The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (229 page)

Fellow, what miracle dost thou proclaim?

What does this noise mean?

Fellow, what miracle are you announcing?

TOWNSMAN.

A miracle! A miracle!

A miracle! A miracle!

SUFFOLK.

Come to the king, and tell him what miracle.

Come to the king, and tell him what the miracle is.

TOWNSMAN.

Forsooth, a blind man at Saint Alban's shrine,

Within this half hour, hath receiv'd his sight;

A man that ne'er saw in his life before.

I swear, a blind man at the shrine of St Alban

got his sight back, not half an hour ago;

a man who never saw anything in his life.

KING.

Now, God be prais'd, that to believing souls

Gives light in darkness, comfort in despair!

Now, praise be to God, who gives light in the darkness

to his believers, comfort in despair!

[Enter the Mayor of Saint Alban's and his brethren,

bearing SIMPCOX, between two in a chair, SIMPCOX's

Wife following.]

CARDINAL.

Here comes the townsmen on procession,

To present your highness with the man.

Here come the townsmen in procession,

to present the man to your Highness.

KING HENRY.

Great is his comfort in this earthly vale,

Although by his sight his sin be multiplied.

He has been given a great gift in this life on Earth,

even if now he can see he will sin more.

GLOSTER.

Stand by, my masters.

Bring him near the king;

His highness' pleasure is to talk with him.

Stand aside, my masters.

Bring him near the King;

his Highness would like to talk to him.

KING.

Good fellow, tell us here the circumstance,

That we for thee may glorify the Lord.

What, hast thou been long blind and now restor'd?

Good fellow, tell us what happened,

so we can praise the Lord for you.

What, you've been blind for a long time and now can see?

SIMPCOX.

Born blind, an 't please your grace.

I was born blind, if your Grace pleases.

WIFE.

Ay indeed was he.

He certainly was.

SUFFOLK.

What woman is this?

Who is this woman?

WIFE.

His wife, an 't like your worship.

His wife, if your worship pleases.

GLOSTER.

Hadst thou been his mother, thou couldst

have better told.

That would be better

coming from his mother.

KING.

Where wert thou born?

Where were you born?

SIMPCOX.

At Berwick in the north, an 't like your grace.

At Berwick in the North, so please your Grace.

KING.

Poor soul, God's goodness hath been great to thee;

Let never day nor night unhallow'd pass,

But still remember what the Lord hath done.

Poor soul, God has been great to you in his goodness;

never let a day or night go by without a prayer,

to give thanks for what the Lord has done.

QUEEN.

Tell me, good fellow, cam'st thou here by chance,

Or of devotion, to this holy shrine?

Tell me good fellow, did you come here by accident,

or out of devotion, to this holy shrine?

SIMPCOX.

God knows, of pure devotion; being call'd

A hundred times and oftener, in my sleep,

By good Saint Alban, who said 'Simpcox, come,

Come, offer at my shrine, and I will help thee.'

God knows, out of pure devotion; I was summoned

a hundred times and more, in my sleep,

by good St Alban, who said “Simpcox, come,

come, make an offering at my shrine, and I will help you."

WIFE.

Most true, forsooth; and many time and oft

Myself have heard a voice to call him so.

That's certainly very true; many times

I also heard a voice calling him like that.

CARDINAL.

What, art thou lame?

What, are you lame?

SIMPCOX.

Ay, God Almighty help me!

Yes, God Almighty help me!

SUFFOLK.

How cam'st thou so?

How did you come to be lame?

SIMPCOX.

A fall off of a tree.

I fell out of a tree.

WIFE.

A plum-tree, master.

A plum tree, master.

GLOSTER.

How long hast thou been blind?

How long have you been blind?

SIMPCOX.

O, born so, master!

Oh, I was born blind, master!

GLOSTER.

What, and wouldst climb a tree?

What, and you were climbing trees?

SIMPCOX.

But that in all my life, when I was a youth.

All the time, when I was young.

WIFE.

Too true; and bought his climbing very dear.

To true; and he paid a heavy price for it.

GLOSTER.

Mass, thou lov'dst plums well that wouldst venture so.

By heaven, you must love plums to have tried that.

SIMPCOX.

Alas, good master, my wife desir'd some damsons,

And made me climb, with danger of my life.

Alas, good master, my wife wanted damsons,

and made me climb, in danger of my life.

GLOSTER.

A subtle knave! but yet it shall not serve.--

Let me see thine eyes.--Wink now;--now open them.

In my opinion yet thou seest not well.

A cunning knave! But it won't do.–

Let me see your eyes–now wink;–now open them.

In my opinion you still can't see well.

SIMPCOX.

Yes, master, clear as day, I thank God and Saint Alban.

Yes, master, clear as day, thanks to God and St Alban.

GLOSTER.

Say'st thou me so? What colour is this cloak of?

You say so? What colour is this cloak?

SIMPCOX.

Red, master, red as blood.

Red, master, red as blood.

GLOSTER.

Why, that's well said. What colour is my gown of?

Why, that's good. What colour is my gown?

SIMPCOX.

Black, forsooth, coal-black as jet.

Black, I swear, as coal black as jet.

KING.

Why, then, thou know'st what colour jet is of?

Why then, you know what colour jet is?

SUFFOLK.

And yet, I think, jet did he never see.

And yet, I think, he never saw jet.

GLOSTER.

But cloaks and gowns before this day, a many.

But plenty of cloaks and gowns, before today.

WIFE.

Never before this day in all his life.

Never a single day before today in his life.

GLOSTER.

Tell me, sirrah, what's my name?

Tell me, sir, what's my name?

SIMPCOX.

Alas, master, I know not.

Alas, master, I don't know.

GLOSTER.

What's his name?

What's his name?

SIMPCOX.

I know not.

I don't know.

GLOSTER.

Nor his?

Nor his?

SIMPCOX.

No, indeed, master.

Certainly not, master.

GLOSTER.

What's thine own name?

What's your own name?

SIMPCOX.

Saunder Simpcox, an if it please you, master.

Saunder Simpcox, if you please, master.

GLOSTER.

Then, Saunder, sit there, the lyingest knave in

Christendom. If thou hadst been born blind, thou mightst as well

have known all our names as thus to name the several colours we

do wear. Sight may distinguish of colours; but suddenly to

nominate them all, it is impossible.--My lords, Saint Alban here

hath done a miracle; and would ye not think his cunning to be

great that could restore this cripple to his legs again?

Then, Saunder, sit there, the most dishonest scoundrel in

Christendom. If you had been born blind, you would be as likely

to know all our names as to be able to name the different colours

we are wearing. Sight can tell between colours; but suddenly

to know all their names, it's impossible.–my Lords, St Alban has

 performed a miracle here; don't you think a person would be very cunning

if he could give this cripple his legs back?

SIMPCOX.

O master, that you could!

O master, if only you could!

GLOSTER.

My masters of Saint Alban's, have you not beadles in

your town, and things called whips?

My masters of St Albans, do you have constables in

your town, and things called whips?

MAYOR.

Yes, my lord, if it please your grace.

Yes my lord, if it please your Grace.

GLOSTER.

Then send for one presently.

Then sent for one at once.

MAYOR.

Sirrah, go fetch the beadle hither straight.

Sir, go and fetch the constable here at once.

[Exit an Attendant.]

GLOSTER.

Now fetch me a stool hither by and by.--Now, sirrah,

if you mean to save yourself from whipping, leap me over this

stool and run away.

Now, just bring me a stall over here. Now, Sir,

if you want to save yourself from a whipping, jump over this

stool for me and run away.

SIMPCOX.

Alas, master, I am not able to stand alone;

You go about to torture me in vain.

Alas, master, I cannot stand unaided;

you will be torturing me in vain.

[Enter a Beadle with whips.]

GLOSTER.

Well, sir, we must have you find your legs.--

Sirrah beadle, whip him till he leap over that same stool.