The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
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following him like obedient subjects
into his new kingdom of eternal darkness.
DUCHESS.
Ah, so much interest have I in thy sorrow
As I had title in thy noble husband!
I have bewept a worthy husband's death,
And liv'd with looking on his images;
But now two mirrors of his princely semblance
Are crack'd in pieces by malignant death,
And I for comfort have but one false glass,
That grieves me when I see my shame in him.
Thou art a widow, yet thou art a mother
And hast the comfort of thy children left;
But death hath snatch'd my husband from mine arms
And pluck'd two crutches from my feeble hands-
Clarence and Edward. O, what cause have I-
Thine being but a moiety of my moan-
To overgo thy woes and drown thy cries?
I share as much in your sorrow
as I shared in the rights to your noble husband.
I have wept for the death of a good husband,
and spent my life looking at his images:
but now two copies of his royal appearance
have been smashed to pieces by malignant death;
and all I have to comfort me is one false copy,
that makes me sorrowful to see my shame in him.
You are widowed–but you are a mother,
and have the comfort of your children left;
but death has snatched my husband from my arms
and torn my two crutches from my feeble hands:
Clarence and Edward. Oh, what good reasons I have,
your sorrows being just a fraction of mine,
to exceed your lamenting and drown out your cries.
SON.
Ah, aunt, you wept not for our father's death!
How can we aid you with our kindred tears?
Ah, aunt, you did not weep at the death of our father!
How can we help you with similar tears?
DAUGHTER.
Our fatherless distress was left unmoan'd;
Your widow-dolour likewise be unwept!
You did not support us in our fatherless distress;
and so may the sorrow of your widowhood be unmourned in the same way!
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Give me no help in lamentation;
I am not barren to bring forth complaints.
All springs reduce their currents to mine eyes
That I, being govern'd by the watery moon,
May send forth plenteous tears to drown the world!
Ah for my husband, for my dear Lord Edward!
I don't need your help in sorrowing;
I can do enough on my own.
The streams of all springs run into my eyes,
so that I, being under the influence of the watery moon,
can send out a flood of tears to drown the world.
Alas for my husband, for my dear lord Edward!
CHILDREN.
Ah for our father, for our dear Lord Clarence!
Alas for our father, for our dear Lord Clarence!
DUCHESS.
Alas for both, both mine, Edward and Clarence!
Alas for both, both of them mine, Edward and Clarence!
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
What stay had I but Edward? and he's
gone.
What support did I have apart from Edward? And he is gone.
CHILDREN.
What stay had we but Clarence? and he's gone.
What support did we have apart from Clarence? And he is gone.
DUCHESS.
What stays had I but they? and they are gone.
What supports did I have but those two? And they are gone.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Was never widow had so dear a loss.
No widow ever suffered such a grievous loss.
CHILDREN.
Were never orphans had so dear a loss.
No orphans ever suffered such a grievous loss.
DUCHESS.
Was never mother had so dear a loss.
Alas, I am the mother of these griefs!
Their woes are parcell'd, mine is general.
She for an Edward weeps, and so do I:
I for a Clarence weep, so doth not she.
These babes for Clarence weep, and so do I:
I for an Edward weep, so do not they.
Alas, you three on me, threefold distress'd,
Pour all your tears! I am your sorrow's nurse,
And I will pamper it with lamentation.
No mother ever suffered such a grievous loss.
Alas, I am the mother of these sorrows!
Their sorrows are partial, mine are overwhelming.
She weeps for Edward, and so do I:
I weep for Clarence, and she does not.
These children weep for Clarence, and so do I:
I weep for Redwood, and they do not.
Alas, you three, with your triple distress,
Pour all your tears on me! I am the nurse to your sorrow,
and I will feed it with wailing.
DORSET.
Comfort, dear mother. God is much displeas'd
That you take with unthankfulness his doing.
In common worldly things 'tis called ungrateful
With dull unwillingness to repay a debt
Which with a bounteous hand was kindly lent;
Much more to be thus opposite with heaven,
For it requires the royal debt it lent you.
Be calm, dear mother. God is very displeased
that you are ungrateful for his deeds.
In the ordinary way of the world it is called ungrateful
to be sullenly unwilling to repay a debt
which was generously and kindly lent;
it is much worse to be ungrateful to heaven,
when it reclaims this royal person it lent to you.
RIVERS.
Madam, bethink you, like a careful mother,
Of the young prince your son. Send straight for him;
Let him be crown'd; in him your comfort lives.
Drown desperate sorrow in dead Edward's grave,
And plant your joys in living Edward's throne.
Madam, consider, like a good mother,
the young Prince, your son. Sent forhim at once;
let him be crowned; that's where your comfort lies.
Bury your desperate sorrow in the grave of dead Edward,
and grow your happiness from the throne of the living Edward.
Enter RICHARD, BUCKINGHAM, DERBY,
HASTINGS, and RATCLIFF
RICHARD.
Sister, have comfort. All of us have cause
To wail the dimming of our shining star;
But none can help our harms by wailing them.
Madam, my mother, I do cry you mercy;
I did not see your Grace. Humbly on my knee
I crave your blessing.
Sister, be comforted. All of us have reason
to be sorrowful at the death of our leader;
but wailing about it won't do any good.
Madam, my mother, I beg you to forgive me;
I did not see your Grace. I humbly kneel
and ask for your blessing.
DUCHESS.
God bless thee; and put meekness in thy breast,
Love, charity, obedience, and true duty!
God bless you; may he make you meek, with
love, charity, obedience and true duty!
RICHARD.
Amen![Aside]And make me die a good old
man!
That is the butt end of a mother's blessing;
I marvel that her Grace did leave it out.
Amen! [Aside] And let me die a good old man!
That is the usual end of a mother's blessing;
I'm amazed that her grace left it out.
BUCKINGHAM.
You cloudy princes and heart-sorrowing
peers,
That bear this heavy mutual load of moan,
Now cheer each other in each other's love.
Though we have spent our harvest of this king,
We are to reap the harvest of his son.
The broken rancour of your high-swol'n hearts,
But lately splinter'd, knit, and join'd together,
Must gently be preserv'd, cherish'd, and kept.
Me seemeth good that, with some little train,
Forthwith from Ludlow the young prince be fet
Hither to London, to be crown'd our King.
You sad princes and brokenhearted peers,
who all share this great weight of sorrow,
now help each other with your love for each other.
Although we have now lost our king,
we now have the benefit of his son.
Join together your passionate hearts,
which were recently estranged, you must
keep the peace that was recently established.
It seems to me the best thing to do is for
the young prince to be fetched from Ludlow, with a small
entourage, and brought to London, to be crowned as king.
RIVERS.
Why with some little train, my Lord of
Buckingham?
Why with a small entourage, Lord Buckingham?
BUCKINGHAM.
Marry, my lord, lest by a multitude
The new-heal'd wound of malice should break out,
Which would be so much the more dangerous
By how much the estate is green and yet ungovern'd;
Where every horse bears his commanding rein
And may direct his course as please himself,
As well the fear of harm as harm apparent,
In my opinion, ought to be prevented.
Well, my lord, in case the newly healed strife
should break out again amongst the public,
which would be that much more dangerous
due to his youthful and unguided position;
every horse is carrying his own reins,
and can go wherever he pleases,
and in my opinion we must prevent
any fear of harm, as well as actual harm.
RICHARD.
I hope the King made peace with all of us;
And the compact is firm and true in me.
I hope the King brought peace to all of us;
I am certainly determined to maintain the agreement.
RIVERS.
And so in me; and so, I think, in all.
Yet, since it is but green, it should be put
To no apparent likelihood of breach,
Which haply by much company might be urg'd;
Therefore I say with noble Buckingham
That it is meet so few should fetch the Prince.
And so am I, and so, I think, is everybody.
But, since it is still young, it should not be
placed in a position where it could be breached,
which could happen in a large crowd;
therefore I agree with noble Buckingham
that it is right that only a few should fetch the Prince.
HASTINGS.
And so say I.
I agree.
RICHARD.
Then be it so; and go we to determine
Who they shall be that straight shall post to Ludlow.
Madam, and you, my sister, will you go
To give your censures in this business?
Then let it be so; and let us decide
who are the ones who shall go at once to Ludlow.
Madam, and you, my sister, will you go
to give your advice on this business?
ELIZ & DUCHESS With all our hearts.
Gladly.
Exeunt all but BUCKINGHAM and RICHARD
BUCKINGHAM.
My lord, whoever journeys to the Prince,
For God sake, let not us two stay at home;
For by the way I'll sort occasion,
As index to the story we late talk'd of,
To part the Queen's proud kindred from the Prince.
My lord, whoever travels to the Prince,
for God's sake, make sure we to do not stay at home;
for along the way I'll find a chance,
as part of the story we recently spoke of,
to separate the Queen's arrogant relatives from him.
RICHARD.
My other self, my counsel's consistory,
My oracle, my prophet, my dear cousin,
I, as a child, will go by thy direction.
Toward Ludlow then, for we'll not stay behind.
My mirror image, my Parliament,
my Oracle, my prophet, my dear cousin:
I will follow your advice like a child.
Off to Ludlow then, for we will not stay behind.
Exeunt
London. A street
Enter one CITIZEN at one door, and another at the other
FIRST CITIZEN.
Good morrow, neighbour. Whither away so
fast?
Good day, neighbour. Where are you rushing off to?
SECOND CITIZEN.
I promise you, I scarcely know myself.
Hear you the news abroad?
I can assure you, I hardly know myself.
Have you heard the news that's going round?
FIRST CITIZEN.
Yes, that the King is dead.
Yes, that the king is dead.
SECOND CITIZEN.
Ill news, by'r lady; seldom comes the
better.
I fear, I fear 'twill prove a giddy world.
I swear by the virgin, it's bad news; we don't often get good.
I fear this is going to cause chaos.
Enter another CITIZEN
THIRD CITIZEN.
Neighbours, God speed!
Neighbours, God speed!
FIRST CITIZEN.
Give you good morrow, sir.
Good day to you, sir.
THIRD CITIZEN.
Doth the news hold of good King Edward's
death?
Is the news about good King Edward's death true?
SECOND CITIZEN.
Ay, sir, it is too true; God help the while!
Yes, it is too true; God help these times!
THIRD CITIZEN.
Then, masters, look to see a troublous
world.
Then, masters, expect to see a disturbed world.
FIRST CITIZEN.
No, no; by God's good grace, his son shall
reign.
No, no; by the good grace of God, his son shall rule.
THIRD CITIZEN.
Woe to that land that's govern'd by a child.
It's an unlucky land that is ruled by a child.
SECOND CITIZEN.
In him there is a hope of government,
Which, in his nonage, council under him,
And, in his full and ripened years, himself,
No doubt, shall then, and till then, govern well.
There is plenty of promise of good government from him,
while he is a minor he can be guided by the council,
and when he comes of age he can govern himself,
and there's no doubt we will have good government both then and now.
FIRST CITIZEN.
So stood the state when Henry the Sixth
Was crown'd in Paris but at nine months old.
We were in the same position when Henry the Sixth
was crowned in Paris when he was just nine months old.
THIRD CITIZEN.
Stood the state so? No, no, good friends,
God wot;
For then this land was famously enrich'd
With politic grave counsel; then the King
Had virtuous uncles to protect his Grace.
&
nbsp; The same position? No, no, good friends, God knows;
for at that time the country had notable quantities
of why is experienced counsellors; the King
had virtuous uncles to protect him.
FIRST CITIZEN.
Why, so hath this, both by his father and
mother.
Why, so has this one, on his father and his mother's side.
THIRD CITIZEN.
Better it were they all came by his father,
Or by his father there were none at all;
For emulation who shall now be nearest
Will touch us all too near, if God prevent not.
O, full of danger is the Duke of Gloucester!
And the Queen's sons and brothers haught and proud;
And were they to be rul'd, and not to rule,
This sickly land might solace as before.
It would be better if they were all on his father's side,
or if his father had no problems at all;
for the rivalry for the highest positions
will affect us all badly, if God does not prevent it.
The Duke of Gloucester is very dangerous!
And the Queen's sons and brothers are arrogant and proud;
if they could be ruled, and not rule,
this disturbed land might be peaceful again.
FIRST CITIZEN.
Come, come, we fear the worst; all will be
well.
Come, come, we are fearing the worst; everything will be alright.
THIRD CITIZEN.
When clouds are seen, wise men put on
their cloaks;
When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand;