The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (227 page)

me. I have good witness of this; therefore I beseech your

majesty, do not cast away an honest man for a villain's

accusation.

Alas, my Lord, you may hang me if I ever said the words. My

accuser is my apprentice; and when I punished him for his mistakes

the other day, he swore on his knees that he would get even with

me. I have good witnesses of this; and so I beg your

Majesty, do not punish an honest man for the accusation of

a villain.

KING.

Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?

Uncle, what's the best way to proceed, legally?

GLOSTER.

This doom, my lord, if I may judge:

Let Somerset be Regent o'er the French,

Because in York this breeds suspicion;

And let these have a day appointed them

For single combat in convenient place,

For he hath witness of his servant's malice.

This is the law, and this Duke Humphrey's doom.

If I may judge, my lord, I would do this:

let Somerset be the Regent in France,

because this casts a suspicion over York;

let these ones have a day appointed

for them to fight in single combat in some convenient place,

for he has evidence of his servant's hatred.

This is the law, and this is what Duke Humphrey sentences.

SOMERSET.

I humbly thank your royal Majesty.

I humbly thank your royal majesty.

HORNER.

And I accept the combat willingly.

And I will be glad to fight.

PETER.

Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; for God's sake, pity my case.

The spite of man prevaileth against me. O Lord, have mercy

upon me! I shall never be able to fight a blow! O Lord, my heart!

Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; for God's sake, have pity on me.

The spite of men is working against me. Oh Lord, have mercy

upon me! I will never be able to strike a single blow! O Lord, my heart!

GLOSTER.

Sirrah, or you must fight or else be hang'd.

Sir, you must fight or you will be hanged.

KING.

Away with them to prison; and the day of combat shall

be the last of the next month.--Come, Somerset, we'll see thee

sent away.

Take them off to prison; they shall fight on

the last day of next month.–Come, Somerset, we shall see

you off.

[Flourish. Exeunt.]

[Enter MARGERY JOURDAIN, HUME, SOUTHWELL, and BOLINGBROKE.]

HUME.

Come, my masters; the duchess, I tell you, expects

performance of your promises.

Come, my masters; the Duchess, I'm telling you, expects

you to fulfil your promises.

BOLINGBROKE.

Master Hume, we are therefore provided;

will her ladyship behold and hear our exorcisms?

Master Hume, we are ready for that;

Will her ladyship see and listen to our magic?

HUME.

Ay, what else? fear you not her courage.

Yes, of course. Don't worry about her courage.

BOLINGBROKE.

I have heard her reported to be a woman of an invincible spirit:

but it shall be convenient, Master Hume, that you be by her

aloft while we be busy below; and so, I pray you go, in God's

name, and leave us.--[Exit Hume.]  Mother Jourdain, be you

prostrate and grovel on the earth.--John Southwell, read you; and

let us to our work.

I have heard it said that she is a very strong minded woman:

but it would still be advisable, Master Hume, that you be with her

up there while we do our business down here; and so, in God's name,

I ask you to go and leave us. [Exit Hume] Mother Jourdain, you

lie down and grovel on the earth.–John Southwell, you read this; and

let's get to work.

[Enter DUCHESS aloft, HUME following.]

DUCHESS.

Well said, my masters; and welcome all. To this gear

the sooner the better.

Well said, my masters; welcome all of you. The sooner

we get down to this business the better.

BOLINGBROKE.

Patience, good lady, wizards know their times:

Deep night, dark night, the silent of the night,

The time of night when Troy was set on fire,

The time when screech-owls cry and ban-dogs howl

And spirits walk and ghosts break up their graves,

That time best fits the work we have in hand.

Madam, sit you and fear not; whom we raise,

We will make fast within a hallow'd verge.

Patience, good lady, wizards know when to do things:

deep night, dark night, in the silence of the night,

the time of the night when Troy was set on fire,

the  time when screech owls cry and wild dogs howl

and spirits walk and ghosts come out of their graves,

that's the best time for our business.

Madam, sit down and don't be afraid; the spirits we call

will be imprisoned in a sacred circle.

[Here they do the ceremonies belonging, and make the circle;

Bolingbroke or Southwell reads, Conjuro te, etc.

It thunders and lightens terribly; then the Spirit riseth.]

SPIRIT.

Adsum.

I am here.

M. JOURDAIN.

Asmath,

By the eternal God, whose name and power

Thou tremblest at, answer that I shall ask;

For till thou speak thou shalt not pass from hence.

 Demon,

by the eternal God

whose name and power

make you tremble, answer what I ask;

until you speak to us you shall not leave here.

SPIRIT.

Ask what thou wilt. That I had said and done!

Ask what you want. I want this over!

BOLINGBROKE.

[Reads] 'First of the king: what shall

of him become?'

Firstly about the King:

what will happen to him?

SPIRIT.

The duke yet lives that Henry shall depose,

But him outlive and die a violent death.

The Duke who will overthrow Henry is alive now,

but he shall outlive him and die a violent death.

[As the Spirit speaks, Southwell writes the answer.]

BOLINGBROKE.

'What fates await the Duke of Suffolk?'

What will happen to the Duke of Suffolk?

SPIRIT.

By water shall he die and take his end.

He shall die by drowning.

BOLINGBROKE.

[Reads]  'What shall befall the Duke of Somerset?'

What will happen to the Duke of Somerset?

SPIRIT.

Let him shun castles;

Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains

Than where castles mounted stand.

Have done, for more I hardly can endure.

He should avoid castles;

he will be safer on the sandy plains,

than on the hills where castles stand.

Finish, I can hardly stand any more.

BOLINGBROKE.

Descend to darkness and the burning lake!

False fiend, avoid!

Go down to darkness and the burning lake!

False devil, go!

[Thunder and lightning. Exit Spirit.]

[Enter the DUKE OF YORK and the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

with their Guard]

YORK.

Lay hands upon these traitors and their trash.--

Beldam, I think we watch'd you at an inch.

What, madam, are you there? the king and commonweal

Are deeply indebted for this piece of pains;

My lord protector will, I doubt it not,

See you well guerdon'd for these good deserts.

Arrest these traitors and their scum.

You witch, we've had a close eye on you.

What, madam, are you there? The King and the country

are greatly indebted to you for your trouble;

I've no doubt my lord protector will

make sure you get a proper reward for this.

DUCHESS.

Not half so bad as thine to England's king,

Injurious duke, that threatest where's no cause.

Not half as bad as the one you will get from the King of England,

harmful Duke, who makes threats without reason.

BUCKINGHAM.

True, madam, none at all; what call you this?--

Away with them! let them be clapp'd up close,

And kept asunder.--You, madam, shall with us.--

Stafford, take her to thee.--

[Exeunt above, Duchess and Hume, guarded.]

We'll see your trinkets here all forthcoming.--

All, away!

True, madam, there's no reason at all; what do you call this?

Take them away! Let them be guarded closely,

and kept apart.–You, madam, shall come with us.

Stafford, take her with you–

We'll see everything you've been up to–

off with you, everyone!

[Exeunt guard with Jourdain, Southwell, etc.]

YORK.

Lord Buckingham, methinks you watch'd her well;

A pretty plot, well chosen to build upon!

Now, pray, my lord, let's see the devil's writ.

What have we here?

[Reads] 'The duke yet lives that Henry shall depose.

But him outlive and die a violent death.'

Why, this is just

'Aio te, Aeacida, Romanos vincere posse.'

Well, to the rest:

'Tell me what fate awaits the Duke of Suffolk?

By water shall he die and take his end.

What shall betide the Duke of Somerset?

Let him shun castles;

Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains

Than where castles mounted stand.'--

Come, come, my lords;

These oracles are hardly attain'd,

And hardly understood.

The king is now in progress towards Saint Alban's,

With him the husband of this lovely lady.

Thither go these news, as fast as horse can carry them;