The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (258 page)

Henry, from your company and your bed,

until you repeal the act of Parliament

which has disinherited my son.

The northern lords who have abandoned your banners

will follow mine if they see me marching forward;

they shall be raised up and horribly disgrace you,

and bring utter ruin to the house of York.

So I'm leaving you. Come, son, let's go:

our army is ready; come, we'll follow them.

KING HENRY.

Stay, gentle Margaret, and hear me speak.

Wait, sweet Margaret, hear what I have to say.

QUEEN MARGARET.

Thou hast spoke too much already; get thee gone.

You've said enough already; get lost.

KING HENRY.

Gentle son Edward, thou wilt stay with me?

Sweet son Edward, will you stay with me?

QUEEN MARGARET.

Ay, to be murther'd by his enemies.

Yes, to be murdered by his enemies.

PRINCE.

When I return with victory from the field

I'll see your grace; till then I'll follow her.

I'll see your grace when I come back victorious

from the battlefield; until then I shall follow her.

QUEEN MARGARET.

Come, son, away! we may not linger thus.

Come, son, away! We mustn't waste time like this.

[Exeunt Queen Margaret and the Prince.]

KING HENRY.

Poor queen! how love to me and to her son

Hath made her break out into terms of rage!

Reveng'd may she be on that hateful duke

Whose haughty spirit, winged with desire,

Will cost my crown, and like an empty eagle

Tire on the flesh of me and of my son.

The loss of those three lords torments my heart;

I'll write unto them, and entreat them fair.--

Come, cousin, you shall be the messenger.

Poor queen! How her love for me and her son

has made her erupt with anger!

She may get revenge on that horrible Duke

whose arrogance, coupled to his greed,

will cost me my crown, and will tear at

the flesh of me and my son like a hungry eagle.

I am tortured by the loss of those three lords;

I shall write to them, and sweetly beg them.

Come, cousin, you shall be my messenger.

EXETER.

And I, I hope, shall reconcile them all.

And, I hope, I shall bring them all back to you.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter EDWARD, RICHARD, and MONTAGUE.]

RICHARD.

Brother, though I be youngest, give me leave.

Brother, although I'm youngest, let me do it.

EDWARD.

No; I can better play the orator.

No; I am a better speaker.

MONTAGUE.

But I have reasons strong and forcible.

But I have good strong reasons.

[Enter YORK.]

YORK.

Why, how now, sons and brother! at a strife?

What is your quarrel? how began it first?

What's this, sons and brother! An argument?

What are you quarrelling about? How did it begin?

EDWARD.

No quarrel, but a slight contention.

There is no quarrel, just a small disagreement.

YORK.

About what?

About what?

RICHARD.

About that which concerns your grace and us--

The crown of England, father, which is yours.

About the thing which concerns your grace and us–

the crown of England, father, which belongs to you.

YORK.

Mine, boy? not till King Henry be dead.

To me, boy? Not until King Henry is dead.

RICHARD.

Your right depends not on his life or death.

Your rights don't depend on whether he is living or dead.

EDWARD.

Now you are heir, therefore enjoy it now;

By giving the house of Lancaster leave to breathe,

It will outrun you, father, in the end.

You are heir now, and so enjoy it now;

if you give the house of Lancaster the opportunity to flourish,

they will beat you in the end, father.

YORK.

I took an oath that he should quietly reign.

I swore that he would reign in peace.

EDWARD.

But for a kingdom any oath may be broken;

I would break a thousand oaths to reign one year.

But any oath can be broken for the sake of the kingdom;

I would break a thousand oaths to rule for one year.

RICHARD.

No; God forbid your grace should be forsworn.

No; heaven forbid that your Grace should break an oath.

YORK.

I shall be, if I claim by open war.

I will have done so, if I claim the throne through warfare.

RICHARD.

I'll prove the contrary if you'll hear me speak.

I will prove differently to you, if you will listen.

YORK.

Thou canst not, son; it is impossible.

You can't, son; it's impossible.

RICHARD.

An oath is of no moment, being not took

Before a true and lawful magistrate

That hath authority over him that swears.

Henry had none, but did usurp the place;

Then, seeing 't was he that made you to depose,

Your oath, my lord, is vain and frivolous.

Therefore, to arms!  And, father, do but think

How sweet a thing it is to wear a crown,

Within whose circuit is Elysium

And all that poets feign of bliss and joy.

Why do we linger thus?  I cannot rest

Until the white rose that I wear be dyed

Even in the lukewarm blood of Henry's heart.

An oath has no standing, if it's not taken

in front of a proper and legal magistrate

who has authority over the person taking it.

Henry has no authority, as he stole the crown;

so, seeing as it was him who made you swear,

your oath, my lord, is empty and trivial.

So, to arms! And, father, just think

how sweet it will be to wear a crown,

which is like living in heaven, giving

everything the poets talk of about happiness.

Why are we wasting time? I can't rest

until the white rose that I wear is dyed

with the lukewarm blood of Henry's heart.

YORK.

Richard, enough; I will be king, or die.--

Brother, thou shalt to London presently,

And whet on Warwick to this enterprise.--

Thou, Richard, shalt to the Duke of Norfolk,

And tell him privily of our intent.--

You, Edward, shall unto my Lord Cobham,

With whom the Kentishmen will willingly rise.

In them I trust; for they are soldiers,

Witty, courteous, liberal, full of spirit.--

While you are thus employ'd, what resteth more

But that I seek occasion how to rise,

And yet the king not privy to my drift,

Nor any of the house of Lancaster?

[Enter a Messenger.]

But stay.--What news? Why com'st thou in such post?

 Richard, that's enough; I will be king, or die–

Brother, you shall go to London at once,

and encourage Warwick in this business–

you, Richard, shall go to the Duke of Norfolk,

and secretly tell him what we mean to do–

you, Edward, shall go to Lord Cobham,

for whom the men of Kent will willingly rebel.

I trust them; they are good soldiers,

witty, polite, generous, high-spirited–

while you are all doing this, what should I do

but find a way that I can triumph,

without letting the King or any of the

house of Lancaster see what I'm planning?

But wait–what news have you? Why are you in such a hurry?

MESSENGER.

The queen, with all the northern earls and lords,

Intend here to besiege you in your castle.

She is hard by with twenty thousand men,

And therefore fortify your hold, my lord.

The Queen, with all the northern earls and lords,

is planning to lay siege to you here in your castle.

She is close by with twenty thousand men,

and so strengthen your defences, my lord.

YORK.

Ay, with my sword. What! think'st thou that we fear

them?--

Edward and Richard, you shall stay with me;

My brother Montague shall post to London.

Let noble Warwick, Cobham, and the rest,

Whom we have left protectors of the king,

With powerful policy strengthen themselves,

And trust not simple Henry nor his oaths.

I shall, with my sword. What! Do you think that we're afraid of them?

Edward and Richard, you shall stay with me;

my brother Montague shall hurry to London.

Let noble Warwick, Cobham and the rest,

whom we have left to protect the King,

adjust their plans to defend themselves,

and to not trust simple Henry or his promises.

MONTAGUE.

Brother, I go; I'll win them, fear it not:

And thus most humbly I do take my leave.

Brother, I'm going now; I shall win them over, never fear:

and so most humbly I take leave of you.

[Exit.]

[Enter SIR JOHN and SIR HUGH MORTIMER.]

YORK.

Sir John and Sir Hugh Mortimer, mine uncles,

You are come to Sandal in a happy hour;

The army of the queen mean to besiege us.

Sir John and Sir Hugh Mortimer, my uncles,

you have come to Sandal at a good time;

the army of the Queen intends to put us under siege.

SIR JOHN.

She shall not need; we'll meet her in the field.

She won't need to; we'll meet her on the battlefield.