The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (27 page)

retreated. Oh, we succeeded bravely,

when we said good night to them

after such bloodthirsty work with

a needless volley of artillery;

we rolled up our waving banners,

the last ones on the battlefield and almost the lords of it!

Enter a MESSENGER

MESSENGER.

Where is my prince, the Dauphin?

Where is my Prince, the Dauphin?

LEWIS.

Here; what news?

Here; what's the news?

MESSENGER.

The Count Melun is slain; the English lords

By his persuasion are again fall'n off,

And your supply, which you have wish'd so long,

Are cast away and sunk on Goodwin Sands.

Count Melun has been killed; the English lords

have retreated again on his advice,

and your forces, which you have been waiting for so long,

are shipwrecked and sunk on Goodwin Sands.

LEWIS.

Ah, foul shrewd news! Beshrew thy very heart!

I did not think to be so sad to-night

As this hath made me. Who was he that said

King John did fly an hour or two before

The stumbling night did part our weary pow'rs?

Such foul and damned news! Damn your very heart!

I didn't think that I would be so sad tonight

as this has made me. Who said that

King John escaped an hour or two before

the obscuring night parted our tired armies?

MESSENGER.

Whoever spoke it, it is true, my lord.

Whoever said it, it is true, my lord.

LEWIS.

Keep good quarter and good care to-night;

The day shall not be up so soon as I

To try the fair adventure of to-morrow.

Keep a careful guard tonight;

the sun will not have risen before

I start my plans for tomorrow.

Exeunt

An open place wear Swinstead Abbey

Enter the BASTARD and HUBERT, severally

HUBERT.

Who's there? Speak, ho! speak quickly, or I shoot.

Who's there? Speak out! Speak quickly, or I'll shoot.

BASTARD.

A friend. What art thou?

A friend. Who are you?

HUBERT.

Of the part of England.

On the side of England.

BASTARD.

Whither dost thou go?

Where are you going?

HUBERT.

What's that to thee? Why may I not demand

Of thine affairs as well as thou of mine?

What business is that of yours? Why can't I ask

what you're doing the same way you're asking me?

BASTARD.

Hubert, I think.

You are Hubert, I think.

HUBERT.

Thou hast a perfect thought.

I will upon all hazards well believe

Thou art my friend that know'st my tongue so well.

Who art thou?

You think right.

I would bet anything

that you must be my friend if you know my voice so well.

Who are you?

BASTARD.

Who thou wilt. And if thou please,

Thou mayst befriend me so much as to think

I come one way of the Plantagenets.

Whoever you want me to be. And if you want,

you can be friendly enough to me to think

that on one side I am descended from the Plantagenets.

HUBERT.

Unkind remembrance! thou and eyeless night

Have done me shame. Brave soldier, pardon me

That any accent breaking from thy tongue

Should scape the true acquaintance of mine ear.

Useless memory! You and the blind night

have embarrassed me. Brave soldier, excuse me

for not recognising your voice.

BASTARD.

Come, come; sans compliment, what news abroad?

Come, come; forget the formalities, what's the news?

HUBERT.

Why, here walk I in the black brow of night

To find you out.

Why, I have been walking through the dark night

looking for you.

BASTARD.

Brief, then; and what's the news?

You've done it, then; and what's the news?

HUBERT.

O, my sweet sir, news fitting to the night,

Black, fearful, comfortless, and horrible.

Oh, my sweet sir, news which is suitable for the night,

Black, fearful, comfortless and horrible.

BASTARD.

Show me the very wound of this ill news;

I am no woman, I'll not swoon at it.

Tell me the results of this bad news;

I'm not a woman, it won't make me faint.

HUBERT.

The King, I fear, is poison'd by a monk;

I left him almost speechless and broke out

To acquaint you with this evil, that you might

The better arm you to the sudden time

Than if you had at leisure known of this.

I'm afraid that the King has been poisoned by a monk;

I left him almost unable to speak and escaped

to tell you of this evil, so that you might

be more prepared to deal with the emergency

than if you had found out later.

BASTARD.

How did he take it; who did taste to him?

Why did he eat it; who was his food taster?

HUBERT.

A monk, I tell you; a resolved villain,

Whose bowels suddenly burst out. The King

Yet speaks, and peradventure may recover.

A monk, I'm telling you; a complete villain,

whose bowels suddenly exploded. The King

is still speaking, and there's a chance he may recover.

BASTARD.

Who didst thou leave to tend his Majesty?

Who did you leave looking after his Majesty?

HUBERT.

Why, know you not? The lords are all come back,

And brought Prince Henry in their company;

At whose request the King hath pardon'd them,

And they are all about his Majesty.

Why, haven't you heard? The lords have all come back,

and brought Prince Henry with them;

at his request the King has pardoned them,

and they are all with his Majesty.

BASTARD.

Withhold thine indignation, mighty heaven,

And tempt us not to bear above our power!

I'll tell thee, Hubert, half my power this night,

Passing these flats, are taken by the tide-

These Lincoln Washes have devoured them;

Myself, well-mounted, hardly have escap'd.

Away, before! conduct me to the King;

I doubt he will be dead or ere I come.

Hold back your anger, mighty heaven,

and do not tempt us to do more than we are capable of!

I tell you, Hubert, half of my forces tonight,

walking over these marshes, have been washed away by the tide–

these Lincoln marshes have swallowed them;

I, on a good horse, only just escaped.

Lead the way! Take me to the king;

I'm afraid that he'll be dead before I get there.

Exeunt

The orchard at Swinstead Abbey

Enter PRINCE HENRY, SALISBURY, and BIGOT

PRINCE HENRY.

It is too late; the life of all his blood

Is touch'd corruptibly, and his pure brain.

Which some suppose the soul's frail dwelling-house,

Doth by the idle comments that it makes

Foretell the ending of mortality.

It's too late; all of his lifeblood

has been corrupted, as well as his pure brain,

which some imagine is where the soul lives,

which shows by the strange comments that it makes

that it is about to die.

Enter PEMBROKE

PEMBROKE.

His Highness yet doth speak, and holds belief

That, being brought into the open air,

It would allay the burning quality

Of that fell poison which assaileth him.

His Highness is still speaking, and believes

that if he was brought into the open air

it would soften the burning

of the evil poison which is attacking him.

PRINCE HENRY.

Let him be brought into the orchard here.

Doth he still rage?

Bring him out into the orchard here.

Is he still raving?

Exit BIGOT

PEMBROKE.

He is more patient

Than when you left him; even now he sung.

He's calmer

than when you left him; just now he sung.

PRINCE HENRY.

O vanity of sickness! Fierce extremes

In their continuance will not feel themselves.

Death, having prey'd upon the outward parts,

Leaves them invisible, and his siege is now

Against the mind, the which he pricks and wounds

With many legions of strange fantasies,

Which, in their throng and press to that last hold,

Confound themselves. 'Tis strange that death should sing.