The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (108 page)

father, my uncle, and myself? Lord Edmund Mortimer,

my Lord of York, and Owen Glendower? Is

there not the Douglasses also? Had I had letters

from all of them saying they will meet me, armed, by the ninth of the next

month, and haven't some of them set out

already? What an unbelieving rascal this is, an infidel! Ha!

Now we'll see that in the depths of his fear and cold

feet he will go to the king, and reveal all our plans!

Oh, I could split myself in two and beat myself up,

for including such a milksop in our honourable

action! Hang him, let him tell the King, we

are prepared: I will set out tonight.

How are you, Kate? I must leave you within the next two hours.

LADY.

O, my good lord, why are you thus alone?

For what offence have I this fortnight been

A banish'd woman from my Harry's bed?

Tell me, sweet lord, what is't that takes from thee

Thy stomach, pleasure, and thy golden sleep?

Why dost thou bend thine eyes upon the earth,

And start so often when thou sitt'st alone?

Why hast thou lost the fresh blood in thy cheeks;

And given my treasures and my rights of thee

To thick-eyed musing and curst melancholy?

In thy faint slumbers I by thee have watch'd,

And heard thee murmur tales of iron wars;

Speak terms of manage to thy bounding steed;

Cry Courage! to the field!And thou hast talk'd

Of sallies and retires, of trenches, tents,

Of palisadoes, frontiers, parapets,

Of basilisks, of cannon, culverin,

Of prisoners ransomed, and of soldiers slain,

And all the 'currents of a heady fight.

Thy spirit within thee hath been so at war,

And thus hath so bestirr'd thee in thy sleep,

That beads of sweat have stood upon thy brow,

Like bubbles in a late-disturbed stream;

And in thy face strange motions have appear'd,

Such as we see when men restrain their breath

On some great sudden hest. O, what portents are these?

Some heavy business hath my lord in hand,

And I must know it, else he loves me not.

Oh my good Lord, why are you alone like this?

What have I done wrong to be banished from

my Harry's bed for the last fortnight?

Tell me, sweet Lord, what is it that has taken away

your appetite, your happiness and your ability to sleep?

Why are your eyes so downcast,

and why do you twitch so often when you're sitting alone?

Why are your cheeks so sickly and pale,

and why have you given up our marital pleasures

in exchange for ill tempered thinking and cursed melancholy?

I have been watching you in your restless sleep,

hearing you murmur stories of great wars,

talking as if you were riding your galloping horse,

crying “Courage! To battle!" And you have talked

of attacks, retreats, trenches, tents,

stakes, barriers, parapets,

all different sorts of cannon,

of ransoming prisoners, and dead soldiers,

and all the excitement of a great fight.

Your spirit has been so stirred up within you,

and has disturbed your sleep so much

that beads of sweat have appeared on your forehead

like bubbles in a recently disturbed stream,

and strange looks have appeared in your face,

as we see when men hold their breath

on receiving some great order. Oh, what do these signs mean?

My lord has some great affair in hand,

and he must tell me it, or he does not love me.

HOT.

What, ho!

[Enter a Servant.]

Is Gilliams with the packet gone?

Hello there!

Has Gilliams taken the messages?

SERV.

He is, my lord, an hour ago.

He has, my lord, an hour ago.

HOT.

Hath Butler brought those horses from the sheriff?

Has Butler bought those horses from the Sheriff?

SERV.

One horse, my lord, he brought even now.

He brought one horse, my lord, just a minute ago.

HOT.

What horse? a roan, a crop-ear, is it not?

What horse? A roan with notched ears, isn't it?

SERV.

It is, my lord.

It is, my lord.

HOT.

That roan shall be my throne.

Well, I will back him straight:O esperance!--

Bid Butler lead him forth into the park.

That's the one I shall ride.

Well, I will go straight to him: hope!

Tell Butler to take him out into the park.

[Exit Servant.]

LADY.

But hear you, my lord.

Just listen, my lord.

HOT.

What say'st thou, my lady?

What are you saying, my lady?

LADY.

What is it carries you away?

What is it that's taking you away?

HOT.

Why, my horse, my love, my horse.

Why, my horse, my love, my horse.

LADY.

Out, you mad-headed ape!

A weasel hath not such a deal of spleen

As you are toss'd with. In faith,

I'll know your business, Harry, that I will.

I fear my brother Mortimer doth stir

About his title, and hath sent for you

To line his enterprise:but if you go,--

Damn you, you mad headed ape!

A weasel isn't as quarrelsome

as you are. I swear,

I'll know what you're up to, Harry, I will;

I'm afraid my brother Mortimer is

planning to fight for his inheritance, and has sent for you

to back up his efforts: but if you go,–

HOT.

So far a-foot, I shall be weary, love.

So far on foot, I will be tired, love.

LADY.

Come, come, you paraquito, answer me

Directly to this question that I ask:

In faith, I'll break thy little finger, Harry,

An if thou wilt not tell me true.

Come, come, you parakeet, give me

a straight answer to my question:

I swear, I'll break your little finger, Harry,

if you don't tell me the truth.

HOT.

Away,

Away, you trifler! Love? I love thee not,

I care not for thee, Kate:this is no world

To play with mammets and to tilt with lips:

We must have bloody noses and crack'd crowns,

And pass them current too.--Gods me, my horse!--

What say'st thou, Kate? what wouldst thou have with me?

Go,

leave me alone, you lightweight! Love? I don't love you,

I don't care for you, Kate: this is no world

for playing with dolls, and to spend time kissing;

these times demand bloody noses and

broken crowns. God save me! My horse!

What are you saying, Kate? What do you want with me?

LADY.

Do you not love me? do you not indeed?

Well, do not, then; for, since you love me not,

I will not love myself. Do you not love me?

Nay, tell me if you speak in jest or no.

Don't you love me? Do you really not?

Well, then don't; for, since you don't love me,

I won't love myself. Don't you love me?

No, tell me if you're joking or not.

HOT.

Come, wilt thou see me ride?

And when I am o' horseback, I will swear

I love thee infinitely. But hark you, Kate;

I must not have you henceforth question me

Whither I go, nor reason whereabout:

Whither I must, I must; and, to conclude,

This evening must I leave you, gentle Kate.

I know you wise; but yet no further wise

Than Harry Percy's wife; constant you are;

But yet a woman:and, for secrecy,

No lady closer; for I well believe

Thou wilt not utter what thou dost not know;

And so far will I trust thee, gentle Kate.

Come, will you come and see me right?

When I'm on horseback, I will swear

that I love you infinitely. But listen, Kate;

from now on you must not question me

about where I'm going or what I'm doing:

I must go where I must go; and, in conclusion,

I must leave you this evening, gentle Kate.

I know you are wise; but no wiser

than Harry Percy's wife; you are loyal;

but you're still a woman: for keeping secrets,

there's no lady better; I certainly believe

you can't say what you don't know;

and this is as much as I'll trust you, sweet Kate.

LADY.

How! so far?

What! As much as that?

HOT.

Not an inch further. But hark you, Kate:

Whither I go, thither shall you go too;

To-day will I set forth, to-morrow you.

Will this content you, Kate?

Not an inch more. But listen, Kate:

wherever I go, you will go too;

today I will set out, tomorrow you.

Will this make you happy, Kate?

LADY.

It must of force.

I suppose it'll have to.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter Prince Henry.]

PRINCE.

Ned, pr'ythee, come out of that fat room, and lend me thy

hand to laugh a little.

Ned, come out of that stuffy room please, and lend me a

hand in laughing.

[Enter Pointz.]

POINTZ.

Where hast been, Hal?

Where have you been, Hal?

PRINCE.

With three or four loggerheads amongst three or fourscore

hogsheads. I have sounded the very base-string of humility.

Sirrah, I am sworn brother to a leash of drawers; and can call

them all by their Christian names, as, Tom, Dick, and Francis.