You Must Needs Be Straingers

This is a monologue from the play "Sir Thomas More" (c1591-93, Act 2, Scene 4, 55-123), set during the 'Ill May Day' of 1517, attributed to William Shakespeare, and performed by Sir Ian McKellen. A transcription of the handwritten text follows:

graunt them remoued and graunt that this yor noyce

hath Chidd downe all the matie of Ingland

ymagin that you see the wretched straingers

their babyes at their backs, and their poor lugage

plodding tooth ports and costs for transportacion

and that you sytt as kings in your desyres

aucthoryty quyte sylenct by yor braule

and you in ruff of yor opynions clothd

what had you gott, I'le tell you, you had taught

how insolenc and strong hand shoold prevayle

how ordere shoold be quelld, and by this patterne

not on of you shoold lyve an aged man

for other ruffians as their fancies wrought

with sealf same hand sealf reasons and sealf right

woold shark on you and men lyke ravenous fishes

woold feed on on another

… youle put downe straingers

kill them cutt their throts possesse their howses

… o desperat as you are.

wash your foule mynds wt teares and those same hands

that you lyke rebells lyft against the peace

lift vp for peace, and your vnreuerent knees

make them your feet to kneele to be forgyven

… say nowe the king

as he is clement, yf thoffendor moorne

shoold so much com to short of your great trespas

as but to banysh you, whether woold you go.

what Country by the nature of yor error

shoold gyve you harber go you to ffraunc or flanders

to any Iarman province, spane or portigall

nay any where that not adheres to Ingland

why you must needs be straingers. woold you be pleasd

to find a nation of such barbarous temper

that breaking out in hiddious violence

woold not afoord you, an abode on earth

whett their detested knyves against yor throtes

spurne you lyke doggs, and lyke as yf that god

owed not nor made not you, nor that the elaments

wer not all appropriat to yor Comforts.

but Charterd vnto them, what woold you thinck

to be thus vsd, this is the straingers case

and this your momtanish inhumanyty

("The Book of Sir Thomas More", ed W. W. Greg, Malone Society, 1911)