King Henry VIII

King Henry VIII

ACT V SCENE IV	The palace yard.
	Noise and tumult within. Enter Porter and his Man
Porter	You'll leave your noise anon, ye rascals: do you
	take the court for Paris-garden? ye rude slaves,
	leave your gaping.
	Within
	Good master porter, I belong to the larder.	5
Porter	Belong to the gallows, and be hanged, ye rogue! is
	this a place to roar in? Fetch me a dozen crab-tree
	staves, and strong ones: these are but switches to
	'em. I'll scratch your heads: you must be seeing
	christenings? do you look for ale and cakes here,	10
	you rude rascals?
Man	Pray, sir, be patient: 'tis as much impossible--
	Unless we sweep 'em from the door with cannons--
	To scatter 'em, as 'tis to make 'em sleep
	On May-day morning; which will never be:	15
	We may as well push against Powle's, as stir em.
Porter	How got they in, and be hang'd?
Man	Alas, I know not; how gets the tide in?
	As much as one sound cudgel of four foot--
	You see the poor remainder--could distribute,	20
	I made no spare, sir.
Porter	You did nothing, sir.
Man	I am not Samson, nor Sir Guy, nor Colbrand,
	To mow 'em down before me: but if I spared any
	That had a head to hit, either young or old,	25
	He or she, cuckold or cuckold-maker,
	Let me ne'er hope to see a chine again
	And that I would not for a cow, God save her!
	Within
	Do you hear, master porter?
Porter	I shall be with you presently, good master puppy.	30
	Keep the door close, sirrah.
Man	What would you have me do?
Porter	What should you do, but knock 'em down by the
	dozens? Is this Moorfields to muster in? or have
	we some strange Indian with the great tool come to	35
	court, the women so besiege us? Bless me, what a
	fry of fornication is at door! On my Christian
	conscience, this one christening will beget a
	thousand; here will be father, godfather, and all together.
Man	The spoons will be the bigger, sir. There is a	40
	fellow somewhat near the door, he should be a
	brazier by his face, for, o' my conscience, twenty
	of the dog-days now reign in's nose; all that stand
	about him are under the line, they need no other
	penance: that fire-drake did I hit three times on	45
	the head, and three times was his nose discharged
	against me; he stands there, like a mortar-piece, to
	blow us. There was a haberdasher's wife of small
	wit near him, that railed upon me till her pinked
	porringer fell off her head, for kindling such a	50
	combustion in the state. I missed the meteor once,
	and hit that woman; who cried out 'Clubs!' when I
	might see from far some forty truncheoners draw to
	her succor, which were the hope o' the Strand, where
	she was quartered. They fell on; I made good my	55
	place: at length they came to the broom-staff to
	me; I defied 'em still: when suddenly a file of
	boys behind 'em, loose shot, delivered such a shower
	of pebbles, that I was fain to draw mine honour in,
	and let 'em win the work: the devil was amongst	60
	'em, I think, surely.
Porter	These are the youths that thunder at a playhouse,
	and fight for bitten apples; that no audience, but
	the tribulation of Tower-hill, or the limbs of
	Limehouse, their dear brothers, are able to endure.	65
	I have some of 'em in Limbo Patrum, and there they
	are like to dance these three days; besides the
	running banquet of two beadles that is to come.
	Enter Chamberlain
Chamberlain	Mercy o' me, what a multitude are here!
	They grow still too; from all parts they are coming,	70
	As if we kept a fair here! Where are these porters,
	These lazy knaves? Ye have made a fine hand, fellows:
	There's a trim rabble let in: are all these
	Your faithful friends o' the suburbs? We shall have
	Great store of room, no doubt, left for the ladies,	75
	When they pass back from the christening.
Porter	An't please
	your honour,
	We are but men; and what so many may do,
	Not being torn a-pieces, we have done:	80
	An army cannot rule 'em.
Chamberlain	As I live,
	If the king blame me for't, I'll lay ye all
	By the heels, and suddenly; and on your heads
	Clap round fines for neglect: ye are lazy knaves;	85
	And here ye lie baiting of bombards, when
	Ye should do service. Hark! the trumpets sound;
	They're come already from the christening:
	Go, break among the press, and find a way out
	To let the troop pass fairly; or I'll find	90
	A Marshalsea shall hold ye play these two months.
Porter	Make way there for the princess.
Man	You great fellow,
	Stand close up, or I'll make your head ache.
Porter	You i' the camlet, get up o' the rail;	95
	I'll peck you o'er the pales else.
	Exeunt