The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (158 page)

Acting that argument:  and now my death

Changes the mode; for what in me was purchased,

Falls upon thee in a more fairer sort;

So thou the garland wear'st successively.

Yet, though thou stand'st more sure than I could do,

Thou art not firm enough, since griefs are green;

And all my friends, which thou must make thy friends,

Have but their stings and teeth newly ta'en out;

By whose fell working I was first advanced

And by whose power I well might lodge a fear

To be again displaced:  which to avoid,

I cut them off; and had a purpose now

To lead out many to the Holy Land,

Lest rest and lying still might make them look

Too near unto my state. Therefore, my Harry,

Be it thy course to busy giddy minds

With foreign quarrels; that action, hence borne out,

May waste the memory of the former days.

More would I, but my lungs are wasted so

That strength of speech is utterly denied me.

How I came by the crown, O God, forgive;

And grant it may with thee in true peace live!

Oh my son,

God put it in your mind to take it away,

so you could win more of your father's love,

speaking so wisely to explain yourself!

Come here, Harry, sit on my bed,

and hear, I think, the very last advice

that I shall ever give. God knows, my son,

the strange and crooked ways

I came to this crown, and I know perfectly well

what trouble it caused me to wear it.

It shall come to you more quietly,

more wisely, more legitimately,

for all the stain of the way I got it

shall be buried with me. With me it seemed

to be just an honour stolen by force,

and I had many people who criticised

the way I gained it with their actions,

which daily swelled until we had war and bloodshed,

damaging the peace I intended. You have seen me

face down all these challenges and the dangers they brought;

my entire reign has just been fighting over

that argument. And now my death

changes things, for what I bought

comes to you in a better way;

you inherit the crown.

But though you are more secure than I was,

you are not solid enough, since grief is still fresh in the memory;

and all my friends, which you must make your friends,

have only just lost their powers;

I first gained my position through them,

and I had every reason to fear

those same powers could overthrow me; to avoid that,

I cut them off, and I intended

to take many of them with me to the holy land,

in case too much leisure might make them look

enviously at my position. So, my Harry,

what you must do is keep their giddy minds busy

with foreign wars, so that sort of action

can obliterate the memory of past days.

I would tell you more, but my lungs are so ruined

that I can no longer speak.

May God forgive me for the way I came by the Crown,

and may you have true peace when you wear it!

PRINCE.

My gracious liege,

You won it, wore it, kept it, gave it me;

Then plain and right must my possession be:

Which I with more than with a common pain

'Gainst all the world will rightfully maintain.

My gracious lord,

you won it, wore it, kept it, gave it to me;

and so when I have it it will be by right:

and I will do whatever it takes

to uphold my rights against all the world.

[Enter Lord John of Lancaster.]

KING.

Look, look, here comes my John of Lancaster.

Look, look, here comes my John of Lancaster.

LANCASTER.

Health, peace, and happiness to my royal father!

Health, peace and happiness to my royal father!

KING.

Thou bring'st me happiness and peace, son John;

But health, alack, with youthful wings is flown

From this bare wither'd trunk:  upon thy sight

My worldly business makes a period.

Where is my Lord of Warwick?

You bring me happiness and peace, son John;

but health, alas, has flown away like youth

from this old withered tree: on seeing you

my worldly business comes to an end.

Where is my Lord of Warwick?

PRINCE.

My Lord of Warwick!

My Lord of Warwick!

[Re-enter Warwick, and others.]

KING.

Doth any name particular belong

Unto the lodging where I first did swoon?

Does the room where I first collapsed

have any particular name?

WARWICK.

'Tis call'd Jerusalem, my noble lord.

It's called Jerusalem, my noble Lord.

KING.

Laud be to God! even there my life must end.

It hath been prophesied to me many years,

I should not die but in Jerusalem;

Which vainly I supposed the Holy Land:

But bear me to that chamber; there I'll lie;

In that Jerusalem shall Harry die.

Praise be to God! That is where my life must end.

It had been prophesied to me for many years

that I would only die in Jerusalem;

my vanity made me think that meant the holy land.

But carry me to that chamber; I shall lie there;

Harry shall die in that Jerusalem.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter Shallow, Falstaff, Bardolph, and Page.]

SHALLOW.

By cock and pie, sir, you shall not away to-night.

What, Davy, I say!

I swear, Sir, you shall not leave tonight.

Where are you, Davy!

FALSTAFF.

You must excuse me, Master Robert Shallow.

You must excuse me, Master Robert Shallow.

SHALLOW.

I will not excuse you; you shall not be excused; excuses

shall not be admitted; there is no excuse shall serve; you shall

not be excused. Why, Davy!

I won't excuse you; you shall not be excused; we won’t allow

any excuses; no excuse will do; you shall

not be excused. Why, Davy!

[Enter Davy.]

DAVY.

Here, sir.

Here I am, sir.

SHALLOW.

Davy, Davy, Davy, Davy, let me see, Davy; let me see,

Davy; let me see:  yea, marry, William cook, bid him come hither.

Sir John, you shall not be excused.

Davy, Davy, Davy, Davy, let me see, Davy; let me see,

Davy; let me see: yes, that's it, tell William the cook to come here.

Sir John, you shall not be excused.

DAVY.

Marry, sir, thus; those precepts cannot be served; and,

again, sir, shall we sow the headland with wheat?

We must think of this, sir; these writs cannot be served; and,

again, Sir, shall we sow the spare land with wheat?

SHALLOW.

With red wheat, Davy. But for William cook:  are there no

young pigeons?

With red wheat, Davy. But I was talking of William the cook: are there no

young pigeons?

DAVY.

Yes, sir. Here is now the smith's note for shoeing and

plough-irons.

Yes, sir. Now here is the blacksmith's bill for shoeing the horses

and for parts of the plough.

SHALLOW.

Let it be cast and paid. Sir John, you shall not be excused.

Add it up and pay it. Sir John, you shall not be excused.

DAVY.

Now, sir, a new link to the bucket must needs be had:  and, sir, do

you mean to stop any of William's wages, about the sack he lost the

other day at Hinckley fair?

Now, sir, we need a new chain for the bucket: and, sir, do

you intend to make any deductions from William's wages, with regard

to the sack he lost the other day at Hinckley fair?

SHALLOW.

A' shall answer it. Some pigeons, Davy, a couple of short-legg'd

hens, a joint of mutton, and any pretty little tiny kickshaws,

tell William cook.

He shall pay for it. Some pigeons, Davy, a couple of short legged

hens, a joint of mutton and any pretty little extras, tell William the cook.

DAVY.

Doth the man of war stay all night, sir?

Is the soldier stopping the night, sir?

SHALLOW.

Yea, Davy.  I will use him well:  a friend i' the court is better

than a penny in purse. Use his men well, Davy; for they are

arrant knaves, and will backbite.

Yes, Davy. I shall treat him well: a friend in the court is better

than a penny in the purse. Treat his men well, Davy; for they are cheeky knaves, and will bite at you.

DAVY.

No worse than they are backbitten, sir; for they have marvellous

foul linen.

No worse than they will be bitten, sir; for they have incredibly

dirty clothes.

SHALLOW.

Well conceited, Davy:  about thy business, Davy.

Well played, Davy: go on with your work, Davy.