God's name. Go, take him away, I say, and strike off his head presently: and then break into his sonin-law's house, Sir James Cromer, and strike off his head, and bring them both upon two poles hither.

All. It shall be done.

Than you should stoop unto a Frenchman's mercy.
To France, to France, and get what you have lost;
Spare England, for it is your native coast:
Henry hath money, you are strong and manly;
God on our side, doubt not of victory.

All. A Clifford! A Clifford! We'll follow the king,

prayers,

The proudest peer in the realm shall not wear a head on his shoulders, unless he pay me tribute; there shall not a maid be married, but she shall pay to me her maidenhead ere they have it: men shall hold of me in capite; and we charge and command, that their wives be as free as heart can wish, or tongue can tell.

Dick. My lord, when shall we go to Cheapside, and take up commodities upon our bills? Cade. Marry, presently.

All. O brave!

Re-enter Rebels, with the Heads of Lord SAY and his Son-in-law.

Cade. But is not this braver ?-Let them kiss one another, for they loved well, when they were alive. Now part them again, lest they consult about the giving up of some more towns in France. Soldiers, defer the spoil of the city until night: for with these borne before us, instead of maces, will we ride through the streets; and, at every corner have them kiss-Away! [Exeunt.

SCENE VIII-Southwark.

Alarum. Enter CADE, and all his Rabblement. Cade. Up Fish-street! Down Saint Magnus' corner! Kill and knock down? Throw them into Thames!

[A Parley sounded, then a Retreat. What noise is this I hear? Dare any be so bold to sound retreat or parley, when I command them kill?

Enter BUCKINGHAM, and old CLIFFORD, with Forces. Buck. Ay, here they be that dare and will dis

turb thee:

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.
Clif. 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 hang'd with your pardons about your necks? Hath my sword therefore 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 recover'd 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, 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, Unless by robbing of your friends, and us. Wer't not a shame, that, whilst you live at jar, The fearful French, whom you late vanquished, Should make a start o'er seas, and vanquish you? Methinks, already, in this civil broil, I see them lording it in London streets, Crying-Villageois! unto all they meet. Better, ten thousand base-born Čades miscarry.

Enter King HENRY, Queen MARGARET, and SoMERSET, on the Terrace of the Castle.

K. Hen. Was ever king, that joy'd an earthly throne,

And could command no more content than I?
No sooner was I crept out of my cradle,
But I was made a king, at nine months old:
Was never subject loug'd to be a king,
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,
surprized?
Or is he but retired to make him strong?

Enter, below, a great number of CADE's Followers, with Halters about their Necks.

Clif. He's fled, my lord, and all his powers do And humbly thus with halters on their necks, yield; Expect your highness' doom, of life, or death. K. Hen. Then, heaven, set ope thy everlasting

gates,

To entertam iny vows of thanks and praise!—–
Soldiers, this day have you redeem'd your lives,
And shew'd how well you love your prince and
Country:

Continue still in this so good a mind,
And Henry, though he be infortunate,
Assure yourselves, will never be unkind:
And so, with thanks, and pardon to you all,
I do dismiss you to your several countries.
All. God save the king! God save the king!

Enter a MESSENGER.

Mess. Please it your grace to be advertised, The duke of York is newly come from Ireland : And with a puissant and a mighty power, Of Gallowglasses, and stout Kernes, Is marching hitherward in proud array; And still proclaimeth, as he comes along, His arms are only to remove from thee The duke of Somerset, whom he terms a traitor. K. Hen. Thus stands my state, 'twixt Cade and

York distress'd;

Like to a ship, that, having escaped a tempest,
Is straightway calm'd, and boarded with a pirate:
But now is Cade driven back, his men dispersed;
And now is York in arms, to second him.--

I pray thee, Buckingham, go and meet him;
And ask him, what's the reason of these arms.
Tell him, I'll send duke Edmund to the Tower;--
And, Somerset, we will commit thee thither,
Until his army be dismiss'd from him.
Som. My lord,

I'll yield myself to prison willingly,
Or unto death, to do my country good.

K. Hen. In any case, be not too rough in terms; For he is fierce, and cannot brook hard language.

• Two orders of foot-soldiers among the Irish. + Only just now.

York. In all submission and humility, York doth present himself unto your highness. K. Hen. Then what intend these forces thou dost bring t

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.

Iden. If one so rude, and of so mean condition, May pass into the prensence of a king, Lo, I present your grace a traitor's head, The head of Cade, whom I in combat slew.

K. Hen. The head of Cade?-Great God, how just art thou!—

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 hun? Iden. I was, an't like your mejesty.

K. Hen. How art thou call'd? and what is thy degree?

Iden. Alexander Iden, that's my name; A poor esquire of Kent, that loves his king. Buck. So please it you, my lord, 'twere not amiss He were created knight for his good service. K. Hen. Iden, kneel down; [He kneels.] Rise up

a knight.

We give thee for reward a thousand marks;
And will, that thou henceforth attend on us.
Iden. May lden live to merit such a bounty,
And never live but true unto his liege⚫!

K. Hen. See, Buckingham! Somerset comes with the queen;

Go, bid her hide him quickly from the duke.

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? Then, York, unloose thy long-imprison'd thoughts, And let thy tongue be equal with thy heart. Shall I endure the sight of Somerset ?False king! Why hast thou broken faith with me, Knowing how hardly I can brook abuse? King did I call thee? No, thou art not king; Not fit to govern and rule multitudes, Which dar'st not, no, nor canst not rule a traitor. That head of thine doth not become a crown; Thy hand is made to grasp a palmer's staff, And not to grace an awful princely sceptre. That gold must round engirt these brows of mine; Whose smile and frown, like to Achilles' spear, Is able with the change to kill and cure. Here is a hand to hold a sceptre up, 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. Wouldst have me kneel? First let me ask
of these,

If they can brook I bow a knee to man.-
Sirrah, call in my sons to be my bail;
[Exit an Attendant.
I know, ere they will have me go to ward +,
They'll pawn their swords for my enfranchisement.
Q. Mar. Call hither, Clifford: bid him come

amain,

To say, if that the bastard boys of York
Shall be the surety for their traitor father.

York. O blood-bespotted Neapolitan,
Outcast of Naples, England's bloody scourge!
The sons of York, thy betters in their birth,
Shall be their father's bail; and bane to those
That for my surety will refuse the boys.
Enter EDWARD and RICHARD PLANTAGENET, with
Forces, at one side; at the other, with Forces also,
old CLIFFORD and his Son.

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
king!
[Kneels.
York. I thank thee, Clifford :-Say what news
with thee?

Nay, do not fright us with an angry look:
We are thy sovereign, Clifford, kneel again;
For thy mistaking so, we pardon thee.

Clif. This is my king, York, I do not mistake;
But thou mistak'st me much, to think I do :-
To bedlam 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,
And chop away that factious pate of his.

Q. Mar. He is arrested, but will not obey;
His sons, he says, shall give their words for him.
York. Will you not, sous?

Edw. Ay, noble father, if our words will serve. Rich. And if words will not, then our weapons shall.

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.That, with the very shaking of their chains, Call hither to the stake my two brave bears*, 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 mannacle the bear-ward in their chains,
If thou dar'st bring them to the baiting-place t.

Run back and bite, because he was withheld;
Rich. Oft have I seen a hot o'erweening cur
Who, being suffer'd with the bear's fell paw,
Hath clapped his tail between his legs, and cried:
If you oppose yourselves to match Lord Warwick.
And such a piece of service will you do,
Clif. Hence, heap of wrath, foul indigested lump,
As crooked in thy manners as thy shape!

York. Nay, we shall heat you thoroughly anon.
Clif. Take heed, lest by your heat you burn your-

selves.

Old Salisbury,-shame to thy silver hair,
Thou mad misleader of thy brain-sick son:
What, wilt thou on thy death-bed play the ruffian,
And seek for sorrow with thy spectacles?-
O, where is faith? O, where is loyalty?
If it be banish'd from the frosty head,
Where shall it find a harbour in the earth ?-
Wilt thou go dig a grave to find out war,
And shame thine honourable age with blood?
Why art thou old, and want'st experience?
Or wherefore dost abuse it, if thou hast it?
For shame! In duty bend thy knee to me,
That bows unto the grave with mickle age.

Sul. My lord, I have consider'd with myself
The title of this most renowned duke;
And in my conscience do repute his grace
The rightful heir to England's royal seat.

K. Hen. Hast thou not sworn allegiance unto me?
Sal. I have.

K. Hen. Canst thou dispense with heaven for such an oath ?

Sal. It is great sin, to swear unto a sin; But greater sin, to keep a sinful oath. Who can be bound by any solemn vow To do a murderous deed, to rob a man, To force a spotless virgin's chastity, To reave the orphan of his patrimony, To wring the widow from her custom'd right; And have no other reason for this wrong But that he was bound by a solemn oath ? 8. Men. Call Buckinglor needs no sophister. K. Hen. Call Buckingham, and bid him arm him. self.

York. Call Buckingham, and all the friends thou hast;

I am resolved for death, or dignity.

The Nevils, earls of Warwick, had a bear and

Bear keeper.

+ Custody, confinement

Bear-baiting was anciently a royal sport. See Stowe's account of Queen Elizabeth's Amusement of this kind.

true.

War. You were best to go to bed, and dream

again,

To keep thee from the tempest of the field.
Clif. I am resolved to bear a greater storm,
Than any thou canst conjure up to-day;
And that I'll write upon thy burgonet,
Might I but know thee by thy household badge.
War. Now by my father's badge, old Nevil's crest,
The rampant bear chain'd to the ragged staff,
This day I'll wear aloft my burgonet,
(As on a mountain top the cedar shews,
That keeps his leaves in spite of any storm),
Even to affright thee with the view thereof.

Clif. And from thy burgonet I'll rend thy bear,
And tread it under foot with all contempt,
Despight the bear-ward that protects the bear.
Y. Člif. And so to arms, victorious father,
To quell the rebels, and their 'complices.

Rich. Fie! Charity, for shame! Speak not in spite, For you shall sup with Jesu Christ to-night. Y. Clif. Foul stigmatic †, that's more than thou canst tell

Rich. If not in heaven, you'll surely sup in hell. [Exeunt severally.

SCENE II.-St. Albans.

Alarums.: Excursions.—Enter WARWICK. War. Clifford of Cumberland, 'tis Warwick calls! And if thou dost not hide thee from the bear, Now, when the angry trumpet sounds alarm, And dead men's cries do fill the empty air,Chitford, I say, come forth and fight with me! Proud northern lord, Clifford of Cumberland, Warwick is hoarse with calling thee to arms.

Enter YORK.

How now, my noble lord? What, all a-foot?
York. The deadly-handed Clifford slew my steed;
But match to match I have encountered him,
And made a prey for carrion kites and crows
Even of the bonny beast he loved so well.

War. Of one or both of us the time is come. York. Hold, Warwick, seek thee out some other chace,

For I myself must hunt this deer to death.
War. Then, nobly, York; 'tis for a crown thou
fight'st.-

As I intend, Clifford, to thrive to-day,
It grieves my soul to leave thee unassail'd.

[Erit Warwick. Clif. What seest thou in me, York? Why dost thou pause?

York. With thy brave bearing should I be in love, But that thou art so fast mine enemy.

Clif. Nor should thy prowess want praise and es

teem,

But that 'tis shewn ignobly, and in treason.

York. So let it help me now against thy sword, As I in justice and true right express it!

Clif. My soul and body on the action both!York. A dreadful lay f!-Address thee instantly. [They fight, and Clifford falls. Clif. La fin couronne les oeuvres ? [Dies. York. Thus war hath given thee peace, for thou art still. Peace with his soul, heaven, if it be thy will. [Exit.

Enter Young CLIFFORD.

Y. Clif. Shame and confusion! All is on the rout;
Fear frames disorder, and disorder wounds
Where it should guard. O war, thou son of hell,
Whom angry heavens do make their minister,
Throw in the frozen bosoms of our part
Hot coals of vengeances!—Let no soldier fly:
He, that is truly dedicate to war,

Hath no self-love; nor he, that loves himself,
Hath not essentially, but by circumstance,
The name of valour.-O, let the vile world end,
Seeing his dead Father.
And the premised [ flames of the last day

Now let the general trumpet blow his blast,
Particularities and petty sounds

To cease-Wast thou ordain'd, dear father,
To lose thy youth in peace, and to achieve +
The silver livery of advised age;

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 Absyrus did:
In cruelty will I seek out my fame.
Come, thou new ruin of old Clifford's house;
[Taking up the Body.
As did Æneas 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.

Q. Mar. What are you made of? You'll not fight, nor fly:

Now is it manhood, wisdom, and defence,
To give the enemy way; and to secure us
By what we can, which can no more but fly.

[Alarum afar off. If you be taken, we then should see the bottom Of all our fortunes: but if we haply scape (As well we may, if not through your neglect,) We shall to London get; where you are loved; And where this breach, now in our fortunes made, May readily be stopp'd.

Enter Young Clifford.

Y. Clif. But that my heart's on future misc biet set,

I would speak blasphemy ere bid you fly;
But fly you must; uncurable discomfit
Reigns in the hearts of all our present parts ¶.
Away, for your relief! and we will live
To see their day, and them our fortune give:
Away, my lord, away!
[Exeuni

SCENE III.-Fields near Saint Albans. Alarum: Retreat.- Flourish; then enter YORK, RICHARD PLANTAGENET, WARWICK, and Sol· diers, with Drum and Colours.

York. Of Salisbury, who can report of him;
That winter lion, who, in rage, forgets
Aged contusions and all brush of time **;
And, like a gallant in the brow of youth #,
Repairs him with occasion? This happy day
Is not itself, nor have we won one foot,
If Salisbury be lost.

Rich. My noble father,

Considerate. In that period of life, which is entitled to the reverence of others.

The death of Somerset here accomplishes that equivocal prediction given by Jourdain, the witch, concerning this duke.

For Parties.

* Gradual detrition of time, #i. e. The height of youth: the brow of a hill

is its summit.

Three times to-day I holp him to his horse,
Three times bestrid him, thrice I led him off,
Persuaded him from any further act:

But still, where danger was, still there I met him;
And like rich hangings in a homely house,
So was his will in his old feeble body.
But, noble as he is, look where he comes.
Enter SALISBURY.

Sal. Now, by my sword, well hast thou fought to-day ;

By the mass, so did we all.-I thank you, Richard:
God knows, how long it is I have to live;
And it hath pleased him, that three times to-day
You have defended me from imminent death.-
Well, lords, we have not got that which we have +:

• i. e. Three times I saw him fallen, and, striding over him, defended him till he recovered.

+ We have not secured what we have acquired. j