The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (103 page)

a scent box, which every now and again

he held to his nose, and then removed–

and then the next time his nose was offended

he took it as snuff–and still he smiled and talked:

and as the soldiers carried the dead bodies past,

he called them ignorant knaves, ill mannered,

for bringing dirty ugly corpses into the presence of his nobility.

He questioned me with many highflown

terms, and in the process demanded

my prisoners on your Majesty's behalf.

Then I, suffering from my wounds,

being pestered with such a prattler,

answered without thinking, I don't know what,

he should or shouldn't do, for it made me angry

to see him shining so brightly and smelling so sweet,

talking like a lady's maid

about guns, and drums, and wounds, God help us!

He told me that the best thing on earth

for internal bruising was spermaceti,

and that it was a great pity, indeed it was,

that evil saltpetre should be dug

out of the innards of the harmless earth,

destroying so many good tall fellows

in such a cowardly way, and that if it wasn't for these horrible guns

he would have been a soldier himself.

This empty rambling chat of his, my lord,

I answered without thinking, as I said,

and I beg you, don't let his report

be used to accuse me of lacking

in any love for your high Majesty.

BLUNT.

The circumstance consider'd, good my lord,

Whatever Harry Percy then had said

To such a person, and in such a place,

At such a time, with all the rest re-told,

May reasonably die, and never rise

To do him wrong, or any way impeach

What then he said, so he unsay it now.

When you consider the circumstances, my good lord,

whatever Harry Percy had said then

to such a person, and in such a place,

at such a time, with everything else that's been said,

can reasonably be forgotten, and never used

against him, or to charge him in any way

for what he said, as he retracts it now.

KING.

Why, yet he doth deny his prisoners,

But with proviso and exception,

That we at our own charge shall ransom straight

His brother-in-law, the foolish Mortimer;

Who, on my soul, hath wilfully betray'd

The lives of those that he did lead to fight

Against that great magician, damn'd Glendower,

Whose daughter, as we hear, the Earl of March

Hath lately married. Shall our coffers, then,

Be emptied to redeem a traitor home?

Shall we buy treason? and indent with fears

When they have lost and forfeited themselves?

No, on the barren mountains let him starve;

For I shall never hold that man my friend

Whose tongue shall ask me for one penny cost

To ransom home revolted Mortimer.

Yes, but he still withholds the prisoners,

laying down the condition that

I should at my own expense ransom at once

his brother-in-law, the foolish Mortimer;

someone who, I swear, willfully betrayed

the lives of the oneshe led in battle

against that great magician, damned Glendower,

whose daughter, we're told, the Earl of March

has recently married. So should I empty my

treasure chests to bring home a traitor?

Should I pay for treason? And make an agreement

for those who have lost and forfeited themselves?

No, let him starve on the barren mountains;

I won't think of any man as my friend

if he asks me to pay one penny

in ransom for the rebel Mortimer.

HOT.

Revolted Mortimer!

He never did fall off, my sovereign liege,

But by the chance of war:to prove that true

Needs no more but one tongue for all those wounds,

Those mouthed wounds, which valiantly he took,

When on the gentle Severn's sedgy bank,

In single opposition, hand to hand,

He did confound the best part of an hour

In changing hardiment with great Glendower.

Three times they breathed, and three times did they drink,

Upon agreement, of swift Severn's flood;

Who then, affrighted with their bloody looks,

Ran fearfully among the trembling reeds,

And hid his crisp head in the hollow bank

Blood-stained with these valiant combatants.

Never did base and rotten policy

Colour her working with such deadly wounds;

Nor never could the noble Mortimer

Receive so many, and all willingly:

Then let not him be slander'd with revolt.

The rebel Mortimer!

He never let you down, my royal lord,

except through thechances of war: that can be proved

just by hearing about all those wounds,

those gaping wounds, which he bravely took,

when on the grassy banks of the sweet Severn

he rebuffed great Glendower

for the best part of an hour, matching

his bravery in single combat.

They paused for breath three times, and to drink

by agreement from the waters of the Severn,

which was so frightened by their bloody appearance,

that it ran fearfully amongst its trembling reeds,

and hid its rippling head under the hollow banks,

stained with the blood of these brave fighters.

No wretched or rotten cunning

ever risked receiving such deadly wounds,

and the noble Mortimer could not

have taken so many, and all of them willingly:

so don't let him be accused of rebellion.

King.

Thou dost belie him, Percy, thou dost belie him;

He never did encounter with Glendower:

I tell thee,

He durst as well have met the Devil alone

As Owen Glendower for an enemy.

Art not ashamed? But, sirrah, henceforth

Let me not hear you speak of Mortimer:

Send me your prisoners with the speediest means,

Or you shall hear in such a kind from me

As will displease you.--My Lord Northumberland,

We license your departure with your son.--

Send us your prisoners, or you'll hear of it.

You are lying for him, Percy, lying,

he never fought Glendower:

I tell you, he might as well have met the devil in single combat

as to fight with Owen Glendower.

Are you not ashamed? But Sir, from now on

don't let me hear you speak of Mortimer:

send me your prisoners by the quickest way possible,

or you shall hear from me in such a way

that you won't like it. My Lord Northumberland:

I give you permission to leave with your son.

Send us your prisoners, or you will hear of it.

[Exeunt King Henry, Blunt, and train.]

HOT.

An if the Devil come and roar for them,

I will not send them:I will after straight,

And tell him so; for I will ease my heart,

Although it be with hazard of my head.

And if the devil came and asked for them,

I wouldn't send them: I'll follow after him,

and tell him so; for I will ease my heart,

even though it's at the risk of my head.

NORTH.

What, drunk with choler? stay, and pause awhile:

Here comes your uncle.

What, are you drunk with anger? Wait, pause awhile:

here comes your uncle.

[Re-enter Worcester.]

HOT.

Speak of Mortimer!

Zounds, I will speak of him; and let my soul

Want mercy, if I do not join with him:

Yea, on his part I'll empty all these veins,

And shed my dear blood drop by drop i' the dust,

But I will lift the down-trod Mortimer

As high i' the air as this unthankful King,

As this ingrate and canker'd Bolingbroke.

Speak of Mortimer!

By God, I will speak of him; and may my soul

not find mercy, if I do not help him:

for him I will empty all these veins,

and let my dear blood run drop by drop into the dust,

but I will lift the downtrodden Mortimer

as high in the air as this thankless King

as this ungrateful and rotten Bolingbroke.

NORTH.

[To Worcester.]

Brother, the King hath made your nephew mad.

Brother, the King has made your nephew mad.

WOR.

Who struck this heat up after I was gone?

Who stirred up this anger after I was gone?

HOT.

He will, forsooth, have all my prisoners;

And when I urged the ransom once again

Of my wife's brother, then his cheek look'd pale,

And on my face he turn'd an eye of death,

Trembling even at the name of Mortimer.

By God, he wants all my prisoners;

and when I once again asked him to ransom

my wife's brother, then he went pale,

and he turned a deathly look on me,

trembling even at the name of Mortimer.

WOR.

I cannot blame him:was not he proclaim'd

By Richard that dead is the next of blood?

I can't blame him: wasn't he announced

by dead Richard as the next in line?

NORTH.

He was; I heard the proclamation:

And then it was when the unhappy King--

Whose wrongs in us God pardon!--did set forth

Upon his Irish expedition;

From whence he intercepted did return

To be deposed, and shortly murdered.

He was; I heard the announcement:

and it was then that the unhappy king–

May God forgive us for his sins!–Set out

on his Irish expedition;

from which he was intercepted and returned

to be overthrown, and quickly murdered.

WOR.

And for whose death we in the world's wide mouth

Live scandalized and foully spoken of.

And for the death of whom we are widely

condemned and foully spoken of.

HOT.

But, soft! I pray you; did King Richard then

Proclaim my brother Edmund Mortimer

Heir to the crown?

But, wait! Tell me please; did King Richard

proclaim that my brother Edmund Mortimer

was the heir to the crown?

NORTH.

He did; myself did hear it.

He did; I heard it myself.

HOT.

Nay, then I cannot blame his cousin King,

That wish'd him on the barren mountains starve.

But shall it be, that you, that set the crown

Upon the head of this forgetful man,

And for his sake wear the detested blot

Of murderous subornation,--shall it be,