The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (714 page)

Say it be, 'tis true.

Say I'm right, it's true.

CAMILLO

No, no, my lord.

No, no, my lord.

LEONTES

It is; you lie, you lie:

I say thou liest, Camillo, and I hate thee,

Pronounce thee a gross lout, a mindless slave,

Or else a hovering temporizer, that

Canst with thine eyes at once see good and evil,

Inclining to them both: were my wife's liver

Infected as her life, she would not live

The running of one glass.

It is; you lie, you lie:

I say you are lying, Camillo, and I hate you,

call you a gross lout, a mindless slave,

unless you are a two-faced waverer, who

can see both good and evil at the same time

and treat them both the same: if my wife's liver

was as diseased as her lifestyle, she would not live

another hour.

CAMILLO

Who does infect her?

Who has given her this disease?

LEONTES

Why, he that wears her like a medal, hanging

About his neck, Bohemia: who, if I

Had servants true about me, that bare eyes

To see alike mine honour as their profits,

Their own particular thrifts, they would do that

Which should undo more doing: ay, and thou,

His cupbearer,--whom I from meaner form

Have benched and reared to worship, who mayst see

Plainly as heaven sees earth and earth sees heaven,

How I am galled,--mightst bespice a cup,

To give mine enemy a lasting wink;

Which draught to me were cordial.

Why, the one who wears her like a medal, hanging

round his neck, Bohemia: the one who, if I

had loyal servants, who had an eye

to my honour as well as their own profits,

their own benefit, they would do something

to stop his carrying on: yes, and you,

his cupbearer–whom I promoted from a

low position to be in my service, who can see,

as plainly as heaven sees earth and vice versa,

how I am tormented–might slip something in a cup,

to give my enemy a permanent sleep.

That would be tasty drink to me.

CAMILLO

Sir, my lord,

I could do this, and that with no rash potion,

But with a lingering dram that should not work

Maliciously like poison: but I cannot

Believe this crack to be in my dread mistress,

So sovereignly being honourable.

I have loved thee,--

Sir, my lord,

I could do this, and not with some harsh potion

but with a sweet tasting drop that would not

work horribly like poison: but I cannot

believe that my awe-inspiring mistress has such a flaw,

being of such royal honour.

I have loved you–

LEONTES

Make that thy question, and go rot!

Dost think I am so muddy, so unsettled,

To appoint myself in this vexation, sully

The purity and whiteness of my sheets,

Which to preserve is sleep, which being spotted

Is goads, thorns, nettles, tails of wasps,

Give scandal to the blood o' the prince my son,

Who I do think is mine and love as mine,

Without ripe moving to't? Would I do this?

Could man so blench?

If you doubt it, then go to hell!

Do you think I am so filthy, so mad,

to lay this burden on myself, dirty

the purity and whiteness of my sheets,

which if clean let me sleep, if dirty

then they become a bed of nails,

call into question the paternity of my son the prince,

who I think is mine and love as mine,

unless I had good reason for it? Would I do this?

Could any man be so far wrong?

CAMILLO

I must believe you, sir:

I do; and will fetch off Bohemia for't;

Provided that, when he's removed, your highness

Will take again your queen as yours at first,

Even for your son's sake; and thereby for sealing

The injury of tongues in courts and kingdoms

Known and allied to yours.

I must believe you, sir:

I do; and I will kill Bohemia for it;

provided that, once he's gone, your Highness

will take your queen back into your arms,

at least for your son's sake; and in that way

you will stop the gossip in the courts and kingdoms

that are known and allied to yours.

LEONTES

Thou dost advise me

Even so as I mine own course have set down:

I'll give no blemish to her honour, none.

This advice of yours

is exactly what I was going to do:

I will not put any stain on her honour, none.

CAMILLO

My lord,

Go then; and with a countenance as clear

As friendship wears at feasts, keep with Bohemia

And with your queen. I am his cupbearer:

If from me he have wholesome beverage,

Account me not your servant.

Go then my lord,

and with an open smiling face

such as a friend shows on holiday, stay with Bohemia

and your queen. I am his cupbearer:

if he gets a healthy drink from me,

you can say I am not your servant.

LEONTES

This is all:

Do't and thou hast the one half of my heart;

Do't not, thou split'st thine own.

This is the deal:

do it and you have won half of my heart;

don't do it, and your own will be torn.

CAMILLO

I'll do't, my lord.

I'll do it, my lord.

LEONTES

I will seem friendly, as thou hast advised me.

Exit

I'll pretend to be friendly, as you have advised me.

CAMILLO

O miserable lady! But, for me,

What case stand I in? I must be the poisoner

Of good Polixenes; and my ground to do't

Is the obedience to a master, one

Who in rebellion with himself will have

All that are his so too. To do this deed,

Promotion follows. If I could find example

Of thousands that had struck anointed kings

And flourish'd after, I'ld not do't; but since

Nor brass nor stone nor parchment bears not one,

Let villany itself forswear't. I must

Forsake the court: to do't, or no, is certain

To me a break-neck. Happy star, reign now!

Here comes Bohemia.

Re-enter POLIXENES

Oh unfortunate lady! But, as for me,

what sort of position am I in? I must poison

good Polixenes, and my reason for it

is to obey my master, who,

being tormented in his mind

wants all his household to be so too. If I do this,

I will get advancement. Even if I could find examples

of thousands who had fought against chosen kings

and prospered afterwards, I would not do it; but since

neither brass nor stone nor parchment shows a single one,

let the evil stop. I must

leave the court: to do it or not, either way

I'm certain to be hanged. Guardian angel, help me now!

Here comes Bohemia.

POLIXENES

This is strange: methinks

My favour here begins to warp. Not speak?

Good day, Camillo.

This is strange: I feel

that  my welcome here has cooled. Not talking?

Good day, Camillo.

CAMILLO

Hail, most royal sir!

Greetings, most royal sir!

POLIXENES

What is the news i' the court?

What's the news in the court?

CAMILLO

None rare, my lord.

Nothing unusual, my lord.

POLIXENES

The king hath on him such a countenance

As he had lost some province and a region

Loved as he loves himself: even now I met him

With customary compliment; when he,

Wafting his eyes to the contrary and falling

A lip of much contempt, speeds from me and

So leaves me to consider what is breeding

That changeth thus his manners.

The king has got a face on him

as if he had lost some province, an area

he loved as much as he loves himself: just now I met him

with the usual politeness; he,

rolling his eyes away and curling

his lip in contempt, sped away from me and

left me wondering what is going on

that has changed his attitude so much.

CAMILLO

I dare not know, my lord.

I wouldn't dare to guess, my lord.

POLIXENES

How! dare not! do not. Do you know, and dare not

Be intelligent to me? 'tis thereabouts;

For, to yourself, what you do know, you must.

And cannot say, you dare not. Good Camillo,

Your changed complexions are to me a mirror

Which shows me mine changed too; for I must be

A party in this alteration, finding

Myself thus alter'd with 't.

What's this! Dare not! Do not. You know

and don't dare to tell me? That's the case.

You wouldn't say that you dare not tell yourself,

so it must be that you dare not tell me. Good Camillo,

the change in your face is like a mirror

which shows that mine has changed too; I must

be involved in this change in some way

as it affects me so much.

CAMILLO

There is a sickness

Which puts some of us in distemper, but

I cannot name the disease; and it is caught

Of you that yet are well.

There is an illness

which makes some of us mad, but

I can't tell you what the disease is; and it is caught

from healthy people like you.

POLIXENES

How! caught of me!

Make me not sighted like the basilisk:

I have look'd on thousands, who have sped the better

By my regard, but kill'd none so. Camillo,--

As you are certainly a gentleman, thereto

Clerk-like experienced, which no less adorns

Our gentry than our parents' noble names,

In whose success we are gentle,--I beseech you,

If you know aught which does behove my knowledge

Thereof to be inform'd, imprison't not

In ignorant concealment.

What! Caught from me!

Don't talk as if I kill with a look like a basilisk:

I have looked at thousands, who have been improved

through seeing me, but never killed one.  Camillo–

as you are certainly a gentleman,