The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (546 page)

It must be the fault of John, the one born out of wedlock,

Whose spirits toil in frame of villanies.

Who is constantly doing evil things.

LEONATO

I know not. If they speak but truth of her,

I don’t know. If they are telling the truth about her,

These hands shall tear her; if they wrong her honour,

My hands shall tear her; if they have done her honor wrong,

The proudest of them shall well hear of it.

Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine,

Time has not yet so much dried my blood,

Nor age so eat up my invention,

Nor fortune made such havoc of my means,

Nor chance made me so poor and without resources,

Nor my bad life reft me so much of friends,

Nor my bad life took away so many friends,

But they shall find, awak'd in such a kind,

But they shall find, awakened in such a way,

Both strength of limb and policy of mind,

Both strength of body and strength of mind,

Ability in means and choice of friends,

Ability in resources and choice of friends,

To quit me of them throughly.

To cut them off forever.

FRIAR

Pause awhile,

And let my counsel sway you in this case.

And let my advice influence you in this case.

Your daughter here the princes left for dead;

Let her awhile be secretly kept in,

Let her be secretly kept for a while,

And publish it that she is dead indeed:

And spread the news that she is dead indeed:

Maintain a mourning ostentation; and on your family's old monument

Be obviously mournful; and on your family’s ancestral tomb

Hang mournful epitaphs and do all rites

That appertain unto a burial.

That have to do with a burial.

LEONATO

What shall become of this? What will this do?

FRIAR

Marry, this well carried shall on her behalf

By Mary, if you do a good job, this will on her behalf

Change slander to remorse; that is some good.

Change unjust accusation to remorse; that is some good.

But not for that dream I on this strange course,

But that is not the main reason for this strange path,

But on this travail look for greater birth.

But look for a rebirth out of this difficulty.

She dying, as it must be so maintain'd,

She dying, as you must insist,

Upon the instant that she was accus'd,

Upon the instant that she was accused,

Shall be lamented, pitied and excus'd

Shall be cried over, pitied, and excused

Of every hearer; for it so falls out

By every hearer; for it happens

That what we have we prize not to the worth

That we don’t value fully what we have

Whiles we enjoy it, but being lack'd and lost,

While we enjoy it, but once it is lost and gone,

Why, then we rack the value, then we find

Why, then we value it, then we find

The virtue that possession would not show us

Whiles it was ours. So will it fare with Claudio:

While it was ours. It will be the same with Claudio:

When he shall hear she died upon his words,

When he hears that she died because of his words,

The idea of her life shall sweetly creep

Into his study of imagination,

Into his library of imagination,

And every lovely organ of her life

And every lovely portion of her life

Shall come apparell'd in more precious habit,

Shall be dressed in more precious clothing,

More moving-delicate, and full of life

Into the eye and prospect of his soul,

Into his mind’s eye,

Than when she liv'd indeed: then shall he mourn,--

Than when she was actually alive: then he shall mourn, --

If ever love had interest in his liver,--

If love ever filled his body, --

And wish he had not so accused her,

And he will wish he had not accused her like that,

No, though be thought his accusation true.

No, even if it is thought that his accusation was true.

Let this be so, and doubt not but success

Let this be what happens, and do not doubt that success

Will fashion the event in better shape

Will mold the event in a better shape

Than I can lay it down in likelihood.

Than I can predict.

But if all aim but this be levell'd false,

But if everything but this turns out to be untrue,

The supposition of the lady's death

The supposed lady’s death

Will quench the wonder of her infamy:

Will quiet the gossip about her:

And if it sort not well, you may conceal her,

And if it does not work out, you may hide her

-- As best befits her wounded reputation,--

--
As is most suitable to her wounded reputation, --

In some reclusive and religious life,

In some nunnery or similar religious life,

Out of all eyes, tongues, minds, and injuries.

Away from all eyes, tongues, minds, and injuries.

BENEDICK

Signior Leonato, let the friar advise you:

Sir Leonato, let the friar advise you:

And though you know my inwardness and love

And though you know my affections

Is very much unto the prince and Claudio,

Mostly lie with the prince and Claudio,

Yet, by mine honour, I will deal in this

Yet, by my honor, I will deal with this

As secretly and justly as your soul

As secretly and fairly as your soul

Should with your body.

LEONATO

Being that I flow in grief,

Since I am drowning in grief,

The smallest twine may lead me.

I will grasp at the smallest rope.

FRIAR

'Tis well consented: presently away;

It is agreed: now let us go away,

For to strange sores strangely they strain the cure.

For strange wounds must be strangely healed.

Come, lady, die to live: this wedding day

Perhaps is but prolong'd: have patience and endure.

Is perhaps only delayed: have patience and endure.

[Exeunt FRIAR, HERO, and LEONATO.]

BENEDICK

Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this while?

Lady Beatrice, have you been crying all this time?

BEATRICE

Yea, and I will weep a while longer.

Yes, and I will cry a little longer.

BENEDICK

I will not desire that.

I don’t want that.

BEATRICE

You have no reason; I do it freely.

BENEDICK

Surely I do believe your fair cousin is wronged.

Surely I do believe your beautiful cousin has been wronged.

BEATRICE

Ah! how much might the man deserve of me that would right her.

Ah! How much the man would deserve of me that would right her.

BENEDICK

Is there any way to show such friendship?

BEATRICE

A very even way, but no such friend.

A very good way, but I have no such friend.

BENEDICK

May a man do it?

BEATRICE

It is a man's office, but not yours.

It is a man’s job, but not yours.

BENEDICK

I do love nothing in the world so well as you: is not that strange?

I do love nothing in the world as much as I love you: isn’t that strange?

BEATRICE

As strange as the thing I know not. It were as possible for me to say I loved nothing so well as you; but believe me not, and yet I lie not; I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing. I am sorry for my cousin.

As strange as the thing I do not know. It would be as possible for me to say I loved nothing as much as you; but do not believe me, and yet I do not lie; I confess nothing, and I deny nothing. I am sorry for my cousin.

BENEDICK

By my sword, Beatrice, thou lovest me.

By my sword, Beatrice, you love me.

BEATRICE

Do not swear by it, and eat it.

BENEDICK

I will swear by it that you love me; and I will make him eat it that says I love not you.

BEATRICE

Will you not eat your word?

BENEDICK

With no sauce that can be devised to it. I protest I love thee.

With no sauce that can be made for it. I protest that I love you.

BEATRICE

Why then, God forgive me!

BENEDICK

What offence, sweet Beatrice?

BEATRICE

You have stayed me in a happy hour: I was about to protest I loved you.

You have stopped me in a happy time: I was about to protest I loved you.

BENEDICK

And do it with all thy heart.

And do it with all your heart.

BEATRICE

I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.

BENEDICK

Come, bid me do anything for thee.

Come, tell me to do anything for you.

BEATRICE

Kill Claudio.

BENEDICK

Ha! not for the wide world.

Ha! Not for the whole world.

BEATRICE

You kill me to deny it. Farewell.

BENEDICK

Tarry, sweet Beatrice.

Stay, sweet Beatrice.

BEATRICE

I am gone, though I am here: there is no love in you: nay, I pray you, let me go.

I am gone, though I am here: there is no love in you: no, please, let me go.

BENEDICK

Beatrice,--

BEATRICE

In faith, I will go.

BENEDICK

We'll be friends first.

BEATRICE

You dare easier be friends with me than fight with mine enemy.

You dare be friends more easily with me than fight with my enemy.

BENEDICK

Is Claudio thine enemy?

Is Claudio your enemy?

BEATRICE

Is he not approved in the height a villain, that hath slandered, scorned, dishonoured my kinswoman? O! that I were a man. What! bear her in hand until they come to take hands, and then, with public accusation, uncovered slander, unmitigated rancour,--O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the market-place.

Has he not been proved a villain, that has slandered, scorned, and dishonored my relative? Oh, I wish I were a man. What! Take her hand until they come to take hands, and then, with public accusation, speak false words, pure harshness, -- Oh God, if I were a man! I would eat his heart in the marketplace.

BENEDICK

Hear me, Beatrice,--

BEATRICE

Talk with a man out at a window! a proper saying!

BENEDICK

Nay, but Beatrice,--

BEATRICE

Sweet Hero! she is wronged, she is slandered, she is undone.

BENEDICK

Beat---

BEATRICE

Princes and counties! Surely, a princely testimony, a goodly Count Comfect; a sweet gallant, surely! O! that I were a man for his sake, or that I had any friend would be a man for my sake! But manhood is melted into cursies, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too: he is now as valiant as Hercules, that only tells a lie and swears it. I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving.