Enter BUCKINGHAM, and Old CLIFFORD, with 'Buck. Ay, here they be that dare and will dis- Know, Cade, we come ambassadors from the king Unto the commons whom thou hast misled; And here pronounce free pardon to them all, That will forsake thee, and go home in peace. Cliff. What say ye, countrymen? will ye relent, And yield to mercy, whilst 'tis offer'd you; Or let a rabble lead you to your deaths? Who loves the king, and will embrace his pardon, Fling up his cap, and say-God save his majesty ! Who hateth him, and honours not his father, Henry the Fifth, that made all France to quake, Shake he his weapon at us, and pass by. 'All. God save the king! God save the king! Cade. What, Buckingham, and Clifford, are ye so brave?-And you, base peasants, do ye believe him? will you needs be hanged with your " pardons about your necks? Hath my sword there'fore broke through London Gates, that you should leave me at the White Hart in Southwark? I thought, ye would never have given out these arms, till you had recovered your ancient freedom: but you are all recreants, and dastards; and delight to live in slavery to the nobility. Let them break your backs with burdens, take your houses over your heads, ravish your wives and daughters before your faces; For me,-I will " make shift for one; and so-God's curse 'light upon you all! "All. We'll follow Cade, we'll follow Cade. 'Clif. Is Cade the son of Henry the Fifth, That thus you do exclaim-you'll go with him? 'Will he conduct you through the heart of France, 6 And make the meanest of you earls and dukes? Alas, he hath no home, no place to fly to; Nor knows he how to live, but by the spoil, I see them lording it in London streets, Henry hath money, you are strong and manly; All. A Clifford a Clifford! we'll follow the king, and Clifford, Cade. Was ever feather so lightly blown to and fro, as this multitude? the name of Henry the Fifth hales them to a hundred mischiefs, and makes them leave me desolate. I see them lay their heads together, to surprise me my sword make for me, for here is no staying.--In despight of the devils and hell, have through the very midst of you! and heavens and honour be witness, that no want of resolution in me, but only my follow⚫ers' base and ignominious treasons, makes me betake me to my heels. [Exit. way Buck. What, is he fled? go some, and follow [Exeunt some of them. | Follow me, soldiers; we'll devise a mean *K. Hen. Was ever king that joy'd an earthly throne, And could command no more content than I? * But I was made a king, at nine months old: ' * As I do long and wish to be a subject. Enter BUCKINGHAM and CLIFFORD. *Buck. Health, and glad tidings, to your majesty! *K. Hen. Why, Buckingham, is the traitor, Cade, surpris'd? Enter, below, a great number of CADE's Followers, * Or is he but retir'd to make him strong? with Halters about their Necks. Clif. He's fled, my lord, and all his powers do yield; And humbly thus, with halters on their necks, gates, To entertain my vows of thanks and praise !— country: Continue still in this so good a mind, And so, with thanks, and pardon to you all, Mess. Please it your grace to be advertised, * His arms are only to remove from thee Like to a ship, that, having scap'd a tempest, And ask him, what's the reason of these arms, For he is fierce, and cannot brook hard language. K. Hen. Come, wife, let's in, and learn to govern better: For yet may England curse my wretched reign. [Exeunt. SCENE X. Kent. Iden's Garden. Enter CADE *Cade. Fye on ambition! fye on myself; that 1 So all the historians agree; and yet in Part I. Act The second folio printed by mistake claimed; and the iii. Sc. 4, King Henry is made to say : I do remember how my father said a plain proof that the whole of that play was not written by the same hand as this. 2 The Galloglasse useth a kind of pollax for his weapon. These men are grim of countenance, tall of stature, big of limme, lusty of body, wel and strongly timbered. The kerne is an ordinary foot-soldier, using for weapon his sword and target, and sometimes his piece, being commonly good markmen.'-Stanihurst's Descript. of Ireland, c. vin. f. 21 ave: 3 The first folio reads calme; which may be right. third folio calm'd. This reading has been adopted as most perspicuous, and because in Othello we must be be-lee'd and calm'd,' 4 But is here not adversative. 'It was only just now (says Henry,) that Cade and his followers were routed.> 5A gentleman of Kent, named Alexander Eden, awaited so his time, that he took the said Cade in a gar den in Sussex, so that there he was slaine at Hothfield,' &c.-Holinshed, p. 635. This Iden was, in fact, the new sheriff of Kent, who had followed Cade from Rochester.'-William of Wyrcester, p. 472. *have a sword, and yet am ready to famish! These *five days have I hid me in these woods; and * durst not peep out, for all the country is lay'd for *me: but now am I so hungry, that if I might have *a lease of my life for a thousand years, I could stay no longer. Wherefore, on a brick-wall have I climbed into this garden; to see if I can eat grass, or pick a sallet another while, which is not *amiss to cool a man's stomach this hot weather. And, I think, this word sallet was born to do me good: for, many a time, but for a sallet, my brain-pan had been cleft with a brown bill; and, many a time when I have been dry, and bravely marching, it hath served me instead of a quart'pot to drink in; and now the word sallet must *serve me to feed on. And sends the poor well pleased from my gate. Cade. Here's the lord of the soil come to seize me for a stray, for entering his fee-simple without 'leave. Ah, villain, thou wilt betray me, and get ' a thousand crowns of the king for 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 and 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, and if I do not leave you all as dead as a door nail, 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, is digg'd already in the earth. As for words, whose greatness answers words, Let this my sword report what speech forbears. Cade. By my valour, the most complete champion that ever I heard.-'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 mayest be turned to hobnails. [They fight; CADE falls.] 0, I am 4 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 ing-place to all that do dwell in this house, because the unconquered soul of Cade is fled. 'Iden. Is'i 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, [Dies. not by valour. * Iden. How much thou wrong'st me, heaven be my judge. *Die, damned wretch, the curse of her that bare thee! * And as I thrust thy body in with my sword, Unto a dunghill, which shall be thy grave, [Exit, dragging out the Body. ACT V. Fields between Dartford SCENE I. The same. and Blackheath. The King's Camp on one side. On the other, enter YORK attended with Drum and Colours: his Forces at some distance. "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 majestas! who would not buy thee dear? Enter BUCKINGHAM. Whom have we here? Buckingham, to disturb me? The king hath sent him, sure: I must dissemble. Buck. 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? Buck. 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'st raise so great a power without his leave, Or dare to bring thy force so near the court. 'York. Scarce can I speak, my choler is I am so angry at these abject terms; And now, like Ajax Telamonius, all. Wither, garden; and be henceforth a bury-On sheep or oxen could I spend my fury! 1 A sallet is a helmet. 2 See note on the Second Part of King Henry IV. Act v. Sc. 3. 3 Johnson explains this, 'As for words, whose pomp and rumour may answer words, and only words, I shall forbear them, and refer the rest to my sword.” 4 In the folio I beseech Jove' was substituted to avoid the penalty of the statute, 3 Jac. I. c. 2, against profane swearing. Cade was very unlikely to swear by Jove. 5 This sentiment is much more correctly expressed in the quarto: O sword, I'll honour thee for this, and in my chamber Shalt thou hang, as a monument to after age, For this great service thou hast done to me.' Aside. 6 Johnson erroneously interprets this, 'In supposing that I am proud of my victory. Iden evidently means that Cade wrongs him by undervaluing his prowess. 7 Not to dwell upon the wickedness of this horrid wish, with which Iden debases his character, the whole of this speech is wild and confused. The quarto is more favourable both to Iden's morality and language. This faulty amplification was owing to the desire of expanding a scanty thought in the old play. It can hardly be treated as an interpolation, however we may desire to strong. Aside. O Buckingham, I pr'ythee, pardon me, Soldiers, I thank you all: disperse yourselves; I'll send them all as willing as I live; *Lands, goods, horse, armour, any thing I have *Is his to use, so Somerset may die. Buck. York, I commend this kind submission: We twain will go into his highness' tent. Enter KING HENRY, attended. K. Hen. Buckingham, doth York intend no harm to us, Enter QUEEN MARGARET and SOMERSET. 'Q. Mar. For thousand Yorks he shall not hide his head, 'But boldly stand, and front him to his face. York. How now! Is Somerset at liberty? False king! why hast thou broken faith with me, And with the same to act controlling laws. 'Give place; by heaven, thou shalt rule no more 'O'er him, whom heaven created for thy ruler. Som. O monstrous traitor!-I arrest thee, York, 'Of capital treason 'gainst the king and crown: *Obey, audacious traitor; kneel for grace. *York. Would'st have me kneel? first let me ask of these, * *If they can brook I bow a knee to man.— That thus he marcheth with thee arm in arm? * York. In all submission and humility, * York doth present himself unto your highness. *K. Hen. Then what intend these forces thou* dost bring? *York. To heave the traitor Somerset from hence; And fight against that monstrous rebel, Cade, Who since I heard to be discomfited. Enter IDEN, with CADE's Head. Hlen. If one so rude, and of so mean condition, 'K. Hen. The head of Cade ?-Great God, how 'O, let me view his visage being dead, That living wrought me such exceeding trouble. Tell me, my friend, art thou the man that slew him? Iden. I was, an't like your majesty. *To say, if that the bastard boys of York Enter EDWARD and RICHARD PLANTAGENET *See, where they come; I'll warrant they'll make it good. *Q. Mar. And here comes Clifford, to deny " their bail. Clif. Health and all happiness to my lord the [Kneels. king! "York. I thank thee, Clifford: Say, what news with thee? Nay, do not fright us with an angry look: K. Hen. How art thou call'd? and what is thy For thy mistaking so, we pardon thee. degree? Iden. Alexander Iden, that's my name; Buck. So please it you, my lord, 'twere not amiss "We give thee for reward a thousand marks; And will, that thou henceforth attend on us. Iden. May Iden live to merit such a bounty,' And never five but true unto his liege! 'K. Hen. See, Buckingham! Somerset comes with the queen: Go, bid her hide him quickly from the duke. Clif. This is my king, York, I do not mistake; But thou mistak'st me much, to think I do : 'To Bedlam4 with him? is the man grown mad? 'K. Hen. Ay, Clifford; a bedlam and ambitious humour Makes him oppose himself against his king. Clif. He is a traitor; let him to the Tower, Edw. Ay, noble father, if our words will serve. shall. 4 This has been thought an anachronism; but Stowe shows that it is not: Next unto the parish of St. Buttolph is a fayre inne for receipt of travellers; then an hospitall of S. Mary of Bethlehem, founded by Simon Fitz-Mary, one of the Sheriffes of London, in the years 1246. He founded it to have beene a priorie of cannons with brethren and sisters, and King Edward the Thirde granted a protection, which I have seene, for the brethren Milicia beatæ Maria de Bethlem, within the citie of London, the 14th yeare of his raigne. It was an hos pitall for distracted people.-Survey of London, p 127, 1599. *Clif. Why, what a brood of traitors have we here! * York. Look in a glass, and call thy image so; I am thy king, and thou a false-heart traitor.-Call hither to the stake my two brave bears,' *That, with the very shaking of their chains, *They may astonish these fell lurking curs; * Bid Salisbury, and Warwick, come to me. Drums. Enter WARWICK and SALISBURY, with Forces. Clif. Are these thy bears? we'll bait thy bears to death, And manacle the bearward in their chains, As crooked in thy manners as thy shape! Clif. The first I warrant thee, if dreams prove true. 'War. You were best to go to bed, and dream To keep thee from the tempest of the field. crest, The rampant bear chain'd to the ragged staff, canst tell. 4 "Rich. If not in heaven, you'll surely sup in hell. [Exeunt severally. K. Hen. Why, Warwick, hath thy knee forgot SCENE II. Saint Albans. Alarums: Excurto bow? *Old Salisbury,-shame to thy silver hair, * K. Hen. Hast thou not sworn allegiance unto * Sal. I have. sions. Enter WARWICK. War. Clifford of Cumberland, 'tis Warwick calls! How now, my noble lord? what, all a-foot? But match to match I have encounter'd him, ' War. Of one or both of us the time is come. * K. Hen. Canst thou dispense with heaven for For I myself must hunt this deer to death. such an oath ? *Sal. It is great sin, to swear unto a sin; * But that he was bound by a solemn oath? 'York. Call Buckingham, and all the friends thou 'I am resolv'd for death or dignity. I The Nevils, earls of Warwick, had a bear and ragged staff for their crest. 2 Bear-baiting was not only a popular but a royal entertainment in the poet's time. See Stowe's account of Queen Elizabeth's amusements of this kind, or Laneham's Letter concerning the entertainments at Kenelworth Castle. Being suffer'd to approach the bear's fell paw may be the meaning; but it is probable that aufferd is used for made to suffer. 3A burgonet is a helmet; a Burgundian's steel cap er casque. War. Then, nobly, York; 'tis for a crown thou 8 The author, in making Clifford fall by the hand of York, has departed from the truth of history, a practice not uncommon with him when he does his utmost to 4 One on whom nature has set a mark of deformity, make his characters considerable. This circumstance, 1 stigma. It was originally and properly a person however, serves to prepare the reader or spectator for who had been branded with a hot iron for some crime. the vengeance afterwards taken by Clifford's son on One notably defamed for naughtiness.' See Bullokar's York and Rutland. At the beginning of the third part Expositor, 1616; or Blount's Glossography, 1671. of this drama the poet has forgot this circumstance, and H *Fear frames disorder, and disorder wounds And the premised' flames of the last day To cease!2-Wast thou ordain'd, dear father, And, in thy reverence, and thy chair-days, thus *To die in ruffian battle ?-Even at this sight, *My heart is turn'd to stone: and, while 'tis mine, *It shall be stony. York not our old men spares; *No more will I their babes: tears virginal * Shall be to me even as the dew to fire; *And beauty, that the tyrant oft reclaims, Shall to my flaming wrath be. oil and flax. Henceforth I will not have to do with pity: *Meet I an infant of the house of York, Into as many gobbets will I cut it, As wild Medea young Absyrtus did :6 In cruelty will I seek out my fame. Come, thou new ruin of old Clifford's house: [Taking up the body. As did Eneas old Anchises bear, So bear I thee upon my manly shoulders: *But then Æneas bare a living load, *Nothing so heavy as these woes of mine. [Exit. Enter RICHARD PLANTAGENET and SOMERSET, fighting, and SOMERSET is killed. Rich. So, lie thou there ; For underneath an alehouse' paltry sign, The Castle in Saint Albans, Somerset Hath made the wizard famous in his death."*Sword, hold thy temper; heart, be wrathful still: Priests pray for enemies, but princes kill. [Exit. Alarums: Excursions. Enter KING HENRY, QUEEN MARGARET, and others, retreating. Q. Mar. Away, my lord! you are slow; for shame, away! there represents Clifford's death as it really pened: *K. Hen. Can we outrun the heavens? good Margaret, stay. * Q. Mar. What are you made of? you'll not Nor is it manhood, wisdom, and defence, If you be ta'en, we then should see the bottom to-day; By the mass, so did we all.-I thank you, Richard: And it hath pleas'd him, that three times to-day You have defended me from imminent death.*Well, lords, we have not got that which we have;1 *'Tis not enough our foes are this time fled, * Being opposites of such repairing nature.15 "York. I know, our safety is to follow them; For, as I hear, the king is fled to London, Chronicles represented as accomplishing them: being hap-delivered in obscure terms, any fortuitous event was the more readily supposed to verify them. Lord Clifford, and Lord Stafford, all abreast, Charg'd our main battle's front, and, breaking in, Were by the swords of common soldiers slain.' These lines were adopted by Shakspeare from The True Tragedy of Richard Duke of York, upon which the Third Part of King Henry VI, is founded. 1 Premised is sent before their time. The sense is 'ler the flames reserved for the last day be sent now.' 2 To cease is to stop, a verb active. 3 To achieve is to arrive at, or accomplish. 4 i. e. circumspect, cautious. 5 In that period of life which is entitled to command reverence. Reverenda canities. Shakspeare has used the word in the same manner in As You Like It, where Orlando says to his brother (speaking of their father) 'thou art indeed nearer to his reverence. 6 When Medea fled with Jason from Colchos, she murdered her brother Absyrtus, and cut his body into several pieces, that her father might be prevented for some time from pursuing her. 7 The death of Somerset here accomplishes that equivocal prediction of Jourdain the witch in the first act :- Let him shun castles: Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains Such equivocal predictions were much in vogue in early times and the fall of many eminent persons is by the 8 This line, Steevens observes, may serve to countenance his emendation of a passage at the commencement of the third scene, Act iv. of Macbeth, where he proposed to read and wisdom is it to offer,' &c. See note on that passage. 9 This expression, the bottom of all our fortunes, is peculiarly Shakspeare's; he has it in King Henry IV. Part 1.: The very bottom and the soul of hope, 10 Parts may stand for parties; but I cannot help thinking that it is an error for party; by which, as Mr. Tyrwhitt and Steevens observe, the jingle of hearts and parts would be avoided. 11 Warburton would substitute 'all bruise of time.' But, as Steevens observes, the brush of time' is the gradual detrition of time. 12 i. e. the height of youth: the brow of a hill is its summit. 13 That is three times I saw him fallen, and striding over him defended him till he recovered.' 14 i. e. we have not secured that which we have acquired. 15 i. e. being enemies that are likely so soon to rally and recover themselves from this defeat. To repair, in ancient language, was to renovate, to restore to a former condition. |