Act IV · Scene X
Kent. IDEN's garden.
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Enter CADE
CADE
Fie on ambition! fie on myself, that have a sword,and yet am ready to famish! These five days have Ihid me in these woods and durst not peep out, forall the country is laid for me; but now am I sohungry that if I might have a lease of my life for athousand years I could stay no longer. Wherefore,on a brick wall have I climbed into this garden, tosee if I can eat grass, or pick a sallet anotherwhile, which is not amiss to cool a man's stomachthis hot weather. And I think this word 'sallet'was born to do me good: for many a time, but for asallet, my brainpan had been cleft with a brownbill; and many a time, when I have been dry andbravely marching, it hath served me instead of aquart pot to drink in; and now the word 'sallet'must serve me to feed on.
Enter IDEN
IDEN
Lord, who would live turmoiled in the court,And may enjoy such quiet walks as these?This small inheritance my father left meContenteth me, and worth a monarchy.I seek not to wax great by others' waning,Or gather wealth, I care not, with what envy:Sufficeth that I have maintains my stateAnd sends the poor well pleased from my gate.
CADE
Here's the lord of the soil come to seize me for astray, for entering his fee-simple without leave.Ah, villain, thou wilt betray me, and get a thousandcrowns of the king carrying my head to him: butI'll make thee eat iron like an ostrich, and swallowmy 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 to 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 wasbroached, and beard thee too. Look on me well: Ihave eat no meat these five days; yet, come thou andthy five men, and if I do not leave you all as deadas a doornail, 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,Took odds to combat a poor famish'd man.Oppose thy steadfast-gazing eyes to mine,See if thou canst outface me with thy looks:Set limb to limb, and thou art far the lesser;Thy hand is but a finger to my fist,Thy leg a stick compared with this truncheon;My foot shall fight with all the strength thou hast;And if mine arm be heaved in the air,Thy grave 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 Iheard! Steel, if thou turn the edge, or cut not outthe burly-boned clown in chines of beef ere thousleep in thy sheath, I beseech God on my knees thoumayst be turned to hobnails.
Here they fight. CADE falls
CADE
O, I am slain! famine and no other hath slain me:let ten thousand devils come against me, and give mebut the ten meals I have lost, and I'll defy themall. Wither, garden; and be henceforth aburying-place to all that do dwell in this house,because the unconquered soul of Cade is fled.
IDEN
Is't Cade that I have slain, that monstrous traitor?Sword, I will hollow 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. TellKent from me, she hath lost her best man, and exhortall the world to be cowards; for I, that neverfeared any, am vanquished by famine, not by valour.
Dies
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,So wish I, I might thrust thy soul to hell.Hence will I drag thee headlong by the heelsUnto a dunghill which shall be thy grave,And there cut off thy most ungracious head;Which I will bear in triumph to the king,Leaving thy trunk for crows to feed upon.
Exit