The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 80
Thy name in arms were now as great as mine!
And it shall not be, Harry; for the time has come
for one of us to die; and I wish to God
that your reputation as a soldier was as great as mine!
PRINCE.
I'll make it greater ere I part from thee;
And all the budding honours on thy crest
I'll crop, to make a garland for my head.
I'll make it greater before I leave you;
and I'll take all those feathers of your helmet
to make a garland for my head.
HOT.
I can no longer brook thy vanities.
I shan't tolerate your vanity any longer.
[They fight.]
[Enter Falstaff.]
FAL.
Well said, Hal! to it, Hal! Nay, you shall find no boy's
play here, I can tell you.
Well said, Hal! Go to it, Hal! No, you will not find any
schoolboy fighting here, I can tell you.
[Re-enter Douglas; he fights with Falstaff, who falls down as if
he were dead, and exit Douglas. Hotspure is wounded, and falls.]
HOT.
O Harry, thou hast robb'd me of my youth!
I better brook the loss of brittle life
Than those proud titles thou hast won of me;
They wound my thoughts worse than thy sword my flesh:
But thoughts the slave of life, and life Time's fool,
And Time, that takes survey of all the world,
Must have a stop. O, I could prophesy,
But that the earthy and cold hand of death
Lies on my tongue:no, Percy, thou art dust,
And food for--
O Harry, you have stolen my youth away!
I don't mind losing my fragile life
as much as losing those proud titles you have won from me;
that hurts my thoughts more than your sword hurts my flesh:
but thought is the slave of life, and life isthe fool of time,
and time, that controls the whole world,
must come to an end. O, I could make predictions,
but the earthy cold hand of death
has taken my tongue: no, Percy, you are dust,
and food for–
[Dies.]
PRINCE.
For worms, brave Percy:fare thee well, great heart!
Ill-weaved ambition, how much art thou shrunk!
When that this body did contain a spirit,
A kingdom for it was too small a bound;
But now two paces of the vilest earth
Is room enough. This earth that bears thee dead
Bears not alive so stout a gentleman.
If thou wert sensible of courtesy,
I should not make so dear a show of zeal:
But let my favours hide thy mangled face;
And, even in thy behalf, I'll thank myself
For doing these fair rites of tenderness.
Adieu, and take thy praise with thee to Heaven!
Thy ignominy sleep with thee in the grave,
But not remember'd in thy epitaph!--
[Sees Falstaff on the ground.]
What, old acquaintance? could not all this flesh
Keep in a little life? Poor Jack, farewell!
I could have better spared a better man:
O, I should have a heavy miss of thee,
If I were much in love with vanity!
Death hath not struck so fat a deer to-day,
Though many dearer, in this bloody fray.
Embowell'd will I see thee by-and-by:
Till then in blood by noble Percy lie.
For worms, brave Percy: farewell, great heart!
Ill-conceived ambition, how you have shrunk!
when this body contained a spirit,
a kingdom was not big enough for it;
but now a couple of yards of low earth
is room enough.The earth that supports you dead
does not support a greater living man.
If you could hear what I'm saying,
I wouldn't be so polite about you:
but let my banner hide your mangled face;
and I'll thank myself on your behalf
for conducting these gentle last rites.
Goodbye, and take your fame with you to Heaven!
May your bad deeds stay in your grave,
and not be the way you are remembered!
What, my old friend?Couldn't all this flesh
retain a little life?Poor Jack, farewell!
I could have better spared a better man:
Oh, I would miss you greatly,
if I was in love with frivolity!
Death didn't hit a fatter target today,
though many better, in this bloody battle.
I'll see that you are buried soon:
until then lie in your blood next to noble Percy.
[Exit.]
FAL.
[Rising.] Embowell'd! if thou embowel me to-day, I'll give you leave
to powder me and eat me too to-morrow. 'Sblood, 'twas time to
counterfeit, or that hot termagant Scot had paid me scot and lot too.
Counterfeit! I lie; I am no counterfeit:to die, is to be a
counterfeit; for he is but the counterfeit of a man who hath not the
life of a man:but to counterfeit dying, when a man thereby liveth,
is to be no counterfeit, but the true and perfect image of life indeed.
The better part of valour is discretion; in the which better part I
have saved my life.--
Zwounds, I am afraid of this gunpowder Percy, though he be dead:how,
if he should counterfeit too, and rise? by my faith, I am afraid he
would prove the better counterfeit. Therefore I'll make him sure; yea,
and I'll swear I kill'd him. Why may not he rise as well as I?
Nothing confutes me but eyes, and nobody sees me. Therefore,
sirrah, with a new wound in your thigh, come you along with me.
Buried! If you bury me today, I'll give you permission
to pickle me and eat me tomorrow. By God, it was a time
to fake it, or that passionate quarrelling Scot would have finished me off.
Fake! I'm lying; I am not a fake: to die, is to be a
fake; for if you don't have the life of a man then you are just the imitation
of one: but to fake dying, in order to keep a man alive,
that is not faking, but the perfection of life.
The best part of valour is discretion; and using that better part I
have saved my life–
By God, I am afraid of this fiery Percy, although he is dead:
what if he is faking to, and gets up? By God, I am afraid he
would be a better faker. So I'll make sure of him; yes,
and I'll swear that I killed him. Why shouldn't he get up the same as I did?
Nobody could contradict me except an eyewitness, and there's nobody here. Therefore, Sir, with a new wound in your thigh, you come along with me.
[Takes Hotspur on his hack.]
[Re-enter Prince Henry and Lancaster.]
PRINCE.
Come, brother John; full bravely hast thou flesh'd
Thy maiden sword.
Come, brother John; you have done a good job
with your virgin sword.
LAN.
But, soft! whom have we here?
Did you not tell me this fat man was dead?
But wait! What's this?
Didn't you tell me this fat man was dead?
PRINCE.
I did; I saw him dead, breathless and bleeding
Upon the ground.--
Art thou alive? or is it fantasy
That plays upon our eyesight? I pr'ythee, speak;
We will not trust our eyes without our ears.
Thou art not what thou seem'st.
I did;
I saw him dead, breathless and bleeding
on the ground.
Are you alive? Or is it
a trick of the light? I beg you, speak;
we won't trust our eyes without our ears.
You are not what you seem.
FAL.
No, that's certain; I am not a double man:but if I be not
Jack Falstaff, then am I a Jack. There is Percy![Throwing the
body down.] if your father will do me any honour, so; if not, let
him kill the next Percy himself. I look to be either earl or
duke, I can assure you.
No, that's certain; I am not an apparition: but if I am not
Jack Falstaff, then I am a knave: there is Percy!
If your father wants to honour me for it, good; if not,
he can kill the next Percy himself. I can tell you I think I should be
either an earl or Duke.
PRINCE.
Why, Percy I kill'd myself, and saw thee dead.
Why, I killed Percy myself, and saw you dead.
FAL.
Didst thou?-- Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!--
I grant you I was down and out of breath; and so was he:but
we rose both at an instant, and fought a long hour by Shrewsbury
clock. If I may be believed, so; if not, let them that should
reward valour bear the sin upon their own heads. I'll take it upon
my death, I gave him this wound in the thigh:if the man were
alive, and would deny it, zwounds, I would make him eat a piece of
my sword.
Did you? Lord, Lord, how many liars there are in this world!
I admit I was down and out of breath; and so was he: but
we both rose at the same time, and fought for a long hour
by Shrewsbury clock. If you will believe me, good; if not, let those
who should reward bravery carry the sin on their heads. I swear
on my life, I gave him this wound in the thigh: if there is any man
alive who wants to deny it, by God, I will make him eat some of
my sword.
LAN.
This is the strangest tale that ever I heard.
This is the strangest tale I ever heard.
PRINCE.
This is the strangest fellow, brother John.--
Come, bring your luggage nobly on your back:
For my part, if a lie may do thee grace,
I'll gild it with the happiest terms I have.--
This is the strangest fellow, brother John.
Come, carry your luggage nobly on your back:
as for me, if a lie will do you good,
I'll help it along as best I can–
[A retreat is sounded.]
The trumpet sounds retreat; the day is ours.
Come, brother, let's to th' highest of the field,
To see what friends are living, who are dead.
The trumpet sounds the retreat; we have won.
Come, brother, let's go to the highest point of the battlefield,
to see what friends are alive, and who has died.
[Exeunt Prince Henry and Lancaster.]
FAL.
I'll follow, as they say, for reward. He that rewards me, God
reward him! If I do grow great, I'll grow less; for I'll purge,
and leave sack, and live cleanly as a nobleman should do.
I'll follow, as they say, for reward. Whoever rewards me, may
God reward him! If I become great, I shall shrink; for I will starve myself,
and leave off drinking, and live a clean life as a nobleman should.
[Exit, bearing off the body.]
[The trumpets sound. Enter King Henry, Prince Henry,
Lancaster, Westmoreland, and others, with Worcester and
Vernon prisoners.]
KING.
Thus ever did rebellion find rebuke.--
Ill-spirited Worcester! did not we send grace,
Pardon, and terms of love to all of you?
And wouldst thou turn our offers contrary?
Misuse the tenour of thy kinsman's trust?
Three knights upon our party slain to-day,
A noble earl, and many a creature else,
Had been alive this hour,
If, like a Christian, thou hadst truly borne
Betwixt our armies true intelligence.
And so rebellions have always failed.
Ill spirited Worcester! Didn't we offer forgiveness,
pardon, and love to all of you?
And you had to turn our offers down?
You abused the trust your kinsman placed in you.
Three knights from our army were killed today,
a noble Earl, and many other men,
who would have been alive now,
if you had behaved like a Christian and
truthfully carried the messages between our armies.
WOR.
What I have done my safety urged me to;
And I embrace this fortune patiently,
Since not to be avoided it fails on me.
I did what I had to for my own safety;
and I stoically accept my fate,
since it is unavoidable.
KING.
Bear Worcester to the death, and Vernon too:
Other offenders we will pause upon.--
[Exeunt Worcester and Vernon, guarded.]
How goes the field?
Take Worcester to be executed, and Vernon too:
we will suspend sentence on the other offenders–
how is the battle?
PRINCE.
The noble Scot, Lord Douglas, when he saw
The fortune of the day quite turn'd from him,
The noble Percy slain, and all his men
Upon the foot of fear, fled with the rest;
And, falling from a hill, he was so bruised
That the pursuers took him. At my tent
The Douglas is:and I beseech your Grace
I may dispose of him.
The noble Scot, Lord Douglas, when he saw
that the tide had quite turned against him,
with the noble Percy slain, and all his men
running in fear, he ran with the rest;
and, falling down a hill, he was so injured
that the pursuers captured him. The Douglas
is in my tent: and I beg your grace
that I be allowed to dispose of him.
KING.
With all my heart.
Of course.
PRINCE.
Then, brother John of Lancaster, to you
This honourable bounty shall belong:
Go to the Douglas, and deliver him
Up to his pleasure, ransomless and free:
His valour, shown upon our crests to-day,
Hath taught us how to cherish such high deeds
Even in the bosom of our adversaries.
Then, brother John of Lancaster, you
shall have this honourable task:
go to the Douglas, and let him
go where he wants, free without ransom:
his bravery, which you can see from the dents in my helmet,
has taught me how to value such great deeds,
even when they are done by our enemies.
KING.
Then this remains, that we divide our power.--
You, son John, and my cousin Westmoreland,
Towards York shall bend you with your dearest speed,
To meet Northumberland and the prelate Scroop,
Who, as we hear, are busily in arms:
Myself,--and you, son Harry,--will towards Wales,
To fight with Glendower and the Earl of March.
Rebellion in this land shall lose his sway,
Meeting the check of such another day;
And since this business so fair is done,
Let us not leave till all our own
be won.
Then all that remains is to divide our forces.
You, my son John, and my cousin Westmoreland,
shall go to York as fast as you can,
to fight Northumberland and the Bishop Scroop,
who, we hear, are busy arming themselves:
myself–and you, son Harry–will go towards Wales,
to fight with Glendower and the Earl of March.
If the rebellion has to face another day
like this one it will lose its power;
as we've had such a good result here,
let's not stop until we have triumphed over all.
[Exeunt.]
The End
In Plain and Simple English
RUMOUR, the Presenter.
KING HENRY the Fourth.
His sons
HENRY, PRINCE OF WALES, afterwards King Henry V.
THOMAS, DUKE OF CLARENCE.
PRINCE JOHN OF LANCASTER.
PRINCE HUMPHREY OF GLOUCESTER.
EARL OF WARWICK.
EARL OF WESTMORELAND.
EARL OF SURREY.
GOWER.
HARCOURT.
BLUNT.
Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
A Servant of the Chief-Justice.
EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND.
SCROOP, Archbishop of York.
LORD MOWBRAY.
LORD HASTINGS.
LORD BARDOLPH.
SIR JOHN COLEVILLE.
TRAVERS and MORTON, retainers of Northumberland.
SIR JOHN FALSTAFF.
His Page.
BARDOLPH.
PISTOL.
POINS.
PETO.
SHALLOW and SILENCE, country justices.
DAVY, Servant to Shallow.
MOULDY, SHADOW, WART, FEEBLE, and BULLCALF, recruits.
FANG and SNARE, sheriff's officers.
LADY NORTHUMBERLAND.