The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (23 page)

Enough to stifle such a villain up.

I do suspect thee very grievously.

If you only agreed

to this terrible deed, you should despair;

and if you need a cord, the smallest thread

that a spider ever span out of her womb

will do for strangling you; a reed will make a beam

to hang you from; or if you want to drown yourself,

just put a little water in a spoon

and it will be like the whole ocean,

enough to suffocate such a villain.

I have very strong suspicions of you.

HUBERT.

If I in act, consent, or sin of thought,

Be guilty of the stealing that sweet breath

Which was embounded in this beauteous clay,

Let hell want pains enough to torture me!

I left him well.

If by action, agreement, or sinful thinking,

I was guilty of stealing away that sweet breath

which was contained within this beautiful body,

may hell run out of tortures to use on me!

I left him healthy.

BASTARD.

Go, bear him in thine arms.

I am amaz'd, methinks, and lose my way

Among the thorns and dangers of this world.

How easy dost thou take all England up!

From forth this morsel of dead royalty

The life, the right, and truth of all this realm

Is fled to heaven; and England now is left

To tug and scamble, and to part by th' teeth

The unowed interest of proud-swelling state.

Now for the bare-pick'd bone of majesty

Doth dogged war bristle his angry crest

And snarleth in the gentle eyes of peace;

Now powers from home and discontents at home

Meet in one line; and vast confusion waits,

As doth a raven on a sick-fall'n beast,

The imminent decay of wrested pomp.

Now happy he whose cloak and cincture can

Hold out this tempest. Bear away that child,

And follow me with speed. I'll to the King;

A thousand businesses are brief in hand,

And heaven itself doth frown upon the land.

Go, carry him in your arms.

I am bewildered, I think, and I have lost my way

amongst the thorns and dangers of this world.

How easy it is for you to pick up the whole of England

in the person of this dead royal body!

The life, rights and truth of this whole country

have gone to heaven; and now England is left

to push and shove, and to tear apart in their teeth

the unruled powers of the great nation.

Now the dog of war raises his angry hackles

to fight for the stripped bones of majesty

and snarls in the gentle face of peace;

now forces from abroad and civil discontent

come together as one; great chaos awaits,

like a raven hovering over a sick man,

following the general collapse when the throne is stolen.

It will be a lucky man who manages

to ride out the storm. Carry away that child,

and follow me quickly. I'll go to the king;

there are a thousand things which need seeing to,

and heaven is frowning over the country.

Exeunt

England. KING JOHN'S palace

Enter KING JOHN, PANDULPH, and attendants

KING JOHN.

Thus have I yielded up into your hand

The circle of my glory.

So I have surrendered my crown

into your hand.

PANDULPH.

[Gives back the crown]Take again

From this my hand, as holding of the Pope,

Your sovereign greatness and authority.

Take it back again

from my hand, as a representative of the Pope,

take back your royal greatness and authority.

KING JOHN.

Now keep your holy word; go meet the French;

And from his Holiness use all your power

To stop their marches fore we are inflam'd.

Our discontented counties do revolt;

Our people quarrel with obedience,

Swearing allegiance and the love of soul

To stranger blood, to foreign royalty.

This inundation of mistemp'red humour

Rests by you only to be qualified.

Then pause not; for the present time's so sick

That present med'cine must be minist'red

Or overthrow incurable ensues.

Now keep your holy word; go and meet French;

and use all power you have from the Pope

to stop their advances before we are overcome.

Our discontented counties are rebelling;

our people are refusing to obey,

swearing allegiance and pledging their souls

to foreign blood and royalty.

This flood of disordered moods

can only be abated by you.

So don't wait; the time is so sick

that it must be given medicine at once

or it will be followed by incurable collapse.

PANDULPH.

It was my breath that blew this tempest up,

Upon your stubborn usage of the Pope;

But since you are a gentle convertite,

My tongue shall hush again this storm of war

And make fair weather in your blust'ring land.

On this Ascension-day, remember well,

Upon your oath of service to the Pope,

Go I to make the French lay down their arms.

It was I who started this storm,

due to your insult to the Pope;

but since you have sweetly reconverted,

I shall calm down this storm of war

and bring fair weather to your windy land.

Remember on every Ascension day like this

your oath of service to the Pope,

and I will go and make the French retreat.

Exit

KING JOHN.

Is this Ascension-day? Did not the prophet

Say that before Ascension-day at noon

My crown I should give off? Even so I have.

I did suppose it should be on constraint;

But, heaven be thank'd, it is but voluntary.

Is this Ascension Day? Didn't the prophet

say that before Ascension day at noon

I should give up my crown? Well I have.

I imagined that I would be forced to;

but, thank heaven, it was only voluntary.

Enter the BASTARD

BASTARD.

All Kent hath yielded; nothing there holds out

But Dover Castle. London hath receiv'd,

Like a kind host, the Dauphin and his powers.

Your nobles will not hear you, but are gone

To offer service to your enemy;

And wild amazement hurries up and down

The little number of your doubtful friends.

All of Kent has surrendered; only Dover Castle

has resisted. London has welcomed,

like a kind host, the Dauphin and his forces.

The nobles will not listen to you, they have gone

to offer their services to your enemy;

and wild confusion is buzzing around

the small number of your fearful friends.

KING JOHN.

Would not my lords return to me again

After they heard young Arthur was alive?

Wouldn't my Lords come back to me

after they heard young Arthur was alive?

BASTARD.

They found him dead, and cast into the streets,

An empty casket, where the jewel of life

By some damn'd hand was robbed and ta'en away.

They found him dead, and thrown into the street,

an empty casket from which some damnable hand

had robbed and taken away the jewel of life.

KING JOHN.

That villain Hubert told me he did live.

That villain Hubert told me he was alive.

BASTARD.

So, on my soul, he did, for aught he knew.

But wherefore do you droop? Why look you sad?

Be great in act, as you have been in thought;

Let not the world see fear and sad distrust

Govern the motion of a kingly eye.

Be stirring as the time; be fire with fire;

Threaten the threat'ner, and outface the brow

Of bragging horror; so shall inferior eyes,

That borrow their behaviours from the great,

Grow great by your example and put on

The dauntless spirit of resolution.

Away, and glister like the god of war

When he intendeth to become the field;

Show boldness and aspiring confidence.

What, shall they seek the lion in his den,

And fright him there, and make him tremble there?

O, let it not be said! Forage, and run

To meet displeasure farther from the doors

And grapple with him ere he come so nigh.

I swear he thought that that was true.

But why are you drooping? Why do you look so sad?

Be as great in action as you have been in thought;

don't let the world see fear and doubt

ruling the eye of the King.

Be as active as the situation; fight fire with fire;

threaten those who threaten you, and stare down

arrogant terror; so inferior people,

who copy the greatness of their betters,

will become great through your example

and gather up dare dauntless resolve.

Go, and shine like the God of War

when he intends to join the battle;

showed bravery and great confidence.

What, shall they look for the lion in his den,