The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (235 page)

as I am free of treason against my king.

Who is accusing me? What have I done?

YORK.

'T is thought, my lord, that you took bribes of France,

And, being protector, stay'd the soldiers' pay,

By means whereof his highness hath lost France.

It's thought, my lord, that you took bribes from France,

and, being Regent, held back the pay of the soldiers,

and that's the reason his Highness lost France.

GLOSTER.

Is it but thought so? what are they that think it?

I never robb'd the soldiers of their pay,

Nor ever had one penny bribe from France.

So help me God, as I have watch'd the night,

Ay, night by night, in studying good for England!

That doit that e'er I wrested from the king,

Or any groat I hoarded to my use,

Be brought against me at my trial-day!

No; many a pound of mine own proper store,

Because I would not tax the needy commons,

Have I dispursed to the garrisons,

And never ask'd for restitution.

Is that what people think? Who are those who think it?

I never took any pay away from soldiers,

and I never had a penny in bribes from France.

I swear by God, I have stayed awake night

after night after night, trying to do my best for England!

Any coin that I ever stole from the King,

a single groat that I kept for my own use,

let it be brought to my trial today!

No; I gave many pounds out of my own pocket,

as I didn't want to tax the needy common people,

to fund the garrisons,

and I never asked for it back.

Cardinal.

It serves you well, my lord, to say so much.

Well you would say that, my lord.

Gloster.

I say no more than truth, so help me God!

I'm just telling the truth, I swear to God!

YORK.

In your protectorship you did devise

Strange tortures for offenders never heard of,

That England was defam'd by tyranny.

When you were Regent you invented

strange tortures for offenders never heard of before,

which shamed the reputation of England.

GLOSTER.

Why, 't is well known that, whiles I was protector,

Pity was all the fault that was in me;

For I should melt at an offender's tears,

And lowly words were ransom for their fault.

Unless it were a bloody murtherer,

Or foul felonious thief that fleec'd poor passengers,

I never gave them condign punishment.

Murther indeed, that bloody sin, I tortur'd

Above the felon or what trespass else.

Why, it's common knowledge that, while I was Regent,

My only fault was too much pity;

I would melt if an offender cried,

and humble words were enough to make me excuse their crime.

Unless the person was a bloody murderer,

or a foul thief who stole from poor travellers,

I never gave out the full punishment.

I did indeed torture people for murder, that bloody sin,

more than for any other crime.

SUFFOLK.

My lord, these faults are easy, quickly answer'd;

But mightier crimes are laid unto your charge,

Whereof you cannot easily purge yourself.

I do arrest you in his highness' name,

And here commit you to my lord cardinal

To keep until your further time of trial.

My Lord, these faults are easily and quickly answered;

but there are greater crimes which you are charged with,

which you can't so easily excuse yourself for.

I arrest you in the name of his Highness,

and give you into the guardianship of my Lord Cardinal

to keep you in custody until you come to trial.

KING.

My Lord of Gloster, 't is my special hope

That you will clear yourself from all suspect;

My conscience tells me you are innocent.

My Lord of Gloucester, I very much hope

that you will clear yourself of all these allegations;

my heart tells me you are innocent.

GLOSTER.

Ah, gracious lord, these days are dangerous.

Virtue is chok'd with foul ambition,

And charity chas'd hence by rancour's hand;

Foul subornation is predominant,

And equity exil'd your highness' land.

I know their complot is to have my life,

And if my death might make this island happy

And prove the period of their tyranny,

I would expend it with all willingness;

But mine is made the prologue to their play,

For thousands more, that yet suspect no peril,

Will not conclude their plotted tragedy.

Beaufort's red sparkling eyes blab his heart's malice,

And Suffolk's cloudy brow his stormy hate;

Sharp Buckingham unburthens with his tongue

The envious load that lies upon his heart;

And dogged York, that reaches at the moon,

Whose overweening arm I have pluck'd back,

By false accuse doth level at my life.--

And you, my sovereign lady, with the rest,

Causeless have laid disgraces on my head

And with your best endeavour have stirr'd up

My liefest liege to be mine enemy.--

Ay, all of you have laid your heads together--

Myself had notice of your conventicles--

And all to make away my guiltless life.

I shall not want false witness to condemn me,

Nor store of treasons to augment my guilt;

The ancient proverb will be well effected,--

'A staff is quickly found to beat a dog.'

Ah, gracious Lord, these are dangerous days.

Goodness is suffocated by foul ambition,

and kindness is driven away by anger;

lying rules over everything,

and there is no fairness in your Highness' land.

I know that they are plotting to take my life,

and if my death would make this island happy

and put an end to their tyranny,

I would willingly give my life;

my death is just the prologue to their play,

for thousands more, who don't know they're in danger,

will die without putting an end to their foul plot.

Beaufort's red sparkling eyes betray the evil in his heart,

and Suffolk's frowns show his angry hatred;

when Buckingham speaks one can hear

the load of jealousy that lies in his heart;

and persistent York, who reaches for the moon,

whose too ambitious arm I have restrained,

aims to take my life with false accusations.

And you, my royal lady, with the rest,

have for no reason tried to disgrace me,

and made your best efforts to stir up

my dearest Lord to be my enemy.

Yes, all of you have put your heads together–

I had warning of your meetings–

and you all want to take away my guiltless life.

I won't be lacking in false witnesses against me,

nor in quantity of treasonous activities to add to my guilt;

the ancient proverb will be well proved:

“You can quickly find a stick to beat a dog with."

CARDINAL.

My liege, his railing is intolerable;

If those that care to keep your royal person

From treason's secret knife and traitor's rage

Be thus upbraided, chid, and rated at,

And the offender granted scope of speech,

'T will make them cool in zeal unto your grace.

My Lord, his ranting is intolerable;

if those who care about keeping your Highness

safe from treason and the anger of traitors

are going to be criticised and shouted at,

with the offender being given the right to speak,

it will make them less keen to work for your Grace.

SUFFOLK.

Hath he not twit our sovereign lady here

With ignominious words, though clerkly couch'd,

As if she had suborned some to swear

False allegations to o'erthrow his state?

Hasn't he insulted our royal lady here

with disgraceful words, disguised with learning,

as if she had bribe some people to swear

to false allegations to overthrow him?

QUEEN.

But I can give the loser leave to chide.

But I'll give the loser permission to criticise.

GLOSTER.

Far truer spoke than meant; I lose, indeed.

Beshrew the winners, for they play'd me false!

And well such losers may have leave to speak.

You speak far more truly than you mean; I do indeed lose.

Damn the winners, for they have cheated me!

So losers like me should certainly be allowed to speak.

BUCKINGHAM.

He'll wrest the sense and hold us here all day.--

Lord Cardinal, he is your prisoner.

He'll twist everything and keep us here all day.

Lord Cardinal, he is your prisoner.

CARDINAL.

Sirs, take away the Duke, and guard him sure.

Sirs, take away the Duke, and guard him carefully.

GLOSTER.

Ah, thus King Henry throws away his crutch

Before his legs be firm to bear his body.

Thus is the shepherd beaten from thy side,

And wolves are gnarling who shall gnaw thee first.

Ah, that my fear were false! ah, that it were!

For, good King Henry, thy decay I fear.

Ah, so King Henry throws away his crutch

before his legs are strong enough to carry his body.

So your shepherd is driven away from you,

and the wolves are fighting to see who bites you first.

Oh, if only my fears were groundless! If only they were!

For, good King Henry, I fear your downfall.

[Exit, guarded.]

KING.

My lords, what to your wisdoms seemeth best,

Do or undo, as if ourself were here.

My Lords, do whatever seems best to you,

do it as if I was here to give permission.

QUEEN.

What, will your highness leave the parliament?

What, is your Highness going to leave the Parliament?

KING.

Ay, Margaret; my heart is drown'd with grief,

Whose flood begins to flow within mine eyes,

My body round engirt with misery,

For what's more miserable than discontent?--

Ah, uncle Humphrey! in thy face I see

The map of honour, truth, and loyalty;

And yet, good Humphrey, is the hour to come

That e'er I prov'd thee false or fear'd thy faith.

What lowering star now envies thy estate,

That these great lords and Margaret our queen

Do seek subversion of thy harmless life?

Thou never didst them wrong nor no man wrong;

And as the butcher takes away the calf

And binds the wretch and beats it when it strays,