George-a-Greene, the Pinner of Wakefield 299
Act the First
Scene I At Bradford
Enter the Earl of Kendal; with him Lord Bonfield, Sir Gilbert Armstrong, Sir Nicholas Mannering, and John.
Ken. Welcome to Bradford, martial gentlemen,
Lord Bonfield, and Sir Gilbert Armstrong both;
And all my troops, even to my basest groom,
Courage and welcome! for the day is ours.
Our cause is good, ’tis for the land’s avail:
Then let us fight, and die for England’s good.
All. We will, my lord.
Ken. As I am Henry Momford, Kendal’s earl,
You honour me with this assent of yours;
And here upon my sword I make protest
For to relieve the poor or die myself.
And know, my lords, that James, the King of Scots,
Wars hard upon the borders of this land:
Here is his post.—Say, John Taylor, what news with King James?
John. War, my lord, [I] tell, and good news, I trow; for King Jamy vows to meet you the twenty-sixth of this month, God willing; marry, doth he, sir.
Ken. My friends, you see what we have to win.—
Well, John, commend me to King James, and tell him,
I will meet him the twenty-sixth of this month,
And all the rest; and so, farewell. [Exit John.
Bonfield, why stand’st thou as a man in dumps?
Courage! for, if I win, I’ll make thee duke:
I, Henry Momford will be king myself;
And I will make thee Duke of Lancaster,
And Gilbert Armstrong Lord of Doncaster.
Bon. Nothing, my lord, makes me amaz’d at all,
But that our soldiers find our victuals scant.
We must make havoc of those country-swains;
For so will the rest tremble and be afraid,
And humbly send provision to your camp.
Arm. My Lord Bonfield gives good advice:
They make a scorn, and stand upon the king;
So what is brought is sent from them perforce;
Ask Mannering else.
Ken. What say’st thou, Mannering?
Man. Whenas I show’d your high commission,
They made this answer,
Only to send provision for your horses.
Ken. Well, hie thee to Wakefield, bid the town
To send me all provision that I want,
Lest I, like martial Tamburlaine, lay waste
Their bordering countries, and leaving none alive
That contradicts my commission.
Man. Let me alone;
My lord, I’ll make them vail300 their plumes;
For whatsoe’er he be, the proudest knight,
Justice, or other, that gainsay’th your word,
I’ll clap him fast, to make the rest to fear.
Ken. Do so, Nick: hie thee thither presently,
And let us hear of thee again to-morrow.
Man. Will you not remove, my lord?
Ken. No, I will lie at Bradford all this night
And all the next.—Come, Bonfield, let us go,
And listen out some bonny lasses here. [Exeunt.