The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (269 page)

The scatt'red foe that hopes to rise again;

For though they cannot greatly sting to hurt,

Yet look to have them buzz to offend thine ears.

First will I see the coronation,

And then to Brittany I'll cross the sea

To effect this marriage, so it please my lord.

Yes, but he's dead. Off with the traitor's head,

and put it in the place where your father's now is.

And now on to London in triumphant procession,

to be crowned as the royal king of England;

from there Warwick shall go across the sea to France,

and ask them for the Lady Bona as your Queen.

This way you shall form an alliance of these countries,

and, having France as your friend, you will not fear

the scattered enemy who hopes to rise again;

for although they cannot do you any great harm,

you can expect them to still cause some annoyance.

First I will see the coronation,

and then I will cross the sea to Brittany

to arrange this marriage, if my lord agrees.

EDWARD.

Even as thou wilt, sweet Warwick, let it be;

For in thy shoulder do I build my seat,

And never will I undertake the thing

Wherein thy counsel and consent is wanting.--

Richard, I will create thee Duke of Gloster;--

And George, of Clarence.--Warwick, as ourself,

Shall do and undo as him pleaseth best.

I agree to whatever you suggest, sweet Warwick;

you are the foundation on which I place my throne,

and I will never do anything

if your advice disagrees with it.

Richard, I will make you Duke of Gloucester;

and George, Duke of Clarence. Warwick, representing me,

will undertake whatever he thinks is best.

RICHARD.

Let me be Duke of Clarence, George of Gloster,

For Gloster's dukedom is too ominous.

Let me be Duke of Clarence, George of Gloucester,

the dukedom of Gloucester is unlucky.

WARWICK.

Tut! that's a foolish observation;

Richard, be Duke of Gloster. Now to London,

To see these honours in possession.

Tut! That's a foolish thing to say;

Richard, be Duke of Gloucester. Now let's go to London,

to take possession of what we have won.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter two Keepers, with crossbows in their hands.]

1 KEEPER.

Under this thick-grown brake we'll shroud ourselves,

For through this laund anon the deer will come;

And in this covert will we make our stand,

Culling the principal of all the deer.

We'll hide in this thick clump of trees,

for the deer will come through this glade soon;

we'll make our hide in this wood,

and kill the biggest deer.

2 KEEPER.

I'll stay above the hill, so both may shoot.

I'll stop up the hill, so both of us can shoot.

1 KEEPER.

That cannot be; the noise of thy crossbow

Will scare the herd, and so my shoot is lost.

Here stand we both, and aim we at the best;

And, for the time shall not seem tedious,

I'll tell thee what befell me on a day

In this self place where now we mean to stand.

We can't do that; the noise of my crossbow

will scare the herd, so my shot will be wasted.

Let's both stand here, and aim at the best deer;

and to pass the time

I'll tell you what happened to me once

right in this place where we are going to hide.

2 KEEPER.

Here comes a man; let's stay till he be past.

There's someone coming; let's wait until he's gone.

[Enter KING HENRY, disguised, with a prayer-book.]

KING HENRY.

From Scotland am I stolen, even of pure love,

To greet mine own land with my wishful sight.

No, Harry, Harry, 't is no land of thine;

Thy place is fill'd, thy sceptre wrung from thee,

Thy balm wash'd off wherewith thou wast anointed.

No bending knee will call thee Caesar now,

No humble suitors press to speak for right;

No, not a man comes for redress of thee,

For how can I help them, and not myself?

I have sneaked away from Scotland, out of pure love,

to take a longing look at my own country.

No, Harry, Harry, it's not your country;

your throne has been filled, your sceptre has been seized from you,

the ointment with which you were anointed washed off.

Nobody will now call you Caesar and kneel to you,

no humble petitioners will ask for the right to speak to you;

no, no man comes for justice from you,

for how can I help them, when I can't help myself?

1 KEEPER.

Ay, here's a deer whose skin's a keeper's fee.

This is the quondam king; let's seize upon him.

Look, here's a deer whose skin is worth a gamekeeper's wages.

This is the former king; let's grab  him.

KING HENRY.

Let me embrace thee, sour adversity;

For wise men say it is the wisest course.

Let me welcome you, harsh hardship;

wise men say this is the best thing to do.

2 KEEPER.

Why linger we? let us lay hands upon him.

Why are we waiting? Let's grab him.

1 KEEPER.

Forbear awhile; we'll hear a little more.

Wait a while; let's hear a little more.

KING HENRY.

My queen and son are gone to France for aid;

And, as I hear, the great commanding Warwick

Is thither gone to crave the French king's sister

To wife for Edward. If this news be true,

Poor queen and son, your labour is but lost,

For Warwick is a subtle orator,

And Lewis a prince soon won with moving words.

By this account then Margaret may win him,

For she's a woman to be pitied much.

Her sighs will make a batt'ry in his breast,

Her tears will pierce into a marble heart;

The tiger will be mild whiles she doth mourn,

And Nero will be tainted with remorse

To hear and see her plaints, her brinish tears.

Ay, but she's come to beg, Warwick to give;

She on his left side craving aid for Henry,

He on his right asking a wife for Edward.

She weeps and says her Henry is depos'd,

He smiles and says his Edward is install'd;

That she, poor wretch, for grief can speak no more;

Whiles Warwick tells his title, smooths the wrong,

Inferreth arguments of mighty strength,

And, in conclusion, wins the king from her,

With promise of his sister, and what else,

To strengthen and support King Edward's place.

O Margaret, thus 't will be! and thou, poor soul,

Art then forsaken, as thou went'st forlorn!

My queen and my son have gone to France for help;

and, so I hear, the great commander Warwick

has gone there to ask the French king's sister

to marry Edward. If this news is true,

you are wasting your time, poor Queen and son,

for Warwick is a cunning speaker,

and Louis is a prince who is easily won over with words.

Perhaps because of this Margaret might succeed with him,

for she is a woman who should be very much pitied.

Her sighs will launch an assault on his chest,

her tears will cut into his marble heart;

the tiger will be gentle while she mourns,

and Nero will be touched by remorse

to hear and see her woes, her salt tears.

Yes, but she's come to beg, Warwick has something to give;

she will be on his left side asking for help for Henry,

he will be on the right asking for a wife and support.

She will weep and say her Henry has been overthrown,

he will smile and say his Edward has been crowned;

she, poor wretch, will not be able to say any more through grief;

Warwick will tell his story, smoothing over the wrongs,

laying out very strong arguments,

and, in the end, he'll win the king over to his side,

he will promise him his sister, and who knows what else,

to strengthen and support King Edward's position.

Oh Margaret, this is what will happen! And you, poor soul,

will then be lost, having gone there abandoned!

2 KEEPER.

Say, what art thou, that talk'st of kings and queens?

Tell us who you are, talking of kings and queens?

KING HENRY.

More than I seem, and less than I was born to;

A man at least, for less I should not be;

And men may talk of kings, and why not I?

I'm more when I appear to be, and less than I was born for;

I am at least a man, I wouldn't be any less;

and men can talk of kings, why shouldn't I?

2 KEEPER.

Ay, but thou talk'st as if thou wert a king.

Yes, but you talk as if you were king.

KING HENRY.

Why, so I am, in mind; and that's enough.

Why, I am, in my mind; and that's sufficient.

2 KEEPER.

But, if thou be a king, where is thy crown?

But if you are a king, where is your crown?

KING HENRY.

My crown is in my heart, not on my head,