The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 78
that ungrateful bird the cuckoo; you filled our nest,
became so huge from our feeding you
that even we who loved you dared not come near
for fear of being swallowed; we were forced
for our safety to flee from you and raise these forces:
so we are opposing you with weapons
you have created against yourself,
through unkind treatment, threatening behaviour,
and violation of all the oaths and promises
you made to us in those early days.
KING.
These things, indeed, you have articulate,
Proclaim'd at market-crosses, read in churches,
To face the garment of rebellion
With some fine colour that may please the eye
Of fickle changelings and poor discontents,
Which gape and rub the elbow at the news
Of hurlyburly innovation:
And never yet did insurrection want
Such water-colours to impaint his cause;
Nor moody beggars, starving for a time
Of pellmell havoc and confusion.
These are the things that you have mentioned,
announced at market crosses, read out in churches,
to dress up the clothes of rebellion
with some lovely colour to please the eye
of fickle changeable people and poor malcontents,
who gape and jostle at the news
of any new disturbance;
no rebellion ever lacked
this type of excuse to dress up its cause,
or sullen beggars eager for a time
of riot and confusion.
PRINCE.
In both our armies there is many a soul
Shall pay full dearly for this encounter,
If once they join in trial. Tell your nephew,
The Prince of Wales doth join with all the world
In praise of Henry Percy:by my hopes,
This present enterprise set off his head,
I do not think a braver gentleman,
More active-valiant or more valiant-young,
More daring or more bold, is now alive
To grace this latter age with noble deeds.
For my part,--I may speak it to my shame,--
I have a truant been to chivalry;
And so I hear he doth account me too:
Yet this before my father's Majesty,--
I am content that he shall take the odds
Of his great name and estimation,
And will, to save the blood on either side,
Try fortune with him in a single fight.
There are many souls in both our armies
who will pay the ultimate price for our battle,
once it begins.Tell your nephew
that the Prince of Wales praises Henry Percy
like the rest of the world; it's my opinion,
discounting this current business,
that there isn't a braver gentleman,
more active - braver or less brave -
more daring or bold currently alive
to grace this current age with noble deeds.
For my part - I say it with shame-
I have been a stranger to chivalry;
and I've heard he thinks the same:
but I swear this before my royal father,
that I am happy for him to bring
his great name and fame and,
to save bloodshed on both sides,
to try my luck with him in single combat.
KING.
And, Prince of Wales, so dare we venture thee,
Albeit considerations infinite
Do make against it.--No, good Worcester, no;
We love our people well; even those we love
That are misled upon your cousin's part;
And, will they take the offer of our grace,
Both he, and they, and you, yea, every man
Shall be my friend again, and I'll be his:
So tell your cousin, and then bring me word
What he will do:but, if he will not yield,
Rebuke and dread correction wait on us,
And they shall do their office. So, be gone;
We will not now be troubled with reply:
We offer fair; take it advisedly.
And, Prince of Wales, I am prepared to risk you,
even though there are many great reasons
not to do it.No, good Worcester, no;
I love my people well; I love even those
who have been misled by your cousin;
and, if they will accept my offer of pardon,
both he, and they, and you, yes, every man,
will be my friend again, and I shall be his:
tell your cousin this, and then bring me word
of what he will do: but, if he won't back down,
a terrible vengeance will be their punishment.
So, go; I don't want an answer now:
it's a fair offer; you'd be wise to consider it.
[Exit Worcester with Vernon.]
PRINCE.
It will not be accepted, on my life:
The Douglas and the Hotspur both together
Are confident against the world in arms.
I swear they won't accept it:
Douglas and Hotspur together
back themselves against anyone in a fight.
KING.
Hence, therefore, every leader to his charge;
For, on their answer, will we set on them:
And God befriend us, as our cause is just!
So, every leader must go to his forces;
once we have their answer we shall attack,
and may God help us, as our cause is just!
[Exeunt the King, Blunt, and Prince John.]
FAL.
Hal, if thou see me down in the battle, and bestride me,
so; 'tis a point of friendship.
Hal, if you see me fall in battle then stand over me;
that's what a friend should do.
PRINCE.
Nothing but a colossus can do thee that friendship.
Say thy prayers, and farewell.
Only a giant could stand over you.
Say your prayers, and good luck.
FAL.
I would it were bedtime, Hal, and all well.
I wish it was bedtime, Hal, and everything was settled.
PRINCE.
Why, thou owest God a death.
Well, you owe God a death.
[Exit.]
FAL.
'Tis not due yet; I would be loth to pay Him before His day.
What need I be so forward with him that calls not on me?
Well, 'tis no matter; honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour
prick me off when I come on? how then? Can honor set-to a leg?
no:or an arm? no:or take away the grief of a wound? no. Honour
hath no skill in surgery then? no. What is honour? a word. What
is that word, honour? air. A trim reckoning!--Who hath it? he that
died o' Wednesday. Doth he feel it? no. Doth be hear it? no. Is it
insensible, then? yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the
living? no. Why? detraction will not suffer it. Therefore I'll none
of it:honour is a mere scutcheon:--and so ends my catechism.
It's not due yet; I don't want to pay Him before the day comes.
Why should I offer before He asks for it?
Well, no matter; honour spurs me on.Yes, but what if honour
gets stuck into me when I go on?Can honour reattach a leg?
No: or an arm? No: or take away the pain of a wound? No.Has
honour any skill in surgery?No.What is honour?A word.What
is that word, honour?Breath.A heavy price!Who has it?Someone
who died on Wednesday.Can he feel it?No?Does he hear it?No.Is it useless, the
n?Yes, to the dead.But won't it stay with the living?No.
Why not?It won't stand up to criticism.So I want nothing to do
with it.Honour is just a dressing for a coffin: that's my opinion.
[Exit.]
[Enter Worcester and Vernon.]
WOR.
O no, my nephew must not know, Sir Richard,
The liberal-kind offer of the King.
Oh no, Sir Richard, we mustn't let my nephew know
this generous kind offer from the King.
VER.
'Twere best he did.
It's best he does.
WOR.
Then are we all undone.
It is not possible, it cannot be,
The King should keep his word in loving us;
He will suspect us still, and find a time
To punish this offence in other faults:
Suspicion all our lives shall be stuck full of eyes;
For treason is but trusted like the fox,
Who, ne'er so tame, so cherish'd, and lock'd up,
Will have a wild trick of his ancestors.
Look how we can, or sad or merrily,
Interpretation will misquote our looks;
And we shall feed like oxen at a stall,
The better cherish'd, still the nearer death.
My nephew's trespass may be well forgot:
It hath th' excuse of youth and heat of blood,
And an adopted name of privilege,--
A hare-brain'd Hotspur, govern'd by a spleen:
All his offences live upon my head
And on his father's:we did train him on;
And, his corruption being ta'en from us,
We, as the spring of all, shall pay for all.
Therefore, good cousin, let not Harry know,
In any case, the offer of the King.
Then we are all lost.
It isn't possible, it can't happen,
that the King would keep his word to love us;
he will still suspect us, and find a time
to punish our offences in other ways:
we will always be looked at with suspicion,
for treason can only be trusted like a fox,
who, however tame, however loved and domesticated,
will always retain his wild side.
However we look, sad or happy,
we will be misinterpreted,
and we will be like oxen feeding in a stall,
more pampered the nearer we get to death.
My nephew's rebellion might well be forgotten,
excused by his youth and his passion,
and a nickname which allows him to be rash–
harebrained Hotspur, governed by spleen:
all his offences will fall on the head of me
and his father. We encouraged him,
and, having been led astray by us,
we as the instigators will pay for everything:
therefore, good cousin, do not let Harry know
the offer of the King under any circumstances.
VER.
Deliver what you will, I'll say 'tis so.
Here comes your cousin.
Say what you want, I shall back you.
Here comes your cousin.
[Enter Hotspur and Douglas; Officers and Soldiers behind.]
HOT.
My uncle is return'd: deliver up
My Lord of Westmoreland.--Uncle, what news?
My uncle has come back: bring me
my Lord of Westmorland. Uncle, what's the news?
WOR.
The King will bid you battle presently.
The King will invite you to battle soon.
DOUG.
Defy him by the Lord Of Westmoreland.
Send a message of defiance by the Lord of Westmorland.
HOT.
Lord Douglas, go you and tell him so.
Lord Douglas, you go and tell him so.
DOUG.
Marry, I shall, and very willingly.
I certainly shall, very willingly.
[Exit.]
WOR.
There is no seeming mercy in the King.
It seems the king has no mercy.
HOT.
Did you beg any? God forbid!
Did you beg for any? Heaven forbid!
WOR.
I told him gently of our grievances,
Of his oath-breaking; which he mended thus,
By new-forswearing that he is forsworn:
He calls us rebels, traitors; and will scourge
With haughty arms this hateful name in us.
I told him politely of our grievances,
about his oath breaking; he answered
with yet another false oath:
he calls us rebels, traitors; and he will tear
at our hated name with his arrogant forces.
[Re-enter Douglas.]
DOUG.
Arm, gentlemen; to arms! for I have thrown
A brave defiance in King Henry's teeth,
And Westmoreland, that was engaged, did bear it;
Which cannot choose but bring him quickly on.
Arm yourselves, gentlemen; arm yourselves! I have thrown
brave defiance back in King Henry's face,
and Westmorland has taken it to him as I ordered;
that can't help but bring him on quickly.
WOR.
The Prince of Wales stepp'd forth before the King,
And, nephew, challenged you to single fight.
The Prince of Wales stepped out ahead of the King,
and, nephew, challenged you to single combat.
HOT.
O, would the quarrel lay upon our heads;
And that no man might draw short breath to-day
But I and Harry Monmouth! Tell me, tell me,
How show'd his tasking? seem'd it in contempt?
Oh, I would like for just the two of us to fight,
so that no man today would fight apart from
me and Harry Monmouth! Tell me, tell me,
what was his challenge like? Did it seem contemptuous?
VER.
No, by my soul: I never in my life
Did hear a challenge urged more modestly,
Unless a brother should a brother dare
To gentle exercise and proof of arms.
He gave you all the duties of a man;
Trimm'd up your praises with a princely tongue;
Spoke your deservings like a chronicle;
Making you ever better than his praise,
By still dispraising praise valued with you;
And, which became him like a prince indeed,
He made a blushing cital of himself;
And chid his truant youth with such a grace,
As if he master'd there a double spirit,
Of teaching and of learning instantly.
There did he pause:but let me tell the world,
If he outlive the envy of this day,
England did never owe so sweet a hope,
So much misconstrued in his wantonness.
No, I swear: I never in my life
Heard a more modest challenge,
it was like a brother challenging a brother
to a gentle fencing match.
He acknowledged all your virtues as a man;
he richly praised you with a princely tongue;
he spoke of your reputation like a history book;
he made you seem even greater than his praise,
by saying that his praises could not do you justice;
and, what was very princely of him,
he made a very modest assessment of himself;
he criticised his wasted youth with such grace,
as if he had managed the trick of
teaching and learning simultaneously.
He paused there there: but let me tell the world–
if he survives the evils of this day,
England neve
r had such a great hope
who has been so misunderstood through his behaviour.
HOT.
Cousin, I think thou art enamoured
Upon his follies: never did I hear
Of any prince so wild o' liberty.
But be he as he will, yet once ere night
I will embrace him with a soldier's arm,
That he shall shrink under my courtesy.--
Arm, arm with speed:and, fellows, soldiers, friends,
Better consider what you have to do
Than I, that have not well the gift of tongue,
Can lift your blood up with persuasion.
Cousin, you seem to be charmed
by his foolishness: I never heard
of any prince who was such a libertine.
But whatever he's like, before nightfall
I will give him the embrace of a soldier,
and he shall fall down from my affection.
Arm yourselves, quickly: and, fellows, soldiers, friends,
think of what you have to do, you can
do that better for yourselves, I don't have
the gift of the gab to get you going.
[Enter a Messenger.]
MESS.
My lord, here are letters for you.
My Lord, here are letters for you.
HOT.
I cannot read them now.--
O gentlemen, the time of life is short!
To spend that shortness basely were too long,
If life did ride upon a dial's point,
Still ending at th' arrival of an hour.
An if we live, we live to tread on kings;
If die, brave death, when princes die with us!
Now, for our consciences, the arms are fair,
When the intent of bearing them is just.
I cannot read them now.
Oh gentlemen, life is short!
If life was just an hour long
it would still be too long if it was not
spent wisely.
If we live, we live to triumph over Kings,