The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 333
LEONATO
Dear my lord, if you, in your own proof,
My dear lord, if you, of your own will,
Have vanquish'd the resistance of her youth,
Have overcome the resistance of her youth,
And made defeat of her virginity,--
And took her virginity, --
CLAUDIO
I know what you would say: if I have known her,
I know what you would say: if I had slept with her,
You'll say she did embrace me as a husband,
You’ll say she did accept me as a husband,
And so extenuate theforehand sin:
And in that way excuse the sin:
No, Leonato, I never tempted her with word too large;
No, Leonato, I never tempted her with cunning words,
But, as a brother to his sister, show'd
But, as a brother to his sister, showed
Bashful sincerity and comely love.
Bashful sincerity and appropriate love.
HERO
And seem'd I ever otherwise to you?
And did I ever seem otherwise to you?
CLAUDIO
Out on thee! Seeming! I will write against it:
Out with you! Seeming! I will argue against it:
You seem to me as Dian in her orb,
You seem to me as Diana in her moon,
As chaste as is the bud ere it be blown;
As chaste as the flower bud before it blooms;
But you are more intemperate in your blood
But you are more hot-blooded
Than Venus, or those pamper'd animals
Than Venus, or those pampered animals
That rage in savage sensuality.
That rage with savage lust.
HERO
Is my lord well, that he doth speak so wide?
Are you talking like this out of sickness?
LEONATO
Sweet prince, why speak not you?
Sweet prince, why do you not speak?
DON PEDRO
What should I speak?
What should I say?
I stand dishonour'd, that have gone about
I stand dishonored, that have gone around
To link my dear friend to a common stale.
To match my dear friend to a common slut.
LEONATO
Are these things spoken, or do I but dream?
Is this really happening, or am I dreaming?
DON JOHN
Sir, they are spoken, and these things are true.
BENEDICK
This looks not like a nuptial.
This does not look like a wedding.
HERO
True! O God!
CLAUDIO
Leonato, stand I here? Is this the prince? Is this the prince's brother? Is this face Hero's? Are our eyes our own?
Leonato, do I stand here? Is this the prince? Is this the prince’s brother? Is this face Hero’s? Are our eyes our own?
LEONATO
All this is so; but what of this, my lord?
CLAUDIO
Let me but move one question to your daughter,
Let me just ask one question to your daughter,
And by that fatherly and kindly power
That you have in her, bid her answer truly.
That you have over her, tell her to answer truthfully.
LEONATO
I charge thee do so, as thou art my child.
I command you to do so, as you are my child.
HERO
O, God defend me! how am I beset! What kind of catechizing call you this?
Oh, God defend me! How I am being attacked! What kind of cross-examination do you call this?
CLAUDIO
To make you answer truly to your name.
HERO
Is it not Hero?
Who can blot that name
Who can stain that name
With any just reproach?
With any justified criticism?
CLAUDIO
Marry, that can Hero: Hero itself can blot out Hero's virtue.
By Mary, Hero can: Hero herself can destroy Hero’s virtue.
That man was he talk'd with you yesternight
Who was that man who talked with you last night
Out at your window, betwixt twelve and one?
Out at your window, between twelve and one?
Now, if you are a maid, answer to this.
Now, if you are a maiden, answer this.
HERO
I talk'd with no man at that hour, my lord.
I talked with no man at that hour, my lord.
DON PEDRO
Why, then are you no maiden.
Leonato, I am sorry you must hear: upon my honour,
Myself, my brother, and this grieved count,
Did see her, hear her, at that hour last night,
Talk with a ruffian at her chamber-window;
Talk with a disreputable man at her bedroom window;
Who hath indeed, most like a liberal villain,
Who has indeed, most like an enthusiastic villain,
Confess'd the vile encounters they have had
Confessed the disgusting encounters they have had
A thousand times in secret.
DON JOHN
Fie, fie! they are not to be nam'd, my lord,
Damn, damn! There are not to be named, my lord,
Not to be spoke of;
Not to be spoken of;
There is not chastity enough in language
There is not enough chastity in language
Without offence to utter them.
To say them without offence.
Thus, pretty lady, I am sorry for thy much misgovernment.
In this way, pretty lady, I am sorry for your terrible behavior.
CLAUDIO
O Hero! what a Hero hadst thou been,
Oh Hero! What a Hero you would have been,
If half thy outward graces had been plac'd
If half your outward qualities had been placed
About thy thoughts and counsels of thy heart!
Around the thoughts and advice of your heart!
But fare thee well, most foul, most fair! farewell,
But fare you well, both foul and fair! Farewell,
Thou pure impiety, and impious purity!
You pure impiety and impious purity!
For thee I'll lock up all the gates of love,
For you I’ll lock up all the gates of love,
And on my eyelids shall conjecture hang,
And on my eyelids shall hang conjecture,
To turn all beauty into thoughts of harm,
And never shall it more be gracious.
And it will never be gracious again.
LEONATO
Hath no man's dagger here a point for me?
Does no one have a dagger I can stab myself with?
[HERO swoons.]
[HERO faints.]
BEATRICE
Why, how now, cousin! wherefore sink you down?
Why, what’s going on, cousin! Why do you fall?
DON JOHN
Come, let us go.
These things, come thus to light,
These things, coming to the surface in this way,
Smother her spirits up.
Have killed her.
[Exeunt DON PEDRO, DON JOHN and CLAUDIO.]
BENEDICK
How doth the lady?
How is the lady?
BEATRICE
Dead, I think! help, uncle! Hero! why, Hero! Uncle! Signior Benedick! Friar!
LEONATO
O Fate! take not away thy heavy hand:
Oh Fate! Do not take away your heavy hand:
Death is the fairest cover for her shame
Death is the most beautiful cover for her shame
That may be wish'd for.
That may be wished for.
BEATRICE
How now
, cousin Hero?
How are you, cousin Hero?
FRIAR
Have comfort, lady.
LEONATO
Dost thou look up?
Are you looking up?
FRIAR
Yea; wherefore should she not?
Yes, why should she not?
LEONATO
Wherefore!
Why?!
Why, doth not every earthly thing
Why, doesn’t every earthly thing
Cry shame upon her?
Could she here deny
The story that is printed in her blood?
Do not live, Hero; do not ope thine eyes;
Do not live, Hero; do not open your eyes;
For, did I think thou wouldst not quickly die,
For, if I thought you would not quickly die,
Thought I thy spirits were stronger than thy shames,
If I thought your spirits were stronger than your shames,
Myself would, on the rearward of reproaches,
I myself would, after the scolding had been finished,
Strike at thy life. Griev'd I, I had but one?
Kill you myself. I grieved for having only one?
Chid I for that at frugal nature's frame?
Complained about nature’s stinginess?
O! one too much by thee. Why had I one?
Oh! You were one too much! Why did I have one?
Why ever wast thou lovely in mine eyes?
Why were you ever lovely in my eyes?
Why had I not with charitable hand
Took up a beggar's issue at my gates,
Took up a beggar’s child at my gates,
Who smirched thus, and mir'd with infamy,
Who after committing such sin,
I might have said, 'No part of it is mine;
This shame derives itself from unknown loins?'
This shame comes from an unknown father?’
But mine, and mine I lov'd, and mine I prais'd,
But mine, and mine I loved, and mine I praised,
And mine that I was proud on, mine so much
And mine that I was proud of, mine so much
That I myself was to myself not mine,
Valuing of her; why, she—O! she is fallen
Into a pit of ink, that the wide sea
Hath drops too few to wash her clean again,
Has too few drops to watch her clean again,
And salt too little which may season give
And too little salt that may give seasoning
To her foul-tainted flesh.
To her disgustingly dirty flesh.
BENEDICK
Sir, sir, be patient. For my part, I am so attir'd in wonder, I know not what to say.
Sir, sir, be patient. For my part, I am so mystified, I do not know what to say.
BEATRICE
O! on my soul, my cousin is belied!
Oh! On my soul, they have lied about my cousin!
BENEDICK
Lady, were you her bedfellow last night?
Lady, did you share a bedroom with her last night?
BEATRICE
No, truly, not; although, until last night I have this twelvemonth been her bedfellow.
No, truly, not; although, until last night I have been her roommate for twelve months.
LEONATO
Confirm'd, confirm'd!
Confirmed, confirmed!
O! that is stronger made,
Oh! That is made stronger,
Which was before barr'd up with ribs of iron.
Which was already barred up with bands of iron.
Would the two princes lie? and Claudio lie,
Who lov'd her so, that, speaking of her foulness,
Who loved her so much, that, speaking of her sin,
Wash'd it with tears? Hence from her! let her die.
Started to cry? Go away from her! Let her die.
FRIAR
Hear me a little;
For I have only been silent so long,
For I have only been silent for so long,
And given way unto this course of fortune,
And allowed all these things to happen,
By noting of the lady: I have mark'd
By noticing the lady: I have seen
A thousand blushing apparitions
A thousand blushing spirits
To start into her face; a thousand innocent shames
To emerge from her face; a thousand innocent shames
In angel whiteness bear away those blushes;
In angel whiteness carry away those blushes;
And in her eye there hath appear'd a fire,
And in her eye there has appeared a fire,
To burn the errors that these princes hold
Against her maiden truth. Call me a fool;
Against her true virginity. Call me a fool;
Trust not my reading nor my observations,
Do not trust my reading or my observations,
Which with experimental seal doth warrant
Which with experimental seal does predict
The tenure of my book; trust not my age,
The time of my career; do not trust my age,
My reverence, calling, nor divinity,
My reverence, calling or divinity,
If this sweet lady lie not guiltless here
If this sweet lady does not lie guiltless here
Under some biting error.
Under some terrible misunderstanding.
LEONATO
Friar, it cannot be.
Thou seest that all the grace that she hath left
You see that all the grace that she has left
Is that she will not add to her damnation
A sin of perjury: she not denies it.
A sin of perjury: she does not deny it.
Why seek'st thou then to cover with excuse
Why are you looking then to cover with excuse
That which appears in proper nakedness?
FRIAR
Lady, what man is he you are accus'd of?
Lady, what man is he that they accuse you of?
HERO
They know that do accuse me, I know none;
They know, those who accuse me, I know nothing;
If I know more of any man alive
Than that which maiden modesty doth warrant,
Than what virgin modesty is allowed to,
Let all my sins lack mercy! O, my father!
Prove you that any man with me convers'd
If you can prove that any man conversed with me
At hours unmeet, or that I yesternight
At unhealthy hours, or that I last night
Maintain'd the change of words with any creature,
Did anything bad with any creature,
Refuse me, hate me, torture me to death.
FRIAR
There is some strange misprision in the princes.
There is some strange misunderstanding from the princes.
BENEDICK
Two of them have the very bent of honour;
Two of them are very honorable;
And if their wisdoms be misled in this,
And if they have been misled in this business,
The practice of it lives in John the bastard,
It must be the fault of John, the one born out of wedlock,
Whose spirits toil in frame of villanies.
Who is constantly doing evil things.
LEONATO
I know not. If they speak but truth of her,
I don’t know. If they are telling the truth about her,
These hands shall tear her; if they wrong her honour,
My hands shall tear her; if they have done her honor wrong,
The proudest of them shall well hear of it.
Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine,
Time has not yet so much dried my blood,
Nor age so eat up my invention,
Nor f
ortune made such havoc of my means,
Nor chance made me so poor and without resources,
Nor my bad life reft me so much of friends,
Nor my bad life took away so many friends,
But they shall find, awak'd in such a kind,
But they shall find, awakened in such a way,
Both strength of limb and policy of mind,
Both strength of body and strength of mind,
Ability in means and choice of friends,
Ability in resources and choice of friends,
To quit me of them throughly.
To cut them off forever.
FRIAR
Pause awhile,
And let my counsel sway you in this case.
And let my advice influence you in this case.
Your daughter here the princes left for dead;
Let her awhile be secretly kept in,
Let her be secretly kept for a while,
And publish it that she is dead indeed:
And spread the news that she is dead indeed:
Maintain a mourning ostentation; and on your family's old monument
Be obviously mournful; and on your family’s ancestral tomb
Hang mournful epitaphs and do all rites
That appertain unto a burial.
That have to do with a burial.
LEONATO
What shall become of this? What will this do?
FRIAR
Marry, this well carried shall on her behalf
By Mary, if you do a good job, this will on her behalf
Change slander to remorse; that is some good.
Change unjust accusation to remorse; that is some good.
But not for that dream I on this strange course,
But that is not the main reason for this strange path,
But on this travail look for greater birth.
But look for a rebirth out of this difficulty.
She dying, as it must be so maintain'd,
She dying, as you must insist,
Upon the instant that she was accus'd,
Upon the instant that she was accused,
Shall be lamented, pitied and excus'd
Shall be cried over, pitied, and excused
Of every hearer; for it so falls out
By every hearer; for it happens
That what we have we prize not to the worth
That we don’t value fully what we have
Whiles we enjoy it, but being lack'd and lost,
While we enjoy it, but once it is lost and gone,
Why, then we rack the value, then we find
Why, then we value it, then we find
The virtue that possession would not show us
Whiles it was ours. So will it fare with Claudio:
While it was ours. It will be the same with Claudio:
When he shall hear she died upon his words,
When he hears that she died because of his words,
The idea of her life shall sweetly creep
Into his study of imagination,
Into his library of imagination,
And every lovely organ of her life