The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1032 page)

Varro's Servant

Is't not your business too?

Isn't that what you're after too?

CAPHIS

It is: and yours too, Isidore?

It is.  You as well, Isisdore's man?

Isidore's Servant

It is so.

That's right.

CAPHIS

Would we were all discharged!

I wish this would all be settled!

Varro's Servant

I fear it.

I have my doubts.

CAPHIS

Here comes the lord.

Here comes the lord.

Enter TIMON, ALCIBIADES, and Lords, & c

TIMON

So soon as dinner's done, we'll forth again,

My Alcibiades. With me? what is your will?

As soon as we've had dinner, we'll go out again,

friend Alcibiades.  You want me?  What do you want?

CAPHIS

My lord, here is a note of certain dues.

My lord, I have here a note of some debts that are due payment.

TIMON

Dues! Whence are you?

Debts!  Where are you from?

CAPHIS

Of Athens here, my lord.

From here in Athens, my lord.

TIMON

Go to my steward.

Go and see my steward.

CAPHIS

Please it your lordship, he hath put me off

To the succession of new days this month:

My master is awaked by great occasion

To call upon his own, and humbly prays you

That with your other noble parts you'll suit

In giving him his right.

If you please, your lordship, he has fobbed me off

from one day to the next this month:

my master has very important business which means

he needs his money, and he humbly requests

that you'll be as noble in this as you are in everything,

and pay him what you owe.

TIMON

Mine honest friend,

I prithee, but repair to me next morning.

My honest friend,

I'll just ask you to come back tomorrow morning.

CAPHIS

Nay, good my lord,--

No, my good lord -

TIMON

Contain thyself, good friend.

Be calm, good friend.

Varro's Servant

One Varro's servant, my good lord,--

I am Varro's servant, my good lord -

Isidore's Servant

From Isidore;

He humbly prays your speedy payment.

I am Isidore's servant;

he humbly requests that you pay him at once.

CAPHIS

If you did know, my lord, my master's wants--

If you only knew, my lord, what my master needs -

Varro's Servant

'Twas due on forfeiture, my lord, six weeks and past.

You were due to pay a forfeit, my lord, more than six weeks ago.

Isidore's Servant

Your steward puts me off, my lord;

And I am sent expressly to your lordship.

Your steward keeps fobbing me off, my lord;

and I have been sent to see your lordship in person.

TIMON

Give me breath.

I do beseech you, good my lords, keep on;

I'll wait upon you instantly.

Give me room to breathe.

I beg you, my good lords, go on;

I'll be with you in a moment.

Exeunt ALCIBIADES and Lords

To FLAVIUS

Come hither: pray you,

How goes the world, that I am thus encounter'd

With clamourous demands of date-broke bonds,

And the detention of long-since-due debts,

Against my honour?

Come here: I ask you,

what have things come to, for me to be attacked

with noisy demands for overdue bonds,

and accusations of unpaid debts,

calling my honour into question?

FLAVIUS

Please you, gentlemen,

The time is unagreeable to this business:

Your importunacy cease till after dinner,

That I may make his lordship understand

Wherefore you are not paid.

If you please, gentlemen,

this isn't a good time for this business:

postpone your demands until after dinner,

so I can help his lordship to understand

why you haven't been paid.

TIMON

Do so, my friends. See them well entertain'd.

Do that, my friends.  Make sure they are well fed.

Exit

FLAVIUS

Pray, draw near.

Now, please come with me.

Exit

Enter APEMANTUS and Fool

CAPHIS

Stay, stay, here comes the fool with Apemantus:

let's ha' some sport with 'em.

Wait, wait, here comes the fool with Apemantus:

let's have some fun with them.

Varro's Servant

Hang him, he'll abuse us.

Hang him, he'll abuse us.

Isidore's Servant

 A plague upon him, dog!

Curse him, the dog!

Varro's Servant

How dost, fool?

How are you, fool?

APEMANTUS

Dost dialogue with thy shadow?

Are you talking to your shadow?

Varro's Servant

I speak not to thee.

I wasn't talking to you.

APEMANTUS

No,'tis to thyself.

To the Fool

Come away.

No, you were talking to yourself.

[to the Fool]

Come away.

Isidore's Servant

There's the fool hangs on your back already.

There's the fool hanging on your back already.

APEMANTUS

No, thou stand'st single, thou'rt not on him yet.

No, you're standing alone, you're not there yet.

CAPHIS

Where's the fool now?

Where's the fool now?

APEMANTUS

He last asked the question. Poor rogues, and

usurers' men! bawds between gold and want!

He's the one who asked the last question.  Poor scoundrels,

moneylenders' men!  Pimps between money and need!

All Servants

What are we, Apemantus?

What are we, Apemantus?

APEMANTUS

Asses.

Asses.

All Servants

Why?

Why?

APEMANTUS

That you ask me what you are, and do not know

yourselves. Speak to 'em, fool.

Because you ask me what you are, and don't know

yourselves.  Speak to them, fool.

Fool

How do you, gentlemen?

How are you, gentlemen?

All Servants

Gramercies, good fool: how does your mistress?

Well, thanks, good fool; how is your mistress?

Fool

She's e'en setting on water to scald such chickens

as you are. Would we could see you at Corinth!

She's just boiling the water to pluck chickens

like you.  If only we could see you in Corinth!

APEMANTUS

Good! gramercy.

Very good!  Praise God.

Enter Page

Fool

Look you, here comes my mistress' page.

Look, here comes my mistress' page.

Page

[To the Fool] Why, how now, captain! what do you

in this wise company? How dost thou, Apemantus?

Why, hello there, captain!  What are you doing

amongst all these wise people?  How are you, Apemantus?

APEMANTUS

Would I had a rod in my mouth, that I might answer

thee profitably.

I wish I had a cane instead of a tongue, to give

you a proper lashing.

Page

Prithee, Apemantus, read me the superscription of

these letters: I know not which is which.

Please, Apemantus, read the addresses on these

letters for me: I don't know which is which.

APEMANTUS

Canst not read?

Can't you read?

Page

No.

No.

APEMANTUS

There will little learning die then, that day thou

art hanged. This is to Lord Timon; this to

Alcibiades. Go; thou wast born a bastard, and thou't

die a bawd.

Not much learning will die then, the day

you're hanged.  This one's for Lord Timon; this for

Alcibiades.  Go; you were born a bastard, and you'll

die a pimp.

Page

Thou wast whelped a dog, and thou shalt famish a

dog's death. Answer not; I am gone.

You're a son of a bitch, and you'll die as

a starving dog.  Don't answer me, I'm gone.

Exit

APEMANTUS

E'en so thou outrunnest grace. Fool, I will go with

you to Lord Timon's.

This is just how you run away from salvation.  Fool,

I will go with you to Lord Timon's.

Fool

Will you leave me there?

Are you going to leave me there?

APEMANTUS

If Timon stay at home. You three serve three usurers?

If Timon stays at home.  You three work for moneylenders?

All Servants

Ay; would they served us!

Yes, we wish they worked for us!

APEMANTUS

So would I,--as good a trick as ever hangman served thief.

I wish that too - that they'd work the trick on you the hangman

works on the thief.

Fool

Are you three usurers' men?

Are you three moneylenders' men?

All Servants

Ay, fool.

Yes, fool.

Fool

I think no usurer but has a fool to his servant: my

mistress is one, and I am her fool. When men come

to borrow of your masters, they approach sadly, and

go away merry; but they enter my mistress' house