The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 125
Yes, putting his holy status so much in question.
WARWICK.
State holy or unhallow'd, what of that?
Is not his grace protector to the king?
If his status is holy or unholy, what of it?
Isn't his grace the King's Regent?
PLANTAGENET.
[Aside] Plantagenet, I see, must hold his tongue,
Lest it be said, 'Speak, sirrah, when you should:
Must your bold verdict enter talk with lords?'
Else would I have a fling at Winchester.
I see that Plantagenet must hold his tongue,
otherwise they'll say, “Speak, lad, when you're spoken to:
do your scandalous opinions have to be discussed by the Lords?"
Otherwise I would lay into Winchester.
KING.
Uncles of Gloucester and of Winchester,
The special watchmen of our English weal,
I would prevail, if prayers might prevail,
To join your hearts in love and amity.
O, what a scandal is it to our crown,
That two such noble peers as ye should jar!
Believe me, lords, my tender years can tell
Civil dissension is a viperous worm
That gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth.
[A noise within, 'Down with the tawny-coats!']
What tumult's this?
Uncles of Gloucestershire and of Winchester,
these special guardians of our English kingdom,
I wish, if prayers are answered,
to join your hearts in love and friendship.
It's a great offence to my crown,
that to such noble peers as you should argue!
Believe me, lords, even at my young age I know
that civil disputes are a poisonous snake
that chew on the innards of the Commonwealth.
What's this racket?
WARWICK.
An uproar, I dare warrant,
Begun through malice of the bishop's men.
A riot, I daresay,
started by the hatred of the Bishop's men.
[A noise again, 'Stones! stones!'
Enter Mayor.]
MAYOR.
O, my good lords, and virtuous Henry,
Pity the city of London, pity us!
The bishop and the Duke of Gloucester's men,
Forbidden late to carry any weapon,
Have fill'd their pockets full of pebble stones,
And banding themselves in contrary parts
Do pelt so fast at one another's pate
That many have their giddy brains knock'd out:
Our windows are broke down in every street,
And we for fear compell'd to shut our shops.
Oh, my good lord, and good Henry,
pity the city of London, pity us!
The men of the Bishop and the Duke of Gloucester,
recently forbidden to carry any weapons,
have filled their pockets full of pebbles,
and grouping themselves into opposing gangs
are throwing them so hard at each other's heads
that many have had their stupid brains knocked out:
there are windows broken in every street,
and we have been forced to close the shops out of fear.
[Enter Serving-men, in skirmish, with bloody pates.]
KING.
We charge you, on allegiance to ourself,
To hold your slaughtering hands and keep the peace.
Pray, uncle Gloucester, mitigate this strife.
I order you, out of your loyalty to me,
to stop this slaughter and keep the peace.
Please, uncle Gloucester, end this disagreement.
FIRST SERVING-MAN.
Nay, if we be forbidden stones,
we 'll fall to it with our teeth.
No, if we are told we can't use stones,
we'll start fighting with our teeth.
SECOND SERVING-MAN.
Do what ye dare, we are as resolute.
Bring it on, we are as brave as you.
[Skirmish again.]
GLOUCESTER.
You of my household, leave this peevish broil
And set this unaccustom'd fight aside.
Those of you from my household, stop this childish argument
and let's have no more of this unusual fighting.
THIRD SERVING-MAN.
My lord, we know your grace to be a man
Just and upright; and, for your royal birth,
Inferior to none but to his Majesty:
And ere that we will suffer such a prince,
So kind a father of the commonweal,
To be disgraced by an inkhorn mate,
We and our wives and children all will fight,
And have our bodies slaughter'd by thy foes.
My Lord, we know your grace is a just
and upright man; and, due to your royal birth,
you are inferior to nobody but his Majesty:
and before we will allow such a Prince,
such a great father to the country,
to be insulted by a lowborn clerk,
we and our wives and children will all fight,
and be slaughtered by your enemies.
FIRST SERVING-MAN.
Aye, and the very parings of our nails
Shall pitch a field when we are dead.
[Begin again.]
Yes, and when we are dead, our very
nail clippings can be used to build defences.
GLOUCESTER.
Stay, stay, I say!
And if you love me, as you say you do,
Let me persuade you to forbear awhile.
Stop, stop, I say!
If you love me as you claim you do,
do as I say and stop for a while.
KING.
O, how this discord doth afflict my soul!
Can you, my Lord of Winchester, behold
My sighs and tears and will not once relent?
Who should be pitiful, if you be not?
Or who should study to prefer a peace,
If holy churchmen take delight in broils?
Oh, how this fighting upsets my soul!
My Lord Winchester, can you look at
my sighs and tears and still not stop it?
Who will show pity, if not you?
Who will make any effort to keep the peace,
if holy churchmen enjoy fighting?
WARWICK.
Yield, my lord protector; yield, Winchester;
Except you mean with obstinate repulse
To slay your sovereign and destroy the realm.
You see what mischief and what murder too
Hath been enacted through your enmity;
Then be at peace, except ye thirst for blood.
Stop, my lord protector; stop, Winchester;
unless you mean with your obstinate refusal
to kill your King and destroy the kingdom.
You can see what mischief and what murder has
been caused by your opposition;
then be peaceful, unless you are desperate for bloodshed.
WINCHESTER.
He shall submit, or I will never yield.
He must obey, or I never will.
GLOUCESTER.
Compassion on the king commands me stoop;
Or I would see his heart out, ere the priest
Should ever get that privilege of me.
Compassion for the King makes me stop;
otherwise I would tear the heart out of
the priest, before I would surrender to him.
WARWICK.
Behold, my Lord of Winchester, the duke
Hath banish'd moody discontented fury,
As by his smoothed brows it doth appear:
Why look you still so stern and tragical?
See, my Lord of Winchester, the Duke
&nb
sp; has dropped his moody unhappy fury,
as you can see by his unfurrowed brow:
why are you still looking so stern and tragic?
GLOUCESTER.
Here, Winchester, I offer thee my hand.
Here, Winchester, I offer you my hand.
KING.
Fie, uncle Beaufort! I have heard you preach
That malice was a great and grievous sin;
And will not you maintain the thing you teach,
But prove a chief offender in the same?
Come, uncle Beaufort! I have heard you preaching
that malice was a terrible sin;
will you not practice what you preach,
but show yourself one of the worst offenders?
WARWICK.
Sweet king! the bishop hath a kindly gird.
For shame, my lord of Winchester, relent!
What, shall a child instruct you what to do?
Sweet King! That's the right way to reprove the Bishop.
My Lord Winchester, stop, for shame!
What, do you have to be told what to do by a child?
WINCHESTER.
Well, Duke of Gloucester, I will yield to thee;
Love for thy love and hand for hand I give.
Well, Duke of Gloucester, I will give way to you;
I will exchange love for love and give hand for hand.
GLOUCESTER.
[Aside] Aye, but, I fear me, with a hollow heart.--
See here, my friends and loving countrymen;
This token serveth for a flag of truce
Betwixt ourselves and all our followers:
So help me God, as I dissemble not!
[Aside] Yes, but I'm afraid it's not genuine.–
See here, my friends and loving countrymen;
this symbolises the start of a truce
between us and all our followers:
I swear to God I am genuine!
WINCHESTER.
[Aside] So help me God, as I intend it not!
[Aside] And I swear to God, I don't mean it!
KING.
O loving uncle, kind Duke of Gloucester,
How joyful am I made by this contract!
Away, my masters! trouble us no more;
But join in friendship, as your lords have done.
O loving uncle, kind Duke of Gloucester,
how happy this agreement makes me!
Off you go, my lads! Don't give us any more trouble;
be friends, as your lords are.
FIRST SERVING-MAN.
Content: I'll to the surgeon's.
I am satisfied: I shall go to the surgeon.
SECOND SERVING-MAN.
And so will I.
And so will I.
THIRD SERVING-MAN.
And I will see what physic the tavern affords.
And I shall see what medicine there is in the pub.
[Exeunt Serving-men, Mayor, &C.]
WARWICK.
Accept this scroll, most gracious sovereign;
Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet
We do exhibit to your majesty.
Accept this document, most gracious king;
which I am showing your majesty
on behalf of Richard Plantagenet.
GLOUCESTER.
Well urged, my Lord of Warwick: for, sweet prince,
An if your Grace mark every circumstance,
You have great reason to do Richard right:
Especially for those occasions
At Eltham place I told your majesty.
Well said, my Lord of Warwick: for, sweet prince,
if your Grace examines every part of the case,
you have every reason to do right by Richard:
especially for those reasons
I told your Majesty about at Eltham Palace.
KING.
And those occasions, uncle, were of force;
Therefore, my loving lords, our pleasure is
That Richard be restored to his blood.
And those reasons, uncle, were strong ones;
therefore, my loving lords, I have decided
that Richard should be given back his title.
WARWICK.
Let Richard be restored to his blood;
So shall his father's wrongs be recompensed.
Let Richard be given back his title;
and so the wrongs done to his father shall be paid for.
WINCHESTER.
As will the rest, so willeth Winchester.
Winchester agrees with what the others want.
KING.
If Richard will be true, not that alone
But all the whole inheritance I give
That doth belong unto the house of York,
From whence you spring by lineal descent.
If Richard will be loyal, I won't just give that back,
but the whole inheritance
which belongs to the house of York,
from which you are a direct descendant.
PLANTAGENET.
Thy humble servant vows obedience
And humble service till the point of death.
Your humble servant promises his obedience
and humble service until he dies.
KING.
Stoop then and set your knee against my foot;
And, in reguerdon of that duty done,
I girt thee with the valiant sword of York:
Rise, Richard, like a true Plantagenet,
And rise created princely Duke of York.
Then kneel and put your knee against my foot;
and, in reward for your duty,
I hang the brave sword of York upon you:
rise, Richard, like a true Plantagenet,
created the princely Duke of York.
PLANTAGENET.
And so thrive Richard as thy foes may fall!
And as my duty springs, so perish they
That grudge one thought against your majesty!
So may Richard thrive as your enemies fall!
And as I shall do my duty, anyone who has
a single grudging thought against your Majesty shall die!
ALL.
Welcome, high prince, the mighty Duke of York!
Welcome, high Prince, the mighty Duke of York!
SOMERSET.
[Aside] Perish, base prince, ignoble Duke of York!
Die, low Prince, lowdown Duke of York!
GLOUCESTER.
Now will it best avail your majesty
To cross the seas and to be crown'd in France:
The presence of a king engenders love
Amongst his subjects and his loyal friends,
As it disanimates his enemies.
Now the best thing for your Majesty will be
to cross the sea and be crowned in France:
the presence of a king creates love
amongst his subjects and his loyal friends,
and it is dispiriting for his enemies.
KING.
When Gloucester says the word, King Henry goes;
For friendly counsel cuts off many foes.
What Gloucester says, King Henry does;
friendly advice defeats many enemies.
GLOUCESTER.
Your ships already are in readiness.
Your ships are already prepared.
[Sennet. Flourish. Exeunt all but Exeter.]
EXETER.
Aye, we may march in England or in France,
Not seeing what is likely to ensue.
This late dissension grown betwixt the peers
Burns under feigned ashes of forged love,
And will at last break out into a flame;
As fest'red members rot but by degree,
Till bones and flesh and sinews fall away,
So will this base and envious discord breed.
And now I fear that fatal prophecy
Which in the time of Henry named the fifth
&nb
sp; Was in the mouth of every sucking babe;
That Henry born at Monmouth should win all
And Henry born at Windsor lose all:
Which is so plain, that Exeter doth wish
His days may finish ere that hapless time.
Yes, we can march through England or France,
ignoring what is likely to happen.
This late disagreement between the peers
is still burning under the fake ashes of forged love,
and eventually it will break out into flame;
as infected limbs only rot by stages,
until the bones and flesh and muscles all fall off,
this is how this low and jealous disagreement will proceed.
And now am afraid the fatal prophecy will come true,
which every child knew at the time
of Henry the Fifth;
that Henry who was born at Monmouth would win everything,
and Henry born at Windsor would lose everything:
it's so obvious, that Exeter wishes
that he will be die before that unhappy time arrives.
[Exit.]
[Enter La Pucelle disguised, with four Soldiers
with sacks upon their backs.]
PUCELLE.
These are the city gates, the gates of Rouen,
Through which our policy must make a breach:
Take heed, be wary how you place your words;
Talk like the vulgar sort of market men
That come to gather money for their corn.
If we have entrance, as I hope we shall,
And that we find the slothful watch but weak,
I 'll by a sign give notice to our friends,