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

by William Shakespeare

  And, to speak truth, thou deservest no less.

  This monument of the victory will I bear

  [putting on Sir Humphrey's brigandine];

  and the bodies shall be dragged at my horse heels till I do come

  to London, where we will have the mayor's sword borne before us.

  And truthfully, you deserve no less.

  I shall wear this sign of victory

  [puts on Sir Humphrey's armour]–

  and the bodies will be dragged at my horse's heels until I come

  to London, where the mayor shall hand over his sword to us.

  DICK.

  If we mean to thrive and do good, break open the gaols and

  let out the prisoners.

  If we mean to succeed and do well, let's break open the jails

  and let out the prisoners.

  CADE.

  Fear not that, I warrant thee. Come, let's march towards

  London.

  Don't worry about that, I promise you. Come, let's march towards

  London.

  [Exeunt.]

  [Enter the KING with a supplication, and the QUEEN with Suffolk's

  head, the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM and the LORD SAY.]

  QUEEN.

  Oft have I heard that grief softens the mind

  And makes it fearful and degenerate;

  Think therefore on revenge and cease to weep.

  But who can cease to weep and look on this?

  Here may his head lie on my throbbing breast;

  But where's the body that I should embrace?

  I've often heard that grief softens the mind

  now makes it cowardly and degenerate;

  so think about taking revenge and stop weeping.

  But who can look at this and stop weeping?

  His head may lie here on my throbbing breast,

  but where's the body for me to embrace?

  BUCKINGHAM.

  What answer makes your grace to the rebels'

  supplication?

  What answer will your Grace make to the rebels'

  request?

  KING.

  I'll send some holy bishop to entreat;

  For God forbid so many simple souls

  Should perish by the sword! And I myself,

  Rather than bloody war shall cut them short,

  Will parley with Jack Cade their general.--

  But stay, I'll read it over once again.

  I'll send some holy bishop to talk with them;

  for God forbid so many simple souls

  should die in battle! And I myself,

  rather than finishing them off with bloody war,

  will talk with their general, Jack Cade–

  but wait, I'll just read it again.

  QUEEN.

  Ah, barbarous villains! hath this lovely face

  Rul'd, like a wandering planet, over me,

  And could it not enforce them to relent

  That were unworthy to behold the same?

  Ah, barbarous villains! Did this lovely face

  rule over me like a wandering planet,

  and couldn't persuade those who were unworthy

  of looking at it to show any forgiveness?

  KING.

  Lord Say, Jack Cade hath sworn to have thy head.

  Lord Say, Jack Cade has sworn that he will kill you.

  SAY.

  Ay, but I hope your highness shall have his.

  Yes, but I hope your Highness will kill him.

  KING.

  How now, madam!

  Still lamenting and mourning for Suffolk's death?

  I fear me, love, if that I had been dead,

  Thou wouldst not have mourn'd so much for me.

  What's this, madam!

  Still sorrowing and mourning for the death of Suffolk?

  I'm afraid, love, that if I had died,

  you wouldn't have mourned so much for me.

  QUEEN.

  No, my love, I should not mourn, but die for thee.

  No, my love, I wouldn't mourn, I would die for you.

  [Enter a Messenger.]

  KING.

  How now! what news? why com'st thou in such haste?

  Hello there! What's the news? Why are you in such a hurry?

  MESSENGER.

  The rebels are in Southwark; fly, my lord!

  Jack Cade proclaims himself Lord Mortimer,

  Descended from the Duke of Clarence' house,

  And calls your grace usurper openly,

  And vows to crown himself in Westminster.

  His army is a ragged multitude

  Of hinds and peasants, rude and merciless;

  Sir Humphrey Stafford and his brother's death

  Hath given them heart and courage to proceed.

  All scholars, lawyers, courtiers, gentlemen,

  They call false caterpillars, and intend their death.

  The rebels have reached Southwark; fly, my lord!

  Jack Cade has announced that he is Lord Mortimer,

  descended from the Duke of Clarence,

  and is openly calling your Grace a usurper,

  and swears that he will crown himself in Westminster.

  His army is a ragged mob of

  farmers and peasants, vulgar and merciless;

  the death of Sir Humphrey Stafford and his brother

  has given them the heart and courage to carry on.

  They are calling all scholars, lawyers, courtiers and gentlemen

  false bloodsuckers, and mean to kill them.

  KING.

  O graceless men! they know not what they do.

  Graceless men! They don't know what they're doing.

  BUCKINGHAM.

  My gracious lord, retire to Killingworth

  Until a power be rais'd to put them down.

  My gracious lord, retire to Kenilworth

  until we have raised a force to put them down.

  QUEEN.

  Ah, were the Duke of Suffolk now alive,

  These Kentish rebels would be soon appeas'd!

  Ah, if the Duke of Suffolk was still alive,

  these Kentish rebels would soon be beaten!

  KING.

  Lord Say, the traitors hate thee;

  Therefore away with us to Killingworth.

  Lord Say, the traitors hate you;

  so come with me to Kenilworth.

  SAY.

  So might your grace's person be in danger.

  The sight of me is odious in their eyes;

  And therefore in this city will I stay

  And live alone as secret as I may.

  That might put your grace in danger.

  They hate the sight of me;

  and so I will stay in this city

  and live as secretly as I can.

  [Enter another Messenger.]

  MESSENGER.

  Jack Cade hath gotten London bridge;

  The citizens fly and forsake their houses.

  The rascal people, thirsting after prey,

  Join with the traitor, and they jointly swear

  To spoil the city and your royal court.

  Jack Cade has taken London Bridge;

  the citizens are fleeing and leaving their houses.

  The rascally people, keen for plunder,

  have joined with the traitor, and together they have sworn

  to sack the city and your royal court.

  BUCKINGHAM.

  Then linger not, my lord; away, take horse.

  So don't waste time, my lord; go, ride for it.

  KING.

  Come Margaret; God, our hope, will succour us.

  Come Margaret; God, our protector, will help us.

  QUEEN.

  My hope is gone, now Suffolk is deceas'd.

  I have no hope now that Suffolk is dead.

  KING.

  Farewell, my lord; trust not the Kentish rebels.

  Farewell, my lord; do not trust the Kentish rebels.

  BU
CKINGHAM.

  Trust nobody, for fear you be betray'd.

  Trust nobody, or you may be betrayed.

  SAY.

  The trust I have is in mine innocence,

  And therefore am I bold and resolute.

  I place my trust in my own innocence,

  and so I am strong and steadfast.

  [Exeunt.]

  [Enter LORD SCALES upon the Tower, walking. Then enter two or

  three Citizens, below.]

  SCALES.

  How now! Is Jack Cade slain?

  Hello there! Has Jack Cade been killed?

  1 CITIZEN.

  No, my lord, nor likely to be slain; for they

  have won the bridge, killing all those that withstand them.

  The lord mayor craves aid of your honour from the Tower

  to defend the city from the rebels.

  No, my lord, and it's not likely he will be; for they

  have won the bridge, and killed everyone who stood against them.

  The Lord Mayor begs your honour to send help from the Tower

  to defend the city against the rebels.

  SCALES.

  Such aid as I can spare you shall command,

  But I am troubled here with them myself;

  The rebels have assay'd to win the Tower.

  But get you to Smithfield and gather head,

  And thither I will send you Matthew Goffe.

  Fight for your king, your country, and your lives;

  And so, farewell, for I must hence again.

  I'll send you what help I can spare,

  but they are attacking me here also;

  the rebels have tried to win the Tower.

  But go to Smithfield and gather forces,

  and I will send Matthew Goffe to you there.

  Fight for your king, your country, and your lives;

  and so, farewell, for I must go back there.

  [Exeunt.]

  [Enter JACK CADE and the rest, and strikes his staff on

  London-stone.]

  CADE.

  Now is Mortimer lord of this city. And here, sitting upon

  London-stone, I charge and command that, of the city's cost, the

  conduit run nothing but claret wine this first year of our reign.

  And now henceforward it shall be treason for any that calls me

  other

  than Lord Mortimer.

  Now Mortimer is lord of this city. And here, sitting on

  the London Stone, I give my orders that at the city's expense,

  this conduit shall be filled with nothing but claret wine for the first year of my reign.

  And from now on it will be treason for anyone to call me anything else

  except Lord Mortimer.

  [Enter a Soldier, running.]

  SOLDIER.

  Jack Cade! Jack Cade!

  Jack Cade! Jack Cade!

  CADE.

  Knock him down there.

  Knock that man down.

  [They kill him.]

  SMITH.

  If this fellow be wise, he'll never call ye Jack

  Cade more; I think he hath a very fair warning.

  Is this fellow has any sense, he'll never call you Jack

  Cade again; I think he's had a very fair warning.

  DICK.

  My lord, there's an army gathered together in Smithfield.

  My Lord, an army has gathered together in Smithfield.

  CADE.

  Come then, let's go fight with them. But first, go and set

  London bridge on fire; and, if you can, burn down the Tower too.

  Come, let's away.

  Come on then, let's go and fight with them. But first, go and set

  London Bridge on fire; and, if you can, burn down the Tower as well.

  Come, let's go.

  [Exeunt.]

  [Alarums. MATTHEW GOFFE is slain, and all the rest. Then enter

  JACK CADE, with his company.]

  CADE.

  So, sirs.--Now go some and pull down the Savoy; others

  to the inns of court; down with them all.

  That's that, sirs. Now some of you go and pull down the Savoy; others

  go to the Inns of Court; pull them all down.

  DICK.

  I have a suit unto your lordship.

  I have something to ask your lordship.

  CADE.

  Be it a lordship, thou shalt have it for that word.

  If you want a lordship, you'll have it for saying that word.

  DICK.

  Only that the laws of England may come out of

  your mouth.

  Only that I want the laws of England to be

  spoken by your mouth.

  HOLLAND.

  [Aside.] Mass, 't will be sore law, then; for he

  was thrust in the mouth with a spear, and 't is not whole yet.

  I swear, it will be a sore law, then; for he

  got a spear in the mouth, and it hasn't healed yet.

  SMITH.

  [Aside.] Nay, John, it will be stinking law, for his

  breath stinks with eating toasted cheese.

  No, John, it will be a stinking law, for his

  breath stinks from eating toasted cheese.

  CADE.

  I have thought upon it, it shall be so. Away, burn

  all the records of the realm. My mouth shall be the parliament

  of England.

  I thought about it, and that's how it will be. Go and

  burn all the records of the country. My mouth shall be the Parliament

  of England.

  HOLLAND.

  [Aside.] Then we are like to have biting statutes,

  unless his teeth be pulled out.

  Then we shall have some biting laws,

  unless his teeth are pulled out.

  CADE.

  And henceforward all things shall be in common.

  And from now on all things shall be shared.

  [Enter a Messenger.]

  MESSENGER.

  My lord, a prize, a prize! here's the Lord

  Say, which sold the towns in France; he that made us pay

  one and twenty fifteens, and one shilling to the pound, the

  last subsidy.

  My Lord, a prize, a prize! Here's the Lord

  Say, who sold the towns in France; the one who made us pay

  one hundred and twenty percent, and a shilling in the pound,

  for the last taxes.

  [Enter GEOGE BEVIS, with the LORD SAY.]

  CADE.

  Well, he shall be beheaded for it ten times.--Ah, thou say,

  thou serge, nay, thou buckram lord! now art thou within point-

  blank of our jurisdiction regal. What canst thou answer to my

  majesty for giving up of Normandy unto Mounsieur Basimecu, the

  dauphin of France? Be it known unto thee by these presence, even

  the presence of Lord Mortimer, that I am the besom that must

  sweep the court clean of such filth as thou art. Thou hast most

  traitorously corrupted the youth of the realm in erecting a

  grammar school; and whereas, before, our forefathers had no other

  books but the score and the tally, thou hast caused printing to

  be used, and, contrary to the king, his crown, and dignity, thou

  hast built a paper-mill. It will be proved to thy face that thou

  hast men about thee that usually talk of a noun and a verb, and

  such abominable words as no Christian ear can endure to hear.

  Thou hast appointed justices of peace, to call poor men before

  them about matters they were not able to answer. Moreover, thou

  hast put them in prison, and because they could not read, thou

  hast hanged them; when, indeed, only for that cause they have

  been most worthy to live. Thou dost ride in a foot-cloth, dost

  thou not?

&nb
sp; Well, he shall be beheaded for ten times. Ah, you say,

  you serge, you buckram lord! Now you're within

  range of my royal justice. What excuse can you make to

  my Majesty for giving up Normandy to Monsieur Basimecu, the

  French dauphin? Let it be known to you that this person

  here, Lord Mortimer himself, is the broom that must

  clean filth like you out of the court. You have been most

  treacherous in corrupting the youth of the country by building a

  grammar school; and whereas before our forefathers had no

  books apart from their accounts, you have encouraged printing,

  and, what is damaging to the King, his crown and his dignity, you

  have built a paper mill. It shall be proved to your face that you

  have people around you who usually talk about grammar, using

  such terrible words that no Christian ear can tolerate.

  You have appointed justices of the peace, to some poor man

  before them to answer for their debts. Furthermore, you

  have put them in prison, and because they could not read, you

  have hanged them; when, in fact, that was the reason my most deserved

  to live. You ride a decorated horse, don't you?

  SAY.

  What of that?

  What about it?

  CADE.