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

by William Shakespeare

  they'll soon forget this three-day wonder.

  [Enter a Herald.]

  HERALD.

  I summon your grace to his majesty's parliament,

  Holden at Bury the first of this next month.

  I summon your Grace to his Majesty's parliament,

  to be held at Bury on the first day of next month.

  GLOSTER.

  And my consent ne'er ask'd herein before!

  This is close dealing.--Well, I will be there.--

  [Exit Herald.]

  My Nell, I take my leave;--and, master sheriff,

  Let not her penance exceed the king's commission.

  I was never asked about that before!

  There is something suspicious here. Well, I will be there.

  My Nell, I shall leave you; and, Master Sheriff,

  don't make her punishment more than the king has ordered.

  SHERIFF.

  An 't please your grace, here my commission stays,

  And Sir John Stanley is appointed now

  To take her with him to the Isle of Man.

  If your Grace pleases, this is the end of my part,

  and Sir John Stanley now takes over

  to take with him to the Isle of Man.

  GLOSTER.

  Must you, Sir John, protect my lady here?

  Sir John, do you have to take away my lady?

  STANLEY.

  So am I given in charge, may 't please your grace.

  Those are my orders, if your Grace pleases.

  GLOSTER.

  Entreat her not the worse in that I pray

  You use her well.

  The world may laugh again,

  And I may live to do you kindness if

  You do it her; and so, Sir John, farewell!

  Don't treat her worse because I

  ask you to treat her well.

  There may be laughter again,

  and I may live to do you a good turn if

  you do one for her; and so, Sir John, farewell!

  DUCHESS.

  What, gone, my lord, and bid me not farewell!

  What, going, my lord, and not saying goodbye to me!

  GLOSTER.

  Witness my tears, I cannot stay to speak.

  Look at my tears, I can't stay and talk.

  [Exeunt Gloster and Servingmen.]

  DUCHESS.

  Art thou gone too? all comfort go with thee!

  For none abides with me; my joy is death,

  Death, at whose name I oft have been afeard,

  Because I wish'd this world's eternity.--

  Stanley, I prithee, go, and take me hence;

  I care not whither, for I beg no favour,

  Only convey me where thou art commanded.

  You going too? All happiness goes with you!

  There is none here with me; my happiness is death,

  death, whose name has often frightened me,

  because I wanted to live forever in this world.

  Stanley, please, go, and take me away;

  I don't care where, I ask for no favours,

  just take me where you have been told.

  STANLEY.

  Why, madam, that is to the Isle of Man;

  There to be us'd according to your state.

  Why, madam, you're going to the Isle of Man;

  and there you are to be treated according to your status.

  DUCHESS.

  That's bad enough, for I am but reproach;

  And shall I then be us'd reproachfully?

  That's bad enough, for I am seen as evil;

  am I to be treated in an evil way?

  STANLEY.

  Like to a duchess, and Duke Humphrey's lady;

  According to that state you shall be us'd.

  You are going to be treated as a Duchess,

  and the wife of Duke Humphrey.

  DUCHESS.

  Sheriff, farewell, and better than I fare,

  Although thou hast been conduct of my shame.

  Sheriff, farewell, and I hope you do better than I,

  even though you lead me to my shaming.

  SHERIFF.

  It is my office; and, madam, pardon me.

  It is my job; and, madam, pardon me.

  DUCHESS.

  Ay, ay, farewell; thy office is discharg'd.--

  Come, Stanley, shall we go?

  Yes, yes, farewell; you've done your job.

  Come, Stanley, shall we go?

  STANLEY.

  Madam, your penance done, throw off this sheet,

  And go we to attire you for our journey.

  Madam, you've done your penance, throw off this sheet,

  and come and get dressed for our journey.

  DUCHESS.

  My shame will not be shifted with my sheet;

  No, it will hang upon my richest robes

  And show itself, attire me how I can.

  Go, lead the way; I long to see my prison.

  My shame cannot be thrown off with my sheet;

  no, it will be there with the richest clothes,

  always obvious, however I dress.

  Go, lead the way; I'm longing to see my prison.

  [Exeunt.]

  [Sound a sennet. Enter the KING, the QUEEN, CARDINAL

  BEAUFORT, SUFFOLK, YORK, BUCKINGHAM, SALISBURY,

  and WARWICK to the Parliament.]

  KING.

  I muse my Lord of Gloster is not come;

  'Tis not his wont to be the hindmost man,

  Whate'er occasion keeps him from us now.

  I'm wondering why my Lord Gloucester has not come;

  it's not like him to be the last,

  I wonder what's keeping him away.

  QUEEN.

  Can you not see? or will ye not observe

  The strangeness of his alter'd countenance?

  With what a majesty he bears himself,

  How insolent of late he is become,

  How proud, how peremptory, and unlike himself?

  We know the time since he was mild and affable,

  And if we did but glance a far-off look,

  Immediately he was upon his knee,

  That all the court admir'd him for submission;

  But meet him now, and be it in the morn

  When every one will give the time of day,

  He knits his brow, and shows an angry eye,

  And passeth by with stiff unbowed knee,

  Disdaining duty that to us belongs.

  Small curs are not regarded when they grin,

  But great men tremble when the lion roars;

  And Humphrey is no little man in England.

  First note that he is near you in descent,

  And should you fall, he is the next will mount.

  Me seemeth then it is no policy,

  Respecting what a rancorous mind he bears

  And his advantage following your decease,

  That he should come about your royal person

  Or be admitted to your highness' council.

  By flattery hath he won the commons' hearts,

  And when he please to make commotion

  'T is to be fear'd they all will follow him.

  Now 't is the spring and weeds are shallow-rooted;

  Suffer them now, and they'll o'ergrow the garden

  And choke the herbs for want of husbandry.

  The reverent care I bear unto my lord

  Made me collect these dangers in the duke.

  If it be fond, can it a woman's fear;

  Which fear if better reasons can supplant,

  I will subscribe and say I wrong'd the duke.--

  My Lord of Suffolk, Buckingham, and York,

  Reprove my allegation if you can,

  Or else conclude my words effectual.

  Can't you see? Can you not observe

  the strange way he looks now?

  With what royal airs he carries himself,

  how insolent who has recently become,

/>   how arrogant, how bullying, and unlike himself?

  We can remember when he was mild and agreeable,

  and if we just glanced at him from distance,

  he was immediately on his knees,

  so that all the court admired him for his humility;

  but if you meet him now, and it's the morning

  when everyone will say hello to each other,

  he frowns, and glares angrily,

  and passes by without bending his knee at all,

  refusing to pay his proper respects to us.

  Nobody takes notice of little mongrels when they snarl,

  but great men tremble when the lion roars;

  and Humphrey is not the lowest man in England.

  Firstly remember that he is closely related to you,

  and if you fall, he is next in line.

  So to me it seems foolish,

  thinking what a grudge he bears against you,

  and how well he would do if you died,

  that he should be around your royal person

  or be allowed into your Highness' council.

  He has won the hearts of the common people through flattery,

  and if he decides to start a disturbance

  we must worry that they will follow him.

  It's spring now and the weeds only have shallow roots;

  if you put up with them now, they'll grow over the whole garden

  and kill all the herbs for lack of care.

  The worshipful care I have for my lord

  makes me remember these dangers the Duke poses.

  If this is foolishness, call it a woman's fear;

  if evidence can show those fears groundless,

  I shall back down and admit that I wrong the Duke.

  My Lord Suffolk, Buckingham, and York,

  disprove my allegation if you can,

  or otherwise agree that I'm right.

  SUFFOLK.

  Well hath your highness seen into this duke;

  And, had I first been put to speak my mind,

  I think I should have told your grace's tale.

  The duchess by his subornation,

  Upon my life, began her devilish practices;

  Or, if he were not privy to those faults,

  Yet, by reputing of his high descent,

  As next the king he was successive heir,

  And such high vaunts of his nobility,

  Did instigate the bedlam brain-sick duchess

  By wicked means to frame our sovereign's fall.

  Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep,

  And in his simple show he harbours treason.

  The fox barks not when he would steal the lamb.--

  No, no, my sovereign; Gloster is a man

  Unsounded yet and full of deep deceit.

  Your Highness has seen the danger of this duke well;

  and, if I'd been the first one to speak my mind,

  I would have said the same as you.

  I swear that it was with his encouragement that

  the Duchess began her satanic practices;

  or, if he did not know about it,

  still, it was the thought of his great ancestry,

  as being the next in line to the throne,

  and having such a great opinion of his nobility,

  which made the mad Duchess

  plot to bring down our King by wicked means.

  Still waters run deep,

  and his show of simplicity hides his treachery.

  The fox doesn't reveal himself when he's sneaking up on the lamb.

  No, no, my sovereign; Gloucester is a man

  we haven't got to the bottom of, he's full of treachery.

  CARDINAL.

  Did he not, contrary to form of law,

  Devise strange deaths for small offences done?

  Didn't he, against the rule of law,

  order unusual executions for small offences?

  YORK.

  And did he not, in his protectorship,

  Levy great sums of money through the realm

  For soldiers' pay in France, and never sent it?

  By means whereof the towns each day revolted.

  And didn't he, when he was Regent,

  raise great sums of money from the kingdom

  to pay the soldiers in France, but never sent it?

  That was the reason the towns were in daily rebellion.

  BUCKINGHAM.

  Tut, these are petty faults to faults unknown,

  Which time will bring to light in smooth Duke Humphrey.

  Tut, these are just petty faults compared to the ones we don't know about,

  which time will show us in smooth Duke Humphrey.

  KING.

  My lords, at once: the care you have of us,

  To mow down thorns that would annoy our foot,

  Is worthy praise; but, shall I speak my conscience,

  Our kinsman Gloster is as innocent

  From meaning treason to our royal person

  As is the sucking lamb or harmless dove.

  The duke is virtuous, mild, and too well given

  To dream on evil or to work my downfall.

  My lords, calm down: your concern for me,

  wanting to protect me from any harm,

  deserves praise; but, speaking from the heart,

  my relative Gloucester is as innocent

  of intending treason against me

  as the nursing lamb or harmless dove.

  The Duke is good, gentle and has far too good a character

  to think evil thoughts or to plot my downfall.

  QUEEN.

  Ah, what's more dangerous than this fond affiance!

  Seems he a dove? his feathers are but borrow'd,

  For he's disposed as the hateful raven;

  Is he a lamb? his skin is surely lent him,

  For he's inclin'd as is the ravenous wolf.

  Who cannot steal a shape that means deceit?

  Take heed, my lord; the welfare of us all

  Hangs on the cutting short that fraudful man.

  Ah, what's more dangerous than this foolish perfection!

  Does he look like a dove? His feathers are borrowed disguise,

  for his attitude is that of the hateful raven;

  is he a lamb? He surely borrowed his skin from somewhere else,

  for his inclinations are that of the starving wolf.

  Who is there who wants to be deceitful who cannot disguise himself?

  Be careful, my lord; that fraudulent man needs to be

  disposed of before he harms us all.

  [Enter SOMERSET.]

  SOMERSET.

  All health unto my gracious sovereign!

  All health to my gracious king!

  KING.

  Welcome, Lord Somerset. What news from France?

  Welcome, Lord Somerset. What's the news from France?

  SOMERSET.

  That all your interest in those territories

  Is utterly bereft you; all is lost.

  That all your holdings in that land

  have been totally removed; you've lost everything.

  KING.

  Cold news, Lord Somerset; but God's will be done!

  Bad news, Lord Somerset; but God's will be done!

  YORK.

  [Aside.] Cold news for me, for I had hope of France

  As firmly as I hope for fertile England.

  Thus are my blossoms blasted in the bud,

  And caterpillars eat my leaves away;

  But I will remedy this gear ere long

  Or sell my title for a glorious grave.

  Bad news for me, for I hoped to get France

  just as much as I hope to get England.

  So all my flowers wither in the bud,

  and caterpillars eat away at my leaves;

  but I will change this situation before long

  or exchange my title for a glorious grave.

  [Enter GLOSTER
.]

  GLOSTER.

  All happiness unto my lord the king!

  Pardon, my liege, that I have staid so long.

  All happiness to my Lord King!

  Excuse me, my Lord, for keeping you waiting so long.

  SUFFOLK.

  Nay, Gloster, know that thou art come too soon,

  Unless thou wert more loyal than thou art.

  I do arrest thee of high treason here.

  No, Gloucester, you should know that you've come too soon,

  unless you were more loyal than you are.

  I now arrest you for high treason.

  GLOSTER.

  Well, Suffolk, thou shalt not see me blush,

  Nor change my countenance for this arrest;

  A heart unspotted is not easily daunted.

  The purest spring is not so free from mud

  As I am clear from treason to my sovereign.

  Who can accuse me? wherein am I guilty?

  Well, Suffolk, you won't see me blush,

  not shall my expression change at this arrest;

  you can't intimidate an innocent heart.

  The clearest stream is not as free of mud

  as I am free of treason against my king.

  Who is accusing me? What have I done?

  YORK.

  'T is thought, my lord, that you took bribes of France,

  And, being protector, stay'd the soldiers' pay,

  By means whereof his highness hath lost France.

  It's thought, my lord, that you took bribes from France,

  and, being Regent, held back the pay of the soldiers,

  and that's the reason his Highness lost France.

  GLOSTER.

  Is it but thought so? what are they that think it?

  I never robb'd the soldiers of their pay,

  Nor ever had one penny bribe from France.

  So help me God, as I have watch'd the night,