The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (252 page)

Which dar'st not, no, nor canst not rule a traitor.

That head of thine doth not become a crown;

Thy hand is made to grasp a palmer's staff,

And not to grace an awful princely sceptre.

That gold must round engirt these brows of mine,

Whose smile and frown, like to Achilles' spear,

Is able with the change to kill and cure.

Here is a hand to hold a sceptre up

And with the same to act controlling laws.

Give place; by heaven, thou shalt rule no more

O'er him whom heaven created for thy ruler.

What's this! Is Somerset free?

Then, York, speak what's been long in your mind,

and let your tongue match your heart.

Do I have to tolerate the sight of Somerset?

False king! Why have you broken your promise to me,

knowing how badly I take insults?

Did I call you king? No, you are not a king,

you are not fit to govern and rule people,

seeing as you cannot even rule over a traitor.

Your head does not deserve a crown;

your hand was made to hold a pilgrim's stick,

not to wield the sceptre of authority.

That golden crown should be on my head,

someone whose smile and frown is like Achilles' spear,

able to kill or cure as it wishes.

Here is a hand that can bear the weight of the sceptre,

and use it to pass strong laws.

Give way to me; by heaven, you shall no longer rule over

someone whom heaven made to rule you.

SOMERSET.

O monstrous traitor!--I arrest thee, York,

Of capital treason 'gainst the king and crown.

Obey, audacious traitor; kneel for grace.

You monstrous traitor! I arrest you, York,

for capital treason against the king and the crown.

Obey me, horrible traitor; kneel and ask for pardon.

YORK.

Wouldst have me kneel? first let me ask of these

If they can brook I bow a knee to man.--

Sirrah, call in my sons to be my bail.--

[Exit Attendant.]

I know, ere thy will have me go to ward,

They'll pawn their swords for my enfranchisement.

You want me to kneel? First let me ask my

people if they think I should bow my knee to any man.

Sir, call in my sons as my bail–

I know that they will hand over their swords to keep me

free rather than have me go to prison.

QUEEN.

Call hither Clifford; bid him come amain,

To say if that the bastard boys of York

Shall be the surety for their traitor father.

Call Clifford here; tell him to come at once,

to say whether the bastard boys of York

shall stand bail for their traitor father.

[Exit Buckingham.]

YORK.

O blood-bespotted Neapolitan,

Outcast of Naples, England's bloody scourge!

The sons of York, thy betters in their birth,

Shall be their father's bail; and bane to those

That for my surety will refuse the boys!

You bloodstained Neapolitan,

thrown out of Naples, a great harm to England!

The sons of York, who are more noble than you,

will stand bail for their father; and a curse on those

who refuse to take the boys as my guarantee!

[Enter EDWARD and RICHARD.]

See where they come; I'll warrant they'll make it good.

Here they come; I guarantee they'll do as I said.

[Enter old CLIFFORD and his SON.]

QUEEN.

And here comes Clifford to deny their bail.

And here comes Clifford to refuse their bail.

CLIFFORD.

Health and all happiness to my lord the king!

All health and happiness to my lord the king!

[Kneels.]

YORK.

I thank thee, Clifford; say, what news with thee?

Nay, do not fright us with an angry look.

We are thy sovereign, Clifford, kneel again;

For thy mistaking so, we pardon thee.

I thank you, Clifford; what news do you have?

No, do not cast angry looks at me.

I am your king, Clifford, kneel back down;

I forgive you for this error.

CLIFFORD.

This is my king, York, I do not mistake;

But thou mistakes me much to think I do.--

To Bedlam with him! is the man grown mad?

This is my king, York, I have not made a mistake;

you have made a great mistake to think that I have.

Take him to an asylum! Has the man gone mad?

KING.

Ay, Clifford; a bedlam and ambitious humour

Makes him oppose himself against his king.

Yes, Clifford; madness and an ambitious temperament

have made him set himself up against his king.

CLIFFORD.

He is a traitor; let him to the Tower,

And chop away that factious pate of his.

He is a traitor; take him to the Tower,

and chop off that rebellious head of his.

QUEEN.

He is arrested, but will not obey;

His sons, he says, shall give their words for him.

He has been arrested, but he won't obey;

he says that his sons will stand bail for him.

YORK.

Will you not, sons?

Won't you, sons?

EDWARD.

Ay, noble father, if our words will serve.

Yes, noble father, if they will take our word.

RICHARD.

And if words will not, then our weapons shall.

And if they won't take our words, then we shall use our weapons.

CLIFFORD.

Why, what a brood of traitors have we here!

Why, what a family of traitors we have here!

YORK.

Look in a glass, and call thy image so;

I am thy king, and thou a false-heart traitor.--

Call hither to the stake my two brave bears,

That with the very shaking of their chains

They may astonish these fell-lurking curs.

Bid Salisbury and Warwick come to me.

Look in a mirror, and call yourself a traitor;

I am your king, and you area false-hearted traitor.

Bring my two brave bears forward to the stake,

who will petrify these low down dogs

just by shaking their chains.

Tel Salisbury and Warwick to come to me.

[Enter the EARLS OF WARWICK and SALISBURY.]

CLIFFORD.

Are these thy bears? we'll bait thy bears to death,

And manacle the bear-herd in their chains,

If thou dar'st bring them to the baiting-place.

Are these your bears? We shall tease your bears to death,

and tie their leader up in their own chains,

if you dare to bring them here.

RICHARD.

Oft have I seen a hot o'erweening cur

Run back and bite because he was withheld,

Who, being suffer'd with the bear's fell paw,

Hath clapp'd his tail between his legs and cried;

And such a piece of service will you do

If you oppose yourselves to match Lord Warwick.

I have often seen a proud and vicious dog

run back and bite someone for holding him back,

who, once he had faced the terrible paw of the bear,

clapped his tail between his legs and whined;

this is how you will behave

if you try and take on Lord Warwick.

CLIFFORD.

Hence, heap of wrath, foul indigested lump,

As crooked in thy manners as thy shape!

Get out of here, malicious scum, revolting malformed lump,

with manners as twisted as your body!

YORK.

Nay, we shall heat you thoroughly anon.

Well, we shall give you a good beating soon.

CLIFFORD.

Take heed, lest by your heat you burn yourselves.

Be careful, in case you burn yourselves with your own passion.

KING.

Why, Warwick, hath thy knee forgot to bow?--

Old Salisbury, shame to thy silver hair,

Thou mad misleader of thy brainsick son!

What, wilt thou on thy death-bed play the ruffian,

And seek for sorrow with thy spectacles?

O, where is faith? O, where is loyalty?

If it be banish'd from the frosty head,

Where shall it find a harbour in the earth?

Wilt thou go dig a grave to find out war,

And shame thine honourable age with blood?

Why art thou old, and want'st experience?

Or wherefore dost abuse it, if thou hast it?

For shame! in duty bend thy knee to me

That bows unto the grave with mickle age.

Why, Warwick, have you forgotten how to bow?

Old Salisbury, shame on your silver head,

madly leading your mad son astray!

What, are you going to be a scoundrel on your deathbed,

and go looking for sorrow?

Oh, where is faith? Oh, where is loyalty?

If it has disappeared from the heads of old men,

where shall it be found anywhere on Earth?

Are you going to start a war on the edge of the grave,

and shame your venerability with blood?

Why are you lacking the wisdom of age?

Or if you have it, why are you misusing it?

For shame! Bend your knee out of respect for me,

as it is bending down towards the grave.

SALISBURY.

My lord, I have consider'd with myself

The title of this most renowned duke,

And in my conscience do repute his grace

The rightful heir to England's royal seat.

My Lord, I have thought to myself

about the claims of this good Duke,

and in all conscience I believe that he

is the rightful heir to the throne of England.

KING.

Hast thou not sworn allegiance unto me?

Haven't you sworn allegiance to me?

SALISBURY.

I have.

I have.

KING.

Canst thou dispense with heaven for such an oath?

Can you get heaven to forgive you for breaking such an oath?

SALISBURY.

It is great sin to swear unto a sin,

But greater sin to keep a sinful oath.

Who can be bound by any solemn vow

To do a murtherous deed, to rob a man,

To force a spotless virgin's chastity,

To reave the orphan of his patrimony,

To wring the widow from her custom'd right,

And have no other reason for this wrong

But that he was bound by a solemn oath?

It is a great sin to swear to commit a sin,

but it is a greater sin to keep a sinful oath.

Who should have to keep any oath which makes

him commit murder, robbery,