The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 157
that we are the ones who chased you off the battlefield,
and killed your fathers, and with our flags flying
marched through the city up to the gates of the palace.
NORTHUMBERLAND.
Yes, Warwick, I remember it to my grief;
And, by his soul, thou and thy house shall rue it.
Yes, Warwick, I remember it with sorrow;
and on the soul of my father, you and your family will live to regret it.
WESTMORELAND.
Plantagenet, of thee, and these thy sons,
Thy kinsmen, and thy friends, I'll have more lives
Than drops of blood were in my father's veins.
Plantagenet, I shall take more lives from you, and
your sons here, your kinsmen and your friends,
than there were drops of blood in my father's veins.
CLIFFORD.
Urge it no more; lest that instead of words
I send thee, Warwick, such a messenger
As shall revenge his death before I stir.
Don't keep speaking of it, in case instead of words
I will send a messenger to you, Warwick,
he will take revenge for his death before I've even moved.
WARWICK.
Poor Clifford! how I scorn his worthless threats!
Poor Clifford! How little respect I have for his worthless threats!
YORK.
Will you we show our title to the crown?
If not, our swords shall plead it in the field.
Shall we show you why we have a right to the crown?
If not, we shall show you on the battlefield with our swords.
KING HENRY.
What title hast thou, traitor, to the crown?
Thy father was, as thou art, Duke of York;
Thy grandfather, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March.
I am the son of Henry the Fifth,
Who made the Dauphin and the French to stoop,
And seiz'd upon their towns and provinces.
What right have you got, traitor, to the crown?
Your father was Duke of York, as you are;
your grandfather was Roger Mortimer, Earl of March.
I am the son of Henry the Fifth,
who made the Dauphin and the French bow down,
and seized their towns and provinces.
WARWICK.
Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost it all.
Is no good talking about France, seeing as you have lost it all.
KING HENRY.
The lord protector lost it, and not I;
When I was crown'd I was but nine months old.
The lord protector lost it, not me;
when I was crowned I was only nine months old.
RICHARD.
You are old enough now, and yet, methinks, you lose.--
Father, tear the crown from the usurper's head.
You're now quite old enough, and yet I think you'll still lose.
Father, tear the crown of the head of this false king.
EDWARD.
Sweet father, do so; set it on your head.
Do it, sweet father; put it on your head.
MONTAGUE.
Good brother, as thou lov'st and honourest arms,
Let's fight it out and not stand cavilling thus.
Good brother, you love military things,
let's fight it out instead of standing here bickering.
RICHARD.
Sound drums and trumpets, and the king will fly.
Sound the drums and trumpets, and King will run away.
YORK.
Sons, peace!
Peace, my sons!
KING HENRY.
Peace thou, and give King Henry leave to speak.
You be quiet, and give King Henry permission to speak.
WARWICK.
Plantagenet shall speak first; hear him, lords,
And be you silent and attentive too,
For he that interrupts him shall not live.
Plantagenet will speak first; listen to him, lords,
and be silent and pay attention,
for anyone who interrupts him will not live.
KING HENRY.
Think'st thou that I will leave my kingly throne,
Wherein my grandsire and my father sat?
No! first shall war unpeople this my realm;
Ay, and their colours--often borne in France,
And now in England, to our heart's great sorrow--
Shall be my winding sheet.--Why faint you, lords?
My title's good, and better far than his.
Do you think that I will leave my royal throne,
on which my grandfather and my father sat?
No! War would have to kill all the people in my kingdom first;
yes, and their banners–often carried in France,
and now in England, which wounds me to my heart–
will be my shroud.–Why do you hold back, Lords?
I have far more right to the throne than him.
WARWICK.
Prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king.
Prove it, Henry, and you shall be king.
KING HENRY.
Henry the Fourth by conquest got the crown.
Henry the Fourth got the crown through conquest.
YORK.
'T was by rebellion against his king.
He got it by rebelling against his king.
KING HENRY.
[Aside.] I know not what to say; my title's weak.--
Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir?
I don't know what to say, I'm on shaky ground–
tell me, may a king not adopt an heir?
YORK.
What then?
Well?
KING HENRY.
An if he may, then am I lawful king;
For Richard, in the view of many lords,
Resign'd the crown to Henry the Fourth,
Whose heir my father was, and I am his.
If he can, then I am legally king;
for Richard, in the sight of many lords,
gave over the crown to Henry the Fourth,
and my father inherited it from him, and I from my father.
YORK.
He rose against him, being his sovereign,
And made him to resign his crown perforce.
He rebelled against him, against his own king,
and forced him to resign his crown.
WARWICK.
Suppose, my lords, he did it unconstrain'd,
Think you 't were prejudicial to his crown?
What if, my lords, he did it without being forced,
do you think that would make difference?
EXETER.
No; for he could not so resign his crown
But that the next heir should succeed and reign.
No; the only way he could resign his crown
would be by handing it on to the next in line.
KING HENRY.
Art thou against us, Duke of Exeter?
Are you against me, Duke of Exeter?
EXETER.
His is the right, and therefore pardon me.
You must excuse me, but he has right on his side.
YORK.
Why whisper you, my lords, and answer not?
Why are you whispering, my lords, and not answering?
EXETER.
My conscience tells me he is lawful king.
I know in my heart that he is the lawful king.
KING HENRY.
[Aside.] All will revolt from me and turn to him.
They will all rebel against me and turn to him.
NORTHUMBERLAND.
Plantagenet, for all the claim thou lay'st,
Think not that Henry shall be so depos'd.
Plantagenet, you can lay as many claims as you like,
don't think the Henry will be overthrown by them.
WARWICK.
Depos'd he s
hall be, in despite of all.
Whatever you say, he will be overthrown.
NORTHUMBERLAND.
Thou art deceiv'd; 't is not thy southern power,
Of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent,
Which makes thee thus presumptuous and proud,
Can set the duke up in despite of me.
You are fooling yourself; your southern powers,
Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Kent,
which make you so arrogant and confident,
won't be enough to install the Duke against my wishes.
CLIFFORD.
King Henry, be thy title right or wrong,
Lord Clifford vows to fight in thy defence.
May that ground gape and swallow me alive,
Where I shall kneel to him that slew my father!
King Henry, whatever the rights and wrongs of the issue,
Lord Clifford swears that he will fight in your defence.
May the ground open up and swallow me alive,
if I kneel to the one who killed my father!
KING HENRY.
O Clifford, how thy words revive my heart!
O Clifford, how cheering your words are!
YORK.
Henry of Lancaster, resign thy crown.--
What mutter you, or what conspire you, lords?
Henry of Lancaster, give up your crown–
what are you muttering about, what are you plotting, lords?
WARWICK.
Do right unto this princely Duke of York,
Or I will fill the house with armed men,
And over the chair of state where now he sits
Write up his title with usurping blood.
Give this princely Duke of York his rights,
or I will fill the house with armed men,
and over the throne where he now sits
I will write up his title with the blood of rebels.
[He stamps, and the soldiers show themselves.]
KING HENRY.
My Lord of Warwick, hear but one word:
Let me for this my lifetime reign as king.
My Lord Warwick, let me just ask one thing:
let me be king for the rest of my life.
YORK.
Confirm the crown to me, and to mine heirs,
And thou shalt reign in quiet while thou liv'st.
Agree that the crown is mine, and will pass to my heirs,
and you shall reign in peace while you remain alive.
KING HENRY.
I am content; Richard Plantagenet,
Enjoy the kingdom after my decease.
I am satisfied; Richard Plantagenet,
you will be king when I die.
CLIFFORD.
What wrong is this unto the prince your son!
How terrible this is for your son the prince!
WARWICK.
What good is this to England and himself!
How good this is for England and himself!
WESTMORELAND.
Base, fearful, and despairing Henry!
Low, cowardly and despairing Henry!
CLIFFORD.
How hast thou injur'd both thyself and us!
What harm you're doing to yourself and to us!
WESTMORELAND.
I cannot stay to hear these articles.
I can't stay here and listen to this agreement.
NORTHUMBERLAND.
Nor I.
Me neither.
CLIFFORD.
Come, cousin, let us tell the queen these news.
Come, cousin, let us go and tell the Queen this news.
WESTMORELAND.
Farewell, faint-hearted and degenerate king,
In whose cold blood no spark of honour bides.
Farewell, cowardly and degenerate king,
who has no spark of honour anywhere in his cold blood.
NORTHUMBERLAND.
Be thou a prey unto the house of York,
And die in bands for this unmanly deed!
Make yourself a victim of the house of York,
and die in chains for this unmanly deed!
CLIFFORD.
In dreadful war mayst thou be overcome,
Or live in peace abandon'd and despis'd!
May you be killed in a dreadful war,
or if you live in peace be isolated and hated!
[Exeunt Northumberland, Clifford, and Westmoreland.]
WARWICK.
Turn this way, Henry, and regard them not.
Look over here, Henry, and don't pay attention to them.
EXETER.
They seek revenge, and therefore will not yield.
They're looking for revenge, and they will not back down.
KING HENRY.
Ah, Exeter!
Ah, Exeter!
WARWICK.
Why should you sigh, my lord?
Why are you sighing, my lord?
KING HENRY.
Not for myself, Lord Warwick, but my son,
Whom I unnaturally shall disinherit.--
But be it as it may, I here entail
The crown to thee, and to thine heirs for ever;
Conditionally, that here thou take an oath
To cease this civil war, and whilst I live
To honour me as thy king and sovereign,
And neither by treason nor hostility
To seek to put me down and reign thyself.
Not for myself, Lord Warwick, but my son,
whom I am unnaturally disinheriting.
But be that as it may, I hereby sign over
the crown to you, and to your heirs for ever;
on condition that you now take an oath
that you will end the civil war, and while I live
you will honour me as your King and ruler,
and that you won't try to overthrow me
by either treason or war.
YORK.
This oath I willingly take and will perform.
I gladly take this oath, I shall do it.
[Coming from the throne.]
WARWICK.
Long live King Henry!--Plantagenet, embrace him.
Long live king Henry! Plantagenet, embrace him.
KING HENRY.
And long live thou, and these thy forward sons!
And may you live long, and these brave sons of yours!
YORK.
Now York and Lancaster are reconcil'd.
Now York and Lancaster have made up.
EXETER.
Accurs'd be he that seeks to make them foes!
A curse on anyone who tries to make them enemies!
[Sennet. The Lords come forward.]
YORK. Farewell, my gracious lord; I'll to my castle.
Goodbye, my gracious lord; I'll go to my castle.
WARWICK.
And I'll keep London with my soldiers.
I'll keep on to London with my soldiers.
NORFOLK.
And I to Norfolk with my followers.
My followers and I shall go to Norfolk.
MONTAGUE.
And I unto the sea from whence I came.
I'll go back to the sea from where I came.
[Exeunt York and his Sons, Warwick, Norfolk, Montague,
Soldiers, and Attendants.]
KING HENRY.
And I, with grief and sorrow, to the court.
And I shall go to the court, grieved and sorrowful.
[Enter QUEEN MARGARET and the PRINCE OF WALES.]
EXETER.
Here comes the queen, whose looks bewray her anger.
I'll steal away.
Here comes the Queen, you can see her anger in her looks.
I'll sneak off.
KING HENRY.
Exeter, so will I.
[Going.]
Exeter, so will I.
QUEEN MARGARET.
Nay, go not from me; I will follow thee.
No, don't run away from me; I will follow you.
Be patient, gentle queen, and I will stay.
If you are calm, gentle queen, I will stay.
QUEEN MARGARET.
Who can be patient in such extremes?
Ah, wretched man! would I had died a maid,
And never seen thee, never borne thee son,
Seeing thou hast prov'd so unnatural a father!
Hath he deserv'd to lose his birthright thus?
Hadst thou but lov'd him half so well as I,
Or felt that pain which I did for him once,
Or nourish'd him as I did with my blood,
Thou wouldst have left thy dearest heart-blood there
Rather than have made that savage duke thine heir
And disinherited thine only son.
Who can be calm in such extreme situations?
You wretched man! I wish I'd died a virgin,