The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (105 page)

[to Northumberland] you, my lord,

while your son is doing this in Scotland

you shall secretly creep into the heart

of that noble clergyman, the well loved

Archbishop.

HOT.

Of York, is't not?

Of York, you mean?

WOR.

True; who bears hard

His brother's death at Bristol, the Lord Scroop.

I speak not this in estimation,

As what I think might be, but what I know

Is ruminated, plotted, and set down,

And only stays but to behold the face

Of that occasion that shall bring it on.

Yes; he has taken his brother's

death at Bristol, the Lord Scroop, very hard.

I'm not just guessing this,

saying I think it might be the case, I know

it has been thought of, plotted and written down,

and is only waiting for the right time

to bring it on.

HOT.

I smell't:upon my life, it will do well.

I can smell it: I swear on my life, it will do well.

NORTH.

Before the game's a-foot, thou still lett'st slip.

But you are unleashing the hounds before the game is running.

HOT.

Why, it cannot choose but be a noble plot:--

And then the power of Scotland and of York

To join with Mortimer, ha?

Well, it can't help be a noble plot:

and then the power of Scotland and of York

will join with Mortimer, yes?

WOR.

And so they shall.

Yes they shall.

HOT.

In faith, it is exceedingly well aim'd.

By God, this is very well-planned.

WOR.

And 'tis no little reason bids us speed,

To save our heads by raising of a head;

For, bear ourselves as even as we can,

The King will always think him in our debt,

And think we think ourselves unsatisfied,

Till he hath found a time to pay us home:

And see already how he doth begin

To make us strangers to his looks of love.

And we've got very good reason to be hasty,

to save our heads by raising an army;

for, however reasonable we are,

the King would always think of himself as being in our debt,

and think that we are not satisfied,

until he has found a way to finish us off:

you can already see how he's beginning

to ostracise us from his love.

HOT.

He does, he does:we'll be revenged on him.

He is, he is, we'll have revenge on him.

WOR.

Cousin, farewell:no further go in this

Than I by letters shall direct your course.

When time is ripe,-- which will be suddenly,--

I'll steal to Glendower and Lord Mortimer;

Where you and Douglas, and our powers at once,

As I will fashion it, shall happily meet,

To bear our fortunes in our own strong arms,

Which now we hold at much uncertainty.

Cousin, farewell. Don't do anything more

than what I instruct you by letter.

When the time comes, and it will be sudden,

I'll go secretly to Glendower, and Lord Mortimer,

where you, and Douglas, and all of our forces together,

as I plan it, will happily meet,

to take our fortunes into our own strong hands,

to end the uncertainty we have now.

NORTH.

Farewell, good brother:we shall thrive, I trust.

Farewell, good brother: I hope we shall succeed.

HOT.

Uncle, adieu: O, let the hours be short,

Till fields and blows and groans applaud our sport!

Uncle, goodbye: oh, don't let it be long

until battlefields and blows and groans applaud our efforts!

[Exeunt.]

[Enter a Carrier with a lantern in his hand.]

1. CAR.

Heigh-ho! an't be not four by the day, I'll be hang'd:

Charles' wain is over the new chimney, and yet our horse' not

pack'd.--What, ostler!

Come on! If it's not already four in the morning I'll be

hanged; the Great Bear is over the new chimney, and

our horse is still not loaded. Hello, stableman!

OST.

[within.] Anon, anon.

In a minute.

1. CAR.

I pr'ythee, Tom, beat Cut's saddle, put a few flocks in the

point; the poor jade is wrung in the withers out of all cess.

And please Tom,plump up the horse's saddle and put some wool

in the pommel; the poor nag has calluses all over its shoulders.

[Enter another Carrier.]

2. CAR.

Peas and beans are as dank here as a dog, and that is the

next way to give poor jades the bots; this house is turned

upside down since Robin ostler died.

The peas and beans here are as damp as a dog, and that's the

best way to give poor nags worms; this house has been

turned upside down since Robin the ostler died.

1. CAR.

Poor fellow! never joyed since the price of oats rose; it was

the death of him.

Poor fellow! He had never been happy since the price of oats went up; it was

the death of him.

2. CAR.

I think this be the most villainous house in all London road

for fleas:I am stung like a tench.

I think this must be the worst house on the London Road

for fleas, I'm stung like a tench.

1. CAR.

Like a tench! by the Mass, there is ne'er a king in Christendom

could be better bit than I have been since the first cock.--What,

ostler! come away and be hang'd; come away.

Like a tench! By heaven, there isn't a king in Christendom

who could have been bitten better than I have been since midnight–

hello, ostler! Hurry up, and be hanged, hurry up!

2. CAR.

I have a gammon of bacon and two razes of ginger, to be

delivered as far as Charing-cross.

I have a joint of bacon and two ginger roots, to be

delivered to Charing Cross.

1. CAR.

'Odsbody! the turkeys in my pannier are quite starved.--What,

ostler! A plague on thee! hast thou never an eye in thy head?

canst not hear? An 'twere not as good a deed as drink to break

the pate of thee, I am a very villain. Come, and be hang'd:

hast no faith in thee?

My God! The turkeys in my basket are quite starved.–What,

ostler! A plague on you! Don't you have eyes in your head?

Can't you hear? If it's not as good a thing to break your head as it is

to have a drink, I'm a villain. Hurry up, and be hanged:

can't you do anything?

[Enter Gadshill.]

GADS.

Good morrow, carriers. What's o'clock?

Good day, carriers. What's the time?

1. CAR.

I think it be two o'clock.

I think it's two o'clock.

GADS.

I pr'ythee, lend me thy lantern, to see my gelding in the

stable.

Please, lend me your lantern, so I can see my gelding in the

stable.

1. CAR.

Nay, soft, I pray ye; I know a trick worth two of that, i'faith.

No, please be quiet; I'm not such a fool as that.

GADS.

I pr'ythee, lend me thine.

I'm asking, lend me yours.

2. CAR.

Ay, when? canst tell? Lend me thy lantern, quoth a? marry, I'll

see thee hang'd first.

What's that? Eh? Lend me your lantern, he says? I swear, I'll

see you hanged first.

GADS.

Sirrah carrier, what time do you mean to come to London?

Mr Carrier, what time do you intend to arrive in London?

2. CAR.

Time enough to go to bed with a candle, I warrant thee.--

Come, neighbour Muggs, we'll call up the gentlemen:they will

along with company, for they have great charge.

In time to go to bed with a candle, I promise you.

Come, neighbour Muggs, we'll call the gentlemen; they will

want to come along with us, for they have a valuable cargo.

[Exeunt Carriers.]

GADS.

What, ho! chamberlain!

Hello there! Chamberlain!

CHAM.

[Within.] At hand, quoth pick-purse.

I'm ready Sir, as the pickpocket says.

GADS.

That's even as fair as--at hand, quoth the chamberlain; for

thou variest no more from picking of purses than giving

direction doth from labouring; thou lay'st the plot how.

That's as good as “I'm ready, as the Chamberlain says"; for

you're no more different to a pickpocket than a foreman

is to his labourers; you're the one who plans everything.

[Enter Chamberlain.]

CHAM.

Good morrow, Master Gadshill. It holds current that I told

you yesternight:there's a franklin in the wild of Kent hath