The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (125 page)

You have betrayed my trust,

and made me remove the soft clothes of peace,

to crush my old limbs into harsh steel armour:

this is not good, my lord, this is not good.

What have you to say about it? Will you untie

this horrid knot of hated war,

and come back into the orbit of the planet

which gave you a fair natural light;

stop being a riotous meteor, a

bringer of fear, and a sign of

terrible harm to future ages?

WOR.

Hear me, my liege:

For mine own part, I could be well content

To entertain the lag-end of my life

With quiet hours; for I do protest,

I have not sought the day of this dislike.

Hear me, my lord:

for my part, I would be very glad

to spend my last years quietly;

I must point out that I

didn't look for this day of conflict.

KING.

You have not sought it! why, how comes it, then?

You didn't look for it!How's it happened then?

FAL.

Rebellion lay in his way, and he found it.

He came across rebellion, and picked it up.

PRINCE.

Peace, chewet, peace!

Peace, chatterer, be quiet!

WOR.

It pleased your Majesty to turn your looks

Of favour from myself and all our House;

And yet I must remember you, my lord,

We were the first and dearest of your friends.

For you my staff of office did I break

In Richard's time; and posted day and night

To meet you on the way, and kiss your hand,

When yet you were in place and in account

Nothing so strong and fortunate as I.

It was myself, my brother, and his son,

That brought you home, and boldly did outdare

The dangers of the time. You swore to us,--

And you did swear that oath at Doncaster,--

That you did nothing purpose 'gainst the state;

Nor claim no further than your new-fall'n right,

The seat of Gaunt, dukedom of Lancaster:

To this we swore our aid. But in short space

It rain'd down fortune showering on your head;

And such a flood of greatness fell on you,--

What with our help, what with the absent King,

What with the injuries of a wanton time,

The seeming sufferances that you had borne,

And the contrarious winds that held the King

So long in his unlucky Irish wars

That all in England did repute him dead,--

And, from this swarm of fair advantages,

You took occasion to be quickly woo'd

To gripe the general sway into your hand;

Forgot your oath to us at Doncaster;

And, being fed by us, you used us so

As that ungentle gull, the cuckoo-bird,

Useth the sparrow; did oppress our nest;

Grew by our feeding to so great a bulk,

That even our love durst not come near your sight

For fear of swallowing; but with nimble wing

We were enforced, for safety-sake, to fly

Out of your sight, and raise this present head:

Whereby we stand opposed by such means

As you yourself have forged against yourself,

By unkind usage, dangerous countenance,

And violation of all faith and troth

Sworn to us in your younger enterprise.

Your Majesty decided that I and all my family

were out of favour;

I must remind you, my lord,

that we were your oldest and closest friends.

I threw away my job as steward for you

in Richard's time; I rode night and day

to meet you on the journey, and kiss your hand,

when you didn't have anything like

my fame or position.

It was I, my brother and my son

who brought you home, boldly risking

the dangers of the time.You swore to us -

you swore the oath at Doncaster -

that you had no intentions against the country;

you said all you wanted was your newly-inherited title,

the seat of Gaunt, the dukedom of Gloucester:

we swore to help you in that.But very swiftly

a great fortune fell down upon your head,

a huge flood of greatness -

with our help, with the king absent,

with the hardships of that wild time,

the hardships you seemed to have suffered,

and the unfavourable winds which kept the King

stuck for so long in his unlucky Irish wars

that everyone in England believed he was dead -

with all this good luck

you allowed yourself to be quickly persuaded

to take power into your hands;

you forgot what you had sworn to us at Doncaster;

and, having been helped by us, you were like

that ungrateful bird the cuckoo; you filled our nest,

became so huge from our feeding you

that even we who loved you dared not come near

for fear of being swallowed; we were forced

for our safety to flee from you and raise these forces:

so we are opposing you with weapons

you have created against yourself,

through unkind treatment, threatening behaviour,

and violation of all the oaths and promises

you made to us in those early days.

KING.

These things, indeed, you have articulate,

Proclaim'd at market-crosses, read in churches,

To face the garment of rebellion

With some fine colour that may please the eye

Of fickle changelings and poor discontents,

Which gape and rub the elbow at the news

Of hurlyburly innovation:

And never yet did insurrection want

Such water-colours to impaint his cause;

Nor moody beggars, starving for a time

Of pellmell havoc and confusion.

These are the things that you have mentioned,

announced at market crosses, read out in churches,

to dress up the clothes of rebellion

with some lovely colour to please the eye

of fickle changeable people and poor malcontents,

who gape and jostle at the news

of any new disturbance;

no rebellion ever lacked

this type of excuse to dress up its cause,

or sullen beggars eager for a time

of riot and confusion.

PRINCE.

In both our armies there is many a soul

Shall pay full dearly for this encounter,

If once they join in trial. Tell your nephew,

The Prince of Wales doth join with all the world

In praise of Henry Percy:by my hopes,

This present enterprise set off his head,

I do not think a braver gentleman,

More active-valiant or more valiant-young,

More daring or more bold, is now alive

To grace this latter age with noble deeds.

For my part,--I may speak it to my shame,--

I have a truant been to chivalry;

And so I hear he doth account me too:

Yet this before my father's Majesty,--

I am content that he shall take the odds

Of his great name and estimation,

And will, to save the blood on either side,

Try fortune with him in a single fight.

There are many souls in both our armies

who will pay the ultimate price for our battle,

once it begins.Tell your nephew

that the Prince of Wales praises Henry Percy

like the rest of the world; it's my opinion,

discounting this current business,

that there isn't a braver gentleman,

more active - braver or less brave -

more daring or bold currently alive

to grace this current age with noble deeds.

For my part - I say it with shame-

I have been a stranger to chivalry;

and I've heard he thinks the same:

but I swear this before my royal father,

that I am happy for him to bring

his great name and fame and,

to save bloodshed on both sides,

to try my luck with him in single combat.

KING.

And, Prince of Wales, so dare we venture thee,

Albeit considerations infinite

Do make against it.--No, good Worcester, no;

We love our people well; even those we love

That are misled upon your cousin's part;

And, will they take the offer of our grace,

Both he, and they, and you, yea, every man

Shall be my friend again, and I'll be his:

So tell your cousin, and then bring me word

What he will do:but, if he will not yield,

Rebuke and dread correction wait on us,

And they shall do their office. So, be gone;

We will not now be troubled with reply:

We offer fair; take it advisedly.

And, Prince of Wales, I am prepared to risk you,

even though there are many great reasons

not to do it.No, good Worcester, no;

I love my people well; I love even those

who have been misled by your cousin;

and, if they will accept my offer of pardon,

both he, and they, and you, yes, every man,

will be my friend again, and I shall be his:

tell your cousin this, and then bring me word

of what he will do: but, if he won't back down,

a terrible vengeance will be their punishment.

So, go; I don't want an answer now:

it's a fair offer; you'd be wise to consider it.

[Exit Worcester with Vernon.]

PRINCE.

It will not be accepted, on my life:

The Douglas and the Hotspur both together

Are confident against the world in arms.

I swear they won't accept it:

Douglas and Hotspur together

back themselves against anyone in a fight.

KING.

Hence, therefore, every leader to his charge;

For, on their answer, will we set on them:

And God befriend us, as our cause is just!

So, every leader must go to his forces;

once we have their answer we shall attack,

and may God help us, as our cause is just!

[Exeunt the King, Blunt, and Prince John.]

FAL.

Hal, if thou see me down in the battle, and bestride me,

so; 'tis a point of friendship.

Hal, if you see me fall in battle then stand over me;

that's what a friend should do.

PRINCE.

Nothing but a colossus can do thee that friendship.

Say thy prayers, and farewell.

Only a giant could stand over you.

Say your prayers, and good luck.

FAL.

I would it were bedtime, Hal, and all well.

I wish it was bedtime, Hal, and everything was settled.

PRINCE.

Why, thou owest God a death.

Well, you owe God a death.

[Exit.]

FAL.

'Tis not due yet; I would be loth to pay Him before His day.