The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (228 page)

A sorry breakfast for my lord protector.

Lord Buckingham, I think you kept a good eye on her;

a nice plot, which could have done well!

Now, my lord, please let's see what the devil has said.

What have we here?

“The Duke is still alive that will overthrow Henry,

but he will outlive him and die are violent death.”

Why, this is just like

“I'm telling you, Aeacida, you can defeat the Romans."

Well, what's the rest:

“tell me what will happen to the Duke of Suffolk?

He shall die of drowning.

What'll happen to the Duke of Somerset?

He should avoid castles;

he will be safer on the sandy plains

than on the hills where castles stand."

Come, come, my lords;

it's hard to get these prophecies,

and hard to understand them.

The King is now journeying towards St Albans,

with the husband of this lovely lady.

Take this news there, as fast as a horse can go;

a nasty thing for my lord protector to read over breakfast.

BUCKINGHAM.

Your Grace shall give me leave, my

Lord of York,

To be the post, in hope of his reward.

My Lord of York, will your grace give me permission

to be the messenger, in the hope that he will reward me?

YORK.

At your pleasure, my good lord.--

Who's within there, ho!

[Enter a Servingman.]

Invite my Lords of Salisbury and Warwick

To sup with me to-morrow night. Away!

As you wish, my good lord.

Who's inside there, hello!

Invite my lords of Salisbury and Warwick

to come and have dinner with me tomorrow night. Go!

[Exeunt.]

[Enter the KING, QUEEN, GLOSTER, CARDINAL, and SUFFOLK,

with FALCONERS halloing.]

QUEEN.

Believe me, lords, for flying at the brook,

I saw not better sport these seven years' day;

Yet, by your leave, the wind was very high,

And, ten to one, old Joan had not gone out.

Believe me, Lords, I haven't had such a

good day of hawking in the last seven years;

but, if you'll excuse me, the wind was very high,

and it was ten to one against old Joan going out.

KING.

But what a point, my lord, your falcon made,

And what a pitch she flew above the rest!

To see how God in all His creatures works!

Yea, man and birds are fain of climbing high.

But what a hit, my lord, your falcon made,

and how high she flew above the rest!

See how God works in all his creatures!

Yes, man and birds must aim high.

SUFFOLK.

No marvel, an it like your majesty,

My lord protector's hawks do tower so well;

They know their master loves to be aloft,

And bears his thoughts above his falcon's pitch.

It's no surprise, if your Majesty pleases,

that the hawks of my lord protector fly so high;

they know their master loves to be up high,

and his ambitions are higher than his falcons fly.

GLOSTER.

My lord, 't is but a base ignoble mind

That mounts no higher than a bird can soar.

My lord, it would be a very lowly mind

that can't go higher than a bird can fly.

CARDINAL.

I thought as much; he would be above the clouds.

I thought as much; he wants to get above the clouds.

GLOSTER.

Ay, my lord cardinal? how think you by that?

Were it not good your grace could fly to heaven?

Yes, my lord Cardinal? What do you think of that?

Don't you want to get to heaven?

KING.

The treasury of everlasting joy.

The place of eternal happiness.

CARDINAL.

Thy heaven is on earth; thine eyes and thoughts

Beat on a crown, the treasure of thy heart,

Pernicious protector, dangerous peer,

That smooth'st it so with king and commonweal.

Your heaven is on earth; your eyes and thoughts

are turned towards a crown, that's what your heart wants,

malign protector, dangerous peer,

who has so fooled the king and the country.

GLOSTER.

What, cardinal, is your priesthood grown peremptory?

Tantaene animis coelestibus irae?

Churchmen so hot? good uncle, hide such malice;

With such holiness can you do it?

What, Cardinal, does your priesthood roughly demand obedience?

Such anger in such a heavenly heart?

A clergyman so angry? Good uncle, suppress this malice;

are you holy enough to manage that?

SUFFOLK.

No malice, sir; no more than well becomes

So good a quarrel and so bad a peer.

There's no malice, sir; not more than is suitable

for such a justified quarrel and such a bad peer.

GLOSTER.

As who, my lord?

To whom are you referring, my lord?

SUFFOLK.

Why, as you, my lord,

An 't like your lordly lord-protectorship.

Why, to you, my lord,

and your lordly lord protectorship.

GLOSTER.

Why, Suffolk, England knows thine insolence.

Why, Suffolk, England knows how insolent you are.

QUEEN.

And thy ambition, Gloster.

And how ambitious you are, Gloucester.

KING.

I prithee, peace, good queen,

And whet not on these furious peers;

For blessed are the peacemakers on earth.

Please, good Queen, be quiet,

and don't encourage these angry peers;

the peacemakers are blessed.

CARDINAL.

Let me be blessed for the peace I make

Against this proud protector, with my sword!

May I be blessed for the peace I shall make

with this arrogant regent, with my sword!

GLOSTER.

[Aside to Cardinal.] Faith, holy uncle, would 't

were come to that!

I swear, my holy uncle, I wish

it would come to that!

CARDINAL.

[Aside to Gloster.] Marry, when thou dar'st.

It will, when you dare.

GLOSTER.

[Aside to Cardinal.] Make up no factious numbers

for the matter;

In thine own person answer thy abuse.

Don't organise a party for this;

answer your abuse personally.

CARDINAL.

[Aside to Gloster.] Ay, where thou dar'st not peep;

an if thou dar'st,

This evening, on the east side of the grove.

Yes, where you won't be so cocky;

if you dare,

I'll see you this evening, on the east side of the woods.

KING.

How now, my lords!

Come now, my lords!

CARDINAL.

Believe me, cousin Gloster,

Had not your man put up the fowl so suddenly,

We had had more sport.--[Aside to Gloster.] Come with thy

two-hand sword.

Believe me, cousin Gloucester,

if your man hadn't made the game rise so quickly,

we would have had better sport [Aside to Gloucester] Come with your

two-handed sword.

GLOSTER.

True, uncle.

That's true, uncle.

CARDINAL.

[Aside to Gloster.] Are ye advis'd? the east side

of the grove?

You understand? The east side of the woods?

GLOSTER.

[Aside to CARDINAL.] Cardinal, I am with you.

Cardinal, I'll be there.

KING.

Why, how now, uncle Gloster!

Why, what's going on, uncle Gloucester!

GLOSTER.

Talking of hawking; nothing else, my lord.--

[Aside to Cardinal.] Now, by God's mother, priest,

I'll shave your crown for this,

Or all my fence shall fail.

We're just talking about hawking; that's all, my lord.

[Aside to Cardinal] Now, by the mother of God, priest,

I'll have your head for this,

or may I lose everything.

CARDINAL.

[Aside to Gloster.] Medice, teipsum--

Protector, see to 't well, protect yourself.

You just look after yourself–

protector, make sure you're protected.

KING.

The winds grow high; so do your stomachs, lords.

How irksome is this music to my heart!

When such strings jar, what hope of harmony?

I pray, my lords, let me compound this strife.

The wind is growing high, and so is your anger, lords.

How I hate all this racket!

When people like you disagree, what hope is there of peace?

Please, my lords, let me end this strife.

[Enter a Townsman of Saint Alban's, crying 'A miracle!']

GLOSTER.

What means this noise?