The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (290 page)

BOOK: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
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Which your disease requires.

 

What, are you angry?

Ask God for self-control; that's the only medicine

your disease requires.

 

BUCKINGHAM

I read in's looks

Matter against me; and his eye reviled

Me, as his abject object: at this instant

He bores me with some trick: he's gone to the king;

I'll follow and outstare him.

 

I can see  in his eyes

that he has plans against me; he looked at me

contemptuously; right now

he is cheating me with some trick; he has gone to the King:

I'll follow him and outstare him.

 

NORFOLK

Stay, my lord,

And let your reason with your choler question

What 'tis you go about: to climb steep hills

Requires slow pace at first: anger is like

A full-hot horse, who being allow'd his way,

Self-mettle tires him. Not a man in England

Can advise me like you: be to yourself

As you would to your friend.

 

Wait, my lord,

and think dispassionately about

what you are doing: to climb steep hills

you need to go slowly at first: anger is like

a passionate horse, if you allow it its head

it will soon tire itself out. There's not a man in England

who can advise me like you: be a good friend

to yourself.

 

BUCKINGHAM

I'll to the king;

And from a mouth of honour quite cry down

This Ipswich fellow's insolence; or proclaim

There's difference in no persons.

 

I'll go to the King;

and with the mouth of honour I will shout down

the insolence of this Ipswich fellow; otherwise I'll say

that all men are equal.

 

NORFOLK

Be advised;

Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot

That it do singe yourself: we may outrun,

By violent swiftness, that which we run at,

And lose by over-running. Know you not,

The fire that mounts the liquor til run o'er,

In seeming to augment it wastes it? Be advised:

I say again, there is no English soul

More stronger to direct you than yourself,

If with the sap of reason you would quench,

Or but allay, the fire of passion.

 

Be sensible;

don't prepare a furnace for your enemy that’s so hot

that you burn yourself: when we charge at something

we can outrun it with violent swiftness, and miss it

by overrunning it. Don't you know that

the fire that heats the liquor until it boils over

seems to make it greater but in fact wastes it? Be sensible:

I tell you again there is no man in England

who can give you better advice than yourself,

if you will put out the fire of passion, or at least

damp it down, with the water of reason.

 

BUCKINGHAM

Sir,

I am thankful to you; and I'll go along

By your prescription: but this top-proud fellow,

Whom from the flow of gall I name not but

From sincere motions, by intelligence,

And proofs as clear as founts in July when

We see each grain of gravel, I do know

To be corrupt and treasonous.

 

Sir,

I am grateful to you; and I will follow

your advice: but I know that this arrogant fellow,

whom I'm not accusing through anger but

from sincere motives, through intelligence,

and proof as clear as springs in July when

we can see each grain of gravel,

is corrupt and treasonous.

 

NORFOLK

Say not 'treasonous.'

 

Do not say ‘treasonous.’

 

BUCKINGHAM

To the king I'll say't; and make my vouch as strong

As shore of rock. Attend. This holy fox,

Or wolf, or both,--for he is equal ravenous

As he is subtle, and as prone to mischief

As able to perform't; his mind and place

Infecting one another, yea, reciprocally--

Only to show his pomp as well in France

As here at home, suggests the king our master

To this last costly treaty, the interview,

That swallow'd so much treasure, and like a glass

Did break i' the rinsing.

 

I shall say to the King; and I shall give proof as strong

as rocky cliffs. Listen. This holy fox,

or wolf, or both,–for he is as ravenous

as he is cunning, and as eager for mischief

as he is able to perform it; his thoughts and actions

infect each other, to and fro–

just to show his eminence in France

as much as here at home, has suggested to our master the King

that we should make this recent costly treaty, the meeting

for which cost so much money, and which shattered like glass

the first time it was put to the test.

 

NORFOLK

Faith, and so it did.

 

It did indeed.

 

BUCKINGHAM

Pray, give me favour, sir. This cunning cardinal

The articles o' the combination drew

As himself pleased; and they were ratified

As he cried 'Thus let be': to as much end

As give a crutch to the dead: but our count-cardinal

Has done this, and 'tis well; for worthy Wolsey,

Who cannot err, he did it. Now this follows,--

Which, as I take it, is a kind of puppy

To the old dam, treason,--Charles the emperor,

Under pretence to see the queen his aunt--

For 'twas indeed his colour, but he came

To whisper Wolsey,--here makes visitation:

His fears were, that the interview betwixt

England and France might, through their amity,

Breed him some prejudice; for from this league

Peep'd harms that menaced him: he privily

Deals with our cardinal; and, as I trow,--

Which I do well; for I am sure the emperor

Paid ere he promised; whereby his suit was granted

Ere it was ask'd; but when the way was made,

And paved with gold, the emperor thus desired,

That he would please to alter the king's course,

And break the foresaid peace. Let the king know,

As soon he shall by me, that thus the cardinal

Does buy and sell his honour as he pleases,

And for his own advantage.

 

Please listen to me, sir: this cunning cardinal

drew up the terms of the treaty

just as he wished; and they were agreed

on his say-so, and they are as useful

as a crutch for the dead. But our royal cardinal

has done this, and it's good; for worthy Wolsey,

who can do no wrong, has done it. Now what's happening

(which I assume is the offspring of treason) is that the

Emperor Charles, under pretence of coming to see his aunt the Queen

(that's what he said, but he really came

to confer with Wolsey) is visiting here;

he was worried that the meeting between

England and France might, through their friendship,

do him some harm, for he saw a threat to him

in their agreement: he secretly

deals with our cardinal, and I believe

(which I have good cause for, for I'm sure the Emperor

paid before he asked, so his wishes were granted

at once) that once the path had been

laid down with money the Emperor asked

him to change the King's course

and break the previously agreed peace. The King must know

(and I shall soon tell him)
that this is how the cardinal

buys and sells his honour as he pleases,

for his own advantage.

 

NORFOLK

I am sorry

To hear this of him; and could wish he were

Something mistaken in't.

 

I'm sorry

to hear this from you; and I hope

you are somewhat mistaken.

 

BUCKINGHAM

No, not a syllable:

I do pronounce him in that very shape

He shall appear in proof.

 

No, every word is true:

I have described exactly what

my proof shall show.

 

Enter BRANDON, a Sergeant-at-arms before him, and two or three of the Guard

 

BRANDON

Your office, sergeant; execute it.

 

Do your duty, sergeant.

 

Sergeant

Sir,

My lord the Duke of Buckingham, and Earl

Of Hereford, Stafford, and Northampton, I

Arrest thee of high treason, in the name

Of our most sovereign king.

 

Sir,

my lord the Duke of Buckingham, Earl

of Hereford, Stafford and Northampton, I

arrest you for high treason, in the name

of our Majestic King.

 

BUCKINGHAM

Lo, you, my lord,

The net has fall'n upon me! I shall perish

Under device and practise.

 

You see my lord,

the net has fallen over me! I shall die

through tricks and intrigue.

 

BRANDON

I am sorry

To see you ta'en from liberty, to look on

The business present: 'tis his highness' pleasure

You shall to the Tower.

 

I am sorry

to see you lose your freedom, to be witness to

this business: his Highness desires that you

be sent to the Tower.

 

BUCKINGHAM

It will help me nothing

To plead mine innocence; for that dye is on me

Which makes my whitest part black. The will of heaven

Be done in this and all things! I obey.

O my Lord Abergavenny, fare you well!

 

There won't be any use

in pleading my innocence; the stain has been cast on me

which makes my most innocent parts seem guilty. May the will of heaven

be done in this and in everything! I shall obey.

Oh my Lord Abergavenny, farewell!

 

BRANDON

Nay, he must bear you company. The king

To ABERGAVENNY

Is pleased you shall to the Tower, till you know

How he determines further.

 

No, he's coming with you. The King

wants you to go to the Tower, to await

his further orders.

 

ABERGAVENNY

As the duke said,

The will of heaven be done, and the king's pleasure

By me obey'd!

 

As the Duke said,

May the will of heaven be done, and may I obey

the king's orders!

 

BRANDON

Here is a warrant from

The king to attach Lord Montacute; and the bodies

Of the duke's confessor, John de la Car,

One Gilbert Peck, his chancellor--

 

Here is a warrant from

the King to arrest Lord Montacute; also

the Duke’s confessor, John de la Car,

his Chancellor, Gilbert Peck–

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