath this flux of discontent.

PALMER

To call them to a parley questionless

May fall out good. ’Tis well said, Master More.

MORE

Let’s to these simple men, for many sweat

Under this act that knows not the law’s debt

Which hangs upon their lives. For silly men

Plod on they know not how; like a fool’s pen

That, ending, shows not any sentence writ

Linked but to common reason or slightest wit.

These follow for no harm, but yet incur

Self penalty with those that raised this stir.

I’ God’s name on, to calm our private foes

With breath of gravity, not dangerous blows.

Exeunt

Sc. 6 Enter Lincoln, Doll, Clown [Betts,] George Betts, Williamson, [Sherwin,] others: [Citizens,] [armed]

[Addition II (playhouse scribe)]

[Addition II (Shakespeare)]

LINCOLN Peace, hear me! He that will not see a red herring at a Harry groat, butter at eleven pence a pound, meal at nine shillings a bushel, and beef at four nobles a stone, list to me.