STAFFORD Ay, sir.

CADE

By her he had two children at one birth.

STAFFORD’S BROTHER That’s false.

CADE

Ay, there’s the question—but I say ’tis true.

The elder of them, being put to nurse,

Was by a beggar-woman stol’n away,

And, ignorant of his birth and parentage,

Became a bricklayer when he came to age.

His son am I—deny it an you can.

BUTCHER

Nay, ’tis too true—therefore he shall be king.

WEAVER Sir, he made a chimney in my father’s house,

and the bricks are alive at this day to testify. Therefore

deny it not.

STAFFORD (to Cade’s followers)

And will you credit this base drudge’s words

That speaks he knows not what?

ALL CADE’S FOLLOWERS

Ay, marry, will we—therefore get ye gone.

STAFFORD’S BROTHER

Jack Cade, the Duke of York hath taught you this.

CADE (aside)

He lies, for I invented it myself.

(Aloud) Go to, sirrah—tell the King from me that for

his father’s sake, Henry the Fifth, in whose time boys

went to span-counter for French crowns, I am content

he shall reign; but I’ll be Protector over him.

BUTCHER And, furthermore, we’ll have the Lord Saye’s head for selling the dukedom of Maine.

CADE And good reason, for thereby is England maimed, and fain to go with a staff, but that my puissance holds it up. Fellow-kings, I tell you that that Lord Saye hath gelded the commonwealth, and made it an eunuch, and, more than that, he can speak French, and therefore he is a traitor!

STAFFORD

O gross and miserable ignorance !

CADE Nay, answer if you can: the Frenchmen are our enemies; go to, then, I ask but this—can he that speaks with the tongue of an enemy be a good counsellor or no?

ALL CADE’S FOLLOWERS No, no—and therefore we’ll have his head!

STAFFORD’S BROTHER (to Stafford)

Well, seeing gentle words will not prevail,

Assail them with the army of the King.

STAFFORD

Herald, away, and throughout every town

Proclaim them traitors that are up with Cade;

That those which fly before the battle ends

May, even in their wives’ and children’s sight,

Be hanged up for example at their doors.

And you that be the King’s friends, follow me!

Exeunt ⌈The Staffords and their soldiers⌉

CADE

And you that love the commons, follow me!

Now show yourselves men—’tis for liberty.

We will not leave one lord, one gentleman—

Spare none but such as go in clouted shoon,

For they are thrifty honest men, and such

As would, but that they dare not, take our parts.

BUTCHER They are all in order, and march toward us.

CADE

But then are we in order when we are

Most out of order. Come, march forward! ⌈Exeunt⌉

4.3 Alarums to the fight; ⌈excursions,⌉ wherein both the Staffords are slain. Enter Jack Cade, Dick the Butcher, and the rest

CADE Where’s Dick, the butcher of Ashford?

BUTCHER Here, sir.

CADE They fell before thee like sheep and oxen, and thou behaved’st thyself as if thou hadst been in thine own slaughterhouse. Therefore, thus will I reward thee—the Lent shall be as long again as it is. Thou shalt have licence to kill for a hundred, lacking one.

BUTCHER I desire no more.

CADE And to speak truth, thou deserv’st no less. ⌈He apparels himself in the Staffords’ armour⌉ This monument of the victory will I bear, and the bodies shall be dragged at my horse heels till I do come to London, where we will have the Mayor’s sword borne before us.

BUTCHER If we mean to thrive and do good, break open the jails and let out the prisoners.

CADE Fear not that, I warrant thee. Come, let’s march towards London.

Exeunt, ⌈dragging the Staffords’ bodies⌉

4.4 Enter King Henry ⌈reading⌉ a supplication, Queen Margaret carrying Suffolk’s head, the Duke of Buckingham, and the Lord Saye, ⌈with others⌉

QUEEN MARGARET ⌈aside⌉

Oft have I heard that grief softens the mind,

And makes it fearful and degenerate;

Think, therefore, on revenge, and cease to weep.

But who can cease to weep and look on this?

Here may his head lie on my throbbing breast,

But where’s the body that I should embrace?

BUCKINGHAM (to King Henry)

What answer makes your grace to the rebels’ supplication?

KING HENRY

I’ll send some holy bishop to entreat,

For God forbid so many simple souls

Should perish by the sword. And I myself,

Rather than bloody war shall cut them short,

Will parley with Jack Cade their general.

But stay, I’ll read it over once again.

He reads

QUEEN MARGARET (to Suffolk’s head)

Ah, barbarous villains! Hath this lovely face

Ruled like a wandering planet over me,

And could it not enforce them to relent,

That were unworthy to behold the same?

KING HENRY

Lord Saye, Jack Cade hath sworn to have thy head.

SAYE

Ay, but I hope your highness shall have his.

KING HENRY (to Queen Margaret)

How now, madam? Still lamenting and mourning

Suffolk’s death?

I fear me, love, if that I had been dead,

Thou wouldest not have mourned so much for me.

QUEEN MARGARET

No, my love, I should not mourn, but die for thee. Enter a Messenger, Fin haste⌉

KING HENRY

How now? What news? Why com’st thou in such haste?

MESSENGER

The rebels are in Southwark—fly, my lord!

Jack Cade proclaims himself Lord Mortimer,

Descended from the Duke of Clarence’ house,

And calls your grace usurper, openly,

And vows to crown himself in Westminster.

His army is a ragged multitude

Of hinds and peasants, rude and merciless.

Sir Humphrey Stafford and his brother’s death

Hath given them heart and courage to proceed.

All scholars, lawyers, courtiers, gentlemen,

They call false caterpillars and intend their death.

KING HENRY