The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (192 page)

Than Julius Caesar or bright--

Stop these arguments and be peaceful:

let's go to the altar: heralds, attend us:

instead of gold, will make an offering of our weapons,

as we have no use for them now, now that Henry is dead.

We can expect the future to be wretched,

and babies shall drink the tears of their mothers,

the island shall feed on salt tears alone,

and there will be none but women left to mourn the dead.

Henry the Fifth, I summon up your ghost:

make this country prosperous, keep it from civil war,

fight the influence of the unlucky planets!

Your soul will make far more glorious start

than Julius Caesar, or bright–

[Enter a Messenger.]

MESSENGER.

My honourable lords, health to you all!

Sad tidings bring I to you out of France,

Of loss, of slaughter, and discomfiture:

Guienne, Champagne, Rheims, Orleans,

Paris, Guysors, Poictiers, are all quite lost.

My honourable lords, good health!

I bring you sad news from France,

of loss, slaughter and frustration:

Guienne, Champagne, Reims, Orleans,

Paris, Guysors, Poitiers, they have all been lost.

BEDFORD.

What say'st thou, man, before dead Henry's corse?

Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns

Will make him burst his lead and rise from death.

What are you saying, man, in front of the body of dead Henry?

Speak softly, or the loss of those great towns

will make him burst out of his coffin and rise from the dead.

GLOUCESTER.

Is Paris lost? Is Rouen yielded up?

If Henry were recall'd to life again,

These news would cause him once more yield the ghost.

Is Paris lost? Has Rouen been surrendered?

If Henry were called back to life,

this news would make him give up the ghost again.

EXETER.

How were they lost? What treachery was us'd?

How were they lost? What treachery was there?

MESSENGER.

No treachery; but want of men and money.

Amongst the soldiers this is muttered,

That here you maintain several factions,

And whilst a field should be dispatch'd and fought,

You are disputing of your generals:

One would have lingering wars with little cost;

Another would fly swift, but wanteth wings;

A third thinks, without expense at all,

By guileful fair words peace may be obtain'd.

Awake, awake, English nobility!

Let not sloth dim your honours new-begot:

Cropp'd are the flower-de-luces in your arms;

Of England's coat one half is cut away.

There was no treachery, there was a lack of men and money.

The soldiers are saying that

there are several different parties here at court,

and when the battles should be swiftly fought,

you are arguing over details:

one wants long wars with little expense;

another wants to act swiftly, but doesn't have the means;

a third thinks that peace can be got without

any expense, just through using cunning fair words.

Wake up, English noblemen!

Don't let laziness spoil your newly won honours:

the fleur-de-lis have been cropped from your coat of arms;

you have lost half of it.

EXETER.

Were our tears wanting to this funeral,

These tidings would call forth their flowing tides.

If this funeral was not making us cry,

this news would start us.

BEDFORD.

Me they concern; Regent I am of France.

Give me my steeled coat.  I'll fight for France.

Away with these disgraceful wailing robes!

Wounds will I lend the French instead of eyes,

To weep their intermissive miseries.

This is my business; I am Regent of France.

Bring me my chainmail. I shall fight for France.

Enough of these disgraceful mourning clothes!

I'll give the French wounds instead of eyes,

through which they will cry for their regular miseries.

[Enter to them another Messenger.]

MESSENGER.

Lords, view these letters full of bad mischance.

France is revolted from the English quite,

Except some petty towns of no import:

The Dauphin Charles is crowned king in Rheims;

The Bastard of Orleans with him is join'd;

Reignier, Duke of Anjou, doth take his part;

The Duke of Alencon flieth to his side.

Lords, read these letters full of bad news.

France has completely revolted against England,

except for some little towns of no importance:

the Dauphin Charles has been crowned King at Rheims;

the Bastard of Orleans has joined with him;

Reignier, Duke of Anjou, is on his side;

the Duke of Alencon is hastening to join him.

EXETER.

The Dauphin crowned king! all fly to him!

O, whither shall we fly from this reproach?

The Dauphin crowned as King! Everyone rushes to him!

Oh, how shall we escape the shame of this?

GLOUCESTER.

We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats.

Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out.

We will not flee, except towards our enemies' throats.

Bedford, if you won't agree, I'll do the fighting.

BEDFORD.

Gloucester, why doubt'st thou of my forwardness?

An army have I muster'd in my thoughts,

Wherewith already France is overrun.

Gloucester, why do you doubt my willingness?

I have already planned how to raise an army,

which in my mind has already conquered France.

[Enter another Messenger.]

MESSENGER.

My gracious lords, to add to your laments,

Wherewith you now bedew King Henry's hearse,

I must inform you of a dismal fight

Betwixt the stout Lord Talbot and the French.

My gracious lords, to add to your tears,

with which you now soak King Henry's hearse,

I must tell you about a terrible fight

between the brave Lord Talbot and the French.

WINCHESTER.

What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't so?

What! Which Talbot won? Is that it?

MESSENGER.

O, no; wherein Lord Talbot was o'erthrown:

The circumstance I'll tell you more at large.

The tenth of August last this dreadful lord,

Retiring from the siege of Orleans,

Having full scarce six thousand in his troop,

By three and twenty thousand of the French

Was round encompassed and set upon.

No leisure had he to enrank his men;

He wanted pikes to set before his archers;

Instead whereof sharp stakes pluck'd out of hedges

They pitched in the ground confusedly,

To keep the horsemen off from breaking in.

More than three hours the fight continued;

Where valiant Talbot above human thought

Enacted wonders with his sword and lance:

Hundreds he sent to hell, and none durst stand him;

Here, there, and every where, enrag'd he slew:

The French exclaim'd, the devil was in arms;

All the whole army stood agaz'd on him.

His soldiers spying his undaunted spirit

A Talbot! a Talbot! cried out amain,

And rush'd into the bowels of the battle.

Here had the conquest fully been seal'd up,

If Sir John Fastolfe had not play'd the coward.

He, being in the vaward, plac'd behind

With purpose to relieve and follow them,

Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke.

Hence grew the general wreck and massacre;

Enclosed were they with their enemies:

A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace,

Thrust Talbot with a spear into the back;

Whom all France with their chief assembled strength

Durst not presume to look once in the face.

Oh no: in which Lord Talbot was defeated.

I'll tell you more about what happened.

On the tenth of August, this fearsome Lord

was retreating from the siege of Orleans,

with hardly six thousand men in his force,

and he was encircled and set upon

by twenty three thousand French.

He had no time to get his men into battle order;

he had no pikes to put in front of his archers,

and had to make do with sharp stakes cut from the hedges

which they stuck irregularly in the ground,

to stop the cavalry from breaking through.

The fight continued for more than three hours,

and brave Talbot did miraculous things with his

sword and spear, unimaginable things.

He sent hundreds to hell, and nobody could resist him.

In his anger he killed those all around him.

The French said that the devil had taken up arms,

and the whole army watched him astonished.

His soldiers, seeing his undaunted spirit,

all shouted out, " To Talbot, to Talbot!",

And rushed into the heart of the battle.

The battle would then have been completely won,

if Sir John Fastolfe hadn't been a coward.

He was at the back, having been placed there

to follow them and provide reinforcements,

but he fled like a coward, having not struck a single blow.

So the general ruin and slaughter grew.

They were surrounded with their enemies.

A low villain, to win the approval of the Dauphin,

stabbed Talbot in the back with a spear–

someone whom all of France, with all their army there,

did not dare to look one time in the face.

BEDFORD.

Is Talbot slain? then I will slay myself,

For living idly here in pomp and ease,

Whilst such a worthy leader, wanting aid,

Unto his dastard foemen is betray'd.

Has Talbot been killed? Then I will kill myself,

as punishment for living the good life here,

while such a great leader, lacking assistance,

was betrayed to his horrible enemies.

MESSENGER.

O no, he lives; but is took prisoner,

And Lord Scales with him, and Lord Hungerford:

Most of the rest slaughter'd or took likewise.

Oh no, he lives; but he is a prisoner,

along with Lord Scales, and Lord Hungerford:

most of the rest have been killed or otherwise are prisoners like them.

BEDFORD.

His ransom there is none but I shall pay:

I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne:

His crown shall be the ransom of my friend;

Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.

Farewell, my masters; to my task will I;

Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make

To keep our great Saint George's feast withal: