Sir Thomas More
Act II, Scene 2
Saint Martin’s-le-Grand.
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Enter Lincoln, two Bettses, Williamson, Sherwin, and other,
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armed; Doll in a shirt of mail, a headpiece, sword, and
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buckler; a crew attending.
Clown
1 - 3
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Come, come; we’ll tickle their turnips, we’ll butter their
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boxes. Shall strangers rule the roost? Yes; but we’ll baste
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the roost. Come, come; aflaunt, aflaunt!
George
4
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Brother, give place, and hear John Lincoln speak.
Clown
5 - 14
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Aye, Lincoln my leader,
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And Doll my true breeder,
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With the rest of our crew,
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Shall ran tan tarra ran;
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Do all they what they can.
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Shall we be bobbed, braved? No:
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Shall we be held under? No;
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We are freeborne,
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And do take scorn
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To be used so.
Doll
15 - 16
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Peace there, I say! Hear Captain Lincoln speak. Keep
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silence, till we know his mind at large.
Clown
17 - 18
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Then largely deliver; speak, bully. And he that presumes to
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interrupt thee in thy oration, this for him.
Lincoln
19 - 30
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Then, gallant bloods, you whose free souls do scorn
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To bear the inforced wrongs of aliens,
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Add rage to resolution, fire the houses
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Of these audacious strangers. This is St. Martin’s,
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And yonder dwells Mutas, a wealthy Piccardy,
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At the Green Gate,
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De Barde, Peter Van Hollocke, Adrian Martine,
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With many more outlandish fugitives.
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Shall these enjoy more privilege than we
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In our own country? Let’s, then, become their slaves.
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Since justice keeps not them in greater awe,
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We be ourselves rough ministers at law.
Clown
31 - 35
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Use no more swords,
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Nor no more words,
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But fire the houses;
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Brave captain courageous,
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Fire me their houses.
Doll
36 - 38
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Aye, for we may as well make bonfires on May Day as at
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Midsummer. We’ll alter the day in the calendar, and set it
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down in flaming letters.
Sherwin
39 - 41
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Stay!
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No, that would much endanger the whole city,
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Whereto I would not the least prejudice.
Doll
42 - 44
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No, nor I neither; so may mine own house be burned for
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company. I’ll tell ye what. We’ll drag the strangers into
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More fields, and there bombast them till they stink again.
Clown
45
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And that’s soon done; for they smell for fear already.
George
46 - 47
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Let some of us enter the strangers’ houses,
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And, if we find them there, then bring them forth.
Doll
48 - 49
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But if ye bring them forth ere ye find them, I’ll ne’er
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allow of that.
Clown
50 - 53
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Now, Mars, for thy honor,
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Dutch or French,
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So it be a wench,
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I’ll upon her.
Williamson
54 - 59
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Now, lads, sure shall we labor in our safety.
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I hear the Mayor hath gathered men in arms,
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And that Sheriff More an hour ago rised
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Some of the Privy Counsel in at Ludgate:
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Force now must make our peace, or else we fall;
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’Twill soon be known we are the principal.
Doll
60 - 62
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And what of that? If thou beest afraid, husband, go home
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again, and hide they head; for, by the Lord, I’ll have a
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little sport, now we are at it.
George
63 - 64
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Let’s stand upon our swords, and if they come,
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Receive them as they were our enemies.
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Enter Sherwin and the rest.
Clown
65
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A purchase, a purchase! We have found, we ha found—
Clown
67 - 68
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Nothing; not a French Fleming nor a Fleming French to be
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found; but all fled, in plain English.
Lincoln
69
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How now! Have you found any?
Sherwin
70
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No, not one; they’re all fled.
Lincoln
71 - 74
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Then fire the houses, that, the Mayor being busy
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About the quenching of them, we may escape;
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Burn down their kennels. Let us straight away,
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Least this day prove to us an ill May Day.
Clown
75 - 76
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Fire, fire! I’ll be the first.
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If hanging come, ’tis welcome; that’s the worst.
