The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (231 page)

I claim the crown, had issue, Philippe, a daughter,

Who married Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March.

Edmund had issue, Roger Earl of March;

Roger had issue, Edmund, Anne, and Eleanor.

The third son, Duke of Clarence, through whom

I claim the crown, had children, Philippe, a daughter,

who married Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March.

Edmund had children, Roger Earl of March;

Roger had children, Edmund, Anne and Eleanor.

SALISBURY.

This Edmund, in the reign of Bolingbroke,

As I have read, laid claim unto the crown;

And, but for Owen Glendower, had been king,

Who kept him in captivity till he died.

But to the rest.

I have read that in the reign of Bolingbroke

this Edmund laid claim to the Crown;

if it hadn't been for Owen Glendower he would have been king,

but he kept him imprisoned until he died.

But go on.

YORK.

His eldest sister, Anne,

My mother, being heir unto the crown,

Married Richard Earl of Cambridge, who was son

To Edmund Langley, Edward the Third's fifth son.

By her I claim the kingdom; she was heir

To Roger Earl of March, who was the son

Of Edmund Mortimer, who married Philippe,

Sole daughter unto Lionel Duke of Clarence.

So, if the issue of the elder son

Succeed before the younger, I am king.

His eldest sister, Anne,

my mother, who was heir to the crown,

married Richard Earl of Cambridge, who was son

of Edmund Langley, the fifth son of Edward the Third.

I claim the kingdom through her; she was heir

of Roger Earl of March, who was the son

of Edmund Mortimer, who married Philippe,

the only daughter of Lionel the Duke of Clarence.

So, if the children of the older son

succeed ahead of the younger, I am king.

WARWICK.

What plain proceeding is more plain than this?

Henry doth claim the crown from John of Gaunt,

The fourth son; York claims it from the third.

Till Lionel's issue fails, his should not reign;

It fails not yet, but flourishes in thee

And in thy sons, fair slips of such a stock.--

Then, father Salisbury, kneel we together;

And in this private plot be we the first

That shall salute our rightful sovereign

With honour of his birthright to the crown.

What could be more obvious than this?

Henry is claiming the crown through John of Gaunt,

the fourth son; York is claiming it through the third.

Until Lionel's line fails, Gaunt's line should not reign;

it hasn't yet failed, but is flourishing in you

and in your sons, sweet flowers of such a plant.

So, for Salisbury, let us kneel together;

and in this private garden let us be the first

to salute our rightful king

and honour his birthright to the crown.

BOTH.

Long live our sovereign Richard, England's king!

Long live our sovereign Richard, England's King!

YORK.

We thank you, lords. But I am not your king

Till I be crown'd, and that my sword be stain'd

With heart-blood of the house of Lancaster;

And that's not suddenly to be perform'd,

But with advice and silent secrecy.

Do you as I do in these dangerous days,--

Wink at the Duke of Suffolk's insolence,

At Beaufort's pride, at Somerset's ambition,

At Buckingham, and all the crew of them,

Till they have snar'd the shepherd of the flock,

That virtuous prince, the good Duke Humphrey;

'T is that they seek, and they in seeking that

Shall find their deaths, if York can prophesy.

I thank you, Lords. But I'm not your king

until I'm crowned, and my sword is stained

with the heart blood of the house of Lancaster;

and that can't be done all at once,

it needs planning and silent secrecy.

I want you to do what I do in these dangerous days–

turn a blind eye to the Duke of Suffolk's insolence,

Beaufort's pride, Somerset's ambition,

at Buckingham, and the whole crew of them,

until they have brought down their highest man,

that good prince, good Duke Humphrey;

that's what they want, and in looking for that

they will kill themselves, if York can predict the future.

SALISBURY.

My lord, break we off; we know your mind at full.

My Lord, let's stop here; we know exactly what you want.

WARWICK.

My heart assures me that the Earl of Warwick

Shall one day make the Duke of York a king.

My heart promises me that the Earl of Warwick

will one day crown the Duke of York as king.

YORK.

And, Nevil, this I do assure myself:

Richard shall live to make the Earl of Warwick

The greatest man in England but the king.

And, Nevil, I promise myself

that Richard will live to make the Earl of Warwick

the greatest man in England besides the king.

[Exeunt.]

[Sound trumpets. Enter the KING, the QUEEN, GLOSTER,

YORK, SUFFOLK, and SALISBURY; the DUCHESS OF GLOSTER,

MARGERY JOURDAIN, SOUTHWELL, HUME, and BOLINGBROKE,

under guard.]

KING.

Stand forth, Dame Eleanor Cobham, Gloster's wife.

In sight of God and us, your guilt is great;

Receive the sentence of the law for sins

Such as by God's book are adjudg'd to death.--

You four, from hence to prison back again,

From thence unto the place of execution.

The witch in Smithfield shall be burn'd to ashes,

And you three shall be strangled on the gallows.--

You, madam, for you are more nobly born,

Despoiled of your honour in your life,

Shall, after three days' open penance done,

Live in your country here in banishment,

With Sir John Stanley, in the Isle of Man.

Step forward, Dame Eleanor Cobham, wife of Gloucester.

You are guilty of a terrible offence in the eyes of us and God;

receive the sentence of the law for these crimes

which the Bible decrees shall be death–

you four shall be taken from here back to prison,

and from there to the place of execution.

The witch shall be burned to ashes at Smithfield,

and you three shall be hanged.

You, madam, as you are of more noble birth,

having permanently soiled your honour,

shall, after you have done three days of public penance,

live in internal exile in your country,

with Sir John Stanley, on the Isle of Man.

DUCHESS.

Welcome is banishment; welcome were my death.

Exile is welcome; my death would be just as welcome.

GLOSTER.

Eleanor, the law, thou seest, hath judged thee;

I cannot justify whom the law condemns.--

[Exeunt Duchess and the other prisoners, guarded..]

Mine eyes are full of tears, my heart of grief.

Ah, Humphrey, this dishonour in thine age

Will bring thy head with sorrow to the ground!--

I beseech your majesty, give me leave to go;

Sorrow would solace, and mine age would ease.

Eleanor, the law, as you can see, has judged you;

I can't excuse someone condemned in law–

[The Duchess and the other prisoners leave]

My eyes are full of tears, my heart full of sorrow.

Ah, Humphrey, this dishonour at your age

will bow your head down to the ground with sorrow!

I beg your Majesty for permission to leave;

that would comfort me in my sorrow, help me in my old age.

KING.

Stay, Humphrey Duke of Gloster.

Ere thou go,

Give up thy staff; Henry will to himself

Protector be, and God shall be my hope,

My stay, my guide, and lantern to my feet.

And go in peace, Humphrey, no less belov'd

Than when thou wert protector to thy king.

Wait, Humphrey Duke of Gloucester.

Before you go,

give up your staff; Henry will now be protector

to himself, and God shall be my hope,

my support, my guide and He shall light my path.

And go in peace, Humphrey, you are no less loved

than when you were my protector.

QUEEN.

I see no reason why a king of years

Should be to be protected like a child.--

God and King Henry govern England's realm.

Give up your staff, sir, and the king his realm.

I can see no reason why a king who has reached adulthood

should need to be protected like a child–

let God and King Henry govern the kingdom of England.

Give up your staff, sir, and give the king his kingdom.

GLOSTER.

My staff? Here, noble Henry, is my staff.

As willingly do I the same resign

As e'er thy father Henry made it mine;

And even as willingly at thy feet I leave it

As others would ambitiously receive it.

Farewell, good king; when I am dead and gone,

May honourable peace attend thy throne!

My staff? Here, noble Henry, is my staff.

I resign it just as willingly

as your father Henry gave it to me;

I am just as glad to leave it at your feet

as some ambitious others would be to have it.

Farewell, good King; after I am dead and gone,

may honourable peace surround your throne!

[Exit.]

QUEEN.

Why, now is Henry king, and Margaret queen;

And Humphrey Duke of Gloster scarce himself,

That bears so shrewd a maim; two pulls at once--

His lady banish'd, and a limb lopp'd off.

This staff of honour raught, there let it stand

Where it best fits to be, in Henry's hand.

Why, now Henry's king, and Margaret queen;

and Humphrey Duke of Gloucester is hardly the same man,