The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (311 page)

richly adorned with pearl, crowned. On each

side her, the Bishops of London and

Winchester.

9. The old Duchess of Norfolk, in a coronal of

gold, wrought with flowers, bearing QUEEN

ANNE's train.

10. Certain Ladies or Countesses, with plain

circlets of gold without flowers.

They pass over the stage in order and state

Second Gentleman

A royal train, believe me. These I know:

Who's that that bears the sceptre?

A royal procession, I'll swear. I know these people,

who is that who's carrying the sceptre?

First Gentleman

Marquess Dorset:

And that the Earl of Surrey, with the rod.

The Marquess Dorset:

and that's the Earl of Surrey, carrying the rod.

Second Gentleman

A bold brave gentleman. That should be

The Duke of Suffolk?

A bold brave gentleman. Is that

the Duke of Suffolk?

First Gentleman

'Tis the same: high-steward.

That's him: high Steward.

Second Gentleman

And that my Lord of Norfolk?

And that's my Lord of Norfolk?

First Gentleman

Yes;

Yes.

Second Gentleman

Heaven bless thee!

Looking on QUEEN ANNE

Thou hast the sweetest face I ever look'd on.

Sir, as I have a soul, she is an angel;

Our king has all the Indies in his arms,

And more and richer, when he strains that lady:

I cannot blame his conscience.

Heaven bless you!

You have the sweetest face I ever saw.

Sir, upon my soul, she is an angel;

our King possesses something more valuable

than the whole of the Indies when he embraces that lady:

I can't blame him for wanting her.

First Gentleman

They that bear

The cloth of honour over her, are four barons

Of the Cinque-ports.

Those who carry

the canopy over her are four Barons

of the Cinque ports.

Second Gentleman

Those men are happy; and so are all are near her.

I take it, she that carries up the train

Is that old noble lady, Duchess of Norfolk.

Those men are lucky; and so all who are near her.

I take it that the one who is carrying the train

is that old noble lady, Duchess of Norfolk.

First Gentleman

It is; and all the rest are countesses.

It is; and all the rest are Countesses.

Second Gentleman

Their coronets say so. These are stars indeed;

And sometimes falling ones.

I can see by their coronets. These are certainly stars;

and sometimes they fall.

First Gentleman

No more of that.

That's enough of that.

Exit procession, and then a great flourish of trumpets

Enter a third Gentleman

First Gentleman

God save you, sir! where have you been broiling?

God save you, sir! Where have you been sweating?

Third Gentleman

Among the crowd i' the Abbey; where a finger

Could not be wedged in more: I am stifled

With the mere rankness of their joy.

Amongst the crowd in the Abbey; you couldn't have got

another finger in there: I am choked

with the stench of their joy.

Second Gentleman

You saw

The ceremony?

You saw

the ceremony?

Third Gentleman

That I did.

I certainly did.

First Gentleman

How was it?

How was it?

Third Gentleman

Well worth the seeing.

Well worth seeing.

Second Gentleman

Good sir, speak it to us.

Good sir, describe it to us.

Third Gentleman

As well as I am able. The rich stream

Of lords and ladies, having brought the queen

To a prepared place in the choir, fell off

A distance from her; while her grace sat down

To rest awhile, some half an hour or so,

In a rich chair of state, opposing freely

The beauty of her person to the people.

Believe me, sir, she is the goodliest woman

That ever lay by man: which when the people

Had the full view of, such a noise arose

As the shrouds make at sea in a stiff tempest,

As loud, and to as many tunes: hats, cloaks--

Doublets, I think,--flew up; and had their faces

Been loose, this day they had been lost. Such joy

I never saw before. Great-bellied women,

That had not half a week to go, like rams

In the old time of war, would shake the press,

And make 'em reel before 'em. No man living

Could say 'This is my wife' there; all were woven

So strangely in one piece.

As well as I can. The rich stream

of lords and ladies, having brought the Queen

 to a prepared place in the choir, retreated

some distance from her; then her Grace sat down

to rest for a while, some half an hour or so,

on a rich throne, exposing her beauty

freely to the people.

Believe me sir, she is the most beautiful woman

as ever slept with a man: and when the people

had a full view of her, such a noise rose up

that was like the sails of a ship in a stiff wind,

just as loud, with as many different noises. Hats, cloaks

shirts too, I think, flew up, and if their faces could have come off

they would have lost them today. I never saw

such joy before. Great round bellied women,

with just half a week to go before giving birth, smashed

into the crowd like battering rams in old battles,

and made the everyone fall before them. No man alive

could have identified his wife in there, everyone was

entwined as if they were a single organism.

Second Gentleman

But, what follow'd?

But what happened after that?

Third Gentleman

At length her grace rose, and with modest paces

Came to the altar; where she kneel'd, and saint-like

Cast her fair eyes to heaven and pray'd devoutly.

Then rose again and bow'd her to the people:

When by the Archbishop of Canterbury

She had all the royal makings of a queen;

As holy oil, Edward Confessor's crown,

The rod, and bird of peace, and all such emblems

Laid nobly on her: which perform'd, the choir,

With all the choicest music of the kingdom,

Together sung 'Te Deum.' So she parted,

And with the same full state paced back again

To York-place, where the feast is held.

Eventually her grace arose, and with modest steps

came to the altar; she knelt there, and like a saint

turned her fair face up to heaven and prayed devoutly.

Then she got up again and bowed to her people:

then the Archbishop Canterbury

gave her all the royal trappings of a Queen,

such as holy oil, the Crown of Edward the Confessor,

the rod, bird of peace, and all the other symbols

which sat nobly on her: and the choir performed

all the best music of the kingdom,

then sang the Te Deum together. So she left,

and in the same majestic trappings walked back again

to York Place, where the feast is being held.

First Gentleman

Sir,

You must no more call it York-place, that's past;

For, since the cardinal fell, that title's lost:

'Tis now the king's, and call'd Whitehall.

Sir,

you mustn't call  it York Place any more, that's gone;

for, since the downfall of the cardinal, that title's lost:

it now belongs to the King, and it's called Whitehall.

Third Gentleman

I know it;

But 'tis so lately alter'd, that the old name

Is fresh about me.

I know that;

but it's been so recently changed that the old name

still lingers in my memory.

Second Gentleman

What two reverend bishops

Were those that went on each side of the queen?

Who were those two reverend bishops

on each side of the Queen?

Third Gentleman

Stokesly and Gardiner; the one of Winchester,

Newly preferr'd from the king's secretary,

The other, London.

Stokesley and Gardiner; one Bishop of Winchester,

recently promoted from being the King's secretary,

the other is Bishop of London.

Second Gentleman

He of Winchester

Is held no great good lover of the archbishop's,

The virtuous Cranmer.

The Bishop of Winchester

is said to be no great friend of the Archbishop,

the virtuous Cranmer.

Third Gentleman

All the land knows that:

However, yet there is no great breach; when it comes,

Cranmer will find a friend will not shrink from him.

The whole country knows that:

however, they have not yet had any great argument; when it comes,

Cranmer will find a friend who will stand by him.

Second Gentleman

Who may that be, I pray you?

Who would that be, may I ask?

Third Gentleman

Thomas Cromwell;

A man in much esteem with the king, and truly

A worthy friend. The king has made him master

O' the jewel house,

And one, already, of the privy council.

Thomas Cromwell;

a man very much in the King's favour, and truly

a worthy friend. The King has made him master

of the Crown Jewels,

and already a member of the privy Council.

Second Gentleman

He will deserve more.

He'll get more than this.

Third Gentleman

Yes, without all doubt.

Come, gentlemen, ye shall go my way, which

Is to the court, and there ye shall be my guests:

Something I can command. As I walk thither,

I'll tell ye more.

Yes, doubtless.

Come, gentlemen, you shall come with me as

I go to the court, and you shall be my guests there:

I have the right to ask that. As we walk there