The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (206 page)

Here is the best and safest passage in?

The Pucelle and her conspirators went in here;

now she's in, how will she let us know

that this is the best way to go?

REIGNIER.

By thrusting out a torch from yonder tower;

Which, once discern'd, shows that her meaning is,

No way to that, for weakness, which she enter'd.

She will hold up a torch from that tower;

once we see it we will know she's telling us

that the way she came in is the weakest point.

[Enter La Pucelle, on the top, thrusting out

a torch burning.]

PUCELLE.

Behold, this is the happy wedding torch

That joineth Rouen unto her countrymen,

But burning fatal to the Talbotites!

See, this is the happy wedding torch

that marries Rouen and her countrymen,

but burns fatally for the Talbotites!

[Exit.]

BASTARD.

See, noble Charles, the beacon of our friend;

The burning torch in yonder turret stands.

See, noble Charles, the light of our friend;

the torch is burning on that tower.

CHARLES.

Now shine it like a comet of revenge,

A prophet to the fall of all our foes!

Let it shine like a revenging comet,

prophesying the fall of all our enemies!

REIGNIER.

Defer no time, delays have dangerous ends;

Enter, and cry, 'The Dauphin!' presently,

And then do execution on the watch.

Waste no time, delay could be fatal;

go in and give the shout of “The Dauphin!" at once,

and then destroy the guards.

[Alarum. Exeunt.]

[An alarum. Enter Talbot in an excursion.]

TALBOT.

France, thou shalt rue this treason with thy tears,

If Talbot but survive thy treachery.

Pucelle, that witch, that damned sorceress,

Hath wrought this hellish mischief unawares,

That hardly we escaped the pride of France.

France, you shall regret this treason with your tears,

if Talbot can just survive your treachery.

Pucelle, that witch, that dammed sorceress,

started this hellish mischief behind our backs,

so that we hardly escaped the nobility of France.

[Exit.]

[An alarum:  excursions.]

[Bedford, brought in sick in a chair. Enter Talbot and Burgundy

without: within La Pucelle, Charles, Bastard, Alencon, and

Reignier, on the walls.]

PUCELLE.

Good morrow, gallants! want ye corn for bread?

I think the Duke of Burgundy will fast

Before he 'll buy again at such a rate:

'Twas full of darnel:  do you like the taste?

Good morning, brave gentlemen! Do you want corn for bread?

I think the Duke of Burgundy will starve

before he'll buy at that price again:

it was full of grass: do you like the taste?

BURGUNDY.

Scoff on, vile fiend and shameless courtezan!

I trust ere long to choke thee with thine own,

And make thee curse the harvest of that corn.

Keep mocking, horrid devil and shameless whore!

I hope before long I'll be choking you with your own corn,

and I'll make you regret you ever started this business.

CHARLES.

Your Grace may starve perhaps before that time.

Perhaps your Grace will starve before that happens.

BEDFORD.

O, let no words, but deeds, revenge this treason!

Let's not revenge this treason with words, but with deeds!

PUCELLE.

What will you do, good graybeard? break a lance,

And run a tilt at death within a chair?

What are you going to do, good greybeard? Break a lance,

and try and out joust death from your saddle?

TALBOT.

Foul fiend of France, and hag of all despite,

Encompass'd with thy lustful paramours!

Becomes it thee to taunt his valiant age,

And twit with cowardice a man half dead?

Damsel, I 'll have a bout with you again,

Or else let Talbot perish with this shame.

Foul devil of France, and hag hated by all,

surrounded with your lustful lovers!

Is it your place to taunt brave old men,

and accuse a man who is half dead of cowardice?

Lady, I shall fight with you again,

or may Talbot die with this shame.

PUCELLE.

Are ye so hot? yet, Pucelle, hold thy peace;

If Talbot do but thunder, rain will follow.

[The English party whisper together in council. ]

God speed the parliament! who shall be the speaker?

That passionate, are you? But, Pucelle, keep your peace;

if Talbot thunders, there will be rain later.

God bless this Parliament! Who's going to be the speaker?

TALBOT.

Dare ye come forth and meet us in the field?

Do you dare to come out and do battle with us?

PUCELLE.

Belike your lordship takes us then for fools,

To try if that our own be ours or no.

It seems your lordship takes us for fools,

who would risk what they already have.

TALBOT.

I speak not to that railing Hecate,

But unto thee, Alencon, and the rest;

Will ye, like soldiers, come and fight it out?

I'm not speaking to that ranting witch,

but to you, Alencon, and the rest;

will you come and fight it out like soldiers?

ALENCON.

Signior, no.

Sir, we will not.

TALBOT.

Signior, hang! base muleters of France!

Like peasant foot-boys do they keep the walls,

And dare not take up arms like gentlemen.

Sir, be hanged! Lowdown peasants of France!

They hide behind the walls like lowborn pageboys,

and do not dare to go into battle like gentlemen.

PUCELLE.

Away, captains! let 's get us from the walls;

For Talbot means no goodness by his looks.

God be wi' you, my lord! we came but to tell you

That we are here.

Come away, captains! Let's get away from the walls;

from the look on Talbot's face he means us no good.

May God be with you, my lord! We only came to tell you

that we are here.

[Exeunt from the walls.]

TALBOT.

And there will we be too, ere it be long,

Or else reproach be Talbot's greatest fame!

Vow, Burgundy, by honor of thy house,

Prick'd on by public wrongs sustain'd in France,

Either to get the town again or die:

And I, as sure as English Henry lives,

And as his father here was conqueror,

As sure as in this late-betrayed town

Great Coeur-de-lion's heart was buried,

So sure I swear to get the town or die.

And we will be there too, before long,

otherwise let criticism be all Talbot receives!

Make a vow, Burgundy, on the honour of your family,

spurred on by the public insults you have been given in France,

either to recapture this town or die:

and I, as sure as English Henry is alive,

as his father was a conqueror here,

as sure as the heart of the great Richard

the Lionheart is buried in here,

I swear by all this I will capture the town or die.

BURGUNDY.

My vows are equal partners with thy vows.

My vows are equal to your own.

TALBOT.

But, ere we go, regard this dying prince,

The valiant Duke of Bedford. Come, my lord,

We will bestow you in some better place,

Fitter for sickness and for crazy age.

But, before we go, we must pay attention to this dying Prince,

the brave Duke of Bedford. Come, my lord,

we will put you in some better place,

more suitable for sickness and for fragile age.

BEDFORD.

Lord Talbot, do not so dishonor me:

Here will I sit before the walls of Rouen,

And will be partner of your weal or woe.

Lord Talbot, do not insult me like this:

I will sit here in front of the walls of Rouen,

and will be your partner in your wounds or sorrows.

BURGUNDY.

Courageous Bedford, let us now persuade you.

Brave Bedford, please let us persuade you.

BEDFORD.

Not to be gone from hence; for once I read

That stout Pendragon in his litter sick

Came to the field and vanquished his foes.

Methinks I should revive the soldiers' hearts,

Because I ever found them as myself.

Not to leave here; I once read

that great King Arthur was carried onto the

battlefield when ill and beat his enemies.

I think I should stay here to give courage to the soldiers,

because I've always had a kinship with them.

TALBOT.

Undaunted spirit in a dying breast!

Then be it so:  heavens keep old Bedford safe!

And now no more ado, brave Burgundy,

But gather we our forces out of hand

And set upon our boasting enemy.

Brave spirit in a dying heart!

Then let it be so: may heaven keep old Bedford safe!

And now no more delay, brave Burgundy,

let's gather up our forces at once

and attack our arrogant enemy.

[Exeunt all but Bedford and Attendants.]

[An alarum:  excursions. Enter Sir John Fastolfe

and a Captain.]

CAPTAIN.

Whither away, Sir John Fastolfe, in such haste?

Where are you going, Sir John Fastolfe, so quickly?

FASTOLFE.

Whither away! to save myself by flight:

We are like to have the overthrow again.

Where am I going! To save myself by running away:

we are probably going to be beaten again.

CAPTAIN.

What! Will you fly, and leave Lord Talbot?

What! Will you run, and leave Lord Talbot?

FASTOLFE.

Aye,

All the Talbots in the world, to save my life.

Yes,

all the Talbots in the world, to save my life.

[Exit.]

CAPTAIN.

Cowardly knight! ill fortune follow thee!

Cowardly knight! May bad luck follow you!

[Exit.]

[Retreat:  excursions. La Pucelle, Alencon, and Charles fly.]