The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 30
Swarming with caterpillars?
Why should we, within our fences,
keep to the law, and form and proper proportions,
showing our good management like a model,
when our sea walled garden, the whole country,
is full of weeds; her fairest flowers are overrun,
her fruit trees are unpruned, her hedges are ruined,
her flowerbeds in a mess, and her healthy herbs
are covered with caterpillars?
GARDENER.
Hold thy peace.
He that hath suffer'd this disorder'd spring
Hath now himself met with the fall of leaf;
The weeds which his broad-spreading leaves did shelter,
That seem'd in eating him to hold him up,
Are pluck'd up root and all by Bolingbroke-
I mean the Earl of Wiltshire, Bushy, Green.
Hold your tongue.
The one who allowed this disorder to grow
has now encountered his own autumn;
the weeds he sheltered under his broad spreading leaves
that looked as though they were holding up as they were eating away at him,
have been pulled up roots and all by Bolingbroke–
I mean the Earl of Wiltshire, Bushy and Green.
SERVANT.
What, are they dead?
What, are they dead?
GARDENER.
They are; and Bolingbroke
Hath seiz'd the wasteful King. O, what pity is it
That he had not so trimm'd and dress'd his land
As we this garden! We at time of year
Do wound the bark, the skin of our fruit trees,
Lest, being over-proud in sap and blood,
With too much riches it confound itself;
Had he done so to great and growing men,
They might have liv'd to bear, and he to taste
Their fruits of duty. Superfluous branches
We lop away, that bearing boughs may live;
Had he done so, himself had home the crown,
Which waste of idle hours hath quite thrown down.
They are; and Bolingbroke
has captured the wasteful king. Oh, what a pity it is
that he didn't manage his country
as we manage this garden! At the right time of year
we cut the bark, the skin of our fruit trees,
in case its blood and sap should grow too thick,
and it chokes itself with too much richness;
had he done so to great and upcoming men
they might have lived to produce the fruits of their service,
and he could have enjoyed them. We cut away
superfluous branches, so that the fruitful ones can live;
if he had done that, he would still have the crown,
which he has thrown away through his idleness.
SERVANT.
What, think you the King shall be deposed?
What, do you think the King will be overthrown?
GARDENER.
Depress'd he is already, and depos'd
'Tis doubt he will be. Letters came last night
To a dear friend of the good Duke of York's
That tell black tidings.
He's already been beaten, and doubtless
he will be overthrown. Letters came last night
to a dear friend of the good Duke of York's
that contained bad news.
QUEEN.
O, I am press'd to death through want of speaking!
[Coming forward]
Thou, old Adam's likeness, set to dress this garden,
How dares thy harsh rude tongue sound this unpleasing news?
What Eve, what serpent, hath suggested thee
To make a second fall of cursed man?
Why dost thou say King Richard is depos'd?
Dar'st thou, thou little better thing than earth,
Divine his downfall? Say, where, when, and how,
Cam'st thou by this ill tidings? Speak, thou wretch.
Oh, not saying anything is killing me!
You, you copy of old Adam, told to tend this garden,
how dare your harsh rude tongue speak this unpleasant news?
What Eve, what snake, has suggested to you
that you should make mankind fall again?
Why do you say King Richard has been overthrown?
Do you dare, you who is not much more than earth,
predict his downfall? Tell me where, when and how,
you heard this bad news. Speak, you wretch.
GARDENER.
Pardon me, madam; little joy have
To breathe this news; yet what I say is true.
King Richard, he is in the mighty hold
Of Bolingbroke. Their fortunes both are weigh'd.
In your lord's scale is nothing but himself,
And some few vanities that make him light;
But in the balance of great Bolingbroke,
Besides himself, are all the English peers,
And with that odds he weighs King Richard down.
Post you to London, and you will find it so;
I speak no more than every one doth know.
Forgive me, madam; it gives me no pleasure
to speak this news; but what I say is true.
King Richard is a prisoner in the firm custody
of Bolingbroke. Their fortunes are balanced.
On your lord's side there is only himself,
and a few trifles which make him lighter;
on the side of great Bolingbroke,
apart from himself, are all the English peers,
and with them he completely outweighs King Richard.
Hurry to London, and you will find this is the case;
I'm just saying what everybody knows.
QUEEN.
Nimble mischance, that art so light of foot,
Doth not thy embassage belong to me,
And am I last that knows it? O, thou thinkest
To serve me last, that I may longest keep
Thy sorrow in my breast. Come, ladies, go
To meet at London London's King in woe.
What, was I born to this, that my sad look
Should grace the triumph of great Bolingbroke?
Gard'ner, for telling me these news of woe,
Pray God the plants thou graft'st may never grow!
Quick misfortune, that is so swift,
wasn't your mission to come to me,
and I'm the last one to know? Oh, you think
you can serve me last, so I will keep your sorrow
in my heart for longest. Come, ladies, we shall go
and meet London's King in his sorrow in London.
What, was this what I was born for, that my sorrow
would grace the triumph of great Bolingbroke?
Gardner, for telling me this sad news,
I pray to God that none of your plants ever grow!
Exeunt QUEEN and LADIES
GARDENER.
Poor Queen, so that thy state might be no worse,
I would my skill were subject to thy curse.
Here did she fall a tear; here in this place
I'll set a bank of rue, sour herb of grace.
Rue, even for ruth, here shortly shall be seen,
In the remembrance of a weeping queen.
Poor Queen, if it meant your position would get no worse,
I would wish for your curse to come true.
She let a tear fall here; in this place
I will grow a bank of rue, the sour herb of grace.
Rue will shortly be seen growing here for pity,
in the memory of a weeping queen.
Exeunt
Westminster Hall
Enter, as to the Parliament, BOLINGBROKE, AUMERLE,
NORTHUMBERLAND, PERCY,
FITZWATER, SURREY, the BISHOP OF CARLISLE, the ABBOT OF
WESTMINSTER,
>
and others; HERALD, OFFICERS, and BAGOT
BOLINGBROKE.
Call forth Bagot.
Now, Bagot, freely speak thy mind-
What thou dost know of noble Gloucester's death;
Who wrought it with the King, and who perform'd
The bloody office of his timeless end.
Summon Bagot.
Now, Bagot, speak openly–
what do you know about noble Gloucester's death;
who planned it with the king, and who carried out
the bloody job of his untimely murder?
BAGOT.
Then set before my face the Lord Aumerle.
Then bring out Lord Aumerle.
BOLINGBROKE.
Cousin, stand forth, and look upon that man.
Cousin, come out, and look at that man.
BAGOT.
My Lord Aumerle, I know your daring tongue
Scorns to unsay what once it hath deliver'd.
In that dead time when Gloucester's death was plotted
I heard you say 'Is not my arm of length,
That reacheth from the restful English Court
As far as Calais, to mine uncle's head?'
Amongst much other talk that very time
I heard you say that you had rather refuse
The offer of an hundred thousand crowns
Than Bolingbroke's return to England;
Adding withal, how blest this land would be
In this your cousin's death.
My Lord Aumerle, I know your bold tongue
doesn't like to take back its words.
In that deadly time when Gloucester's death was planned
I heard you say ‘Haven't I a long arm,
that can reach from the peaceful English court
as far as Calais, to kill my uncle?’
Amongst many other things said at that time
I heard you say that you would turn down
an offer of hundred thousand crowns rather
than see Bolingbroke return to England;
you also added how good the death of your
cousin would be for the country.
AUMERLE.
Princes, and noble lords,
What answer shall I make to this base man?
Shall I so much dishonour my fair stars
On equal terms to give him chastisement?
Either I must, or have mine honour soil'd
With the attainder of his slanderous lips.
There is my gage, the manual seal of death
That marks thee out for hell. I say thou liest,
And will maintain what thou hast said is false
In thy heart-blood, through being all too base
To stain the temper of my knightly sword.
Princes, and noble lords,
how shall I answer this low man?
Shall I dishonour my noble birth so much
as to answer him back in his own terms?
I must either do that or have my honour stained
by the accusations of his slanderous lips.
There is my glove, that seals your death
that will send you to hell. I say you are lying,
and will prove this by taking your
lifeblood, although it's far too low
to stain the shining steel of my knight's sword.
BOLINGBROKE.
Bagot, forbear; thou shalt not take it up.
Bagot, hold back; you won't accept the challenge.
AUMERLE.
Excepting one, I would he were the best
In all this presence that hath mov'd me so.
I wish it was the best knight in this gathering–
apart from one–who had made me so angry.
FITZWATER.
If that thy valour stand on sympathy,
There is my gage, Aumerle, in gage to thine.
By that fair sun which shows me where thou stand'st,
I heard thee say, and vauntingly thou spak'st it,
That thou wert cause of noble Gloucester's death.
If thou deniest it twenty times, thou liest;
And I will turn thy falsehood to thy heart,
Where it was forged, with my rapier's point.
If your bravery depends on rank,
there is my glove, Aumerle, to match yours.
I swear by the fair sun which lights you now,
I heard you say, and say boastingly,
that you were the cause of the death of noble Gloucester.
If you deny it twenty times, you are lying;
and I will stick the lie back into your heart,
where it was made, with the point of my sword.
AUMERLE.
Thou dar'st not, coward, live to see that day.
Coward, you wouldn't dare.
FITZWATER.
Now, by my soul, I would it were this hour.
I swear, I wish we could do it now.
AUMERLE.
Fitzwater, thou art damn'd to hell for this.
Fitzwater, you are damned to hell for this.
PERCY.
Aumerle, thou liest; his honour is as true
In this appeal as thou art an unjust;
And that thou art so, there I throw my gage,
To prove it on thee to the extremest point
Of mortal breathing. Seize it, if thou dar'st.
Aumerle, you are lying; he is being as honourable
in this challenge as you are being unfair;
and to prove that you are here is my glove,
I shall make you answer for it with your death.
Pick it up, if you dare.
AUMERLE.
An if I do not, may my hands rot off
And never brandish more revengeful steel
Over the glittering helmet of my foe!
And if I don't, may my hands rot off
and never again wave my revengeful sword
over the glittering helmet of my enemy!
ANOTHER LORD.
I task the earth to the like, forsworn Aumerle;
And spur thee on with full as many lies
As may be halloa'd in thy treacherous ear
From sun to sun. There is my honour's pawn;
Engage it to the trial, if thou darest.
I lay down the same challenge, damned Aumerle;
and encourage you with as many lies
as can be shouted in your treacherous ear
in the course of the day. There is my challenge;
take it up, if you dare.
AUMERLE.
Who sets me else? By heaven, I'll throw at all!
I have a thousand spirits in one breast
To answer twenty thousand such as you.
Who else attacks me? By heaven, I'll have at you all!
There's a thousand times more bravery in my heart
than there is in twenty thousand of you.
SURREY.
My Lord Fitzwater, I do remember well
The very time Aumerle and you did talk.
My Lord Fitzwater, I remember well
the exact time you and Aumerle spoke.
FITZWATER.
'Tis very true; you were in presence then,
And you can witness with me this is true.
It's very true, you were there then,
and you can confirm the truth of what I say.
SURREY.
As false, by heaven, as heaven itself is true.
You are as false, by heaven, as heaven is true.
FITZWATER.
Surrey, thou liest.
Surrey, you are lying.
SURREY.
Dishonourable boy!
That lie shall lie so heavy on my sword
That it shall render vengeance and revenge
Till thou the lie-giver and that lie do lie
In earth as quiet as thy father's skull.
In proof whereof, there is my honour's pawn;
Engage it to the tr
ial, if thou dar'st.
Dishonourable boy!
My sword will give such heavy punishment for that lie
that it shall hand out vengeance and revenge
until you, the liar, and the lie both lie
in the earth as quietly as your father's skull.
As proof of that, there's my challenge;
take it on, if you dare.
FITZWATER.
How fondly dost thou spur a forward horse!
If I dare eat, or drink, or breathe, or live,
I dare meet Surrey in a wilderness,
And spit upon him whilst I say he lies,
And lies, and lies. There is my bond of faith,
To tie thee to my strong correction.
As I intend to thrive in this new world,
Aumerle is guilty of my true appeal.
Besides, I heard the banish'd Norfolk say
That thou, Aumerle, didst send two of thy men
To execute the noble Duke at Calais.
How foolishly you spur on an already running horse!
If I dare to eat, or drink, or breathe, or live,
I will dare to meet Surrey in a wild place
and spit on him whilst saying he's a liar,
a liar, a liar. There is my glove,
to hold you to my violent punishment.
As I mean to thrive in this new order,
Aumerle is as guilty as I say.
Besides, I heard the exiled Norfolk say
and that you, Aumerle, sent two of your men
to execute the noble duke at Calais.
AUMERLE.
Some honest Christian trust me with a gage
That Norfolk lies. Here do I throw down this,
If he may be repeal'd to try his honour.
Some honest Christian lend me a glove
so I can prove that Norfolk lies. I make my challenge,
if he can be called back to accept it.
BOLINGBROKE.
These differences shall all rest under gage