The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 52
I beg you not to be offended:
I cannot and I will not agree.
BUCKINGHAM.
If you refuse it-as, in love and zeal,
Loath to depose the child, your brother's son;
As well we know your tenderness of heart
And gentle, kind, effeminate remorse,
Which we have noted in you to your kindred
And equally indeed to all estates-
Yet know, whe'er you accept our suit or no,
Your brother's son shall never reign our king;
But we will plant some other in the throne
To the disgrace and downfall of your house;
And in this resolution here we leave you.
Come, citizens. Zounds, I'll entreat no more.
If you refuse it–through love and piety,
not wanting to overthrow the child, the son of your brother;
we are well aware of your tender heart
and your gentle, kind, womanish penitence,
which we have seen you show to your family
and indeed just as much to all people–
you should know that whether you agree or not,
your brother's son shall never reign as our King;
we shall put someone else on the throne
which will lead to the disgrace and downfall of your house;
we shall leave you here and do this.
Come, citizens. By God, I shall beg no more.
RICHARD.
O, do not swear, my lord of Buckingham.
Oh, do not swear, my Lord of Buckingham!
Exeunt BUCKINGHAM, MAYOR, and citizens
CATESBY.
Call him again, sweet Prince, accept their suit.
If you deny them, all the land will rue it.
Call him back, sweet prince, accept their request.
If you refuse them, the whole country will regret it.
RICHARD.
Will you enforce me to a world of cares?
Call them again. I am not made of stones,
But penetrable to your kind entreaties,
Albeit against my conscience and my soul.
Re-enter BUCKINGHAM and the rest
Cousin of Buckingham, and sage grave men,
Since you will buckle fortune on my back,
To bear her burden, whe'er I will or no,
I must have patience to endure the load;
But if black scandal or foul-fac'd reproach
Attend the sequel of your imposition,
Your mere enforcement shall acquittance me
From all the impure blots and stains thereof;
For God doth know, and you may partly see,
How far I am from the desire of this.
Do you want me to accept a world of trouble?
Call them back. I am not made of stone,
but I am affected by your kind requests,
even though they are against my conscience and my soul.
My cousin Buckingham, and you wise respected men,
since you insist on placing this burden of fate
on my back, whether I want it or not,
I must be strong enough to accept it;
but if scandal or criticism comes my way
as a result of your imposition,
the fact that you have forced me shall make me
innocent of the dark stain of that;
for God knows, and you can partly see,
how much I do not want this.
MAYOR.
God bless your Grace! We see it, and will say it.
God bless your Grace! We can see it, and will tell everyone.
RICHARD.
In saying so, you shall but say the truth.
If you say it, you will only be telling the truth.
BUCKINGHAM.
Then I salute you with this royal title-
Long live King Richard, England's worthy King!
Then I salute you with this royal title–
Long live King Richard, England's worthy King!
ALL.
Amen.
Amen.
BUCKINGHAM.
To-morrow may it please you to be crown'd?
Will you agree to be crowned tomorrow?
RICHARD.
Even when you please, for you will have it so.
Whenever you want, it's you who wants it.
BUCKINGHAM.
To-morrow, then, we will attend your Grace;
And so, most joyfully, we take our leave.
Then tomorrow we will come to your Grace;
and so, with great joy, we shall leave you.
RICHARD.
[To the BISHOPS]Come, let us to our holy
work again.
Farewell, my cousin; farewell, gentle friends.
Come, let us return to our holy work.
Farewell, my cousin; farewell,kind friends.
Exeunt
London. Before the Tower
Enter QUEEN ELIZABETH, DUCHESS of YORK, and MARQUIS of DORSET, at
one door;
ANNE, DUCHESS of RICHARD, leading LADY MARGARET PLANTAGENET,
CLARENCE's young daughter, at another door
DUCHESS.
Who meets us here? My niece Plantagenet,
Led in the hand of her kind aunt of Gloucester?
Now, for my life, she's wand'ring to the Tower,
On pure heart's love, to greet the tender Princes.
Daughter, well met.
Who is this who meets us here? My niece Plantagenet,
led by the hand by her kind aunt Gloucester?
Now, I swear, she's going to the Tower,
out of pure love, to greet the young Princes.
Daughter, good to see you.
ANNE.
God give your Graces both
A happy and a joyful time of day!
May God give both your Graces
comfort and joy!
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
As much to you, good sister! Whither
away?
The same to you, good sister! Where are you going?
ANNE.
No farther than the Tower; and, as I guess,
Upon the like devotion as yourselves,
To gratulate the gentle Princes there.
Just as far as the Tower; and, I'm guessing,
on the same errand as yourselves,
to salute the young princes there.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Kind sister, thanks; we'll enter
all together.
Enter BRAKENBURY
And in good time, here the lieutenant comes.
Master Lieutenant, pray you, by your leave,
How doth the Prince, and my young son of York?
Thank you, kind sister; we'll all go in together.
And right on time, here comes the lieutenant.
Master Lieutenant, would you please tell me
how is the Prince, and my young son York?
BRAKENBURY.
Right well, dear madam. By your patience,
I may not suffer you to visit them.
The King hath strictly charg'd the contrary.
Very well, dear madam. If you'll excuse me,
I can't let you visit them.
The King has given strict orders.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
The King! Who's that?
The King! Who's that?
BRAKENBURY.
I mean the Lord Protector.
I mean the Lord Protector.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
The Lord protect him from that kingly
title!
Hath he set bounds between their love and me?
I am their mother; who shall bar me from them?
May the Lord protect him from taking the title of King!
Is he setting limits on the love between them and me?
I am their mother; who will keep me from them?
DUCHESS.
I am their father's mother; I will see them
.
I am their father's mother; I insist on seeing them.
ANNE.
Their aunt I am in law, in love their mother.
Then bring me to their sights; I'll bear thy blame,
And take thy office from thee on my peril.
I am legally their aunt, but I love them like a mother.
Take me to see them; I'll take the blame for you,
and absolve you from any responsibility.
BRAKENBURY.
No, madam, no. I may not leave it so;
I am bound by oath, and therefore pardon me.
No, madam, no. This cannot be;
I am bound by oath, and so you must excuse me.
Exit
Enter STANLEY
STANLEY.
Let me but meet you, ladies, one hour hence,
And I'll salute your Grace of York as mother
And reverend looker-on of two fair queens.
[To ANNE]Come, madam, you must straight to
Westminster,
There to be crowned Richard's royal queen.
If I only met you one hour later, ladies,
I would salute your Grace of York as mother
and revered observer of two lovely queens.
[To Anne] Come, madam, you must go straight to Westminster,
where you will be crowned as Richard's royal queen.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Ah, cut my lace asunder
That my pent heart may have some scope to beat,
Or else I swoon with this dead-killing news!
Oh, unlace my corset
so that my imprisoned heart can have room to beat,
otherwise I will faint at this fatal news.
ANNE.
Despiteful tidings! O unpleasing news!
Horrible report! Unpleasant news!
DORSET.
Be of good cheer; mother, how fares your Grace?
Be happy; mother, how are you?
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
O Dorset, speak not to me, get thee
gone!
Death and destruction dogs thee at thy heels;
Thy mother's name is ominous to children.
If thou wilt outstrip death, go cross the seas,
And live with Richmond, from the reach of hell.
Go, hie thee, hie thee from this slaughter-house,
Lest thou increase the number of the dead,
And make me die the thrall of Margaret's curse,
Nor mother, wife, nor England's counted queen.
Oh Dorset, do not speak to me, go away!
Death and destruction are pursuing you;
your mother's name is dangerous to children.
If you want to escape death, cross the sea,
go and live with Richmond, out of reach of hell.
Go, get away, get away from this slaughterhouse,
in case you increase the number of dead,
and make me die the way Margaret's curse predicted,
neither mother, wife, nor recognised Queen of England.
STANLEY.
Full of wise care is this your counsel, madam.
Take all the swift advantage of the hours;
You shall have letters from me to my son
In your behalf, to meet you on the way.
Be not ta'en tardy by unwise delay.
Your advice is full of loving wisdom, madam.
You should act as quickly as you can;
I shall give you letters of recommendation
to my son, I'll send them after you.
Don't be caught out by any foolish delay.
DUCHESS.
O ill-dispersing wind of misery!
O my accursed womb, the bed of death!
A cockatrice hast thou hatch'd to the world,
Whose unavoided eye is murderous.
Oh scattering wind of misery!
Oh my cursed womb, the bed of death!
You have released a basilisk into the world,
and to look him in the eye is death.
STANLEY.
Come, madam, come; I in all haste was sent.
Come, madam, come; I was told to hurry.
ANNE.
And I with all unwillingness will go.
O, would to God that the inclusive verge
Of golden metal that must round my brow
Were red-hot steel, to sear me to the brains!
Anointed let me be with deadly venom,
And die ere men can say 'God save the Queen!'
And I will go as unwillingly as you could imagine.
Oh, I wish to God that the circle of
gold metal that will surround my head
was red-hot steel, to burn my brains!
Let me be anointed with deadly poison,
so I can die before men can say ‘God save the Queen!’
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Go, go, poor soul; I envy not thy glory.
To feed my humour, wish thyself no harm.
Go, go, poor soul; I do not envy your glory.
For my sake, do not wish harm upon yourself.
ANNE.
No, why? When he that is my husband now
Came to me, as I follow'd Henry's corse;
When scarce the blood was well wash'd from his hands
Which issued from my other angel husband,
And that dear saint which then I weeping follow'd-
O, when, I say, I look'd on Richard's face,
This was my wish: 'Be thou' quoth I 'accurs'd
For making me, so young, so old a widow;
And when thou wed'st, let sorrow haunt thy bed;
And be thy wife, if any be so mad,
More miserable by the life of thee
Than thou hast made me by my dear lord's death.'
Lo, ere I can repeat this curse again,
Within so small a time, my woman's heart
Grossly grew captive to his honey words
And prov'd the subject of mine own soul's curse,
Which hitherto hath held my eyes from rest;
For never yet one hour in his bed
Did I enjoy the golden dew of sleep,
But with his timorous dreams was still awak'd.
Besides, he hates me for my father Warwick;
And will, no doubt, shortly be rid of me.
Why not? When the one who is now my husband
came to me as I followed Henry's body,
when the blood has hardly been washed from his hands
which came from my other angelic husband,
that dear saint whom I was following, weeping;
when, I tell you, I looked on Richard's face
this is what I wished: ‘May you’, I said, ‘be cursed
for making me, so young, such an old widow;
and when you marry, may sorrow attend your bed;
and may your wife–if anyone is mad enough to marry you–
be made more miserable by you
then you have made me through killing my dear Lord.’
Then in the time it took me to say this curse,
such a short time, my woman's heart
was disgracefully taken in by his sweet words,
and made myself the subject of my own soul's curse,
and I have never had a moment's sleep since then;
for there hasn't been a single hour in his bed
when I was enjoying the golden blessing of sleep
that I have been awoken by his evil dreams.
Besides, he hates me because my father was Warwick,
and he will no doubt shortly rid himself of me.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Poor heart, adieu! I pity thy complaining.
Poor dear, goodbye! I sympathise with your sorrow.
ANNE.
No more than with my soul I mourn for yours.
No more than I mourn for your soul with mine.
DORSET.
Farewell, thou woeful welcomer of glory!
F
arewell, you sad recipient of glory!
ANNE.
Adieu, poor soul, that tak'st thy leave of it!
Goodbye, poor soul, who is leaving it!
DUCHESS.
[To DORSET]Go thou to Richmond, and good
fortune guide thee!
[To ANNE]Go thou to Richard, and good angels tend
thee![To QUEEN ELIZABETH]Go thou to sanctuary, and good
thoughts possess thee!
I to my grave, where peace and rest lie with me!
Eighty odd years of sorrow have I seen,
And each hour's joy wreck'd with a week of teen.
[To Dorset] Go to Richmond, and may good fortune guide you!
[To Anne] You go to Richard, and may good angels watch over you!
[To Queen Elizabeth] You seek sanctuary, and may you be
full of good thoughts!
I am going to my grave, and let peace and rest find me there!
I have seen eighty odd years of sorrow,
and every hour of joy has been matched by a week of misery.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Stay, yet look back with me unto the
Tower.
Pity, you ancient stones, those tender babes
Whom envy hath immur'd within your walls,
Rough cradle for such little pretty ones.
Rude ragged nurse, old sullen playfellow
For tender princes, use my babies well.
So foolish sorrows bids your stones farewell.
Wait, look back at the Tower with me.
You ancient stones, pity those tender children
whom envy has imprisoned within your walls,