Perhaps prevail more than we can with power.
SHREWSBURY
Believe me but your honour well advises.
Let us make haste, or I do greatly fear
Some to their graves this morning’s work will bear.
Exeunt
Sc. 4 Enter Lincoln, Betts, Williamson, Doll. Enter Lincoln, [George] Betts, [Clown Betts,] Williamson, Sherwin, and other, armed; Doll in a shirt of mail, a headpiece, sword and buckler; a crew attending
[Original Text (Munday)]
[Addition Il (Heywood)]
CLOWN BETTS Come, come, we’ll tickle their turnips, we’ll butter their boxes! Shall strangers rule the roast? Yes, but we’ll baste the roast. Come, come, aflaunt, aflaunt!
GEORGE BETTS
Brother, give place, and hear John Lincoln speak.
CLOWN BETTS
Ay, Lincoln, my leader,
And Doll, my true breeder,
With the rest of our crew
Shall ran-tan-tarra-ran.
Do all they what they can,
Shall we be bobbed, braved?—No!
Shall we be held under?—No)
We are free born
And do take scorn
To be used so.
DOLL
Peace there, I say! Hear Captain Lincoln speak.
Keep silence till we know his mind at large.
CLOWN BETTS [to Lincoln] Then largely deliver. Speak, bully, and he that presumes to interrupt thee in thy oration, this for him!
LINCOLN
Then gallant bloods, you whose free souls do scorn
To bear the enforced wrongs of aliens,
Add rage to resolution. Fire the houses
Of these audacious strangers. This is St Martin’s,
And yonder dwells Meautis, a wealthy Picardy,
At the Green Gate;
De Barde, Peter van Hollak, Adrian Martin,
With many more outlandish fugitives.
Shall these enjoy more privilege than we
In our own country? Let’s then become their slaves.
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
L
inked 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.
OTHER GEORGE BETTS It will come to that pass if strangers be suffered. Mark him.
LINCOLN Our country is a great eating country; argo they eat more in our country than they do in their own.
OTHER CLOWN BETTS By a halfpenny loaf a day, troy weight.
LINCOLN They bring in strange roots, which is merely to the undoing of poor prentices. For what’s a sorry parsnip to a good heart?
OTHER WILLIAMSON Trash, trash. They breed sore eyes, and ’tis enough to infect the city with the palsy.
LINCOLN Nay, it has infected it with the palsy, for these bastards of dung—as you know, they grow in dung—have infected us, and it is our infection will make the city shake. Which partly comes through the eating of parsnips.
OTHER CLOWN BETTS True, and pumpkins together.
Enter ⌈a Sergeant-at-arms⌉
SERGEANT
What say ye to the mercy of the King?
Do you refuse it?
LINCOLN You would have us upon th’ hip, would you? No, marry, do we not. We accept of the King’s mercy, but we will show no mercy upon the strangers.
SERGEANT You are the simplest things that ever stood In such a question.
LINCOLN How say you now, prentices? Prentices ‘simple’? Down with him!
ALL CITIZENS Prentices simple? Prentices simple?
Enter the Lord Mayor, Surrey, Shrewsbury, [More, Palmer]
SHREWSBURY MAYOR
Hold, in the King’s name, hold!
SURREY Friends, masters, countrymen—
LORD MAYOR
Peace ho, peace! I charge you keep the peace.
SHREWSBURY My masters, countrymen—
SHERWIN WILLIAMSON The noble Earl of Shrewsbury! Let’s hear him.
GEORGE BETTS We’ll hear the Earl of Surrey.
LINCOLN The Earl of Shrewsbury!
GEORGE BEETS We’ll hear both.
ALL CITIZENS Both, both, both, both!
LINCOLN Peace, I say, peace! Are you men of wisdom, or what are you?
SURREY
What you will have them, but not men of wisdom.
SOME CITIZENS We’ll not hear my lord of Surrey.
OTHER CITIZENS No, no, no, no, no! Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury!
MORE
Whiles they are o’er the bank of their obedience
Thus will they bear down all things.
LINCOLN Sheriff More speaks. Shall we hear Sheriff More speak?
DOLL Let’s hear him. A keeps a plentiful shrievaltry, and a made my brother, Arthur Watchins, Sergeant Safe’s yeoman. Let’s hear Sheriff More!
ALL CITIZENS Sheriff More, More, More, Sheriff More!
MORE
Even by the rule you have among yourselves,
Command still audience.
SOME CITIZENS Surrey, Surrey!
OTHER CITIZENS More, More!
LINCOLN and GEORGE BETTS Peace, peace, silence, peace!
MORE
You that have voice and credit with the number,
Command them to a stillness.
LINCOLN A plague on them, they will not hold their peace. The devil cannot rule them.
MORE
Then what a rough and riotous charge have you
To lead those that the devil cannot rule.—
Good masters, hear me speak.
DOLL Ay, by th’ mass will we, More. Thou’rt a good housekeeper, and I thank thy good worship for my brother Arthur Watchins.
ALL THE OTHER CITIZENS Peace, peace!
MORE
Look what you do offend you cry upon;
That is, the peace. Not one of you here present,
Had there such fellows lived when you were babes
That could have topped the peace as now you would,
The peace wherein you have till now grown up
Had been ta’en from you, and the bloody times
Could not have brought you to the state of men.
Alas, poor things! What is it you have got
Although we grant you get the thing you seek?
GEORGE BETTS Marry, the removing of the strangers, which cannot choose but much advantage the poor handicrafts of the city.
MORE
Grant them removed, and grant that this your noise
Hath chid down all the majesty of England.
Imagine that you see the wretched strangers,
Their babies at their backs, with their poor luggage,
Plodding to th’ ports and coasts for transportation,
And that you sit as kings in your desires,
Authority quite silenced by your brawl,
And you in ruff of your opinions clothed:
What had you got? I’ll tell you: you had taught
How insolence and strong hand should prevail,
How order should be quelled. And by this pattern
Not one of you should live an aged man;
For other ruffians, as their fancies wrought,
With selfsame hand, self reasons, and self right,
Would shark on you, and men, like ravenous fishes,
Would feed on one another.
DOLL Before God, that’s as true as the gospel.
GEORCE BETTS LINCOLN Nay, this’ a sound fellow, I tell you. Let’s mark him.
MORE
Let me set up before your thoughts, good friends,
One supposition, which if you will mark
You shall perceive how horrible a shape
Your innovation bears. First, ‘tis a sin
Which oft th’apostle did forewarn us of,
Urging obedience to authority;
And ‘twere no error if I told you all
You were in arms ’gainst God.
ALL CITIZENS Marry, God forbid thatl
MORE Nay, certainly you are. no
For to the king God hath His office lent
Of dread, of justice, power, and command;
Hath bid him rule, and willed you to obey.
And, to add ampler majesty to this,
He hath not only lent the king His figure,
His throne and sword, but given him His own name:
Calls him a god on earth. What do you, then,
Rising ‘gainst him that God Himself installs,
But rise ’gainst God? What do you to your souls
In doing this? O, desperate as you are,
Wash your foul minds with tears, and those same hands
That you, like rebels, lift against the peace,
Lift up for peace; and your unreverent knees,
Make them your feet. To kneel to be forgiven
Is safer wars than ever you can make
Whose discipline is riot.
In, in, to your obedience! Why, even your hurly
Cannot proceed but by obedience.
Tell me but this: What rebel captain,
As mutinies are incident, by his name
Can still the rout? Who will obey a traitor?
Or how can well that proclamation sound
When there is no addition but ‘a rebel’
To qualify a rebel? You’ll put down strangers,
Kill them, cut their throats, possess their houses,
And lead the majesty of law in lyam
To slip him like a hound. Alas, alas! Say now the King,
As he is clement if th’offen
der mourn,
Should so much come too short of your great trespass
As but to banish you: whither would you go?
What country, by the nature of your error,
Should give you harbour? Go you to France or
Flanders,
To any German province, Spain or Portugal,
Nay, anywhere that not adheres to England:
Why, you must needs be strangers. Would you be
pleased
To find a nation of such barbarous temper
That, breaking out in hideous violence,
Would not afford you an abode on earth,
Whet their detested knives against your throats,
Spurn you like dogs, and like as if that God
Owed not nor made not you, nor that the elements
Were not all appropriate to your comforts,
But chartered unto them? What would you think
To be thus used? This is the strangers’ case,
And this your mountainish inhumanity.
ALL CITIZENS Faith, a says true. Let us do as we may be done by.
ALL CITIZENS LINCOLN We’ll be ruled by you, Master More, if you’ll stand our friend to procure our pardon.
MORE
Submit you to these noble gentlemen,
Entreat their mediation to the King,
Give up yourself to form, obey the magistrate,
And there’s no doubt but mercy may be found
If you so seek it.
[Addition 11 (Shakespeare)]
[Original Text (Munday)]
ALL CITIZENS We yield, and desire his highness’ mercy. They lay by their weapons
MORE
No doubt his majesty will grant it you.
But you must yield to go to several prisons
Till that his highness’ will be further known.
ALL CITIZENS Most willingly, whither you will have us.
SHREWSBURY
Lord Mayor, let them be sent to several prisons,
And there, in any case, be well entreated.
My lord of Surrey, please you to take horse
And ride to Cheapside, where the aldermen
Are with their several companies in arms.
Will them to go unto their several wards,
Both for the stay of further mutiny
And for the apprehending of such persons
As shall contend.
SURREY
I go, my noble lord.
Exit
SHREWSBURY
We’ll straight go tell his highness these good news.
The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works Page 266
