The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (251 page)

[Enter YORK, and his army of Irish, with drum and colours.]

YORK.

From Ireland thus comes York to claim his right,

And pluck the crown from feeble Henry's head.

Ring, bells, aloud; burn, bonfires, clear and bright,

To entertain great England's lawful king.

Ah! sancta majestas! who would not buy thee dear?

Let them obey that knows not how to rule;

This hand was made to handle nought but gold.

I cannot give due action to my words

Except a sword or sceptre balance it.

A sceptre shall it have, have I a soul,

On which I'll toss the flower-de-luce of France.--

[Enter BUCKINGHAM.]

Whom have we here? Buckingham, to disturb me?

The king hath sent him, sure: I must dissemble.

So York has come from Ireland to claim his rights,

and take the crown off the head of feeble Henry.

Let the bells ring out; let the bonfires burn clear and bright

to welcome the true king of great England.

Ah! The holiness of majesty! Who wouldn't pay a high price for you?

Let those who don't know how to rule be subjects;

this hand was just made to handle gold.

I can't make good on my promises

unless I have a sword or a sceptre in my hand.

If I have a soul then I shall have a sceptre,

which I'll use to regain our French kingdoms–

whom have we here? Buckingham, come to upset me?

The King has sent him, that's certain: I must fake.

BUCKINGHAM.

York, if thou meanest well, I greet thee well.

York, if you have good intentions, I give you warm greetings.

YORK.

Humphrey of Buckingham, I accept thy greeting.

Art thou a messenger, or come of pleasure?

Humphrey of Buckingham, I accept your greeting.

Do you have a message, or is this a social visit?

BUCKINGHAM.

A messenger from Henry, our dread liege,

To know the reason of these arms in peace;

Or why thou, being a subject as I am,

Against thy oath and true allegiance sworn,

Should raise so great a power without his leave,

Or dare to bring thy force so near the court.

I bring a message from Henry, our awesome king,

to ask why you have raised an army in peacetime;

or why you, being a subject like me,

have raised such a great force without his permission,

which goes against your true oath of allegiance,

and why you dare to bring your forces so close to the court.

YORK.

[Aside.] Scarce can I speak, my choler is so great:

O, I could hew up rocks and fight with flint,

I am so angry at these abject terms;

And now, like Ajax Telamonius,

On sheep or oxen could I spend my fury.

I am far better born than is the king,

More like a king, more kingly in my thoughts;

But I must make fair weather yet a while,

Till Henry be more weak and I more strong.--

Buckingham, I prithee, pardon me,

That I have given no answer all this while;

My mind was troubled with deep melancholy.

The cause why I have brought this army hither

Is to remove proud Somerset from the king,

Seditious to his grace and to the state.

I can hardly speak, this makes me so angry:

oh, I could pull up rocks and fight with flints,

these insulting expressions make me so cross;

I could take out my anger on sheep or oxen

like Ajax Telamonius.

I am far more nobly born than the king is,

I am more likely a king, I think more like a king;

but I must go along with things as they are for awhile,

until Henry is weaker and I am stronger.

Buckingham, please excuse me for not giving you

an answer all this time;

my mind was greatly disturbed.

The reason I bought this army here

is to take arrogant Somerset away from the King,

as he is a traitor to the king and to the country.

BUCKINGHAM.

That is too much presumption on thy part;

But if thy arms be to no other end,

The king hath yielded unto thy demand.

The Duke of Somerset is in the Tower.

You should not take this business on yourself;

but if that's all that your forces are for,

the King has agreed to your demand.

The Duke of Somerset is in the Tower.

YORK.

Upon thine honour, is he prisoner?

You swear, he is a prisoner?

BUCKINGHAM.

Upon mine honour, he is prisoner.

I swear he is, on my honour.

YORK.

Then, Buckingham, I do dismiss my powers.--

Soldiers, I thank you all; disperse yourselves;

Meet me to-morrow in Saint George's field,

You shall have pay and everything you wish.--

And let my sovereign, virtuous Henry,

Command my eldest son, nay, all my sons,

As pledges of my fealty and love,

I'll send them all as willing as I live;

Lands, goods, horse, armour, anything I have,

Is his to use, so Somerset may die.

Then, Buckingham, I shall send away my forces.

Soldiers, I thank you all; split up;

meet me tomorrow in St George's field,

you shall be paid and be given everything you want.

And let my king, good Henry,

have command of my eldest son, no, all my sons,

I'll willingly send them to him

as a sign of my loyalty and love;

anything I have, land, goods, horses, armour,

is at his disposal, if Somerset dies.

BUCKINGHAM.

York, I commend this kind submission;

We twain will go into his highness' tent.

York, I'm glad to see this proper submission;

let's both go to his Highness' tent.

[Enter KING and Attendants.]

KING.

Buckingham, doth York intend no harm to us,

That thus he marcheth with thee arm in arm?

Buckingham, York is walking arm in arm with you;

does this mean that he means us no harm?

YORK.

In all submission and humility

York doth present himself unto your highness.

Youk presents himself to your Highness

with all submission and humbleness.

KING.

Then what intends these forces thou dost bring?

Then why have you bought these forces with you?

YORK.

To heave the traitor Somerset from hence,

And fight against that monstrous rebel Cade,

Who since I heard to be discomfited.

To throw down the traitor Somerset,

and to fight the terrible rebel Cade,

whom I have heard since has been suppressed.

[Enter IDEN, with CADE's head.]

IDEN.

If one so rude and of so mean condition

May pass into the presence of a king,

Lo, I present your grace a traitor's head,

The head of Cade, whom I in combat slew.

If such a rough and lowborn man

can come into the presence of the King,

I want to present your grace with a traitor's head,

the head of Cade, whom I killed in combat.

KING.

The head of Cade!--Great God, how just art Thou!--

O, let me view his visage, being dead,

That living wrought me such exceeding trouble.

Tell me, my friend, art thou the man that slew him?

The head of Cade! Great God, how just you are!

O, let me see the face of the dead one who, while

he was alive, caused me so much trouble.

Tell me, my friend, are you the man who killed him?

IDEN.

I was, an 't like your majesty.

I was, if your Majesty pleases.

KING.

How art thou call'd? and what is thy degree?

What's your name? And what's your position?

IDEN.

Alexander Iden, that's my name;

A poor esquire of Kent, that loves his king.

My name is Alexander Iden;

I am a poor squire of Kent, who loves his king.

BUCKINGHAM.

So please it you, my lord, 't were not amiss

He were created knight for his good service.

If you please, my lord, it would be a good thing

for him to be made a knight for this good service.

KING.

Iden, kneel down. [He kneels.] Rise up a knight.

We give thee for reward a thousand marks,

And will that thou thenceforth attend on us.

Iden, kneel down. Rise up as a knight.

You shall have a thousand marks as your reward,

and I order for you to become part of the court.

IDEN.

May Iden live to merit such a bounty,

And never live but true unto his liege!

May Iden live long enough to deserve such generosity,

and throughout his life never be anything but faithful to his King!

[Rises.]

[Enter QUEEN and SOMERSET.]

KING.

See, Buckingham, Somerset comes with the queen.

Go, bid her hide him quickly from the duke.

See Buckingham, Somerset is coming with the Queen.

Go, tell her to hide him quickly from the Duke.

QUEEN.

For thousand Yorks he shall not hide his head,

But boldly stand and front him to his face.

He will not hide his head if there were a thousand Yorks,

but boldly stand and face him like a man.

YORK.

How now! is Somerset at liberty?

Then, York, unloose thy long-imprisoned thoughts,

And let thy tongue be equal with thy heart.

Shall I endure the sight of Somerset?

False king! why hast thou broken faith with me,

Knowing how hardly I can brook abuse?

King did I call thee? no, thou art not king,

Not fit to govern and rule multitudes,