The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (63 page)

do me this favour.

ANNE.

With all my heart; and much it joys me too

To see you are become so penitent.

Tressel and Berkeley, go along with me.

With all my heart; and it pleases me very much

to see that you are being so repentant.

Tressel and Berkeley, come along with me.

RICHARD.

Bid me farewell.

Give me your good wishes.

ANNE.

'Tis more than you deserve;

But since you teach me how to flatter you,

Imagine I have said farewell already.

It's more than you deserve;

but since you are teaching me how to flatter you,

imagine I have said farewell already.

Exeunt two GENTLEMEN With LADY ANNE

RICHARD.

Sirs, take up the corse.

Sirs, pick up the body.

GENTLEMEN.

Towards Chertsey, noble lord?

And carry on to Chertsey, noble lord?

RICHARD.

No, to White Friars; there attend my coming.

Exeunt all but RICHARD

Was ever woman in this humour woo'd?

Was ever woman in this humour won?

I'll have her; but I will not keep her long.

What! I that kill'd her husband and his father-

To take her in her heart's extremest hate,

With curses in her mouth, tears in her eyes,

The bleeding witness of my hatred by;

Having God, her conscience, and these bars against me,

And I no friends to back my suit at all

But the plain devil and dissembling looks,

And yet to win her, all the world to nothing!

Ha!

Hath she forgot already that brave prince,

Edward, her lord, whom I, some three months since,

Stabb'd in my angry mood at Tewksbury?

A sweeter and a lovelier gentleman-

Fram'd in the prodigality of nature,

Young, valiant, wise, and no doubt right royal-

The spacious world cannot again afford;

And will she yet abase her eyes on me,

That cropp'd the golden prime of this sweet prince

And made her widow to a woeful bed?

On me, whose all not equals Edward's moiety?

On me, that halts and am misshapen thus?

My dukedom to a beggarly denier,

I do mistake my person all this while.

Upon my life, she finds, although I cannot,

Myself to be a marv'llous proper man.

I'll be at charges for a looking-glass,

And entertain a score or two of tailors

To study fashions to adorn my body.

Since I am crept in favour with myself,

I will maintain it with some little cost.

But first I'll turn yon fellow in his grave,

And then return lamenting to my love.

Shine out, fair sun, till I have bought a glass,

That I may see my shadow as I pass.

No, to Whitefriars; wait for me there.

Was a woman with these feelings ever wooed?

Was a woman with these feelings ever won?

I'll have her, but I won't keep her long.

What! I killed her husband and his father:

to win her when her hate for me is at its highest,

with curses in her mouth, tears in her eyes,

the bloody cause of her hatred close by,

with God, her conscience and these barriers

against me–

and I, with no friends to press my case

except for the devil and false looks–

and yet I can win her, and beat the world!

Ha!

Has she already forgotten that brave Prince,

Edward, her Lord, whom I, some three months ago,

stabbed at Tewkesbury in my rage?

The world will never again see

as sweet or lovely a gentleman,

a great work of nature,

Young, brave, wise, and certainly royal.

And yet she will lower her eyes to me,

who made her a widow in a bed of sorrow?

She looks at me, whom the whole of cannot equal half of Edward?

On me, who limps and has this twisted body?

I bet my dukedom against a farthing,

I have been mistaken about my looks this whole time!

I swear on my life, she thinks–although I do not–

that I am a fine figure of a man.

I shall buy a looking glass,

and have a score or two of tailors

invent fashionable clothes for my body:

since I have now decided to like myself,

I shall keep my looks up with some expense.

But first I'll put this fellow in his grave,

and then return, sorrowful, to my love.

Fair sun, shine out until I have bought a mirror,

so I can see my shadow as I go along.

Exit

London. The palace

Enter QUEEN ELIZABETH, LORD RIVERS, and LORD GREY

RIVERS.

Have patience, madam; there's no doubt his Majesty

Will soon recover his accustom'd health.

Be patient, madam: there's no doubt his Majesty

will soon be back to his normal self.

GREY.

In that you brook it ill, it makes him worse;

Therefore, for God's sake, entertain good comfort,

And cheer his Grace with quick and merry eyes.

When he sees you think things are bad, it makes him worse; therefore, for God's sake, comfort him

and cheer his Grace up by being merry.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

If he were dead, what would betide on me?

If he dies, what will happen to me?

GREY.

No other harm but loss of such a lord.

Nothing worse than the loss of such a husband.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

The loss of such a lord includes all harms.

The loss of such a husband is the worst thing imaginable.

GREY.

The heavens have bless'd you with a goodly son

To be your comforter when he is gone.

The heavens have blessed you with a fine son

to look after you when he's gone.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

Ah, he is young; and his minority

Is put unto the trust of Richard Gloucester,

A man that loves not me, nor none of you.

Ah, he's young; and until he is grown he is

to be under the protection of Richard Gloucester,

a man who does not love me, nor any of you.

RIVER.

Is it concluded he shall be Protector?

Is it definite he will be the Protector?

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

It is determin'd, not concluded yet;

But so it must be, if the King miscarry.

It has been decided, but it's not definite yet;

but that's what must happen, if the king should die.

Enter BUCKINGHAM and DERBY

GREY.

Here come the Lords of Buckingham and Derby.

Here come the lords of Buckingham and Derby.

BUCKINGHAM.

Good time of day unto your royal Grace!

Good day to your Royal Highness!

DERBY.

God make your Majesty joyful as you have been.

May God give your Majesty back her happiness.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

The Countess Richmond, good my Lord

of Derby,

To your good prayer will scarcely say amen.

Yet, Derby, notwithstanding she's your wife

And loves not me, be you, good lord, assur'd

I hate not you for her proud arrogance.

My good Lord Derby, the Countess of Richmond

would hardly agree with your prayers.

But, Derby, despite the fact that she's your wife

and does not love me, I can assure you, my good lord,

that I don't hate you on account of her arrogance.

DERBY.

I do beseech you, either not believe

The envious slanders of her false accusers;

Or, if she be accus'd on true report,

Bear with her weakness, which I think proceeds

From wayward sickness and no grounded malice.

I beg you, either don't believe

the jealous lies offalse accusers;

or, if there are true accusations,

make allowances for her weakness, which I think comes

from a wandering mind, and no real hatred.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

Saw you the King to-day, my Lord ofDerby?

Did you see the King today, Lord Derby?

DERBY.

But now the Duke of Buckingham and I

Are come from visiting his Majesty.

The Duke of Buckingham and I have

just come from visiting his Majesty.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

What likelihood of his amendment, Lords?

What chance is there of his recovery,

my Lords?

BUCKINGHAM.

Madam, good hope; his Grace speaks

cheerfully.

A good chance I hope, madam; his Grace

is speaking cheerfully.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

God grant him health! Did you confer with him?

May God give him health! Did you speak with him?

BUCKINGHAM.

Ay, madam; he desires to make atonement

Between the Duke of Gloucester and your brothers,

And between them and my Lord Chamberlain;

And sent to warn them to his royal presence.

Yes, madam; he wants to reconcile

the Duke of Gloucester and your brothers,

and them and the Lord Chamberlain;

and has summoned them to his royal presence.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

Would all were well! But that will never be.

I fear our happiness is at the height.

I wish all was well! But it will never happen.

I fear this is as good as it will get.

Enter RICHARD, HASTINGS, and DORSET

RICHARD.

They do me wrong, and I will not endure it.

Who is it that complains unto the King

That I, forsooth, am stern and love them not?

By holy Paul, they love his Grace but lightly