The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (784 page)

and then he caught it again, and I don’t know if he was angry about falling, or what,

it again; or whether his fall enraged him, or how 'twas, he did

but he sunk his teeth into that butterfly and tore it to pieces.

so set his teeth and tear it; O, I warrant, how he mammocked it!

VOLUMNIA.

Sounds like one of his father’s moods.

One on's father's moods.

VALERIA.

Yes, he is a noble child.

Indeed, la, 'tis a noble child.

VIRGILIA.

He’s a little devil, ma’am.

A crack, madam.

VALERIA.

Come on, put down your sewing, I want you to play the idle

Come, lay aside your stitchery; I must have you play the idle

housewife with me this afternoon.

housewife with me this afternoon.

VIRGILIA.

No, sorry ma’am, I won’t go out of doors.

No, good madam; I will not out of doors.

VALERIA.

Not out of doors!

Not out of doors!

VOLUMNIA.

She’ll go, she’ll go.

She shall, she shall.

VIRGILIA.

No, please, I won’t leave the house until my

Indeed, no, by your patience; I'll not over the threshold till my

husband returns from the war.

lord return from the wars.

VALERIA.

Shame, you lock yourself up too much. C’mon, you’ve got to go

Fie, you confine yourself most unreasonably; come, you must go

visit the nice lady who’s stuck in bed.

visit the good lady that lies in.

VIRGILIA.

I hope she’ll get well soon, and I’ll pray for her,

I will wish her speedy strength, and visit her with my prayers;

but I can’t go there.

but I cannot go thither.

VOLUMNIA.

Why, if I may ask?

Why, I pray you?

VIRGILIA.

It’s not because I’m lazy, or unloving.

'Tis not to save labour, nor that I want love.

VALERIA.

You want to be like Penelope [wife of the mythical hero Ulysses], but they say

You would be another Penelope; yet they say all the yarn she spun

the yarn she spun while Ulysses was away just attracted moths. Come, I

in Ulysses' absence did but fill Ithaca full of moths. Come; I

wish the fabric was as sensitive as your finger, so you would stop poking it with your

would your cambric were sensible as your finger, that you might

sewing needle because you’d feel bad for it. Come on, you’re going with me.

leave pricking it for pity.--Come, you shall go with us.

VIRGILIA.

No ma’am, pardon me, I will not go out.

No, good madam, pardon me; indeed I will not forth.

VALERIA.

No, really, go with me, and I’ll tell you excellent news

In truth, la, go with me; and I'll tell you excellent news

about your husband.

of your husband.

VIRGILIA.

Oh, ma’am, there can’t be any news yet.

O, good madam, there can be none yet.

VALERIA.

Really, I’m not kidding, some news about him arrived last

Verily, I do not jest with you; there came news from him last

night.

night.

VIRGILIA.

Really, ma’am?

Indeed, madam?

VALERIA.

Seriously, it’s true, I heard a senator say it. That’s how it

In earnest, it's true; I heard a senator speak it. Thus it

is: the Volscians have an army in the field, against whom Cominius the

is:--the Volsces have an army forth; against whom Cominius the

general is on the way to fight with part of the Roman forces. Your husband and

general is gone, with one part of our Roman power: your lord and

Titus Lartius are hunkered down in front of the city of Corioles, where they

Titus Lartius are set down before their city Corioli; they  

will no doubt win, and make the war end quickly. This is

nothing doubt prevailing, and to make it brief wars. This is

true, I swear. So please, go with us.

true, on mine honour; and so, I pray, go with us.

VIRGILIA.

Please excuse me, ma’am. I will do everything else you ask

Give me excuse, good madam; I will obey you in everything

in the future.

hereafter.

VOLUMNIA.

Leave her alone. The way she is now, she’s just going to spoil

Let her alone, lady; as she is now, she will but disease our

our fun.

better mirth.

VALERIA.

Honestly, I think you’re right. Good bye, then. Come,

In troth, I think she would.--Fare you well, then.--Come,

Volumnia. Please, Virgilia, get your sad self outside

good sweet lady.--Pr'ythee, Virgilia, turn thy solemness out o'

and come with us.

door and go along with us.

VIRGILIA.

In a word, no, ma’am. Really, I can’t. I hope you have a good time.

No, at a word, madam; indeed I must not. I wish you much mirth.

VALERIA.

Well then, good bye.

Well then, farewell.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter, with drum and colours, MARCIUS, TITUS LARTIUS, Officers,

and soldiers.]

MARCIUS.

Here comes news—I bet they have met.

Yonder comes news:--a wager they have met.

LARTIUS.

I’ll bet my horse against yours that they haven’t.

My horse to yours, no.

MARCIUS.

It’s done.

'Tis done.

LARTIUS.

Agreed.

Agreed.

[Enter a Messenger.]

MARCIUS.

Tell us, has our general met the enemy?

Say, has our general met the enemy?

MESSENGER.

We can see the enemy, but we haven’t spoken to them yet.

They lie in view; but have not spoke as yet.

LARTIUS.

Ha! Your horse is mine.

So, the good horse is mine.

MARCIUS.

I’ll buy him back from you.

I'll buy him of you.

LARTIUS.

No, I won’t sell him or give him to you, but I’ll lend him to you

No, I'll nor sell nor give him: lend you him I will

for 50 years.—Call the town leaders of Corioles.

For half a hundred years.--Summon the town.

MARCIUS.

How far away is the enemy army?

How far off lie these armies?

MESSENGER.

Within a mile and a half.

Within this mile and half.

MARCIUS.

Then we’ll be able to hear their call to arms, and they’ll hear ours.

Then shall we hear their 'larum, and they ours.—

Now, god of war, I pray to you, make this a quick fight,

Now, Mars, I pr'ythee, make us quick in work,

so that we can march from the battle field with our swords covered in blood,

That we with smoking swords may march from hence

to our friends on the field! Come on, sound the call to arms.

To help our fielded friends!--Come, blow thy blast.  

[They sound a parley. Enter, on the Walls, some Senators and

others.]

Is Tullus Aufidius in Corioles?

Tullus Aufidius, is he within your walls?

FIRST SENATOR.

No, he’s not, and the rest of us aren’t

No, nor a man that fears you less than he,

afraid of you either.

That's lesser than a little.

[Drums in the distance]

[Drum afar off]

Listen, our war drums

Hark, our drums

are calling our young soldiers to battle! We’ll destroy our town

Are bringing forth our youth! we'll break our walls

rather than let you besiege us. Instead of closing our gates

Rather than they shall pound us up: our gates,

securely, we just sealed them with grass:

Which yet seem shut, we have but pinn'd with rushes;

they’ll open by themselves.

They'll open of themselves.

[Alarm in the distance.]

[Alarum far off.]

Hey, you over there!

Hark you far off!

There’s Aufidius. Take not of the damage he does

There is Aufidius; list what work he makes

to your divided army.

Amongst your cloven army.

MARCIUS.

Yes, they are at it!

O, they are at it!

LARTIUS.

Let’s be inspired by the noise they’re making to fight harder. Bring the ladders!

Their noise be our instruction.--Ladders, ho!

[The Volsces enter and pass over.]

MARCIUS.

They say they’re not scared of us, but they’re fleeing their city.

They fear us not, but issue forth their city.

Now protect yourselves with your shields and fight

Now put your shields before your hearts, and fight

with hardened hearts. Advance, brave Titus!

With hearts more proof than shields.--Advance, brave Titus:

they think they’re better than us,

They do disdain us much beyond our thoughts,

which makes me really angry. Come on, fellows:

Which makes me sweat with wrath.--Come on, my fellows:

If any of you retreat, I’ll consider you an enemy

He that retires, I'll take him for a Volsce,

and kill you.

And he shall feel mine edge.

[Alarums, and exeunt Romeans and Volsces fighting. Romans are

beaten back to their trenches. Re-enter MARCIUS.]

MARCIUS.

I hope you all catch exotic southern diseases,

All the contagion of the south light on you,

you cowardly Roman soldiers! You herd of— I hope you get sick and get

You shames of Rome!--you herd of--Boils and plagues

covered in boils, so that everyone will hate you

Plaster you o'er, that you may be abhorr'd

as soon as they see you, and you’ll infect each other