The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (245 page)

I must examine thee; what is thy name?

I'm sorry to hear it.

This man is a proper man, I swear;

unless I find him guilty, he won't die. Come here, sir,

I must question you; what is your name?

CLERK.

Emmanuel.

Emmanuel.

DICK.

They use to write it on the top of letters.--'T will go

hard with you.

That's what they used to write on the top of letters.

You're in for it now.

CADE.

Let me alone.--Dost thou use to write thy name? or hast

thou a mark to thyself, like a honest, plain-dealing man?

Let me do the talking. Do you usually write your name? Or have

you a mark you use, like an honest, straightforward man?

CLERK.

Sir, I thank God, I have been so well brought up that I

can write my name.

Sir, I thank God, I have been so well brought up that I

can write my name.

ALL.

He hath confess'd; away with him! he's a villain and a

traitor.

He's confessed; take him away! He's a villain and

a traitor.

CADE.

Away with him, I say! hang him with his pen and inkhorn

about his neck.

Take him away, I say! Hang him with his pen and inkwell

round his neck.

[Exit one with the Clerk.]

[Enter MICHAEL.]

MICHAEL.

Where's our general?

Where is our general?

CADE.

Here I am, thou particular fellow.

Here I am, little chap.

MICHAEL.

Fly, fly, fly! Sir Humphrey Stafford and his brother

are hard by, with the king's forces.

Run, run, run! Sir Humphrey Stafford and his brother

are close by, with the king's army.

CADE.

Stand, villain, stand, or I'll fell thee down. He shall be

encountered with a man as good as himself; he is but a knight,

is a'?

Stand your ground, villain, or I'll knock you down. He shall

meet with a man as good as himself; he's just a knight,

isn't he?

MICHAEL.

No.

Only that.

CADE.

To equal him, I will make myself a knight presently.--

[Kneels.] Rise up Sir John Mortimer.--[Rises.] Now have at him!

To be his equal, I'll make myself a knight right now.

Rise up Sir John Mortimer. Now let's have at him!

[Enter SIR HUMPHREY STAFFORD and his Brother, with drum

and soldiers.]

STAFFORD.

Rebellious hinds, the filth and scum of Kent,

Mark'd for the gallows, lay your weapons down;

Home to your cottages, forsake this groom.

The king is merciful, if you revolt.

Rebellious brutes, the filthy scum of Kent,

marked out for the gallows, put down your weapons;

go home to your cottages, leave this scum.

The King will be merciful, if you rebel against him.

BROTHER.

But angry, wrathful, and inclin'd to blood,

If you go forward; therefore yield, or die.

But if you carry on, he will be angry, furious,

looking for bloodshed; so surrender, or die.

CADE.

As for these silken-coated slaves, I pass not;

It is to you, good people, that I speak,

OVer whom, in time to come, I hope to reign,

For I am rightful heir unto the crown.

As for these silk coated slaves, I don't care about them;

I'm speaking to you, good people,

whom I'm hoping to reign over in time,

for I am the true heir to the crown.

STAFFORD.

Villain, thy father was a plasterer;

And thou thyself a shearman, art thou not?

Villain, your father was a plasterer;

and you're a tailor, aren't you?

CADE.

And Adam was a gardener.

And Adam was a gardener.

BROTHER.

And what of that?

What's that got to do with anything?

CADE.

Marry, this: Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March,

Married the Duke of Clarence' daughter, did he not?

Well, this: Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March,

married the Duke of Clarence's daughter, didn't he?

STAFFORD.

Ay, sir.

Yes, sir.

CADE.

By her he had two children at one birth.

And he had twins with her.

BROTHER.

That's false.

That's not true.

CADE.

Ay, there's the question; but I say 't is true.

The elder of them, being put to nurse,

Was by a beggar-woman stolen away,

And, ignorant of his birth and parentage,

Became a bricklayer when he came to age.

His son am I; deny it, if you can.

Well, there's the debate; but I say it is true.

The older one of them, being put out to nurse,

was stolen away by a beggar woman,

and, not knowing of his birth and parentage,

became a bricklayer when he grew up.

I'm his son; deny it, if you can.

DICK.

Nay, 't is too true; therefore he shall be king.

It's absolutely true; so he should be king.

SMITH.

Sir, he made a chimney in my father's house, and the bricks

are alive at this day to testify it; therefore deny it not.

Sir, he made a chimney in my father's house, and the

bricks are still there today to prove it; so don't deny it.

STAFFORD.

And will you credit this base drudge's words,

That speaks he knows not what?

And you believe the words of this lowdown servant,

who's talking of things he doesn't understand?

ALL.

Ay, marry, will we; therefore get ye gone.

Yes, we do; so go away.

BROTHER.

Jack Cade, the Duke of York hath taught you this.

Jack Cade, the Duke of York has told you to do this.

CADE.

[Aside.] He lies, for I invented it myself.--Go to, sirrah,

tell the king from me that, for his father's sake, Henry the

Fifth, in whose time boys went to span-counter for French crowns,

I am content he shall reign; but I'll be protector over him.

[Aside] He's lying, I made it up myself.–Go away, Sir,

tell the king from me that, for his father's sake, Henry the

Fifth, in whose time boys played a game for the French crown,

I am happy for him to be king; but I will be regent over him.

DICK.

And furthermore, we'll have the Lord Say's head for

selling the dukedom of Maine.

And furthermore, we shall execute Lord Say for

selling the dukedom of Maine.

CADE.

And good reason; for thereby is England mained, and fain to go

with a staff, but that my puissance holds it up. Fellow kings, I

tell you that that Lord Say hath gelded the commonwealth and made

it an eunuch; and more than that, he can speak French, and

therefore he is a traitor.

And for a good reason; for that has maimed all of England, so

it walks with a crutch, and only my strength holds it up. Fellow kings, I

tell you that Lord Say has gelded the country and made

it a eunuch; and worse than that, he can speak French, and

so he is a traitor.

STAFFORD.

O gross and miserable ignorance!

What terrible and miserable stupidity!

CADE.

Nay, answer if you can:  the Frenchmen are our enemies;

go to, then, I ask but this: can he that speaks with the tongue

of an enemy be a good counsellor, or no?

No, answer this if you can: the Frenchmen are our enemies;

come on then, I'm just asking this: can someone who speaks with the tongue

of your enemy be a good adviser, yes or no?

ALL.

No, no; and therefore we'll have his head.

No, no; and so we shall execute him.

BROTHER.

Well, seeing gentle words will not prevail,

Assail them with the army of the king.

Well, as polite words have no effect,

attack them with the king's army.

STAFFORD.

Herald, away; and throughout every town

Proclaim them traitors that are up with Cade;

That those which fly before the battle ends

May, even in their wives' and children's sight,

Be hang'd up for example at their doors.--

And you that be the king's friends, follow me.

Herald, go; and in every town

announced that everyone with Cade is a traitor;

that those who escape before the end of the battle

will be hanged outside their own doors as an example,

even in front of their wives and children–

all of you who are friends of the King, follow me.

[Exeunt the two Staffords, and soldiers.]

CADE.

And you that love the commons follow me.

Now show yourselves men; 't is for liberty.

We will not leave one lord, one gentleman;

Spare none but such as go in clouted shoon,

For they are thrifty honest men and such

As would, but that they dare not, take our parts.

And you that love the common people follow me.

Now show yourselves to be men; its for freedom.

We will not spare one lord, one gentleman;

we'll spare nobody who doesn't wear hobnailed boots,

for they are thrifty honest men who would

join in on our side if they dared.

DICK.

They are all in order and march toward us.

They are all lined up and marching towards us.

CADE.

But then are we in order when we are most out of

order.--Come, march forward.

But we are lined up even when we aren't.

Come, march forward.

[Exeunt.]