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

by William Shakespeare

  That's somewhat sudden:

  But he's a learned man. May he continue

  Long in his highness' favour, and do justice

  For truth's sake and his conscience; that his bones,

  When he has run his course and sleeps in blessings,

  May have a tomb of orphans' tears wept on em! What more?

  That's rather sodden:

  but he's an educated man. May he remain

  in his Highness' favour for a long time, and do the right thing

  for the sake of truth and his conscience; so that his bones,

  when his life has run out and he gains blessed sleep,

  may be covered with the tears of orphans! What else?

  CROMWELL

  That Cranmer is return'd with welcome,

  Install'd lord archbishop of Canterbury.

  Cranmer has been welcomed back,

  and made Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.

  CARDINAL WOLSEY

  That's news indeed.

  That's certainly news.

  CROMWELL

  Last, that the Lady Anne,

  Whom the king hath in secrecy long married,

  This day was view'd in open as his queen,

  Going to chapel; and the voice is now

  Only about her coronation.

  Lastly that the Lady Anne,

  who has been secretly married to the King for a long time,

  was today seen out in the open as his Queen,

  going to chapel; and all the gossip is now

  about her coronation.

  CARDINAL WOLSEY

  There was the weight that pull'd me down. O Cromwell,

  The king has gone beyond me: all my glories

  In that one woman I have lost for ever:

  No sun shall ever usher forth mine honours,

  Or gild again the noble troops that waited

  Upon my smiles. Go, get thee from me, Cromwell;

  I am a poor fall'n man, unworthy now

  To be thy lord and master: seek the king;

  That sun, I pray, may never set! I have told him

  What and how true thou art: he will advance thee;

  Some little memory of me will stir him--

  I know his noble nature--not to let

  Thy hopeful service perish too: good Cromwell,

  Neglect him not; make use now, and provide

  For thine own future safety.

  That was the weight that pulled me down. Oh Cromwell,

  the King is lost to me; through that one woman

  I have lost all my glory forever:

  no sun shall ever shine again on my honours,

  or on the crowds of followers who waited

  for my approval. Go away from me, Cromwell;

  I am a fallen man, unworthy now

  of being your lord and master: find the king;

  I pray that that sun may never set! I have told him

  who you are and how loyal you are: he will promote you;

  some small memory of me will motivate him–

  I know his noble nature–to allow your

  good services to be rewarded: good Cromwell,

  do not ignore him; use him now, and solidify

  your position for the future.

  CROMWELL

  O my lord,

  Must I, then, leave you? must I needs forego

  So good, so noble and so true a master?

  Bear witness, all that have not hearts of iron,

  With what a sorrow Cromwell leaves his lord.

  The king shall have my service: but my prayers

  For ever and for ever shall be yours.

  O my Lord,

  then must I leave you? Do I need to abandon

  such a good, noble and true master?

  All who do not have hearts of iron please witness

  how sadly Cromwell leaves his Lord.

  I shall serve the King: but my prayers

  will be yours for ever.

  CARDINAL WOLSEY

  Cromwell, I did not think to shed a tear

  In all my miseries; but thou hast forced me,

  Out of thy honest truth, to play the woman.

  Let's dry our eyes: and thus far hear me, Cromwell;

  And, when I am forgotten, as I shall be,

  And sleep in dull cold marble, where no mention

  Of me more must be heard of, say, I taught thee,

  Say, Wolsey, that once trod the ways of glory,

  And sounded all the depths and shoals of honour,

  Found thee a way, out of his wreck, to rise in;

  A sure and safe one, though thy master miss'd it.

  Mark but my fall, and that that ruin'd me.

  Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition:

  By that sin fell the angels; how can man, then,

  The image of his Maker, hope to win by it?

  Love thyself last: cherish those hearts that hate thee;

  Corruption wins not more than honesty.

  Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace,

  To silence envious tongues. Be just, and fear not:

  Let all the ends thou aim'st at be thy country's,

  Thy God's, and truth's; then if thou fall'st,

  O Cromwell,

  Thou fall'st a blessed martyr! Serve the king;

  And,--prithee, lead me in:

  There take an inventory of all I have,

  To the last penny; 'tis the king's: my robe,

  And my integrity to heaven, is all

  I dare now call mine own. O Cromwell, Cromwell!

  Had I but served my God with half the zeal

  I served my king, he would not in mine age

  Have left me naked to mine enemies.

  Cromwell, I did not think I would cry

  in all my misery; but you have made me,

  through your honest truth, act like a woman.

  Let's dry our eyes; and at least listen to this,

  and when I am forgotten, as I will be,

  and sleeping in my tomb, when I shall

  never be mentioned again, say I taught you;

  say Wolsey, who once trod the paths of glory,

  and sailed across all the oceans of honour,

  found a way when he was shipwrecked for you to rise,

  a sure and safe way, although your master missed it.

  Just take note of my fall, and what ruined me:

  Cromwell, I order you, throw away ambition,

  the sin that made the Angels fall; so how can man,

  the image of his maker, hope to profit by it?

  Love yourself last of all, love those who hate you;

  honesty does better than corruption.

  Always carry gentle peace with you

  to silence jealous tongues. Be just, and don't be afraid;

  let everything you do be for the good of the country,

  God and truth: and if you fall, O Cromwell,

  you will fall as a blessed martyr.

  Serve the King: and please take me in:

  take an inventory of all my possessions,

  to the last penny, it belongs to the king. My robe,

  and my loyalty to heaven, is all

  I can now call my own. Oh, Cromwell, Cromwell.

  If I had served my God with half the enthusiasm

  with which I served my king, he would not have left me

  naked to my enemies in my old age.

  CROMWELL

  Good sir, have patience.

  Good sir, have patience.

  CARDINAL WOLSEY

  So I have. Farewell

  The hopes of court! my hopes in heaven do dwell.

  I have. Farewell

  to the ambitions of court! My hope lives in heaven.

  Exeunt

  Enter two Gentlemen, meeting one another

  First Gentleman

  You're well met once again.

  Good to see you again.

  Second Gentleman

  So are
you.

  The same to you.

  First Gentleman

  You come to take your stand here, and behold

  The Lady Anne pass from her coronation?

  Have you come to stand here and watch

  Lady Anne on her way from her coronation?

  Second Gentleman

  'Tis all my business. At our last encounter,

  The Duke of Buckingham came from his trial.

  That's what I'm here for. Last time we met,

  the Duke of Buckingham was coming from his trial.

  First Gentleman

  'Tis very true: but that time offer'd sorrow;

  This, general joy.

  That's very true, but that was a sorrowful time;

  this is a time of general happiness.

  Second Gentleman

  'Tis well: the citizens,

  I am sure, have shown at full their royal minds--

  As, let 'em have their rights, they are ever forward--

  In celebration of this day with shows,

  Pageants and sights of honour.

  It's good: the citizens

  have certainly shown their fondness for royalty–

  as, to give them their due, they always do–

  by celebrating this day with shows,

  pageants and great displays.

  First Gentleman

  Never greater,

  Nor, I'll assure you, better taken, sir.

  There never have been greater,

  nor, I can assure you, more welcome, sir.

  Second Gentleman

  May I be bold to ask at what that contains,

  That paper in your hand?

  Might I be so bold as to enquire what

  that paper in your hand says?

  First Gentleman

  Yes; 'tis the list

  Of those that claim their offices this day

  By custom of the coronation.

  The Duke of Suffolk is the first, and claims

  To be high-steward; next, the Duke of Norfolk,

  He to be earl marshal: you may read the rest.

  Yes, it is the list

  of those who claim their titles today

  as is customary at the coronation.

  The Duke of Suffolk is the first, he claims

  the right of being high Steward; next comes the Duke of Norfolk,

  he shall be Earl Marshall: you may read the rest.

  Second Gentleman

  I thank you, sir: had I not known those customs,

  I should have been beholding to your paper.

  But, I beseech you, what's become of Katharine,

  The princess dowager? how goes her business?

  Thank you, Sir: if I didn't know these customs,

  your paper would have been very useful.

  But, I must ask you, what happened to Katherine,

  the Princess Dowager? How goes it with her?

  First Gentleman

  That I can tell you too. The Archbishop

  Of Canterbury, accompanied with other

  Learned and reverend fathers of his order,

  Held a late court at Dunstable, six miles off

  From Ampthill where the princess lay; to which

  She was often cited by them, but appear'd not:

  And, to be short, for not appearance and

  The king's late scruple, by the main assent

  Of all these learned men she was divorced,

  And the late marriage made of none effect

  Since which she was removed to Kimbolton,

  Where she remains now sick.

  I can tell you that too. The Archbishop

  of Canterbury, accompanied by other

  learned and reverend fathers of his order,

  recently held a court at Dunstable, six miles away

  from Ampthill where the Princess was staying;

  they often summoned her, but she did not come:

  and, to cut a long story short, because she didn't appear

  and because of the King's recent doubts, she was

  divorced by a unanimous vote of all these learned men,

  and her previous marriage was declared invalid.

  Since then she has gone to Kimbolton,

  where she is now lying ill.

  Second Gentleman

  Alas, good lady!

  Alas, good lady!

  Trumpets

  The trumpets sound: stand close, the queen is coming.

  The trumpets are sounding: stand close to me, the Queen is coming.

  Hautboys

  THE ORDER OF THE CORONATION

  1. A lively flourish of Trumpets.

  2. Then, two Judges.

  3. Lord Chancellor, with the purse and mace

  before him.

  4. Choristers, singing.

  Music

  5. Mayor of London, bearing the mace. Then

  Garter, in his coat of arms, and on his

  head a gilt copper crown.

  6. Marquess Dorset, bearing a sceptre of gold,

  on his head a demi-coronal of gold. With

  him, SURREY, bearing the rod of silver with

  the dove, crowned with an earl's coronet.

  Collars of SS.

  7. SUFFOLK, in his robe of estate, his coronet

  on his head, bearing a long white wand, as

  high-steward. With him, NORFOLK, with the

  rod of marshalship, a coronet on his head.

  Collars of SS.

  8. A canopy borne by four of the Cinque-ports;

  under it, QUEEN ANNE in her robe; in her hair

  richly adorned with pearl, crowned. On each

  side her, the Bishops of London and

  Winchester.

  9. The old Duchess of Norfolk, in a coronal of

  gold, wrought with flowers, bearing QUEEN

  ANNE's train.

  10. Certain Ladies or Countesses, with plain

  circlets of gold without flowers.

  They pass over the stage in order and state

  Second Gentleman

  A royal train, believe me. These I know:

  Who's that that bears the sceptre?

  A royal procession, I'll swear. I know these people,

  who is that who's carrying the sceptre?

  First Gentleman

  Marquess Dorset:

  And that the Earl of Surrey, with the rod.

  The Marquess Dorset:

  and that's the Earl of Surrey, carrying the rod.

  Second Gentleman

  A bold brave gentleman. That should be

  The Duke of Suffolk?

  A bold brave gentleman. Is that

  the Duke of Suffolk?

  First Gentleman

  'Tis the same: high-steward.

  That's him: high Steward.

  Second Gentleman

  And that my Lord of Norfolk?

  And that's my Lord of Norfolk?

  First Gentleman

  Yes;

  Yes.

  Second Gentleman

  Heaven bless thee!

  Looking on QUEEN ANNE

  Thou hast the sweetest face I ever look'd on.

  Sir, as I have a soul, she is an angel;

  Our king has all the Indies in his arms,

  And more and richer, when he strains that lady:

  I cannot blame his conscience.

  Heaven bless you!

  You have the sweetest face I ever saw.

  Sir, upon my soul, she is an angel;

  our King possesses something more valuable

  than the whole of the Indies when he embraces that lady:

  I can't blame him for wanting her.

  First Gentleman

  They that bear

  The cloth of honour over her, are four barons

  Of the Cinque-ports.

  Those who carry

  the canopy over her are four Barons

  of the Cinque ports.

  Second Gentleman

  Those
men are happy; and so are all are near her.

  I take it, she that carries up the train

  Is that old noble lady, Duchess of Norfolk.

  Those men are lucky; and so all who are near her.

  I take it that the one who is carrying the train

  is that old noble lady, Duchess of Norfolk.

  First Gentleman

  It is; and all the rest are countesses.

  It is; and all the rest are Countesses.

  Second Gentleman

  Their coronets say so. These are stars indeed;

  And sometimes falling ones.

  I can see by their coronets. These are certainly stars;

  and sometimes they fall.

  First Gentleman

  No more of that.

  That's enough of that.

  Exit procession, and then a great flourish of trumpets

  Enter a third Gentleman

  First Gentleman

  God save you, sir! where have you been broiling?

  God save you, sir! Where have you been sweating?

  Third Gentleman

  Among the crowd i' the Abbey; where a finger

  Could not be wedged in more: I am stifled

  With the mere rankness of their joy.

  Amongst the crowd in the Abbey; you couldn't have got

  another finger in there: I am choked

  with the stench of their joy.

  Second Gentleman

  You saw

  The ceremony?

  You saw

  the ceremony?

  Third Gentleman

  That I did.

  I certainly did.

  First Gentleman

  How was it?

  How was it?

  Third Gentleman