The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 192
KATHARINE
Spirits of peace, where are ye? are ye all gone,
And leave me here in wretchedness behind ye?
Spirits of peace, where have you gone? Have you all gone,
and left me here in wretchedness behind you?
GRIFFITH
Madam, we are here.
Madam, we are here.
KATHARINE
It is not you I call for:
Saw ye none enter since I slept?
It's not you I'm calling for:
didn't you see anyone come in since I went to sleep?
GRIFFITH
None, madam.
Nobody, madam.
KATHARINE
No? Saw you not, even now, a blessed troop
Invite me to a banquet; whose bright faces
Cast thousand beams upon me, like the sun?
They promised me eternal happiness;
And brought me garlands, Griffith, which I feel
I am not worthy yet to wear: I shall, assuredly.
No? Didn't you see, just now, a blessed band
invite me to a banquet; their bright faces
shining a thousand beams on me, like the sun?
They promised me eternal happiness;
and they brought me garlands, Griffith, which I feel
I am not yet worthy to wear: I certainly shall in future.
GRIFFITH
I am most joyful, madam, such good dreams
Possess your fancy.
It makes me very happy, madam,
that you are having such sweet dreams.
KATHARINE
Bid the music leave,
They are harsh and heavy to me.
Tell the musicians to stop,
it sounds harsh and heavy to me now.
Music ceases
PATIENCE
Do you note
How much her grace is alter'd on the sudden?
How long her face is drawn? how pale she looks,
And of an earthy cold? Mark her eyes!
Do you see
how much her grace has changed all of a sudden?
How drawn her face has become? How pale she looks,
and as cold as earth? Look in her eyes!
GRIFFITH
She is going, wench: pray, pray.
She is going, girl: pray, pray.
PATIENCE
Heaven comfort her!
May Heaven comfort her!
Enter a Messenger
Messenger
An't like your grace,--
If it pleases your Grace–
KATHARINE
You are a saucy fellow:
Deserve we no more reverence?
You are cheeky fellow:
don't I deserve more respect?
GRIFFITH
You are to blame,
Knowing she will not lose her wonted greatness,
To use so rude behavior; go to, kneel.
You should not be so rude
as to treat her any way differently to when she was Queen;
get down on your knees.
Messenger
I humbly do entreat your highness' pardon;
My haste made me unmannerly. There is staying
A gentleman, sent from the king, to see you.
I humbly beg your Highness' pardon;
my haste made me ill mannered. A gentleman
from the King is waiting to see you.
KATHARINE
Admit him entrance, Griffith: but this fellow
Let me ne'er see again.
Exeunt GRIFFITH and Messenger
Re-enter GRIFFITH, with CAPUCIUS
If my sight fail not,
You should be lord ambassador from the emperor,
My royal nephew, and your name Capucius.
Let him in, Griffith: but I never want to
see this fellow again.
If my eyes do not deceive me,
you are the lord ambassador from the Emperor,
my royal nephew, and your name is Capucius.
CAPUCIUS
Madam, the same; your servant.
Madam, I am him; at your service.
KATHARINE
O, my lord,
The times and titles now are alter'd strangely
With me since first you knew me. But, I pray you,
What is your pleasure with me?
Oh, my lord,
the times and titles have now been strangely altered
for me since you first knew me. But, please,
what do you want with me?
CAPUCIUS
Noble lady,
First mine own service to your grace; the next,
The king's request that I would visit you;
Who grieves much for your weakness, and by me
Sends you his princely commendations,
And heartily entreats you take good comfort.
Noble lady,
firstly I want to offer my services to your grace;
also the King requested that I visit you;
he is very sorry for your illness, and through me
sends you his princely greetings,
and heartily begs you to be of good cheer.
KATHARINE
O my good lord, that comfort comes too late;
'Tis like a pardon after execution:
That gentle physic, given in time, had cured me;
But now I am past all comforts here, but prayers.
How does his highness?
Oh my good lord, his comfort comes too late;
it's like a pardon after an execution:
that sweet medicine, given in time, would have cured me;
but now I am past all comfort apart from prayers.
How is his Highness?
CAPUCIUS
Madam, in good health.
Madam, he is in good health.
KATHARINE
So may he ever do! and ever flourish,
When I shal l dwell with worms, and my poor name
Banish'd the kingdom! Patience, is that letter,
I caused you write, yet sent away?
I hope he always will be! May he always prosper,
when I am living with the worms, and my poor name
has been banned from the kingdom! Patience, is that letter,
which I told you to write, sent yet?
PATIENCE
No, madam.
No, madam.
Giving it to KATHARINE
KATHARINE
Sir, I most humbly pray you to deliver
This to my lord the king.
Sir, I most humbly request that you deliver
this to my lord the king.
CAPUCIUS
Most willing, madam.
Certainly, madam.
KATHARINE
In which I have commended to his goodness
The model of our chaste loves, his young daughter;
The dews of heaven fall thick in blessings on her!
Beseeching him to give her virtuous breeding--
She is young, and of a noble modest nature,
I hope she will deserve well,--and a little
To love her for her mother's sake, that loved him,
Heaven knows how dearly. My next poor petition
Is, that his noble grace would have some pity
Upon my wretched women, that so long
Have follow'd both my fortunes faithfully:
Of which there is not one, I dare avow,
And now I should not lie, but will deserve
For virtue and true beauty of the soul,
For honesty and decent carriage,
A right good husband, let him be a noble
And, sure, those men are happy that shall have 'em.
The last is, for my men; they are the poorest,
But poverty could never draw 'em from me;
That they may have their wages duly paid 'em,
And something over to remember me by:
<
br /> If heaven had pleased to have given me longer life
And able means, we had not parted thus.
These are the whole contents: and, good my lord,
By that you love the dearest in this world,
As you wish Christian peace to souls departed,
Stand these poor people's friend, and urge the king
To do me this last right.
In it I have asked him to kindly take care of
the image of our perfect love, his young daughter–
May Heaven pour down blessings upon her–
asking him to give her a good upbringing
–she is young and of a noble modest nature,
I hope she turns out well–and to love her
a little for her mother's sake, who loved him,
God knows how much. My next poor request
is that his noble grace should have some pity
on my wretched women, who have for so long
stayed with me whatever happened to me,
and I swear that there isn't one
(and I would not lie now) who does not deserve,
due to the goodness and beauty of their souls,
their honesty and decent behaviour,
a proper good husband (let him be a nobleman)
and it's certain that they will make those who have them happy.
The last request is for my men, they are very poor
(but they would never leave me due to poverty)
and I would like their wages properly paid to them,
with something over to remember me by.
If heaven had chosen to give me a longer life
and sufficient means, we would not part like this.
That's all I have to say, and my good lord,
by all that you love most in the world,
as you wish dead souls to find Christian peace,
be a friend to these poor people, and urge the King
to do this last thing for me.
CAPUCIUS
By heaven, I will,
Or let me lose the fashion of a man.
By heaven, I will,
or let me lose the title of man.
KATHARINE
I thank you, honest lord. Remember me
In all humility unto his highness:
Say his long trouble now is passing
Out of this world; tell him, in death I bless'd him,
For so I will. Mine eyes grow dim. Farewell,
My lord. Griffith, farewell. Nay, Patience,
You must not leave me yet: I must to bed;
Call in more women. When I am dead, good wench,
Let me be used with honour: strew me over
With maiden flowers, that all the world may know
I was a chaste wife to my grave: embalm me,
Then lay me forth: although unqueen'd, yet like
A queen, and daughter to a king, inter me.
I can no more.
I thank you, good lord. Give his Highness
my most humble respects:
so the one who caused him such trouble is now
leaving this world; tell him that I blessed him as I died,
for I shall do so. My eyes are growing dim. Farewell,
my lord. Griffith, farewell. No, Patience,
you must not leave me yet: I must go to bed;
call more women in. When I'm dead, good girl,
treat me with respect: cover me over
with maidenly flowers, so that all the world will know
that I was a pure wife to my grave: embalm me,
then lay me out for burial: although my title has been taken away,
Bury me like a queen, and the daughter of the King.
I can say no more.
Exeunt, leading KATHARINE
Enter GARDINER, Bishop of Winchester, a Page with a torch before him, met by LOVELL
GARDINER
It's one o'clock, boy, is't not?
It's one o'clock, boy, isn't it?
Boy
It hath struck.
It has struck.
GARDINER
These should be hours for necessities,
Not for delights; times to repair our nature
With comforting repose, and not for us
To waste these times. Good hour of night, Sir Thomas!
Whither so late?
These hours should be spent on essentials,
not on pleasure; it's time to restore our nature
with sweet sleep, not to waste
these hours. Good evening, Sir Thomas!
Where are you going so late?
LOVELL
Came you from the king, my lord?
Did you come from the King, my lord?
GARDINER
I did, Sir Thomas: and left him at primero
With the Duke of Suffolk.
I did, Sir Thomas: I left him playing primero
with the Duke of Suffolk.
LOVELL
I must to him too,
Before he go to bed. I'll take my leave.
I must go to him too,
before he goes to bed. I shall leave you.
GARDINER
Not yet, Sir Thomas Lovell. What's the matter?
It seems you are in haste: an if there be
No great offence belongs to't, give your friend
Some touch of your late business: affairs, that walk,
As they say spirits do, at midnight, have
In them a wilder nature than the business
That seeks dispatch by day.
Not yet, Sir Thomas Lovell. What's the matter?
It seems you are in a hurry: and if it won't
cause any offence, tell your friend
what you're up to: business that's conducted
at midnight, like the business of ghosts,
is wilder than the business
that is done in the day.
LOVELL
My lord, I love you;
And durst commend a secret to your ear
Much weightier than this work. The queen's in labour,
They say, in great extremity; and fear'd
She'll with the labour end.
My lord, I love you;
and I would trust you with a secret
much greater than this one. The Queen is in labour,
they say she is in great difficulty and it's feared
that she will die in childbirth.
GARDINER
The fruit she goes with
I pray for heartily, that it may find
Good time, and live: but for the stock, Sir Thomas,
I wish it grubb'd up now.
I pray heartily for
the fruit she will bear, and hope it will
survive: but for the tree, Sir Thomas,
I would like it to be grubbed up now.
LOVELL
Methinks I could
Cry the amen; and yet my conscience says
She's a good creature, and, sweet lady, does
Deserve our better wishes.
I think I could
say amen to that; but my conscience says
she's a good creature, and, sweet lady,
deserves good wishes from us.
GARDINER
But, sir, sir,
Hear me, Sir Thomas: you're a gentleman
Of mine own way; I know you wise, religious;
And, let me tell you, it will ne'er be well,
'Twill not, Sir Thomas Lovell, take't of me,
Till Cranmer, Cromwell, her two hands, and she,
Sleep in their graves.
But, sir, sir,
listen to me, Sir Thomas: you're a gentleman
after my own heart; I know you to be wise and religious;
and, let me tell you, nothing will ever come to any good,
it will not, Sir Thomas Lovell, believe you me,
until Cranmer and Cromwell, her two hands, and her,
sleep in their
graves.
LOVELL
Now, sir, you speak of two
The most remark'd i' the kingdom. As for Cromwell,
Beside that of the jewel house, is made master
O' the rolls, and the king's secretary; further, sir,
Stands in the gap and trade of moe preferments,
With which the time will load him. The archbishop
Is the king's hand and tongue; and who dare speak
One syllable against him?
Now, sir, you're talking about two
of the most notable men in the kingdom. As for Cromwell,
as well as being master of the jewel house he has been made master
of the rolls, and the King’s secretary; and, Sir,
he stands in a position to receive more promotions
which he will gain in time. The Archbishop
is the king's right-hand man and mouthpiece; who dares to say
one word against him?
GARDINER
Yes, yes, Sir Thomas,
There are that dare; and I myself have ventured
To speak my mind of him: and indeed this day,
Sir, I may tell it you, I think I have
Incensed the lords o' the council, that he is,
For so I know he is, they know he is,
A most arch heretic, a pestilence
That does infect the land: with which they moved
Have broken with the king; who hath so far
Given ear to our complaint, of his great grace
And princely care foreseeing those fell mischiefs
Our reasons laid before him, hath commanded