The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (161 page)

 

[Enter Falstaff, Shallow, Silence, Davy, Bardolph, and the Page.]

SHALLOW.

Nay, you shall see my orchard, where, in an arbour, we will eat

a last year's pippin of mine own graffing, with a dish of caraways,

and so forth:  come, cousin Silence:  and then to bed.

No, you shall see my orchard, where, in an arbour, we shall eat

an apple which I grew last year, with a dish of others,

and so on: come cousin Silence: and then we shall go to bed.

FALSTAFF.

'Fore God, you have here a goodly dwelling and a rich.

By God, you've got a good expensive house here.

SHALLOW.

Barren, barren, barren; beggars all, beggars all, Sir John:

marry, good air. Spread, Davy; spread, Davy:  well said, Davy.

Empty, empty, empty; we're all beggars, all beggars,

Sir John–just good air. Lay out the things, Davy,

well done, Davy.

FALSTAFF.

This Davy serves you for good uses; he is your serving-man

and your husband.

This Davy is very useful: he's both your steward and your servant.

SHALLOW.

A good varlet, a good varlet, a very good varlet, Sir John:

by the mass, I have drunk too much sack at supper:  a good

varlet. Now sit down, now sit down:  come, cousin.

A good servant, a good servant, a very good servant, Sir John:

I swear, I drank too much sack at supper: good

servant. Now sit down, now sit down: come, cousin.

SILENCE.

Ah, sirrah! quoth-a, we shall

Do nothing but eat, and make good cheer,

[Singing.]

And praise God for the merry year;

When flesh is cheap and females dear,

And lusty lads roam here and there

So merrily,

And ever among so merrily.

Yes, Sir! Let's all agree to

do nothing but eat, and have good times.

And praise God for the happy times;

when meat is cheap and women's sweet,

and lusty lads roam here and there

so merrily,

going along so merrily.

FALSTAFF.

There's a merry heart! Good Master Silence, I'll give you

a health for that anon.

There's a cheerful chap! Good Master Silence, I'll drink

to you for that shortly.

SHALLOW.

Give Master Bardolph some wine, Davy.

Give Master Bardolph some wine, Davy.

DAVY.

Sweet sir, sit; I'll be with you anon; most sweet sir, sit.

Master page, good master page, sit.  Proface!

What you want in meat, we'll have in drink:

but you must bear; the heart 's all.

Sweet Sir, sit down; I'll be with you shortly; sweet sir, sit down.

Master page, good master page, sit down. Cheers!

What you lack in food, we'll make up for with drink:

you'll have to make do; the heart is everything.

[Exit.]

SHALLOW.

Be merry, Master Bardolph; and, my little soldier there,

be merry.

Be jolly, Master Bardolph; and, my little soldier there,

be jolly.

SILENCE.

Be merry, be merry, my wife has all;

[Singing.]

For women are shrews, both short and tall;

'Tis merry in hall when beards wag all;

And welcome merry Shrove-tide.

Be merry, be merry.

Be jolly, be jolly, my wife has everything;

for women, both short and tall, are shrews;

it's jolly in the hall when it's all men;

welcome to the Mardi Gras.

Be happy, be happy.

FALSTAFF.

I did not think Master Silence had been a man of this mettle.

I didn't think Master Silence had this sort of thing in him.

SILENCE.

Who, I? I have been merry twice and once ere now.

Who, me? I've been jolly once or twice before now.

[Re-enter Davy.]

DAVY.

There 's a dish of leather-coats for you.  [To Bardolph.]

Here's a dish of russet apples for you.

SHALLOW.

Davy!

Davy!

DAVY.

Your worship! I'll be with you straight [To BARDOLPH.].

A cup of wine, sir?

Your worship! I'll come to you at once.

A cup of  wine, sir?

SILENCE.

A cup of wine that 's brisk and fine,

[Singing.]

And drink unto the leman mine;

And a merry heart lives long-a.

A cup of wine that's quick and fine,

and drink to my sweetheart;

and the jolly heart lives long.

FALSTAFF.

Well said, Master Silence.

Well said, Master Silence.

SILENCE.

An we shall be merry, now comes in the sweet o' the night.

And we shall be jolly, now the best part of the night has arrived.

FALSTAFF.

Health and long life to you, Master Silence!

Good health and long life to you, Master Silence!

SILENCE.

Fill the cup, and let it come,

[Singing.]

I'll pledge you a mile to the bottom.

Fill the cup, bring it on,

I'll drink it down if it were a mile deep.

SHALLOW.

Honest Bardolph, welcome:  if thou wantest anything and

wilt not call, beshrew thy heart. Welcome, my little tiny thief

[to the Page],

and welcome indeed too. I'll drink to Master Bardolph, and to all

the cavaleros about London.

Honest Bardolph, welcome: if there's anything you want and

you don't ask for it, shame on you. Welcome, my little tiny thief [to the page],

you are very welcome too. I'll drink to Master Bardolph, and

to all the fine fellows in London.

DAVY.

I hope to see London once ere I die.

I hope to see London once before I die.

BARDOLPH.

An I might see you there, Davy,--

And I might see you there, Davy–

SHALLOW.

By the mass, you'll crack a quart together, ha! will you not,

Master Bardolph?

By God, you shall split a quart of ale together! Will you not,

Master Bardolph?

BARDOLPH.

Yea, sir, in a pottle-pot.

Yes, sir, two quarts.

SHALLOW.

By God's liggens, I thank thee:  the knave will stick by thee, I

can assure thee that.  A' will not out; he is true bred.

By God, I thank you: this scoundrel will stick with you, I

can promise you that. He won't go missing, he's well bred!

BARDOLPH.

And I'll stick by him, sir.

And I'll stick with him, sir.

SHALLOW.

Why, there spoke a king. Lack nothing: be merry.

[Knocking within.]

Look who 's at door there, ho! who knocks?

Why, spoken like a king. Lack nothing: be merry.

Go and see who's at the door there! Who's knocking?

[Exit Davy.]

FALSTAFF.

Why, now you have done me right.

Why, you toasted me well there.

[To Silence, seeing him take off a bumper.]

SILENCE.

Do me right,

[Singing.]

And dub me knight:

Samingo.

Is't not so?

Do the same for me.

And make me a knight:

Samingo.

Isn't that it?

FALSTAFF.

'Tis so.

That's it.

SILENCE.

Is't so? Why then, say an old man can do somewhat.

It's right? Why then, say an old man can still do something.

[Re-enter Davy.]

DAVY.

An't please your worship, there 's one Pistol come from the

court with news.

If you please your worship, there's a man called Pistol,

from the court with news.

FALSTAFF.

From the court? Let him come in.

[Enter Pistol.]

How now, Pistol!

From the court? Let him come in.

Hello there, Pistol!

PISTOL.

Sir John, God save you!

Sir John, God save you!

FALSTAFF.

What wind blew you hither, Pistol?

What wind drove you here, Pistol?

PISTOL.

Not the ill wind which blows no man to good. Sweet knight,

thou art now one of the greatest men in this realm.

Not the ill wind which blows no man any good.

Sweet knight, you are now one of the greatest men in the kingdom.

SILENCE.

By'r lady, I think a' be, but goodman Puff of Barson.

By Mary, I think you might be, apart from the yeoman Puff of Barson.

PISTOL.

Puff!

Puff in thy teeth, most recreant coward base!

Sir John, I am thy Pistol and thy friend,

And helter-skelter have I rode to thee,

And tidings do I bring and lucky joys

And golden times and happy news of price.

Puff!

Puff through your teeth, you low-down coward!

Sir John, I am your Pistol and your friend,

and I have ridden here helter-skelter

to bring you happy news of

golden times, profitable times.

FALSTAFF.

I pray thee now, deliver them like a man of this world.

Well please, tell me about them like an ordinary man.

PISTOL.

A foutre for the world and worldlings base!

I speak of Africa and golden joys.