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

Page 199

by William Shakespeare

your ladyship's kind permission to go out into the world,

  the woman Isbel and I will get by as best we can.

  COUNTESS

  Wilt thou needs be a beggar?

  Will you have to beg?

  Clown

  I do beg your good will in this case.

  I'm begging for your blessing in this case.

  COUNTESS

  In what case?

  In what case?

  Clown

  In Isbel's case and mine own. Service is no

  heritage: and I think I shall never have the

  blessing of God till I have issue o' my body; for

  they say barnes are blessings.

  In Isbel's case and my own. Being a servant

  leaves nothing: and I think I will never have the

  blessing of God until I have children; for

  they say babies are blessings.

  COUNTESS

  Tell me thy reason why thou wilt marry.

  Tell me why you want to get married.

  Clown

  My poor body, madam, requires it: I am driven on

  by the flesh; and he must needs go that the devil drives.

  My poor body, madam, demands it: I am driven

  by lust; when the devil orders one must obey.

  COUNTESS

  Is this all your worship's reason?

  And this is your only reason?

  Clown

  Faith, madam, I have other holy reasons such as they

  are.

  Oh no madam, I have other, holy, reasons; such as they are.

  COUNTESS

  May the world know them?

  Can you tell us?

  Clown

  I have been, madam, a wicked creature, as you and

  all flesh and blood are; and, indeed, I do marry

  that I may repent.

  Madam, I have been a wicked creature, just like you

  and all humans; and so I am marrying

  so that I can repent.

  COUNTESS

  Thy marriage, sooner than thy wickedness.

  You will regret your marriage before you regret your wickedness.

  Clown

  I am out o' friends, madam; and I hope to have

  friends for my wife's sake.

  I have no friends, madam; I hope people will come

  to see me because of my wife.

  COUNTESS

  Such friends are thine enemies, knave.

  Friends like that are your enemies, fool.

  Clown

  You're shallow, madam, in great friends; for the

  knaves come to do that for me which I am aweary of.

  He that ears my land spares my team and gives me

  leave to in the crop; if I be his cuckold, he's my

  drudge: he that comforts my wife is the cherisher

  of my flesh and blood; he that cherishes my flesh

  and blood loves my flesh and blood; he that loves my

  flesh and blood is my friend: ergo, he that kisses

  my wife is my friend. If men could be contented to

  be what they are, there were no fear in marriage;

  for young Charbon the Puritan and old Poysam the

  Papist, howsome'er their hearts are severed in

  religion, their heads are both one; they may jowl

  horns together, like any deer i' the herd.

  You don't understand, madam, what great friends they are;

  the scoundrels come and do for me the things I am tired of.

  Someone who ploughs my land gives my horses a rest

  and I can still gather the crop; if he's cheating on me, he's my

  dogsbody: the one who sleeps with my wife cares for

  my flesh and blood; anyone who cares for my flesh

  and blood loves my flesh and blood; anyone who loves

  my flesh and blood is my friend: therefore whoever kisses

  my wife is my friend. If men would be happy to be honest

  about who they are, there would be no anxiety in marriage;

  young Charbon the puritan and old Poysam the

  papist, however much their hearts are separated

  by religion, their minds are the same; they can lock horns

  with each other like any other deer in the herd.

  COUNTESS

  Wilt thou ever be a foul-mouthed and calumnious knave?

  Will you always be a foulmouthed and slandering scoundrel?

  Clown

  A prophet I, madam; and I speak the truth the next

  way:

  For I the ballad will repeat,

  Which men full true shall find;

  Your marriage comes by destiny,

  Your cuckoo sings by kind.

  I am a prophet, madam; and I'm telling the truth in my way;

  I will repeat the song

  which men will know is true;

  your marriage comes through fate,

  cheating comes through nature.

  COUNTESS

  Get you gone, sir; I'll talk with you more anon.

  Away with you, sir; I'll talk to you more soon.

  Steward

  May it please you, madam, that he bid Helen come to

  you: of her I am to speak.

  If it's all right with you madam, ask him to tell Helen

  to come here; I need to speak to you about her.

  COUNTESS

  Sirrah, tell my gentlewoman I would speak with her;

  Helen, I mean.

  Sir, tell my gentlewoman that I want a word with her;

  Helen, I mean.

  Clown

  Was this fair face the cause, quoth she,

  Why the Grecians sacked Troy?

  Fond done, done fond,

  Was this King Priam's joy?

  With that she sighed as she stood,

  With that she sighed as she stood,

  And gave this sentence then;

  Among nine bad if one be good,

  Among nine bad if one be good,

  There's yet one good in ten.

  Was this fair face the reason, she asked,

  for the Greeks sacking Troy?

  It was done for love, for love,

  was this King Priam's delight?

  With that she sighed as she stood there,

  with that she sighed as she stood there,

  and she spoke this sentence;

  if there are nine bad people and one good,

  if there are nine bad people and one good,

  that means there's still one good person in ten.

  COUNTESS

  What, one good in ten? you corrupt the song, sirrah.

  One good in ten? You're twisting the song, Sir.

  Clown

  One good woman in ten, madam; which is a purifying

  o' the song: would God would serve the world so all

  the year! we'ld find no fault with the tithe-woman,

  if I were the parson. One in ten, quoth a'! An we

  might have a good woman born but one every blazing

  star, or at an earthquake, 'twould mend the lottery

  well: a man may draw his heart out, ere a' pluck

  one.

  One good woman in ten, madam; which cleans up

  the song: if only God could give us that proportion!

  If I were the parson I'd be quite happy with

  a tenth of womankind. One in ten you say! If we

  just had a good woman born for every shooting

  start, or when there is an earthquake, it would

  improve the odds: a man could tear out his heart before he gets a good one.

  COUNTESS

  You'll be gone, sir knave, and do as I command you.

  You'll get out, you scoundrel, and do as you've been told.

  Clown

  That man should be at woman's command, and yet no

  hurt done! Though honesty be no puritan, yet it

  will do no hurt; it will wear the surplice of


  humility over the black gown of a big heart. I am

  going, forsooth: the business is for Helen to come hither.

  That a man should be at a woman's command, and yet

  there's no harm done! Honesty is not a puritan,

  but it won't do any harm; it will wear the surplice

  of humility over theblack gown of a big heart. Alright,

  I'm going! You want Helen to come here.

  Exit

  COUNTESS

  Well, now.

  Right then.

  Steward

  I know, madam, you love your gentlewoman entirely.

  I know, madam, that you completely love your gentlewoman.

  COUNTESS

  Faith, I do: her father bequeathed her to me; and

  she herself, without other advantage, may lawfully

  make title to as much love as she finds: there is

  more owing her than is paid; and more shall be paid

  her than she'll demand.

  Indeed I do: her father left her to me; and she,

  having been left nothing else, has a lawful claim

  to as much love as she can get; she is owed

  more than she is paid; and she will be paid

  more than she will ask for.

  Steward

  Madam, I was very late more near her than I think

  she wished me: alone she was, and did communicate

  to herself her own words to her own ears; she

  thought, I dare vow for her, they touched not any

  stranger sense. Her matter was, she loved your son:

  Fortune, she said, was no goddess, that had put

  such difference betwixt their two estates; Love no

  god, that would not extend his might, only where

  qualities were level; Dian no queen of virgins, that

  would suffer her poor knight surprised, without

  rescue in the first assault or ransom afterward.

  This she delivered in the most bitter touch of

  sorrow that e'er I heard virgin exclaim in: which I

  held my duty speedily to acquaint you withal;

  sithence, in the loss that may happen, it concerns

  you something to know it.

  Madam, I was recently closer to her than I think

  she would have liked: she was alone and

  was talking to herself; I am sure

  she didn't know anyone else heard her words.

  What she was saying was that she loved your son:

  she said that Fortune was no goddess, to have made

  them both in such different classes; Love was

  no god if he would only apply his force when

  people were equal; Diana was no queen of virgins,

  this she would allow her poor knight to be surprised,

  if he couldn't be rescued in the first attack or ransomed afterwards.

  She said all this in the most bitter and sorrowful

  manner that I ever heard from a girl: so I thought

  that it was my duty to let you know about it as soon as possible;

  seeing as what you could lose, it's your business to know what's going on.

  COUNTESS

  You have discharged this honestly; keep it to

  yourself: many likelihoods informed me of this

  before, which hung so tottering in the balance that

  I could neither believe nor misdoubt. Pray you,

  leave me: stall this in your bosom; and I thank you

  for your honest care: I will speak with you further anon.

  You have done your duty well; keep it to

  yourself: there were many things before which made me

  suspect this, but it was so finely balanced that

  I could neither believe nor disbelieve. Please,

  leave me: keep this yourself; and I thank you

  for your good service: I'll speak more to you soon.

  Exit Steward

  Enter HELENA

  Even so it was with me when I was young:

  If ever we are nature's, these are ours; this thorn

  Doth to our rose of youth rightly belong;

  Our blood to us, this to our blood is born;

  It is the show and seal of nature's truth,

  Where love's strong passion is impress'd in youth:

  By our remembrances of days foregone,

  Such were our faults, or then we thought them none.

  Her eye is sick on't: I observe her now.

  It was just like this with me when I was young:

  this comes from our natures; this thorn

  is a proper part of the rose of our youth;

  it is as much a part of it as our blood;

  it is symbolic of the force of nature,

  where the passion of love is embedded in the young:

  I can remember the days gone by,

  when I had these faults, although we didn't think they were faults then.

  She is sick with it: I can see her now.

  HELENA

  What is your pleasure, madam?

  What would you like me to do, madam?

  COUNTESS

  You know, Helen,

  I am a mother to you.

  You know, Helen,

  that I am a mother to you.

  HELENA

  Mine honourable mistress.

  My honourable mistress.

  COUNTESS

  Nay, a mother:

  Why not a mother? When I said 'a mother,'

  Methought you saw a serpent: what's in 'mother,'

  That you start at it? I say, I am your mother;

  And put you in the catalogue of those

  That were enwombed mine: 'tis often seen

  Adoption strives with nature and choice breeds

  A native slip to us from foreign seeds:

  You ne'er oppress'd me with a mother's groan,

  Yet I express to you a mother's care:

  God's mercy, maiden! does it curd thy blood

  To say I am thy mother? What's the matter,

  That this distemper'd messenger of wet,

  The many-colour'd Iris, rounds thine eye?

  Why? that you are my daughter?

  No, a mother:

  why not a mother? When I said ‘a mother,’

  you looked as though you'd seen a snake: what is it about ‘mother,’

  that makes you shy away? I tell you, I am your mother;

  I include you in the list of the ones

  that came from my womb: it is often the case

  that adoption fights with nature and breeding

  and things from foreign seeds become native.

  I never had the pain of giving birth to you,

  but I offer you the care of a mother:

  good God, girl! Would it kill you

  to say I am your mother? Why

  are these tears falling from your eyes?

  Is it because you are my daughter?

  HELENA

  That I am not.

  I am not your daughter.

  COUNTESS

  I say, I am your mother.

  I'm telling you I am your mother.

  HELENA

  Pardon, madam;

  The Count Rousillon cannot be my brother:

  I am from humble, he from honour'd name;

  No note upon my parents, his all noble:

  My master, my dear lord he is; and I

  His servant live, and will his vassal die:

  He must not be my brother.

  Excuse me, madam;

  Count Rousillon cannot be my brother:

  I come from a humble background, him from a noble one;

  my parents had no fame, his are all noble:

  he is my master, my dear lord; and I

  live as his servant, and will die the same:

  he cannot be my brother.

  COUNTESS

  Nor I your mother?

  So I can't be your mother?
/>   HELENA

  You are my mother, madam; would you were,--

  So that my lord your son were not my brother,--

  Indeed my mother! or were you both our mothers,

  I care no more for than I do for heaven,

  So I were not his sister. Can't no other,

  But, I your daughter, he must be my brother?

  You are my mother, madam; but I wish it was-

  that my Lord your son was not my brother-

  you are my mother indeed! Or if you were mother to us both,

  I would give up heaven

  to not be his sister. Can't it be any other way than that

  being your daughter, he must be my brother?

  COUNTESS

  Yes, Helen, you might be my daughter-in-law:

  God shield you mean it not! daughter and mother

  So strive upon your pulse. What, pale again?

  My fear hath catch'd your fondness: now I see

  The mystery of your loneliness, and find

  Your salt tears' head: now to all sense 'tis gross

  You love my son; invention is ashamed,

  Against the proclamation of thy passion,

  To say thou dost not: therefore tell me true;

  But tell me then, 'tis so; for, look thy cheeks

  Confess it, th' one to th' other; and thine eyes

  See it so grossly shown in thy behaviors

  That in their kind they speak it: only sin

  And hellish obstinacy tie thy tongue,

  That truth should be suspected. Speak, is't so?

  If it be so, you have wound a goodly clew;

  If it be not, forswear't: howe'er, I charge thee,

  As heaven shall work in me for thine avail,

  Tell me truly.

  Yes Helen, you could be my daughter-in-law.

  I hope to God you don't mean it! Daughter and mother

 

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