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

by William Shakespeare

  Here, there, and every where, enrag'd he slew:

  The French exclaim'd, the devil was in arms;

  All the whole army stood agaz'd on him.

  His soldiers spying his undaunted spirit

  A Talbot! a Talbot! cried out amain,

  And rush'd into the bowels of the battle.

  Here had the conquest fully been seal'd up,

  If Sir John Fastolfe had not play'd the coward.

  He, being in the vaward, plac'd behind

  With purpose to relieve and follow them,

  Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke.

  Hence grew the general wreck and massacre;

  Enclosed were they with their enemies:

  A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace,

  Thrust Talbot with a spear into the back;

  Whom all France with their chief assembled strength

  Durst not presume to look once in the face.

  Oh no: in which Lord Talbot was defeated.

  I'll tell you more about what happened.

  On the tenth of August, this fearsome Lord

  was retreating from the siege of Orleans,

  with hardly six thousand men in his force,

  and he was encircled and set upon

  by twenty three thousand French.

  He had no time to get his men into battle order;

  he had no pikes to put in front of his archers,

  and had to make do with sharp stakes cut from the hedges

  which they stuck irregularly in the ground,

  to stop the cavalry from breaking through.

  The fight continued for more than three hours,

  and brave Talbot did miraculous things with his

  sword and spear, unimaginable things.

  He sent hundreds to hell, and nobody could resist him.

  In his anger he killed those all around him.

  The French said that the devil had taken up arms,

  and the whole army watched him astonished.

  His soldiers, seeing his undaunted spirit,

  all shouted out, " To Talbot, to Talbot!",

  And rushed into the heart of the battle.

  The battle would then have been completely won,

  if Sir John Fastolfe hadn't been a coward.

  He was at the back, having been placed there

  to follow them and provide reinforcements,

  but he fled like a coward, having not struck a single blow.

  So the general ruin and slaughter grew.

  They were surrounded with their enemies.

  A low villain, to win the approval of the Dauphin,

  stabbed Talbot in the back with a spear–

  someone whom all of France, with all their army there,

  did not dare to look one time in the face.

  BEDFORD.

  Is Talbot slain? then I will slay myself,

  For living idly here in pomp and ease,

  Whilst such a worthy leader, wanting aid,

  Unto his dastard foemen is betray'd.

  Has Talbot been killed? Then I will kill myself,

  as punishment for living the good life here,

  while such a great leader, lacking assistance,

  was betrayed to his horrible enemies.

  MESSENGER.

  O no, he lives; but is took prisoner,

  And Lord Scales with him, and Lord Hungerford:

  Most of the rest slaughter'd or took likewise.

  Oh no, he lives; but he is a prisoner,

  along with Lord Scales, and Lord Hungerford:

  most of the rest have been killed or otherwise are prisoners like them.

  BEDFORD.

  His ransom there is none but I shall pay:

  I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne:

  His crown shall be the ransom of my friend;

  Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.

  Farewell, my masters; to my task will I;

  Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make

  To keep our great Saint George's feast withal:

  Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take,

  Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake.

  Nobody but I shall pay the ransom for him:

  I'll throw the Dauphin headfirst from his throne:

  his crown shall be the price he pays for my friend;

  I'll exchange four of their lords for this one of ours.

  Farewell, my masters; I'm going to work;

  I'm going to light a bonfire in France to

  celebrate the feast of our great Saint George:

  I shall take ten thousand soldiers with me,

  and all of Europe shall quake at their bloody deeds.

  MESSENGER.

  So you had need; for Orleans is besieg'd;

  The English army is grown weak and faint:

  The Earl of Salisbury craveth supply,

  And hardly keeps his men from mutiny,

  Since they, so few, watch such a multitude.

  You will need them; for Orleans is under siege;

  the English army has become weak and faint:

  the Earl of Salisbury is desperate for supplies,

  and can hardly keep his men from mutiny,

  since they are so few, and are confronted by so many.

  EXETER.

  Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry sworn,

  Either to quell the Dauphin utterly,

  Or bring him in obedience to your yoke.

  Remember, lords, the oaths you swore to Henry,

  that you would either completely overthrow the Dauphin,

  or make him obedient to us.

  BEDFORD.

  I do remember it, and here take my leave

  To go about my preparation.

  I do remember, and I'm leaving now

  to go and get ready.

  [Exit.]

  GLOUCESTER.

  I'll to the Tower with all the haste I can,

  To view the artillery and munition;

  And then I will proclaim young Henry king.

  I'll go to the Tower as quickly as I can,

  to inspect the artillery and ammunition;

  and then I will declare young Henry as king.

  [Exit.]

  EXETER.

  To Eltham will I, where the young King is,

  Being ordain'd his special governor;

  And for his safety there I'll best devise.

  I shall go to Eltham, where the young king is,

  as I am appointed his special governor;

  and there I shall make the best plan possible for his safety.

  [Exit.]

  WINCHESTER.

  Each hath his place and function to attend:

  I am left out; for me nothing remains.

  But long I will not be Jack out of office:

  The King from Eltham I intend to steal,

  And sit at chiefest stern of public weal.

  Everyone has his job and duty to do:

  I have been left out; there's nothing left for me.

  But I won't be left out for long:

  I intend to smuggle the king away from Eltham,

  and become the one who steers the path of the country.

  [Exeunt.]

  France. Before Orleans

  [Sound a Flourish. Enter Charles, Alencon, and Reignier,

  marching with Drum and Soldiers.]

  CHARLES.

  Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens

  So in the earth, to this day is not known:

  Late did he shine upon the English side;

  Now we are victors; upon us he smiles.

  What towns of any moment but we have?

  At pleasure here we lie near Orleans;

  Otherwhiles the famish'd English, like pale ghosts,

  Faintly besiege us one hour in a month.

  What the god of war really intends, on heaven

  or on earth, is not clear today:

  rec
ently he favoured the English side;

  now we have triumphed; he favours us.

  What important towns are there that we don't have?

  We can rest easy here near Orleans,

  while from time to time the starving English, like pale ghosts,

  weakly attack us for an hour each month.

  ALENCON.

  They want their porridge and their fat bull beeves

  Either they must be dieted like mules,

  And have their provender tied to their mouths,

  Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice.

  They are missing their porridge and their beef:

  they should be fed like mules,

  with nosebags over their heads,

  or they will look pitiful, like drowned mice.

  REIGNIER.

  Let's raise the siege: why live we idly here?

  Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear:

  Remaineth none but mad-brain'd Salisbury;

  And he may well in fretting spend his gall,

  Nor men nor money hath he to make war.

  Let's lift the siege: why are we wasting time here?

  Talbot, whom we used to fear, has been captured:

  there's nobody here but the madman Salisbury;

  and he can waste away his anger in impotent worrying,

  he doesn't have the men or the money to make war.

  CHARLES.

  Sound, sound alarum! we will rush on them.

  Now for the honour of the forlorn French!

  Him I forgive my death that killeth me

  When he sees me go back one foot or flee.

  [Exeunt.]

  Here alarum; they are beaten back by the English, with

  great loss. Re-enter Charles, Alencon, and Reignier.

  Sound the charge! We will rush at them.

  Now for the honour of the desperate French!

  I forgive anyone for my death if he kills me

  for going back a single foot or retreating.

  CHARLES.

  Who ever saw the like? what men have I!

  Dogs! cowards! dastards! I would ne'er have fled,

  But that they left me 'midst my enemies.

  Whoever saw anything like it? What men I have!

  Dogs! Cowards! Bastards! I would never have fled,

  only they left me surrounded by my enemies.

  REIGNIER.

  Salisbury is a desperate homicide;

  He fighteth as one weary of his life.

  The other lords, like lions wanting food,

  Do rush upon us as their hungry prey.

  Salisbury is a desperate murderer;

  he fights like one who doesn't care if he lives.

  The other lords rush at us as if they were

  hungry lions who had just seen their prey.

  ALENCON.

  Froissart, a countryman of ours, records,

  England all Olivers and Rowlands bred

  During the time Edward the Third did reign.

  More truly now may this be verified;

  For none but Samsons and Goliases

  It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten!

  Lean raw-bon'd rascals! who would e'er suppose

  They had such courage and audacity?

  Froissart, one of our countrymen, records

  that during the reign of Edward the Third

  only heroic and noble fighters were born in England.

  This can certainly now be seen;

  they are only sending out Samsons and Goliaths

  into the battle. They were facing odds of ten to one!

  Skinny rascals! Who could ever imagine

  that they have such courage and nerve?

  CHARLES.

  Let's leave this town; for they are hare-brain'd slaves,

  And hunger will enforce them to be more eager:

  Of old I know them; rather with their teeth

  The walls they'll tear down than forsake the siege.

  Let's not bother with this town; they are mad slaves,

  and hunger will make them even stronger:

  I've had experience of them; they would rather tear down the walls

  with their teeth than give up the siege.

  REIGNIER.

  I think by some odd gimmors or device

  Their arms are set like clocks, still to strike on;

  Else ne'er could they hold out so as they do.

  By my consent, we'll even let them alone.

  I think there must be some kind of odd machinery

  which keeps their arms going by clockwork;

  otherwise they could never hold out as they have been doing.

  I agree, we won't bother with them.

  ALENCON.

  Be it so.

  I agree.

  [Enter the Bastard of Orleans.]

  BASTARD.

  Where's the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him.

  Where's the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him.

  CHARLES.

  Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us.

  Bastard of Orleans, you are triply welcome.

  BASTARD.

  Methinks your looks are sad, your cheer appall'd:

  Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?

  Be not dismay'd, for succour is at hand:

  A holy maid hither with me I bring,

  Which by a vision sent to her from heaven

  Ordained is to raise this tedious siege,

  And drive the English forth the bounds of France.

  The spirit of deep prophecy she hath,

  Exceeding the nine sibyls of old Rome:

  What's past and what's to come she can descry.

  Speak, shall I call her in? Believe my words,

  For they are certain and unfallible.

  I think you look sad, your happiness is gone:

  has this recent defeat caused this?

  Do not dismayed, help is at hand:

  I've brought a holy girl with me,

  who has been sent a vision from heaven telling her

  that she is the one who will lift this tedious siege,

  and drive the English out of France.

  She has the gift of farseeing prophecy,

  greater than the nine sibyls of ancient Rome:

  she can see what's in the past and what's in the future.

  Tell me, shall I bring her in? You must believe me,

  I'm telling you the absolute truth.

  CHARLES.

  Go, call her in. [Exit Bastard.]

  But first, to try her skill,

  Reignier, stand thou as Dauphin in my place;

  Question her proudly; let thy looks be stern:

  By this means shall we sound what skill she hath.

  Fetch her in.

  But first, to test her skill,

  Reignier, you pretend to be the Dauphin;

  question her proudly; look stern:

  this way we'll find out what skills she really has.

  [Re-enter the Bastard of Orleans, with Joan La Pucelle.]

  REIGNIER.

  Fair maid, is 't thou wilt do these wondrous feats?

  Fair maid, is it you who can do these remarkable things?

  PUCELLE.

  Reignier is 't thou that thinkest to beguile me?

  Where is the Dauphin? Come, come from behind;

  I know thee well, though never seen before.

  Be not amazed, there's nothing hid from me.

  In private will I talk with thee apart.

  Stand back, you lords, and give us leave awhile.

  Reignier, do you think you can trick me?

  Where is the Dauphin? Come out from hiding;

  I recognise you, though I've never seen you before.

  Don't be astonished, there's nothing I can't see.

  I will talk to you in private and alone.

  Stand back, you lords, and give us some time.

  REIGNIER.

  She takes upon her bravely at
first dash.

  She carries herself well, from first impressions.

  PUCELLE.

  Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd's daughter,

  My wit untrain'd in any kind of art.

  Heaven and our Lady gracious hath it pleased

  To shine on my contemptible estate:

  Lo, whilst I waited on my tender lambs

  And to sun's parching heat display'd my cheeks,

  God's mother deigned to appear to me,

  And in a vision full of majesty

  Will'd me to leave my base vocation,

  And free my country from calamity:

  Her aid she promised and assured success:

  In complete glory she reveal'd herself;

  And, whereas I was black and swart before,

  With those clear rays which she infused on me

  That beauty am I bless'd with which you may see.

  Ask me what question thou canst possible,

  And I will answer unpremeditated:

  My courage try by combat, if thou dar'st,

  And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.

  Resolve on this, thou shalt be fortunate,

  If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.

  Dauphin, I was born the daughter of a shepherd,

  and I have had no sort of education;

  Heaven and our gracious Lady have been pleased

  to shed their light on my low position.

  So, while I tended to my lambs

  and exposed my cheeks to the burning sun,

  the mother of God condescended to come to me

  and in a majestic vision,

  told me to leave my low occupation

  and save my country from disaster:

  she promised her help and that we would definitely win.

  She revealed herself in all her glory,

  and, where I was black and swarthy before,

  she shone her clear rays upon me, to give me

  the beauty I now have, which you can see.

  Ask me any question you want