Sir Thomas More | Page 9

in arms, And that Shreeve More an hour ago rised Some of the Privy Counsel 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 they head; for, by the Lord, I'll have a little sport, now we are at it.
GEORGE. Let's stand upon our swords, and, if they come, Receive them as they were our enemies.
[Enter Sherwin and the rest.]
CLOWN. A purchase, a purchase! we have found, we ha found--
DOLL. What?
CLOWN. Nothing; not a French Fleming nor a Fleming French to be found; but all fled, in plain English.
LINCOLN. 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 escape; Burn down their kennels: let us straight away, Least this day prove to us an ill May day.
CLOWN. Fire, fire! I'll be the first: If hanging come, tis welcome; that's the worst.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE III. The Guildhall.
[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 now, I fear me, they are gone to join With Lincoln, Sherwin, and their dangerous train.
MORE. The captains of this insurrection Have taken 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. Martins, 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, 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 weighed on every side, A quiet ebb will follow this rough tide.
[Enter Shrewsbury, Surrey, Palmer, and 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: Oh power, what art thou in a madman's eyes! Thou makest the plodding idiot bloody-wise.
MORE. My lords, I doubt not but we shall appease With a calm breath this flux of discontent: To call them to a parley, questionless--
PALMER. 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. A God's name, on, to calm our private foes With breath of gravity, not dangerous blows!
SCENE IV. St. Martin's Gate.
[Enter Lincoln, Doll, Clown, George Betts, Williamson, others; and a Sergeant at Arms.]
LINCOLN. Peace, hear me: he that will not see a red herring at a Harry groat, butter at elevenpence a pound, meal at nine shillings a bushel, and beef at four nobles a stone, list to me.
GEORGE. It will come to that pass, if strangers be suffered. Mark him.
LINCOLN. Our country is a great eating country; ergo, they eat more in our country than they do in their own.
CLOWN. 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?
WILLIAMSON. Trash, trash; they breed sore eyes, and tis enough to infect the city with the palsey.
LINCOLN. Nay, it has infected it with the palsey; 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.
CLOWN. True; and pumpkins together.
SERGEANT. What say ye to the mercy of the king? Do ye refuse it?
LINCOLN. You would have us upon this, 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