The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (236 page)

Bearing it to the bloody slaughter-house,

Even so remorseless have they borne him hence;

And as the dam runs lowing up and down,

Looking the way her harmless young one went,

And can do nought but wail her darling's loss,

Even so myself bewails good Gloster's case

With sad unhelpful tears, and with dimm'd eyes

Look after him, and cannot do him good,

So mighty are his vowed enemies.

His fortunes I will weep and 'twixt each groan

Say 'Who's a traitor? Gloster he is none.'

Yes, Margaret; my heart is drowning in grief,

and the flood begins to flow from my eyes,

my body is surrounded with misery,

for what's more miserable than unhappiness?

Ah, uncle Humphrey! I can see in your face

the example of honour, truth and loyalty;

and, good Humphrey, the time has not yet come

when I've ever seen or feared your disloyalty.

What falling star hates your position

so that these great lords and our Queen Margaret

tried to take away your harmless life?

You never did them or any man wrong;

they have dragged him away from here

as the butcher takes away the calf

and ties it up and beats it when it strays,

taking it into the bloody slaughterhouse;

and I am like its mother, running up and down

lowing, looking in the direction her innocent

young one went, that's how I grieve for

good Gloucester, with sad unhelpful tears, I

look after him with dimmed eyes and cannot

do him any good, his sworn enemies are so mighty.

I will weep for his misfortunes and between groans

say “Who is a traitor? Gloucester is not."

[Exeunt all but Queen, Cardinal Beaufort, Suffolk

and York; Somerset remains apart.]

QUEEN.

Free lords, cold snow melts with the sun's hot beams.

Henry my lord is cold in great affairs,

Too full of foolish pity, and Gloster's show

Beguiles him as the mournful crocodile

With sorrow snares relenting passengers,

Or as the snake roll'd in a flowering bank,

With shining checker'd slough, doth sting a child

That for the beauty thinks it excellent.

Believe me, lords, were none more wise than I--

And yet herein I judge mine own wit good--

This Gloster should be quickly rid the world,

To rid us from the fear we have of him.

Free lords, cold snow melts in the hot sun.

My Lord Henry is useless in great matters,

too full of foolish pity, and Gloucester's display

hypnotises him, like the sad looking crocodile

that traps pitying passengers with its looks,

or like the snake curled up in a bank of flowers,

with shining chequered skin, which bites a child

who was trying to admire its beauty.

Believe me, lords, if there were no wiser persons than I–

and I think in this matter my thoughts are good–

this Gloucester would be leaving this life quickly,

to free us from the fear we have of him.

CARDINAL.

That he should die is worthy policy,

But yet we want a colour for his death,

'T is meet he be condemn'd by course of law.

It's quite right that he should die,

but we still need a reason for his death,

it would be proper for him to die lawfully.

SUFFOLK.

But, in my mind, that were no policy.

The king will labour still to save his life;

The commons haply rise to save his life,

And yet we have but trivial argument,

More than mistrust, that shows him worthy death.

But, to my mind, that is not sensible.

The King will still work to save his life;

the people might well rise up to save him,

and at the moment we only have trivial arguments,

nothing more than mistrust, to say that he should die.

YORK.

So that, by this, you would not have him die.

So, it seems, you don't want him to die.

SUFFOLK.

Ah, York, no man alive so fain as I!

Oh York, there's no man alive who wants him to die as much as I do!

YORK.

'T is York that hath more reason for his death.--

But, my lord cardinal, and you, my Lord of Suffolk,

Say as you think, and speak it from your souls,

Were 't not all one an empty eagle were set

To guard the chicken from a hungry kite,

As place Duke Humphrey for the king's protector?

York is the one who has more reason to want him dead.

But, my Lord Cardinal, and you, my Lord of Suffolk,

say what you think, speak from your hearts,

wasn't it like asking a hungry eagle

to guard the chicken against the hungry kite,

to make Duke Humphrey the King's protector?

QUEEN.

So the poor chicken should be sure of death.

That would guarantee the death of the poor chicken.

SUFFOLK.

Madam, 't is true; and were 't not madness, then,

To make the fox surveyor of the fold?

Who being accus'd a crafty murtherer,

His guilt should be but idly posted over,

Because his purpose is not executed.

No; let him die, in that he is a fox,

By nature prov'd an enemy to the flock,

Before his chaps be stain'd with crimson blood,

As Humphrey, prov'd by reasons, to my liege.

And do not stand on quillets how to slay him.

Be it by gins, by snares, by subtlety,

Sleeping or waking, 't is no matter how,

So he be dead; for that is good deceit

Which mates him first that first intends deceit.

Madam, it's true; and so wasn't it madness

to ask the fox to be the shepherd?

He's been accused of being a crafty murderer,

so we shouldn't just ignore his guilt

because he hasn't carried out his plans.

No; let him die, as he is a fox,

a natural enemy to the flock,

before his chops are stained with crimson blood,

that's how Humphrey is in relation to my Lord.

And let's not quibble about how he should be killed,

whether it's with traps, tricks or cunning,

asleep or awake, it doesn't matter how,

as long as he dies;  it is good policy to

strike down the criminal before he has a chance to act.

QUEEN.

Thrice-noble Suffolk, 't is resolutely spoke.

Triply noble Suffolk, that's well said.

SUFFOLK.

Not resolute, except so much were done,

For things are often spoke and seldom meant;

But that my heart accordeth with my tongue,--

Seeing the deed is meritorious,

And to preserve my sovereign from his foe,--

Say but the word, and I will be his priest.

It's not good unless it's actually carried out,

for people often say things they don't mean;

but as my heart agrees with my tongue,

seeing as the deed is a good one intending

to protect my King against his enemy,

just say the word, and I will be his sacrificial priest.

CARDINAL.

But I would have him dead, my Lord of Suffolk,

Ere you can take due orders for a priest.

Say you consent and censure well the deed,

And I'll provide his executioner,

I tender so the safety of my liege.

But I want him dead, my Lord of Suffolk,

before you can train as a priest.

Say you agree and think the deed is good,

and I will provide his executioner,

I care so much about the safety of my lord.

SUFFOLK.

Here is my hand, the deed is worthy doing.

Shake hands on it, it's a good deed.

QUEEN.

And so say I.

I agree.

YORK.

And I; and now we three have spoke it,

It skills not greatly who impugns our doom.

So do I; and now we three have agreed it,

nobody can argue against our sentence.

[Enter a Post.]

POST.

Great lords, from Ireland am I come amain,

To signify that rebels there are up

And put the Englishmen unto the sword.

Send succours, lords, and stop the rage betime,

Before the wound do grow uncurable;

For, being green, there is great hope of help.

Great lords, I have come straight from Ireland,

to warn that the rebels have risen up

and put the Englishmen to the sword.

Send help, lords, and stop the outrage in its tracks,

before the situation gets out of hand;

as it's just begun, there is a great chance to suppress it.

CARDINAL.

A breach that craves a quick expedient stop!

What council give you in this weighty cause?

This is a matter which needs seeing to at once!

What advice do you give in this serious business?

YORK.

That Somerset be sent as regent thither.

'T is meet that lucky ruler be employ'd;

Witness the fortune he hath had in France.

That we send Somerset there as regent.

We need to send a lucky ruler;

look what luck he had in France.

SOMERSET.

If York, with all his far-fet policy,

Had been the regent there instead of me,

He never would have stay'd in France so long.

If York, with all his great plans,

had been regent there instead of me,

he would never have stayed in France as long as I did.

YORK.

No, not to lose it all as thou hast done;

I rather would have lost my life betimes

Than bring a burden of dishonour home

By staying there so long till all were lost.

Show me one scar character'd on thy skin;

Men's flesh preserv'd so whole do seldom win.

No, I wouldn't have lost it all like you did;

I would rather have laid down my life early

than brought home a weight of dishonour

by staying there so long until I'd lost everything.

Can you show me a single scar on your skin;

men who keep their hides so whole are seldom winners.

QUEEN.

Nay then, this spark will prove a raging fire,

If wind and fuel be brought to feed it with.

No more, good York.--Sweet Somerset, be still.--

Thy fortune, York, hadst thou been regent there,

Might happily have prov'd far worse than his.

Steady on, this spark will grow into raging fire,

if you give it wind and fuel.

That's enough, good York. Sweet Somerset, calm down.

If you had been regent there, York, you might

well have done far worse than he did.