The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (738 page)

LEONTES

What with him? he comes not

Like to his father's greatness: his approach,

So out of circumstance and sudden, tells us

'Tis not a visitation framed, but forced

By need and accident. What train?

What does he want? He has not come

in a way which matches his father's greatness:

coming so suddenly out of the blue like this tells me

this visit was not planned, but forced

through need and circumstance. What entourage has he brought?

Gentleman

But few,

And those but mean.

Only a few,

and those are lower class.

LEONTES

His princess, say you, with him?

You say his princess is with him?

Gentleman

Ay, the most peerless piece of earth, I think,

That e'er the sun shone bright on.

Yes, the most wonderful creature, I think,

that ever the sun shone brightly on.

PAULINA

O Hermione,

As every present time doth boast itself

Above a better gone, so must thy grave

Give way to what's seen now! Sir, you yourself

Have said and writ so, but your writing now

Is colder than that theme, 'She had not been,

Nor was not to be equall'd;'--thus your verse

Flow'd with her beauty once: 'tis shrewdly ebb'd,

To say you have seen a better.

Oh Hermione,

just as every era thinks that it is better

than the better one before, so now you are dead

you must give way to what can be seen now! Sir, you yourself

said and wrote about her, but your writing now

is as cold as her body, ‘She had never been,

and could never be, equalled;’–so your verse

was full of her beauty once: now it's emptied,

if you say you've found better.

Gentleman

Pardon, madam:

The one I have almost forgot,--your pardon,--

The other, when she has obtain'd your eye,

Will have your tongue too. This is a creature,

Would she begin a sect, might quench the zeal

Of all professors else, make proselytes

Of who she but bid follow.

I apologise, Madam:

the one I have almost forgotten–forgive me–

the other, once you have seen her,

you will sing her praises too. This is a creature,

who, if she began a religion, could crush the fervour

of all other believers, and make converts

of anyone she asked to follow her.

PAULINA

How! not women?

What? Not women?

Gentleman

Women will love her, that she is a woman

More worth than any man; men, that she is

The rarest of all women.

Women will love her for being a woman

worth more than any man; men will love her for being

the most unique of women.

LEONTES

Go, Cleomenes;

Yourself, assisted with your honour'd friends,

Bring them to our embracement. Still, 'tis strange

Exeunt CLEOMENES and others

He thus should steal upon us.

Go, Cleomenes;

with the help of your honoured friends

bring them to me for welcome. Still, it's strange

that he should creep in to me like this.

PAULINA

Had our prince,

Jewel of children, seen this hour, he had pair'd

Well with this lord: there was not full a month

Between their births.

If our prince,

the jewel of children, was alive now, he would have made

a good friend for this lord: there was less than a month

between their births.

LEONTES

Prithee, no more; cease; thou know'st

He dies to me again when talk'd of: sure,

When I shall see this gentleman, thy speeches

Will bring me to consider that which may

Unfurnish me of reason. They are come.

Re-enter CLEOMENES and others, with FLORIZEL and PERDITA

Your mother was most true to wedlock, prince;

For she did print your royal father off,

Conceiving you: were I but twenty-one,

Your father's image is so hit in you,

His very air, that I should call you brother,

As I did him, and speak of something wildly

By us perform'd before. Most dearly welcome!

And your fair princess,--goddess!--O, alas!

I lost a couple, that 'twixt heaven and earth

Might thus have stood begetting wonder as

You, gracious couple, do: and then I lost--

All mine own folly--the society,

Amity too, of your brave father, whom,

Though bearing misery, I desire my life

Once more to look on him.

Please, no more; stop; you know

to hear him talked of makes him die again for me: I'm sure,

that when I see this gentleman, what you said

will start me thinking about things that

could drive me mad. Here they are.

Your mother was a very faithful wife, prince;

for when she conceived you she made a perfect

copy of your royal father. If I was just twenty-one,

you are so identical to your father

in every way that I would call you brother,

as I called him, and speak with excitement about things

we had done before. You are most warmly welcome!

And your lovely Princess,–Goddess!–Oh, alas!

I have lost two who could have stood

in this world like you two, causing amazement

as you do: and then I lost–

all through my own stupidity–the company

and friendship also of your brave father, whom

I want to go on living, though my life is miserable,

to see again.

FLORIZEL

By his command

Have I here touch'd Sicilia and from him

Give you all greetings that a king, at friend,

Can send his brother: and, but infirmity

Which waits upon worn times hath something seized

His wish'd ability, he had himself

The lands and waters 'twixt your throne and his

Measured to look upon you; whom he loves--

He bade me say so--more than all the sceptres

And those that bear them living.

It is at his orders

that I have come to Sicily and from him

I give you all the greetings that a king, a friend,

can send to his brother: and, but for the fact that

illness which comes with age means he can't do

everything he would like to, he himself

would have crossed the waters between your countries

to see you whom he loves–

he told me to say so–more than all the crowns

or all those living who wear them.

LEONTES

O my brother,

Good gentleman! the wrongs I have done thee stir

Afresh within me, and these thy offices,

So rarely kind, are as interpreters

Of my behind-hand slackness. Welcome hither,

As is the spring to the earth. And hath he too

Exposed this paragon to the fearful usage,

At least ungentle, of the dreadful Neptune,

To greet a man not worth her pains, much less

The adventure of her person?

Oh my brother,

good gentleman! The wrongs I have done you

rise up within me again, and these messages,

so wonderfully kind, are signposts showing

what I have neglected. You are welcome here

as the spring is welcome to the Earth. And has he also

exposed this model of perfection to the horrible risks,

at the best discomfort, of the dreadful ocean,

to greet a man who is not worth the effort, much less

taking any risks?

FLORIZEL

Good my lord,

She came from Libya.

My good lord,

she came from Libya.

LEONTES

Where the warlike Smalus,

That noble honour'd lord, is fear'd and loved?

Where the warlike Smalus,

that noble honoured lord, is feared and loved?

FLORIZEL

Most royal sir, from thence; from him, whose daughter

His tears proclaim'd his, parting with her: thence,

A prosperous south-wind friendly, we have cross'd,

To execute the charge my father gave me

For visiting your highness: my best train

I have from your Sicilian shores dismiss'd;

Who for Bohemia bend, to signify

Not only my success in Libya, sir,

But my arrival and my wife's in safety

Here where we are.

Your Highness, from there; from him, whose tears

on parting showed she is his daughter: we crossed

from there with a favourable southerly wind

to obey the instructions my father gave me

to visit your Highness: I sent most of my entourage

away from your Sicilian shores;

they are headed for Bohemia, to give news

not only of my success in Libya, sir,

but my and my wife's safe arrival

in this place.

LEONTES

The blessed gods

Purge all infection from our air whilst you

Do climate here! You have a holy father,

A graceful gentleman; against whose person,

So sacred as it is, I have done sin:

For which the heavens, taking angry note,

Have left me issueless; and your father's blest,

As he from heaven merits it, with you

Worthy his goodness. What might I have been,

Might I a son and daughter now have look'd on,

Such goodly things as you!

Enter a Lord

May the blessed gods

strip all disease from our air while you

are stopping here! Your father is a good man,

and a graceful gentleman; I have sinned

against his holy person:

the heavens, seeing this and furious with it,

have left me without an heir; as your father is blessed,

as he deserves reward from heaven, with you,

who match his goodness. What could I have been,

if I had a son and daughter like the ones I look on now,

such wonderful creatures as you!

Lord

Most noble sir,

That which I shall report will bear no credit,

Were not the proof so nigh. Please you, great sir,

Bohemia greets you from himself by me;

Desires you to attach his son, who has--

His dignity and duty both cast off--

Fled from his father, from his hopes, and with

A shepherd's daughter.

Your Highness,

what I have to say will not be believed,

if it wasn't for the fact that proof is coming. Great sir,

Bohemia sends you his greetings through me;