The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (246 page)

[Alarums to the fight, wherein both the STAFFORDS are slain.

Enter CADE and the rest.]

CADE.

Where's Dick, the butcher of Ashford?

Where's Dick, the butcher of Ashford?

DICK.

Here, sir.

Here, sir.

CADE.

They fell before thee like sheep and oxen, and thou

behavedst thyself as if thou hadst been in thine own

slaughter-house; therefore thus will I reward thee:

the Lent shall be as long again as it is, and thou

shalt have a licence to kill for a hundred lacking one.

They fell before you like sheep and oxen, and you

carried on as if you were in your own

slaughterhouse; so I will give you this reward:

I'll make Lent twice as long as it is, and you

will have a special licence to kill ninety nine beasts.

DICK.

I desire no more.

That's all I want.

CADE.

And, to speak truth, thou deservest no less.

This monument of the victory will I bear

[putting on Sir Humphrey's brigandine];

and the bodies shall be dragged at my horse heels till I do come

to London, where we will have the mayor's sword borne before us.

And truthfully, you deserve no less.

I shall wear this sign of victory

[puts on Sir Humphrey's armour]–

and the bodies will be dragged at my horse's heels until I come

to London, where the mayor shall hand over his sword to us.

DICK.

If we mean to thrive and do good, break open the gaols and

let out the prisoners.

If we mean to succeed and do well, let's break open the jails

and let out the prisoners.

CADE.

Fear not that, I warrant thee. Come, let's march towards

London.

Don't worry about that, I promise you. Come, let's march towards

London.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter the KING with a supplication, and the QUEEN with Suffolk's

head, the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM and the LORD SAY.]

QUEEN.

Oft have I heard that grief softens the mind

And makes it fearful and degenerate;

Think therefore on revenge and cease to weep.

But who can cease to weep and look on this?

Here may his head lie on my throbbing breast;

But where's the body that I should embrace?

I've often heard that grief softens the mind

now makes it cowardly and degenerate;

so think about taking revenge and stop weeping.

But who can look at this and stop weeping?

His head may lie here on my throbbing breast,

but where's the body for me to embrace?

BUCKINGHAM.

What answer makes your grace to the rebels'

supplication?

What answer will your Grace make to the rebels'

request?

KING.

I'll send some holy bishop to entreat;

For God forbid so many simple souls

Should perish by the sword! And I myself,

Rather than bloody war shall cut them short,

Will parley with Jack Cade their general.--

But stay, I'll read it over once again.

I'll send some holy bishop to talk with them;

for God forbid so many simple souls

should die in battle! And I myself,

rather than finishing them off with bloody war,

will talk with their general, Jack Cade–

but wait, I'll just read it again.

QUEEN.

Ah, barbarous villains! hath this lovely face

Rul'd, like a wandering planet, over me,

And could it not enforce them to relent

That were unworthy to behold the same?

Ah, barbarous villains! Did this lovely face

rule over me like a wandering planet,

and couldn't persuade those who were unworthy

of looking at it to show any forgiveness?

KING.

Lord Say, Jack Cade hath sworn to have thy head.

Lord Say, Jack Cade has sworn that he will kill you.

SAY.

Ay, but I hope your highness shall have his.

Yes, but I hope your Highness will kill him.

KING.

How now, madam!

Still lamenting and mourning for Suffolk's death?

I fear me, love, if that I had been dead,

Thou wouldst not have mourn'd so much for me.

What's this, madam!

Still sorrowing and mourning for the death of Suffolk?

I'm afraid, love, that if I had died,

you wouldn't have mourned so much for me.

QUEEN.

No, my love, I should not mourn, but die for thee.

No, my love, I wouldn't mourn, I would die for you.

[Enter a Messenger.]

KING.

How now! what news? why com'st thou in such haste?

Hello there! What's the news? Why are you in such a hurry?

MESSENGER.

The rebels are in Southwark; fly, my lord!

Jack Cade proclaims himself Lord Mortimer,

Descended from the Duke of Clarence' house,

And calls your grace usurper openly,

And vows to crown himself in Westminster.

His army is a ragged multitude

Of hinds and peasants, rude and merciless;

Sir Humphrey Stafford and his brother's death

Hath given them heart and courage to proceed.

All scholars, lawyers, courtiers, gentlemen,

They call false caterpillars, and intend their death.

The rebels have reached Southwark; fly, my lord!

Jack Cade has announced that he is Lord Mortimer,

descended from the Duke of Clarence,

and is openly calling your Grace a usurper,

and swears that he will crown himself in Westminster.

His army is a ragged mob of

farmers and peasants, vulgar and merciless;

the death of Sir Humphrey Stafford and his brother

has given them the heart and courage to carry on.

They are calling all scholars, lawyers, courtiers and gentlemen

false bloodsuckers, and mean to kill them.

KING.

O graceless men! they know not what they do.

Graceless men! They don't know what they're doing.

BUCKINGHAM.

My gracious lord, retire to Killingworth

Until a power be rais'd to put them down.

My gracious lord, retire to Kenilworth

until we have raised a force to put them down.

QUEEN.

Ah, were the Duke of Suffolk now alive,

These Kentish rebels would be soon appeas'd!

Ah, if the Duke of Suffolk was still alive,

these Kentish rebels would soon be beaten!

KING.

Lord Say, the traitors hate thee;

Therefore away with us to Killingworth.

Lord Say, the traitors hate you;

so come with me to Kenilworth.

SAY.

So might your grace's person be in danger.

The sight of me is odious in their eyes;

And therefore in this city will I stay

And live alone as secret as I may.

That might put your grace in danger.

They hate the sight of me;

and so I will stay in this city

and live as secretly as I can.

[Enter another Messenger.]

MESSENGER.

Jack Cade hath gotten London bridge;

The citizens fly and forsake their houses.

The rascal people, thirsting after prey,

Join with the traitor, and they jointly swear

To spoil the city and your royal court.

Jack Cade has taken London Bridge;

the citizens are fleeing and leaving their houses.

The rascally people, keen for plunder,

have joined with the traitor, and together they have sworn

to sack the city and your royal court.

BUCKINGHAM.

Then linger not, my lord; away, take horse.

So don't waste time, my lord; go, ride for it.

KING.

Come Margaret; God, our hope, will succour us.

Come Margaret; God, our protector, will help us.

QUEEN.

My hope is gone, now Suffolk is deceas'd.

I have no hope now that Suffolk is dead.

KING.

Farewell, my lord; trust not the Kentish rebels.

Farewell, my lord; do not trust the Kentish rebels.

BUCKINGHAM.

Trust nobody, for fear you be betray'd.

Trust nobody, or you may be betrayed.

SAY.

The trust I have is in mine innocence,

And therefore am I bold and resolute.

I place my trust in my own innocence,

and so I am strong and steadfast.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter LORD SCALES upon the Tower, walking. Then enter two or

three Citizens, below.]

SCALES.

How now! Is Jack Cade slain?

Hello there! Has Jack Cade been killed?

1 CITIZEN.

No, my lord, nor likely to be slain; for they

have won the bridge, killing all those that withstand them.