The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (67 page)

Clarence, whom I have in fact thrown into the darkness,

I pretend to these simpletons I care for him;

particularly to Derby, Hastings, and Buckingham;

and I tell them that it is the Queen and her allies

who have stirred the king up against my brother the Duke.

Now they believe it, and so prepare my revenge

against Rivers, Dorset and Grey.

But then I sigh, and, quoting scripture,

tell them that God orders us to turn the other cheek:

and so I disguise my naked evil

with bits and pieces stolen from Holy Writ,

and seem to be a saint, when I am at my most devilish.

[Enter two murderers]

But, hush, here come my executioners.

Hello there, my hardy strong resolute mates!

Are you going to do this business?

FIRST MURDERER.

We are, my lord, and come to have the

warrant,

That we may be admitted where he is.

We are, my lord, and have come to get the warrant,

so that we can gain access to him.

RICHARD.

Well thought upon; I have it here about me.

[Gives the warrant]

When you have done, repair to Crosby Place.

But, sirs, be sudden in the execution,

Withal obdurate, do not hear him plead;

For Clarence is well-spoken, and perhaps

May move your hearts to pity, if you mark him.

Good thinking; I have it on me.

[Gives the warrant]

When you have finished, go to Crosby Place.

But, sirs, kill him quickly,

be hardhearted also, don't let him plead with you;

for Clarence speaks well, and might be able

to make you pity him, if you listen.

FIRST MURDERER.

Tut, tut, my lord, we will not stand to

prate;

Talkers are no good doers. Be assur'd

We go to use our hands and not our tongues.

Tut-tut, my lord, we will not stand around talking;

talkers are no good in action. I promise you

we are going to use our hands and not our tongues.

RICHARD.

Your eyes drop millstones when fools' eyes fall

tears.

I like you, lads; about your business straight;

Go, go, dispatch.

I can see you are not softhearted fools.

I like you, lads; go about your business at once;

go, go, hurry.

FIRST MURDERER.

We will, my noble lord.

We will, my noble Lord.

Exeunt

London. The Tower

Enter CLARENCE and KEEPER

KEEPER.

Why looks your Grace so heavily to-day?

Why is your Grace looking so miserable today?

CLARENCE.

O, I have pass'd a miserable night,

So full of fearful dreams, of ugly sights,

That, as I am a Christian faithful man,

I would not spend another such a night

Though 'twere to buy a world of happy days-

So full of dismal terror was the time!

Oh, I have had a miserable night,

so full of terrible dreams, of ugly sights,

that, I swear by my faith as a Christian,

I wouldn't spend another night like it

even if it bought me a whole lifetime of happiness–

it was so miserable and terrifying!

KEEPER.

What was your dream, my lord? I pray you

tell me.

What did you dream, my lord? Please tell me.

CLARENCE.

Methoughts that I had broken from the Tower

And was embark'd to cross to Burgundy;

And in my company my brother Gloucester,

Who from my cabin tempted me to walk

Upon the hatches. Thence we look'd toward England,

And cited up a thousand heavy times,

During the wars of York and Lancaster,

That had befall'n us. As we pac'd along

Upon the giddy footing of the hatches,

Methought that Gloucester stumbled, and in falling

Struck me, that thought to stay him, overboard

Into the tumbling billows of the main.

O Lord, methought what pain it was to drown,

What dreadful noise of waters in my ears,

What sights of ugly death within my eyes!

Methoughts I saw a thousand fearful wrecks,

A thousand men that fishes gnaw'd upon,

Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl,

Inestimable stones, unvalued jewels,

All scatt'red in the bottom of the sea;

Some lay in dead men's skulls, and in the holes

Where eyes did once inhabit there were crept,

As 'twere in scorn of eyes, reflecting gems,

That woo'd the slimy bottom of the deep

And mock'd the dead bones that lay scatt'red by.

I thought I had escaped from the Tower,

and was on board ship crossing over to Burgundy;

I had my brother Gloucester with me,

who persuaded me to come from my cabin and walk

on the deck: from there we looked towards England,

and spoke of the thousand bad things that had happened

to us during the wars of York

and Lancaster. As we walked along

on the slippery deck,

I thought that Gloucester stumbled, and as he fell

he struck me (he was trying to save him) overboard,

into the waves of the sea.

Oh Lord! I thought I felt the pain of drowning:

what a dreadful noise of water there was in my ears;

what ugly sights of death I saw with my eyes!

I thought I saw a thousand terrible wrecks;

ten thousand men gnawed on by fish;

slabs of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearls,

stones and jewels beyond price,

all scattered on the bottom of the sea.

Some were inside the skulls of dead men, and had

crept into the holes where eyes once lived–

as if they were imitating eyes–reflecting gems,

that shone in the slimy bottom of the sea,

and mocked the dead bones that were scattered all around.

KEEPER.

Had you such leisure in the time of death

To gaze upon these secrets of the deep?

You had time as you were dying

to look at all these secrets of the deep?

CLARENCE.

Methought I had; and often did I strive

To yield the ghost, but still the envious flood

Stopp'd in my soul and would not let it forth

To find the empty, vast, and wand'ring air;

But smother'd it within my panting bulk,

Who almost burst to belch it in the sea.

I thought I had; and I often tried

to give up the ghost, but the jealous water

crushed my soul and would not let it escape

into the empty vastness of the air;

it choked it within my breathless body,

which almost had to burst to let it out into the sea.

KEEPER.

Awak'd you not in this sore agony?

Didn't this awful agony wake you up?

CLARENCE.

No, no, my dream was lengthen'd after life.

O, then began the tempest to my soul!

I pass'd, methought, the melancholy flood

With that sour ferryman which poets write of,

Unto the kingdom of perpetual night.

The first that there did greet my stranger soul

Was my great father-in-law, renowned Warwick,

Who spake aloud 'What scourge for perjury

Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?'

And so he vanish'd. Then came wand'ring by

A shadow like an angel, with bright hair

Dabbled in blood, and he shriek'd out aloud

'Clarence is come-false, fleeting, perjur'd Clarence,

That stabb'd me in the field by Tewksbury.

Seize on him, Furies, take him unto torment!'

With that, methoughts, a legion of foul fiends

Environ'd me, and howled in mine ears

Such hideous cries that, with the very noise,

I trembling wak'd, and for a season after

Could not believe but that I was in hell,

Such terrible impression made my dream.

No, no, my dream went into the afterlife.

Oh, what a storm began in my soul!

I thought that I crossed the sad stream

with that grim ferryman whom the poets write of,

into the kingdom of perpetual darkness.

The first person to greet my foreign soul

was my great father-in-law, famous Warwick,

who said aloud, ‘What penalty for perjury

can the dark ruler give to foolish Clarence?’

And so he vanished. Then a shadow like an angel

came wandering by, with bright hair

covered in blood; and he shrieked aloud,

‘Clarence has come: false, fleeing, perjured Clarence,

who stabbed me in the battle at Tewkesbury!

Seize him, Furies! Take him and torture him!’

At that, I thought, a legion of horrible Demons

surrounded me, and howled such hideous cries

in my ears that the noise itself

made me wake up trembling, and for a while afterwards

I couldn't believe that I wasn't in hell,

my dream had made such a terrible impression on me.

KEEPER.

No marvel, lord, though it affrighted you;

I am afraid, methinks, to hear you tell it.

It's no wonder it frightened you, lord;

it makes me frightened just to hear you talking about it.

CLARENCE.

Ah, Keeper, Keeper, I have done these things

That now give evidence against my soul

For Edward's sake, and see how he requites me!

O God! If my deep prayers cannot appease Thee,

But Thou wilt be aveng'd on my misdeeds,

Yet execute Thy wrath in me alone;

O, spare my guiltless wife and my poor children!

Keeper, I prithee sit by me awhile;

My soul is heavy, and I fain would sleep.

Oh, jailer, jailer, I have done things

for Edward's sake that I shall pay for in the

afterlife, and see how he repays me!

O God! If my best prayers cannot appease you,

and you insist on punishing my sins,

please only punish me;