The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (205 page)

My Lord Winchester, stop, for shame!

What, do you have to be told what to do by a child?

WINCHESTER.

Well, Duke of Gloucester, I will yield to thee;

Love for thy love and hand for hand I give.

Well, Duke of Gloucester, I will give way to you;

I will exchange love for love and give hand for hand.

GLOUCESTER.

[Aside] Aye, but, I fear me, with a hollow heart.--

See here, my friends and loving countrymen;

This token serveth for a flag of truce

Betwixt ourselves and all our followers:

So help me God, as I dissemble not!

[Aside] Yes, but I'm afraid it's not genuine.–

See here, my friends and loving countrymen;

this symbolises the start of a truce

between us and all our followers:

I swear to God I am genuine!

WINCHESTER.

[Aside] So help me God, as I intend it not!

[Aside] And I swear to God, I don't mean it!

KING.

O loving uncle, kind Duke of Gloucester,

How joyful am I made by this contract!

Away, my masters! trouble us no more;

But join in friendship, as your lords have done.

O loving uncle, kind Duke of Gloucester,

how happy this agreement makes me!

Off you go, my lads! Don't give us any more trouble;

be friends, as your lords are.

FIRST SERVING-MAN.

Content:  I'll to the surgeon's.

I am satisfied: I shall go to the surgeon.

SECOND SERVING-MAN.

And so will I.

And so will I.

THIRD SERVING-MAN.

And I will see what physic the tavern affords.

And I shall see what medicine there is in the pub.

[Exeunt Serving-men, Mayor, &C.]

WARWICK.

Accept this scroll, most gracious sovereign;

Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet

We do exhibit to your majesty.

Accept this document, most gracious king;

which I am showing your majesty

on behalf of Richard Plantagenet.

GLOUCESTER.

Well urged, my Lord of Warwick: for, sweet prince,

An if your Grace mark every circumstance,

You have great reason to do Richard right:

Especially for those occasions

At Eltham place I told your majesty.

Well said, my Lord of Warwick: for, sweet prince,

if your Grace examines every part of the case,

you have every reason to do right by Richard:

especially for those reasons

I told your Majesty about at Eltham Palace.

KING.

And those occasions, uncle, were of force;

Therefore, my loving lords, our pleasure is

That Richard be restored to his blood.

And those reasons, uncle, were strong ones;

therefore, my loving lords, I have decided

that Richard should be given back his title.

WARWICK.

Let Richard be restored to his blood;

So shall his father's wrongs be recompensed.

Let Richard be given back his title;

and so the wrongs done to his father shall be paid for.

WINCHESTER.

As will the rest, so willeth Winchester.

Winchester agrees with what the others want.

KING.

If Richard will be true, not that alone

But all the whole inheritance I give

That doth belong unto the house of York,

From whence you spring by lineal descent.

If Richard will be loyal, I won't just give that back,

but the whole inheritance

which belongs to the house of York,

from which you are a direct descendant.

PLANTAGENET.

Thy humble servant vows obedience

And humble service till the point of death.

Your humble servant promises his obedience

and humble service until he dies.

KING.

Stoop then and set your knee against my foot;

And, in reguerdon of that duty done,

I girt thee with the valiant sword of York:

Rise, Richard, like a true Plantagenet,

And rise created princely Duke of York.

Then kneel and put your knee against my foot;

and, in reward for your duty,

I hang the brave sword of York upon you:

rise, Richard, like a true Plantagenet,

created the princely Duke of York.

PLANTAGENET.

And so thrive Richard as thy foes may fall!

And as my duty springs, so perish they

That grudge one thought against your majesty!

So may Richard thrive as your enemies fall!

And as I shall do my duty, anyone who has

a single grudging thought against your Majesty shall die!

ALL.

Welcome, high prince, the mighty Duke of York!

Welcome, high Prince, the mighty Duke of York!

SOMERSET.

[Aside] Perish, base prince, ignoble Duke of York!

Die, low Prince, lowdown Duke of York!

GLOUCESTER.

Now will it best avail your majesty

To cross the seas and to be crown'd in France:

The presence of a king engenders love

Amongst his subjects and his loyal friends,

As it disanimates his enemies.

Now the best thing for your Majesty will be

to cross the sea and be crowned in France:

the presence of a king creates love

amongst his subjects and his loyal friends,

and it is dispiriting for his enemies.

KING.

When Gloucester says the word, King Henry goes;

For friendly counsel cuts off many foes.

What Gloucester says, King Henry does;

friendly advice defeats many enemies.

GLOUCESTER.

Your ships already are in readiness.

Your ships are already prepared.

[Sennet. Flourish. Exeunt all but Exeter.]

EXETER.

Aye, we may march in England or in France,

Not seeing what is likely to ensue.

This late dissension grown betwixt the peers

Burns under feigned ashes of forged love,

And will at last break out into a flame;

As fest'red members rot but by degree,

Till bones and flesh and sinews fall away,

So will this base and envious discord breed.

And now I fear that fatal prophecy

Which in the time of Henry named the fifth

Was in the mouth of every sucking babe;

That Henry born at Monmouth should win all

And Henry born at Windsor lose all:

Which is so plain, that Exeter doth wish

His days may finish ere that hapless time.

Yes, we can march through England or France,

ignoring what is likely to happen.

This late disagreement between the peers

is still burning under the fake ashes of forged love,

and eventually it will break out into flame;

as infected limbs only rot by stages,

until the bones and flesh and muscles all fall off,

this is how this low and jealous disagreement will proceed.

And now am afraid the fatal prophecy will come true,

which every child knew at the time

of Henry the Fifth;

that Henry who was born at Monmouth would win everything,

and Henry born at Windsor would lose everything:

it's so obvious, that Exeter wishes

that he will be die before that unhappy time arrives.

[Exit.]

[Enter La Pucelle disguised, with four Soldiers

with sacks upon their backs.]

PUCELLE.

These are the city gates, the gates of Rouen,

Through which our policy must make a breach:

Take heed, be wary how you place your words;

Talk like the vulgar sort of market men

That come to gather money for their corn.

If we have entrance, as I hope we shall,

And that we find the slothful watch but weak,

I 'll by a sign give notice to our friends,

That Charles the Dauphin may encounter them.

These are the city gates, the gates of Rouen,

through which we must find a way by cunning:

listen, be careful what you say;

talk as if you were low down market men

come to get payment for their corn.

If we get in, as I hope we will,

and we find the lazy guards are small in number,

I shall alert our friends with a sign,

so that Charles the Dauphin can attack.

FIRST SOLDIER.

Our sacks shall be a mean to sack the city,

And we be lords and rulers over Rouen;

Therefore we 'll knock. [Knocks.]

Our sacks shall be our tools to sack the city,

and we shall be lords and rulers over Rouen;

so we shall knock.

WATCH.

[Within] Qui est la?

Who's there?

PUCELLE.

Paysans, pauvres gens de France;

Poor market folks that come to sell their corn.

Peasants, poor Frenchmen;

poor market folks who have come to sell their corn.

WATCH.

Enter, go in; the market bell is rung.

Come in; the market bell has been rung.

PUCELLE.

Now, Rouen, I 'll shake thy bulwarks to the ground.

Now, Rouen, I'll shake your defences to the ground.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter Charles, the Bastard of Orleans, Alencon,

Reignier, and forces.]

CHARLES.

Saint Denis bless this happy stratagem!

And once again we 'll sleep secure in Rouen.

May Saint Denis bless this cunning plan!

Once again we'll sleep soundly in Rouen.

BASTARD.

Here enter'd Pucelle and her practisants;

Now she is there, how will she specify