The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 505
Were they all made such men. How now, Pisanio!
Enter PISANIO
Nothing that can happen to him could be worse
than to be spoken of by you. His shabbiest garment,
that has ever just touched his body is dearer
to me than a million men like you.
Hello there, Pisanio!
CLOTEN.
'His garments'! Now the devil-
‘His garment’! Now the devil–
IMOGEN.
To Dorothy my woman hie thee presently.
Go at once to my woman Dorothy.
CLOTEN.
'His garment'!
‘His garment’!
IMOGEN.
I am sprited with a fool;
Frighted, and ang'red worse. Go bid my woman
Search for a jewel that too casually
Hath left mine arm. It was thy master's; shrew me,
If I would lose it for a revenue
Of any king's in Europe! I do think
I saw't this morning; confident I am
Last night 'twas on mine arm; I kiss'd it.
I hope it be not gone to tell my lord
That I kiss aught but he.
I am bothered by a fool;
he's making me angry, but more importantly I'm worried. Go and ask my woman
to search for a jewel that has fallen
too easily from my arm. It was your master's; by heaven,
I wouldn't exchange it for the income
of any king in Europe! I'm sure
I saw it this morning; I'm positive
it was on my arm last night; I kissed it.
I hope it hasn't gone to tell my lord
that I kiss anybody but him.
PISANIO.
'Twill not be lost.
It won't be lost.
IMOGEN.
I hope so. Go and search.
Exit PISANIO
I hope not. Go and look.
CLOTEN.
You have abus'd me.
'His meanest garment'!
You have abused me.
‘His lowest garment’!
IMOGEN.
Ay, I said so, sir.
If you will make 't an action, call witness to 't.
Yes, that's what I said, sir.
If you want to bring a lawsuit, call your witnesses.
CLOTEN.
I will inform your father.
I shall tell your father.
IMOGEN.
Your mother too.
She's my good lady and will conceive, I hope,
But the worst of me. So I leave you, sir,
To th' worst of discontent.
Exit
Tell your mother too.
She's a great friend of mine and will believe, I think,
the very worst of me. So I leave you, sir,
to suffer the worst of discontent.
CLOTEN.
I'll be reveng'd.
'His mean'st garment'! Well.
Exit
I'll have my revenge.
‘His lowest garment’! Right then.
Enter POSTHUMUS and PHILARIO
POSTHUMUS.
Fear it not, sir; I would I were so sure
To win the King as I am bold her honour
Will remain hers.
Don't worry about it, sir; I wish I could be as certain
that I could win the King over as I am that she will
remain true to me.
PHILARIO.
What means do you make to him?
What are you going to do to try and win him over?
POSTHUMUS.
Not any; but abide the change of time,
Quake in the present winter's state, and wish
That warmer days would come. In these fear'd hopes
I barely gratify your love; they failing,
I must die much your debtor.
Nothing, I'm just going to let time do its work,
shiver my way through the winter, and hope
that warmer days will come. With these dashed hopes
I'm hardly repaying your kindness; if they continue to be dashed
I will have to die in your debt.
PHILARIO.
Your very goodness and your company
O'erpays all I can do. By this your king
Hath heard of great Augustus. Caius Lucius
Will do's commission throughly; and I think
He'll grant the tribute, send th' arrearages,
Or look upon our Romans, whose remembrance
Is yet fresh in their grief.
Your goodness and your company
are more than enough payment. By now your king
will have heard from great Augustus. Caius Lucius
will carry out his commission thoroughly; and I think
he'll pay the tax, send the arrears,
rather than face war with our Romans, they can still
remember how painful that was for them.
POSTHUMUS.
I do believe
Statist though I am none, nor like to be,
That this will prove a war; and you shall hear
The legions now in Gallia sooner landed
In our not-fearing Britain than have tidings
Of any penny tribute paid. Our countrymen
Are men more order'd than when Julius Caesar
Smil'd at their lack of skill, but found their courage
Worthy his frowning at. Their discipline,
Now mingled with their courages, will make known
To their approvers they are people such
That mend upon the world.
Enter IACHIMO
Although I'm not a politician, nor am I likely to be,
I do believe that this will start a war; and that it's more likely
that you will hear that the legions now in France
have landed in our fearless Britain than to hear
that any penny of tax has been paid. Our countrymen
are more organised now than when Julius Caesar
smiled at their lack of skill, but found their courage
was enough to disturb him. Now that their courage
is mingled with discipline, they will show
anyone who puts them to the test that they
are now the greatest people in the world.
PHILARIO.
See! Iachimo!
Look there! Iachimo!
POSTHUMUS.
The swiftest harts have posted you by land,
And winds of all the corners kiss'd your sails,
To make your vessel nimble.
You must have ridden here on the swiftest deer,
and the winds of all quarters must have filled your sails
to make your ship speed.
PHILARIO.
Welcome, sir.
Welcome, sir.
POSTHUMUS.
I hope the briefness of your answer made
The speediness of your return.
I hope the short time you've been away
shows you got a short answer.
IACHIMO.
Your lady
Is one of the fairest that I have look'd upon.
Your lady
is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.
POSTHUMUS.
And therewithal the best; or let her beauty
Look through a casement to allure false hearts,
And be false with them.
Along with that she is one of the best; otherwise let her beauty
sit in a window to attract false hearts,
and she can be false with them.
IACHIMO.
Here are letters for you.
Here are letters for you.
POSTHUMUS.
Their tenour good, I trust.
Containing good news, I trust.
IACHIMO.
'Tis very like.
Very likely.
PHILARIO.
&nbs
p; Was Caius Lucius in the Britain court
When you were there?
Was Caius Lucius at the British court
when you were there?
IACHIMO.
He was expected then,
But not approach'd.
He was expected,
but he hadn't arrived.
POSTHUMUS.
All is well yet.
Sparkles this stone as it was wont, or is't not
Too dull for your good wearing?
All is still well.
Is this stone still as sparkling as it used to be,
it hasn't become too dull for you to wear?
IACHIMO.
If I have lost it,
I should have lost the worth of it in gold.
I'll make a journey twice as far t' enjoy
A second night of such sweet shortness which
Was mine in Britain; for the ring is won.
If I had lost it,
I would have lost the price of it in gold.
I'd travel twice as far to enjoy
another night of passion like the one
I had in Britain; I have won the bet.
POSTHUMUS.
The stone's too hard to come by.
You found it too hard to win the stone.
IACHIMO.
Not a whit,
Your lady being so easy.
No, it was easy,
because your lady was.
POSTHUMUS.
Make not, sir,
Your loss your sport. I hope you know that we
Must not continue friends.
Don't make a joke
out of your loss sir. I hope that you know that we
can't remain friends.
IACHIMO.
Good sir, we must,
If you keep covenant. Had I not brought
The knowledge of your mistress home, I grant
We were to question farther; but I now
Profess myself the winner of her honour,
Together with your ring; and not the wronger
Of her or you, having proceeded but
By both your wills.
Good sir, we must,
if you keep your bargain. If I hadn't
managed to seduce your mistress, I agree
that we said we would fight; but I now
declare that I have won her
and so your ring as well; I haven't done
any wrong to her or to you, having only done
what both of you told me to.
POSTHUMUS.
If you can make't apparent
That you have tasted her in bed, my hand
And ring is yours. If not, the foul opinion
You had of her pure honour gains or loses
Your sword or mine, or masterless leaves both
To who shall find them.
If you can prove
that you have had her in bed, I'll shake hands
and give you my ring. If not, the foul opinion
you had of her pure honour means either
your sword or mine will bea winner, or we'll both be dead
and leaveour swords for whoever finds them.
IACHIMO.
Sir, my circumstances,
Being so near the truth as I will make them,
Must first induce you to believe- whose strength
I will confirm with oath; which I doubt not
You'll give me leave to spare when you shall find
You need it not.
Sir, my evidence,
which you shall see is very compelling,
will be the first thing which makes you believe–I shall
back it up by swearing it's the truth; I've no doubt
you won't make me take that oath, you'll find
it's not necessary.
POSTHUMUS.
Proceed.
Go on.
IACHIMO.
First, her bedchamber,
Where I confess I slept not, but profess
Had that was well worth watching-it was hang'd
With tapestry of silk and silver; the story,
Proud Cleopatra when she met her Roman
And Cydnus swell'd above the banks, or for
The press of boats or pride. A piece of work
So bravely done, so rich, that it did strive
In workmanship and value; which I wonder'd
Could be so rarely and exactly wrought,
Since the true life on't was-
Firstly, her bedroom,
where I must admit I didn't sleep, but I can say
that I had something well worth staying awake for–it was hung
with a tapestry of silk and silver, showing the story
of proud Cleopatra when she met her Roman
and the river rose above its banks, either from
the pressure of boats or from pride. It was a piece of work
so well done, so rich, that you couldn't tell what was greater,
its workmanship or its value; I was amazed
that anything could be so beautifully and perfectly made,
since the scene on it was–
POSTHUMUS.
This is true;
And this you might have heard of here, by me
Or by some other.
This is true;
and you could have heard of it here, from me,
or from somebody else.
IACHIMO.
More particulars
Must justify my knowledge.
I must give more evidence
to prove my assertions.
POSTHUMUS.
So they must,
Or do your honour injury.
You must,
or it'll be the worse for you.
IACHIMO.
The chimney
Is south the chamber, and the chimneypiece
Chaste Dian bathing. Never saw I figures
So likely to report themselves. The cutter
Was as another nature, dumb; outwent her,
Motion and breath left out.
The chimney
is to the south of the room, and the chimneypiece
is chaste Diana bathing. I never saw statues
that seemed so likely to speak. The sculptor
was like another nature, though silent; he outstripped her,
if you don't count movement and breathing.
POSTHUMUS.
This is a thing
Which you might from relation likewise reap,
Being, as it is, much spoke of.
This is something
which you might also have been told,
seeing as it's much spoken of.
IACHIMO.
The roof o' th' chamber
With golden cherubins is fretted; her andirons-
I had forgot them- were two winking Cupids
Of silver, each on one foot standing, nicely
Depending on their brands.
The roof of the room
is covered with golden cherubim; her fire irons–
I had forgotten them–were two winking silver cupids,
each one standing on one foot,
leaning on their torches.
POSTHUMUS.
This is her honour!
Let it be granted you have seen all this, and praise
Be given to your remembrance; the description
Of what is in her chamber nothing saves
The wager you have laid.
Oh well, that proves it!
Let it be granted that you’ve seen all this, and
we must compliment you on your memory; the description
of what is in her bedroom in no way wins
the bet for you.
IACHIMO.
Then, if you can, [Shows the bracelet]
Be pale. I beg but leave to air this jewel. See!
And now 'tis up again. It must be married
To that your diamond; I'll keep them.
&nbs
p; Alright, if you remain indifferent,
I'll ask your permission to show you this jewel. See!
There is your proof. It should be joined
with your diamond; I'll keep them.
POSTHUMUS.
Jove!
Once more let me behold it. Is it that
Which I left with her?
By Jove!
Let me see it again. Is that the thing
that I left with her?
IACHIMO.
Sir- I thank her- that.
She stripp'd it from her arm; I see her yet;
Her pretty action did outsell her gift,
And yet enrich'd it too. She gave it me, and said
She prized it once.
Sir–I thank her for it–it is.
She took this off her arm; I can see her now;
her graceful movements were better than her gift,
but also made it richer. She gave it to me, and said
she once treasured it.
POSTHUMUS.
May be she pluck'd it off
To send it me.
Maybe she took it off
to send it to me.
IACHIMO.
She writes so to you, doth she?
That's what she writes to you, is it?
POSTHUMUS.
O, no, no, no! 'tis true. Here, take this too;
[Gives the ring]
It is a basilisk unto mine eye,
Kills me to look on't. Let there be no honour
Where there is beauty; truth where semblance; love
Where there's another man. The vows of women
Of no more bondage be to where they are made