The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (203 page)

and during his reign the Percys of the North,

thinking his overthrow extremely unjust,

attempted to place me on the throne.

The reason these warlike lords had for this was

that–with young Richard dead,

leaving no direct heir–

I was next in line through birth and ancestry:

for on my mother's side I am descended

from Lionel, Duke of Clarence, third son

of King Edward the Third, whereas he

is descended from John of Gaunt,

only fourth in that heroic genealogy.

But you can see that in this noble great attempt

at installing the rightful heir on the throne

I lost my freedom and they lost their lives.

Long after this, when Henry the Fifth,

succeeding his father Bolingbroke, ruled,

your father, then Earl of Cambridge–descended

from famous Edmund Langley, Duke of York–

married my sister, your mother,

and again, out of pity at my horrid predicament,

raised an army, intending to free me

and give me the Crown.

But that noble Earl failed like the rest,

and was beheaded. So the Mortimers,

who have the right to the title, were suppressed.

PLANTAGENET.

Of which, my lord, your honor is the last.

And you are the last of them, my lord.

MORTIMER.

True; and thou seest that I no issue have,

And that my fainting words do warrant death:

Thou art my heir; the rest I wish thee gather:

But yet be wary in thy studious care.

True, and you see I have no children,

and that my halting words show I am dying:

you are my heir; I want you to think about what that means:

but be careful what you do with your discoveries.

PLANTAGENET.

Thy grave admonishments prevail with me:

But yet, methinks, my father's execution

Was nothing less than bloody tyranny.

Your grave warnings will be noted:

but still, I think that my father's execution

was nothing less than the act of a bloody tyrant.

MORTIMER.

With silence, nephew, be thou politic:

Strong-fixed is the house of Lancaster,

And like a mountain not to be removed.

But now thy uncle is removing hence;

As princes do their courts, when they are cloy'd

With long continuance in a settled place.

Make sure you keep a diplomatic silence, nephew:

the house of Lancaster is firmly fixed,

and you might as well try to move a mountain.

But now your uncle is moving from here;

in the same way that Princes move their courts, when they are bored

by staying too long in one place.

PLANTAGENET.

O, uncle, would some part of my young years

Might but redeem the passage of your age!

Oh, uncle, if only I could give some of my youth

to take away some of your age!

MORTIMER.

Thou dost then wrong me, as that slaughterer doth

Which giveth many wounds when one will kill.

Mourn not, except thou sorrow for my good;

Only give order for my funeral:

And so farewell, and fair be all thy hopes,

And prosperous be thy life in peace and war!

Then you would be harming me, like a slaughterer who

gives many wounds when one would do for killing.

Do not mourn, except for sorrow at any good in me;

just arrange my funeral.

And so farewell, and may you be successful

and prosperous in peace and in war!

[Dies.]

PLANTAGENET.

And peace, no war, befall thy parting soul!

In prison hast thou spent a pilgrimage,

And like a hermit overpass'd thy days.

Well, I will lock his counsel in my breast;

And what I do imagine let that rest.

Keepers, convey him hence; and I myself

Will see his burial better than his life.

[Exeunt Jailers, bearing out the body of Mortimer.]

Here dies the dusky torch of Mortimer,

Choked with ambition of the meaner sort:

And for those wrongs, those bitter injuries,

Which Somerset hath offer'd to my house,

I doubt not but with honour to redress;

And therefore haste I to the parliament,

Either to be restored to my blood,

Or make my will the advantage of my good.

And may peace, not war, come to your departing soul!

You have spent the time of a pilgrimage in prison,

and like a hermit you have lived beyond your time.

Well, I shall lock his advice away in my heart;

and let my imagination rest for the moment.

Jailers, take him away; I myself

will make sure he is treated better in death than he was in life.

Here dies the failing torch of Mortimer,

extinguished by the ambition of lower men:

and for those wrongs, those bitter insults,

which Somerset offered to my family,

I do not doubt I shall honourably punish them;

and therefore I hurry to the Parliament,

either to be given back my rightful place,

or to assert my will to get what I deserve.

[Exit.]

[Flourish. Enter King, Exeter, Gloucester, Warwick, Somerset,

and Suffolk; the Bishop of Winchester, Richard Plantagenet, and

others. Gloucester offers to put up a bill; Winchester snatches

it, tears it.]

WINCHESTER.

Comest thou with deep premeditated lines,

With written pamphlets studiously devised,

Humphrey of Gloucester?  If thou canst accuse,

Or aught intend'st to lay unto my charge.

Do it without invention, suddenly;

As I with sudden and extemporal speech

Purpose to answer what thou canst object.

Have you come with a preplanned text,

carefully written long thought out pamphlets,

Humphrey of Gloucester? If you have accusations,

or intend to charge me with anything,

do it at once, don't use your rhetorical style;

I intend to answer your accusations

immediately, off-the-cuff.

GLOUCESTER.

Presumptuous priest! this place commands my patience,

Or thou shouldst find thou hast dishonor'd me.

Think not, although in writing I preferr'd

The manner of thy vile outrageous crimes,

That therefore I have forged, or am not able

Verbatim to rehearse the method of my pen:

No, prelate; such is thy audacious wickedness,

Thy lewd, pestiferous and dissentious pranks,

As very infants prattle of thy pride.

Thou art a most pernicious usurer,

Froward by nature, enemy to peace;

Lascivious, wanton, more than well beseems

A man of thy profession and degree;

And for thy treachery, what's more manifest

In that thou laid'st a trap to take my life,

As well at London-bridge as at the Tower.

Beside, I fear me, if thy thoughts are sifted

The king, thy sovereign, is not quite exempt

From envious malice of thy swelling heart.

Arrogant priest, this place demands I keep calm,

or you would be punished for your insult.

Do not think that just because I wrote down

the details of your revolting terrible crimes

that I have made anything up or cannot

repeat orally what I have written.

No, bishop, such is your blatant wickedness,

your lecherous, dirty and disloyal goings on,

that even children talk about your arrogance.

You are an evil moneylender,

perverse by nature, an enemy to peace,

lusty and profligate–more than suits

a man of your calling and rank.

As for your treachery, what could be more obvious

than that you laid traps to take my life,

at London Bridge as well as at the Tower?

Also, I'm afraid, if your thoughts could be read,

the King, your sovereign, does not quite escape

the envious malice in your puffed up heart.

WINCHESTER.

Gloucester, I do defy thee. Lords, vouchsafe

To give me hearing what I shall reply.

If I were covetous, ambitious, or perverse,

As he will have me, how am I so poor?

Or how haps it I seek not to advance

Or raise myself, but keep my wonted calling?

And for dissension, who preferreth peace

More than I do?--except I be provoked.

No, my good lords, it is not that offends;

It is not that that hath incensed the duke:

It is, because no one should sway but he;

No one but he should be about the king;

And that engenders thunder in his breast,

And makes him roar these accusations forth.

But he shall know I am as good--

Gloucester, I spurn you. Lords, do me the honour

of listening to my reply.

If I were covetous, ambitious or perverse,

as he accuses, why am I so poor?

Why have I not tried to advance

or promote myself, but kept to my usual vocation?

As for dissent, who prefers peace

more than I do?–Unless I am provoked.

No, my good lords, it is not that that has caused offence;

it is not that that has angered the Duke:

it is, because he wants no want to have power but him;