The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 129
to be my regent in these parts of France:
and you, my good lord of Somerset, I want you
to join your cavalry with his infantry,
and like true subjects, sons of your ancestors,
go out together happily and take out
your anger on your enemies.
I, my lord protector and the rest,
will after a little rest return to Calais,
and from there go to England–where I hope to see
before long, due to your victories,
Charles, Alencon and all that traitorous rabble.
[Flourish. Exeunt all but York, Warwick, Exeter and Vernon.]
WARWICK.
My Lord of York, I promise you, the king
Prettily, methought, did play the orator.
My Lord of York, I tell you truly, I thought
the King spoke very well there.
YORK.
And so he did; but yet I like it not,
In that he wears the badge of Somerset.
He certainly did; but I don't like the fact
that he is wearing the badge of Somerset.
WARWICK.
Tush, that was but his fancy, blame him not;
I dare presume, sweet prince, he thought no harm.
Come now, that was just an example, don't blame him;
I daresay the sweet prince meant no harm.
YORK.
An if I wist he did,--but let it rest;
Other affairs must now be managed.
If I thought he did–but let it go;
there is other business on hand now.
[Exeunt all but Exeter.]
EXETER.
Well didst thou, Richard, to suppress thy voice;
For, had the passions of thy heart burst out,
I fear we should have seen decipher'd there
More rancorous spite, more furious raging broils,
Than yet can be imagined or supposed.
But howsoe'er, no simple man that sees
This jarring discord of nobility,
This shouldering of each other in the court,
This factious bandying of their favorites,
But that it doth presage some ill event.
Tis much when scepters are in children's hands;
But more when envy breeds unkind division;
There comes the ruin, there begins confusion.
You did well, Richard, not to speak out;
for if you had let what was in your heart escape,
I feel we should have seen revealed there
more angry spite, more furious arguments,
than anyone can presently imagine.
However that may be, no straightforward man who sees
these noblemen clashing with each other,
shouldering each other aside in the court,
these rows between their favourites,
could doubt that it foretells some unpleasant events.
It's dangerous when children have control of the sceptre;
more so when jealousy breeds aggressive divisions;
then ruin and chaos are not far away.
[Exit.]
[Enter Talbot, with trump and drum.]
TALBOT.
Go to the gates of Bordeaux, trumpeter:
Summon their general unto the wall.
[Trumpet sounds. Enter General and others, aloft.]
English John Talbot, Captains, calls you forth,
Servant in arms to Harry King of England;
And thus he would: Open your city-gates,
Be humble to us; call my sovereign yours,
And do him homage as obedient subjects;
And I 'll withdraw me and my bloody power:
But, if you frown upon this proffer'd peace,
You tempt the fury of my three attendants,
Lean famine, quartering steel, and climbing fire;
Who in a moment even with the earth
Shall lay your stately and air-braving towers,
If you forsake the offer of their love.
Go to the gates of Bordeaux, trumpeter:
call their general to the battlements.
English John Talbot, captains, summons you out,
a military servant of Harry the King of England;
he demands this: open your city gates,
bow down to us; call my King yours,
and pay homage to him as obedient subjects;
then I shall withdraw myself and all my forces:
but, if you refuse this offer of peace,
you are exposing yourself to the anger of my three assistants,
lean famine, slashing steel, and climbing fire;
in a moment they can bring your great towers
down to the level of the earth,
if you reject this offer of friendship.
GENERAL.
Thou ominous and fearful owl of death,
Our nation's terror and their bloody scourge!
The period of thy tyranny approacheth.
On us thou canst not enter but by death;
For, I protest, we are well fortified
And strong enough to issue out and fight:
If thou retire, the Dauphin, well appointed,
Stands with the snares of war to tangle thee:
On either hand thee there are squadrons pitch'd
To wall thee from the liberty of flight;
And no way canst thou turn thee for redress,
But death doth front thee with apparent spoil,
And pale destruction meets thee in the face.
Ten thousand French have ta'en the sacrament
To rive their dangerous artillery
Upon no Christian soul but English Talbot.
Lo, there thou stand'st, a breathing valiant man,
Of an invincible unconquer'd spirit!
This is the latest glory of thy praise
That I, thy enemy, due thee withal;
For ere the glass, that now begins to run,
Finish the process of his sandy hour,
These eyes, that see thee now well colored,
Shall see thee wither'd, bloody, pale, and dead.
[Drum afar off.]
Hark! hark! the Dauphin's drum, a warning bell,
Sings heavy music to thy timorous soul;
And mine shall ring thy dire departure out.
You ominous and terrifying harbinger of death,
the terror of our nation and its bloody destroyer,
the end of your tyranny is coming.
You cannot come in here except by killing us:
for I tell you that we are well defended
and strong enough to come out and fight.
If you retreat, the Dauphin is waiting, well equipped
with the nets of war to catch you.
On either side of you there are squadrons lined up
to keep you from escaping;
there is no way you can turn for help,
death is confronting you with visible ruin,
and pale destruction is staring you in the face.
Ten thousand Frenchmen have sworn by the sacrament
to fire their dangerous artillery
on no Christian soul apart from English Talbot.
Look, there you stand a brave live man
with an invincible unconquered spirit:
this is the last praise you will receive,
and I, your enemy, give it to you as your due:
for now the hourglass has been started running,
and at the end of its time
these eyes which now see you healthy
shall see you withered, bloody, pale and dead.
Listen, listen; the Dauphin's drum, it sounds a warning,
heavy music for your fearful soul,
and my drums shall play the music for your dreadful death.
[Exeunt General, etc.]
TALBOT.
He fables not; I hear the enemy:
Out, some light horsemen, and peruse their wings.
O, negligent and heedless discipline!
How are we park'd and bounded in a pale,
A little herd of England's timorous deer,
Mazed with a yelping kennel of French curs!
If we be English deer, be then in blood;
Not rascal-like, to fall down with a pinch,
But rather, moody-mad and desperate stags,
Turn on the bloody hounds with heads of steel
And make the cowards stand aloof at bay:
Sell every man his life as dear as mine,
And they shall find dear deer of us, my friends.
God and Saint George, Talbot and England's right,
Prosper our colors in this dangerous fight!
He isn't lying; I can hear the enemy:
some of you light cavalry, go out and investigate their forces.
Oh, what stupid carelessness!
Here we are, a little herd of England's
frightened deer, surrounded by a fence,
terrified by a kennel full of French dogs!
If we are English deer, then let us show our ancestry;
we won't fall down at the first nip, like cowards,
we will be like the angry, mad and desperate stags,
that turn on the bloody hounds with our steel antlers
and make the cowards stand back barking: if everyone sells his life as dearly as I shall sell mine,
they will find us to the expensive venison, my friends.
For God and Saint George, Talbot and the rights of England,
may our forces prosper in this dangerous fight!
[Exeunt.]
[Enter a Messenger that meets York. Enter York with trumpet and
many soldiers.]
YORK.
Are not the speedy scouts return'd again,
That dogg'd the mighty army of the Dauphin?
Haven't the speedy scouts come back,
who were following the great army of the Dauphin?
MESSENGER.
They are return'd, my lord, and give it out
That he is march'd to Bordeaux with his power,
To fight with Talbot: as he march'd along,
By your espials were discovered
Two mightier troops than that the Dauphin led,
Which join'd with him and made their march for
Bordeaux.
They are back, my lord, and they tell us
that he has marched to Bordeaux with his forces,
to fight with Talbot: as he marched along,
your spies discovered
two larger forces than the one the Dauphin led,
which joined up with him and headed for Bordeaux.
YORK.
A plague upon that villain Somerset,
That thus delays my promised supply
Of horsemen, that were levied for this siege!
Renowned Talbot doth expect my aid,
And I am lowted by a traitor villain,
And cannot help the noble chevalier:
God comfort him in this necessity!
If he miscarry, farewell wars in France.
Damn that villain Somerset
who hasn't provided me with the promised supply
of horsemen that were allocated for this siege!
Great Talbot is expecting my help,
and I am mocked by a traitorous villain,
and can't help the noble knight:
may God help him in his plight!
If he fails, that's the end of our French wars.
[Enter Sir William Lucy.]
LUCY.
Thou princely leader of our English strength,
Never so needful on the earth of France,
Spur to the rescue of the noble Talbot,
Who now is girdled with a waist of iron,
And hemm'd about with grim destruction.
To Bordeaux, warlike Duke! to Bordeaux, York!
Else, farewell, Talbot, France, and England's honor.
You princely leader of our English forces,
you were never more needed here in France,
ride to the rescue of the noble Talbot,
who is now encircled in an iron trap,
completely surrounded with grim destruction.
To Bordeaux, warlike duke! To Bordeaux, York!
Otherwise, that's the end of Talbot, France, and the honour of England.
YORK.
O God, that Somerset, who in proud heart
Doth stop my cornets, were in Talbot's place!
So should we save a valiant gentleman
By forfeiting a traitor and a coward.
Mad ire and wrathful fury makes me weep,
That thus we die, while remiss traitors sleep.
Oh God, I wish that Somerset, who is arrogantly
keeping my forces from me, were in Talbot's place!
That way we could save a brave gentleman
by sacrificing a traitor and a coward.
Mad anger and fury makes me weep,
that we should die while neglectful traitors don't do their duty.
LUCY.
O, send some succor to the distress'd lord!
Oh, send some help to the troubled Lord!
YORK.
He dies; we lose; I break my warlike word;
We mourn, France smiles; we lose, they daily get;
All 'long of this vile traitor Somerset.
He shall die, we shall lose, I will break my military promise;
we shall mourn, France shall smile; we shall lose, they will gain by the day;
all on account of this vile traitor Somerset.
LUCY.
Then God take mercy on brave Talbot's soul;
And on his son young John, who two hours since
I met in travel toward his warlike father!
This seven years did not Talbot see his son;
And now they meet where both their lives are done.
Then may God have mercy on the sole of brave Talbot;
and on that of his young son John, whom I met
two hours ago travelling towards his warlike father!
Talbot has not seen his son for the last seven years;
and now they will meet just as their lives end.
YORK.
Alas, what joy shall noble Talbot have,
To bid his young son welcome to his grave?
Away! vexation almost stops my breath,
That sunder'd friends greet in the hour of death.
Lucy, farewell: no more my fortune can,
But curse the cause I cannot aid the man.
Maine, Blois, Poictiers, and Tours, are won away,
'Long all of Somerset and his delay.
Alas, is that the happiness noble Talbot has,
to welcome his young son to his grave?
Go! I almost can't breathe with sorrow,
that divided friends should meet at the hour of death.
Lucy, farewell: I can't help the man, all I can do
is curse the reason why.
Maine, Blois, Poitiers and Tours have all been lost,
thanks to Somerset and his delay.
[Exit, with his soldiers.]
LUCY.
Thus, while the vulture of sedition
Feeds in the bosom of such great commanders,
Sleeping neglection doth betray to loss
The conquest of our scarce cold conqueror,
That ever living man of memory,
Henry the Fifth: whiles they each other cross,
Lives, honors, lands and all hurry to loss.
So, while the vulture of rebellion
is eating at the heart of such great commanders,
lazy neglect has surrendered
the conquests of the conqueror who is hardly cold in his grave,
the man who lives forever in our memories,
Henry the Fifth: while they fight with each other,
lives
, honour, lands and everything are lost.
[Exit.]
[Enter Somerset, with his army; a Captain of
Talbot's with him.]
SOMERSET.
It is too late; I cannot send them now:
This expedition was by York and Talbot
Too rashly plotted: all our general force
Might with a sally of the very town
Be buckled with: the over-daring Talbot
Hath sullied all his gloss of former honor
By this unheedful, desperate, wild adventure:
York set him on to fight and die in shame,
That, Talbot dead, great York might bear the name.
It's too late; I can't send them now:
York and Talbot launched this expedition
too hurriedly: all of our army
could be overcome just by an attack
of the townspeople: the reckless Talbot
has ruined the reputation which he previously gained
through this thoughtless, desperate and wild adventure:
York encouraged him to fight and die shamefully,
so that, with Talbot dead, great York might take his place.
CAPTAIN.
Here is Sir William Lucy, who with me
Set from our o'er-match'd forces forth for aid.
Here is Sir William Lucy, who came with me
from our outnumbered forces to find help.
[Enter Sir William Lucy.]
SOMERSET.
How now, Sir William! whither were you sent?
Hello there, Sir William! Where have you come from?
LUCY.
Whither, my lord? from bought and sold Lord Talbot;
Who, ring'd about with bold adversity,
Cries out for noble York and Somerset,
To beat assailing death from his weak legions;
And whiles the honorable captain there
Drops bloody sweat from his war-wearied limbs,
And, in advantage lingering, looks for rescue,
You, his false hopes, the trust of England's honor,