The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 46
When the sun sets, who doth not look for night?
Untimely storms make men expect a dearth.
All may be well; but, if God sort it so,
'Tis more than we deserve or I expect.
When clouds appear, wise men put on their cloaks;
when greatly useful, then winter is coming;
when the sun sets, we all expect nights to come.
Unseasonable storms make men predicts a famine.
All may be well; but, if God allows it to be,
it will be more than we deserve, or I expect.
SECOND CITIZEN.
Truly, the hearts of men are full of fear.
You cannot reason almost with a man
That looks not heavily and full of dread.
The hearts of men are truly full of fear.
It's almost impossible to find a man
who doesn't look serious and fearful.
THIRD CITIZEN.
Before the days of change, still is it so;
By a divine instinct men's minds mistrust
Ensuing danger; as by proof we see
The water swell before a boist'rous storm.
But leave it all to God. Whither away?
It is always the way in changing times;
men have God-given instinct to spot
oncoming danger; it's the way we see
the waters rising before Ray heavy storm.
But leave it all to God. Where are you going?
SECOND CITIZEN.
Marry, we were sent for to the justices.
Why, we were summoned to go to the justices.
THIRD CITIZEN.
And so was I; I'll bear you company.
And so was I; I'll come with you.
Exeunt
London. The palace
Enter the ARCHBISHOP OF YORK, the young DUKE OF YORK, QUEEN
ELIZABETH,
and the DUCHESS OF YORK
ARCHBISHOP.
Last night, I hear, they lay at Stony Stratford,
And at Northampton they do rest to-night;
To-morrow or next day they will be here.
I hear that last night they stopped at Stony Stratford,
and they are resting tonight at Northampton;
they will be here tomorrow or the day after.
DUCHESS.
I long with all my heart to see the Prince.
I hope he is much grown since last I saw him.
I am longing with all my heart to see the Prince.
I hope he has grown up a lot since I last saw him.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
But I hear no; they say my son of York
Has almost overta'en him in his growth.
I've heard not; they say my son York
has almost grown larger than him.
YORK.
Ay, mother; but I would not have it so.
Yes, mother; but I don't want to.
DUCHESS.
Why, my good cousin, it is good to grow.
Why, my good cousin, it's good to grow.
YORK.
Grandam, one night as we did sit at supper,
My uncle Rivers talk'd how I did grow
More than my brother. 'Ay,' quoth my uncle Gloucester
'Small herbs have grace: great weeds do grow apace.'
And since, methinks, I would not grow so fast,
Because sweet flow'rs are slow and weeds make haste.
Grandmother, one night as we were sitting at supper,
my uncle Rivers was talking about how I was growing
taller than my brother. ‘Yes,’ my uncle Gloucester said,
‘Small herbs have Grace: great weeds grow fast.’
And since then I have not wanted to grow as fast,
because sweet flowers grow slowly and weeds quickly.
DUCHESS.
Good faith, good faith, the saying did not hold
In him that did object the same to thee.
He was the wretched'st thing when he was young,
So long a-growing and so leisurely
That, if his rule were true, he should be gracious.
Good heavens, what he said to you
didn't apply to himself.
He was the most wretched thing when he was young,
who took such a long time to grow
that if his saying was true, he would be gracious.
ARCHBISHOP.
And so no doubt he is, my gracious madam.
And I'm sure he is, my gracious madam.
DUCHESS.
I hope he is; but yet let mothers doubt.
I hope he is; but let me as a mother doubt it.
YORK.
Now, by my troth, if I had been rememb'red,
I could have given my uncle's Grace a flout
To touch his growth nearer than he touch'd mine.
Now, I swear, if I'd thought of it,
I could have my uncle a comeback
that would have insulted his growth more than he insulted mine.
DUCHESS.
How, my young York? I prithee let me hear it.
How, young York? Let me hear it.
YORK.
Marry, they say my uncle grew so fast
That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old.
'Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth.
Grandam, this would have been a biting jest.
Wife, they say my uncle grew so fast
that he could chew a crust when he was two hours old.
It was whole two years before I grew any teeth.
Grandmother, this would have been a biting joke.
DUCHESS.
I prithee, pretty York, who told thee this?
Please tell me, pretty York, who told you this?
YORK.
Grandam, his nurse.
Grandmother, his nurse.
DUCHESS.
His nurse! Why she was dead ere thou wast
born.
His nurse! Why, she was dead before you were born.
YORK.
If 'twere not she, I cannot tell who told me.
If it wasn't her, I don't know who told me.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
A parlous boy! Go to, you are too
shrewd.
You're a mischievous lad! Get away with you, you're too cunning.
ARCHBISHOP.
Good madam, be not angry with the child.
Good madam, do not be angry with the child.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Pitchers have ears.
There are plenty of spies about.
Enter a MESSENGER
ARCHBISHOP.
Here comes a messenger. What news?
Here comes the messenger. What's the news?
MESSENGER.
Such news, my lord, as grieves me to report.
News, my lord, which it makes me sorry to have to report.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
How doth the Prince?
How is the prince?
MESSENGER.
Well, madam, and in health.
He is well, madam, and healthy.
DUCHESS.
What is thy news?
What is your news?
MESSENGER.
Lord Rivers and Lord Grey
Are sent to Pomfret, and with them
Sir Thomas Vaughan, prisoners.
Lord Rivers and Lord Grey
have been sent to Pomfret, with
Sir Thomas Vaughan, as prisoners.
DUCHESS.
Who hath committed them?
Who sent them there?
MESSENGER.
The mighty Dukes, Gloucester and Buckingham.
The great dukes, Gloucester and Buckingham.
ARCHBISHOP.
For what offence?
For what crime?
MESSENGER.
The sum of all I can, I have disclos'd.
Why or for what the nobles were committed
Is all unkn
own to me, my gracious lord.
I have told you all I know.
Why or for what the nobles were sentenced
I do not know, my gracious lord.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Ay me, I see the ruin of my house!
The tiger now hath seiz'd the gentle hind;
Insulting tyranny begins to jet
Upon the innocent and aweless throne.
Welcome, destruction, blood, and massacre!
I see, as in a map, the end of all.
Alas, I can see the downfall of my family!
The tiger has now grabbed the gentle deer;
insulting tyranny is now hanging over
the innocent and powerless throne.
Welcome, destruction, blunt and massacre!
I can see the end of everything as clearly as if
it was drawn out for me on a map.
DUCHESS.
Accursed and unquiet wrangling days,
How many of you have mine eyes beheld!
My husband lost his life to get the crown;
And often up and down my sons were toss'd
For me to joy and weep their gain and loss;
And being seated, and domestic broils
Clean over-blown, themselves the conquerors
Make war upon themselves-brother to brother,
Blood to blood, self against self. O, preposterous
And frantic outrage, end thy damned spleen,
Or let me die, to look on death no more!
Cursed and disturbed days of struggle,
how many of you I have seen!
My husband lost his life to get the Crown;
and the fortunes of my sons often rose and fell
so that I wept and was happy with their losses and gains;
when they had got their position and the civil wars
had completely blown over, they themselves, the victors,
began to make war against each other–brother on brother,
blood on blood, self against self. Oh, appalling
and terrible outrage, and your damned anger,
or let me die, and so see no more death.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Come, come, my boy; we will to
sanctuary.
Madam, farewell.
Come, come, my boy; we will go to a safe place.
Madam, farewell.
DUCHESS.
Stay, I will go with you.
Wait, I will come with you.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
You have no cause.
You have no reason to.
ARCHBISHOP.
[To the QUEEN]My gracious lady, go.
And thither bear your treasure and your goods.
For my part, I'll resign unto your Grace
The seal I keep; and so betide to me
As well I tender you and all of yours!
Go, I'll conduct you to the sanctuary.
Go, my gracious lady.
And take your treasure and your goods there as well.
As from me, I shall give to your Grace
the Royal seal I have; and so treat me
the same way I treat you and all of yours!
Come, I'll escort you to the sanctuary.
Exeunt
London. A street
The trumpets sound. Enter the PRINCE OF WALES, RICHARD,
BUCKINGHAM,
CATESBY, CARDINAL BOURCHIER, and others
BUCKINGHAM.
Welcome, sweet Prince, to London, to your
chamber.
Welcome, sweet prince, to London, to your capital.
RICHARD.
Welcome, dear cousin, my thoughts' sovereign.
The weary way hath made you melancholy.
Welcome, dear cousin, the ruler of my thoughts.
The tiring journey has made you depressed.
PRINCE.
No, uncle; but our crosses on the way
Have made it tedious, wearisome, and heavy.
I want more uncles here to welcome me.
No, uncle; but the troubles we had on the way
have made it tedious, tiresome and dull.
There should be more uncles here to welcome me.
RICHARD.
Sweet Prince, the untainted virtue of your
years
Hath not yet div'd into the world's deceit;
Nor more can you distinguish of a man
Than of his outward show; which, God He knows,
Seldom or never jumpeth with the heart.
Those uncles which you want were dangerous;
Your Grace attended to their sug'red words
But look'd not on the poison of their hearts.
God keep you from them and from such false friends!
Sweet Prince, your unblemished youthful innocence
hasn't yet plumb the depths of the world's deceit;
you can't tell anything about a man apart
from what he looks like; which, God knows,
hardly ever completely agrees with his heart.
Those uncles you are missing word dangerous;
your Grace listened to their sweet words
but didn't see the poison in their hearts.
May God save you from them and from other such false friends!
PRINCE.
God keep me from false friends! but they were
none.
God save me from false friends! But they were not.
RICHARD.
My lord, the Mayor of London comes to greet
you.
My Lord, the Mayor of London comes to greet you.
Enter the LORD MAYOR and his train
MAYOR.
God bless your Grace with health and happy days!
May God bless your grace with health and happiness!
PRINCE.
I thank you, good my lord, and thank you all.
I thought my mother and my brother York
Would long ere this have met us on the way.
Fie, what a slug is Hastings, that he comes not
To tell us whether they will come or no!
I thank you, my good lord, and thank you all.
I thought my mother and my brother York
would have met us on our journey long before this.
What a slug Hastings is, not coming
to tell us whether they are coming or not!
Enter LORD HASTINGS
BUCKINGHAM.
And, in good time, here comes the sweating
Lord.
And, right on cue, here comes the sweating Lord.
PRINCE.
Welcome, my lord. What, will our mother come?
Welcome, my lord. Is my mother coming?
HASTINGS.
On what occasion, God He knows, not I,
The Queen your mother and your brother York
Have taken sanctuary. The tender Prince
Would fain have come with me to meet your Grace,
But by his mother was perforce withheld.
For what reason God only knows, I don't,
your mother the Queen and your brother York
have gone into a sanctuary. The young Prince
intended to come with me to meet your grace,
but his mother forcefully kept him back.
BUCKINGHAM.
Fie, what an indirect and peevish course
Is this of hers? Lord Cardinal, will your Grace
Persuade the Queen to send the Duke of York
Unto his princely brother presently?
If she deny, Lord Hastings, go with him
And from her jealous arms pluck him perforce.
What deceitful and perverse course of action
is she taking? Lord Cardinal, will your Grace
persuade the Queen to send the Duke of York
to his princely brother at once?
Go with him, Lord Hastings, and if she refuses
take him by force from her jealous arms.
&
nbsp; CARDINAL.
My Lord of Buckingham, if my weak oratory
Can from his mother win the Duke of York,
Anon expect him here; but if she be obdurate
To mild entreaties, God in heaven forbid
We should infringe the holy privilege
Of blessed sanctuary! Not for all this land
Would I be guilty of so deep a sin.
My Lord Buckingham, if my poor speech
can persuaded his mother to give up the Duke of York,
expect him here soon; but if she is obstinate
in the face of our pleas, God in heaven forbid
that we would disobeyed the holy privilege
of blessed sanctuary! I would not commit
such a sin for the whole kingdom.
BUCKINGHAM.
You are too senseless-obstinate, my lord,
Too ceremonious and traditional.
Weigh it but with the grossness of this age,
You break not sanctuary in seizing him.
The benefit thereof is always granted
To those whose dealings have deserv'd the place
And those who have the wit to claim the place.
This Prince hath neither claim'd it nor deserv'd it,
And therefore, in mine opinion, cannot have it.
Then, taking him from thence that is not there,