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

by William Shakespeare

  I promise to make you Henry's Queen,

  to put a golden sceptre in your hand

  and a precious crown upon your head,

  if you agree to be my–

  MARGARET.

  What?

  What?

  SUFFOLK.

  His love.

  His love.

  MARGARET.

  I am unworthy to be Henry's wife.

  I am not worthy of being Henry's wife.

  SUFFOLK.

  No, gentle madam; I unworthy am

  To woo so fair a dame to be his wife,

  And have no portion in the choice myself.

  How say you, madam, are ye so content?

  No, sweet madam; I am unworthy

  of wooing such a beautiful lady to be his wife,

  and I have no part in the choice myself.

  What do you say, madam, would that make you happy?

  MARGARET.

  An if my father please, I am content.

  If it pleases my father, I am happy.

  SUFFOLK.

  Then call our captain and our colors forth.

  And, madam, at your father's castle walls

  We'll crave a parley, to confer with him.

  [A parley sounded. Enter Reignier on the walls.]

  See, Reignier, see, thy daughter prisoner!

  Then call our captain and put our banners out.

  And, madam, we shall ask for a meeting

  with your father at his castle walls.

  Reignier, see your daughter is a prisoner!

  REIGNIER. To whom?

  Of whom?

  SUFFOLK.

  To me.

  Of me.

  REIGNIER.

  Suffolk, what remedy?

  I am a soldier, and unapt to weep,

  Or to exclaim on fortune's fickleness.

  Suffolk, what you want me to do?

  I am a soldier, and I do not weep,

  or curse my bad luck.

  SUFFOLK.

  Yes, there is remedy enough, my lord:

  Consent, and for thy honor give consent,

  Thy daughter shall be wedded to my king;

  Whom I with pain have woo'd and won thereto;

  And this her easy-held imprisonment

  Hath gain'd thy daughter princely liberty.

  There is something you can do, my lord:

  you must give consent

  for your daughter to be married to my king;

  I have with difficulty wooed her and persuaded her to do that;

  and she can go from her comfortable imprisonment

  to a princely freedom.

  REIGNIER.

  Speaks Suffolk as he thinks?

  Is Suffolk saying what he means?

  SUFFOLK.

  Fair Margaret knows

  That Suffolk doth not flatter, face, or feign.

  Fair Margaret knows

  that Suffolk does not flatter or fake.

  REIGNIER.

  Upon thy princely warrant, I descend

  To give thee answer of thy just demand.

  With your princely guarantees, I shall come down

  to answer your fair demand.

  [Exit from the walls.]

  SUFFOLK.

  And here I will expect thy coming.

  I shall wait for you here.

  [Trumpets sound. Enter Reignier, below.]

  REIGNIER.

  Welcome, brave earl, into our territories:

  Command in Anjou what your honor pleases.

  Welcome, brave earl, to our lands:

  in Anjou you can ask for whatever you please.

  SUFFOLK.

  Thanks, Reignier, happy for so sweet a child,

  Fit to be made companion with a king:

  What answer makes your grace unto my suit?

  Thank you, Reignier, lucky to have such a sweet child,

  who is fit to be a companion of King:

  what answer does your grace make to my request?

  REIGNIER.

  Since thou dost deign to woo her little worth

  To be the princely bride of such a lord;

  Upon condition I may quietly

  Enjoy mine own, the country Maine and Anjou,

  Free from oppression or the stroke of war,

  My daughter shall be Henry's, if he please.

  Since you condescend to woo her in her lowly state

  to be the bride of the King;

  on condition that I may quietly

  enjoy my own country of Maine and Anjou,

  free from oppression or war,

  my daughter shall marry Henry, if he wishes.

  SUFFOLK.

  That is her ransom; I deliver her;

  And those two counties I will undertake

  Your Grace shall well and quietly enjoy.

  That is the ransom for her; I shall take her;

  and I promise that these two regions

  will be left alone for your Grace to quietly enjoy.

  REIGNIER.

  And I again, in Henry's royal name,

  As deputy unto that gracious king,

  Give thee her hand, for sign of plighted faith.

  And in return I, in Henry's royal name,

  as you are deputy to that gracious king,

  give you her hand, to seal the engagement.

  SUFFOLK.

  Reignier of France, I give thee kingly thanks,

  Because this is in traffic of a king.

  [Aside] And yet, methinks, I could be well content

  To be mine own attorney in this case.

  I 'll over then to England with this news,

  And make this marriage to be solemnized.

  So, farewell, Reignier; set this diamond safe

  In golden palaces, as it becomes.

  Reignier of France, I give you the thanks of the King,

  because this is the King's business.

  [ Aside] However, I think, I could be very happy

  to work for myself in this case.

  So I'll take this news over to England,

  and have this marriage confirmed.

  So, farewell, Reignier; keep this diamond safe

  in the golden palaces it deserves.

  REIGNIER.

  I do embrace thee as I would embrace

  The Christian prince, King Henry, were he here.

  I embrace you as I would embrace

  the Christian Prince, King Henry, if he were here.

  MARGARET.

  Farewell, my lord: good wishes, praise and prayers.

  Shall Suffolk ever have of Margaret. [Going.

  Farewell, my lord: you will always have

  my good wishes, praise and prayers.

  SUFFOLK.

  Farewell, sweet madam: but hark you, Margaret;

  No princely commendations to my king?

  Farewell, sweet madam: but listen, Margaret;

  do you have no princely greetings to give my king?

  MARGARET.

  Such commendations as becomes a maid,

  A virgin and his servant, say to him.

  Give him whatever greetings are suitable for

  a girl, a virgin and his servant.

  SUFFOLK.

  Words sweetly placed and modestly directed.

  But, madam, I must trouble you again;

  No loving token to his majesty?

  Sweet and modest words.

  But, madam, I must ask you again;

  do you have no loving token to give his Majesty?

  MARGARET.

  Yes, my good lord, a pure unspotted heart,

  Never yet taint with love, I send the king.

  Yes, my good lord, a pure and unstained heart,

  never yet touched by love, I send that to the King.

  SUFFOLK.

  And this withal. [Kisses her.]

  And this as well.

  MARGARET.

  That for thyself: I will not so presume

  To send such peevish to
kens to a king.

  Keep that for yourself: I wouldn't presume

  to send such worthless tokens to a king.

  [Exeunt Reignier and Margaret.]

  SUFFOLK. O, wert thou for myself! But, Suffolk, stay;

  Thou mayst not wander in that labyrinth;

  There Minotaurs and ugly treasons lurk.

  Solicit Henry with her wondrous praise:

  Bethink thee on her virtues that surmount,

  And natural graces that extinguish art;

  Repeat their semblance often on the seas,

  That, when thou comest to kneel at Henry's feet,

  Thou mayst bereave him of his wits with wonder.

  I wish you were mine! But, stop, Suffolk;

  you mustn't wander in that labyrinth;

  there are Minotaurs and ugly treason in there.

  Tell Henry how wonderful she is:

  think of her surpassing virtues,

  and her natural graces that excel all art;

  keep thinking of them when you are sailing,

  so that when you come to kneel at Henry's feet,

  you can astonish him out of his wits.

  [Exit.]

  [Enter York, Warwick, and others.]

  YORK.

  Bring forth that sorceress condemn'd to burn.

  [Enter La Pucelle, guarded, and a Shepherd.]

  Bring out that witch who is condemned to burn.

  SHEPHERD.

  Ah, Joan, this kills thy father's heart outright!

  Have I sought every country far and near,

  And now it is my chance to find thee out,

  Must I behold thy timeless cruel death?

  Ah, Joan, sweet daughter Joan, I 'll die with thee!

  Ah, Joan, this will kill your father completely!

  I have looked for you in every place, far and near,

  and now I have managed to find you,

  is it only to witness your untimely cruel death?

  Ah, Joan, sweet daughter Joan, I'll die with you!

  PUCELLE.

  Decrepit miser! base ignoble wretch!

  I am descended of a gentler blood:

  Thou art no father nor no friend of mine.

  You useless low and wretched scum!

  I come from more noble blood:

  you are no father and no friend of mine.

  SHEPHERD.

  Out, out! My lords, as please you, 'tis not so;

  I did beget her, all the parish knows.

  Her mother liveth yet, can testify

  She was the first fruit of my bachelorship.

  Enough of that! My lords, if you please, this is not true;

  I fathered her, the whole parish knows it.

  Her mother is still alive, and can give evidence

  that she was my first child when I was an apprentice.

  WARWICK.

  Graceless! wilt thou deny thy parentage?

  You have no grace! Will you deny your parentage?

  YORK.

  This argues what her kind of life hath been,

  Wicked and vile; and so her death concludes.

  This shows what kind of life she's led,

  wicked and horrible; and now her death will end it.

  SHEPHERD.

  Fie, Joan, that thou wilt be so obstacle!

  God knows thou art a collop of my flesh;

  And for thy sake have I shed many a tear:

  Deny me not, I prithee, gentle Joan.

  Oh, Joan, why do you have to be so obstinate!

  God knows that you are made from my flesh;

  for your sake I have often cried:

  do not deny me, please, gentle Joan.

  PUCELLE.

  Peasant, avaunt! You have suborn'd this man,

  Of purpose to obscure my noble birth.

  Peasant, clear off! You have bribed this man,

  on purpose to hide my noble birth.

  SHEPHERD.

  'Tis true, I gave a noble to the priest

  The morn that I was wedded to her mother.

  Kneel down and take my blessing, good my girl.

  Wilt thou not stoop? Now cursed be the time

  Of thy nativity! I would the milk

  Thy mother gave thee when thou suck'dst her breast,

  Had been a little ratsbane for thy sake!

  Or else, when thou didst keep my lambs a-field,

  I wish some ravenous wolf had eaten thee!

  Dost thou deny thy father, cursed drab?

  O, burn her, burn her! hanging is too good.

  It's true, I did give a noble to the priest

  the morning I married her mother.

  Kneel down and take my blessing, my good girl.

  Will you not kneel? Now may your birth

  be cursed! I wish the milk

  your mother gave you when you suckled at her breast

  had been rat poison!

  Or otherwise, when you guarded my lambs in the fields,

  I wish some hungry wolf had eaten you!

  Do you deny your father, damned slut?

  Oh, burn her, burn her! Hanging is too good for her.

  [Exit.]

  YORK.

  Take her away; for she hath lived too long,

  To fill the world with vicious qualities.

  Take her away; she has lived too long,

  filling the world with her viciousness.

  PUCELLE.

  First, let me tell you whom you have condemn'd:

  Not me begotten of a shepherd swain,

  But issued from the progeny of kings;

  Virtuous and holy; chosen from above,

  By inspiration of celestial grace,

  To work exceeding miracles on earth.

  I never had to do with wicked spirits:

  But you, that are polluted with your lusts,

  Stain'd with the guiltless blood of innocents,

  Corrupt and tainted with a thousand vices,

  Because you want the grace that others have,

  You judge it straight a thing impossible

  To compass wonders but by help of devils.

  No, misconceived! Joan of Arc hath been

  A virgin from her tender infancy,

  Chaste and immaculate in very thought;

  Whose maiden blood, thus rigorously effused,

  Will cry for vengeance at the gates of heaven.

  First let me tell you whom you have condemned:

  I was not born of a shepherd,

  but came from a line of kings;

  good and holy; chosen by God,

  through the inspiration of heaven,

  to do great miracles on earth.

  I never associated with wicked spirits:

  but you, who are polluted with lust,

  stained with the blood of innocents,

  corrupted and tainted with a thousand vices,

  because you are lacking the grace that others have,

  you think it's completely impossible

  to work miracles except with the help of devils.

  No, you don't understand! Joan of Arc has been

  a virgin since she was born:

  chaste and immaculate in every thought;

  if you spill her maiden blood it will

  cry out for revenge at the gates of heaven.

  YORK.

  Aye, aye: away with her to execution!

  Yes, yes: take her away to be executed!

  WARWICK.

  And hark ye, sirs; because she is a maid,

  Spare for no faggots, let there be enow:

  Place barrels of pitch upon the fatal stake,

  That so her torture may be shortened.

  And listen, sirs; because she is a girl,

  make sure there is a good fire:

  put barrels of tar on the execution stake,

  so that her torture can be shortened.

  PUCELLE.

  Will nothing turn your unrelenting hearts?

  Then, Joan, discover thine infirmity,


  That warranteth by law to be thy privilege.

  I am with child, ye bloody homicides:

  Murder not then the fruit within my womb,

  Although ye hale me to a violent death.

  Will nothing change your stony hearts?

  Then, Joan, tell of your illness,

  that gives you privileges by law.

  I am pregnant, you bloody murderers:

  so don't murder the child in my womb,

  even though you are dragging me to a violent death.

  YORK.

  Now heaven forfend! the holy maid with child!

  Heaven forbid! The holy maid is pregnant!

  WARWICK.

  The greatest miracle that e'er ye wrought:

  Is all your strict preciseness come to this?

  The greatest miracle that you ever did:

  has all your good behaviour come to this?

  YORK.

  She and the Dauphin have been juggling:

  I did imagine what would be her refuge.

  She and the Dauphin have been up to no good:

  I imagine that this would be her excuse.

  WARWICK.

  Well, go to; we'll have no bastards live;

  Especially since Charles must father it.

  Well, carry on; we don't want any bastards to survive;

  especially if Charles is the father of it.

  PUCELLE.

  You are deceived; my child is none of his:

  It was Alencon that enjoy'd my love.