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

by William Shakespeare

  that this country has ever seen.

  Dighton and Forrest, whom I employed

  to commit this act of ruthless luxury–

  even though they were hardened villains, bloody dogs–

  broke down with tenderness and soft compassion,

  they wept like two children, telling the story of their deaths.

  Dighton said, ‘The gentle babies lay like this’;

  ‘Like this, like this’, said Forrest, ‘hugging one another

  with their innocent spotless arms;

  their lips were like four red roses on a stalk

  kissing each other in their summer beauty.

  There was a book of prayers lying on their pillow,

  which almost’, Forrest said, ‘changed my mind.

  But oh, the devil–’ the villain stopped there,

  and Dighton continued: ‘We smothered the most perfect thing

  that nature ever made from the perfection of creation.’

  They have both gone away full of conscience and remorse;

  they could not speak, and so I left them both

  to bring the murderous King the news;

  and here he comes. Your health, your Majesty.

  KING RICHARD.

  Kind Tyrrel, am I happy in thy news?

  Kind Tyrrel, do you have news to make me happy?

  TYRREL.

  If to have done the thing you gave in charge

  Beget your happiness, be happy then,

  For it is done.

  If having done the thing you ordered

  will make you happy, then be happy,

  for it is done.

  KING RICHARD.

  But didst thou see them dead?

  But did you see them dead?

  TYRREL.

  I did, my lord.

  I did, my lord.

  KING RICHARD.

  And buried, gentle Tyrrel?

  And buried, kind Tyrrel?

  TYRREL.

  The chaplain of the Tower hath buried them;

  But where, to say the truth, I do not know.

  The chaplain of the Tower has buried them;

  but to tell the truth I don't know where.

  KING RICHARD.

  Come to me, Tyrrel, soon at after supper,

  When thou shalt tell the process of their death.

  Meantime, but think how I may do thee good

  And be inheritor of thy desire.

  Farewell till then.

  Come to me, Tyrrel, after supper,

  and you shall tell me how they died.

  In the meantime, just think of what you'd like me to do for you,

  and you shall have it.

  Farewell until then.

  TYRREL.

  I humbly take my leave.

  I humbly take my leave.

  Exit

  KING RICHARD.

  The son of Clarence have I pent up close;

  His daughter meanly have I match'd in marriage;

  The sons of Edward sleep in Abraham's bosom,

  And Anne my wife hath bid this world good night.

  Now, for I know the Britaine Richmond aims

  At young Elizabeth, my brother's daughter,

  And by that knot looks proudly on the crown,

  To her go I, a jolly thriving wooer.

  I have got Clarence's son in custody;

  I have matched his daughter in a mean marriage;

  the sons of Edward dead,

  and my wife Anne has said good night to the world.

  Now, as I know that Richmond from Brittany has intentions

  upon the young Elizabeth,the daughter of my brother,

  and hopes through that marriage to gain the crown,

  then off I go to see her, a jolly prosperous suitor.

  Enter RATCLIFF

  RATCLIFF.

  My lord!

  My lord!

  KING RICHARD.

  Good or bad news, that thou com'st in so

  bluntly?

  Is it good or bad news that has you barging in?

  RATCLIFF.

  Bad news, my lord: Morton is fled to Richmond;

  And Buckingham, back'd with the hardy Welshmen,

  Is in the field, and still his power increaseth.

  Bad news, my lord: Morton has fled to Richmond;

  and Buckingham, supported by the strong Welshmen,

  is threatening battle, and his forces are increasing.

  KING RICHARD.

  Ely with Richmond troubles me more near

  Than Buckingham and his rash-levied strength.

  Come, I have learn'd that fearful commenting

  Is leaden servitor to dull delay;

  Delay leads impotent and snail-pac'd beggary.

  Then fiery expedition be my wing,

  Jove's Mercury, and herald for a king!

  Go, muster men. My counsel is my shield.

  We must be brief when traitors brave the field.

  Ely allied to Richmond worries me more

  than Buckingham and his quickly raised forces.

  Come: I have learned that nervous discussion

  is what leads to stupid delay;

  delay leads to powerless slow defeat:

  so let me take fiery swift action,

  which will announce the arrival of the king into battle!

  Go, gather forces. My weapons will be my advisers.

  We must hurry when traitors are on the attack.

  Exeunt

  London. Before the palace

  Enter old QUEEN MARGARET

  QUEEN MARGARET.

  So now prosperity begins to mellow

  And drop into the rotten mouth of death.

  Here in these confines slily have I lurk'd

  To watch the waning of mine enemies.

  A dire induction am I witness to,

  And will to France, hoping the consequence

  Will prove as bitter, black, and tragical.

  Withdraw thee, wretched Margaret. Who comes here?

  So now the fruit of summer begins to mellow

  and drop into the rotten mouth of death.

  I have cunningly hidden round these parts

  to watchmy enemies fall.

  I have seen a terrible prologue,

  and shall go to France, hoping the outcome

  will be as bitter, black and tragic as the beginning.

  Hide yourself, wretched Margaret. Who is this coming?

  [Retires]

  Enter QUEEN ELIZABETH and the DUCHESS OF YORK

  QUEEN ELIZABETH.

  Ah, my poor princes! ah, my tender

  babes!

  My unblown flowers, new-appearing sweets!

  If yet your gentle souls fly in the air

  And be not fix'd in doom perpetual,

  Hover about me with your airy wings

  And hear your mother's lamentation.

  Ah, my poor Princes! Ah, my tender babies!

  My immature flowers, my newly opened blossoms!

  If your gentle souls are still flying in the air

  and have not yet been allocated their place in the afterlife,

  hover around me with your fairy wings

  and hear your mother's lamentation.

  QUEEN MARGARET.

  Hover about her; say that right for right

  Hath dimm'd your infant morn to aged night.

  Hover around her; say that tit for tat

  is what has made a night out of your infant morning.

  DUCHESS.

  So many miseries have craz'd my voice

  That my woe-wearied tongue is still and mute.

  Edward Plantagenet, why art thou dead?

  So many miseries have cracked my voice

  that my sorrowful tongue is mute.

  Edward Plantagenet, why are you dead?

  QUEEN MARGARET.

  Plantagenet doth quit Plantagenet,

  Edward for Edward pays a dying debt.

  Plantagenet has paid bac
k Plantagenet,

  Edward has paid a dying debt for Edward.

  QUEEN ELIZABETH.

  Wilt thou, O God, fly from such gentle

  lambs

  And throw them in the entrails of the wolf?

  When didst thou sleep when such a deed was done?

  Will you, O God, abandon such gentle lambs

  and allow them to be eaten by the wolf?

  When were you sleeping when this deed was done?

  QUEEN MARGARET.

  When holy Harry died, and my sweet

  son.

  When holy Harry died, and my sweet son.

  DUCHESS.

  Dead life, blind sight, poor mortal living ghost,

  Woe's scene, world's shame, grave's due by life usurp'd,

  Brief abstract and record of tedious days,

  Rest thy unrest on England's lawful earth,[Sitting down]

  Unlawfully made drunk with innocent blood.

  Life is dead, sight is blind, poor mortal living ghost,

  the picture of woe, the shame of the world, what should be in the grave still living,

  symbol of these terrible days,

  rest your misery on the lawful earth of England,

  made unlawfully drunk with innocent blood.

  QUEEN ELIZABETH.

  Ah, that thou wouldst as soon afford a

  grave

  As thou canst yield a melancholy seat!

  Then would I hide my bones, not rest them here.

  Ah, who hath any cause to mourn but we?

  Ah, I wish you could as easily provide a grave

  as you can a seat of sadness!

  Then I would hide my bones away, not just rest them here.

  Ah, who has any reason to mourn but us?

  [Sitting down by her]

  QUEEN MARGARET.

  [Coming forward]If ancient sorrow be

  most reverend,

  Give mine the benefit of seniory,

  And let my griefs frown on the upper hand.

  If sorrow can admit society,[Sitting down with them]

  Tell o'er your woes again by viewing mine.

  I had an Edward, till a Richard kill'd him;

  I had a husband, till a Richard kill'd him:

  Thou hadst an Edward, till a Richard kill'd him;

  Thou hadst a Richard, till a Richard kill'd him.

  If the oldest sorrow is the most respected,

  give mine the benefits of seniority,

  and let my grief look down on yours from above.

  If sorrow can cope with company,

  you can see all yours again in mine.

  I had an Edward, until a Richard killed him;

  I had a husband, until a Richard killed him;

  you had an Edward, until a Richard killed him;

  you had a Richard, until a Richard killed him.

  DUCHESS.

  I had a Richard too, and thou didst kill him;

  I had a Rutland too, thou holp'st to kill him.

  I had a Richard too, and you killed him;

  I had a Rutland too, you helped to kill him.

  QUEEN MARGARET.

  Thou hadst a Clarence too, and Richard

  kill'd him.

  From forth the kennel of thy womb hath crept

  A hell-hound that doth hunt us all to death.

  That dog, that had his teeth before his eyes

  To worry lambs and lap their gentle blood,

  That foul defacer of God's handiwork,

  That excellent grand tyrant of the earth

  That reigns in galled eyes of weeping souls,

  Thy womb let loose to chase us to our graves.

  O upright, just, and true-disposing God,

  How do I thank thee that this carnal cur

  Preys on the issue of his mother's body

  And makes her pew-fellow with others' moan!

  You also have a Clarence, and Richard killed him.

  From out of the kennel of your womb there has crept

  a hell hound that is hunting us all to death.

  That dog, that grew teeth before it grew eyes,

  to worry lambs and drink their gentle blood,

  that foul vandaliser of God's handiwork,

  that unparalleled earthly tyrant

  who rules in the sore eyes of weeping souls,

  that was what your womb unleashed to chase us to our graves.

  O upright, just and fair dealing God,

  how I thank you that this lusty cur

  is preying on his mother's other children

  and makes her sit down with her fellow sufferers.

  DUCHESS.

  O Harry's wife, triumph not in my woes!

  God witness with me, I have wept for thine.

  Oh wife of Harry, do not rejoice in my sorrow!

  As God is my witness, I wept for yours.

  QUEEN MARGARET.

  Bear with me; I am hungry for revenge,

  And now I cloy me with beholding it.

  Thy Edward he is dead, that kill'd my Edward;

  The other Edward dead, to quit my Edward;

  Young York he is but boot, because both they

  Match'd not the high perfection of my loss.

  Thy Clarence he is dead that stabb'd my Edward;

  And the beholders of this frantic play,

  Th' adulterate Hastings, Rivers, Vaughan, Grey,

  Untimely smother'd in their dusky graves.

  Richard yet lives, hell's black intelligencer;

  Only reserv'd their factor to buy souls

  And send them thither. But at hand, at hand,

  Ensues his piteous and unpitied end.

  Earth gapes, hell burns, fiends roar, saints pray,

  To have him suddenly convey'd from hence.

  Cancel his bond of life, dear God, I pray,

  That I may live and say 'The dog is dead.'

  Bear with me; I am hungry for revenge,

  and I am feeding myself as I see it.

  Your Edward who killed my Edward is dead;

  the other Edward is dead, to pay for my Edward;

  young York is just small change, because together

  they did not add up to the high perfection of the one I lost.

  Your Clarence is dead who stabbed my Edward;

  and the ones who looked on at this vicious event,

  the adulterous Hastings, Rivers, Vaughan, Grey,

  have found early deaths in their dark graves.

  Richard, the black spy of hell, is still alive;

  hell keeps him as its agent to buy souls

  and send them there. But soon, soon,

  he will meet his terrible and un-pitied end.

  Earth is opening, hell burns, devils roar, saints pray,

  all wanting him to be suddenly carried away from here.

  Don't permit him any more life, dear God, I pray,

  so that I can live and say ‘The dog is dead.’

  QUEEN ELIZABETH.

  O, thou didst prophesy the time would

  come

  That I should wish for thee to help me curse

  That bottled spider, that foul bunch-back'd toad!

  Oh, you did prophesy that the time would come

  when I would ask for you to help me curse

  that swollen spider, that foul hunchbacked toad!

  QUEEN MARGARET.

  I Call'd thee then vain flourish of my

  fortune;

  I call'd thee then poor shadow, painted queen,

  The presentation of but what I was,

  The flattering index of a direful pageant,

  One heav'd a-high to be hurl'd down below,

  A mother only mock'd with two fair babes,

  A dream of what thou wast, a garish flag

  To be the aim of every dangerous shot,

  A sign of dignity, a breath, a bubble,

  A queen in jest, only to fill the scene.

  Where is thy husband now? Where be thy brothers?

 
Where be thy two sons? Wherein dost thou joy?

  Who sues, and kneels, and says 'God save the Queen'?

  Where be the bending peers that flattered thee?

  Where be the thronging troops that followed thee?

  Decline an this, and see what now thou art:

  For happy wife, a most distressed widow;

  For joyful mother, one that wails the name;

  For one being su'd to, one that humbly sues;

  For Queen, a very caitiff crown'd with care;

  For she that scorn'd at me, now scorn'd of me;

  For she being fear'd of all, now fearing one;

  For she commanding all, obey'd of none.

  Thus hath the course of justice whirl'd about

  And left thee but a very prey to time,

  Having no more but thought of what thou wast

  To torture thee the more, being what thou art.

  Thou didst usurp my place, and dost thou not

  Usurp the just proportion of my sorrow?

  Now thy proud neck bears half my burden'd yoke,

  From which even here I slip my weary head

  And leave the burden of it all on thee.

  Farewell, York's wife, and queen of sad mischance;

  These English woes shall make me smile in France.

  At that time I called you a vain imitation of what I should be;

  I called you a poor shadow, a painted queen,

  just an imitation of what I had been;

  a predictive prologue to the pageant of terrible things to come;

  you were one lifted up high, to be hurled down;

  a mother mocked by being given two fair babies;

  a dream of what you were; a gaudy flag

  for every dangerous shot to aim at;

  a symbol of dignity; a breath, a bubble;

  a joke Queen, just to complete the picture.

  Where is your husband now? Where are your brothers?

  Where are your two sons? Where do you get happiness?