The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (741 page)

I know you have now, sir, become a born gentleman.

Clown

Ay, and have been so any time these four hours.

Yes, and I have been for the last four hours.

Shepherd

And so have I, boy.

And so have I, boy.

Clown

So you have: but I was a gentleman born before my

father; for the king's son took me by the hand, and

called me brother; and then the two kings called my

father brother; and then the prince my brother and

the princess my sister called my father father; and

so we wept, and there was the first gentleman-like

tears that ever we shed.

Yes you have: but I was a born gentleman before my

father; because the king's son took me by the hand, and

called me his brother; and then the two kings called my

father brother; and then the prince my brother and

the princess my sister called my father father; and

so we wept, and those were the first gentlemanly

tears that we ever shed.

Shepherd

We may live, son, to shed many more.

We may live, son, to shed many more.

Clown

Ay; or else 'twere hard luck, being in so

preposterous estate as we are.

Yes, or else we would be very unlucky, seeing

the preposterous state we're in.

AUTOLYCUS

I humbly beseech you, sir, to pardon me all the

faults I have committed to your worship and to give

me your good report to the prince my master.

I humbly beg you, sir, to forgive me all the

wrongs I have done your worship and to give

a good report of me to the prince my master.

Shepherd

Prithee, son, do; for we must be gentle, now we are

gentlemen.

Please do this, son; for we must be gentle, now we are

gentlemen.

Clown

Thou wilt amend thy life?

You will change your lifestyle?

AUTOLYCUS

Ay, an it like your good worship.

Yes, if it pleases your good worship.

Clown

Give me thy hand: I will swear to the prince thou

art as honest a true fellow as any is in Bohemia.

Give me your hand: I will swear to the Prince that you

are as honest a loyal fellow as anyone in Bohemia.

Shepherd

You may say it, but not swear it.

You can say it, but don't swear it.

Clown

Not swear it, now I am a gentleman? Let boors and

franklins say it, I'll swear it.

Not swear it, now I'm a gentleman? Let peasants and

yeomen say it, I shall swear it.

Shepherd

How if it be false, son?

What if it turns out to be false, son?

Clown

If it be ne'er so false, a true gentleman may swear

it in the behalf of his friend: and I'll swear to

the prince thou art a tall fellow of thy hands and

that thou wilt not be drunk; but I know thou art no

tall fellow of thy hands and that thou wilt be

drunk: but I'll swear it, and I would thou wouldst

be a tall fellow of thy hands.

However false it is, a true gentleman may swear

to it on behalf of a friend: and I'll swear to

the prince that you are a good and brave man

and that you won't get drunk; although I know you are not

a good and brave man and that you will get

drunk: but I'll swear to it, and I want you to be

a good and brave man.

AUTOLYCUS

I will prove so, sir, to my power.

I'll do the best I can, sir.

Clown

Ay, by any means prove a tall fellow: if I do not

wonder how thou darest venture to be drunk, not

being a tall fellow, trust me not. Hark! the kings

and the princes, our kindred, are going to see the

queen's picture. Come, follow us: we'll be thy

good masters.

Exeunt

Yes, do anything you can to show you're a good fellow: if I do not

wonder how you can dare to get drunk, if you're not

a good fellow, don't trust me. Listen! The kings

and the princes, our relatives, are going to see the

image of the queen. Come on, follow us: we will be your

good masters.

SCENE III. A chapel in PAULINA'S house.

Enter LEONTES, POLIXENES, FLORIZEL, PERDITA, CAMILLO, PAULINA, Lords, and Attendants

LEONTES

O grave and good Paulina, the great comfort

That I have had of thee!

O wise and good Paulina, what great comfort

I have had from you!

PAULINA

What, sovereign sir,

I did not well I meant well. All my services

You have paid home: but that you have vouchsafed,

With your crown'd brother and these your contracted

Heirs of your kingdoms, my poor house to visit,

It is a surplus of your grace, which never

My life may last to answer.

Your highness,

when I did wrong I meant well. You have repaid

all my services: but that you have condescended,

with your crowned brother and these

heirs to your kingdoms, to visit my poor house,

is a great overpayment of kindness

which I can never live long enough to repay.

LEONTES

O Paulina,

We honour you with trouble: but we came

To see the statue of our queen: your gallery

Have we pass'd through, not without much content

In many singularities; but we saw not

That which my daughter came to look upon,

The statue of her mother.

Oh Paulina,

we are only giving you trouble: but I came

to see the statue of my queen: we have

walked through your gallery, and been very impressed

with the things you have; but we did not see

the thing which my daughter came to look at,

the statue of her mother.

PAULINA

As she lived peerless,

So her dead likeness, I do well believe,

Excels whatever yet you look'd upon

Or hand of man hath done; therefore I keep it

Lonely, apart. But here it is: prepare

To see the life as lively mock'd as ever

Still sleep mock'd death: behold, and say 'tis well.

PAULINA draws a curtain, and discovers HERMIONE standing like a statue

I like your silence, it the more shows off

Your wonder: but yet speak; first, you, my liege,

Comes it not something near?

As she had no match in life,

I certainly believe that her dead image

is greater than anything you have ever seen

or that man has ever created; so I keep it

apart in isolation. But here it is: prepare

to see life imitated as well

as sleep ever imitated death: look, and say it is good.

I like your silence, it demonstrates

your amazement: but now speak; first you, my lord,

isn't it pretty lifelike?

LEONTES

Her natural posture!

Chide me, dear stone, that I may say indeed

Thou art Hermione; or rather, thou art she

In thy not chiding, for she was as tender

As infancy and grace. But yet, Paulina,

Hermione was not so much wrinkled, nothing

So aged as this seems.

That's just how she was!

Scold me, dear stone, so that I can truly say

you are Hermione; though actually you are

like her in not scolding, for she was as kind

as a child, as a god. But yet, Paulina,

Hermione did not have as many wrinkles, she was not

as old as this seems to be.

POLIXENES

O, not by much.

Certainly not.

PAULINA

So much the more our carver's excellence;

Which lets go by some sixteen years and makes her

As she lived now.

This just shows how excellent the sculptor is;

he has let sixteen years go by and makes her

as if she were alive today.

LEONTES

As now she might have done,

So much to my good comfort, as it is

Now piercing to my soul. O, thus she stood,

Even with such life of majesty, warm life,

As now it coldly stands, when first I woo'd her!

I am ashamed: does not the stone rebuke me

For being more stone than it? O royal piece,

There's magic in thy majesty, which has

My evils conjured to remembrance and

From thy admiring daughter took the spirits,

Standing like stone with thee.

As she could have been,

which would have been so good for me

that it is now stabbing at my soul. Oh, this is how she stood,

with such a queenly life in her, warm life,

that now stands cold, when I first wooed her!

I am ashamed: isn't the stone rebuking me

for being more stone than it? Oh royal sculpture,

there's magic in your majesty, which has

reminded me of my sins and

taken all the spirit out of your admiring daughter,

who stands like stone like you.

PERDITA

And give me leave,

And do not say 'tis superstition, that

I kneel and then implore her blessing. Lady,

Dear queen, that ended when I but began,

Give me that hand of yours to kiss.

And give me permission,

and don't say that it is superstitious, to

kneel and beg for her blessing. Lady,

dear queen, who died when I was born,

give me that hand of yours to kiss.

PAULINA

O, patience!

The statue is but newly fix'd, the colour's not dry.

Oh, be careful!

The statue has just been painted, the colour's not dry.