The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (209 page)

of Paris, and others.]

GLOUCESTER.

Lord bishop, set the crown upon his head.

Lord Bishop, put the crown on his head.

WINCHESTER.

God save King Henry, of that name the sixth!

God save King Henry, the sixth of that name!

GLOUCESTER.

Now, Governor of Paris, take your oath,

That you elect no other king but him;

Esteem none friends but such as are his friends,

And none your foes but such as shall pretend

Malicious practices against his state:

This shall ye do, so help you righteous God!

Now, Governor of Paris, take your oath,

that you will choose no other king but him;

that you will not count anybody as allies except his allies,

and that your only enemies will be those

who undertake malicious actions against his position:

swear you shall do this, so help you righteous God!

[Enter Sir John Fastolfe.]

FASTOLFE.

My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais,

To haste unto your coronation,

A letter was deliver'd to my hands,

Writ to your Grace from the Duke of Burgundy.

My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais,

hurrying to your coronation,

a letter was put into my hands,

written to your grace from the Duke of Burgundy.

TALBOT.

Shame to the Duke of Burgundy and thee!

I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee next,

To tear the garter from thy craven's leg, [Plucking it off.]

Which I have done, because unworthily

Thou wast installed in that high degree.

Pardon me, princely Henry, and the rest:

This dastard, at the battle of Patay,

When but in all I was six thousand strong

And that the French were almost ten to one,

Before we met or that a stroke was given,

Like to a trusty squire did run away:

In which assault we lost twelve hundred men;

Myself and divers gentlemen beside

Were there surprised and taken prisoners.

Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss;

Or whether that such cowards ought to wear

This ornament of knighthood, yea or no.

Shame on the Duke of Burgundy and on you!

I swore, degraded knight, that the next time I saw you

I would tear the garter off your coward's leg,

which I have done, because you did not deserve

to be given that great honour.

Excuse me, princely Henry, and you others:

this bastard, at the battle of Poitiers,

when I only had six thousand men

and the French outnumbered us almost ten to one,

before we met or any blows were struck,

he ran away like a complete coward:

in that battle we lost twelve hundred men;

myself and other gentlemen besides

were ambushed there and taken prisoner.

So judge, great lords, if I have done anything wrong;

or whether cowards like him should be allowed to wear

this badge of knighthood, yes or no.

GLOUCESTER.

To say the truth, this fact was infamous

And ill beseeming any common man,

Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader.

To tell the truth, this matter was notorious

and it would look bad for any common man,

let alone a knight, a captain, and a leader.

TALBOT.

When first this order was ordain'd, my lords,

Knights of the garter were of noble birth,

Valiant and virtuous, full of haughty courage,

Such as were grown to credit by the wars;

Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress,

But always resolute in most extremes.

He then that is not furnish'd in this sort

Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight,

Profaning this most honorable order,

And should, if I were worthy to be judge,

Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain

That doth presume to boast of gentle blood.

When this order was first established, my lords,

Knights of the Garter were men of noble birth,

brave and good, full of proud courage,

the sort of people who got credit in war;

they did not fear death, nor facing danger,

but remained steadfast in the most desperate situations.

So somebody who does not have that sort of character

is just stealing the sacred name of knight,

dishonouring this most honourable order,

and he should, if I'm allowed to judge,

be quite humiliated, like a country peasant

who tries to boast that he has noble blood.

KING.

Stain to thy countrymen, thou hear'st thy doom!

Be packing, therefore, thou that wast a knight;

Henceforth we banish thee, on pain of death.

[Exit Fastolfe.]

And now, my lord protector, view the letter

Sent from our uncle Duke of Burgundy.

You blot on your countrymen, you've heard your sentence!

So get packing, you who were a knight;

I banish you from this place, on pain of death.

And now, my lord protector, let's see the letter

that our uncle the Duke of Burgundy sent.

GLOUCESTER.

What means his grace,

that he hath changed his style?

No more but, plain and bluntly, 'To the King!'

Hath he forgot he is his sovereign?

Or doth this churlish superscription

Pretend some alteration in good will?

What's here? [Reads] 'I have, upon especial cause,

Moved with compassion of my country's wreck,

Together with the pitiful complaints

Of such as your oppression feeds upon,

Forsaken your pernicious faction,

And join'd with Charles, the rightful King of France.'

O monstrous treachery! can this be so,

That in alliance, amity and oaths,

There should be found such false dissembling guile?

What does his grace mean,

by changing his style like this?

He just says plainly and bluntly, “To the King!"

Has he forgotten who is his ruler?

Or does this curmudgeonly address

indicate some change in his attitude?

What's here? “I have, for special reasons,

moved by compassion at the destruction of my country,

and the pitiful suffering

of those whom you oppress,

left your evil party,

and joined with Charles, the true king of France."

O monstrous treachery! Can this really be happening,

that such false lying trickery could be found

amongst all the alliances, friendship and oaths?

KING.

What! doth my uncle Burgundy revolt?

What! Is my uncle Burgundy rebelling?

GLOUCESTER.

He doth, my lord, and is become your foe.

He is, my lord, and has become your enemy.

KING.

Is that the worst this letter doth contain?

Is that the worst news in the letter?

GLOUCESTER.

It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes.

It is the worst, my lord, in fact it's all he says.

KING.

Why, then, Lord Talbot there shall talk with him,

And give him chastisement for this abuse.

How say you, my lord? are you not content?

Well, then, Lord Talbot shall speak with him,

and punish him for his crime.

What do you say, my lord? Are you happy with that?

TALBOT.

Content, my liege! yes; but that I am prevented,

I should have begg'd I might have been employ'd.

Happy, my lord! Yes; if it hadn't been bad etiquette,

I would have begged to be given this job.

KING.

Then gather strength, and march unto him straight:

Let him perceive how ill we brook his treason,

And what offence it is to flout his friends.

Then summon your forces, and march straight to him:

show him what we think of his treason,

and what a crime it is to insult his friends.

TALBOT.

I go, my lord, in heart desiring still

You may behold confusion of your foes.

I shall go, my lord, my heart's desire still being

you shall see your enemies defeated.

[Exit.]

[Enter Vernon and Basset.]

VERNON.

Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign.

Permit me to fight a duel, gracious sovereign.

BASSET.

And me, my lord, grant me the combat too.

And me, my lord, give me permission too.

YORK.

This is my servant:  hear him, noble prince.

This is my servant: hear him, noble Prince.

SOMERSET.

And this is mine:  sweet Henry, favor him.

And this is mine: sweet Henry, listen to him.

KING.

Be patient, lords, and give them leave to speak.

Say, gentlemen, what makes you thus exclaim?

And wherefore crave you combat? or with whom?

Calm down, lords, and give them a chance to speak.

Tell me, gentlemen, what got you so passionate?

Why do you want to fight a duel? And who with?

VERNON.

With him, my lord; for he hath done me wrong.

With him, my lord; for he has insulted me.

BASSET.

And I with him; for he hath done me wrong.

And I want to fight him; for he has insulted me.

KING.

What is that wrong whereof you both complain?

First let me know, and then I'll answer you.

What is this insult which you are both complaining of?

first tell me, and then I'll answer you.

BASSET.

Crossing the sea from England into France,

This fellow here, with envious carping tongue,

Upbraided me about the rose I wear;

Saying, the sanguine colour of the leaves

Did represent my master's blushing cheeks,

When stubbornly he did repugn the truth

About a certain question in the law

Argued betwixt the Duke of York and him;

With other vile and ignominious terms:

In confutation of which rude reproach,

And in defence of my lord's worthiness,

I crave the benefit of law of arms.

Crossing the sea from England to France,

this fellow here, with his jealous sniping tongue,

made fun of me for the rose I wear;

he said that the red colour of the leaves

represented the blushing cheeks of my master,

when he stubbornly refuted the truth

about a question of law that he was