The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1072 page)

Why should you fear? Is not your city strong?

Why be afraid?Isn't your city strong?

SATURNINUS.

Ay, but the citizens favour Lucius,

And will revolt from me to succour him.

Yes, but the citizens favour Lucius,

and will rebel against me to support him.

TAMORA.

King, be thy thoughts imperious like thy name!

Is the sun dimm'd, that gnats do fly in it?

The eagle suffers little birds to sing,

And is not careful what they mean thereby,

Knowing that with the shadow of his wings

He can at pleasure stint their melody;

Even so mayest thou the giddy men of Rome.

Then cheer thy spirit; for know thou, Emperor,

I will enchant the old Andronicus

With words more sweet, and yet more dangerous,

Than baits to fish or honey-stalks to sheep,

When as the one is wounded with the bait,

The other rotted with delicious feed.

King, in your thoughts live up to your name!

Is the sun dimmed if gnats fly across it?

The eagle allows the little birds to sing

and doesn't care what they're saying,

knowing that he can stop their song whenever he likes

just by showing the shadow of his wings;

that's how you can deal with the changeable men of Rome.

So cheer up; for you should know, Emperor,

I will enchant old Andronicus

with words that are sweeter, but more dangerous,

than bait to fish or clover to sheep,

when one is wounded with the bait,

and the other is sickened with the delicious food.

SATURNINUS.

But he will not entreat his son for us.

But he will not try to stop his son for us.

TAMORA.

If Tamora entreat him, then he will;

For I can smooth and fill his aged ears

With golden promises, that, were his heart

Almost impregnable, his old ears deaf,

Yet should both ear and heart obey my tongue.

[To AEMILIUS] Go thou before to be our ambassador;

Say that the Emperor requests a parley

Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting

Even at his father's house, the old Andronicus.

He will if I ask him to;

for I can calm him and fill his old ears

with such golden promises that if his heart

was almost impermeable, his old ears deaf,

his ears would still hear me and his heart still obey me.

You go ahead as my ambassador;

say that the Emperor wants a meeting

with warlike Lucius, and arrange the meeting

at the house of his father, old Andronicus.

SATURNINUS.

Aemilius, do this message honourably;

And if he stand on hostage for his safety,

Bid him demand what pledge will please him best.

Aemilius, carry this message faithfully;

if he asks for guarantees of his safety,

tell him to ask for whatever promise best suits him.

AEMILIUS.

Your bidding shall I do effectually.

Exit

I shall carry out your orders to the letter.

TAMORA.

Now will I to that old Andronicus,

And temper him with all the art I have,

To pluck proud Lucius from the warlike Goths.

And now, sweet Emperor, be blithe again,

And bury all thy fear in my devices.

Now I will go to that old Andronicus,

and persuade him with all the tricks I know,

to separate proud Lucius from the warlike Goths.

And now, sweet Emperor, be happy again,

and forget your fear, have faith in my plans.

SATURNINUS.

Then go successantly, and plead to him.

Exeunt

Then follow our ambassador, and go and persuade him.

Enter LUCIUS with an army of GOTHS with drums and colours

LUCIUS.

Approved warriors and my faithful friends,

I have received letters from great Rome

Which signifies what hate they bear their Emperor

And how desirous of our sight they are.

Therefore, great lords, be, as your titles witness,

Imperious and impatient of your wrongs;

And wherein Rome hath done you any scath,

Let him make treble satisfaction.

Proven warriors and my faithful friends,

I have received letters from great Rome

which show what hate they have for their Emperor

and how much they what to see us arrive.

So, great lords, live up to your great titles,

be imperial and don't suffer any wrongs;

wherever Rome has done you any harm,

pay him back in triplicate.

FIRST GOTH.

Brave slip, sprung from the great Andronicus,

Whose name was once our terror, now our comfort,

Whose high exploits and honourable deeds

Ingrateful Rome requites with foul contempt,

Be bold in us: we'll follow where thou lead'st,

Like stinging bees in hottest summer's day,

Led by their master to the flow'red fields,

And be aveng'd on cursed Tamora.

Brave offshoot, sprung from the great Andronicus,

whose name was once a terror to us, is now our help,

whose great adventures and honourable deeds

ungrateful Rome repays with foul contempt,

have confidence in us: we'll follow where you lead,

like stinging bees on the hottest summer's day,

led by their ruler to the rich fields,

and we will have revenge on cursed Tamora.

ALL THE GOTHS.

And as he saith, so say we all with him.

We all second what he says.

LUCIUS.

I humbly thank him, and I thank you all.

But who comes here, led by a lusty Goth?

Enter a GOTH, leading AARON with his CHILD in his arms

I give him my humble thanks, and the same to you all.

But who's this coming, led by a strong Goth?

SECOND GOTH.

Renowned Lucius, from our troops I stray'd

To gaze upon a ruinous monastery;

And as I earnestly did fix mine eye

Upon the wasted building, suddenly

I heard a child cry underneath a wall.

I made unto the noise, when soon I heard

The crying babe controll'd with this discourse:

'Peace, tawny slave, half me and half thy dam!

Did not thy hue bewray whose brat thou art,

Had nature lent thee but thy mother's look,

Villain, thou mightst have been an emperor;

But where the bull and cow are both milk-white,

They never do beget a coal-black calf.

Peace, villain, peace!'- even thus he rates the babe-

'For I must bear thee to a trusty Goth,

Who, when he knows thou art the Empress' babe,

Will hold thee dearly for thy mother's sake.'

With this, my weapon drawn, I rush'd upon him,

Surpris'd him suddenly, and brought him hither

To use as you think needful of the man.

Honoured Lucius, I strayed away from our troops

to look at a tumbledown monastery;

and as I looked closely at

the ruined building, suddenly

I heard a child crying behind a wall.

I headed for the noise, and I soon heard

the crying baby calmed with these words;

"Quiet, brown slave, half me and half your mother!

If your colour didn't show whose brat you are,

if nature had just given you your mother's looks,

villain, you could have been an Emperor;

but when the bull and the cow are both snow white,

they never have a coal-black calf.

Quiet, villain, quiet!" - that's how he spoke to the baby -

"For I must take you to a trusty Goth,

who, when he knows you are the child of the Empress,

will look after you well for your mother's sake."

At that I rushed at him with my sword out,

took him by surprise and brought him here

to do with as you see fit.

LUCIUS.

O worthy Goth, this is the incarnate devil

That robb'd Andronicus of his good hand;

This is the pearl that pleas'd your Empress' eye;

And here's the base fruit of her burning lust.

Say, wall-ey'd slave, whither wouldst thou convey

This growing image of thy fiend-like face?

Why dost not speak? What, deaf? Not a word?

A halter, soldiers! Hang him on this tree,

And by his side his fruit of bastardy.

Good Goth, this is the bloody devil

who robbed Andronicus of his worthy hand;

this is the pearl that took your Empress' fancy;

and here's the low offspring of her burning lust.

Tell us, glaring slave, where were you taking

this living copy of your devilish face?

Why don't you speak?What, are you deaf? Not a word?

Bring a rope, soldiers!Hang him on this tree,

and hang his bastard child next to him.

AARON.

Touch not the boy, he is of royal blood.

Don't touch the boy, he has royal blood in him.

LUCIUS.

Too like the sire for ever being good.

First hang the child, that he may see it sprawl-

A sight to vex the father's soul withal.

Get me a ladder.

[A ladder brought, which AARON is made to climb]