The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (254 page)

will be like oil thrown on the flame of my anger.

From now on I shall show no pity:

if I meet a child of the house of York

I shall cut into as many pieces as

wild Medea did with young Absyrtus:

I shall make myself famous for my cruelty.

Come, newest ruins of the old house of Clifford,

I shall carry you upon my manly shoulders

as Aeneas carried old Anchises;

but then Aeneas was carrying a living man,

which was nothing like as heavy as these sorrows of mine.

[Exit, bearing off his father. Enter RICHARD and SOMERSET to

fight. SOMERSET

is killed.]

RICHARD.

So, lie thou there;

For underneath an alehouse' paltry sign,

The Castle in Saint Alban's, Somerset

Hath made the wizard famous in his death.

Sword, hold thy temper; heart, be wrathful still;

Priests pray for enemies, but princes kill.

So, you lie there;

under the vulgar sign of the Inn of

the Castle in St Albans, Somerset

has fulfilled the wizard's prophecy.

Sword, keep strong; heart, keep your anger;

priests pray for their enemies, but princes kill them.

[Exit.]

[Fight:  excursions. Enter KING, QUEEN, and others.]

QUEEN.

Away, my lord! you are slow; for shame, away!

Retreat, my lord! You are slow; for shame, retreat!

KING HENRY.

Can we outrun the heavens? good Margaret, stay.

Can we run faster than the will of God? Good Margaret, stay.

QUEEN.

What are you made of? you'll nor fight nor fly;

Now is it manhood, wisdom, and defence,

To give the enemy way, and to secure us

By what we can, which can no more but fly.

[Alarum afar off.]

If you be ta'en, we then should see the bottom

Of all our fortunes; but if we haply scape,

As well we may, if not through your neglect,

We shall to London get, where you are lov'd,

And where this breach now in our fortunes made

May readily be stopp'd.

Was sort of man are you? You won't fight or fly;

the only manly, wise and safe course

is to give way to the enemy, and to make ourselves safe

by any means we can, which can only be by running.

If you are captured, then that will be the end

of all our hopes; but if we fortunately escaped,

as we may well do, if you stop wasting time,

we shall get to London, where you are loved,

and where we can repair this damage

to our fortunes.

[Enter young CLIFFORD.]

YOUNG CLIFFORD.

But that my heart's on future mischief set,

I would speak blasphemy ere bid you fly.

But fly you must; uncurable discomfit

Reigns in the hearts of all our present parts.

Away, for your relief! and we will live

To see their day and them our fortune give.

Away, my lord, away!

If it wasn't for the fact that my heart sees future trouble,

I would rather blaspheme than tell you to flee.

But flee you must; irretrievable defeat

has found its way into the heart of all our forces.

Fly, for your protection! And we will live

to see them have their day and take our fortune.

Fly, my lord, fly!

[Exeunt.]

[Alarum. Retreat. Enter YORK, RICHARD, WARWICK, and Soldiers,

with drum and colours.]

YORK.

Of Salisbury, who can report of him,

That winter lion, who in rage forgets

Aged contusions and all brush of time

And, like a gallant in the brow of youth,

Repairs him with occasion? This happy day

Is not itself, nor have we won one foot,

If Salisbury be lost.

Who can tell me about Salisbury,

that lion in winter, who in his anger has forgotten

all the damage that time has done

and, like a lively lad in the first flush of youth,

rises to the occasion? This will not be the

happy day that it should be, and we won't have gained

any advantage, if Salisbury is lost.

RICHARD.

My noble father,

Three times to-day I holp him to his horse,

Three times bestrid him; thrice I led him off,

Persuaded him from any further act;

But still, where danger was, still there I met him;

And like rich hangings in a homely house,

So was his will in his old feeble body.

But, noble as he is, look where he comes.

My noble father,

three times today I helped him onto his horse,

three times he mounted; three times I led him away,

telling him not to do anything more;

but still, every time there was danger, he was there;

his strength of will in his old feeble body

was like rich tapestries in a low house.

But, look, here he comes, noble as he is.

[Enter SALISBURY.]

SALISBURY.

Now, by my sword, well hast thou fought to-day;

By the mass, so did we all.--I thank you, Richard;

God knows how long it is I have to live,

And it hath pleas'd him that three times to-day

You have defended me from imminent death.--

Well, lords, we have not got that which we have;

'T is not enough our foes are this time fled,

Being opposites of such repairing nature.

Now, I swear by my sword, you have fought well today;

by God, we all did. I thank you, Richard;

God knows how long I have left to live,

and he has been kind enough to allow you to

save me from imminent death three times today.

Well, lords, we have not got everything we want;

it's not enough for our enemies just to have fled for the moment,

as they will regather themselves soon.

YORK.

I know our safety is to follow them;

For, as I hear, the king is fled to London,

To call a present court of parliament.

Let us pursue him ere the writs go forth.--

What says Lord Warwick? shall we after them?

I know the best thing to do is to follow them;

for, so I hear, the King has fled to London,

to summon the Parliament.

Let us chase him before the orders go out.

What does Lord Warwick say? Shall we chase them?

WARWICK.

After them! nay, before them, if we can.

Now, by my hand, lords, 'twas a glorious day;

Saint Alban's battle won by famous York

Shall be eterniz'd in all age to come.--

Sound drums and trumpets!--and to London all;

And more such days as these to us befall!

Chase them! No, get there before them, if we can.

Now, I swear, lords, this was a glorious day;

the battle of St Albans won by famous York

shall be celebrated in all the ages to come.

Sound the drums and trumpets! Let's all head to London;

and may we have many more such days as this!

[Exeunt.]

In Plain and Simple English

KING HENRY the Sixth.

EDWARD, Prince of Wales, his son.

LEWIS XI, King of France.

DUKE OF SOMERSET.

DUKE OF EXETER.

EARL OF OXFORD.

EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND.

EARL OF WESTMORELAND.

LORD CLIFFORD.

RICHARD PLANTAGENET, Duke of York.

EDWARD, Earl of March, afterwards King Edward IV., his son.

EDMUND, Earl of Rutland, his son.

GEORGE, afterwards Duke of Clarence, his son.

RICHARD, afterwards Duke of Gloster, his son.

DUKE OF NORFOLK.

MARQUESS OF MONTAGUE.

EARL OF WARWICK.

EARL OF PEMBROKE.

LORD HASTINGS.

LORD STAFFORD.

SIR JOHN MORTIMER, uncle to the Duke of York.

SIR HUGH MORTIMER, uncle to the Duke of York.

HENRY, Earl of Richmond, a youth.

LORD RIVERS, brother to Lady Grey.

SIR WILLIAM STANLEY.

SIR JOHN MONTGOMERY.

SIR JOHN SOMERVILLE.

Tutor to Rutland.

Mayor of York.

Lieutenant of the Tower.

A Nobleman.  Two Keepers.  A Huntsman.

A Son that has killed his father.

A Father that has killed his son.

QUEEN MARGARET.

LADY GREY, afterwards Queen to Edward IV.

BONA, sister to the French Queen.