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

by William Shakespeare

  They call'd us for our fierceness English dogs;

  Now, like to whelps, we crying run away.

  [A short alarum.]

  Hark, countrymen! either renew the fight,

  Or tear the lions out of England's coat;

  Renounce your soil, give sheep in lions' stead:

  Sheep run not half so treacherous from the wolf,

  Or horse or oxen from the leopard,

  As you fly from your oft-subdued slaves.

  [Alarum. Here another skirmish.]

  It will not be: retire into your trenches:

  You all consented unto Salisbury's death,

  For none would strike a stroke in his revenge.

  Pucelle is ent'red into Orleans,

  In spite of us or aught that we could do.

  O, would I were to die with Salisbury!

  The shame hereof will make me hide my head.

  My thoughts are whirling like a potter's wheel:

  I don't know where I am or what I'm doing.

  This witch is driving back our troops as Hannibal did,

  through fear, not through force, and she can do as she likes:

  this is the way bees are driven from their hives with smoke,

  and doves are driven out of their houses with horrible smells.

  Because of our fierceness they called us English dogs;

  now we are running away like puppies.

  Listen, countrymen–either go back to the fight

  or tear those lions off your English uniforms.

  Give up your country, wear sheep badges instead of lions;

  sheep don't run so treacherously away from wolves,

  or horses or cattle from leopards,

  as you are running from this scum you have so often beaten.

  It won't happen, retreat to your trenches.

  You have all agreed to the death of Salisbury,

  because none of you would strike a blow in revenge for him.

  The Maid has gone into Orleans

  in spite of us or anything that we could do.

  Oh, I wish I could die alongside Salisbury:

  the shame of this will make me hide my head.

  [Exit Talbot. Alarum; retreat; flourish.]

  [Enter, on the walls, La Pucelle, Charles,

  Reignier, Alencon, and Soldiers.]

  PUCELLE.

  Advance our waving colours on the walls;

  Rescued is Orleans from the English:

  Thus Joan la Pucelle hath perform'd her word.

  Put our banners up on the walls;

  Orleans has been rescued from the English:

  and so Joan la Pucelle has kept her word.

  CHARLES.

  Divinest creature, Astraea's daughter,

  How shall I honour thee for this success?

  Thy promises are like Adonis' gardens

  That one day bloom'd and fruitful were the next.

  France, triumph in thy glorious prophetess!

  Recover'd is the town of Orleans.

  More blessed hap did ne'er befall our state.

  Most heavenly creature, daughter of Astraea,

  how can I reward you for this success?

  Your promises are like the gardens of Adonis,

  that flowered one day and produced fruit the next.

  France, rejoice in your glorious prophetess!

  The town of Orleans has been recaptured.

  Nothing better than her has ever happened to our country.

  REIGNIER.

  Why ring not out the bells aloud throughout the town?

  Dauphin, command the citizens make bonfires

  And feast and banquet in the open streets,

  To celebrate the joy that God hath given us.

  Why not ring out the bells throughout the town?

  Dauphin, order the citizens to make bonfires

  and to hold street parties,

  to celebrate the happiness God has given us.

  ALENCON.

  All France will be replete with mirth and joy,

  When they shall hear how we have play'd the men.

  All of France will the full of happiness and laughter,

  when they hear about this brave action.

  CHARLES.

  'Tis Joan, not we, by whom the day is won;

  For which I will divide my crown with her;

  And all the priests and friars in my realm

  Shall in procession sing her endless praise.

  A statelier pyramis to her I 'll rear

  Than Rhodope's of Memphis ever was;

  In memory of her when she is dead,

  Her ashes, in an urn more precious

  Than the rich-jewel'd coffer of Darius,

  Transported shall be at high festivals

  Before the kings and queens of France.

  No longer on Saint Denis will we cry,

  But Joan la Pucelle shall be France's saint.

  Come in, and let us banquet royally

  After this golden day of victory.

  It's Joan, not us, who has won the day;

  and so I will share my crown with her;

  and all the priests and monks in my kingdom

  shall take it in turns to sing her praises eternally.

  I'll build her a greater pyramid than

  there ever was in Thrace or at Memphis;

  when she is dead, in her memory

  her ashes, in an urn more precious than

  the richly jewelled treasure chests of Darius,

  shall be carried in front of the Kings and Queens of France

  at all the great festivals.

  We shall no longer appeal to Saint Denis,

  Joan la Pucelle shall be our saint now.

  Come inside, and let us have a royal banquet

  after this golden day of victory.

  [Flourish. Exeunt.]

  [Enter a Sergeant of a band, with two Sentinels.]

  SERGEANT.

  Sirs, take your places and be vigilant:

  If any noise or soldier you perceive

  Near to the walls, by some apparent sign

  Let us have knowledge at the court of guard.

  Sirs, take your places and remain vigilant:

  if you hear any noise or see any soldiers

  near to the walls, made some signal

  to let the guardhouse know.

  FIRST SENTINEL.

  Sergeant, you shall. [Exit Sergeant.]

  Thus are poor servitors,

  When others sleep upon their quiet beds,

  Constrain'd to watch in darkness, rain and cold.

  Sergeant, we will.

  So poor common soldiers

  have to stand out in the rain and cold, in the dark,

  keeping watch while others sleep in their quiet beds.

  [Enter Talbot, Bedford, Burgundy, and forces,

  with scaling-ladders, their drums beating a dead march.]

  TALBOT.

  Lord Regent, and redoubted Burgundy,

  By whose approach the regions of Artois,

  Wallon and Picardy are friends to us,

  This happy night the Frenchmen are secure,

  Having all day caroused and banqueted:

  Embrace we then this opportunity,

  As fitting best to quittance their deceit

  Contriv'd by art and baleful sorcery.

  Lord Regent, and famed Burgundy,

  who in joining with us has made the regions of Artois,

  Wallon and Picardy friendly to us,

  the Frenchmen are feeling secure tonight,

  having partied and feasted all day:

  so let's take this chance as being

  the best time to pay back their deceit,

  which was driven by cunning and evil magic.

  BEDFORD.

  Coward of France, how much he wrongs his fame,

  Despairing of his own arm's fortitude,

  To join with witches and the help of hell!

  Cowardly Frenc
h king, what wrong he does to his own title,

  so afraid to rely on the strength of his own arm

  that he has to enlist witches and the assistance of hell!

  BURGUNDY.

  Traitors have never other company.

  But what 's that Pucelle whom they term so pure?

  That's always been the way with traitors.

  But who's this Pucelle they call so pure?

  TALBOT.

  A maid, they say.

  A girl, they say.

  BEDFORD.

  A maid! and be so martial!

  A girl! So soldierly!

  BURGUNDY.

  Pray God she prove not masculine ere long,

  If underneath the standard of the French

  She carry armour as she hath begun.

  I hope she'll stop behaving like a man before long,

  if she carries on fighting in battle beneath

  the French standard as she has been.

  TALBOT.

  Well, let them practice and converse with spirits:

  God is our fortress, in whose conquering name

  Let us resolve to scale their flinty bulwarks.

  Well, let them carry on with their occult practices:

  God is our fortress, and in his conquering name

  let's climb over their stone battlements.

  BEDFORD.

  Ascend, brave Talbot; we will follow thee.

  Climb up, brave Talbot; we will follow you.

  TALBOT.

  Not all together: better far, I guess,

  That we do make our entrance several ways;

  That, if it chance the one of us do fail,

  The other yet may rise against their force.

  Not everyone together: I think it would be far better

  for us to go in at several different points;

  that way, if one of us fails,

  the others can still fight against them.

  BEDFORD.

  Agreed: I 'll to yond corner.

  Agreed: I'll go over to that corner.

  BURGUNDY.

  And I to this.

  I'll go to this one.

  TALBOT.

  And here will Talbot mount, or make his grave.

  Now, Salisbury, for thee, and for the right

  Of English Henry, shall this night appear

  How much in duty I am bound to both.

  And I will get over here, or die.

  Now it shall be seen just how much

  I am prepared to do to do my duty

  for you, Salisbury, and for the rights

  of English King Henry.

  SENTINEL.

  Arm! arm! the enemy doth make assault!

  Arm yourselves! The enemy is attacking!

  [Cry: 'St George,' 'A Talbot.']

  [The French leap over the walls in their shirts.

  Enter, several ways, the Bastard of Orleans, Alencon, and

  Reignier, half ready, and half unready.]

  ALENCON.

  How now, my lords! what, all unready so?

  What's this, my Lord! What, all so unprepared?

  BASTARD.

  Unready! aye, and glad we 'scap'd so well.

  Unprepared! Yes, and glad to have such a lucky escape.

  REIGNIER.

  'Twas time, I trow, to wake and leave our beds,

  Hearing alarums at our chamber-doors.

  I knew it was time to wake and leave our beds,

  when I heard the alarm at our bedroom doors.

  ALENCON.

  Of all exploits since first I follow'd arms,

  Ne'er heard I of a warlike enterprise

  More venturous or desperate than this.

  Of all the things I've seen since I became a soldier,

  I have never heard of anything

  as adventurous or desperate as this.

  BASTARD.

  I think this Talbot be a fiend of hell.

  I think this Talbot is a devil from hell.

  REIGNIER.

  If not of hell, the heavens, sure, favor him.

  If he's not from hell, the heavens certainly favour him.

  ALENCON.

  Here cometh Charles: I marvel how he sped.

  Here comes Charles: I'm amazed how quickly he moved.

  BASTARD.

  Tut, holy Joan was his defensive guard.

  Well, he had holy Joan to defend him.

  [Enter Charles and La Pucelle.]

  CHARLES.

  Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame?

  Didst thou at first, to flatter us withal,

  Make us partakers of a little gain,

  That now our loss might be ten times so much?

  Is this your cunning plan, you deceitful woman?

  Did you decide to soften us up

  by letting us get a little gain,

  so that now we might lose ten times as much?

  PUCELLE.

  Wherefore is Charles impatient with his friend?

  At all times will you have my power alike?

  Sleeping or waking must I still prevail,

  Or will you blame and lay the fault on me?

  Improvident soldiers! had your watch been good,

  This sudden mischief never could have fall'n.

  Why is Charles so suspicious of his friend?

  Do you expect my power to be the same at all times?

  Must I rule everything, sleeping or waking,

  or are you going to place all the blame on me?

  Useless soldiers! If you'd kept a good watch,

  this sudden problem would never have arisen.

  CHARLES.

  Duke of Alencon, this was your default,

  That, being captain of the watch to-night,

  Did look no better to that weighty charge.

  Duke of Alencon, this is your fault,

  as you were captain of the watch tonight,

  and you didn't fulfil your responsibility.

  ALENCON.

  Had all your quarters been as safely kept

  As that whereof I had the government,

  We had not been thus shamefully surprised.

  If you'd all guarded your quarters as well

  as the ones I was guarding,

  we wouldn't have been caught so shamefully off guard.

  BASTARD.

  Mine was secure.

  Mine were secure.

  REIGNIER.

  And so was mine, my lord.

  And so were mine, my lord.

  CHARLES.

  And, for myself, most part of all this night,

  Within her quarter and mine own precinct

  I was employ'd in passing to and fro,

  About relieving of the sentinels:

  Then how or which way should they first break in?

  As for myself I have spent most of this night

  going to and fro between

  her quarters and my own,

  posting sentries:

  so how and why were they able to break in?

  PUCELLE.

  Question, my lords, no further of the case,

  How or which way: 'tis sure they found some place

  But weakly guarded, where the breach was made.

  And now there rests no other shift but this;

  To gather our soldiers, scatter'd and dispersed,

  And lay new platforms to endamage them.

  My Lords, it no longer matters

  how or which way: it's certain they found someplace

  that wasn't properly guarded, where they got in.

  And now there's nothing else for us to do but this;

  to gather up our scattered forces

  and lay down some new plans to harm them.

  [Alarum. Enter an English Soldier, crying

  'A Talbot! a Talbot!' They fly, leaving their

  clothes behind.]

  SOLDIER.

  I 'll be so bold to take what they have left.

  The cry of Talbot serves me for a sw
ord;

  For I have loaden me with many spoils,

  Using no other weapon but his name.

  I'll be so bold as to take what they've left behind.

  The cry of “Talbot" is as good as a sword for me;

  I have got myself plenty of plunder,

  just using his name as a weapon.

  [Exit.]

  [Enter Talbot, Bedford, Burgundy, a Captain, and others.]

  BEDFORD.

  The day begins to break, and night is fled,

  Whose pitchy mantle over-veil'd the earth.

  Here sound retreat, and cease our hot pursuit.

  Day begins to break, and night has gone,

  removing its dark cloak from the Earth.

  Sound the retreat, and end our hot pursuit.

  [Retreat sounded.]

  TALBOT.

  Bring forth the body of old Salisbury,

  And here advance it in the market-place,

  The middle centre of this cursed town.

  Now have I paid my vow unto his soul;

  For every drop of blood was drawn from him

  There hath at least five Frenchmen died to-night.

  And that hereafter ages may behold

  What ruin happen'd in revenge of him,

  Within their chiefest temple I 'll erect

  A tomb, wherein his corpse shall be interr'd;

  Upon the which, that every one may read,

  Shall be engraved the sack of Orleans,

  The treacherous manner of his mournful death

  And what a terror he had been to France.