The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (78 page)

are going to die while I live to see it.

Well, Catesby, before another fortnight has passed,

I shall finish off some who little suspect it at the moment.

CATESBY.

'Tis a vile thing to die, my gracious lord,

When men are unprepar'd and look not for it.

It's a terrible thing to die, my gracious lord,

for men who are not expecting it and are unprepared.

HASTINGS.

O monstrous, monstrous! And so falls it out

With Rivers, Vaughan, Grey; and so 'twill do

With some men else that think themselves as safe

As thou and I, who, as thou knowest, are dear

To princely Richard and to Buckingham.

O terrible, terrible! And that's how it is

with Rivers, Vaughan and Grave; and that's how it will be

with some men who think they are safe

as you and I, who, as you know, are dear

to the princely Richard and to Buckingham.

CATESBY.

The Princes both make high account of you-

[Aside]For they account his head upon the bridge.

The Princes both speak very highly of you–

[Aside] They shall have your head high on a spike on the bridge.

HASTINGS.

I know they do, and I have well deserv'd it.

Enter LORD STANLEY

Come on, come on; where is your boar-spear, man?

Fear you the boar, and go so unprovided?

I know they do, and I have very much earned it.

Come on, come on; where is your boar spear, man?

You are scared of the boar, and yet you go about unprepared?

STANLEY.

My lord, good morrow; good morrow, Catesby.

You may jest on, but, by the holy rood,

I do not like these several councils, I.

Good morning, my lord; good morning, Catesby.

You can joke, but, by God,

I don't like these divided councils.

HASTINGS.

My lord, I hold my life as dear as yours,

And never in my days, I do protest,

Was it so precious to me as 'tis now.

Think you, but that I know our state secure,

I would be so triumphant as I am?

My Lord, my life is as important to me as yours is to you,

and I swear it has never been in all my life

as precious to me as it is now.

Do you think that I would be as happy as I am

if I didn't know that we were quite safe?

STANLEY.

The lords at Pomfret, when they rode from

London,

Were jocund and suppos'd their states were sure,

And they indeed had no cause to mistrust;

But yet you see how soon the day o'ercast.

This sudden stab of rancour I misdoubt;

Pray God, I say, I prove a needless coward.

What, shall we toward the Tower? The day is spent.

The lords who are now at Pomfret, when they wrote from London,

were happy and thought that they were safe,

and indeed they had no reason for mistrust;

but you see how quickly the day can become overcast.

This sudden stab of anger makes me worried;

I pray to God that I am shown to be a talent for no reason.

Well, shall we go to the Tower? Dawn is breaking.

HASTINGS.

Come, come, have with you. Wot you what, my

Lord?

To-day the lords you talk'd of are beheaded.

Come along then. Do you know what, my Lord?

Today the lord's you spoke of being beheaded.

STANLEY.

They, for their truth, might better wear their

heads

Than some that have accus'd them wear their hats.

But come, my lord, let's away.

For their truthfulness they might deserve to keep their heads

more than some who accuse them deserve their hats.

But come, my lord, let's go.

Enter HASTINGS, a pursuivant

HASTINGS.

Go on before; I'll talk with this good fellow.

Exeunt STANLEY and CATESBY

How now, Hastings! How goes the world with thee?

Go on ahead; I shall talk to this good fellow.

Hello there, Hastings! How are things with you?

PURSUIVANT.

The better that your lordship please to ask.

All the better as your lordship is so kind to ask.

HASTINGS.

I tell thee, man, 'tis better with me now

Than when thou met'st me last where now we meet:

Then was I going prisoner to the Tower

By the suggestion of the Queen's allies;

But now, I tell thee-keep it to thyself-

This day those enemies are put to death,

And I in better state than e'er I was.

I tell you, man, things are better with me now

man when you last met me here:

then I was going as a prisoner to the Tower

at the suggestion of the Queen's allies;

but now, I can tell you–keep it to yourself–

that today those enemies being put to death,

and I am better than I've ever been.

PURSUIVANT.

God hold it, to your honour's good content!

May God keep you in that state, for your honour's happiness!

HASTINGS.

Gramercy, Hastings; there, drink that for me.

Great thanks, Hastings; there, have a drink on me.

[Throws him his purse]

PURSUIVANT.

I thank your honour.

I thank your honour.

Exit

Enter a PRIEST

PRIEST.

Well met, my lord; I am glad to see your honour.

Hello there, my lord; I'm glad to see your honour.

HASTINGS.

I thank thee, good Sir John, with all my heart.

I am in your debt for your last exercise;

Come the next Sabbath, and I will content you.

I thank you, good Sir John, with all my heart.

I still owe you for your loss discourse;

come next Sunday, and I will pay you.

[He whispers in his ear]

PRIEST.

I'll wait upon your lordship.

I shall attend your lordship.

Enter BUCKINGHAM

BUCKINGHAM.

What, talking with a priest, Lord

Chamberlain!

Your friends at Pomfret, they do need the priest:

Your honour hath no shriving work in hand.

What, talking to a priest, Lord Chamberlain!

Your friends at Pomfret, they're the ones who need a priest:

your honour doesn't need to make a confession.

HASTINGS.

Good faith, and when I met this holy man,

The men you talk of came into my mind.

What, go you toward the Tower?

I swear, when I met this holy man,

the men you are speaking of came to my mind.

What, are you going to the Tower?

BUCKINGHAM.

I do, my lord, but long I cannot stay there;

I shall return before your lordship thence.

I am, my lord, but I can't stay there long;

I will be back from there before your lordship.

HASTINGS.

Nay, like enough, for I stay dinner there.

Well, that's likely enough, because I'm staying there for dinner.

BUCKINGHAM.

[Aside]And supper too, although thou

knowest it not.-

Come, will you go?

[Aside] And supper too, although you don't know it.–

Come, will you go?

HASTINGS.

I'll wait upon your lordship.

I'll attend your lordship.

Exeunt

Pomfret Castle

Enter SIR RICHARD RATCLIFF, with halberds, carrying the Nobles,

RIVERS, GREY, and VAUGHAN, to death

RIVERS.

Sir Richard Ratcliff, let me tell thee this:

To-day shalt thou behold a subject die

For truth, for duty, and for loyalty.

Sir Richard Ratcliff, let me tell you this:

today you will see a subject die

 for truth, for duty and for loyalty.

GREY.

God bless the Prince from all the pack of you!

A knot you are of damned blood-suckers.

God save the Prince from the whole pack of you!

The whole lot of you are damned bloodsuckers.

VAUGHAN.

You live that shall cry woe for this hereafter.

You who live shall be sorry for this in future.

RATCLIFF.

Dispatch; the limit of your lives is out.

Get moving: the time of your life has run out.

RIVERS.

O Pomfret, Pomfret! O thou bloody prison,

Fatal and ominous to noble peers!

Within the guilty closure of thy walls

 Richard the second here was hack'd to death;

And for more slander to thy dismal seat,

We give to thee our guiltless blood to drink.

O Pomfret, Pomfret! Oh you bloody prison,

dreadful and fatal to noble peers!

Within the guilty enclosure of your walls

Richard the second was hacked to death here;

and to make your horrible reputation worse,

we give you our guiltless blood to drink.

GREY.

Now Margaret's curse is fall'n upon our heads,

When she exclaim'd on Hastings, you, and I,

For standing by when Richard stabb'd her son.

Now we are suffering for Margaret's curse,

when she cursed Hastings, you and I,

for standing by when Richard stabbed her son.

RIVERS.

Then curs'd she Richard, then curs'd she

Buckingham,

Then curs'd she Hastings. O, remember, God,

To hear her prayer for them, as now for us!

And for my sister, and her princely sons,

Be satisfied, dear God, with our true blood,

Which, as thou know'st, unjustly must be spilt.