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

Page 15

by William Shakespeare


  had robbed and taken away the jewel of life.

  KING JOHN.

  That villain Hubert told me he did live.

  That villain Hubert told me he was alive.

  BASTARD.

  So, on my soul, he did, for aught he knew.

  But wherefore do you droop? Why look you sad?

  Be great in act, as you have been in thought;

  Let not the world see fear and sad distrust

  Govern the motion of a kingly eye.

  Be stirring as the time; be fire with fire;

  Threaten the threat'ner, and outface the brow

  Of bragging horror; so shall inferior eyes,

  That borrow their behaviours from the great,

  Grow great by your example and put on

  The dauntless spirit of resolution.

  Away, and glister like the god of war

  When he intendeth to become the field;

  Show boldness and aspiring confidence.

  What, shall they seek the lion in his den,

  And fright him there, and make him tremble there?

  O, let it not be said! Forage, and run

  To meet displeasure farther from the doors

  And grapple with him ere he come so nigh.

  I swear he thought that that was true.

  But why are you drooping? Why do you look so sad?

  Be as great in action as you have been in thought;

  don't let the world see fear and doubt

  ruling the eye of the King.

  Be as active as the situation; fight fire with fire;

  threaten those who threaten you, and stare down

  arrogant terror; so inferior people,

  who copy the greatness of their betters,

  will become great through your example

  and gather up dare dauntless resolve.

  Go, and shine like the God of War

  when he intends to join the battle;

  showed bravery and great confidence.

  What, shall they look for the lion in his den,

  andfrighten him there, make him tremble?

  Oh, don't say that! Go out, and run

  to meet the opposition farther from the doors

  and fight with him before he gets so close.

  KING JOHN.

  The legate of the Pope hath been with me,

  And I have made a happy peace with him;

  And he hath promis'd to dismiss the powers

  Led by the Dauphin.

  The Pope's representative has been here,

  and I have arranged a happy peace with him;

  he has promised to make the Dauphin

  withdraw his forces.

  BASTARD.

  O inglorious league!

  Shall we, upon the footing of our land,

  Send fair-play orders, and make compromise,

  Insinuation, parley, and base truce,

  To arms invasive? Shall a beardless boy,

  A cock'red silken wanton, brave our fields

  And flesh his spirit in a warlike soil,

  Mocking the air with colours idly spread,

  And find no check? Let us, my liege, to arms.

  Perchance the Cardinal cannot make your peace;

  Or, if he do, let it at least be said

  They saw we had a purpose of defence.

  What a shameful alliance!

  Shall we, standing in our own country,

  bow down and ask for compromise,

  ingratiate ourselves, speak sweetly and make

  shameful truces with invaders? Shall a beardless boy,

  a spoilt silky brat, show off in our fields

  and learn to fight on our warlike soil,

  mocking the air with his flags carelessly waving,

  and not be stopped? Let us take up arms, my lord.

  Perhaps the cardinal might be able to make peace;

  or, if he does, let it be said that at least

  they saw that we could have defended ourselves.

  KING JOHN.

  Have thou the ordering of this present time.

  You have command in this situation.

  BASTARD.

  Away, then, with good courage!

  Yet, I know

  Our party may well meet a prouder foe.

  Come on then, and be confident!

  but I know that we could easily beat a better enemy.

  Exeunt

  England. The DAUPHIN'S camp at Saint Edmundsbury

  Enter, in arms, LEWIS, SALISBURY, MELUN, PEMBROKE, BIGOT, and

  soldiers

  LEWIS.

  My Lord Melun, let this be copied out

  And keep it safe for our remembrance;

  Return the precedent to these lords again,

  That, having our fair order written down,

  Both they and we, perusing o'er these notes,

  May know wherefore we took the sacrament,

  And keep our faiths firm and inviolable.

  My Lord Melun, copy this out

  and keep it safe as a reminder;

  take the original back to these lords,

  so that, having our fair order written down,

  both we and they, when we look over these notes,

  will know why we made this holy oath,

  and keep our faith firm and unbreakable.

  SALISBURY.

  Upon our sides it never shall be broken.

  And, noble Dauphin, albeit we swear

  A voluntary zeal and an unurg'd faith

  To your proceedings; yet, believe me, Prince,

  I am not glad that such a sore of time

  Should seek a plaster by contemn'd revolt,

  And heal the inveterate canker of one wound

  By making many. O, it grieves my soul

  That I must draw this metal from my side

  To be a widow-maker! O, and there

  Where honourable rescue and defence

  Cries out upon the name of Salisbury!

  But such is the infection of the time

  That, for the health and physic of our right,

  We cannot deal but with the very hand

  Of stern injustice and confused wrong.

  And is't not pity, O my grieved friends!

  That we, the sons and children of this isle,

  Were born to see so sad an hour as this;

  Wherein we step after a stranger-march

  Upon her gentle bosom, and fill up

  Her enemies' ranks-I must withdraw and weep

  Upon the spot of this enforced cause-

  To grace the gentry of a land remote

  And follow unacquainted colours here?

  What, here? O nation, that thou couldst remove!

  That Neptune's arms, who clippeth thee about,

  Would bear thee from the knowledge of thyself

  And grapple thee unto a pagan shore,

  Where these two Christian armies might combine

  The blood of malice in a vein of league,

  And not to spend it so unneighbourly!

  Nobody on this side shall ever break it.

  And, noble Dauphin, although we swear

  voluntarily and give you our consent to your

  proceedings without force; still believe me, prince,

  I'm not happy that this time is so wounded

  that it has to be cured with a horrible revolt,

  and that we have to heal the disease of one wound

  by making many. And it grieves my soul,

  that I must unsheathe my sword

  and make widows with it! In the place where

  people appeal to Salisbury for

  honourable rescue and defence!

  But things are so wrong

  that for the healthy cure of the time

  we can only deal with the one who has dealt

  out harsh injustice and confused wrongs.

  Isn't it shameful, my sorrowing friends,

  that we, the sons and children of this is
land,

  were born to see such a sad time is this;

  in which we follow a foreigner, march

  across her sweet lands, and reinforce

  the ranks of her enemies–I must stand aside and weep

  at the stain of this enforced action–

  to adorn the nobility of a remote country,

  and follow their unfamiliar banners here?

  What, here? Oh nation, if only you could move!

  If only Neptune, whose ocean surrounds you,

  could carry you away from knowledge of yourself–

  handicap you–to a pagan shore,

  where these two Christian armies could join

  their harmful power together in alliance,

  and not spend it on such unneighbourly activities!

  LEWIS.

  A noble temper dost thou show in this;

  And great affections wrestling in thy bosom

  Doth make an earthquake of nobility.

  O, what a noble combat hast thou fought

  Between compulsion and a brave respect!

  Let me wipe off this honourable dew

  That silverly doth progress on thy cheeks.

  My heart hath melted at a lady's tears,

  Being an ordinary inundation;

  But this effusion of such manly drops,

  This show'r, blown up by tempest of the soul,

  Startles mine eyes and makes me more amaz'd

  Than had I seen the vaulty top of heaven

  Figur'd quite o'er with burning meteors.

  Lift up thy brow, renowned Salisbury,

  And with a great heart heave away this storm;

  Commend these waters to those baby eyes

  That never saw the giant world enrag'd,

  Nor met with fortune other than at feasts,

  Full of warm blood, of mirth, of gossiping.

  Come, come; for thou shalt thrust thy hand as deep

  Into the purse of rich prosperity

  As Lewis himself. So, nobles, shall you all,

  That knit your sinews to the strength of mine.

  Enter PANDULPH

  And even there, methinks, an angel spake:

  Look where the holy legate comes apace,

  To give us warrant from the hand of heaven

  And on our actions set the name of right

  With holy breath.

  You show a noble spirit in saying this;

  and the great loyalties wrestling in your heart

  make an earthquake of nobility.

  Oh, what a noble combat you have fought

  between what you were compelled to do and what was right!

  Let me wipe off this honourable dew,

  that runs in silver streams down your cheeks:

  my heart has been melted by a lady's tears,

  just an ordinary flood;

  but this stream of such manly drops,

  this shower, blown up by the storm in your soul,

  amazes me, more so than

  if I had seen the heights of heaven

  absolutely covered with fiery meteors. Look up, renowned Salisbury,

  and with a great heart push this storm away:

  leave these tears to the eyes of babies

  who never saw the whole world in conflict,

  and never met fortune except in good circumstances,

  with warm blood, happiness and gossiping.

  Come, come; you shall gain as much

  from this action as

  I will myself: so, nobles, shall you all,

  everyone who joins forces with me.

  [Enter Pandulph]

  And just then, I think, an angel spoke:

  look, here comes the Pope's representative

  to give us permission from the agent of heaven,

  to seal our actions as being right

  with holy breath.

  PANDULPH.

  Hail, noble prince of France!

  The next is this: King John hath reconcil'd

  Himself to Rome; his spirit is come in,

  That so stood out against the holy Church,

  The great metropolis and see of Rome.

  Therefore thy threat'ning colours now wind up

  And tame the savage spirit of wild war,

  That, like a lion fostered up at hand,

  It may lie gently at the foot of peace

  And be no further harmful than in show.

  Greetings, noble Prince of France!

  This is the news: King John has reconciled

  himself with Rome; the spirit that so rebelled

  against the holy Church, the great city and

  seat of Rome, has come back.

  So take down your military flags

  and calm the savage spirit of wild war,

  so that, like a lion raised by hand,

  it may lie gently at the foot of peace

  and only look dangerous.

  LEWIS.

  Your Grace shall pardon me, I will not back:

  I am too high-born to be propertied,

  To be a secondary at control,

  Or useful serving-man and instrument

  To any sovereign state throughout the world.

  Your breath first kindled the dead coal of wars

  Between this chastis'd kingdom and myself

  And brought in matter that should feed this fire;

  And now 'tis far too huge to be blown out

  With that same weak wind which enkindled it.

  You taught me how to know the face of right,

  Acquainted me with interest to this land,

  Yea, thrust this enterprise into my heart;

  And come ye now to tell me John hath made

  His peace with Rome? What is that peace to me?

  I, by the honour of my marriage-bed,

  After young Arthur, claim this land for mine;

  And, now it is half-conquer'd, must I back

  Because that John hath made his peace with Rome?

  Am I Rome's slave? What penny hath Rome borne,

  What men provided, what munition sent,

  To underprop this action? Is 't not I

  That undergo this charge? Who else but I,

  And such as to my claim are liable,

  Sweat in this business and maintain this war?

  Have I not heard these islanders shout out

  'Vive le roi!' as I have bank'd their towns?

  Have I not here the best cards for the game

  To will this easy match, play'd for a crown?

  And shall I now give o'er the yielded set?

  No, no, on my soul, it never shall be said.

  Your Grace must excuse me, I will not retreat:

  I am too noble to the used as a tool,

  to be under the control of another,

  to be a useful serving man and instrument

  of any royal state throughout the world.

  It was your words which first fanned the flames

  of war between this punished kingdom and myself,

  and gave reasons for it to carry on;

  it's now far too big to be blown out

  by the same weak breath which started it.

  You taught me how to know what was right,

  and showed me why I should conquer this land,

  indeed, you were the one who encouraged me;

  and now you come to tell me that John has made

  his peace with Rome? What does that peace matter to me?

  Through the honour of my marriage I am

  the next in line to claim this land after young Arthur;

  and, now it is half won, must I retreat

  because John has made his peace with Rome?

  Am I the slave of Rome? What money has Rome spent,

  what men has it given, what arms has it sent,

  to support this action? Aren't I the one

  who's paid for all this? Who else but me,

  and those who are subject to my claim,

 
have sweated in this business and supported this war?

  Haven't I heard these islanders shouting out

  “Long live the King!" as I won over their towns?

  Don't I hold all the best cards in the game

  to win this easy victory for a crown?

  Show I now hand over the whole set?

  No, no, I swear on my soul, I shall never do it.

  PANDULPH.

  You look but on the outside of this work.

  You only understand the outside of this business.

  LEWIS.

  Outside or inside, I will not return

  Till my attempt so much be glorified

  As to my ample hope was promised

  Before I drew this gallant head of war,

  And cull'd these fiery spirits from the world

  To outlook conquest, and to win renown

  Even in the jaws of danger and of death.

  [Trumpet sounds]

  What lusty trumpet thus doth summon us?

  Outside or inside, I will not go back

  until my attempt is glorified

  with the great success I hoped for

  before I raised this brave army,

  and chose these fiery spirits

  to face down conquerors, and to win fame

  even in the jaws of danger and death.

  [Trumpet sounds]

  what loud trumpet is this calling us?

  Enter the BASTARD, attended

  BASTARD.

  According to the fair play of the world,

  Let me have audience: I am sent to speak.

  My holy lord of Milan, from the King

  I come, to learn how you have dealt for him;

  And, as you answer, I do know the scope

  And warrant limited unto my tongue.

  According to the general rules of the world,

  listen to me: I have been sent to speak.

  My holy Lord of Milan, I have come

  from the King, to find out what you have done for him;

  what I say depends upon your answer.

  PANDULPH.

  The Dauphin is too wilful-opposite,

  And will not temporize with my entreaties;

  He flatly says he'll not lay down his arms.

  The Dauphin is too wilful and contrary,

  and will not agree to my pleas;

  he outright says that he will not retreat.

  BASTARD.

  By all the blood that ever fury breath'd,

 

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