The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 210
made in the unchaste composition.
He has twisted a young gentlewoman here in
Florence, who has a very chaste reputation; and tonight
his wishes will become flesh when he takes her virginity: he has
given her his family ring, and thinks that he has
got a good deal in exchange.
First Lord
Now, God delay our rebellion! as we are ourselves,
what things are we!
May God stop us from rebelling! What creatures
human beings are!
Second Lord
Merely our own traitors. And as in the common course
of all treasons, we still see them reveal
themselves, till they attain to their abhorred ends,
so he that in this action contrives against his own
nobility, in his proper stream o'erflows himself.
We are traitors to ourselves. And as is the case with all
treason, we still see them showing
themselves, until they achieve their vile purpose,
so that in his action he goes against his own
nobility, and swamps his good character.
First Lord
Is it not meant damnable in us, to be trumpeters of
our unlawful intents? We shall not then have his
company to-night?
Isn't it designated a sin, to boast of
our unlawful plans? So he won't be with us
tonight?
Second Lord
Not till after midnight; for he is dieted to his hour.
Not until after midnight; he'll stick to his date.
First Lord
That approaches apace; I would gladly have him see
his company anatomized, that he might take a measure
of his own judgments, wherein so curiously he had
set this counterfeit.
That is coming on quickly; I would have liked him to see
his companion examined, so that he could think about
the validity of his judgment, which made him place such value
on this fake.
Second Lord
We will not meddle with him till he come; for his
presence must be the whip of the other.
We won't start the business until he comes; his
presence is needed for the punishment.
First Lord
In the mean time, what hear you of these wars?
In the meantime, what have you heard about the war?
Second Lord
I hear there is an overture of peace.
I hear moves have been made for peace.
First Lord
Nay, I assure you, a peace concluded.
No, I can assure you peace has been agreed.
Second Lord
What will Count Rousillon do then? will he travel
higher, or return again into France?
What will Count Rousillon do then? Will he
carry on with his travels, or go back to France?
First Lord
I perceive, by this demand, you are not altogether
of his council.
I see from your question that you are not quite
in his inner circle.
Second Lord
Let it be forbid, sir; so should I be a great deal
of his act.
God forbid it, sir; if I was I would be an accessory to his actions.
First Lord
Sir, his wife some two months since fled from his
house: her pretence is a pilgrimage to Saint Jaques
le Grand; which holy undertaking with most austere
sanctimony she accomplished; and, there residing, the
tenderness of her nature became as a prey to her
grief; in fine, made a groan of her last breath, and
now she sings in heaven.
Sir, his wife left his house some two months ago:
her reason is to make a pilgrimage to great St James;
she completed this holy task with strict devotion;
and, living there, her tender spirit fell victim to her grief;
to sum up, her last breath was a groan, and
now she sings in heaven.
Second Lord
How is this justified?
Have you had proof of this?
First Lord
The stronger part of it by her own letters, which
makes her story true, even to the point of her
death: her death itself, which could not be her
office to say is come, was faithfully confirmed by
the rector of the place.
Most of it through her own letters, which
prove her story, even up to her death:
obviously she could not report her own death,
but it was confirmed by the clergyman in charge.
Second Lord
Hath the count all this intelligence?
And does the count know all this?
First Lord
Ay, and the particular confirmations, point from
point, so to the full arming of the verity.
Yes, and all the details, in every
particular, guaranteeing the truth.
Second Lord
I am heartily sorry that he'll be glad of this.
I regret to say that he will be happy about this.
First Lord
How mightily sometimes we make us comforts of our losses!
How terrible that we sometimes take comfort from losses!
Second Lord
And how mightily some other times we drown our gain
in tears! The great dignity that his valour hath
here acquired for him shall at home be encountered
with a shame as ample.
And how at other times we lose our gains through sorrow!
The great honours that his bravery has
won for him here shall be matched by an equal shame
at home.
First Lord
The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and
ill together: our virtues would be proud, if our
faults whipped them not; and our crimes would
despair, if they were not cherished by our virtues.
Enter a Messenger
How now! where's your master?
The web of our lives is made of tangled threads, good and
bad together: we would be proud of our virtue,
if it wasn't for our faults; we would despair of our
crimes, if they weren't softened by our virtues.
Hello there! Where's your master?
Servant
He met the duke in the street, sir, of whom he hath
taken a solemn leave: his lordship will next
morning for France. The duke hath offered him
letters of commendations to the king.
He met the Duke in the street, sir, and has
made his formal goodbye: his lordship will go France
tomorrow morning. The Duke has given him
letters of commendation to the King.
Second Lord
They shall be no more than needful there, if they
were more than they can commend.
I don't think they will be enough, even if
they had more power than any recommendation.
First Lord
They cannot be too sweet for the king's tartness.
Here's his lordship now.
Enter BERTRAM
How now, my lord! is't not after midnight?
They cannot be too sweet for the King's bitterness.
Here's his Lordship now.
Hello there, my lord! Isn't it gone midnight?
BERTRAM
I have to-night dispatched sixteen businesses, a
month's length a-piece, by an abstract of success:
I have congied with the duke, done my adieu with his
> nearest; buried a wife, mourned for her; writ to my
lady mother I am returning; entertained my convoy;
and between these main parcels of dispatch effected
many nicer needs; the last was the greatest, but
that I have not ended yet.
I have dealt with sixteen matters tonight, each one of which
could have taken a month; to sum up my successes:
I have said goodbye to the Duke, bid farewell to his
intimates; buried a wife and mourned for her; written
to my mother to say I'm coming back; arranged my passage;
and in between all these main items I have dealt with
many smaller needs; the last one was the greatest, but
I have not finished with that one yet.
Second Lord
If the business be of any difficulty, and this
morning your departure hence, it requires haste of
your lordship.
If the business is at all complex, with you leaving
in the morning your lordship will have to hurry.
BERTRAM
I mean, the business is not ended, as fearing to
hear of it hereafter. But shall we have this
dialogue between the fool and the soldier? Come,
bring forth this counterfeit module, he has deceived
me, like a double-meaning prophesier.
What I mean is the business is not ended, as in
I'm afraid we'll hear more about it later. But shall we see
this discussion between the fool and the soldier? Come on,
bring out this false pattern, he has deceived me,
like a double talking prophesier.
Second Lord
Bring him forth: has sat i' the stocks all night,
poor gallant knave.
Bring him out: he has sat in the stocks all night,
poor foppish scoundrel.
BERTRAM
No matter: his heels have deserved it, in usurping
his spurs so long. How does he carry himself?
It doesn't matter: he deserved some pain in his heels,
having rejected his spurs for so long. How is his bearing?
Second Lord
I have told your lordship already, the stocks carry
him. But to answer you as you would be understood;
he weeps like a wench that had shed her milk: he
hath confessed himself to Morgan, whom he supposes
to be a friar, from the time of his remembrance to
this very instant disaster of his setting i' the
stocks: and what think you he hath confessed?
I have already told your lordship, the stocks bear
him. But to answer the question as you meant it;
he's blabbing like a girl who's spilt her milk: he
has made a confession to Morgan, whom he imagines
is a friar, from his earliest memories to
the very moment of his being locked in the
stocks: and what do you think he has confessed?
BERTRAM
Nothing of me, has a'?
There's nothing about me, is there?
Second Lord
His confession is taken, and it shall be read to his
face: if your lordship be in't, as I believe you
are, you must have the patience to hear it.
Enter PAROLLES guarded, and First Soldier
His confession has been written down, and it will be read
to his face: if your lordship is in it, as I believe
you are, you must hear it patiently.
BERTRAM
A plague upon him! muffled! he can say nothing of
me.
A curse on him! Blindfolded! He mustn't say anything
about me.
First Lord
Hush, hush! Hoodman comes! Portotartarosa.
Quiet, quiet! Here comes the blindfolded one! Portotartarosa.
First Soldier
He calls for the tortures: what will you say
without 'em?
He is calling for the torturers: what will you say
without them?
PAROLLES
I will confess what I know without constraint: if
ye pinch me like a pasty, I can say no more.
I will confess everything I know without reservation: if
you prick me like a pie I'll have no more to say.
First Soldier
Bosko chimurcho.
Bosko chimurcho.
First Lord
Boblibindo chicurmurco.
Boblibindo chicurmurco.
First Soldier
You are a merciful general. Our general bids you
answer to what I shall ask you out of a note.
General, you are merciful. Our general orders you
to answer this list of questions.
PAROLLES
And truly, as I hope to live.
And I will do so truly, for my life.
First Soldier
[Reads] 'First demand of him how many horse the
duke is strong.' What say you to that?
‘First ask him what number of cavalry
the Duke has.’ What do you say to that?
PAROLLES
Five or six thousand; but very weak and
unserviceable: the troops are all scattered, and
the commanders very poor rogues, upon my reputation
and credit and as I hope to live.
Five or six thousand; but they are very weak and
ineffective: they are scattered everywhere, and
their commanders are very poor scoundrels, on my reputation
and credit and for my life.
First Soldier
Shall I set down your answer so?
Shall I write this down as your answer?
PAROLLES
Do: I'll take the sacrament on't, how and which way you will.
Do: I'll swear to it on anything holy, whatever you like.
BERTRAM
All's one to him. What a past-saving slave is this!
It's all the same to him. This scum is beyond redemption!
First Lord
You're deceived, my lord: this is Monsieur
Parolles, the gallant militarist,--that was his own
phrase,--that had the whole theoric of war in the
knot of his scarf, and the practise in the chape of
his dagger.
You're wrong, my lord: this is Monsieur
Parolles, the gallant soldier–that was his own
description–who had the whole theory of war
tied up in his scarf, and the practice of it in
the scabbard of his dagger.
Second Lord
I will never trust a man again for keeping his sword
clean. nor believe he can have every thing in him
by wearing his apparel neatly.
I will never trust a man again just because he keeps his sword
well polished, nor will I believe that he is a complete man
just because he's well-dressed.
First Soldier
Well, that's set down.
Well, we've got that down.
PAROLLES
Five or six thousand horse, I said,-- I will say
true,--or thereabouts, set down, for I'll speak truth.
Five or six thousand horsemen, I said–I'll tell the truth–
write down that it's round about that number, for I'll tell the truth.
First Lord
He's very near the truth in this.
He's very close to the truth there.
BERTRAM
But I con him no thanks for't, in the nature he
delivers it.
ButI'll give him no credit for it, seeing as why he's saying it.
PAROLLES
Poor rogues, I pray you, say.
Please write down,
‘poor rogues.’
First Soldier
Well, that's set down.
Right, that's written down.
PAROLLES
I humbly thank you, sir: a truth's a truth, the
rogues are marvellous poor.
My humble thanks, sir: the truth is the truth
and these scoundrels are very poor.
First Soldier
[Reads] 'Demand of him, of what strength they are
a-foot.' What say you to that?
‘Ask him, how many infantry dothey have.’
What do you say to that?
PAROLLES
By my troth, sir, if I were to live this present
hour, I will tell true. Let me see: Spurio, a
hundred and fifty; Sebastian, so many; Corambus, so
many; Jaques, so many; Guiltian, Cosmo, Lodowick,
and Gratii, two hundred and fifty each; mine own
company, Chitopher, Vaumond, Bentii, two hundred and
fifty each: so that the muster-file, rotten and
sound, upon my life, amounts not to fifteen thousand
poll; half of the which dare not shake snow from off
their cassocks, lest they shake themselves to pieces.
I swear sir, if this was my last hour